1,720,991 research outputs found
Cystic echinococcosis in Europe and in Italy
No full textCystic Echinococcosis remains a public health problem especially in the
Mediterranean Region and the economic impact of Echinococcosis is great despite efforts
to control it. In this review, an attempt is made to assess the present epidemiological
situation of Echinococcosis in Europe and Italy
Animal cystic echinococcosis in Italy
No full textANIMAL CYSTIC ECHINOCOCCOSIS IN ITALY
Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is an important public health and economic problem in many areas of the world, e.g. in the Mediterranean Region. In Italy, the lack of official data and poor level of reporting, both in animals and humans, do not allow to
have a appropriate picture on its occurrence. At the moment, the most reliable epidemiological information is based on research data.
Methods. The epidemiological situation of animal CE in Italy is presented, reviewing recent surveys and studies carried out on MIUR National Projects or other research plans.
Until now, in Italy, the following agents of CE have been identified:
Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (genotypes G1, G2, G3), E. equinus (G4), E.ortleppi (G5), and pig strain (G7). CE has been reported in farmed animals, dogs, wildlife (mainly wolves and wild-boars), and in humans. E. multilocularis (alveolar
echinococcosis) has been reported in foxes. It is not present in other animals (althought some wrong reports were notified) or in humans. Recent reported CE prevalences (ranges or mean) are the following:
Northern Italy: sheep 0.1- 0.5 % (in some areas, adult sheep 25-45%); cattle 0.03-0.5% (1.4 % in a limited area in Emilia-Romagna); horses 0.3 %; pigs <1 per million. High and
unexpected prevalences (> 20%) by immunological tests were found in dogs and wolves from some alpine valleys in Piedmont.
Central Italy: sheep and goats 20-80%; cattle 7-15%; pigs 0.3-0.8%; dogs 4-31%; wolves 15%;wild-boars 5 %. Cyst fertility is nearly 5% and 1%, in sheep and cattle, respectively. In Latium, official reports show prevalences < 3% in farmed ruminants.
Southern Italy: sheep and goats 4-28%; cattle 3-15%; pigs 0.05-0.5%; water buffaloes 10.5% (cyst fertility 1.4%); dogs 6%.
Sicily: sheep 58%; cattle 11-67%; sheperd dogs 6-19%. Cyst fertility is 4% in cattle and extremely variable (9-90%) in sheep, depending on involved province.
Sardinia: sheep 75%; goats 24%; cattle 41.5%; home slaughtered pigs 11%; horses 4%; dogs 3-10%; wild boars 4%. Cyst fertility is nearly 10%, 3%, and 8%, in sheep, cattle,and pigs, respectively.
CE may be considered sporadic, endemic and hyperendemic in northern, central, southern and insular (Sardinia and Sicily) Italy, respectively. However, high prevalences (nearly 40%) have been reported in adult sheep in different italian provinces, irrespective of area of origin. In order to have appropriate official data on animal CE, Veterinary Services must improve the current surveillance activities, as requested by EU and national legislatio
WESTWARD RANGE EXPANSION OF THE LESSEPSIAN MIGRANT FISTULARIA COMMERSONII (FISTULARIDAE) IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA, WITH NOTE ON ITS PARASITE
No full textOne adult female bluespotted cornetfish Fistularia commersonii was captured near the coast of
Arbatax (Sardinia, Italy) in late October 2005. Macroscopic and microscopic analysis of the
gonad revealed a postspawning ovary. Several body parts of the damselfish Chromis chromis
were found in its stomach contents. Different developmental stages of 58 metazoan parasites
belonging to Arthropoda, Nematoda and Platyhelminthes were detected in its mouth and
digestive tract. The lepocreadiid Allolepidapedon fistulariae was reported for the first time from
the Mediterranean and, with the exception of this species, all the parasites found were reported
for the first time in this host. This new record of F. commersonii may confirm the rapid range
expansion of this Lessepsian migrant in the western Mediterranean Sea, as well as the presence
of its endoparasite A. fistulariae
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