Ticks and associated pathogens collected from cats in Sicily and Calabria (Italy)

Abstract

BackgroundLimited information is available about the species of ticks infesting the cat and the pathogens that they harbor. The aims of the present study were to identify the species of ticks removed from cats living in Sicily and Calabria (Italy) and to detect DNA of vector-borne pathogens in the same ticks.FindingsMorphological identification of 132 adult ticks collected throughout the year from cats was carried out. Real-time PCRs for Hepatozoon felis, Piroplasmid, Ehrlichia/Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., Mycoplasma spp. and Leishmania infantum were performed from each individual tick.Ticks belonging to Rhipicephalus (R. sanguineus sensu lato, R. pusillus) and Ixodes (I. ricinus, I. ventalloi) genera were identified. Ixodes ventalloi was the most frequently found tick species (47 %).The positivity rate to at least one pathogen was 14.4 % (19/132 ticks). Leishmania infantum, Rickettsia spp. (R. monacensis and R. helvetica), Bartonella spp. (B. clarridgeiae), Piroplasmid (Babesia vogeli), and Ehrlichia/Anaplasma spp. (E. canis) DNAs were amplified in 8.3, 5.3, 1.5, 0.75 and 0.75 % of ticks, respectively. Hepatozoon felis, Anaplasma spp. and hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. DNAs were not detected. Four (21.1 %) out of nineteen positive ticks were co-infected.ConclusionsThis study provides novel data about ticks infesting cats and the DNA of pathogens that they harbor. In Southern Italy, anti-tick prophylaxis should be implemented throughout the year in cats without neglecting winter time.

Prevalence of Leishmania infantum and co-infections in stray cats in northern Italy

“…has already been reported [25]. Recent studies [26,27] found that ticks from a number of genera test positive for the presence of L. infantum DNA. Ticks collected in northern and central Italy from dogs and cats in areas endemic for visceral leishmaniosis were found to be positive for L. infantum DNA by PCR [26].…”

“…Ticks collected in northern and central Italy from dogs and cats in areas endemic for visceral leishmaniosis were found to be positive for L. infantum DNA by PCR [26]. In a study conducted in southern Italy, 11 of 132 (8.3%) ticks of various species removed from stray and owned cats tested positive for L. infantum DNA by PCR analysis [27].…”

Molecular detection of vector-borne pathogens in blood and splenic samples from dogs with splenic disease

“…18S rRNAGACGATCAGATACCGTCGTAGTCCCAGAACCCAAAGACTTTGATTTCTCTC0.3[62] Bartonella spp.ITS1AGATGATGATCCCAAGCCTTCTGCCTCCGACCTCACGCTTATCA0.3Modified from [63, 64] Ehrlichia spp. ; Anaplasma spp.16S rRNAGCAAGCYTAACACATGCAAGTCGGGATTATACAGTATTACCCAYCATTTCTARTG0.5[65, 66] H. canis 18S rRNACTTACCGTGGCAGTGACGGTATTGTTATTTCTTGTTACTACCTCTCTCAAAC0.3[66]Hemotropic Mycoplasma spp.16S rRNAATGTTGCTTAATTCGATAATACACGAAAACRGGATTACTAGTGATTCCAACTTCAA0.3/0.5[65] Rickettsia spp.ITS2GCTCGATTGRTTTACTTTGCTGTGAGCATGCTATAACCACCAAGCTAGCAATAC0.5/0.3[62] Abbreviations : rRNA ribosomal ribonucleic acid, ITS internal transcribed spacer …”

Ixodes ventalloi Gil Collado, 1936: A Vector Role to be Explored

“…Branch lengths represent the number of substitutions per site inferred according to the scale-bar. Asio otus F Great Britain [16] a , [27] Athene noctua F Spain, [15] Tyto alba N Portugal [11] Galliformes Alectoris chukar ND Cyprus [31] Alectoris rufa F(+) France, Italy [16] [27,32,36], [37] Genetta genetta F, M Spain, other European regions [16] g , [38] Herpestes ichneumon F, M Spain [38,39] Vectors and Vector-Borne Zoonotic Diseases 6 but the establishment of I. ventalloi populations was only confirmed in the Britain islands [23,24]. In Portugal, I. ventalloi was first identified in 1985, and since then, it has been described across the country mainly in littoral mainland areas and along with other moisture-demanding ticks, such as Haemaphysalis spp., Ixodes frontalis, I. ricinus [6-8, 10-12, 25].…”