Search

Gram-positive catalase-negative cocci (GPCNCs) are significant components of the genital microbiota in sheep and goats. However, characterizing them can be difficult due to overlapping culture features and the limited information on their susceptibility to antibiotics. In this study, 97 foreskin and 13 vaginal swabs were investigated using a culturomic approach. Of 110 animals, 76 (69.09 %) hosted GPCNCs, including strains from Streptococcaceae (37, 33.64 %), Aerococcaceae (30, 27.27 %), Enterococcaceae (6, 5.45 %) and other minor species. With increasing antimicrobial resistance rates in livestock, surveillance programs are globally required, so we conducted a pilot study on GPCNCs isolated from the genital mucosa surfaces of sheep and goats using the minimal inhibitory concentration assay (MIC). Due to gaps in interpretative standard breakpoints, normalized resistance interpretation was used for setting epidemiological susceptibility cut-off values (CO WTs ). Of 57 suitable strains, the majority (80.71 %) showed high CO WTs with decrease susceptibility to at least one antimicrobial class, with 22.81 % displaying multiresistant profiles. Of interest, combined resistances to beta-lactams, macrolides, lincosamides, and tetracyclines were detected in strains of Streptococcus plurianimalium. Further combinations, including resistance to beta-lactams, pleuromutilins, aminoglycosides, and lincosamides, were also recorded in both Streptococcus uberis and Enterococcus spp. strains. Being beta-lactams, macrolides, and tetracyclines the most used antibiotics in livestock worldwide, our results highlight the need for their prudent use. Collectively, our findings highlight that small ruminant genital microbiota can serve as reservoirs for opportunistic severe pathogens, often zoonotic, carrying multidrug resistances, thus standing for high risks for both animals and humans., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging mosquito-borne neurotropic virus, belonging to the Flaviviridae family and the Orthoflavivirus genus. The effective control of WNV requires a targeted preventive strategy that also needs the identification of the higher-risk populations. Hence, this study focused on a systematic literature review of WNV-acquired infection in work-related settings and the assessment of the exposure risks among different occupational categories., Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted to identify studies until September 2023 in multiple databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS and Web of Science, according to the PRISMA 2020 statement. Risk of bias of collected papers was assessed by the ROB tool of the National Toxicology Program's Office of Health Assessment and Translation handbook., Results: A total of 21 studies were included in the systematic review, out of which seventeen were observational studies and four were case reports. Workers identified as at higher risk for WNV infection were military workers, veterinarians, agricultural workers, farmers, and laboratory workers with contact with infected fluids or aerosols., Conclusions: The identification of higher-risk workers could facilitate active surveillance by occupational physicians, which could improve our understanding of the epidemiology of WNV and, in addition, could help tailor appropriate preventive recommendations, reducing the overall burden of disease in high-risk areas.

