https://www.veterinariaitaliana.izs.it/index.php/VetIt/issue/feed Veterinaria Italiana 2024-09-09T10:47:29+02:00 Laura Ambrogi l.ambrogi@izs.it Open Journal Systems <p>A quarterly peer-reviewed journal devoted to veterinary public health and other aspects of veterinary science and medicine, Veterinaria Italiana is published by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’ (Istituto G. Caporale) in Teramo, Italy.</p> https://www.veterinariaitaliana.izs.it/index.php/VetIt/article/view/3128 Clinical manifestations and diagnostic approaches in cases of canine leishmaniasis in Bulgaria 2023-12-06T12:53:28+01:00 Georgi Stoimenov georgi.stoimenov.vm@gmail.com Simona Tchakarova agrhhh@gmail.com <p>Leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease found in many parts of southern Europe, is transmitted in both humans and canines through the bite of phlebotomine sandflies, and can present in a variety of ways, such as cutaneous, mucocutaneous, diffuse, and visceral. In Bulgaria there are endemic areas of canine leishmaniasis, with sporadic cases in humans. However, no detailed studies of the animal population and vectors have been performed. Here we describe a few clinical cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis in two districts in western Bulgaria: one endemic and one without previously detected cases in humans or dogs. Diagnosis was confirmed serologically and molecularly using both real time and conventional PCR. Specific anti-leishmanial antibodies were confirmed in three of the cases via ELISA, with 50% of them returning extremely high values. In the majority of the cases DNA fragments were detected in the skin or lymph node aspirate but not in the blood. This paper highlights the need for further studies updating the current knowledge on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and control of visceral leishmaniasis in the reservoir host population.</p> 2024-07-31T00:00:00+02:00 Copyright (c) 2024 Georgi Stoimenov, Simona Tchakarova https://www.veterinariaitaliana.izs.it/index.php/VetIt/article/view/3403 Canine trypanosomosis cases: monitor lizard as an unusual vector 2023-11-15T09:22:08+01:00 Olutoye Adegboye toyeanimalhealthservices@hotmail.com Olusegun Adegboye animalhealthservices@protonmail.com <p>Trypanosomosis is a well-known sub-Saharan disease. The human form was discovered in The Gambia over 100 years ago. Canine trypanosomosis in The Gambia has never been mentioned in the scientific literature, let alone the involvement of veranus species in its transmission to dogs. The disease's most important vector is the tsetse fly. This fly is abundant in The Gambia, and its infamy for transmitting the disease has been well established. A lot of research efforts have been put into understanding the critical role of this pest in the transmission of the protozoan and the disease in livestock. This report confirms the presence of the disease in domestic dogs in The Gambia, and three canine cases with varied clinical signs, different hematological pictures accompanying the disease, and different effective treatment approaches are reported. Early detection can prevent severe illness and help patients to recover better. This report enhances our understanding on canine trypanosomosis, transmission of the pathogen, and strategies for managing the disease. This report is significant, as it is the first mention of monitor lizards in the transmission of trypanosome parasites to dogs during the fighting between them.</p> 2024-07-31T00:00:00+02:00 Copyright (c) 2024 Olutoye Adegboye, Olusegun Adegboye https://www.veterinariaitaliana.izs.it/index.php/VetIt/article/view/3521 Low pathogenic human coronaviruses during the first waves of COVID-19 in Italy 2024-04-17T11:50:30+02:00 Ilaria Puglia i.puglia@izs.it Paola Ripà p.ripa@izs.it Valentina Curini v.curini@izs.it Eugenia Ciarrocchi e.ciarrocchi@izs.it Simone Pulsoni s.pulsoni@izs.it Roberta Irelli r.irelli@izs.it Francesco Bencivenga francesco.bencivenga@aslcaserta.it Marialuigia Caporale mr.caporale@izs.it Alessio Lorusso a.lorusso@izs.it Shadia Berjaoui s.berjaoui@izs.it <p>Low-pathogenic human coronaviruses (HCoVs) infect the upper respiratory tract and cause mild, cold-like respiratory illness. Although several studies have shown evidence of the global distribution of HCoVs, information about their distribution in Italy are often focused only on hospitalized children and elderly with respiratory symptoms. In this study, a total of 916 swab samples collected during the first two SARS-CoV-2 pandemic waves in Abruzzo region (central Italy) was selected for molecular screening of low pathogenic HCoVs by real-time RT-PCR. We identified low-pathogenic HCoV in nine samples. Positive samples underwent whole genome sequencing for genome characterization; indeed, we also report the whole genome sequence of a HCoV-229E strain.