| a seroepidemiological survey on leishmania infantum infection. | findings from a seroepidemiological survey of leishmania infantum (li) infection are presented. among residents in the province of rome, 2.7% (4.4% in the city of rome and 1% in the suburbs) of 374 adults were positive for specific li antibodies in indirect haemoagglutination studies. among 217 adult residents of caltanissetta province (sicily), 4.1% were positive for li antibodies (4.2% in caltanissetta city and 4% in the suburbs). serological tests for li antibodies were also carried out on st ... | 1991 | 1915791 |
| leishmaniasis in the sudan republic. 29. comparison and epidemiological implications of experimental canine infections with sudanese, mediterranean, and kenyan strains of leishmania donovani. | | 1970 | 5421087 |
| canine leishmaniasis in three foci in western sicily. | | 1982 | 6926779 |
| [ticks and the pediatrician]. | the match between ticks and pediatricians in italy is usually a seasonal event related to the spring and summer trips and to the increasing of outdoor activity that sun and warm weather allow, both for children and ticks. so cared parents reach emergencies asking for tick removal but more often after the tick has yet been removed by empirical manoeuvres and after the killing and the destruction of the "enemy". we have scheduled, in the years 2002-2003, the 167 children that reached our unit for ... | 2004 | 15305698 |
| cystic echinococcosis in italy from the 1950s to present. | in italy the epidemiological pattern of cistic echinococcosis (ce) is incomplete and the information for most regions is out of date, contradictory, and almost exclusively limited to the intermediate hosts. the disease is found most frequently in particular social and economic conditions: widespread use of extensive or semi-extensive sheep farming, illegal slaughtering, and high numbers of sheepdogs and other types of dogs. the highest incidence in sheep is found in sardinia (70.6-92.8%), sicily ... | 2004 | 16044697 |
| molecular characterization of anaplasma platys strains from dogs in sicily, italy. | the genetic diversity of anaplasma platys (rickettsiales: anaplasmataceae) strains is currently poorly defined. the present study was designed to characterize a. patys strains in dogs from palermo, sicily, italy, using a combination of pcr and sequence analysis of the 16s rdna, heat shock operon groesl and citrate synthase (glta) genes. | 2006 | 16872489 |
| agrometeorology and models for the parasite cycle forecast. | insects are strongly influenced by meteorological variables in their natural environment. in agriculture, mathematical models have been developed to understand and forecast the cycle of pests based on climate data. by this manner, with the goal of reduce and rationalize plant chemical treatments, agrometeorological models have been realized to estimate the length and starting times of parasites phenological phases. in sicily a new network of 95 gsm meteorological stations and a specific mathemat ... | 2006 | 16881403 |
| observed prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in domestic animals in sicily, italy during 2003-2005. | the objective of this study was to characterize the observed prevalence of tick-borne pathogens (tbp) in domestic animals in sicily, italy during 2003-2005. serological (competitive elisa and indirect immunofluorescence antibody, n = 3299) and dna tests (polymerase chain reaction and reverse line blot, n = 2565) were conducted on horse, donkey, cattle, sheep, goat, pig and dog samples. pathogens analysed included anaplasma, ehrlichia, rickettsia, babesia and theileria species, and coxiella burne ... | 2007 | 17359441 |
| updates on cystic echinococcosis (ce) in italy. | an update on cystic echinococcosis (ce) diffusion in italy during 2003-2005 is reported. ce seems to have a sporadic diffusion in the northern part of the country where this disease plays a minor role (prevalence < 1%). recent investigations have shown the occurrence of ce cases in humans from the mountains between reggio emilia and modena, with an average year incidence between 9.4 and 5.6/100,000. in abruzzo prevalences in sheep and cattle are 20.2% and 15.3%, with a fertility of 4.6% and 1.3% ... | 2006 | 16881397 |
