The genus Trypanosoma includes flagellated protozoa belonging to the family Trypanosomatidae (Euglenozoa, Kinetoplastida) that can infect humans and several animal species. The most studied species are those causing severe human pathology, such as Chagas disease in South and Central America, and the human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), or infections highly affecting animal health, such as nagana in Africa and surra with a wider geographical distribution. The presence of these Trypanosoma species in Europe has been thus far linked only to travel/immigration history of the human patients or introduction of infected animals. On the contrary, little is known about the epidemiological status of trypanosomes endemically infecting mammals in Europe, such as Trypanosomatheileri in ruminants and Trypanosomalewisi in rodents and other sporadically reported species. This brief review provides an updated collection of scientific data on the presence of autochthonous Trypanosoma spp. in mammals on the European territory, in order to support epidemiological and diagnostic studies on Trypanosomatid parasites.

Mycobacterium pseudoshottsii, a slow-growing mycobacterium closely related to M. marinum, has been isolated only in wild fish in the United States and in Japanese fish farms to date. Here, we report cases of mortality in three farmed fish species (Dicentrarchus labrax, Sparus aurata, and Sciaenops ocellatus) caused by M. pseudoshottsii in Italy. Samples underwent necropsy, histology, and culture with pathogen identification based on PCR and sequencing of housekeeping genes (16S rRNA, hsp65, rpoB). Multifocal to coalescing granulomatous and necrotizing inflammation with acid-fast bacilli were observed in the parenchymatous organs, from which M. pseudoshottsii was isolated and identified. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the results of gene sequencing and allowed subdivision of the isolates into three distinct groups. M. pseudoshottsii poses a potential threat for Mediterranean aquaculture. Its origin in the area under study needs to be clarified, as well as the threat to the farmed fish species.

Saprolegnia infections are among the main parasitic diseases affecting farmed salmonids. The distribution and potential transfer of Saprolegnia spp. between farms and the natural environment has been scarcely investigated. Therefore, this work aimed to study the diversity and abundance of oomycete species in salmonid farms, tributary water, and effluent water systems. Four trout farms in Italy and two Atlantic salmon farms in Scotland were considered. In Italian farms, 532 isolates of oomycetes were obtained from fish and water, at upstream, inside, and downstream the farms. In Scottish farms, 201 oomycetes isolates were obtained from water outside the farm and from fish and water inside the farming units. Isolates were identified to the species level through amplification and sequencing of the ITS rDNA region. In Italy, S. parasitica was significantly more present in farmed than in wild fish, while in water it was more frequently isolated from the wild, particularly in effluent systems, not associated with more frequent isolation of S. parasitica in wild fish downstream the farm. In Scotland, S. parasitica was the most prevalent species isolated from fish, while isolates from water were mostly Pythium spp. with few S. parasitica isolates from upstream and downstream the farms.

Cephalopods are intermediate/paratenic hosts in the life cycle of elasmobranch tapeworms, nevertheless most records of infection in this group of mollusks are outdated and fragmentary. The present work aimed to investigate the cestode fauna of the common octopus Octopus vulgaris from the Tyrrhenian Sea (Central Mediterranean). The parasitic stages were characterized by light and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and sequencing of 28S rDNA. Three cestode taxa were identified to the genus level: the onchoproteocephalidean Acanthobothrium sp. (prevalence 28%), the “tetraphyllidean” Anthobothrium sp. (prevalence 13%) and the trypanorhynch Nybelinia sp. (prevalence 3%). The remarkable prevalence observed for gastrointestinal cestodes highlight a possible important role of O. vulgaris in the transmission of elasmobranch tapeworms, particularly Onchoproteocephalideans. Furthermore, the present work provides, for the first time, detailed morphological (SEM) and molecular support to confirm the occurrence of Anthobothrium sp. in cephalopod hosts. In order to gain higher taxonomic resolution for the identified taxa, we stress the need to collect further morphological and molecular data of adult cestodes infecting their elasmobranch definitive hosts.

To date, sand flies (Phlebotominae) are the only recognized biological vectors of Leishmania infantum, the causative agent of human visceral leishmaniasis, which is endemic in the Mediterranean basin and also widespread in Central and South America, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Dogs are the main domestic reservoir of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis, and the role of secondary vectors such as ticks and fleas and particularly Rhipicephalus sanguineus (the brown dog tick) in transmitting L. infantum has been investigated. In the present paper, the presence of Leishmania DNA was investigated in questing Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from 4 rural areas included in three parks of the Emilia-Romagna Region (north-eastern Italy), where active foci of human visceral leishmaniasis have been identified. The analyses were performed on 236 DNA extracts from 7 females, 6 males, 72 nymph pools, and 151 larvae pools. Four samples (1.7%) (i.e., one larva pool, 2 nymph pools, and one adult male) tested positive for Leishmania kDNA. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of Leishmania kDNA in questing I. ricinus ticks collected from a rural environment. This finding in unfed larvae, nymphs, and adult male ticks supports the hypothesis that L. infantum can have both transstadial and transovarial passage in I. ricinus ticks. The potential role of I. ricinus ticks in the sylvatic cycle of leishmaniasis should be further investigated.