Development of a public geographical information system-based website to follow the impact of control activities of soil-transmitted helminths in endemic countries.

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are among the most common neglected tropical diseases worldwide causing high morbidity and mortality rates in endemic areas. Preventive chemotherapy (PC) programmes and health education are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to reduce the impact of STH in endemic countries. Following our role as WHO collaborating centre (WHO CC ITA-116), we have developed a WebGIS and a dataset to support PC programmes to monitor the impact of STH control.

Epidemiology and spatial distribution of Echinococcus granulosus in sheep and goats slaughtered in a hyperendemic European Mediterranean area.

Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a worldwide parasitic zoonosis caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato affecting livestock, particularly sheep and goats. However, often this parasitosis is underestimated. For this reason, this study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological features and spatial distribution of CE in sheep and goats slaughtered in a hyperendemic Mediterranean area.

In Vitro Evaluation of Ozonated Water Treatment on the Viability of Oocysts and Cysts from Water Buffaloes: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

The aim of this proof-of-concept study was to evaluate the in vitro effects of ozonated water treatment on the viability of oocysts and cysts isolated from naturally infected water buffaloes. oocysts were divided into seven groups of six replicates that were treated with ozonated water at three ozone concentrations (0.5, 1, and 2 mg/L) and two contact times (five and ten minutes), and one group (negative control) that was exposed to non-treated water.

Constraints of using historical data for modelling the spatial distribution of helminth parasites in ruminants.

Dicrocoelium dendriticum is a trematode that infects ruminant livestock and requires two different intermediate hosts to complete its lifecycle. Modelling the spatial distribution of this parasite can help to improve its management in higher risk regions. The aim of this research was to assess the constraints of using historical data sets when modelling the spatial distribution of helminth parasites in ruminants.

A 10-Year Surveillance of spp. in Cattle and Buffaloes in a Mediterranean Area.

Coccidiosis due to spp. are widespread parasitic infections in cattle and water buffaloes and may impair health, welfare, and production of these livestock species. The aims of this study were (i) to investigate the prevalence and seasonal dynamics of eimeriosis and (ii) to characterize the species in large ruminants in a Mediterranean area, in order to plan effective control strategies.

Simultaneous Detection of Parasitic Vector Borne Diseases: A Robust Cross-Sectional Survey in Hunting, Stray and Sheep Dogs in a Mediterranean Area.

Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) are a spectrum of diseases caused by different pathogens transmitted by blood-feeding arthropoda. The aim of this study was to investigate leishmaniosis, babesiosis, and filarial infections in dogs with three different lifestyles (hunting, stray, and sheep dogs) in Molise, the smallest region of southern Italy, where data available about these parasitic infections are very scant. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 318 hunting, 180 stray, and 218 sheep dogs.

Comparative cost-effectiveness of immunoassays and FLOTAC for diagnosing Giardia spp. infection in dogs.

Background: Giardia spp. is a protozoan pathogen and is the most common enteric parasite of domestic animals and humans. Assays for detecting infection in fecal samples using direct or indirect examinations are important tools for diagnosing the disease.

A national survey of Ixodidae ticks on privately owned dogs in Italy.

Background: The geographical distribution of ticks on companion animals needs to be monitored to develop and plan effective control measures, as suggested by the European Scientific Counsel on Companion Animal Parasites. The aim of this study was to conduct the first Italian national survey of tick distribution on privately owned dogs.

Methods: The study was performed over 20 months (February 2016 - September 2017) and involved 153 veterinary practices in 64 different provinces covering 17/20 (85%) Italian regions.

The recovery of added nematode eggs from horse and sheep faeces by three methods.

Background: Nematode infections in horses are widespread across the world. Increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance, reported worldwide in equine parasites, have led to the creation of programs for the control of nematodes based on faecal egg counts (FEC). To improve nematode egg counting in equine faecal samples and establish whether the matrix of equine faeces or the eggs affect the counts, the analytical sensitivity, accuracy and precision of Mini-FLOTAC (combined with Fill-FLOTAC), McMaster and Cornell-Wisconsin techniques were compared.

Comparison of three copromicroscopic methods to assess albendazole efficacy against soil-transmitted helminth infections in school-aged children on Pemba Island.

Background: The diagnostic accuracy of three faecal egg count techniques (Kato-Katz, McMaster and FLOTAC) to assess albendazole efficacy against soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections was compared.

Methods: The study is registered with Current Controlled Trials [identifier: ISRCTN90088840]. During September-November 2009, 304 school-aged children on Pemba Island, Tanzania, were screened and those infected with Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm or Trichuris trichiura were treated with a single dose of albendazole (400 mg).

FLOTAC for the diagnosis of Hymenolepis spp. infection: proof-of-concept and comparing diagnostic accuracy with other methods.

Hymenolepis nana is the most common cestode parasitizing humans, yet it is under-diagnosed. We determined the optimal flotation solution (FS) for the diagnosis of this intestinal parasite with the FLOTAC method, and compared its diagnostic accuracy with an ether-concentration technique and the Kato-Katz method. Zinc sulphate (specific gravity 1.

Monitoring drug efficacy against gastrointestinal nematodes when faecal egg counts are low: do the analytic sensitivity and the formula matter?

The faecal egg count reduction test (FECR) is the recommended technique to monitor anthelmintic drug efficacy in livestock. However, results are often inconclusive due to the low analytic sensitivity of the diagnostic technique or the conflict in results from FECR formulae. A novel experimental set-up was, therefore, used to compare the impact of analytic sensitivity and formulae on FECR results.

Ancylostoma caninum: calibration and comparison of diagnostic accuracy of flotation in tube, McMaster and FLOTAC in faecal samples of dogs.

We performed a calibration of flotation in tube, McMaster and FLOTAC to determine the optimal flotation solution (FS) and the influence of faecal preservation for the diagnosis of Ancylostoma caninum in dogs, and compared the accuracy of the three copromicroscopic techniques. Among nine different FS, sodium chloride and sodium nitrate performed best for detection and quantification of A. caninum eggs.