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Equine pulmonary aspergillosis is a rare deep mycosis often due to the hematogenous spread of hyphae after gastrointestinal tract disease. We describe herein the main clinic-pathological findings observed in a foal, which spontaneously died after showing diarrhea and respiratory distress. Necropsy and histopathological investigations allowed to diagnose pulmonary aspergillosis, which likely developed after necrotic typhlitis-colitis. Biomolecular studies identified Aspergillus section Fumigati strain as the causative agent. Notably, severe oxalate nephrosis was concurrently observed. Occasionally, oxalate nephropathy can be a sequela of pulmonary aspergillosis in humans. The present case report suggests that the renal precipitation of oxalates can occur also in horses affected by pulmonary aspergillosis and could likely contribute to the fatal outcome of the disease.
Jasmine Hattab; Antonella Vulcano; Silvia D’Arezzo; Fabiana Verni; Pietro Giorgio Tiscar; Giovanni Lanteri; Emil Gjurcevic; Umberto Tosi; Giuseppe Marruchella. Aspergillus Section Fumigati Pneumonia and Oxalate Nephrosis in a Foal. Pathogens 2021, 10, 1087 .
AMA StyleJasmine Hattab, Antonella Vulcano, Silvia D’Arezzo, Fabiana Verni, Pietro Giorgio Tiscar, Giovanni Lanteri, Emil Gjurcevic, Umberto Tosi, Giuseppe Marruchella. Aspergillus Section Fumigati Pneumonia and Oxalate Nephrosis in a Foal. Pathogens. 2021; 10 (9):1087.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJasmine Hattab; Antonella Vulcano; Silvia D’Arezzo; Fabiana Verni; Pietro Giorgio Tiscar; Giovanni Lanteri; Emil Gjurcevic; Umberto Tosi; Giuseppe Marruchella. 2021. "Aspergillus Section Fumigati Pneumonia and Oxalate Nephrosis in a Foal." Pathogens 10, no. 9: 1087.
Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are globally widespread arthropod-transmitted diseases with a significant impact on animal and human health. Many drivers have recently spurred the geographic spread of VBDs in dogs. This study has evaluated the exposure to most important VBDs in dogs under different preventative treatments in different regions of Italy, i.e., Veneto, Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Umbria, Giglio Island (Tuscany), Abruzzo and Latium. Serological analyses were performed to detect antibodies against Leishmania infantum, Babesia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum/Anaplasma platys, Ehrlichia canis/Ehrlichia ewingii, Borrelia burgdorferi, Rickettsia conorii and the circulating antigen of Dirofilaria immitis. Dogs were categorized according to the treatment schedule usually received, and the association between seropositivity and possible risk factors was statistically evaluated. Overall, 124/242 (51.2%) dogs tested positive for at least one pathogen, while 34 (14.0%) were exposed to two or more pathogens. The most detected seropositivity was against R. conorii, followed by Anaplasma spp., L. infantum, B. canis, and the other pathogens under study. Significant statistical associations were found according to geographical provenance, history of tick infestation, lifestyle and inadequate prophylactic treatments. Random/irregular treatments have been identified as a clear risk factor. These results show that adequate prophylactic treatment protocols are overlooked by dog owners, despite the availability of several effective products, with possible implications in veterinary medicine and on public health.
Mariasole Colombo; Simone Morelli; Giulia Simonato; Angela Di Cesare; Fabrizia Veronesi; Antonio Frangipane di Regalbono; Laura Grassi; Ilaria Russi; Pietro Tiscar; Giulia Morganti; Jasmine Hattab; Valeria Rizzo; Donato Traversa. Exposure to Major Vector-Borne Diseases in Dogs Subjected to Different Preventative Regimens in Endemic Areas of Italy. Pathogens 2021, 10, 507 .
AMA StyleMariasole Colombo, Simone Morelli, Giulia Simonato, Angela Di Cesare, Fabrizia Veronesi, Antonio Frangipane di Regalbono, Laura Grassi, Ilaria Russi, Pietro Tiscar, Giulia Morganti, Jasmine Hattab, Valeria Rizzo, Donato Traversa. Exposure to Major Vector-Borne Diseases in Dogs Subjected to Different Preventative Regimens in Endemic Areas of Italy. Pathogens. 2021; 10 (5):507.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMariasole Colombo; Simone Morelli; Giulia Simonato; Angela Di Cesare; Fabrizia Veronesi; Antonio Frangipane di Regalbono; Laura Grassi; Ilaria Russi; Pietro Tiscar; Giulia Morganti; Jasmine Hattab; Valeria Rizzo; Donato Traversa. 2021. "Exposure to Major Vector-Borne Diseases in Dogs Subjected to Different Preventative Regimens in Endemic Areas of Italy." Pathogens 10, no. 5: 507.
