Mycobacterium bovis Tuberculosis in Two Goat Farms in Multi-Host Ecosystems in Sicily (Italy): Epidemiological, Diagnostic, and Regulatory Considerations.

Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) is the causative agent of animal tuberculosis (bTB), infecting and causing disease in several animal species. In areas where there are complex interactions between reservoir hosts and susceptible species, the control of this pathogen is a challenge. The authors report two outbreaks of goat tuberculosis caused by M. bovis in multi-host ecosystems within two protected natural areas of Sicily, where TB is historically endemic. The first outbreak (Farm A) was identified after the incidental detection at the slaughterhouse of TB-like lesions in goat viscera ready to be disposed. Single intradermal cervical tuberculin test (SICT) was performed in Farm A on 205 goats, resulting positive in 10 (4.9%). After slaughtering, six out of ten animals showed TB-like lesions, from which M. bovis spoligotype SB0841 was isolated. The typing did not reveal any epidemiological connection with the neighboring cattle, suggesting that free-ranging type of management exposed the affected goat livestock or wildlife infected with other strains. The second outbreak (Farm B) was detected in a mixed farm (bovine, caprine, and ovine), where relapsing outbreaks of TB in cattle were registered in the previous years after performing the SICT in cohabiting goats. SICT resulted positive in 6/153 (3.9%), and two animals showed bTB-like lesions. No mycobacteria were cultured, and the final diagnosis of TB was achieved by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. The reported outbreaks highlight the importance of assessing the epidemiological, diagnostic, and regulatory critical issue, which is fundamental to optimizing the strategies of eradicating TB in the endemic multi-host ecosystem described.

Teleost fish: a new spontaneous model for the study of Lambl's excrescences.

Lambl's excrescences (LE) are fibrous strands typically occurring at coaptation lines of cardiac valves. Although they have been widely reported in human medicine, information on LE occurrence in veterinary medicine is still scarce. The present study aimed to investigate the presence of LE in different freshwater fish and in swordfish. A total of 185 hearts were collected from different fish species, and samples of different cardiac areas (sinus venosus, atrial wall with sinoatrial valves, ventricular wall with atrioventricular valves and bulb with bulboventricular valves) were submitted to histopathological evaluation. LE were detected in 6 of 103 freshwater fish (5.8%) and 19 of 82 swordfish (23.2%). LE developed in atrioventricular, sinoatrial and bulboventricular valves. All affected valves also showed endocardiosis. Based on the results of the present work, teleost fish, specifically swordfish, could be proposed as a novel spontaneous model for the study of LE pathogenesis.

Unusual Localization of Pennella Sp. in Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) Hearts.

The genus Pennella comprises hematophagous parasites of marine aquatic species, including cephalopods, marine mammals, and pelagic fish. Nine species have been officially included in the genus Pennella plus another six species inquirendae. They are most often found in the host's musculature, without penetrating internal organs. For the present study, 83 hearts from swordfish (Xiphias gladius) caught in the Mediterranean Sea were sampled and immediately fixed in formalin for histopathological analysis. In total, 10 (12.05%) hearts were found to be parasitized by copepods of the genus Pennella. Macroscopically, there was mild-to-severe fibrinous pericarditis with atrial wall thickening and multiple parasitic nodules. Histologically, the parasitic nodules were surrounded by an inflammatory-necrotizing reaction. Parasitic infestation by Pennella spp. is common in pelagic fish and in swordfish, in particular. Here, however, we report atypical cardiac localization. A future area of focus is the evaluation of cardiac Pennella spp. infestation by histopathology and genetic identification of the parasites.

Potential role of Anitschkow cells in cardiovascular disease in human and veterinary medicine: A review of the literature.

Anitschkow cells (AC) are a peculiar type of stromal cells observed in myocardium, cardiac valves and coronary vessels wall whose origin, characterization and role remain controversial. In human heart, they represent a histological hallmark of Aschoff nodules in rheumatic fever, but they have also been observed in other myocardial pathologies. Firstly, they have been considered a myocyte-derived cells, but light microscopy, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies pointed out that a macrophagic/histiocytic origin cannot be excluded. Many authors also reported extracardiac AC or an Anitschkow nuclear pattern, thus suggesting that these cells may represent a chromatin pattern rather than a specific cell type. In veterinary medicine, AC were described in myocarditis, myocardial necrosis, degenerative and inflammatory endocardial diseases of several species. Recently, AC have been observed in intramural coronary arteries of different animals (including cattle and fish) affected by arteriosclerotic processes. Stress related to the intensive livestock farming could represent a mechanotransduction promoting factor of arteriosclerotic changes allowing the development of Anitschkow chromatin pattern. Further studies both in human and veterinary medicine are needed to confirm the origin and role of these peculiar cells.

Heart valve pathology in regularly slaughtered horses.

