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A national survey to obtain information of helminth control practices on horses and farm management was carried out in 2014 in Italy. Data were collected using 387 face-to-face questionnaire with questions regarding type and size of farms, use of horses, grazing management, parasite control protocol, interval worming, time of treatments, number of treatments per year, anthelmintic class used, specific treatments (tapeworms and encysted cyathostomins). In tolal, data of 7,616 horses were obtained In Italy, most control protocols were strategic. Sixty eight percent of respondents administered anthelmintics at particular times of the year. With respect to worming intervals, most of them (45%) treated animals at 6 months intervals and 4% wormed horses bi-monthly. Six percent of respondents declared that they left animals untreated. With regard to the time of treatment administration, most reported that dosing was carried out independently from the season, although someone emphasized a greater attention to dosing during autumn and spring months. The mean number of treatments per year was 2.6 (range 1-12). Over half (64%) of respondents indicated that ivermectin and moxidectin or their associations (e.g plus praziquantel) were the most commonly used anthelmintics in the previous 12 months. Treatments against cyathostomin encysted larvae and tapeworms were administered by 11% and 21% of respondents, respectively. Most owners obtained information on parasite control from veterinarians (93%), in addition to specialized journals and internet forums in decreasing order of importance. This is the first national survey investigating parasite control practices and anthelmintic use in horses

INTRODUZIONE: La nuova politica europea per la salute “Health 2020” identifica l’assistenza primaria quale asse portante per migliorare in modo significativo la salute e il benessere delle popolazioni. La regione Emilia-Romagna, in coerenza con l’impostazione europea ha emanato nel 2010 le indicazioni per la realizzazione e l’organizzazione funzionale delle case della Salute (CdS, DGR n.291/2010). L’Azienda Sanitaria Locale (AUSL) di Parma ha avviato una programmazione specifica che prevede la realizzazione di 26 CdS.METODI: La seguente analisi riassume lo stato di implementazione delle CdS nell’ AUSL di Parma, descrive i professionisti che vi operano e propone un modello per l’assessment della qualità, efficacia ed efficienza delle CdS come modello organizzativo innovativo di erogazione dell’assistenza primaria.RISULTATI: Distribuite nei quattro Distretti dell’ AUSL di Parma vi sono, ad oggi, 16 CdS funzionanti, di cui 6 di tipologia piccola, 4 Media e 6 di tipologia Grande, corrispondenti al 27% delle CdS funzionanti sull’intero territorio regionale. La media della popolazione assistita per ciascuna tipologia è: 10519 per le CdS grandi, 8182 per le medie e 5029 per le piccole (range: 3240- 13573). Nelle CdS vi operano 89 medici di Medicina Generale (MMG) e 9 Pediatri di Libera Scelta (PdLS), corrispondenti, rispettivamente, al 30,8% e 15% del totale dei MMG e PdLS dell’AUSL. Si è recentemente avviato un progetto di ricerca in collaborazione con l’Università di Parma e con la Thomas Jefferson University (USA) all’interno del quale si sono definiti le popolazioni e sottopopolazioni oggetto dello studio, i comparatori, gli indicatori di processo e gli outcomes clinici attraverso i quali analizzare e monitorare nel tempo la qualità, l’efficacia ed l’efficienza delle CdS rispetto ad altri modelli di erogazione dell’assistenza territoriale.CONCLUSIONI: A tre anni dall’avvio del progetto, il modello delle CdS si va consolidando nel territorio dell’AUSL di Parma con progressivo aumento delle CdS funzionanti, dei servizi sanitari offerti, delle attività di formazione rivolte al personale sanitario e di educazione sanitaria ed empowerment dei pazienti. Parallelamente, una rinnovata collaborazione tra AUSL e Università permetterà di costruire solide evidenze scientifiche utili ai fini del progresso della ricerca nell’ambito dell’epidemiologia dei servizi ma anche della diffusione delle buone pratiche e dell’estensione del modello CdS sul territorio nazionale.

Poiché molti ectoparassiti sono vettori di numerose e importanti malattie degli animali d’affezione, lo scopo di ESCCAP è di realizzare e diffondere informazioni e un supporto completo per assistere sia i medici veterinari sia i proprietari di animali, al fine di controllare in modo efficace le infestazioni da ectoparassiti e prevenire, nel contempo, la trasmissione delle malattie veicolate dagli stessi. Queste linee guida sono focalizzate sui gruppi più importanti di ectoparassiti come pulci, zecche e pidocchi

