Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infection in epileptic dogs.

OBJECTIVES: Studies in humans have demonstrated the role of Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite, in epileptic seizures. This study aimed to investigate the serological correlation between T. gondii and N. caninum and epilepsy in dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical record database of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Perugia, was searched for dogs serologically tested by IFAT for T. gondii and N. caninum and following specific inclusion criteria. Dogs were stratified by having a clinical diagnosis of epilepsy or suffering different conditions. RESULTS: One-hundred and twenty-eight dogs were included, 64 with epilepsy and 64 without clinical signs of epilepsy. Seventeen of the 64 epileptic dogs (26.6%; 95% CI: 15.7% to 37.4%) and twenty-one of the 64 non-epileptic dogs (32.8%; 95% CI: 21.3% to 44.3%) tested positive for T. gondii. Eight of the epileptic dogs (12.5%; 95% CI: 4.4% to 20.6%) and three of the non-epileptic dogs (4.7%; 95% CI: 0% to 9.9%) tested positive for N. caninum. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of T. gondii or N. caninum seroreactivity between epileptic and non-epileptic dogs. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The results obtained do not seem to support the role of T. gondii and N. caninum as causative agents of dog epilepsy.

Dermatitis caused by arthropods in domestic environment: an Italian multicentre study.

BACKGROUND: Skin diseases caused by mites and insects living in domestic environments have been rarely systematically studied. OBJECTIVES: To study patients with dermatitis induced by arthropods in domestic environment describing their clinical features, isolating culprit arthropods and relating the clinical features to the parasitological data. METHODS: The study was performed in 105 subjects with clinical and anamnestic data compatible with the differential diagnosis of ectoparasitoses in domestic environments. Clinical data and arthropods findings obtained by indoor dust direct examination were studied. RESULTS: Indoor dust direct examination demonstrated possible arthropods infestation in 98 subjects (93.3%), more frequently mites (56.1%) (mainly Pyemotes ventricosus and Glycyphagus domesticus) than insects (43.9%) (mainly Formicidae and Bethylidae). Strophulus (46.9%) and urticaria-like eruption (36.7%) in upper limbs and trunk with severe extent were prevalent. Itch was mostly severe (66.3%) and continuous (55.1%). Ectoparasitoses occurred frequently with acute course in summer (44.9%) and spring (30.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Possible correlation between clinical and aetiological diagnosis of arthropods ectoparasitoses in domestic environments needs the close cooperation between dermatologist and parasitologist. This is crucial to successfully and definitely resolve skin lesions by eradicating the factors favouring infestation.

Microbiological and parasitological survey of zoonotic agents in apparently healthy feral pigeons.

Microbiological and parasitological investigation was carried out on a colony of feral pigeons, located in a green area near the main hospital of a Central Italy city. One hundred pigeons were submitted to clinical examination. Cloacal swabs, grouped in pool of 4 samples, were analyzed to detect the presence of Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydia psittaci, Chlamydophila spp. using a biomolecular procedure, while individual cloacal samples were examined for Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., and yeasts by means of a specific culture media. An ELISA test was used to determine the presence of Giardia spp., and Cryptosporidium spp. coproantigens. Individual serological samples were also tested with the modified agglutination test (MAT) in order to detect antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii. The pigeons did not show any clinical signs. The cloacal pools proved to be negative for C. burnetii DNA while three pools were positive for C. psittaci or Chlamydophila spp. DNAs. Salmonella spp. was not detected. C. jejuni and C. coli were found in 13% and 4% of the samples, respectively. No Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. were detected. Thirty-three out of 100 samples (33%) were positive for yeast colonies. The seroprevalence for T. gondii was 8%. Although with moderate incidence, potentially zoonotic agents were present thus highlighting the need for sanitary surveillance on feral pigeon colonies.

Dermatophytosis in animals: epidemiological, clinical and zoonotic aspects.

AIM: Dermatophytosis are the most frequent fungal infections of pets and livestock and play an important role in animal and human health due to their zoonotic potential. Another important aspect of these infections is linked to the economic consequences in farm animal and fur production systems. An overview of dermatophytosis in animals is described in this paper. Epidemiological, clinical and zoonotic aspects are addressed, considering individual species, both pets and farmed animals. METHODS: In particular, most recent investigations in the field of animal mycology, carried out in Central Italy, are reported, with particular reference to rabbit, ruminants, horse, dog, cat and some wild species. RESULTS: The information in this article show how dermatophytes infect a wide range of animals which may be in contact with human beings either directly or indirectly. Consequently they are frequently a source of infection for human beings who, vice versa, may sometimes become contagious for animals. CONCLUSION: Fungal pathogens derive their power to spread from contamination of the animal's habitat - whether the animal is a conventional pet or not, a farm animal or living in the wild. Thus if treatment of the animal or human patient is to achieve optimal efficacy, it needs to be associated with adequate environmental measures.

Occurrence of Giardia duodenalis infection in chinchillas (Chincilla lanigera) from Italian breeding facilities.

The present work investigated the occurrence of Giardia infection in Chinchilla lanigera reared in three Italian breeding facilities and determined their role as potential zoonotic reservoir. One hundred and four fecal samples were tested for the presence of Giardia spp. cysts using a Direct Fluorescent Assay (DFA). A high positivity rate (39.4%) was found despite all animals were asymptomatic at the time of sampling. Thirty-one positive samples were genetically characterized by sequence analysis of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of the Giardia ribosomal DNA. Assemblages B (29 isolates) and C (two isolates) were identified. These results showed that Giardia infection can be common in chinchillas, thus spurring further molecular epizootiological studies of the infection to assess the zoonotic potential or host specificity of their isolates, to determine the source of infections, to identify the routes of transmission, and to control the infection among animal populations.