1,721,057 research outputs found
Hepatozoonosis in a dog with skeletal involvement and meningoencephalomyelitis
No full textA 15-month-old, female mongrel dog was presented with a 6-week history of inappetence, weight loss, and tetraparesis. Physical examination revealed weakness, poor body condition, mild fever, pale mucous membranes, and diffuse muscle atrophy. The right hind limb was painful and edematous, with large ecchymoses. The femur was irregular on palpation and moderate popliteal lymphadenopathy was evident. Results of a CBC showed severe anemia with mild regeneration, an inflammatory leukogram with 90% of neutrophils parasitized by Hepatozoon sp. gamonts, and moderate thrombocytopenia. A bone marrow aspirate had myeloid hyperplasia and contained a few extracellular Hepatozoon meronts and a few intracellular gamonts within neutrophils. Serum chemistry abnormalities included hypoalbuminemia, hyperglobulinemia, hypoglycemia, hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and elevated alkaline phosphatase activity. Radiologic findings of the right femur included periosteal bone proliferation and lesions compatible with osteomyelitis. A fine needle aspirate specimen from the bone lesion had neutrophilic inflammation; 36% of the neutrophils contained Hepatozoon gamonts. Results of cerebrospinal fluid analysis included a protein concentration of 37 mg/dL and marked mononuclear pleocytosis (243 cell/mu L) with a predominance of lymphocytes. An ELISA was positive for Hepatozoon canis and PCR results with DNA sequencing confirmed infection with this organism. A diagnosis of hepatozoonosis with skeletal involvement and meningoencephalomyelitis was made. The dog recovered almost completely neurologically and had no gamonts in the blood after 60 days of therapy with imidocarb dipropionate and prednisone. This is an unusual case of canine hepatozoonosis involving neurologic signs and a periosteal reaction more typical of H. americanum infection and rarely reported in dogs infected with H. canis
Hepatozoon silvestris sp. Nov.: Morphological and molecular characterization of a new species of Hepatozoon (Adeleorina: Hepatozoidae) from the European wild cat (Felis silvestris silvestris)
Get PDFBased on morphological and genetic characteristics, we describe a new species of Hepatozoon in the European wild cat (Felis silvestris silvestris), herein named Hepatozoon silvestris sp. nov. The study also provides the first data on the occurrence of H. felis in this wild felid. Hepatozoon meronts were observed in multiple cross-sections of different organs of four (44%) cats. Additionally, extracellular forms, resembling mature gamonts of Hepatozoon, were found in the spleen and myocardium of two cats. Furthermore, tissues of six animals (67%) were positive by PCR. Hepatozoon felis was identified infecting one cat (11%), whereas the 18S rRNA sequences of the remaining five cats (56%) were identical, but distinct from the sequences of H. felis. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that those sequences form a highly supported clade distant from other Hepatozoon spp. Future studies should include domestic cats from the areas where the wild cats positive for H. silvestris sp. nov. were found, in order to investigate their potential role to serve as intermediate hosts of this newly described species. Identification of its definitive host(s) and experimental transmission studies are required for elucidating the full life cycle of this parasite and the possible alternative routes of its transmission
Molecular detection of Colpodella sp. and other tick-borne pathogens in ticks of ruminants, Italy
No full textColpodella species are close relatives of Apicomplexan protozoa. Although most species of this genus are freeliving organisms that feed on other protists and algae, reports indicate their occurence in ticks and human patients, including an individual with a history of tick bite manifesting neurological symptoms. During an investigation of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in blood samples of cattle, goats, and in ticks collected on them, Colpodella sp. DNA was detected in a Rhipicephalus bursa tick collected from cattle, while of Theileria sergenti/ buffeli/orientalis, Babesia bigemina, Sarcocystis cruzi, Babesia spp., and Rickettsia spp. were molecularly detected in cattle, goats, and ticks in southern Italy. Data herein reported highlight the unprecedented presence of Colpodella sp. in ticks in Italy, raising concern due to the potential pathogenic role of this less known protozoan. This finding advocates for performing routine epidemiological surveys to monitor potential emerging vector-borne pathogens
Course of experimental infection of canine leishmaniosis: Follow-up and utility of noninvasive diagnostic techniques
No full textThis study compares the utility of a molecular diagnosis of experimental CanL on noninvasive
samples (urine, conjunctival (CS), oral (OS) and vulvar (VS) swabs) with that of
traditional invasive techniques during the course of infection. Eight dogs were experimentally
infected with Leishmania infantum and followed monthly for 12 months to assess
clinical, clinicopathological, immunological and parasitological variables. Active infection
was produced in 100% of the dogs. The animals showed positive bone marrow (BM)
cytologies and cultures, clinical signs, clinicopathological abnormalities and a high specific
humoral immune response. The infection was detected at 90 days post-infection (p.i.)
by real-time quantitative PCR (rtQ-PCR) on BM in all dogs and in blood in 2 dogs, while
anti-L. infantum antibody seroconversion occurred between Days 120 and 180 days p.i.