</p> 2024-04-22T00:00:00+02:00 Copyright (c) 2024 Ilaria Puglia, Paola Ripà, Valentina Curini, Eugenia Ciarrocchi, Simone Pulsoni, Roberta Irelli, Francesco Bencivenga, Marialuigia Caporale, Alessio Lorusso, Shadia Berjaoui https://www.veterinariaitaliana.izs.it/index.php/VetIt/article/view/2984 Antibiotic resistance, virulence genes, and phylogenetic groups of bacteria isolated from wild passerine birds in Iran 2023-06-19T11:58:03+02:00 Maliheh Mousavinezhad mousavinezhad.mlh@gmail.com Mansour Aliabadian aliabadi@um.ac.ir Mohammad Reza Sharifmoghadam m.r.sharifmoghadam@gmail.com Masoumeh Bahreini mbahreini@um.ac.ir Jonas Waldenström jonas.waldenstrom@lnu.se <p>Wild passerine birds may serve as environmental reservoirs and as vectors for the long-distance dispersal of microorganisms and resistance determinants. However, there is no much knowledge on pathogenic bacteria in wild birds in Iran. The present study aimed to analyze antibiotic resistance in wild passerine birds collected from the northeast region of Iran as the rich breeding bird fauna with a special focus on <em>Escherichia coli</em> virulence, integron, and phylogenetic groups. A total of 326 isolates were collected and identified from the cloaca of wild birds using a swab. The results showed a high percentage of resistance to tetracycline (45.8%) and ampicillin (26.7%). The resistance genes, <em>tet</em>(A)<em>, tet</em>(B<em>), tet</em>(M), and <em>tet</em>(L) were detected in tetracycline-resistant isolates, while the <em>bla</em><sub>TEM</sub> gene was the most prevalent in ampicillin-resistant isolates (38.6%). Out of the 129 <em>E. coli</em> isolates examined, 99 isolates were found to have virulence gene, with the highest prevalence of the fimbriae (<em>fim</em>H) gene (22.4%). Additionally, the <em>E. coli </em>strains were most often classified into phylogenetic groups B1 (48.8%) followed by B2 (19.3%). Also, the highest average frequency of class 1 integron was detected among our isolates. Results indicated that wild birds are reservoirs of multidrug resistance and virulence genes that may have the potential to be transferred to other organisms, including humans.</p> 2024-07-31T00:00:00+02:00 Copyright (c) 2024 Maliheh Mousavinezhad, Mansour Aliabadian, Mohammad Reza Sharifmoghadam, Masoumeh Bahreini, Jonas Waldenström https://www.veterinariaitaliana.izs.it/index.php/VetIt/article/view/3430 Isolation and genetic characterization of parvoviruses from domestic cats reveals emergence of CPV-2c in India: A first report 2024-02-05T09:36:21+01:00 Suvendu Kumar Behera drsuvendu.kumar@gmail.com Mary H. Lalhriatchhungi maryhauhulh07@gmail.com Pradyumna Chakraborty pradyumnac10@gmail.com Parimal Roychoudhury parimal74@rediffmail.com Leibaknganbi Maibam nganbi1997@gmail.com Parthasarathi Behera partha_vet@yahoo.co.in Jitendra Kumar Chaudhary vetjitu@gmail.com Hridayesh Prasad hridayesh.prasad@yahoo.in J.B. Rajesh leovet@gmail.com Kalyan Sarma kalyan_srm@rediffmail.com Chethan G.E. chethanvetmed@gmail.com Nirali Piyush Shah drniralishahvet@gmail.com Wanta Khuman Maibam mwanta89@gmail.com Ravindra Kaka Jadhav ravindrajadhav@mafsu.in Lalhmangaihzuali mimilalmhangaihzuali8987@gmail.com <p>The objective of the present study was to isolate and characterize the VP2 gene of parvoviruses from domestic cats in India. For that, 38 fecal samples were screened by PCR with 36.84% positivity. Sequence analysis of those isolates showed canine parvovirus type-2c (CPV-2c) as the predominant variant, followed by feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) and 2a. Phylogenetic analysis of the CPV-2c sequences revealed clustering with Singaporean, South Korean, Mongolian and Bangladeshi dog 2c sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of the 2a isolate (MZC 2) was found to be clustered with Indian, Thai and Singaporean dog 2a isolates. Similarly, all the four FPV sequences were ancestrally related to Indian dog and cat FPV sequences hinting towards interspecies transmission between dogs and cats. Both synonymous and non-synonymous mutations were evident in CPV-2c, 2a and FPV sequences indicative of active evolution. In cell culture medium, CPV-2 showed cytopathogenic effects at the third passage level. In conclusion, the study provided the first report of CPV-2c in cats from India, which demands for extensive epidemiological surveillance to monitor interspecies spread and to shed more light on viral phylogenomics, their distribution in the country and in the Southeast Asian region and usage of current vaccines.</p> 2024-07-31T00:00:00+02:00 Copyright (c) 2024 Suvendu Kumar Behera, Mary H. Lalhriatchhungi, Pradyumna Chakraborty, Parimal Roychoudhury, Leibaknganbi Maibam, Parthasarathi Behera, Jitendra Kumar Chaudhary, Hridayesh Prasad, J.B. Rajesh, Kalyan Sarma, Chethan G.E., Nirali Piyush Shah, Wanta Khuman Maibam, Ravindra Kaka Jadhav, Lalhmangaihzuali https://www.veterinariaitaliana.izs.it/index.php/VetIt/article/view/2565 Strategic design for Research and Innovation through a participatory approach: lessons learnt in a Veterinary Public Health Institution 2024-01-09T12:37:21+01:00 Valeria Mariano valeria.mariano@izslt.it Romano Zilli romano.zilli@izslt.it Eda Maria Flores Rodas eda.flores@izslt.it Raniero Lorenzetti raniero.lorenzetti@izslt.it Annalisa Paternò annalisa.paterno@izslt.it Marina Bagni m.bagni@sanita.it Evgeniya Titarenco evgeniya.titarenko@izslt.it <p>The article describes the results and the experience gained in using a participatory approach to design a strategic development plan (SDP) in a veterinary public health institute. The bottom-up approach utilised was co-designed between the units of “Research and Innovation” and “Training”. It included a survey administered to the institute staff (570 people) to collect inputs on three relevant areas: i) innovative research topics; ii) innovation needed to improve services; iii) new tools to carry out activities. After the survey, the following criteria were used to prioritise the research topics: appropriateness, relevance, capacity, impact and innovativeness. Based on the priority topics identified, small working groups were set up on a voluntary basis. The working groups, following the EuropeAid method, co-designed a SDP, set over a three-year period, with indications on aims, objectives, outputs, activities, SMART indicators, means of verification and targets. The method proved useful in continuing the process of institutional innovation, especially by stimulating the participation and commitment of younger innovative staff at the bottom of the hierarchical pyramid. The integration of the described method into regular management procedures would be desirable, to achieve more effective results.</p> 2024-07-30T00:00:00+02:00 Copyright (c) 2024 Valeria Mariano, Romano Zilli, Eda Maria Flores Rodas, Raniero Lorenzetti, Annalisa Paternò, Marina Bagni, Evgeniya Titarenco https://www.veterinariaitaliana.izs.it/index.php/VetIt/article/view/3480 Comparative Analysis of the Methanogen Microbiota Associated to Pasture and Stall Housing in Kazakh Cattle 2024-03-18T16:47:13+01:00 Aida Daugaliyeva aida1979@bk.ru Saule Daugaliyeva saule.daugalieva@mail.ru Thomas Partipilo thomas-p@outlook.it Alexandr Ashanin ashaninalexi@mail.ru Simone Peletto simone.peletto@izsto.it <p>The microbial community of cattle rumen (archaea) are the key players in methane emissions. Methane pollutes the atmosphere and leads to the loss of feed energy. The aim of this study was to comparatively investigate the cattle microbiota, with a particular focus on archaea, in relation to the type of housing: pasture versus stall. A 16S metabarcoding analysis of the intestinal contents of cattle was carried out. Аlpha - diversity of grazing animals showed to be higher compared to animals in the stall period (p=0.002). Beta - diversity confirmed a difference in methanogens and microbiota between animals kept on pasture and those in a stall. Differential abundance analysis showed that the relative abundance of the <em>Methanobacteriacea</em> family in animals in the pasture period was significantly higher compared to animals in the stall period (FDR p = 0.00122). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the concentration of methanogens in the fecal contents of animals during pasture period was higher than that in animals during the stall period. We recommend feeding grazing animals with concentrates in the evening in order to mitigate methane emissions.</p> 2024-04-11T00:00:00+02:00 Copyright (c) 2020 Aida Daugaliyeva, Saule Daugaliyeva, Thomas Partipilo, Alexandr Ashanin, Simone Peletto https://www.veterinariaitaliana.izs.it/index.php/VetIt/article/view/3061 Distribution and molecular analysis of Subtilase cytotoxin gene (subAB) variants in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolated from different sources in Iran 2024-01-03T12:57:02+01:00 Mahdi Askari Badouei mic.consult@gmail.com Maziar Jajarmi maziarjajarmy@gmail.com Aria Narimani aria.narimani@yahoo.com Taghi Zahraei Salehi tsalehi@um.ac.ir Reza Ghanbarpour ghanbar@mail.uk.ac.ir Ali Nemati bac.fum@gmail.com Stefano Morabito stefano.morabito@iss.it Alireza Koochakzadeh ar.koochakzadeh@gmail.com <p>Subtilase exhibits strong cytotoxicity that was first described in O113:H21 strain in Australia as a plasmid- encoded cytotoxin (<em>subAB1</em>). Subsequently, chromosomal variants including <em>subAB2-1</em>, <em>subAB2-2</em>, and <em>subAB2-3</em> were described. We aimed to investigate the presence of <em>subAB</em> genes in a collection of Shiga toxin-producing <em>Escherichia coli</em> (STEC) strains (n=101) isolated from different sources in Iran. A collection of 101 archived STEC strains isolated from cattle (n=50), goats (n=25), sheep (n=15), wild captive animals (n=8: persian fallow deer, n=3; caspian pony, n=1; <em>Macaca mulatta</em>, n=4), and humans (n=3) during 2007-2016 were analyzed for the detection of different genes encoding the Subtilase variants, plasmidic and chromosomal virulence genes, phylogroups and serogroups. Overall, 57 isolates (56.4%) carried at least one variant of <em>subAB. </em>Most strains from small ruminants including 93% of sheep and 96% of caprine isolates carried at least one chromosomally encoded variant (<em>subAB-2-1</em> and/or <em>subAb2-2</em>). In contrast, 12 cattle isolates (24%) only harbored the plasmid encoded variant (<em>subAB1</em>). STEC strains from other sources, including deer, pony and humans were positive for<em> subAB-2-1</em> and/or <em>subAb2-2</em>. Our results reveal the presence of potentially pathogenic genotypes among locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-negative isolates, and some host specificity related to Subtilase variants and other virulence markers that may aid in source tracking of STEC during outbreak investigations.</p> 2024-07-31T00:00:00+02:00 Copyright (c) 2024 Mahdi Askari Badouei, Maziar Jajarmi, Aria Narimani, Taghi Zahraei Salehi, Reza Ghanbarpour, Ali Nemati, Stefano Morabito, Alireza Koochakzadeh https://www.veterinariaitaliana.izs.it/index.php/VetIt/article/view/3375 The importance of Papanicolaou staining in assessing cytological subtype classification in canine Transmissible Venereal Tumors 2023-10-17T17:14:14+02:00 Fabián Danilo López-Valbuena fdlopezv@unal.edu.co Anderson do Prado Duzanski duzanskia@gmail.com William Frend Osorio-Zambrano wfosorioz@unal.edu.co Luis Mauricio Montoya-Florez lmontoyaf@unal.edu.co Noeme Sousa Rocha rochanoeme@unesp.br 2024-07-31T00:00:00+02:00 Copyright (c) 2024 Mauricio Montoya https://www.veterinariaitaliana.izs.it/index.php/VetIt/article/view/3122 Prognostic indicators for canine parvoviral enteritis in a Teaching Hospital in Italy: a retrospective study of 76 cases 2023-11-21T10:18:14+01:00 Giulia Maggi giuliamaggi217@gmail.com Chiara Ceccarelli ceccarelli_chia@libero.it Francesco Porciello francesco.porciello@unipg.it Maria Luisa Marenzoni marialuisa.marenzoni@unipg.it Domenico Caivano domenico.caivano@unipg.it Maria Chiara Marchesi maria.marchesi@unipg.it <p>Potential 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.</p> 2024-07-31T00:00:00+02:00 Copyright (c) 2024 Giulia Maggi, Chiara Ceccarelli, Francesco Porciello, Maria Luisa Marenzoni, Domenico Caivano, Maria Chiara Marchesi