Vector-borne pathogens have been increasingly investigated for their impact on dog and cat health and their zoonotic potential. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence estimates of selected vector-borne pathogens in client-owned pets from the Giza and Cairo governorates, Egypt.  Out of 200 dogs and 100 cats, 94 (47%) and 23 (23%) were positive for at least one of the tested pathogens (P<0.0001). In particular, 84 (42%) dogs and 3 (3%) cats tested PCR-positive for Bartonella spp. (P<0.0001). A significantly higher prevalence of Bartonella spp. was detected in dogs from the rural areas of the Giza governorate (60/77, 79.2%, P<0.0001) compared to those from Cairo governorate. Bartonella henselae was the dominant species infecting dogs (81/200, 40.5%) followed by Candidatus Bartonella merieuxii (3/200, 1.5%), while B. henselae (2/100, 2%) and B. clarridgeiae were rare in cats. Haemoplasma DNA was detected in 17% (34/200) of dogs and 20% (20/100) of cats with increased risk in dogs from Giza rural areas (21/77, 27.27%, P=0.002) and from both dogs (16/63, 25.40%, P=0.03) and cats (7/14, 50%, P<0.002) with anemia. Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum (30/200, 15%) and Mycoplasma haemocanis (4/200, 2%) in dogs and Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum (18/100, 18%) and M. haemofelis (2/100, 2%) in cats were detected. Additionally, 2 dogs were positive for C. burnetii DNA. Coinfections were detected in dogs, with the majority (23/200, 11.5%) including B. henselae and C.M. haematoparvum, followed by Mycoplasma haemocanis and C.M. haematoparvum (2/200, 1%) and B. henselae, CMhp and C. burnetii (2/200, 1%). Haemoplasma infection was high in Egyptian dogs and cats with a high prevalence for zoonotic Bartonella spp. in dogs with anemia, highlighting the need to investigate these agents in the diagnostic algorithm of anemia and to adopt preventive measures to protect both animal and human health., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The indiscriminate use of antimicrobials in poultry farms is linked to the increase in multi-resistant bacteria. Accordingly, based on the antimicrobial properties of Thyme Essential Oil (TEO), the present study evaluated the effects of TEO on the reduction of common microbial contaminants and Salmonella on poultry litter. A litter bulk sample was collected in a broiler farm and qualitative/quantitative investigations identified Escherichia coli and Mammaliicoccus lentus. The experimental contamination with Salmonella Derby wild strain was also performed. All pathogens showed phenotypic and genotypic resistance to different classes of antibiotics. The litter, split in different units, was treated with aqueous solutions of TEO at different concentrations (5% to 1.25%), demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing the total number of bacteria. The strongest antibacterial action was observed at the lowest concentration against Enterobacteriaceae , with a growth reduction compared to the positive control of 73.3% and 77.8% against E. coli and Salmonella Derby, respectively, while towards M . lentus the reduction was 50%. Our data confirm the antimicrobial activity of TEO and suggest its possible application for the treatment of poultry litter as an effective and natural approach for the prevention of diseases caused by the most common bacteria that colonize poultry farms, counteracting the onset of antibiotic resistance., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Bartonella spp. and haemoplasmas are pathogens of veterinary and medical interest with ectoparasites mainly involved in their transmission. This study aimed at molecular detection of Bartonella spp. and haemoplasmas in cats (n = 93) and dogs (n = 96), and their related fleas (n = 189) from countries in East and Southeast Asia. Ctenocephalides felis was the dominant flea species infesting both cats (97.85%) and dogs (75%) followed by Ctenocephalides orientis in dogs (18.75%) and rarely in cats (5.2%). Bartonella spp. DNA was only detected in blood samples of flea-infested cats (21.51%) (p < .0001, OR = 27.70) with Bartonella henselae more frequently detected than Bartonella clarridgeiae in cat hosts (15.05%, 6.45%) and their associated fleas (17.24%, 13.79%). Out of three Bartonella-positive fleas from dogs, two Ct. orientis fleas carried Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii and Bartonella clarridgeiae, while the 3rd flea (Ct. felis) carried Candidatus Bartonella merieuxii. Felines represented a risk factor for Bartonella spp. infections, where fleas collected from cats (32.25%) presented an increased likelihood for Bartonella spp. occurrence (p < .0001, OR = 14.76) than those from dogs (3.13%). Moreover, when analysing infectious status, higher Bartonella spp. DNA loads were detected in fleas from bacteraemic cats compared to those from non-bacteraemic ones (p < .05). The haemoplasma occurrence was 16.13% (15/93) and 4.17% (4/96) in cat and dog blood samples from different countries (i.e. Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand), with cats more at risk of infection (p < .01, OR = 5.96) than dogs. Unlike Bartonella spp., there was no evidence for flea involvement in the hemoplasmas' transmission cycle, thus supporting the hypothesis of non-vectorial transmission for these pathogens. In conclusion, client-owned cats and dogs living in East and Southeast Asia countries are exposed to vector-borne pathogens with fleas from cats playing a key role in Bartonella spp. transmission, thus posing a high risk of infection for humans sharing the same environment., (© 2022 The Authors. Zoonoses and Public Health published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Canine parvovirus and feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) are variants of Carnivore protoparvovirus 1. We identified and characterized FPV in dogs from Italy and Egypt using genomic sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. Cost-effective sequencing strategies should be used to monitor interspecies spread, evolution dynamics, and potential host jumping of FPV.

Canine parvovirus (CPV) and feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), now included in the unique species Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 (CPPV1), have been circulating in dogs and cats for several decades and are considered the causes of clinically important diseases, especially in young animals. While genetic evidence of the circulation of parvoviruses in Egyptian domestic carnivores has been provided since 2016, to date, all available data are based on partial fragments of the VP2 gene. This study reports the molecular characterization of CPPV strains from Egypt based on the full VP2 gene. Overall, 196 blood samples were collected from dogs and cats presented at veterinary clinics for routine medical assessment in 2019 in Egypt. DNA extracts were screened and characterized by real-time PCR. Positive samples were amplified by conventional PCR and then were sequenced. Nucleotide and amino acid changes in the sequences were investigated and phylogeny was inferred. Carnivore protoparvovirus DNA was detected in 18 out of 96 dogs (18.8%) and 7 of 100 cats (7%). Phylogenetic analyses based on the full VP2 gene revealed that 9 sequenced strains clustered with different CPV clades (5 with 2c, 2 with 2a, 1 with 2b, and 1 with 2) and 1 strain with the FPV clade. All three CPV variants were detected in dog and cat populations with a predominance of CPV-2c strains (7 of 18, 38.9%) in dog samples, thus mirroring the circulation of this variant in African, European, and Asian countries. Deduced amino acid sequence alignment revealed the presence of the previously unreported unique mutations S542L, H543Q, Q549H, and N557T in the Egyptian CPV-2c strains., (Copyright © 2022 Ndiana, Lanave, Zarea, Desario, Odigie, Ehab, Capozza, Greco, Buonavoglia and Decaro.)