In this study we examined macroscopic and microscopic lesions in the mitral valves of 50 regularly slaughtered horses in Italy. Macroscopically the results were minor. Microscopic lesions to the valve were found in both young and elderly subjects, confirming that there is no correlation between age and onset of lesions. We set out to evaluate whether the lesions correspond to valve disorder during the life of the animal.

Spontaneously occurring intramural coronary arteriosclerosis in regularly slaughtered veal calves and beef cattle: a screening study about prevalence and histopathological features.

OBJECTIVES: Intramural coronary arteriosclerosis has been reported in several species, but no systematic studies are currently available in bovine. The present study aimed to describe the arteriosclerotic changes in regularly slaughtered veal calves and beef cattle. ANIMALS: Twenty-five veal calves (6-9 months old) and 17 beef cattle (10-24 months old) housed in intensive livestock farming and regularly slaughtered were included in the present study. METHODS: Selected heart samples were submitted for histopathological and ultrastructural examination and the following parameters were evaluated: intimal hyperplasia, degenerative changes of the tunica media, medial hypertrophy/hyperplasia, myocardial fibrosis, and myocarditis. Pathological intramural coronary arteries with and without lumen narrowing were manually counted in every sample. RESULTS: Intramural coronary arteriosclerosis was observed in all the calves and cattle, with similar prevalence of fibromuscular/muscular intimal hyperplasia (92% vs 88%), degenerative changes of the tunica media (76% vs 71%), and medial hypertrophy/hyperplasia (44% vs 59%). The posterior papillary muscle of the left ventricle was the myocardial localization significantly more affected in both calves (p = 0.0007) and cattle (p = 0.0339). Anitschkow cells were detected in the coronary walls of both calves (60%) and cattle (76%). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study that systematically describes spontaneously occurring intramural coronary arteriosclerosis in bovine species. Anitschkow cells, whose ultrastructural characteristics and localization suggest their potential origin from the smooth muscle cells of the tunica media of the arteriosclerotic coronary vessels, were also identified.

Natural trematode infestation in feral Nebrodi Black pigs: pathological investigations.

Few studies describe the parasites of pigs bred in the wild state, although pigs are a known reservoir of trematode infestation. This article reports the results of a retrospective study carried out from January 2003 to June 2007 on 3021 Nebrodi Black male and female pigs, regularly slaughtered, aged between 8 months and 4 years. Fasciola hepatica and Dicrocoelium dendriticum flukes were detected in 143 (4.37%) of 3021 livers. The predominant histological features were multifocal to diffuse chronic hepatitis, with fibrosis and severely thickened walls of the bile ducts and chronic parietal, sometimes nodular inflammation. F. hepatica infestation was frequently associated with marked hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the submucosal glands. The study results confirm the important role swine play in the transmission of trematode infestations, indicate the prevalence of these parasites in the Nebrodi Park area, and draw attention to the need for a prophylaxis plan to prevent the spread of infestation to ruminants and humans living in the area.

Detection of Helicobacter in gastric washing of cats.

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of gastric washing for detecting the presence of Helicobacter spp. in feline gastric mucus. Gastric fluids were collected from 11 cats undergoing routine surgical procedures. The fluids were centrifuged and the pellets were subjected to cytological examination by May-Grünwald/Giemsa (MGG) staining and testing by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of Helicobacter after DNA extraction. Helicobacter spp. were detected in 8 of 11 samples by MGG staining and in 10 of 11 samples by PCR. Gastric washing proved to be a useful sampling technique and a valuable alternative to the gold-standard method of gastric biopsy, which has the risk of missing colonized spots in the case of patchy Helicobacter colonization. Gastric washing, a noninvasive way of sampling, could be applied to cats undergoing general anesthesia for different causes. Detection of Helicobacter in cats could allow epidemiological investigations, and sequencing of samples could assist in assessing the distribution of various Helicobacter species.

Use of s-100 and chromogranin a antibodies as immunohistochemical markers on detection of malignancy in aortic body tumors in dog.

To define the characteristics of malignancy we performed routine histology and an immunohistochemical study on seventeen aortic body tumors in dogs. We essayed tumors using a panel of immunohistochemical markers: neuron specific enolase (NSE), chromogranin A (CrA) and S-100. Among 17 cases, the neoplastic cells were positive for NSE (17 cases, 100%), S-100 (9 cases, 53%), and CrA (8 cases, 47%), respectively. The sustentacular cells density and chief cell staining intensity were both inversely related to tumor grade. The most relevant data was consistent with a negative staining of S-100 correlated with absence or decreased number of sustentacular cells in tumors grade III. This report indicates that the immunohistochemical panel has utility for the diagnosis of chemodectoma and the negative staining to CrA and S-100 markers in tumors grade III expresses an indication of malignant behaviour of the tumor.