title: New insights into the epidemiology of bovine piroplasmoses in Italy.
abstract: Few studies have been published on bovine piroplasmoses in Italy, and therefore a clear picture of the epidemiology of these infections is difficult to obtain. Vertebrate and invertebrate hosts in Central and Northern Regions of Italy were investigated in 2005 and 2006, when microscopy, molecular tools and serological tests were applied to 468 blood samples drawn from cattle in order to evaluate the presence of these protozoa and identify possible risk factors. Ticks were also collected, identified and analyzed by molecular techniques. Microscopy identified 6.5% of the animals as positive, whereas PCR detected piroplasm DNA in 21.6%. BLAST analysis showed 67 amplicons (17.0%) referable to the Theileria sergenti/buffeli/orientalis group, 17 (4.3%) to Theileria annae, and 1 to Babesia divergens. Serology evidenced a prevalence of 45.4% for Babesia bovis, 17.4% for Babesia bigemina, and 34.9% for B. divergens. The 127 collected ticks were identified as belonging to 5 species, mostly represented by Rhipicephalus bursa, Hyalomma marginatum and Ixodes ricinus. Molecular analyses evidenced the presence of B. bovis and B. bigemina, in 3 and 5 ticks, respectively. Our findings suggest that different species of piroplasms are circulating in bovine populations in Central and Northern Italy, and provide new insights into the complex epidemiology of bovine piroplasmoses in Italy.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Sperimentali Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell'Università, 16 - 35020 - Legnaro (PD), Italy. rudi.cassini@unipd.it
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cassini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marcer
authors.forename: A Frangipane
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: di Regalbono
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cancrini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gabrielli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Galuppi
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Tampieri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pietrobelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001179:Arthropod Vectors / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology; D001403:Babesia / Q000235:genetics; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D019937:Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures / Q000662:veterinary*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013987:Ticks / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan