Dirofilaria immitis
is a mosquito-borne nematode-causing canine heartworm disease, with adult worms localized in the pulmonary arteries and right heart. In rare cases, ectopic migration might occur, ...and adults and blood circulating microfilariae can be found in unusual organs or fluids (e.g., eyes, abdominal cavity, bone marrow, and urine). A 17-year-old mixed-breed female dog was presented in a private veterinary clinic in Italy for hematuria and dysuria. Physical examination showed cardiac mitral murmur with marked respiratory distress and cyanotic mucous membranes after handling. Abdominal ultrasounds revealed a non-specific chronic cystopathy, while the echocardiography showed enlargement of the right heart associated with tricuspid insufficiency and mitral regurgitation, with the presence of an adult filariae in the right ventricular chamber. Circulating microfilariae were observed in the blood smear and molecularly identified as
D. immitis
. Unusual microfilaruria was detected in the urine sediment. Data presented raise awareness about the occurrence of microfilariae in unusual locations, such as the bladder, suggesting the need of a thorough clinical and laboratory assessment where
D. immitis
is endemic.
The order Piroplasmida encompasses tick-borne pathogens of veterinary and medical importance positioned in two main families: Babesiidae and Theileriidae. Even though previous studies carried out in ...Brazil recorded the occurrence of piroplasmid species circulating in small mammals, 18S RNA gene sequences were only partially sequenced, preventing the assessment of their phylogenetic positioning. The current study aimed to detect and characterize, using morphological, molecular, and bioinformatic approaches, piroplasmids from wild mammals and associated ticks sampled in Central-Western Brazil. Out of 67
Didelphis albiventris
sampled, 22 (16.4%) were positive for piroplasmids by PCR. In contrast, none of the 48 small rodents and 14 capybaras (
Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
) was PCR-positive. Four
Amblyomma dubitatum
ticks—one from
Rattus rattus
, one from
H. hydrochaeris
, and two from
D. albiventris
—out of 114
Amblyomma
spp. DNA samples were positive for piroplasmids by PCR. The phylogenetic inference performed using the near-complete 18S rRNA gene positioned the putative novel piroplasmid species detected in
D. albiventris
and associated
A. dubitatum
ticks near to
Babesia
sensu lato clade (Western group—cluster III) and distant from the Australian marsupial-associated piroplasms. Phylogenetic inferences based on two additional molecular markers, namely
hsp-70
and
cox-1
, supported the near-complete 18S rRNA gene phylogenetic inference. Finally, the partial 18S rRNA gene sequences detected in ticks from rodents (
R. rattus
and
H. hydrochaeris
) showed 97.2–99.4% identity with the Piroplasmida previously detected in a capybara from Brazil, raising evidence that a still uncharacterized piroplasmid species has been identified in the capybara, the largest rodent species from South America.
Among vector-borne helminths, filarioids of the genus
Dipetalonema
(Spirurida: Onchocercidae) localize in several tissues and body cavities of several animal species, causing mild to moderate ...lesions. The pathological findings associated with
Dipetalonema
spp. infection in Neotropical monkeys from southern Brazil are herein described, along with a fatal case due to filarial polyserositis and entrapment of an intestinal segment. At necropsy, nematodes were observed in abdominal and thoracic cavities, or in the pericardium of 37 (31.3%) out of the 118 individuals examined (i.e., 35
Alouatta guariba clamitans
and two
Sapajus nigritus
). In addition, at histology, 27.0% of positive animals presented microfilarie (inside blood vessels of lung, spleen, liver, and brain) and 8.1% presented adult nematodes in the heart, lung, and liver. In two cases, cross-sections of filarioids were associated with areas of epicardial thickening with intense fibrosis and pyogranulomatous inflammation in the brain, heart, liver, lungs, or spleen. The DNA fragment was amplify using the
cox
1 gene, sequenced and analyzed to identify the nematode species collected; presence of
Wolbachia
was assessed in the filarioids using the 16S rRNA gene. At BLAST analysis of the
cox
1 gene, 10 sequences showed 91.7% nucleotide identity with
Dipetalonema gracile
, and two with
D. gracile
(98.5%) and
Dipetalonema graciliformis
(98.3%). Phylogenetic analyses clustered sequences of the
cox
1 obtained in this study in two clades corresponding with the host species.
Wolbachia
sp. endosymbiont was detected in four samples. Data herein reported provide a description of pathological lesions associated with the infection by
Dipetalonema
spp., suggesting that they may cause disease in Neotropical monkeys. In addition, a better understanding of diversity and biology of
Dipetalonema
spp. in South America is needed to assess the impact they may cause in native non-human primates from Brazil.