In spite of the increasing number of reports of troglostrongylosis in domestic cats in Europe (Brianti et al., 2014, Vet. Parasitol., in press), no data is available on the occurrence of this parasite in wildcats. Indeed, scientific data on the lungworms of this wild felid is scarce (Krone et al., 2008, Eur. J. Wildl. Res., 54:95-100). This study aims to investigate the lungworm species infecting wildcats, in order to assess their impact on the health of this endangered carnivorous and to elucidate their role as potential bridging hosts for this parasite to domestic animals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wildcat carcasses were received from two Natural Parks situated in Basilicata and Sicily. Crops were biometrically and molecularly identified at sub-species level (Mattucci et al., 2013, Ecol. Evol., 3:2443-2458) and examined for lungworms. Morphometric data and causes of death were registered for each animal. Epidemiological indexes such as prevalence, mean abundance, mean intensity and aggregation k-index were calculated and statistically analyzed for each parasites species (Bush et al., 1997, J. Parasitol., 48:575-583). RESULTS: A total of 21 wildcats (12 females and 9 males) were examined, being 7 yearlings and 14 adults. Based on both biometrical and molecular analysis 19 were classified as pure Felis silvestris silvestris, whereas the remaining two were hybrids. Fifteen wildcats were found positive for Troglostrongylus brevior and 7 for Eucoleus aerophilus, being 5 (23.8%) animals co-infected by both lungworm species. Epidemiological indexes calculated for T. brevior and E. aerophilus respectively are reported on the follows: prevalence: 71.4% and 33.3%; mean abundance 4.7 and 0.8; mean intensity 6.6 and 2.4; aggregation k-index 0.69 and 0.42. The main cause of death was road casualties (66.6%) followed by illegal hunting (19.1%) and starvation (14.3%). No significant differences were recorded among animal variables neither between regions for both lungworm species. The rate of infection by T. brevior was larger in yearlings (85.7%) than in adults (64.3%), and mature worms were collected from the lungs of two 1-month-old kittens (Figure 1).CONCLUSIONS: Results of the present survey indicate that wildcats may be highly infected with T. brevior and E. aerophilus and might act as spreaders of these parasites to sympatric domestic animals. In spite of the large prevalence for lungworms herein observed, the aggregated distribution pattern recorded for both species suggests that these parasites do not represent a biological threat for the studied population (Lafferty, 2012, Philos. Trans. B., 367:2814-2827). Based on the topography, climatic features and prey spectrum of geographical regions where wildcats were collected, a similar picture might be envisaged in other wildcat populations living across the Mediterranean basin.

Investigations were carried out to update data on epidemiology and molecular characterization of Echinococcus granulosus in livestock in Italy, in the framework of a national research project during the years 2003-2006. Animals (sheep 2398; cattle 49,485; buffalos 722; pigs 484; horses 294) were sampled in various regions, namely Lombardy (sheep and cattle), Emilia-Romagna (cattle), Campania (buffalos), Abruzzo (sheep and cattle), Sicily and Sardinia (sheep, cattle, pigs, horses). Liver, lung and spleen of slaughtered animals were examined between January 2003 and December 2006 and the number and fertility of hydatid cysts were evaluated. Protoscoleces and/or germinal layers were collected from individual cysts and DNA was extracted from some samples. PCR methods were used for the identification of the main strain clusters for each sample (G1; G5; G6/G7). Fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and NADH dehydrogenase I were sequenced. Fertility and strain typing were not performed on Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna samples for technical reasons. The range of regional prevalences, the strains of E. granulosus identified were the following: sheep 0.3 % - 75.3%, G1; cattle 0.1 % - 67.1%, G1 and G3; buffalos 10%; G1 and G3; pigs 0% - 9.4%, G1 and G7; horses 0% - 2.8%, G4. The results of the surveys confirm the historical trend of cystic echinococcosis in southern and insular Italy. Highest prevalences in sheep and cattle were recorded in Sardinia and Sicily, respectively. G1 strain results highly spread in sheep and also affects sympatrically cattle, buffalo and pigs. Variants of the sheep strain cluster like G3 were also recorded in buffalo and cattle. The presence of G4 and G7, which were isolated in horses and pigs from Sardinia, respectively, should be pointed out. In February 2007, G4 strain has been identified also in a horse from Tuscany, a region of Central Italy (reported in this Congress).

Vengono analizzati i risultati delle attività di sorveglianza condotte, nel periodo 2000-2010, in provincia di Rimini. Tali risultati confermano la presenza di un focolaio di leishmaniosi canina, stabile e in graduale espansione sia nella parte collinare sia sul versante costiero. L'ausilio delle tecnologie GIS ha consentito una rapida rappresentazione geografica dei casi, l’analisi spazio-temporale degli stessi e la produzione di output cartografici digitali di facile condivisione e aggiornamento. Tutti questi elementi consentono la valutazione, in tempo reale, del rischio sanitario e la pianificazione di adeguati interventi di controllo, facendo intravedere un sistema di notifica che possa finalmente far emergere il problema leishmaniosi nella sua reale dimensione epidemiologica.

Monografia che compendia la situazione epidemiologica italiana delle malattie sostenute da Dirofilaria spp. nel cane. ogni autore ha riferito le proprie esperienze regionali permettendo così la creazione di un quadro estremamente aggiornato della distribuzione di questi importanti agenti di malattia.

vengono esaminate le più importanti noxae parassitarie dell'asino ed esposti i risultati di alcune esperienze in materia condotti in asini siciliani

In recent years leishmaniasis has become a serious Public Health problem in Italy. The coexistence of infected dogs, vectors and humans, makes urban areas suitable environment for the spread of this zoonotic disease. With the purpose to improve the current system for the control of leishmaniasis in urban areas, the authors report their experiences carrying out a Health Information System (HIS) for the surveillance of the disease in the city of Messina. The HIS project is built on a dataset containing geographical data on urban environment, census tracts at parish level and data of human and canine leishmaniasis cases reported in the last years. The HIS allows the spatial representation of the disease occurrence and can be used as a novel epidemiological tool to perform area-based surveillance.