Rapid isothermal molecular tests to discriminate between Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania infantum infections in dogs.

Background: We standardized two recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assays coupled with lateral flow (LF) strips for the detection of Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania infantum kinetoplast DNA (kDNA).

Methods: The RPA-LF assays were tested at different temperatures and reaction times, using DNA from cultured L. braziliensis and L.

Prevention of heartworm infection in dogs using a combination of moxidectin, imidacloprid and praziquantel: evidence from a randomized clinical trial.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a topical combination of moxidectin 3.5%, imidacloprid 10% and praziquantel 10% for the prevention of Dirofilaria immitis (Leidy, 1856) infection in dogs. For this purpose, a randomized and controlled clinical trial was conducted between August 2021 and October 2022, in the municipality of Goiana, state of Pernambuco, north-eastern Brazil, where heartworm is highly prevalent.

Effects of Migonemyia migonei salivary gland homogenates on Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis infection in BALB/c mice.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is the most widespread clinical form of leishmaniasis in the Americas. Migonemyia migonei is a widely distributed phlebotomine sand fly species in Brazil and has been implicated as a vector for L. (V.

Molecular epidemiology and prevalence of babesial infections in dogs in two hyperendemic foci in Brazil.

Babesial parasites are some of the most ubiquitous blood pathogens and consequently have considerable worldwide veterinary impact. Dogs living in the tropics are highly exposed to babesial parasites, particularly to Babesia vogeli. Limited data on the seroprevalence and molecular prevalence of Babesia spp.

Seasonal dynamics and rickettsial infection in free-living Amblyomma dubitatum in the Atlantic forest biome in north-eastern Brazil.

The genus Amblyomma is the most representative tick genus in Brazil and some species act as vectors of pathogenic organisms to animals and humans. Information on the seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma spp. as well as on rickettsial organisms infecting these ticks in some regions in Brazil is still fragmentary.

Evaluation of different storage times and preservation methods on phlebotomine sand fly DNA concentration and purity.

Background: Different methods have been used to preserve phlebotomine sand flies for research purposes, including for taxonomic studies and detection of Leishmania spp. Here, we evaluated the effect of various preservation methods at different storage times on phlebotomine sand fly DNA concentration and purity.

Methods: Field-collected phlebotomine sand flies were individually stored in 70% ethanol (G1) and 95% ethanol (G2) at room temperature, 70% ethanol (G3) and 95% ethanol (G4) at 8 °C or frozen dry (i.

Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) Reduces the Survival Time of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae), the Main Vector of the Visceral Leishmaniasis Agent in the Americas.

Visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) is a major neglected tropical disease and Brazil is the responsible for most cases reported in the Americas. In this region, L. infantum is primarily transmitted by Lutzomyia longipalpis and Migonemyia migonei (França) (Diptera: Psychodidae) is considered a permissive vector.

Fast multiplex real-time PCR assay for simultaneous detection of dog and human blood and Leishmania parasites in sand flies.

Background: The blood-feeding behaviour of female sand flies may increase their likelihood of acquiring and transmitting Leishmania parasites. Studies on the host usage by these insects may thus improve our understanding of the Leishmania transmission risk in leishmaniasis-endemic areas. Here, we developed a fast multiplex real-time PCR assay for simultaneous detection of dog, human and Leishmania DNA in sand flies.

Prevalence and incidence of vector-borne pathogens in unprotected dogs in two Brazilian regions.

Background: Various vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) affect dogs worldwide, with their diversity and force of infection being usually higher in the tropics. Cross-sectional studies have been conducted to investigate the prevalence of VBPs in dogs, but data from longitudinal studies are scarce. Herein, we assessed the prevalence and the year-crude incidence (YCI) of Leishmania spp.

Detection of Leishmania DNA in Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) From a Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Outbreak Area in Northeastern Brazil.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) by Leishmania braziliensis Vianna (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) is a widespread disease in the western hemisphere and Brazil is the country reporting the majority of the human cases each year. Several phlebotomine sand flies have been regarded as putative or proven vectors of L. braziliensis and multiple vectors may be involved in the transmission of this parasite in the same endemic foci.

. in Loggerhead Sea Turtles (): From Colonization to Infection.

With the aim of evaluating the presence of . in sea turtles with and without lesions and assessing the risk factors favoring colonization and/or infection, 74 loggerhead sea turtles () admitted to rescue and rehabilitation clinics in Italy were analyzed. The study compared 31 individuals with no apparent macroscopic lesions and 43 individuals with macroscopic lesions.

Phenology of Amblyomma sculptum in a degraded area of Atlantic rainforest in north-eastern Brazil.

Amblyomma sculptum is the principal vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, the main agent of spotted fever rickettsiosis in Brazil. Little information is available regarding the population dynamics of this tick in some regions, including north-eastern Brazil, where cases of spotted fever rickettsioses are increasingly reported. Herein, we studied the phenology of A.

Home sweet home: sand flies find a refuge in remote indigenous villages in north-eastern Brazil, where leishmaniasis is endemic.

