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Sarcoptic mange is a highly contagious skin disease caused by Sarcoptes scabiei . Sera were collected from 411 Iberian ibexes, comprising 157 individuals with sarcoptic mange skin lesions and 254 clinically healthy animals, in 13 population nuclei across Andalusia (southern Spain) between 2015 and 2021. Skin samples from 88 of the 157 animals with mange-compatible lesions were also obtained. Moreover, 392 serum samples from domestic goats ( Capra hircus ) were collected in the same region and study period. Antibodies against S. scabiei were tested using an in-house indirect ELISA, while the presence of mites of S. scabiei was evaluated in the skin samples by potassium hydroxide digestion. Seropositivity was found in eight (3.1%) of the clinically healthy ibexes and in 104 (66.2%) of the animals with mange-compatible lesions. The presence of S. scabiei was confirmed in 57 (64.8%) out of the 88 skin samples analysed and anti- S. scabiei antibodies were found in 49 (86.0%) of these 57 mite-positive individuals. Seropositive animals were detected in population nuclei with previous records of sarcoptic mange, where S. scabiei mites were detected by potassium hydroxide digestion in individuals with sarcoptic mange-compatible external lesions. However, seropositivity was not observed in population nuclei that were historically free of this disease. None of the 392 domestic goats had antibodies against S. scabiei , suggesting an independent epidemiological cycle of sarcoptic mange in Iberian ibex populations in the study area, and a limited or null role of domestic goats in the transmission of the parasite to this wild species. Overall, our findings underscore the importance of maintaining and/or implementing integrated surveillance programs and control strategies in wildlife and livestock, to limit the risk of S. scabiei circulation in Iberian ibex populations.

The cestode Echinococcus multilocularis is the causative agent of alveolar echinococcosis, a fatal zoonotic parasitic disease of the northern hemisphere. Red foxes are the main reservoir hosts and, likely, the main drivers of the geographic spread of the disease in Europe. Knowledge of genetic relationships among E. multilocularis isolates at a European scale is key to understanding the dispersal characteristics of E. multilocularis. Hence, the present study aimed to describe the genetic diversity of E. multilocularis isolates obtained from different host species in 19 European countries. Based on the analysis of complete nucleotide sequences of the cob, atp6, nad2, nad1 and cox1 mitochondrial genes (4,968 bp), 43 haplotypes were inferred. Four haplotypes represented 62.56 % of the examined isolates (142/227), and one of these four haplotypes was found in each country investigated, except Svalbard, Norway. While the haplotypes from Svalbard were markedly different from all the others, mainland Europe appeared to be dominated by two main clusters, represented by most western, central and eastern European countries, and the Baltic countries and northeastern Poland, respectively. Moreover, one Asian-like haplotype was identified in Latvia and northeastern Poland. To better elucidate the presence of Asian genetic variants of E. multilocularis in Europe, and to obtain a more comprehensive Europe-wide coverage, further studies, including samples from endemic regions not investigated in the present study, especially some eastern European countries, are needed. Further, the present work proposes historical causes that may have contributed to shaping the current genetic variability of E. multilocularis in Europe., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The red fox acts as reservoir for several helminthic infections which are of interest for both public and animal health. Huge efforts have been made for the assessment of the sensitivity of coprological tests for the detection of Echinococcus multilocularis , while less attention has been paid to other helminthic species. This study aimed at assessing the performance of two copromicroscopic techniques in the detection and prevalence estimation of gastrointestinal helminths in the red fox. Helminths were isolated from the small intestines of 150 red foxes from Bolzano province, Italy, with a scraping, filtration and counting technique (SFCT) and morphologically identified. Rectal contents were collected and submitted to simple flotation (FT) and, only for Taenids, a method based on the concentration of eggs and identification with multiplex PCR (CMPCR). Using SFCT as a reference standard, we estimated the sensitivity of the copromicroscopic tests. Three species of nematodes (namely, Toxocara canis, Uncinaria stenocephala and Pterygodermatites sp.) and five species of cestodes ( E . multilocularis, Taenia crassiceps, T. polycantha, Hydatigera taeniaeformis, Mesocestoides sp.) were identified with SFCT, whereas eggs referable to the same taxa were detected with fecal diagnostics, except for Pterygodermatites sp. and Mesocestoides sp. The sensitivity of FT was low for all taxa, ranging from 9.8 to 36.3%, with lower values for Taeniidae. CMPCR was confirmed to perform better for the detection of Taeniidae eggs (23.5%) and the multiplex PCR on retrieved eggs was effective in the identification of the species. A meta-analysis of literature also suggested that our results are consistent with existing data, indicating that copromicroscopy tends to underestimate the prevalence of helminthic infections. The extent of such underestimation varies with taxon, being higher at high prevalence levels, in particular for cestodes. Irregular dynamics of egg shedding, and routine deep freezing of red fox feces may explain the frequency of false negatives with copromicroscopy. Low sensitivity of copromicroscopic tests should be accounted for when estimating prevalence and when defining the correct sample size for the detection of the parasites., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Marchiori, Obber, Celva, Marcer, Danesi, Maurizio, Cenni, Massolo, Citterio and Cassini.)

