Veterinaria Italiana (Journal)
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Detection of vesivirus in minks (Neovison vison), Italy 2021
Get PDFVesiviruses are important animal pathogens with a broad host range, and they have also been involved in accidental contamination of cells used for the production of drugs for rare and life-threatening human diseases. A vesivirus (family Caliciviridae) was detected in minks (Neovison vison) with respiratory and neurological signs, during syndromic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 conducted in Italy. The complete genome (8,397 nucleotides in length) of the vesivirus strain ITA/2021/mink/TE (OR130287) was obtained by combining NGS approach with 5’ and 3’ RACE protocols. The virus was seemingly more related (95.9-97.2% nt identity in the partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase) to American vesivirus isolates 9/1980/US, 12/1980/US, and 20/1980/US dating back to the early 1980s than to recent mink strains. These results highlight the importance of gathering information on the virome of animals.  
Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in veterinary medicine: practical applications and tissue distribution in terrestrial vertebrate animals
Get PDFRare earth elements (REEs) have shown promising potential in veterinary medicine, particularly as feed additives and diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Moreover, the increasing industrial use of REEs has raised concerns about their potential environmental contamination and bioaccumulation in animal tissues. While numerous studies have focused on the distribution of REEs in marine and freshwater ecosystems, information regarding their presence in terrestrial environments remains fragmented. This narrative review aims to describe the practical applications of REEs in veterinary medicine, with a specific focus on studies evaluating the potential accumulation of these elements in the tissues of terrestrial vertebrate animals. Additionally, the review addresses research on the intentional residual presence of REEs and in-field studies evaluating the contamination burden from REE exposure in domestic and wild animals. In conclusion, this review identifies critical scientific gaps and provides future research directions to advance understanding of the long-term effects, mechanisms of action, and environmental impacts of REEs in veterinary practices
The seroprevalence and Geographic Distribution of Camel Brucellosis in Kordofan States, Western Sudan
Get PDFBrucellosis is a highly contagious zoonotic disease that affects both humans and wildlife. It is one of the most commonly neglected diseases worldwide and can infect a wide range of domestic animals, including ruminants such as camels, as well as various wild species. This disease poses significant socioeconomic concerns. This study investigates the distribution of brucellosis in camels in Sudan's Kordofan States and compares several diagnostic tests, including a modified Rose Bengal Plate Test (mRBPT), Buffered Plate Agglutination Test (BPAT), Serum Agglutination Test (SAT), and a competitive Enzyme- Linkimmunosorbent Assay. A total of 388 apparently healthy camels were sampled to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis. Forty-three (11.08%), 41 (10.56%) and 30 (7.73%) were found positive by (mRBPT), (BPAT) and (SAT) respectively. All serum samples were subsequently retested using (cELISA) as confirmatory test, which confirmed that 32 samples (8.24%) were positive. When comparing the screening tests to the confirmatory test, Cohen’s kappa coefficients indicated poor agreement with cELISA: 16% for mRBPT, 32% for BPAT, and 31% for SAT. A kappa value of 40 or less is considered poor. This study highlights brucellosis prevalence in camels in Sudan's Western States and suggests targeted control measures. The data indicate that the mRBPT test is a more sensitive, cost-effective, and practical screening method compared to other agglutination tests
VALUTAZIONE DI COADIUVANTI POLIMERICI ASSOCIATI AL CEPPO VACCINO CADIDATO BRUCELLA OVIS ∆abcBA IN UN MODELLO MURINO DI INFEZIONE BRUCELLA OVIS
No full textBrucellosis is an infectious disease caused by facultative intracellular Gram-negative bacteria, of great importance in animal and human health. An ideal vaccine against brucellosis should induce protection, not cause disease in animals or humans, and not interfere with serological diagnosis. Vaccine adjuvants can improve the immune response, leading to a more intense and prolonged protection, improving its effectiveness. The Brucella ovis ΔabcBA strain encapsulated in alginate provides an experimental vaccine formulation that protects against Brucella spp. infection. However, the investigation of other polymers such as adjuvants is important for optimizing the efficiency of the candidate vaccine B. ovis ∆abcBA. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the vaccine potential of the B. ovis ∆abcBA associated with different polymeric adjuvants in mice challenged with B. ovis. We observed that B. ovis ∆abcBA encapsulated by alginate with chitosan, but not copolymer Poloxamer 407, resulted in the lowest bacterial recovery in both the spleen and liver of challenged animals compared to non-vaccinated mice. While copolymer Poloxamer 407 did not induce significant humoral immune response, the alginate and chitosan vaccine formulation induced higher levels of Immunoglobulin G, with an increase in the IgG2b subclass, indicating a Th1 type of response, which is known to play a critical role in controlling infections by intracellular agents