| short report: surveillance of leishmania sp. among sand flies in sicily (italy) using a fluorogenic real-time polymerase chain reaction. | leishmaniasis caused by leishmania infantum is a complex zoonotic disease, resulting in cutaneous and visceral manifestations in both dogs and humans. the present study involved a published taqman fluorogenic real-time polymerase chain reaction (pcr) assay for surveillance of leishmania sp. parasites among sand flies trapped in two provinces in sicily, catania and agrigento, during the summer and fall of 2003. only male specimens were identified to species level, while females were used to evalu ... | 2005 | 15741548 |
| use of a health information system (his) for the epidemiological surveillance of leishmaniasis in urban areas. | | 2007 | 17682878 |
| [human cystic hydatidosis in italy: a public health emergency? past to present]. | starting from 1991 the central office of statistics istat, according to changed regulations on notification of infective diseases, stopped reporting official national data on human hydatidosis. on the other hand until then notified data, concerning only about a hundred cases per year in mean during the last decades and just 36 in 1991, appeared unreliable, suggesting a diffusion far from the actual. owing to specific studies on different research groups it is possible to try to describe a not ex ... | 2004 | 15305684 |
| [rickettsia infections in sicily and mass media: attention not entirely groundless]. | the aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of rickettsiosis cases in sicily with special attention to possible occupational exposure. this research was prompted by the high number of cases reported in the press in the summer of 1999. epidemiological data for previous years showed that sicily was always the region where most cases of rickettsiosis occurred; we therefore examined the clinical data of patients admitted to the major infectious diseases hospital department in palermo in the pe ... | 2000 | 11189787 |
| characterization of anaplasma infections in sicily, italy. | this study aimed to characterize infection with anaplasma marginale, a. phagocytophilum, a. ovis, and a. platys in humans, animals, and ticks in sicily, italy, during 2003-2006. serologic (competitive elisa [celisa]) and indirect immunofluorescence antibody [ifa]; n= 1990) and dna (polymerase chain reaction [pcr]; n= 2788) tests were conducted on horse, donkey, cattle, sheep, goat, pig, dog, cat, roe deer, wild boar, human, and tick samples. the results reported herein suggested that in sicily c ... | 2008 | 19120181 |
| canine visceral leishmaniasis in sicily. | the sicilian province of catania is an active foci for human visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in the mediterranean area. approximately 10 to 15 cases of vl are diagnosed via hospital admissions each year in this community. recently, an increase in vl case reporting by sicilian physicians was noted, with 38 and 37 vl cases in 1996 and 1997, respectively. before 1995, there were no reported vl cases among u.s. military personnel or their family members living in sicily. however, since 1996, there have ... | 2000 | 10658425 |
| [cutaneous leishmaniasis in catania (italy): persistently endemic and underestimated]. | cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis diagnosed at the laboratory of department of hygiene of the university of catania (italy), from 1998-2007 were evaluated. specifically, demographic and personal data, area of origin and temporal trend of the 97 cases confirmed by microscopy in this 10-year period were examined. the data collected shows that the disease is still widely present in this area ; on the other hand official data regarding this disease appears incomplete and shows various inconsistencies ... | 2009 | 20010994 |
| research of canine filariasis in trapani province (western sicily). morphology on sem of male dirofilaria repens. | the prevalence of canine filariasis was investigated in 4 municipalities of trapani province (campobello di mazara, castelvetrano, marsala and mazara del vallo), an area where 8 human cases of dirofilariasis due to dirofilaria (nochtiella) repens have occurred during the last decade. blood samples were collected late in the afternoon, during august and september 1995, and examined by knott technique for the presence of microfilariae. sixtythree (29.3%) out of 215 domestic dogs (98 males, 117 fem ... | 1997 | 9802102 |
| prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in ticks in sicily. | the prevalence of anaplasma, ehrlichia, rickettsia and babesia/theileria species was analysed in questing and feeding adult ticks in sicily. a total of 678 ticks were collected and analysed in this study. of these, 29 were questing ticks and 649 were collected from infested cattle, sheep, goats or dogs. tick species analysed included rhipicephalus bursa, r. turanicus, r. sanguineus, hyalomma lusitanicum, h. marginatum, dermacentor marginatus, ixodes ricinus, r. (boophilus) annulatus and haemaphy ... | 2010 | 20537102 |
