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Herein, we examined the brain of adult ewes and lambs less than 30 days old which were found affected by neurological signs in a flock located in Sardinia (Italy). Gross anatomo-pathological examination of all brains of the animals revealed multiple linear reddish-yellow foci of necrotic purulent inflammation due to oncosphere migration. Histologically, we confirmed a multifocal pyo-granulomatous meningo-encephalitis both in ewes and in lambs, confirming acute coenurosis. Morphological examination and DNA sequencing identified the Taenia multiceps we isolated as Tm1 strain. This report describes for the first time a natural acute coenurosis infection in suckling lambs under 30 days of age.

Dog heartworms Angiostrongylus vasorum and Dirofilaria immitis cause severe parasitological diseases; the importance of these parasitosis is growing due to their health impact on animals, the possible zoonotic implications and the recent spreading across several European countries and previously non-endemic areas. The aim of this study is to update the epidemiological scenario of cardiopulmonary nematodes A. vasorum and D. immitis in dogs of Sardinia island and to perform a morphological identification of larvae by the use of the Baermann and Knott techniques respectively and the molecular characterization of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) and the second ribosomal transcribed spacer region (ITS-2) of larvae L1 of A. vasorum. In the present study, 3.4% (5/146) of dogs resulted positive at Baermann technique for A. vasorum while 8.9% (61/684) to D. immitis. If on one side A. vasorum can be considered an emerging parasite in Sardinia, the parasitic pressure and the risk of infection for D. immitis in the island seems to be increased compared with the recent past.

Assessment of clinical evolution and histological findings in a group of animals experimentally operated on to substitute the thoracic oesophagus with a gastric tube. Six piglets underwent oesophageal replacement with a gastric tube, constructed from the greater curvature of stomach and pedicled on the gastroepiploic vessels, which was interposed between the oesophageal stumps. At follow-up, all animals were found to be growing and eating normally, apart from case no 1 (stenosis of the lower oesophageal anastomosis). Ph-metry showed a neutral pH on the gastric tube. Postmortem histological analysis of the gastric tube and native oesophagus samples did not show any significant lesions, except in case no 1 (inflammation of the gastric tube and upper oesophagus due to food stasis). The technique of substitution of the oesophagus with an interposed pedicled gastric tube can be a breakthrough in existing surgical methods of oesophageal replacement.