Essential oils (EOs) of Cymbopogon citratus and Cymbopogon proximus are known as sources of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenoids, although their biological activities have not been well investigated. In this study, the compositions of C. citratus and C. proximus EOs of Egyptian origin and their antifungal and antibiofilm properties against Candida spp. and Malassezia furfur were investigated. Antioxidant activities were also evaluated. GC-MS showed the presence of nine and eight constituents in C. citratus and C. proximus EOs, respectively, with geranial and neral as the major compounds of C. citratus EO and piperitone and α-terpinolene as the major compounds of C. proximus EO. Both EOs showed antifungal (MIC values ranging from 1.25 to 20 µL/ mL) and antibiofilm activities (% of reduction ranging from 27.65 ± 11.7 to 96.39 ± 2.8) against all yeast species. The antifungal and antibiofilm activities of C. citratus EO were significantly higher than those observed for C. proximus EO. M. furfur was more susceptible to both EOs than Candida spp. Both EOs exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. This study suggests that C. citratus and C. proximus EOs might be an excellent source of antifungal, antibiofilm and antioxidant drugs and might be useful for preventing Malassezia infections in both medical and veterinary medicine.

Mycoplasma bovis is increasingly recognized worldwide as an important cause of disease with major welfare and production impairments on cattle rearing. Although it was detected in veal calves and beef cattle, little is known on the infection impact and on its temporal morbidity pattern in Italian dairy herds. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the involvement of M. bovis on fatal calf pneumonia outbreaks that occurred during 2009-2019 in 64 Italian dairy farms. Furthermore, a deeper diagnostic workup of concurrent infection with other viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens was assessed. Out of the investigated fatal pneumonia cases, M. bovis was frequently detected (animal prevalence, 16.16%; 95%CI, 11.82-21.33; herd prevalence, 26.56; 95%CI, 16.29-39.08) either as the single agent of the disease in more than half of the positive samples (20/37) or in concurrent infections with Histophilus somni (9/37, 24.3%), Mannheimia haemolytica (6/37, 16.621%), Trueperella pyogenes (1/37, 2.70%), Pasteurella multocida (1/37, 2.70%), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (5/37, 13.51%), and bovine viral diarrhea virus (2/37, 5.55%). Based on time-series analysis, M. bovis was recorded in the area since 2009 with outbreaks displaying a clear morbidity seasonal pattern with peaks in April (43.21%) and in September (13.51%). This might be due to the stressing conditions during spring and late summer periods. Results of this study highlight that M. bovis infection warrants consideration, and control measures are needed given its involvement in lethal pneumonia outbreaks in dairy herds from an extended area., 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 © 2021 Fanelli, Cirilli, Lucente, Zarea, Buonavoglia, Tempesta and Greco.)

Bartonellae are emerging vector-borne pathogens infecting humans, domestic mammals and wildlife. Ninety-seven red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 8 European badgers (Meles meles), 6 Eurasian wolves (Canis lupus), 6 European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), 3 beech martens (Martes foina) and 2 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) from Italian Nature Conservatory Parks were investigated for Bartonella infection. Several Bartonella species (9.84%; 95% CI: 4.55-15.12), including zoonotic ones, were molecularly detected among wolves (83.3%; 95% CI: 51-100.00), foxes (4.12%; 95% CI: 0.17-8.08), hedgehogs (33.33%; 95% CI: 0.00-71.05) and a roe deer. Bartonella rochalimae was the most common Bartonella species (i.e. in 4 foxes and 2 wolves) detected. Candidatus B. merieuxii and B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii were identified for the first time in wolves. Furthermore, Bartonella schoenbuchensis was identified in a roe deer and a new clone with phylogenetic proximity to B. clarridgeiae was detected in European hedgehogs. Zoonotic and other Bartonella species were significantly more frequent in Eurasian wolves (p < .0001), than in other free-ranging wild mammals, representing a potential reservoir for infection in humans and domestic animals., (© 2021 The Authors. Zoonoses and Public Health published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)