| [visceral leishmaniasis in italy. its epidemiology, clinical picture and therapy]. | visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is a public health problem in most countries bordering the mediterranean sea. the disease has been found in central and southern italy, sicily, sardinia; some pockets are present in liguria. dogs are the reservoirs and the vectors are some species of sandfly (phlebotomus species). the incubation period is usually between 2 and 8 months; children and adults may become infected; lethality may be high and depends upon a correct diagnosis and treatment. the diagnosis shou ... | 1994 | 8047684 |
| genital myiasis by wohlfahrtia magnifica (diptera, sarcophagidae) in sicily (italy). | wohlfahrtia magnifica (schiner, 1862; diptera: sarcophagidae), known also as flesh fly or screwworm, is a fly distributed especially in south europe, middle east, north africa and china. maggots of w. magnifica are responsible for traumatic myiasis in warm-blooded vertebrate animals and humans. in italy data on wohlfahrtiosis in animals and humans are scant. this paper reports three cases of genital myiasis by w. magnifica in sicily that occurred in a goat, a ram and a dog, respectively. maggots ... | 2011 | 21541751 |
| [report of two cases of human ocular dirofilariasis in sicily]. | two human cases of subconjunctival dirofilariasis, observed in mazara del vallo (trapani) area, are described. a survey carried out in the same area revealed the presence of d. repens in 15 of the 46 dogs examined. the worms surgically removed, were found to be immature females with characters in agreement with the description of d. conjunctivae (addario, 1885) desportes 1939-40. when compared with females of d. repens obtained by experimental infection of the cat, a host not entirely suitable f ... | 1984 | 6600000 |
| antibodies to rickettsia conori in dogs in western sicily. | | 1984 | 6548846 |
| [control measures in selvatic rabies]. | | 1971 | 5154374 |
| epidemiology of boutonneuse fever in western sicily. distribution and prevalence of spotted fever group rickettsial infection in dog ticks (rhipicephalus sanguineus). | the distribution and prevalence of spotted fever group rickettsial infection in the ixodid dog tick rhipicephalus sanguineus were found to occur at a rate of 19.7% with variation related to geographic and sociooccupational factors. a higher rate of infection was demonstrated in ticks removed from dogs associated with documented cases of boutonneuse fever. the results fit into available clinical and seroepidemiologic data on rickettsia conorii infection in western sicily. | 1986 | 3513550 |
| canine leishmaniasis in western sicily. | | 1987 | 3445319 |
| visceral leishmaniasis of adults in sicily: a truce interrupted? | | 1987 | 3445306 |
| rickettsiae of the spotted fever group in dog fleas (ctenocephalides spp.) in western sicily. | | 1989 | 2604471 |
| [leishmaniasis vectors (diptera, psychodidae) in 3 different environments of western sicily and 2 of the aeolian islands]. | some cases of visceral leishmaniasis in children and in adults have been diagnosed in the last fifteen years in western sicily and an increasing number of cases of canine leishmaniasis has been recorded, mainly in the province of palermo. such a human leishmaniasis recrudescence, after the antimalaria campaign had reduced the transmission, and the increase of canine leishmaniasis in the city of palermo and its suburbs suggest that transmission in urban areas may be possible. using the oiled pape ... | 1990 | 2132442 |
| [the present-day clinico-epidemiological status of dermotyphous rickettsiosis]. | | 1977 | 578006 |
| euthanasia of companion animals: a legal and ethical analysis. | in italy, the conditions under which euthanasia of small pets is justified are only partially regulated by law n. 281/1991, article 2 n. 6 and 9, by the later ministry circular n. 9 made on 10/03/1992 and by law n. 189/2004. law n. 281/1991, besides delegating the job of birth control in cat and dog populations to the regions, has made it statutory that stray dogs may only be euthanised when they are 'seriously or incurably ill or proven to be dangerous'. the ministry circular underlines the fac ... | 2006 | 17361075 |
| febrile illness associated with rickettsia conorii infection in dogs from sicily. | we report serologic and molecular evidence of acute, febrile illness associated with rickettsia conorii in 3 male yorkshire terriers from sicily (italy). | 2006 | 17326960 |
