Neospora caninum (Apicomplexa, Sarcocystidae) is a major cause of reproductive failure in cattle. In pigs, only a few studies investigated the effects of this parasite on reproductive efficiency. Considering the relevance of swine farms in northern Italian regions, an epidemiological survey was designed to investigate the spread of N. caninum infection. Three hundred seventy fattening pigs and sows from 23 intensive farms in Lombardy were sampled. Sera were analyzed by a commercial immunofluorescence antibody test. Statistical analysis through univariate and multivariate generalized linear models was conducted to detect farm management practices enhancing the risk of infection. At the farm level, 52.1% (12/23) of the selected farms, 72.7% housing sows and 40% fattening pigs, scored positive. At the individual level, 25 animals (25/370, P = 6.7%) were positive to N. caninum antibodies: one fattening pig and two sows showed an antibody titer of 1:100, and in two sows, an antibody titer of 1:400 and 1:6400 was evidenced. A higher seroprevalence was detected in sows (17/151, P = 11.2%) if compared to fattening pigs (8/219, P = 3.6%) (OR = 1.19, P value = 0.000 in sows). Moreover, a higher seroprevalence was recorded in farms with low and moderate sanitary score (P = 100% and P = 64.2%, respectively) if compared to farms with high sanitary score (P = 22.2%) (OR = 1.24, P value = 0.007 in score = 1 and OR = 1.10, P value = 0.050 in score = 2). This study provides the first data on the circulation of N. caninum in intensive swine farms in Italy, demonstrating the spread of the parasite in fattening pigs and sows in Lombardy region.

Tick-borne diseases in horses are considered an emergent problem worldwide; the geographical redistribution of ticks, due to climatic and ecological changes, and the movements of infected horses between different nations play important roles in the spread of tick-borne diseases affecting these hosts. In this study, a survey was planned to estimate the seroprevalence of the Gram-negative bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum and the piroplasmid protozoa Babesia caballi and Theileria equi in Italian horses, as well as to evaluate possible risk factors associated with seropositive cases. Serum samples from 261 horses reared in northern Italy were collected and analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test for the detection of A. phagocytophilum-, B. caballi- and T. equi-specific antibodies. The overall seroprevalence to at least one of the investigated pathogens was 51%; sixty-one horses were seropositive to A. phagocytophilum (23.4%), forty-nine to B. caballi and the same number to T. equi (18.8% each). Seropositivity for more than one of the investigated agents was detected in thirty-two horses and the most common co-infection was observed between B. caballi and T. equi (5.7%). A significant risk factor for all the three pathogens was the elevation above sea level; indeed, the risk of infection was higher with an increase and decrease in elevation for A. phagocytophilum and for B. caballi and T. equi, respectively. Tick control in horses is strongly recommended considering the high seroprevalence values of transmitted pathogens.

Due to the increasing expansion into urban and rural areas, wild boars represent a potential source of infection with zoonotic and animal-specific parasites for both humans and animals. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the serological prevalence to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Sarcoptes scabiei var. suis in blood samples from wild boars (Sus scrofa) hunted in an anthropized area in Italy. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests were used to detect antibodies anti-T. gondii and anti-S. scabiei and an immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) for antibodies anti-N. caninum. 81 out of 128 wild boars (P = 63.3%) resulted positive for at least one of the three parasites. 68 of them were seropositive to T. gondii (P = 53.1%) and 14 to N. caninum (P = 10.9%). 9 wild boars resulted seropositive to S. scabiei var. suis (P = 7.0%). Sampling season was the only significant risk factor related to S. scabiei var. suis seroprevalence (OR = 7.8). The high occurrence of T. gondii supports the role of this species as a source of infection for other animals and humans. Furthermore, the serological prevalence of N. caninum and S. scabiei var. suis in wild boars from the study area characterized by the presence of numerous dairy cattle and pig farms is relevant to demonstrate its suitability for the circulation of these parasites both in domestic and wild species.

Nematode infections of mammals can spread in zoos and faunistic parks and lead to disease in humans and animals. Group treatment strategies with anthelminthic drugs are common. Still, their effectiveness should be verified by sensitive and specific copromicroscopic analyses. This study assessed longitudinal parasitological monitoring, by FLOTAC® dual technique, in mammals housed in an Italian faunistic park, in order to verify the effectiveness of the two adopted ivermectin prophylactic treatments. Twenty-one species of herbivorous mammals from ten families were treated twice per year with ivermectin in an in-feed formulation (medicated feed containing 1.7 g/ton ivermectin daily, for 30 days in March and November), while 13 species of carnivores and primates from five families were treated once a month with oral or subcutaneous administrations of ivermectin (200 μg/kg body weight (b.w.), from March to November). Fecal samples were collected in June–July and October 2019 (late spring–early summer and autumn sampling groups, respectively). All nematode infections, sustained by Nematodirus spp., Capillaria spp., Trichuris spp., Parascaris spp. and Strongylida, were detected in samples collected from herbivores, presenting prevalence rates of infection of 17.3% (9/52), 15.4% (8/52), 15.4% (8/52), 5.8% (3/52), and 3.8% (2/52), respectively. All carnivores and primates tested negative. The general linear mixed model showed that nematode eggs’ excretion in herbivores were influenced by sampling and sampling-host family interaction. Results showed that frequency and dose of prophylactic treatments in herbivores should be improved according to host and parasite taxonomic groups. The treatment adopted in carnivores and primates, together with hygienic management, was effective in nematode control.