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Staphylococcus aureus is well known to be the primary causal agent of clinical or subclinical mastitis in dairy sheep. The production of virulence factors allows S. aureus strains to cause mastitis. In the present study, 96 strains isolated from dairy sheep farms used for the production of autologous vaccines were tested for enterotoxin and hemolysin genes by PCR. In addition, 14 strains isolated from half udders of ewes with subclinical mastitis belonging to a single farm were also tested for the same genes. The phylogenetic trees were constructed, and spatial analysis was performed. Overall, 20 gene patterns were identified, but 43.64% of the tested strains showed the same profile (sec+, sel+, hla+, hld+, hlgAC+). Considering only the enterotoxin genes, four profiles were identified while the evaluation of the hemolysin genes revealed the presence of 12 gene patterns. In the farm with subclinical mastitis, six gene profiles were found. Spatial analysis of the isolated strains and their virulence genes did not show a specific pattern. The present study highlights the importance of identifying and analyzing virulence genes of S. aureus strains involved in dairy sheep mastitis, and the presence of different strains in the same farm.

The crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) is present in central Italy with an estimated population of 1800 individuals. Despite the local abundance, little data are available on the diseases affecting free-ranging individuals. We describe a case of an epidermoid cyst (EC) in a male adult porcupine found in the municipality of Sovicille, province of Siena (Tuscany). At necropsy, a firm rounded nodule was noted on the left ventricle wall. Histological examination revealed a cystic formation lined by stratified squamous epithelium. The cyst was filled with lamellar keratin, while hair shafts were not present. The adjacent epicardium was infiltrated by lymphoplasmacytic cells in reaction to the rupture of the cyst with the spilling of keratinaceous debris. The lesion was diagnosed as a ruptured epicardial epidermoid cyst. EC are most commonly found in the skin, both in human and animal patients, though infrequently, they can occur in any internal organ. Cardiac EC has not been reported in domestic animals, and this is the first report of EC in a wild animal species. Clinical veterinarians should consider the possibility of similar cardiac lesions in captive subjects since the long lifespan of these rodents could allow the growth of the cyst with the compression of the adjacent tissues.

This study evaluated the potential use of mid-infrared spectroscopy to predict milk coagulation traits in bulk milk from Mediterranean Italian buffaloes. A total of 1736 bulk milk samples from 55 farms in central Italy were collected during the official milk quality testing system. The prediction models were developed based on modified partial least-squares regression with 75% of the samples and validated with the remaining samples. All bulk milk samples coagulated between 7.37 and 29.45 min. Average values for milk coagulation traits in the calibration set were 17.71 min, 3.29 min, and 38.83 mm for rennet coagulation time, curd firming time, and curd firmness, respectively. The validation set included samples with similar mean and standard deviation for each trait. The prediction models showed the greatest coefficient of determination of external validation (0.57) and the ratio of prediction to deviation (1.52) for curd firmness. Similar fitting statistics of the prediction models were obtained for rennet coagulation time and curd firming time. In conclusion, the prediction models for all three coagulation traits were below the threshold to consider the prediction models adequate even for rough screening of the samples.

The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a carnivore native to North and Central America, gradually introduced into Asia and Europe, including Italy. It is an important carrier of multiple endoparasites, both Protozoa and Helminths, some of them being zoonotic. The aim of this study was to investigate the endoparasites of the non-native raccoon population of Central Italy. Sixty-two raccoons were collected by local competent authorities (sixty trapped and euthanized, two found dead) and subjected to necroscopic examination. Carcasses underwent a broad parasitological investigation, including coprological techniques (macroscopic examination of the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, trachea, and heart, Flotac®, Baermann test, and immunofluorescence for Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp.), research on respiratory/urinary capillariosis and artificial digestion for Trichinella spp. larvae, and a histopathological examination of the ileum. Ascarid parasites were further identified at the species level using a next-generation sequencing-based amplicon sequencing approach. The results showed the presence of different Protozoa and Nematodes: Baylisascaris procyonis (26/62; 41.9%), Pearsonema sp. (6/62; 9.6%), Capillariidae (6/62; 9.6%), Eimeria sp. (2/62; 3.2%), Cryptosporidium sp. (2/62; 3.2%), and Ancylostomatidae (2/62; 3.2%). B. procyonis is an emerging helminthic zoonotic agent considered a serious concern for public and animal health, given the possibility of its transmission to paratenic hosts, including humans and pets. The demonstrated role of the raccoon as a multi-parasite carrier should be an incentive to continuing the eradication/control of this alien species, and supports the need to implement related disease surveillance programs.

Contrary to humans, candidiasis is a rare infection in animals. However, in reptiles, candidiasis can cause gastrointestinal, cutaneous, or rarely systemic infections in stressed animals. The infections due to Yarrowia lipolytica have been increasingly described in human medicine, and hundreds of cases are reported, comprised of granulomatous lung lesions. Herein, granulomatous pneumonia of a spectacled caiman, Caiman crocodilus, was described, and the presence of Y. lipolytica in the lesion was confirmed through histopathology, microbiologic cultures, and molecular methods. The cause of death of the spectacled caiman was ascribed to bacterial shock septicemia consequentially to a traumatic lesion. However, in the right lung, several nodules containing white exudate were evidenced. At mycological and molecular analyses, Y. lipolytica was evidenced, and the histological finding confirmed the presence of a Candida infection in the lung granulomatous lesions. The comparison of ITS sequences with 11 Yarrowia spp. isolates, recently described in green sea turtles, and with a human strain was conducted, and the whole genome of a strain isolated in the spectacled caiman was sequenced. Even though Y. lipolytica is considered a non-pathogenic yeast and has been rarely described in animals, it seems to cause granulomatous lesions in reptiles as in humans.

