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The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is the rarest species of pinniped in the world. Necropsy of a Mediterranean monk seal pup that stranded alive on the southern Adriatic Italian coast and died a few hours later revealed co-infection by cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) and Toxoplasma gondii. Pathological lesions included a multifocal, moderate to severe, necrotizing myocarditis and a diffuse, chronic, moderate interstitial pneumonia with bronchial and bronchiolar epithelial hyperplasia. Lesions of atypical necrotizing arteritis were seen in the aorta and major pulmonary arteries in association with the presence T. gondii organisms. Severe haemorrhagic foci and lesions of non-suppurative meningoencephalitis, together with the presence of protozoal cysts, were seen in the brain. Co-infection of CeMV and T. gondii has not been previously reported in monk seals. The vascular lesions found in this animal can be considered atypical because they have not been reported in other terrestrial or marine mammal species. The disseminated toxoplasmosis associated with the unusual vascular and haemorrhagic brain lesions could be related to the immunosuppressive effects of CeMV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We summarized the neuropathologic findings in 60 cetaceans stranded along the Italian coastline from 2002 to 2014. The following neuropathologic changes were detected in 45% (27/60) of animals: nonsuppurative meningo-encephalitides (30%, 18/60), nonspecific lesions (12%, 7/60), suppurative encephalitis (2%, 1/60), and neoplasm (2%, 1/60). No histologic lesions were found in 47% (28/60) of the specimens. Five (8%, 5/60) samples were unsuitable for analysis. Analysis with PCR detected Brucella spp., morbillivirus, and Toxoplasma gondii infection in one, six, and seven individuals, respectively. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed positivity for morbillivirus and for T. gondii infection in three cases each. No evidence of the scrapie-associated prion protein PrPSc was detected. Our findings underscore the importance of an adequate surveillance system for monitoring aquatic mammal pathologies and for protecting both animal and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 2007 and 2014, 83 cetaceans were found stranded along the Ligurian coast of Italy, in the Pelagos Sanctuary, the largest marine protected area in the Mediterranean basin. Forty-nine (59%) were submitted to complete or partial necropsy, depending on the conservation status of the carcass. Based on gross and histological pathology and ancillary testing, the cause of death was determined and categorized as anthropogenic or natural (i.e., nonanthropogenic) in origin for 33 animals (67%) and of undetermined origin in the remaining 16 (33%). Natural causes of death, accompanied by either poor or good nutritional status, were attributed to 29 animals (59%), whereas four (8%) were diagnosed with an anthropogenic cause of death, consisting of interaction with fishing activities. Infectious and noninfectious disease was the most common cause of death, involving 29 cetaceans (59%). These data are valuable for understanding health and mortality trends in cetacean populations and can provide information for establishing policies for cetacean conservation and management in such an important protected area of the Mediterranean basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apart from prion protein genotype, the factors determining the host range and susceptiblity for specific transmissible spongiform encephalopathy agents remain unclear. It is known that bovine atypical L-BSE can transmit to a range of species including primates and humanised transgenic mice. It is important, therefore, that there is as broad an understanding as possible of how such isolates might present in food animal species and how robust they are on inter- and intra-species transmission to inform surveillance sytems and risk assessments. This paper demonstrates that L-BSE can be intracerebrally transmitted to sheep of several genotypes, with the exception of ARR/ARR animals. Positive animals mostly present with a cataplectic form of disease characterized by collapsing episodes and reduced muscle tone. PrP accumulation is confined to the nervous system, with the exception of one animal with lymphoreticular involvement. In Western blot there was maintenance of the low molecular mass and glycoform profile associated with L-BSE, irrespective of ovine host genotype, but there was a substantially higher N-terminal antibody signal relative to the core-specific antibody, which is similar to the ratio associated with classical scrapie. The disease phenotype was maintained on experimental subpassage, but with a shortened survival time indicative of an original species barrier and subsequent adaptation. Passive surveillance approaches would be unlikely to identify such cases as TSE suspects, but current statutory active screening methods would be capable of detecting such cases and classifying them as unusual and requiring further investigation if they were to occur in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ticks are increasingly reported in urban and peri-urban areas, such as city parks or peri-urban forests, across Europe. Land use changes, like the transformation of natural ecosystems into residential or recreational areas, and the restoration of natural areas connectivity for biodiversity purposes, facilitate human contact with these vectors. We evaluated the infestation by Ixodid ticks and their infection by zoonotic agents in two natural reserves (La Mandria and Stupinigi) in the urban area of Turin, northwestern Italy, near to densely inhabited suburbs and consistently frequented by people. We monthly performed dragging in 15 sites during a three-year period (2012–2014). Over 4000 ticks were collected, belonging to the species: Ixodes ricinus , I. acuminatus , Dermacentor marginatus , D. reticulatus , and Haemaphysalis concinna. The tick burden in La Mandria, a park very rich in wildlife, was higher than in Stupinigi, which is surrounded by a grid of roads and cultivated fields. The occurrence of I. ricinus nymphs was mainly related to habitat diversity and seasonal variation but weakly influenced by wildlife presence. Conversely, the density of I. ricinus nymphs were effectively estimated by vegetation coverage, micro-climatic conditions, and the presence of large wildlife. Molecular analyses showed the infections by Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (24.1 %), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (2.9 %), and Spotted Fever Group rickettsiae (30.4 %) in I. ricinus. Tick-borne encephalitis virus, that is considered so far absent in northwestern Italy, was not detected. In La Mandria, the risk of encountering one I. ricinus nymph infected by Borrelia burgorferi s.l. in 100 m2 was 59.1 % (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 36.3–83.0), and 71.3 % (95%CI: 44.5–93.0) for Rickettsia spp. Educational programs on personal protection and surveillance on tick-borne diseases should be enhanced to face the threat posed by tick vectors in green urban landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]