The tissue with the highest L. infantum kDNA load, as detected by rtQ-PCR, was BM (range
381.5–70,000 parasites/ml at the study end), this sample type showing greater sensitivity
than peripheral blood (PB). The vulvar swabs used here for the first time to quantify parasite
loads in dogs revealed a greater load than oral and conjunctival swabs at one year p.i.
Urine samples showed the lowest concentrations of L. infantum DNA (maximum: 8.57 parasites/
ml). Our results suggest that for the early detection of infection, adding to serology
a test such as rtQ-PCR on OS or VS improves sensitivity and specificity
Further thoughts on "Asymptomatic dogs are highly competent to transmit Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi to the natural vector"
No full textRhipicephalus turanicus, a new vector of Hepatozoon canis
No full textThe distribution of Hepatozoon canis mainly encompasses areas where its main tick vector, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, is present. However, the detection of this pathogen in dogs, foxes and golden jackals well outside the areas inhabited by this tick species reinforced the hypothesis that additional ixodids are involved in the life cycle and transmission of this protozoon. The present study provides, for the first time, data supporting the sporogonic development of H. canis in specimens of Rhipicephalus turanicus collected from a naturally infected fox from southern Italy. The epidemiological role of R. turanicus as a vector of H. canis is discussed, along with information on the potential use of cell cultures for the experimental infection with H. canis sporozoites. The in vitro infection of canine leucocytes by sporozoites from ticks is proposed as a potential tool for future in-depth studies on the biology of H. canis
First description of natural Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys infections in dogs from Argentina
No full textBacteria belonging to the Anaplasmataceae family are vector transmitted agents that affect a variety of vertebrate hosts including the tick-borne pathogens Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys, which cause canine monocytic ehrlichiosis and cyclic thrombocytopenia, respectively. These two infections, typically reported from tropical and sub-tropical regions, have not been previously reported in dogs from Argentina. A total of 86 blood samples from dogs with suspected rickettsial disease and 28 non-suspected dogs were studied. Analysis included evaluation of hematological findings, PCR for Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species and sequencing of the positive PCR products. E. canis was detected in the blood of six dogs and A. platys in eighteen. All the dogs categorized as non-suspected were negative by PCR. Co-infection with Hepatozoon canis and Babesia vogeli was documented. This first report of E. canis and A. platys infections in dogs from Argentina indicates that these tick-borne infections have a considerably broader range than previously recognized in South America.Fil: Eiras, Diego Fernando. Laboratorio DIAP; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Epizootiología y Salud Pública; ArgentinaFil: Craviotto, María Belén. Laboratorio DIAP; ArgentinaFil: Vezzani, Dario. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Eyal, Osnat. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; IsraelFil: Baneth, Gad. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Israe
Zoonotic Parasites of Sheltered and Stray Dogs in the Era of the Global Economic and Political Crisis
Get PDFSheltered and stray dogs, exposed to zoonotic parasites, including protozoa,helminths, and arthropods, may represent a major threat to public health.Resources for addressing health problems in these animals are not on thepriority list of veterinary and public health authorities. Thus, dogs continue torepresent an important reservoir for zoonotic parasites. In this article, we reviewthe importance of sheltered and stray dogs as reservoirs of zoonotic parasitesin different parts of the world, especially in the context of the current globalpolitical and economic crisis
Zoonotic leishmaniasis, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Get PDFLeishmania infantum causes potentially life-threatening disease in humans. To determine the extent of the animal reservoir for this pathogen in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we tested dogs and cats. We found that a large proportion of dogs were exposed to or infected with L. infantum, indicating endemicity in dogs and zoonotic risk for humans
Three different Hepatozoon species in domestic cats from southern Italy
No full textThree species of Hepatozoon, namely, Hepatozoon felis, Hepatozoon canis and Hepatozoon silvestris may affect domestic and/or wild felids. Although hepatozoonosis has been documented in a wide range of mammal species, data on cats are limited. To investigate the occurrence of these pathogens in cats, blood samples were collected from animals living in three provinces of southern Italy (Bari, Lecce, and Matera), and molecularly analysed by PCR amplification and sequencing of segments of the 18S rRNA gene. Out of 196 blood samples collected, Hepatozoon spp. DNA was amplified in ten cats (5.1%, CI: 3%-9%), with the majority of infected animals from Matera (8/34, 23.5%) and one each from the other two provinces. BLAST analysis revealed the highest nucleotide identity with sequences of H. canis, H. felis and H. silvestris deposited in GenBank. Results of this study indicate that these three species of Hepatozoon infect domestic cats in Italy. This is the first report of H. silvestris infection in a domestic cat
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