Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Apr:45:53-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.cimid.2016.03.001. Epub 2016 Mar 4.

Prevalence of Leishmania infantum and co-infections in stray cats in northern Italy

Eva Spada  1 , Ilaria Canzi  2 , Luciana Baggiani  3 , Roberta Perego  4 , Fabrizio Vitale  5 , Antonella Migliazzo  6 , Daniela Proverbio  7
Affiliations

Prevalence of Leishmania infantum and co-infections in stray cats in northern Italy

Eva Spada et al. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 2016 Apr.

Abstract

Stray cats in the city of Milan, Italy, were tested for Leishmania infantum and other selected infections. Twenty-seven cats (30.0%) were seroreactive by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), with an antibody titer of 1:40 for 16 (17.7%) cats and 1:80 (cut-off for feline L. infantum infection) for 11 (12.2%) cats. One blood (1.1%) and one popliteal lymph node (1.1%) sample tested positive by real-time polymerase chain reaction; no oculoconjunctival swabs tested positive. Feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukemia virus, and feline coronavirus (FCoV) seroprevalence determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was 6.1, 6.1, and 39.0%, respectively. Toxoplasma gondii, Bartonella henselae, and Chlamydophila felis prevalence determined by IFAT was 29.3, 17.1, and 17.1%, respectively. The frequency of seroreactivity to L. infantum was significantly higher in FCoV-seropositive cats (OR=4.4, P=0.04). L. infantum-infected stray cats in Milan have a high seropositivity rate, comparable to that of cats in areas endemic for leishmaniosis.

Keywords: Bartonella henselae; Chlamydophila felis; FCoV; FIV; FeLV; Feline; Leishmania infantum; Real-time PCR; Seroprevalence; Toxoplasma gondii.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Busani L., Gras L.M., Romi R., Boccolini D., Severini F., Bongiorno G. Rapp. ISTISAN. 12/22. 2012. Zanzare, flebotomi e zecche: atlante bibliografico delle specie d’interesse sanitario in Italia (1985–2009) [Mosquitoes, sand flies and ticks: bibliographical atlas of species of medical importance in Italy (1985–2009)] pp. 1–113. 〈http://www.iss.it/binary/publ/cont/12_22_web.pdf〉.
    1. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Plebotomine sandflies: distribution maps.〈http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/vectors/vector-maps/Pages/VBORNET_... (accessed February 3, 2016).
    1. Gramiccia M., Scalone A., Di Muccio T., Orsini S., Fiorentino E., Gradoni L. The burden of visceral leishmaniasis in Italy from 1982 to 2012: a retrospective analysis of the multi-annual epidemic that occurred from 1989 to 2009. Euro Surveill. 2013;18 〈www.eurosurveillance.org:pii=20535〉. - PubMed
    1. Maroli M., Rossi L., Baldelli R., Capelli G., Ferroglio E., Genchi C. The northward spread of leishmaniasis in Italy: evidence from retrospective and ongoing studies on the canine reservoir and phlebotomine vectors. Trop. Med. Int. Health. 2008;13:256–264. - PubMed
    1. Maia C., Cardoso L. Spread of Leishmania infantum in Europe with dog travelling. Vet. Parasitol. 2015;213:2–11. - PubMed

MeSH terms

Substances