Background: From 2012 to 2013, an outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis by Leishmania braziliensis was detected in indigenous villages located in a remote rural area of Pernambuco state, north-eastern Brazil. Considering that the principal activities of this indigenous community are farming and crop plantation, and also that the outbreak involved many children, we investigated the presence of sand fly vectors inside human houses and also the exposure of dogs to leishmanial parasites. Our general objective was to gather epidemiological data that could indicate the occurrence of a peri-domestic/domestic transmission cycle of L.

Ehrlichia spp. infection in rural dogs from remote indigenous villages in north-eastern Brazil.

Background: Ehrlichia canis is a tick-borne bacterium that causes severe, life-threatening disease in dogs, being more prevalent in tropical and subtropical countries. Randomized studies conducted in Brazil indicate that the prevalence of E. canis infection in dogs ranges from 0.

Exposure to vector-borne pathogens in privately owned dogs living in different socioeconomic settings in Brazil.

This survey was conducted in four Brazilian cities, from three federative units (Pernambuco, Minas Gerais, and Federal District), representing different socioeconomic settings, to determine the presence of antibodies to or antigens and DNA of selected pathogens in privately owned dogs. From January to April 2015, blood and serum samples were collected and assayed using different tests. In particular, antibodies to Anaplasma spp.

Sand fly population dynamics and cutaneous leishmaniasis among soldiers in an Atlantic forest remnant in northeastern Brazil.

Outbreaks of cutaneous leishmaniasis are relatively common among soldiers involved in nocturnal activities in tropical forests. We investigated the population dynamics of sand flies in a military training camp located in a remnant of Atlantic rainforest in northeastern Brazil, where outbreaks of cutaneous leishmaniasis have sporadically been described. From July 2012 to July 2014, light traps were monthly placed in 10 collection sites, being nine sites located near the forest edge and one near a sheep and goat stable.

Essential oils and Beauveria bassiana against Dermanyssus gallinae (Acari: Dermanyssidae): Towards new natural acaricides.

Essential oils (EOs) and entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria bassiana (Bb) strains have the potential to be used as alternative insecticides and acaricides for controlling ectoparasites as Dermanyssus gallinae. These compounds have some limitations in their use: the acaricidal effect of EOs is rapid, but short-lived, whilst that of Bb is delayed, but long-lived. To evaluate the effect of both compounds combined against D.

Leishmania-FAST15: A rapid, sensitive and low-cost real-time PCR assay for the detection of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis kinetoplast DNA in canine blood samples.

We describe an improved real-time PCR assay (designated as "Leishmania-FAST15") for the detection and quantification of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis kinetoplast DNA minicircles in canine blood samples. The analytical sensitivity of this technique is 0.1 fg of DNA, which is equivalent to 0.

Native strains of Beauveria bassiana for the control of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato.

Background: Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato ticks are widespread worldwide due to their adaptability to survive under different environmental conditions. They may act as vectors of a wide range of pathogens to humans and animals and their control is based on the use of chemical products on dogs and in the environment. Alternative control strategies, such as the use of entomopathogenic fungi as bio-control agents have also been investigated.

In vitro antifungal susceptibility of Malassezia furfur from bloodstream infections.

Fungaemia caused by Malassezia spp. in hospitalized patients requires prompt and appropriate therapy, but standard methods for the definition of the in vitro antifungal susceptibility have not been established yet. In this study, the in vitro susceptibility of Malassezia furfur from bloodstream infections (BSIs) to amphotericin B (AMB), fluconazole (FLC), itraconazole (ITC), posaconazole (POS) and voriconazole (VRC) was assessed using the broth microdilution (BMD) method of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) with different media such as modified Sabouraud dextrose broth (SDB), RPMI and Christensen's urea broth (CUB).

Antifungal susceptibility of Malassezia pachydermatis biofilm.

Antifungal resistance has been associated with biofilm formation in many microorganisms, but not yet in Malassezia pachydermatis. This saprophytic yeast can cause otitis and dermatitis in dogs and has emerged as an important human pathogen, responsible for systemic infections in neonates in intensive care units. This study aims to evaluate the in vitro antifungal susceptibility of M.

Fungal diseases of horses.

Among diseases of horses caused by fungi (=mycoses), dermatophytosis, cryptococcosis and aspergillosis are of particular concern, due their worldwide diffusion and, for some of them, zoonotic potential. Conversely, other mycoses such as subcutaneous (i.e.

Clinical and hematological findings in Leishmania braziliensis-infected dogs from Pernambuco, Brazil.

Canine cutaneous leishmaniasis by Leishmania braziliensis is a neglected, but widespread disease of dogs in South America. This paper describes clinical and hematological alterations in 17 L. braziliensis-infected dogs from Brazil.

An improved molecular diagnostic assay for canine and feline dermatophytosis.

The few studies attempting to specifically characterize dermatophytes from hair samples of dogs and cats using PCR-based methodology relied on sequence-based analysis of selected genetic markers. The aim of the present investigation was to establish and evaluate a PCR-based approach employing genetic markers of nuclear DNA for the specific detection of dermatophytes on such specimens. Using 183 hair samples, we directly compared the test results of our one-step and nested-PCR assays with those based on conventional microscopy and in vitro culture techniques (using the latter as the reference method).