The assessment of red fox population density is considered relevant to the surveillance of zoonotic agents vectored by this species. However, density is difficult to estimate reliably, since the ecological plasticity and elusive behavior of this carnivore hinder classic methods of inference. In this study, red fox population density was estimated using a non-invasive molecular spatial capture-recapture (SCR) approach in two study areas: one in a known hotspot of the zoonotic cestode Echinococcus multilocularis , and another naïve to the parasite. Parasitological investigations on collected samples confirmed the presence of the parasite exclusively in the former area; the SCR results indicated a higher fox population density in the control area than in the hotspot, suggesting either that the relationship between fox density and parasite prevalence is not linear and/or the existence of other latent factors supporting the parasitic cycle in the known focus. In addition, fox spotlight count data for the two study areas were used to estimate the index of kilometric abundance (IKA). Although this method is cheaper and less time-consuming than SCR, IKA values were the highest in the areas with the lower molecular SCR density estimates, confirming that IKA should be regarded as a relative index only.

Since 1995, the Alpine chamois ( Rupicapra r. rupicapra ) population of the Dolomites has been affected by sarcoptic mange with considerable management concerns. In this study, 15 years (2006-2020) of passive surveillance and demographic data were analyzed in order to describe a mange outbreak. Furthermore, an enhanced passive surveillance protocol was implemented in order to evaluate the efficiency of ordinary vs. enhanced surveillance protocol in identifying dead chamois in the field and in reaching a correct diagnosis. Our results confirm the role of mange as a determining factor for chamois mortality, while stressing the importance of a wider view on the factors affecting population dynamics. The enhanced passive surveillance protocol increased the probability of carcass retrieval and identification of the cause of death; however, its adoption may be too costly if applied for long periods on a wide scale. Passive surveillance, in both ordinary and enhanced surveillance protocol, should encompass the use of other strategies in the future to study the eco-epidemiology of the disease in wild Caprinae.

Surveillance of Echinococcus multilocularis at the edge of its range is hindered by fragmented distributional patterns and low prevalence in definitive hosts. Thus, tests with adequate levels of sensitivity are especially important for discriminating between infected and non-infected areas. In this study we reassessed the prevalence of E. multilocularis at the southern border of its distribution in Province of Bolzano (Alto Adige, northeastern Alps, Italy), to improve surveillance in wildlife and provide more accurate estimates of exposure risk. We compared the diagnostic test currently implemented for surveillance based on coproscopy and multiplex PCR (CMPCR) to a real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in 235 fox faeces collected in 2019 and 2020. The performances of the two tests were estimated using a scraping technique (SFCT) applied to the small intestines of a subsample (n = 123) of the same foxes as the reference standard. True prevalence was calculated and the sample size required by each faecal test for the detection of the parasite was then estimated. True prevalence of E. multilocularis in foxes (14.3%) was markedly higher than reported in the last decade, which was never more than 5% from 2012 to 2018 in the same area. In addition, qPCR showed a much higher sensitivity (83%) compared to CMPCR (21%) and agreement with the reference standard was far higher for qPCR (0.816) than CMPCR (0.298) meaning that for the latter protocol, a smaller sample size would be required to detect the disease. Alto Adige should be considered a highly endemic area. Routine surveillance on definitive hosts at the edges of the E. multilocularis distribution should be applied to smaller geographic areas, and rapid, sensitive diagnostic tools using directly host faeces, such as qPCR, should be adopted., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is the causative agent of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), a severe zoonosis occurring in the Palearctic region mainly transmitted through Ixodes ticks. In Italy, TBEV is restricted to the north-eastern part of the country. This report describes for the first time a case of clinical TBE in a roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus L.). The case occurred in the Belluno province, Veneto region, an area endemic for TBEV. The affected roe deer showed ataxia, staggering movements, muscle tremors, wide-base stance of the front limbs, repetitive movements of the head, persistent teeth grinding, hypersalivation and prolonged recumbency. An autopsy revealed no significant lesions to explain the neurological signs. TBEV RNA was detected in the brain by real-time RT-PCR, and the nearly complete viral genome (10,897 nucleotides) was sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of the gene encoding the envelope protein revealed a close relationship to TBEV of the European subtype, and 100% similarity with a partial sequence (520 nucleotides) of a TBEV found in ticks in the bordering Trento province. The histological examination of the midbrain revealed lymphohistiocytic encephalitis, satellitosis and microgliosis, consistent with a viral etiology. Other viral etiologies were ruled out by metagenomic analysis of the brain. This report underlines, for the first time, the occurrence of clinical encephalitic manifestations due to TBEV in a roe deer, suggesting that this pathogen should be included in the frame of differential diagnoses in roe deer with neurologic disease.