Prognostic indicators for canine parvoviral enteritis in a Teaching Hospital in Italy: a retrospective study of 76 cases
Get PDFPotential prognostic indicators have been associated with decreased survival during canine parvoviral enteritis (CPE), such as body weight, sex, and clinicopathological parameters. Few studies reported the prognostic factors for CPE in Italy; therefore, the aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors associated with the survival of dogs admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Perugia University, naturally infected with canine parvovirus. Seventy-six medical records of dogs with a definitive diagnosis of parvoviral infection admitted from 2017 to 2021 have been reviewed and included in the study. From medical records were extracted data on signalment, history, clinical examination, hematology, serum biochemistry, treatments, progression of clinical signs during hospitalization and outcome. The data have been subjected to univariate and multivariate statistical analysis. Our results showed winter season, male sex, dog ownership, small breed, normal sensory status, normal heart rate, normal hydration status, abdominal pain, increased capillary reperfusion time, and normal white blood cell count as positive prognostic factors. The survival model confirmed that parameters such as male sex, small breed, and ownership increased the survival rate during hospitalization. Data reported in the present study are partially in agreement with previous studies and added new information on the possible prognostic factors in dogs affected by CPE in Italy
Isolation of Reticuloendotheliosis Virus from Chorio-allantoic Membrane of SPF Chicken Eggs inoculated with Fowl Pox Virus
Get PDFFowl Pox Viruses (FPV) infect chickens and turkeys giving rise to pock lesions on various body parts like combs, wattles, legs, shanks, eyes, mouth etc. The birds, affected with FPV, also show anemia and ruffled appearance which are clinical symptoms of Reticuloendotheliosis. Interestingly, the field strains of FPV are integrated with the provirus of Reticuloendotheliosis Virus (REV). Due to this integration, the infected birds, upon replication of FPV, give rise to free REV virions, causing severe immunosuppression and anemia. Pox scabs, collected from the infected birds, not only show positive PCR results upon performing FPV-specific 4b core protein gene PCR but also show positive results for the PCR of REV-specific env gene and FPV-REV 5’LTR junction. Homogenized suspension of the pock lesions, upon inoculating to the Chorio-allantoic Membrane (CAM) of 10 days old specific pathogen-free embryonated chicken eggs, produces characteristic pock lesions in serial passages. But the lesions also harbor REV mRNA or free virion, which can be identified by performing REV-specific env gene PCR using REV RNA from FPV-infected CAMs. The study suggests successful replication and availability of REV mRNA and free virion alongside the FPV virus, although the CAM is an ill-suited medium for any retroviral (like REV) growth and replication
Grading Habitats for Ticks by Mapping a Suitability Index based on Remotely Sensed Data and Meta® population dataset in Aosta Valley, NW Italy
Get PDFTicks represent a reservoir of zoonotic pathogens, and their numbers are increasing largely in wildlife. This work is aimed at producing maps of suitable habitats for ticks in Aosta Valley, Italy based on multitemporal EO data and veterinary datasets (tick species and distribution in wild hosts). EO data were processed in Google Earth Engine considering the following inputs: A) Growing Degree Ticks (GDT), B) NDVI from MOD09GA, C) NDVI entropy, D) distance from water bodies, E) topography, F) rainfalls from CHIRPS as monthly composites along the 2020, 2021 and 2022 years. Ticks were collected from hunted, injured, and found-dead wild animals ( Sus scrofa, Capreolus capreolus, Rupicapra rupicapra, Cervus elaphus); they were labeled at species level using taxonomic keys. Between September 2020 and December 2022, a total of 90 ticks were collected from 89 wild animals. Ixodes ricinus was the most prevalent tick species, followed by Dermacentor marginatus and Dermacentor spp. Molecular analyses demonstrated the presence of Anaplasma spp., B. burgdorferi sensu lato and Rickettsia spp. pathogens in infected ticks. To assess human population potential exposure to tick Meta® population dataset was used. In conclusion this study shows the potentialities of Remote sensing improving the technological transfer to the veterinarian sector
