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Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in seawater clams (Chamelea gallina) in Italy
No full textBivalves filter large volumes of water and can concentrate organisms which are pathogenic for
humans and animals. Our aim was to evaluate the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. in clams from the
Adriatic coast (Abruzzo region) and genetically characterize the oocysts isolated from the clams.
From March to July 2003, 960 specimens of clams (Chamelea gallina) present in nature were
collected at 500 m from the Tordino, Tronto, Vibrata and Vomano river mouths on the Adriatic sea.
The haemolymph and tissues were extracted from the specimens (240 per river mouth) after the
specimens had been identified, measured and weighed (live weight). Immunofluorescence tests (IFA)
were performed on pools (n = 32) of samples and oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. were detected in
23 pools of C. gallina. To identify the Cryptosporidium species, all the pools IFA-positive were tested
by a PCR assay specific for the Cryptosporidium outer wall protein (COWP) gene. Positive amplicons
then were sequenced and analysed. Two pools of clams were positive for Cryptosporidium parvum
Genotype 2 (the ‘‘bovine’’ i.e. zoonotic genotype). This is the first time that C. parvum was found in
clams from the Adriatic sea in Italy and the case might be of public health importance.
# 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Evidence of the presence of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. in clams (Chamelea gallina) of the Abruzzo coast
No full textTemporal occurrence of Cryptosporidium in the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum in the northern Adriatic Italian Lagoons
No full textMolecular survey of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection in Namibian cats
No full textFeline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is one of the most important infectious diseases of cats, with potential implications in wildlife conservation. Unfortunately, FIV screening and surveillance in domestic cats remains limited in several African countries, including Namibia. In this study, 279 blood samples from domestic cats in Namibia were analyzed for FIV diagnosis by PCR. The cats represented various regions and were cared for by people largely from rural areas with limited financial means. Only 1.43 % of the samples tested positive, unexpectedly low given their outdoor lifestyles. The infected cats, primarily adult and unsterilized, showed no typical FIV symptoms, suggesting subclinical infections. Genetic analysis of the detected strains indicated a unique FIV strain cluster in Namibia, although with a certain within-country variability, in the absence of consistent geographical clustering. The present study represents the first detection and genetic characterization of FIV in the Namibian domestic cat population. Although the infection frequency was low, also in the rural freeroaming population, the features of the enrolled population could have biased the estimation, suggesting the need for more extensive surveys involving diseased and older cats as well. Additionally, because of the longlasting subclinical nature of the infection, frequent monitoring activities should be performed that allow prompt isolation of infected animals and the implementation of appropriate control measures if necessary
Temporal occurrence of Cryptosporidium in the Asian clam Ruditapes philippinarum in the Northern Adriatic Italian Lagoons.
No full text
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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