| dog tick-borne diseases in sicily. | in sicily many tick borne diseases are endemic, in particular way those that see like main carrier ticks that prefer, for their vital cycle, climatic conditions characterized by high temperatures and a warmth-humid atmosphere. the more important pathologies transmitted by ticks causing diseases in dogs are babesiosis and ehrlichiosis. borrelia burgdorferi, anaplasma phagocytophilum, rickettsia conorii, coxiella burnetii and tick transmitted encephalitis virus assume particular relevance because ... | 2006 | 16881419 |
| epidemiology and clinical features of mediterranean spotted fever in italy. | mediterranean spotted fever is caused by rickettsia conorii and is transmitted to humans by rhipicephalus sanguineus, the common dog tick. it is characterized by the symptomatologic triad: fever, exanthema and "tache noire", the typical eschar at the site of the tick bite. in italy the most affected region is sicily. the seasonal peak of the disease (from june through september) occurs during maximal activity of immature stage ticks. severe forms of the disease have been reported in 6% of patien ... | 2006 | 16881414 |
| proposal of health information system (his) as tool for the epidemiological surveillance of leishmaniasis in urban areas. | in recent years leishmaniasis has become a serious public health problem in italy. the coexistence of infected dogs, vectors and humans, makes urban areas suitable environment for the spread of this zoonotic disease. with the purpose to improve the current system for the control of leishmaniasis in urban areas, the authors report their experiences carrying out a health information system (his) for the surveillance of the disease in the city of messina. the his project is built on a dataset conta ... | 2006 | 16881409 |
| epidemiology and direct medical costs of human leishmaniasis in italy. | in the last decades, visceral leishmaniasis infection rate has increased in western mediterranean areas. epidemiological data show that in italy, especially in some regions, the prevalence of canine form is high. the aim of this study is to evaluate the epidemiological setting of leishmaniasis in italy, according to age groups and geographical areas, and to estimate the associated direct medical costs. | 2007 | 17506235 |
| ticks infesting livestock on farms in western sicily, italy. | the results of a 2-year survey on ticks infesting livestock on farms in western sicily, italy, are reported. several dogs living in the same area were also examined for ticks. moreover, free-living ticks from one cattle farm were caught by co(2) traps and flagging. a total of 6208 specimens was collected belonging to 9 species: rhipicephalus bursa (32.4%), rhipicephalus turanicus (22.7%), rhipicephalus sanguineus (19.3%), hyalomma lusitanicum (12.0%), haemaphysalis punctata (7.8%), hyalomma marg ... | 2006 | 16550337 |
| epilepsy and toxocariasis: a case-control study in italy. | to assess the relationship between epilepsy and toxocariasis in adult subjects by means of a case-control study in catania, italy. | 2008 | 18031545 |
| molecular survey of rickettsia spp. in sick dogs in italy. | the aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the prevalence of rickettsia spp. dna in the blood of sick dogs from italy. canine blood samples (n=650) submitted for molecular testing of rickettsia spp. to a diagnostic laboratory from february 2003 to march 2006 were studied. the rickettsia spp. dna detection was performed by light cycler real-time pcr using hybridization probes separately conducted with specific primers and probes. the total percentage of rickettsia spp.-positive dog sa ... | 2008 | 18631232 |
| [fever and exanthema after trip to the mediterranean area--mediterranean spotted fever (boutonneuse fever)]. | in connection with a period of residence in the mediterranean basin (portugal, spain, sicily) one woman and two men (age: 28, 31 and 40 years) got sick with fever in august and in the midst of october. in addition, they complained about headache in two cases and myalgias, arthralgia and vomiting in one case, respectively. two of the vacationers (cases 2 and 3) had been accompanied by their dogs. one of them (case 2) was bitten of a tick. the woman (case 3) removed few days after vacation-beginni ... | 2001 | 11381635 |
