BackgroundThe increasing number of reports of human infections by Strongyloides stercoralis from a range of European countries over the last 20 years has spurred the interest of the scientific community towards this parasite and, in particular, towards the role that infections of canine hosts may play in the epidemiology of human disease. Data on the epidemiology of canine strongyloidiasis is currently limited, most likely because of the inherent limitations of current diagnostic methods.MethodsFaecal samples were collected directly from the rectal ampulla of 272 animals of varying age and both genders living in Apulia, southern Italy. Dogs included were either privately owned (n = 210), living in an urban area but with unrestricted outdoor access (Group 1), or shelter dogs (n = 62 out of ~400) hosted in a single shelter in the province of Bari in which a history of diarrhoea, weight loss, reduced appetite and respiratory symptoms had been reported (Group 2). Strongyloides stercoralis infection was diagnosed by coproscopy on direct faecal smear and via the Baermann method.ResultsSix of 272 dogs were positive for S. stercoralis at the Baermann examination; all but one were from the shelter (Group 2) and displayed gastrointestinal clinical signs. The only owned dog (Group 1) infected with S. stercoralis, but clinically healthy, had been adopted from a shelter 1 year prior to sampling. Five infected dogs were treated with fenbendazole (Panacur®, Intervet, Animal Health, 50 mg/kg, PO daily for 5 days), or with a combination of fenbendazole and moxidectin plus imidacloprid spot-on (Im/Mox; Advocate® spot-on, Bayer). Post-treatment clearance of infection was confirmed in three dogs by Baermann examination, whereas treatment failure was documented in two dogs by Baermann and/or post-mortem detection of adult parasites.ConclusionsThis study describes, for the first time, the presence of S. stercoralis infection in sheltered dogs from southern Italy. Data indicate that S. stercoralis infection may pose a concern for sheltered animals and raise questions on potential risks of infection for staff of municipal shelters in southern European countries. Given that a single course of treatment with fenbendazole, associated or not with Im/Mox spot-on, may not eliminate the infection, effective treatment protocols should be investigated and control strategies targeting the environment considered for reducing the risk of zoonotic infection.

A survey based on clinical, pathological and microbiological investigations was performed on 11 Brown Swiss cattle affected with depression, anorexia, agalaxia, ruminal hypomotility, abdominal pain and melaena. In eight animals, macroscopical lesions consisted in haemorrhagic enteritis in the small intestine. Seven of eight isolates from tissue samples were identified as Clostridum perfringens type A, and four were identified as C. perfringens type A with the beta2 toxin gene. Based on these observations, animals were considered affected with haemorrhagic bowel syndrome.

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Angiostrongylosis was diagnosed in a dog presenting with haemothorax on the basis of detection of Angiostrongylus vasorum first-stage larvae both in the pleural effusion and in faeces. A one-year-old, male, mixed-breed dog was presented with fever, depression and persistent cough of one month's duration. Clinical examination revealed temperature of 39.5 degrees C, loud bronchovesicular sounds on thoracic auscultation and attenuated cardiac sounds. Thoracic radiographs showed a moderate bilateral pleural effusion and a diffuse interstitial pulmonary pattern, with an alveolar pattern in one lobe. Routine haematology revealed anaemia and leucocytosis with eosinophilia, basophilia and thrombocytopenia. Coagulation assays showed a consumptive coagulopathy resembling disseminated intravascular coagulation. The relationship between haemothorax and the presence of A vasorum larvae in the pleural effusion is discussed. The dog was successfully treated with fenbendazole until negative for larvae on faecal examination. This case report indicates that A vasorum infection should be considered as a possible aetiological cause of haemothorax in dogs.

A total of 424 animals (268 dogs and 156 cats) with skin lesions (alopecia and peripheral scaling) were examined from January 1999 to December 2002. Of the 424 samples examined, 99 (23.3%) yielded a positive culture and, in particular, 20.5% of the dog samples and 28.2% of the cat samples. Microsporum canis was the most common dermatophyte isolated from dogs and cats (77.7%), followed by geophilic dermatophyte species (M. gypseum, Trichophyton terrestre). Young dogs and cats, especially those younger than 1 year, showed a statistically significant higher prevalence of M. canis infection than older animals. No statistically significant association was found between infection and sex in cats, while male dogs were more affected by dermatophytes. Among breeds, Yorkshire terriers showed the highest positivity (50%) caused mainly by M. canis (46.6%), while no differences were noticed for cats. A significantly higher prevalence of positive samples was registered in summer and in autumn for cats. The presence of dermatophytes was not associated with itching. The diagnostic value of Wood's lamp fluorescence and microscopic examination proved to be scarce compared with fungal cultures as only 45.5% of the 77 samples that tested positive for M. canis at the cultural examination was positive under Wood's lamp florescence and 53.2% at microscopic examination.