title: Prevalence of Leishmania infantum and co-infections in stray cats in northern Italy.
abstract: Stray cats in the city of Milan, Italy, were tested for Leishmania infantum and other selected infections. Twenty-seven cats (30.0%) were seroreactive by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), with an antibody titer of 1:40 for 16 (17.7%) cats and 1:80 (cut-off for feline L. infantum infection) for 11 (12.2%) cats. One blood (1.1%) and one popliteal lymph node (1.1%) sample tested positive by real-time polymerase chain reaction; no oculoconjunctival swabs tested positive. Feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukemia virus, and feline coronavirus (FCoV) seroprevalence determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was 6.1, 6.1, and 39.0%, respectively. Toxoplasma gondii, Bartonella henselae, and Chlamydophila felis prevalence determined by IFAT was 29.3, 17.1, and 17.1%, respectively. The frequency of seroreactivity to L. infantum was significantly higher in FCoV-seropositive cats (OR=4.4, P=0.04). L. infantum-infected stray cats in Milan have a high seropositivity rate, comparable to that of cats in areas endemic for leishmaniosis.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie per la Salute, la Produzione Animale e la Sicurezza Alimentare (VESPA), Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria, 10, 20133 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: eva.spada@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spada
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie per la Salute, la Produzione Animale e la Sicurezza Alimentare (VESPA), Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria, 10, 20133 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: canzi.ilaria@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Canzi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie per la Salute, la Produzione Animale e la Sicurezza Alimentare (VESPA), Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria, 10, 20133 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: luciana.baggiani@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baggiani
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie per la Salute, la Produzione Animale e la Sicurezza Alimentare (VESPA), Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria, 10, 20133 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: roberta.perego@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Perego
authors.affiliation: Centro di Referenza Nazionale per le Leishmaniosi (C.Re.Na.L), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale (IZS) della Sicilia A. Mirri, Via G. Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: fabrizio.vitale@izssicilia.it.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.affiliation: Centro di Referenza Nazionale per le Leishmaniosi (C.Re.Na.L), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale (IZS) della Sicilia A. Mirri, Via G. Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: antonella.migliazzo@izssicilia.it.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Migliazzo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie per la Salute, la Produzione Animale e la Sicurezza Alimentare (VESPA), Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria, 10, 20133 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: daniela.proverbio@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Proverbio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D018416:Bartonella henselae / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002415:Cats; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016181:Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000276:immunology; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005256:Leukemia Virus, Feline / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan
keywords: Bartonella henselae; Chlamydophila felis; FCoV; FIV; FeLV; Feline; Leishmania infantum; Real-time PCR; Seroprevalence; Toxoplasma gondii