Publications by authors named "Simone Morelli"

Toxoplasmosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoal zoonosis with high sanitary risk for pregnant women and immunocompromised people. Felids, including domestic cats, are the only definitive hosts of T. gondii.

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Duddingtonia flagrans is a nematode trapping fungus used for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in livestock. The quantity of chlamydospores of D. flagrans required for the reduction of third-stage larvae (L3) of sheep gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) is largely unknown, and a matter of discussion.

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  • The tapeworm Dipylidium caninum is a common parasite in dogs, cats, and humans, with diagnosis typically relying on observing segments in feces or using microscopy, both of which may miss infections.
  • A study was conducted on 100 cats in Italy and Greece, comparing various sampling methods (feces, Scotch tape test, and rectal swab) to test for D. caninum using PCR, which is a more sensitive detection method.
  • Results indicated that while PCR could effectively identify D. caninum in certain samples, it also faced challenges like false negatives and variability in parasite distribution, highlighting its potential as a diagnostic tool under specific conditions.
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  • The study investigates the effectiveness of a spot-on treatment called NexGard® Combo, containing eprinomectin, esafoxolaner, and praziquantel, for treating respiratory diseases in cats caused by metastrongyloids Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior.
  • Conducted with 36 infected cats divided into two groups, the treatment regimen involved administering the medication on specified study days while monitoring parasitological, clinical, and radiographic changes.
  • Results showed 100% efficacy in reducing larval shedding in cats with single infections and significant clinical improvement in all cats after two treatments, highlighting the treatment's effectiveness against the parasites.
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  • A recent increase in studies on feline hepatozoonosis has revealed limited knowledge about the specific species and genotypes affecting cats, with at least three known species: Hepatozoon felis, H. canis, and H. silvestris.
  • A study in Niterói, Brazil, collected blood samples from 28 cats and found H. felis DNA in 75% of the samples, along with four previously unreported genetic variations.
  • This is the first report of H. felis in Rio de Janeiro cats, indicating a complex of different genotypes within the species, highlighting the need for further research to understand their biology and potential health impacts on felines.
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Background: Aelurostrongylus abstrusus is one of the most important respiratory nematodes of felines. Infections may lead to respiratory clinical signs with varying severity or even death, emphasizing the need for preventive treatment of cats with outdoor access to circumvent patent infections.

Methods: Therefore, the preventive efficacy of a spot-on formulation of 280 mg/ml fluralaner and 14 mg/ml moxidectin (Bravecto Plus spot-on solution for cats, MSD) against A.

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Aelurostrongylus abstrusus is the most important respiratory nematode of domestic cats. Effective control options are crucial to protect health and welfare of cats and to reduce the spread of aelurostrongylosis in both enzootic and free regions. The present study evaluated the efficacy of a spot-on formulation containing 280 mg/ml fluralaner and 14 mg/ml moxidectin (Bravecto® Plus, MSD) in the prevention of aelurostrongylosis in cats under field conditions.

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Parasitic diseases caused by uncommonly diagnosed parasites may pose a threat to companion animals' health in urban environments where they are least expected. The pentastomid Linguatula serrata (tongue worm) and the capillarid Pearsonema plica (syn. Capillaria plica) are parasites with an indirect life cycle, infecting both domestic and wild carnivores.

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  • - Canine Vector-Borne Diseases (CVBDs) are common in Europe, with many dogs showing no symptoms, making undiagnosed infections a risk for spreading diseases to other animals and potentially humans.
  • - A study tested 300 privately owned dogs in Italy and Greece for CVBD exposure using rapid diagnostic kits, revealing that 17% were positive for at least one disease, with significantly higher rates in Greece (31.3%) than in Italy (2.7%).
  • - The study highlights the effectiveness of in-clinic diagnostic kits in detecting CVBDs quickly and cost-effectively, even when dogs display no clinical signs, underscoring the importance of regular screenings in enzootic regions.
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Equine and canine anaplasmosis and borreliosis are major tick-borne zoonotic diseases caused by and various species of (the most important being s.l.), respectively.

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The burrowing mite causes sarcoptic mange in dogs and other mammals, including humans. Despite infests several animals, little is known about the epidemiology, clinical features, and treatment of sarcoptic mange in cats. A few reports have shown that clinical signs of infestation in cats may vary from non-pruritic crusted lesions to itchy and mild lesions, while severe signs are very infrequent.

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Ticks and fleas are blood-sucking ectoparasites that cause irritation and anaemia to their hosts and act as vectors of pathogens (vector-borne pathogens, VBPs) of relevance for animal and human health. In the present study, tick and flea species in dogs and cats from Cyprus were recorded and VBPs were detected in the collected specimens. Ectoparasites were collected from 220 animals (161 dogs and 59 cats), and a questionnaire including demographic, clinical, and other information was filled out for each animal.

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Hepatozoon spp. is the causative agent of a vector-borne parasitic disease in many animal species. In felids, Hepatozoon felis, Hepatozoon canis and Hepatozoon silvestris have been molecularly isolated.

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  • Several copromicroscopic techniques, like conventional flotation and Mini-FLOTAC, were evaluated for diagnosing parasitic infections in dogs and cats using fecal samples from 205 animals in Italy.
  • The study found that flotation and Mini-FLOTAC methods detected the highest rates of positive samples in both species, with specific larvae only identified by the Baermann test in a few cats.
  • Ultimately, while Mini-FLOTAC can serve as a useful alternative for diagnosing various intestinal and respiratory parasites, Baermann's test remains the top choice for detecting metastrongyloid lungworm infections.
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  • - Aelurostrongylosis, a respiratory disease in cats caused by the parasite Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, varies in severity from mild to severe symptoms and is found globally but is often underestimated in terms of its impact.
  • - Research on this parasite in Brazil is limited, particularly in the southern regions, prompting a study conducted in Vilhena, Rondônia, from April 2020 to February 2021.
  • - The study analyzed fecal samples from 101 cats using specific tests, finding only 2 (1.98%) positive cases for A. abstrusus, with no other lungworms detected, leading to discussions on its clinical and epidemiological significance.
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Feline troglostrongylosis caused by is increasingly reported in European countries. Although the disease can be severe and potentially life-threatening, especially in kittens and young cats, effective treatment options are still limited. Two administrations of emodepside 2 weeks apart have shown promising results for the treatment of infection in single cases and in a field trial.

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  • - The study assessed the safety and effectiveness of a new topical treatment for cats called Felpreva®, which contains emodepside, praziquantel, and tigolaner, in a multicentric trial involving 219 cats across five countries.
  • - Cats were divided into two groups and dosed with Felpreva® or a control product, Profender®, with results showing a significant reduction in parasite counts: 97.47% for intestinal nematodes and 96.80% for lungworms, while no cystodes were found post-treatment.
  • - The study confirmed that Felpreva® is non-inferior to Profender® in terms of efficacy and was deemed safe, with no reported adverse effects,
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The gold standard method for the diagnosis of cat aelurostrongylosis is the detection of first stage larvae with the Baermann's examination. Nevertheless, molecular assays have shown higher diagnostic performances compared to copromicroscopy. This study evaluated the usefulness of an species-specific PCR on different biological samples collected in clinical settings from 100 privately-owned cats in Italy (n.

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Intestinal helminthes of dogs have a relevant role for health and welfare of canine populations and many of them are zoonotic. Thus, a constant surveillance is pivotal to safeguard companion dogs and human health. Data from faecal examinations of pet dogs obtained in the last six years during the routine activity of the laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic diseases of the University Teaching Veterinary Hospital of the University of Teramo, Italy, are here reported.

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Since early autumn 2016, Mass Mortality Events (MME) have drastically impacted the population of the fan mussel Pinna nobilis in the Mediterranean Sea. Haplosporidium pinnae, a newly described Haplosporidian species, has been considered the causative agent of the mortality outbreaks in association to opportunistic bacterial pathogens. In the present study, we first reported a cytological description of H.

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The study investigated and compared welfare conditions and gastrointestinal (GI) parasites distribution among organic (ORG) and conventional (CONV) farms in central Italy. Five ORG and five CONV farms were assessed for animal welfare with an adapted version of the AssureWel protocol. Faecal samples collected from the rectum of the animals both in ORG ( = 150) and CONV ( = 150) were analysed using conventional copromiscroscopy.

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The lungworm is one of the main causes of respiratory diseases in cats worldwide. This report describes the unusual case of a kitten infected with and presented to a veterinary clinic in Brazil with lethargy, dysphagia, non-ambulatory tetraplegia, and pelvic limbs bilateral myoclonus. The clinical picture of the kitten worsened with generalized flaccid tetraplegia and death a few days after hospitalization.

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