The European hedgehog is a synanthropic mammal, widely distributed in Europe. This species usually inhabits the edges of deciduous or mixed woods, but it is also very common in private gardens and public parks. Despite its popularity and frequency of contacts both with humans and with wild and domestic animals, few studies have examined the endoparasitic fauna of the hedgehog in Italy. In the present study, endoparasites of naturally deceased hedgehogs (n = 40) from central Italy (Latium and Tuscany regions) were investigated, along with concurrent gross and histopathological lesions. The most prevalent identified endoparasites were Crenosoma striatum (45%), Capillaria erinacei (42.5%) and Brachylaemus erinacei (22.5%), in accordance with previous reports from hedgehogs in southern Italy. In few subjects, Physaloptera clausa, Acanthocephalans and Cystoisospora rastegaeivae coccidia were also identified. The infection by the lungworm C. striatum was found to be significantly associated (p < 0.01) with bronchial hyperplasia and peribronchiolitis upon histopathological examination. Awareness of the most common parasitic infections in the hedgehog and of their effects on the health of these animals is extremely important, especially in wildlife rescue centers, where European hedgehog represents the most frequently hospitalized mammal species.

The genus Pearsonema, in the nematode family Capillariidae, includes several species that parasitize the urinary bladders of wild and domestic carnivores. The infection has been reported worldwide from several wildlife species, including canids, mustelids, and felids, but the pathological aspects have seldom been investigated. In order to assess the presence and severity of the lesions in Pearsonema-infected wildlife, we performed a parasitological and pathological examination of urinary bladders from 72 animals, belonging to the families Canidae (red fox Vulpes vulpes, n = 28, and wolf Canis lupus, n = 29) and Mustelidae (beech marten Martes foina, n = 3; pine marten Martes martes, n = 2; and European badger Meles meles, n = 10). A greater prevalence of infection for canids (64.91%; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 52.52–77.30%) than for mustelids (13.33%) (p < 0.001) was recorded. The prevalence of infection in red foxes was 75.0% (95% CI, 58.96–91.04%), in accordance with other reports from European countries, supporting the role of this species as a reservoir for infection. Eosinophilic cystitis was observed in 34 out of the 72 examined animals (47.22%). The influence of Pearsonema sp. infection on the occurrence of eosinophilic cystitis was statistically significant in wolves (p < 0.01), which were also affected by more severe histological lesions compared to foxes.

Parasite monitoring is considered a necessary step for cetacean management and conservation. Between February 2013 and July 2015, 26 dolphins (15 Stenella coeruleoalba, 10 Tursiops truncatus, and one Grampus griseus) stranded along the Tuscan coastline of the protected marine area “Pelagos Sanctuary”, were examined. Organs, tissues, and faecal and blood samples taken from all animals were analysed by parasitological, immunological, and molecular techniques. Twenty-one out of 26 dolphins (80.77%) tested positive for at least one parasite species, and 13/15 (86.7%) S. coeruleoalba, 7/10 (70%) T. truncatus, and the single G. griseus were found positive. Identified parasites included the nematodes Skrjabinalius guevarai (7.69%, 2/26), Halocercus lagenorhynchi (3.85%, 1/26), Halocercus delphini (7.69%, 2/26), Stenurus ovatus (7.69%, 2/26), Crassicauda spp. (7.69%, 2/26); the trematodes Pholeter gastrophilus (26.92%, 7/26), Campula palliata (3.85%, 1/26); the cestodes Phyllobothrium delphini (42.31%, 11/26), Monorygma grimaldii (23.08%, 6/26), Tetrabothrium forsteri (7.69%, 2/26), Strobilocephalus triangularis (7.69%, 2/26), and the acanthocephalan Bolbosoma vasculosum (7.69%, 2/26). Moreover, 6/26 (23%) animals scored positive to Toxoplasma gondii at serology, but PCR confirmed the infection (T. gondii Type II genotype) in a single animal. In examined dolphins, obtained results showed a high prevalence of endoparasites, which included species considered as a cause of severe debilitation or death.

By using the egg hatch test (EHT), the larval development test (LDT) and the larval mortality/paralysis test (LMT), the in vitro anthelmintic activity on sheep gastrointestinal strongyles (GIS) of four plant-derived pure compounds, mangiferin (at 0.25%, 0.125% and 0.0625%), rutin (at 1%, 0.75%, 0.5%), quercetin (at 1%), and β-sitosterol (at 1%, 0.75%, 0.5%), was investigated. For comparison, untreated and treated (0.1% thiabendazole, 0.1% TBZ) controls were used. Six repetitions were made throughout the experiment. Data were statistically elaborated using the χ2 test. The concentration able to inhibit the development of the 50% of L1s to L3s and causing the mortality of the 50% of L3s (EC50) was also calculated. L3s recovered from untreated Petri dishes were identified at the genus level. In EHT, all tested compounds at all concentrations significantly (p < 0.01) inhibited the hatch of the eggs when compared to the untreated controls, but none of them was as effective as 0.1% TBZ. In LDT, rutin (at 1%, 0.75% and 0.5%), mangiferin (at 0.25% and 0.125%), β-sitosterol (at 1%) and 0.1% TBZ completely prevented the larval development from L1 to L3 in respect to the untreated controls (p < 0.01). In LMT, all tested compounds significantly (p < 0.01) increased the death of L3s compared to the untreated controls, except for β-sitosterol at 0.5%. However, only rutin at all concentrations and 0.25% and 0.125% mangiferin were as effective as 0.1% TBZ. Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Chabertia and Teladorsagia/Ostertagia GIS genera, were identified.