Background and Aim: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a relevant opportunistic and difficult to treat pathogen due to its widespread environmental diffusion, intrinsic resistance to many classes of antimicrobials, high ability to acquire additional resistance mechanisms, and wide range of pathogenic factors. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of P. aeruginosa in canine clinical samples, the antimicrobial susceptibility against antipseudomonal antibiotics, and the presence of extracellular pathogenic factors of the isolates, as well as their ability to produce biofilm. Materials and Methods: Overall, 300 clinical specimens from dogs with pyoderma or abscesses (n=58), otitis (n=59), and suspected bladder infection (n=183) were analyzed by standard bacteriological methods. P. aeruginosa isolates were tested for their antimicrobial susceptibility by disk and gradient diffusion methods to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations. The ability of the isolates to produce biofilm was investigated by a microtiter plate assay, while virulence genes coding for elastase (lasB), exotoxin A (toxA), alkaline protease (aprA), hemolytic phospholipase C (plcH), and exoenzyme S (ExoS) were detected by polymerase chain reaction method. Results: A total of 24 isolates of P. aeruginosa were found in clinical specimens (urine n=3, skin/soft tissue n=6, and ear canal n=15). No resistance was found to ceftazidime, gentamicin, aztreonam, and imipenem (IMI), while low levels of resistance were found to enrofloxacin (ENR) (4.2%) and piperacillin-tazobactam (8.3%). However, 41.7% and 29.2% of the isolates showed intermediate susceptibility to ENR and IMI, respectively. Disk and gradient diffusion methods showed high concordance. The majority of the isolates revealed a weak (33.3%) or intermediate (45.8%) ability to form biofilm, while the strong biofilm producers (20.8%) derived exclusively from the ear canal samples. All isolates (100%) were positive for lasB, aprA, and plcH genes, while exoS and toxA were amplified in 21 (87.5%) and 22 (91.7%) isolates, respectively. Conclusion: In the present study, P. aeruginosa isolates from canine clinical samples were characterized by low levels of antimicrobial resistance against antipseudomonal drugs. However, the high presence of isolates with intermediate susceptibility for some categories of antibiotics, including carbapenems which are not authorized for veterinary use, could represent an early warning signal. Moreover, the presence of isolates with strong ability to produce biofilm represents a challenge for the interpretation of the antimicrobial susceptibility profile. In addition, the high prevalence of the extracellular pathogenic factors was indicative of the potential virulence of the isolates.
Jasmine Hattab; Francesco Mosca; Cristina Esmeralda Di Francesco; Giovanni Aste; Giuseppe Marruchella; Pierluigi Guardiani; Pietro Giorgio Tiscar. Occurrence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and pathogenic factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in canine clinical samples. Veterinary World 2021, 14, 978 -985.
AMA StyleJasmine Hattab, Francesco Mosca, Cristina Esmeralda Di Francesco, Giovanni Aste, Giuseppe Marruchella, Pierluigi Guardiani, Pietro Giorgio Tiscar. Occurrence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and pathogenic factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in canine clinical samples. Veterinary World. 2021; 14 (4):978-985.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJasmine Hattab; Francesco Mosca; Cristina Esmeralda Di Francesco; Giovanni Aste; Giuseppe Marruchella; Pierluigi Guardiani; Pietro Giorgio Tiscar. 2021. "Occurrence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and pathogenic factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in canine clinical samples." Veterinary World 14, no. 4: 978-985.
Assessing the potential biomass yield is a key step in aquaculture site selection. This is challenging, especially for shellfish, as the growth rate depends on both trophic status and water temperature. Individual ecophysiological models can be used for mapping potential shellfish growth in coastal areas, using as input spatial time series of remotely sensed SST and chlorophyll-a. This approach was taken here to estimate the potential for developing oyster (Crassostrea gigas) farming in the western Adriatic Sea. Industry relevant indicators (i.e., shell length, total individual weight) and days required to reach marketable size were mapped using a dynamic energy budget model, finetuned on the basis of site-specific morphometric data collected monthly for a year. Spatially scaled-up results showed that the faster and more uniform growth in the northern Adriatic coastal area, compared with the southern one, where chlorophyll-a levels are lower and summer temperatures exceed the critical temperature limit for longer periods. These results could be used in planning the identification of allocated zones for aquaculture, (AZA), taking into account also the potential for farming or co-farming C. gigas. In perspective, the methodology could be used for getting insights on changes to the potential productivity indicators due to climatic changes.