While in much of the Western world snakes are feared, in the small, rural, mountainous town of Cocullo, in the middle of central Italy, snakes are annually collected and celebrated in a sacro-profane ...ritual. Every 1st of May, Serpari (snake catchers) capture and showcase dozens of non-venomous snakes to celebrate the ritual of San Domenico. In order to detect potential zoonotic pathogens within this unique epidemiological context, parasites and microorganisms of snakes harvested for the "festa dei serpari" ritual were investigated. Snakes (n = 112) were examined and ectoparasites collected, as well as blood and feces sampled. Ectoparasites were identified morpho-molecularly, and coprological examination conducted through direct smear and flotation. Molecular screenings were performed to identify parasites and microorganisms in collected samples (i.e., Mesostigmata mites, Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp., Rickettsia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Coxiella burnetii, Babesia/Theileria spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., Leishmania spp. and helminths). Overall, 28.5% (32/112) of snakes were molecularly positive for at least one parasite and/or microorganism. Endosymbiont Wolbachia bacteria were identified from Macronyssidae mites and zoonotic vector-borne pathogens (e.g., Rickettsia, Leishmania), as well as orally transmitted pathogens (i.e., Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas), were detected from blood and feces. Thus, given the central role of the snakes in the tradition of Cocullo, surveys of their parasitic fauna and associated zoonotic pathogens may aid to generate conservation policies to benefit the human-snake interactions, whilst preserving the cultural patrimony of this event.
Parasitic fauna of bats from Costa Rica Carbonara, Mariaelisa; Mendonza-Roldan, Jairo Alfonso; Perles, Lívia ...
International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife,
04/2023, Volume:
20
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Bats are important reservoirs and spreaders of pathogens, including those of zoonotic concern. Though Costa Rica hosts one of the highest bat species' diversity, no information is available about ...their parasites. In order to investigate the occurrence of vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) and gastrointestinal (GI) parasites of chiropterans from this neotropical area, ectoparasites (n = 231) and stools (n = 64) were collected from 113 bats sampled in Santa Cruz (site 1) and Talamanca (site 2). Mites, fleas and ticks were morphologically and molecularly identified, as well as pathogens transmitted by vectors (VBPs, i.e., Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp.) and from feces, such as Giardia spp., Cryptosporidium spp. and Eimeria spp. were molecularly investigated. Overall, 21 bat species belonging to 15 genera and 5 families were identified of which 42.5% were infested by ectoparasites, with a higher percentage of mites (38.9%, i.e., Cameronieta sp. and Mitonyssoides sp.) followed by flies (2.6%, i.e., Joblingia sp.) and tick larvae (1.7%, i.e., Ornithodoros sp.). Rickettsia spp. was identified in one immature tick and phylogenetically clustered with two Rickettsia species of the Spotted Fever Group (i.e., R. massiliae and R. rhipicephali). The frequency of GI parasite infection was 14%, being 3.1% of bats infected by Giardia spp. (un-identified non-duodenalis species), 1.5% by Eimeria spp. and 9.4% by Cryptosporidium spp. (bat and rodent genotypes; one C. parvum-related human genotype). The wide range of ectoparasites collected coupled with the detection of Rickettsia sp., Giardia and Cryptosporidium in bats from Costa Rica highlight the role these mammals may play as spreaders of pathogens and the need to further investigate the pathogenic potential of these parasites.
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•Bats may harbor a large diversity of pathogens.•Rickettisia was molecularly detected in Ornithodoros sp. tick.•The overall frequency of GI parasite infection was 14%.
ParSCo (Parasitology Summer Course) is an intense, 1-week-long summer course organized by the Parasitology Unit of the Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Italy, with the support ...of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP), the European Veterinary Parasitology College (EVPC) and Parasites and Vectors. The course, which is conducted in southern Italy, is planned for parasitologists and post-graduate students working in the field of parasitology. The course consists of theoretical and practical lessons, which include the collection, identification and diagnosis of parasites of pets, livestock and wildlife. The participants in ParSCo are afforded the opportunity to be involved in clinical examination and sample collection for the diagnosis of parasitic diseases (e.g. leishmaniosis, thelaziosis and many tick-borne diseases) present in the Mediterranean Basin. The course is conducted at Casa di Caccia, a hunting lodge situated in the Gallipoli Cognato Forest near the Basento River in the Basilicata region in southern Italy. In addition to the training purpose, ParSCo is a great opportunity for sharing knowledge and expertise while becoming part of the parasitology community in a pleasant environment. In this editorial, we share some information and celebrate 10 years of ParSCo, looking forward to forthcoming sessions of this unique parasitology summer course.
Ophionyssus natricis is the main species of mite that infests captive reptiles. High infestations may result in the host experiencing general discomfort and deleterious effects, even death. Moreover, ...O. natricis is an important vector of reptile vector-borne diseases and is considered to be the putative vector of the Reptarenavirus, the causal agent of the inclusion body disease. Despite the cosmopolitan distribution of O. natricis in captive reptiles, treatment options are limited. The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of afoxolaner (NexGard®; Boehringer Ingelheim, Ingelheim, Germany) in heavily infested, privately owned snakes, evaluate the prevalence of mites and drug availability in the plasma of treated snakes (pharmacokinetics) and perform a clinical examination of animals.