Epidemiology of caprine brucellosis in family farms in the south east of Algeria
Get PDFThis cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence and the potential risk factors of Brucella infection among goats in family farms in the southern east of Algeria. A total of 196 sera samples were randomly collected from 59 family farms and tested in parallel by Rose Bengal test (RBT) and indirect ELISA (iELISA). A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on potential risk factors. Apparent seroprevalence values were 8.7% (95% CI: 5.49-13.45) and 2.04% (95% CI: 0.8-5.13) for RBT and iELISA respectively. The estimated true prevalence values were 11.1% (95% CI: 6.87-17.42) for the RBT test and 1.58% (95% CI: 0.3-4.74) for iELISA. Dog presence in family farm was significantly associated with Brucella spp. seropositivity (p=0.03) using iELISA, with at least 38 times the odds of brucellosis seropositivity (OR: 38.55, 95% CI: 1.42-1049.17). Goats with previous history of stillbirth were significantly associated with Brucella spp. seropositivity (p=0.04) using RBT, with almost six (6) times higher odds (OR: 6.62, 95% CI: 1.06-41.55). Origin of animals reared on family farms was also significantly associated with Brucella spp. seropositivity (p=0.05) using iELISA with higher odds in foreign goats (OR: 12.99, 95% CI: 1.03-163.22) and lower odds in goats born in farms (OR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01-0.97). Based on these findings, further epidemiological studies related to the perception of the disease by animal owners and brucellosis in herding dogs needed to be conducted
Detection and dynamics of tumor necrosis factor alpha in the diagnosis and treatment of canine heartworm disease
Get PDFThe aim of this study was to determine the concentration of TNF-alpha (TNF-α) in dogs naturally infected with Dirofilaria immitis (D. immitis) and to assess whether there are any changes in TNF-α concentration and their dependence during therapy for heartworm disease (HWD). For this study, 14 client-owned dogs with HWD were selected. Clinical and parasitological examinations (modified Knott test for circulating microfilariae and SNAP Test IDEXX for circulating D. immitis antigen) had been used for diagnosing D. immitis and HWD. All dogs were treated with an alternative therapy for HWD (oral doxycycline 10 mg/kg b.w., once daily for 6 weeks, then alternately 4 weeks without and 2 weeks with the medication, and oral ivermectin 6-14 µg/kg b.w., every 2 weeks). The dogs blood sera at the moment of HWD diagnosis, during and at the end of therapy were frozen for further quantifying of TNF-α (Canine TNF-alpha ELISA kit, Thermo scientific). At the moment of HWD diagnosis TNF-α was detected in 9 dogs (7.21±12.44 pg/ml). Concentration of TNF-α was not significantly change during the therapy, neither related to the level of D. immitis antigen nor to antigen level changes. The alternative therapy for HWD has no influence on TNF-α concentration dynamics.
Molecular characterization of lumpy skin disease virus in North Central Vietnam during 2021 and early 2022
Get PDFIn October 2020, the first outbreaks of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in Lang Son Province, Vietnam were reported by our laboratory. The disease had rapidly spread to the South, and it was reported in 55 of 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam by the end of 2021. The most economic loss caused by this disease occurred in the north-central region in 2021 where approximately 46,788 LSD virus (LSDV) infected cattle and buffaloes have been reported and 8,976 animals have been culled. However, the information on this pathogen circulating in this region is missing. Here, we describe the molecular characterization of LSDV circulating in north-central Vietnam in 2021 and early 2022. In total, 155 LSDV samples were collected during this period and three of these samples from each province were further characterized by Sanger sequencing analysis based on three key maker genes (GPCR, RPO30, and p32). Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis based on GPCR, RPO30, and p32 genes indicated that LSDV strains circulating in north-central Vietnam are closely related to previously reported strains in Vietnam regions which bordered China and all LSDV strains were 100% identical. These results show the importance of continuous monitoring and characterization of circulating LSDV strains and are important for vaccine development for the control and eradication of LSD in Vietnam