title: First detection of Cytauxzoon spp. infection in European wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris) of Italy.
abstract: Cytauxzoonosis is an emerging, tick-transmitted, protozoan disease affecting domestic and wild felids and caused by Cytauxzoon felis, Cytauxzoon manul and Cytauxzoon spp. This study aimed to determine the presence of infection with Cytauxzoon spp. in Felis silvestris silvestris in Italy, in order to enhance the comprehension of its pattern distribution among domestic cat populations. In addition, wildcats were tested for other endemic vector-borne pathogens in Italy. The carcasses of 21 F. s. silvestris were collected from central and northern regions of Italy. All the animals were submitted to necropsy and samples of the spleens were collected. Cytauxzoon infection was surveyed by a conventional PCR amplifying a portion of the SSU-rDNA of species of Piroplasmida. The samples were also screened for Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., Rickettsia spp., Babesia spp., Theileria spp., and Leishmania spp. using SYBR Green Real-Time PCR (rPCR) assays. Four animals (19%) were positive for Piroplasmida-PCR assay and three sequenced amplicons were obtained (14.3%), clustering with the Italian, Spanish, French and Romanian Cytauxzoon spp. isolates and with C. manul found in Mongolia. The samples were negative for the other pathogens screened. The present results showed that Cytauxzoon spp. may infect both F. s. silvestris and F. s. catus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, San Costanzo Street 4, Perugia 06126, Italy. Electronic address: fabrizia.veronesi@unipg.it.
authors.forename: Fabrizia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Veronesi
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, University Avenue 10, Legnaro 35020, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ravagnan
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Cavour Square 19/f, Camerino 62032, Macerata, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cerquetella
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, University Avenue 10, Legnaro 35020, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carli
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, San Costanzo Street 4, Perugia 06126, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Olivieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, San Costanzo Street 4, Perugia 06126, Italy.
authors.forename: Azzurra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.affiliation: Therion Research Group, Bracco Street 10, Trieste 34139, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pesaro
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Cavour Square 19/f, Camerino 62032, Macerata, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berardi
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Cavour Square 19/f, Camerino 62032, Macerata, Italy.
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Elce di Sotto Street 8, Perugia 06123, Italy.
authors.forename: Bernardino
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ragni
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Sondrio Street 2, 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beraldo
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, University Avenue 10, Legnaro 35020, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Gioia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Capelli
mesh_terms: D000709:Anaplasma / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology*; D001403:Babesia / Q000235:genetics; D003044:Coccidia / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D004199:Disease Vectors; D045991:Felis / Q000469:parasitology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016792:Piroplasmida / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000235:genetics; D016794:Theileria / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal
keywords: Cytauxzoon spp; Felis silvestris silvestris; Italy; Vector-borne pathogens