The study was conducted in two snake breeding facilities, where many snakes were infested with mites. Each animal was clinically examined and weighed, and mite infestations were assessed on the animals and in their enclosures (environment). Animals were treated with a dose of 2.5 mg afoxolaner per kilogram body weight (2.5 mg/kg) administered orally. All animals were examined pre-treatment (T0) and at various time points post-treatment (T1, 6 h; T2, 24 h; T3, 14 days; T4, 28 days). The collected mites were morphologically identified at the species level and the species identity also confirmed molecularly.
Overall, 81 snakes from the two participating facilities (i.e. 70 from site 1 and 11 from site 2) were screened, and 31 (38.3%) snakes were found to have at least one mite. All mites were identified morphologically and molecularly as O. natricis. Lampropeltis was the genus of snakes with highest number of infested individuals. Mites were found to be alive on snakes at T1, but at T2 only dead mites were observed, and at T3 and T4 mites were no longer present on the animals or in their environment. No side effects were observed in the treated snakes.
A single oral administration of afoxolaner at 2.5 mg/kg was a safe treatment for snakes and 100% effective for the eradication of natural O. natricis infestation without the need to treat the environment of the snake.
Ornithonyssus bursa
, known as the “tropical fowl mite,” is a hematophagous mite of domestic and wild birds, which occasionally bites humans. Accidental bites on humans occur mainly when abandoned ...bird nests are close to homes or when people are handling parasitized birds. In the present study, we describe five case reports of bites on humans and new records of localities for this species. Based on the material examined, we provide morphological and molecular characterizations for this species herein.
The Anaplasmataceae family encompasses obligate intracellular α-proteobacteria of human and veterinary medicine importance. This study performed multi-locus sequencing to characterize
and
in coati's ...blood samples in Midwestern Brazil. Twenty-five samples (25/165-15.1%) were positive in the screening PCR based on the
gene of
spp. and were characterized using 16S rRNA,
,
, and
genes and the 23S-5S intergenic space region (ITS). Phylogenetic analyses based on all six molecular markers positioned the sequences into a new clade, with a common origin of
. Haplotype analyses of 16S RNA sequences revealed the presence of two distinct
genotypes. Six samples (6/165, 3.6%) were positive in the screening nPCR for the 16S rRNA gene of
spp. and were submitted to an additional PCR targeting the ITS for molecular characterization. Phylogenetic analyses based on both 16S rRNA gene and ITS positioned the
sp. detected in the present study in a large clade with other
sp. previously detected in ticks and wild animals and in a clade with '
Anaplasma brasiliensis', respectively. Based on distinct molecular markers, the present work described a putative novel Anaplasmataceae agent, namely '
Ehrlichia dumleri', and
sp. closely related to the previously described '
Anaplasma brasiliensis'.
Domestic dogs are considered reservoirs hosts for several vector-borne parasites. This study aimed to evaluate the role of domestic dogs as hosts for Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma evansi and ...Leishmania spp. in single and co-infections in the Urucum settlement, near the Brazil-Bolivian border. Additionally, we evaluated the involvement of wild mammals’ in the maintenance of these parasites in the study area. Blood samples of dogs (n = 62) and six species of wild mammals (n = 36) were collected in July and August of 2015. The infections were assessed using parasitological, serological and molecular tests. Clinical examination of dogs was performed and their feeding habits were noted. Overall, 87% (54/62) of sampled dogs were positive for at least one trypanosomatid species, in single (n = 9) and co-infections (n = 45). We found that 76% of dogs were positive for T. cruzi, four of them displayed high parasitemias demonstrated by hemoculture, including one strain types TcI, two TcIII and one TcIII/TcV. Around 73% (45/62) of dogs were positive to T. evansi, three with high parasitemias as seen by positive microhematocrit centrifuge technique. Of dogs sampled, 50% (31/62) were positive for Leishmania spp. by PCR or serology. We found a positive influence of (i) T. evansi on mucous pallor, (ii) co-infection by T. cruzi and Leishmania with onychogryphosis, and (iii) all parasites to skin lesions of sampled dogs. Finally, feeding on wild mammals had a positive influence in the Leishmania spp. infection in dogs. We found that 28% (5/18) coati Nasua nasua was co-infected for all three trypanosamatids, demonstrating that it might play a key role in maintenance of these parasites. Our results showed the importance of Urucum region as a hotspot for T. cruzi, T. evansi and Leishmania spp. and demonstrated that dogs can be considered as incidental hosts.
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•Observation of high occurrence of dogs co-infected by trypanosomatids.•Dogs infected by TcI, TcIII and TcIII/TcV.•Nasua nasua is a key species in the sylvatic cycles of trypanosomatids.•Direct effect of trypanosomatids' infection in clinical signs of dogs.•Dogs as sentinels to human infection in the Brazil-Bolivian border.
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