| risk factors for toxoplasmosis in pigs bred in sicily, southern italy. | the aim of the study was to determine the seroprevalence of toxoplasma gondii infection in pigs raised and slaughtered in sicily, southern italy, and to evaluate the risk factors associated with the infection. samples were collected in seven slaughterhouses and on-site on 274 raising farms across sicily, in the period from january 2006 until march 2007. for each sampled pig born and raised in sicily, information was obtained on gender, age, origin, final destination of meat and farm management. ... | 2009 | 19246158 |
| multilocus microsatellite polymorphism analysis to characterize leishmania infantum strains isolated in sicily. | different approaches are being developed to improve the differentiation of leishmania genus using biochemical and molecular methods. in this study, 11 independent polymorphic microsatellites were used for the typing of strains of l. infantum isolated in sicily. polymerase chain reaction was employed to amplify the microsatellites contained in 12 dna regions selected from among more investigated loci. a total of 51 isolates of l. infantum from dogs were tested by using the same locus panel. the p ... | 2010 | 20537100 |
| spirocerca lupi isolated from gastric lesions in foxes (vulpes vulpes) in sicily (italy). | spirocerca lupi (rudolphi 1809) is a cosmopolitan nematode of dogs and wild carnivores. in the past it has been reported in italy, mainly in southern regions and in sicily, where the parasite was observed in foxes in 2005. the parasite typically produces nodular masses in the oesophagus and thoracic aorta. during the 2003-2004 hunting season, the authors investigated a total of 55 foxes (vulpes vulpes) hunted or killed by car accidents in the provinces of palermo and agrigento. all the foxes wer ... | 2010 | 21033560 |
| human ocular infection with dirofilaria repens (railliet and henry, 1911) in an area endemic for canine dirofilariasis. | abstract. dirofilaria repens, which is usually found in canine subcutaneous tissues, is the main causative agent of human dirofilariasis in the old word. however, a relationship between animal and human cases of dirofilariasis caused by d. repens in a given area has never been demonstrated. the uneven distribution of d. repens in provinces in sicily, italy represented the foundation for this study. we report a human case of ocular infection with d. repens from trapani province, where canine diro ... | 2011 | 21633041 |
| morphological and molecular data on the dermal microfilariae of a species of cercopithifilaria from a dog in sicily. | dermal microfilariae found in a dog from sicily, italy, were characterized morphologically and genetically and differentiated from those of all the other blood microfilariae commonly found in dogs. in particular, the microfilariae were short (mean length of 186.7++m), presented a body flattened dorso-ventrally and a rounded head, bearing a tiny cephalic hook. the genetic identity of microfilariae herein studied was also assessed by molecular amplification, sequencing and analyzing of multiple ri ... | 2011 | 21705146 |
| rhipicephalus sanguineus (ixodida, ixodidae) as intermediate host of a canine neglected filarial species with dermal microfilariae. | the life cycles of filarioids of dogs presenting dermal microfilariae have been little studied. following the recent retrieval of dermal microfilariae identified as cercopithifilaria sp. in a dog from sicily (italy), this study was designed to assess the role of the brown dog tick rhipicephalus sanguineus as an intermediate host of this filarial species. an experimental tick infestation was performed on an infected dog using 300 nymphs of r. sanguineus. engorged nymphs were collected and examine ... | 2011 | 21831524 |
| epidemiology of boutonneuse fever in western sicily: isolation of spotted fever group rickettsiae from rhipicephalus sanguineus (fam. ixodidae). | spotted fever group rickettsiae were isolated from dog ticks (r. sanguineus) removed from dogs in different areas of western sicily. | 1986 | 3951368 |
| [the centennial of the discovery of the antimitotic properties of colchicine]. | pernice, a sicilian pathologist active mainly in italy (palermo) from 1884 to 1906, published one hundred years ago the first observation of the mitotic changes observed in two dogs injected with a large dose of tincture of colchicum. his description of the considerable increase in mitotic figures in the gastric and intestinal mucosa, and the absence of ana-telophases, clearly illustrate the well-known effect of a spindle poison. they were however completely forgotten until 1949. the modern aspe ... | 1989 | 2688016 |