Camilla Bertolini; Daniele Brigolin; Erika Porporato; Jasmine Hattab; Roberto Pastres; Pietro Tiscar. Testing a Model of Pacific Oysters’ (Crassostrea gigas) Growth in the Adriatic Sea: Implications for Aquaculture Spatial Planning. Sustainability 2021, 13, 3309 .
AMA StyleCamilla Bertolini, Daniele Brigolin, Erika Porporato, Jasmine Hattab, Roberto Pastres, Pietro Tiscar. Testing a Model of Pacific Oysters’ (Crassostrea gigas) Growth in the Adriatic Sea: Implications for Aquaculture Spatial Planning. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (6):3309.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCamilla Bertolini; Daniele Brigolin; Erika Porporato; Jasmine Hattab; Roberto Pastres; Pietro Tiscar. 2021. "Testing a Model of Pacific Oysters’ (Crassostrea gigas) Growth in the Adriatic Sea: Implications for Aquaculture Spatial Planning." Sustainability 13, no. 6: 3309.
Background and Aim: Neutrophils represent between 20% and 75% of white blood cells in animals and play a key role in an effective immune response. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is commonly referred to as an oxidative burst and is crucial under healthy and disease conditions. Interestingly, ROS are emerging as regulators of several neutrophil functions, including their oxidative burst. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of hydrogen peroxide on the oxidative burst of neutrophils, collected from domestic animal species (namely, pig, cattle, and sheep), and exposed to different stimuli. Materials and Methods: A total of 65 slaughtered animals were included in the present study: Twenty-two pigs, 21 cattle, and 22 sheep. Blood samples were collected at bleeding and neutrophils were then purified using ad hoc developed and species-specific protocols. Neutrophils were treated with hydrogen peroxide at micromolar-to-millimolar concentrations, alone, or combined with other stimuli (i.e., opsonized yeasts, and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate). The generation of ROS was evaluated using a luminol-derived chemiluminescence (CL) assay. For each animal species, data were aggregated and reported as mean area under curve±standard deviation. Finally, data were statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's post hoc test. Results: Exposure of bovine and ovine neutrophils to hydrogen peroxide alone resulted in a dose-dependent enhancement of the CL response, which was significantly stronger at its highest concentration and proved particularly prominent in sheep. Opsonized yeasts and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate both proved capable of stimulating the generation of ROS in all animal species under study. Hydrogen peroxide negatively modulated the oxidative burst of neutrophils after exposure to those stimuli, observed response patterns varying between pigs and ruminants. Porcine neutrophils, pre-exposed to micromolar concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, showed a decreased CL response only to opsonized yeasts. Conversely, pre-exposure to hydrogen peroxide reduced the CL response of ruminant neutrophils both to yeasts and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, the effect being most prominent at 1 mM concentration. Conclusion: These results indicate that hydrogen peroxide is capable of modulating the oxidative bursts of neutrophils in a species-specific and dose-dependent manner, substantial differences existing between pigs and ruminants. Further investigation is required to fully comprehend such modulation, which is crucial for the proper management of the generation of ROS under healthy and disease conditions.
Francesco Mosca; Abigail R. Trachtman; Jasmine Hattab; Giuseppe Marruchella; Pietro G. Tiscar. Effect of hydrogen peroxide on the oxidative burst of neutrophils in pigs and ruminants. Veterinary World 2020, 13, 1934 -1939.
AMA StyleFrancesco Mosca, Abigail R. Trachtman, Jasmine Hattab, Giuseppe Marruchella, Pietro G. Tiscar. Effect of hydrogen peroxide on the oxidative burst of neutrophils in pigs and ruminants. Veterinary World. 2020; 13 (9):1934-1939.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancesco Mosca; Abigail R. Trachtman; Jasmine Hattab; Giuseppe Marruchella; Pietro G. Tiscar. 2020. "Effect of hydrogen peroxide on the oxidative burst of neutrophils in pigs and ruminants." Veterinary World 13, no. 9: 1934-1939.