Canine urinary capillariosis is caused by the nematode Pearsonema plica. P. plica infection is seldomly detected in clinical practice mainly due to diagnostic limitations. This report describes six cases of urinary capillariosis in dogs from Italy. Recurrent cystitis was observed in one dog, whereas another patient was affected by glomerular amyloidosis. In the remaining animals, the infection was considered an incidental finding. Immature eggs of the parasite were observed with urine sediment examination in 3/6 patients. Increased awareness of the potential pathogenic role of P. plica and clinical disease presentation could help identify infected animals.

Data obtained from wildlife rescue centres are a useful means of understanding threats posed to wild animal populations. Aims of the present study were to investigate the causes of admission and outcomes of Long-eared Owls ( Asio otus) hospitalised in rescue centres in Italy. Data were collected from 13 centres form January 2010 to October 2014 using a web form. The following variables were considered: estimated age at admission; date of admission; habitat at finding location; main cause of admission; and outcome. Major causes of admissions were related to human activities, mainly consisting of collision trauma and collection of uninjured fledglings. Despite nocturnal habits of owls and their protection status, according to European Union Directive 2009/147/ CE and to national Italian laws, gunshot wounds were also represented as an admission cause in adult animals. Overall mortality rate was 47.3%. Considering age classes, the majority of adult animals died while the majority of pulli survived and were later released. Both collisions and gunshot wounds contributed to the higher mortality in adult animals. We suggest that anatomopathological and toxicological investigation of dead casualties, along with post release monitoring of rehabilitated owls, would contribute to a better understanding of mortality causes and to the implementation of more successful rehabilitation techniques.

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.

SummaryReports of Pearsonema plica and Eucoleus böhmi infections in wolves (Canis lupus) in Europe are limited and data on associated lesions are lacking. In the present study urinary bladders, nasal turbinates and faecal samples from 8 necropsied wolves were examined for P. plica and E. böhmi infections and associated lesions. P. plica was identifi ed in the bladder of four wolves. At histological examination, follicular chronic cystitis and eosinophilic cystitis were found. E. böhmi nematodes and eggs were identifi ed from the nasal turbinates and rectal faecal samples of three wolves. Worms and eggs were found embedded in the mucosa among the nasal bone laminae. Two wolves were found coinfected by P. plica and E. böhmi. This is the fi rst report of P. plica and E. böhmi infections in wolves from Italy and the fi rst description of pathological lesions associated with P. plica infection in wolves.

Pearsonema spp. nematodes infect the urinary bladder of domestic and wild carnivores. The red fox is considered a reservoir of Pearsonema plica, while the prevalence of Pearsonema spp. in domestic carnivores is still poorly known. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of Pearsonema spp. infection in privately owned cats (26) and dogs (83) from central and northern Italy alongside occurrence in red foxes (42) from central Italy. In positive dogs and cats, associated clinical signs were also evaluated. Urine samples were first examined under a stereomicroscope; then, they were centrifuged and microscopically examined after a flotation test. As for foxes, the urinary bladders were opened and urine was collected and processed as above, while collected nematodes were identified at the species level. Among examined animals, 2/26 cats (7.7%), 1/83 dogs (1.2%), and 38/42 foxes (90.5%) scored positive. Recurrent cystitis, pollakiuria, and hematuria were the main clinical signs in symptomatic dogs and cats. This is the first study on Pearsonema spp. infection in domestic carnivores examining a large number of privately owned pet animals. Obtained results confirm the role of the red fox as a reservoir for P. plica and suggest a possible high occurrence of Pearsonema spp. infection in domestic cats of central Italy.

In Western countries dogs and cats are the most popular pets, and people are increasingly opposed to their rearing for the fur industry. In 2007, a Regulation of the European Union (EU) banned the use and trade of dog and cat furs, but an official analytical protocol to identify them as source species was not provided, and violations of law are still frequent in all Member States. In this paper we report on the development and validation of a simple and affordable DNA method for species detection in furs to use as an effective tool to combat illegal trade in fur products. A set of mitochondrial primers was designed for amplification of partial cytochrome b, control region and ND1 gene in highly degraded samples, like furs and pelts. Our amplification workflow involved the use of a non-specific primer pair to perform a first test to identify the species through sequencing, then the application of species-specific primer pairs to use in singleplex end-point PCRs as confirmation tests. The advantage of this two-step procedure is twofold: on the one hand it minimises the possibility of negative test results from degraded samples, since failure of amplification with a first set of primers can be offset by successful amplification of the second, and on the other it adds confidence and reliability to final authentication of species. All designed primers were validated on a reference collection of tissue samples, obtaining solid results in terms of specificity, sensitivity, repeatability and reproducibility. Application of the protocol on real caseworks from seized furs yielded successful results also from old and dyed furs, suggesting that age and chemical staining do not necessarily affect positive amplifications. Major pros of this approach are: (1) sensitive and informative primer sets for detection of species; (2) short PCR amplicons for the analysis of poor quality DNA; (3) binding primers that avoid contamination from human DNA; (4) user-friendly protocol for any laboratory equipped for analysis of low-copy-number DNA. Our molecular procedure proved to be a good starting point for enforcing the EU Regulation against dog and cat fur trade in forensic contexts where source attribution is essential to the assignment of responsibilities.

In recent years, several cases of predation on hunting dogs have been reported in Italy. These cases caused uproar among owners and the wolf was singled out as the culprit. The remains of a dog allegedly killed by wolves were submitted for forensic analysis. Wolf predation was ruled out based on gross findings and wild boar aggression was suspected instead. Genetic analysis of salivary swab samples confirmed that wild boars fed on the dog. As poaching is one of the main threats to wolf conservation, it is essential to identify correctly the predator in cases of attacks on domestic animals.

Extraintestinal nematodes have been seldom investigated in the brown bear (Ursus arctos). In this study, a case of urinary capillariosis and bladder associated lesions is reported in a deceased free-ranging Marsican brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus) from Central Italy. Gross lesions in the urinary bladder consisted of scattered foci of mucosal hyperemia, while at histological examination mild cystitis was observed. At microscopic examination of urine and bladder lavage fluid, capillariid adult female nematodes and eggs were found, suspected of belonging to the genus Pearsonema based on their location in the urinary bladder. This is the first report of Pearsonema infection and associated bladder lesions in a brown bear.