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Jeeves SP, Fernando C, Kotwa JD, Mubareka S, Hill JE, Jardine CM. Using clotted, pelleted blood samples for direct molecular detection of Bartonella spp. in small mammal wildlife surveillance studies. BMC Res Notes 2024; 17:184. [PMID: 38956715 PMCID: PMC11221039 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-024-06841-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Bartonella are emerging bacterial zoonotic pathogens. Utilization of clotted blood samples for surveillance of these bacteria in wildlife has begun to supersede the use of tissues; however, the efficacy of these samples has not been fully investigated. Our objective was to compare the efficacy of spleen and blood samples for DNA extraction and direct detection of Bartonella spp. via qPCR. In addition, we present a protocol for improved DNA extraction from clotted, pelleted (i.e., centrifuged) blood samples obtained from wild small mammals. RESULTS DNA concentrations from kit-extracted blood clot samples were low and A260/A280 absorbance ratios indicated high impurity. Kit-based DNA extraction of spleen samples was efficient and produced ample DNA concentrations of good quality. We developed an in-house extraction method for the blood clots which resulted in apposite DNA quality when compared to spleen samples extracted via MagMAX DNA Ultra 2.0 kit. We detected Bartonella in 9/30 (30.0%) kit-extracted spleen DNA samples and 11/30 (36.7%) in-house-extracted blood clot samples using PCR. Our results suggest that kit-based methods may be less suitable for DNA extraction from blood clots, and that blood clot samples may be superior to tissues for Bartonella detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon P Jeeves
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Champika Fernando
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Jonathon D Kotwa
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Samira Mubareka
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Janet E Hill
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Claire M Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
- Ontario-Nunavut, Department of Pathobiology, Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
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Robinson SJ, Pearl DL, Himsworth CG, Weese JS, Lindsay LR, Dibernardo A, Huynh C, Hill JE, Fernando C, Jardine CM. Environmental and sociodemographic factors associated with zoonotic pathogen occurrence in Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Windsor, Ontario. Zoonoses Public Health 2024; 71:416-428. [PMID: 38419369 DOI: 10.1111/zph.13120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Rat-associated zoonotic pathogen transmission at the human-wildlife interface is a public health concern in urban environments where Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) thrive on abundant anthropogenic resources and live in close contact with humans and other animal species. To identify potential factors influencing zoonotic pathogen occurrence in rats, we investigated associations between environmental and sociodemographic factors and Leptospira interrogans and Bartonella spp. infections in rats from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, while controlling for the potential confounding effects of animal characteristics (i.e., sexual maturity and body condition). METHODS AND RESULTS Between November 2018 and June 2021, 252 rats were submitted by collaborating pest control professionals. Kidney and spleen samples were collected for L. interrogans and Bartonella spp. PCR and sequencing, respectively. Of the rats tested by PCR, 12.7% (32/252) were positive for L. interrogans and 16.3% (37/227) were positive for Bartonella species. Associations between infection status and environmental and sociodemographic variables of interest were assessed via mixed multivariable logistic regression models with a random intercept for social group and fixed effects to control for sexual maturity and body condition in each model. The odds of L. interrogans infection were significantly higher in rats from areas with high building density (odds ratio [OR]: 3.76; 95% CI: 1.31-10.79; p = 0.014), high human population density (OR: 3.31; 95% CI: 1.20-9.11; p = 0.021), high proportion of buildings built in 1960 or before (OR: 11.21; 95% CI: 2.06-60.89; p = 0.005), and a moderate number of reports of uncollected garbage compared to a low number of reports (OR: 4.88; 95% CI: 1.01-23.63; p = 0.049). A negative association was observed between median household income and Bartonella spp. infection in rats (OR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.08-0.89; p = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS Due to the complexity of the ecology of rat-associated zoonoses, consideration of environmental and sociodemographic factors is of critical importance to better understand the nuances of host-pathogen systems and inform how urban rat surveillance and intervention efforts should be distributed within cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Robinson
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - David L Pearl
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chelsea G Himsworth
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - J Scott Weese
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - L Robbin Lindsay
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Antonia Dibernardo
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Chris Huynh
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Janet E Hill
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Champika Fernando
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Claire M Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Bai Y, Osikowicz LM, Hojgaard A, Eisen RJ. Development of a quadruplex PCR amplicon next generation sequencing assay for detection and differentiation of Bartonella spp. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1243471. [PMID: 38130946 PMCID: PMC10733521 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1243471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Bartonella includes a group of species that are associated with a wide range of mammalian species, including human. It is challenging to detect all Bartonella species using a single molecular target due to its high genetic diversity. To solve this issue, we developed a quadruplex PCR amplicon sequencing assay using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology for the detection and differentiation of Bartonella species. Our objective was to obtain the specific sequences of a minimum of two of the four target genes as confirmation of the identity of a particular Bartonella species using the assay. Four pairs of primers targeting specific regions on gltA, groEL, rpoB, and ssrA were evaluated for their capability of differentiating Bartonella species individually and collectively by performing singular PCR amplicon sequencing and quadruplex PCR amplicon sequencing. Using the quadruplex PCR amplicon sequencing, 24 Bartonella reference species were tested, all of which were successfully differentiated by at least two targets. Bartonella species were accurately identified from the artificially mixed DNA templates developed to simulate coinfections. The limit of detection was determined to be 1 fg based on testing a series of 10-fold dilutions of DNA from the Bartonella species. Testing of high DNA concentrations of 19 non-Bartonella species showed high specificity with none of the non-Bartonella species misclassified as Bartonella. Finally, the assay was evaluated by testing DNA extracts from field-collected body lice (Pediculus humanus humanus) and Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus): Bartonella quintana was detected and confirmed by three targets in the lice and Bartonella tribocorum was detected and confirmed by two targets in the rats. These results demonstrated that Bartonella species could be accurately and rapidly detected and differentiated into different tissue types using the quadruplex sequencing assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Bai
- Bacterial Disease Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, United States
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de Cock MP, de Vries A, Fonville M, Esser HJ, Mehl C, Ulrich RG, Joeres M, Hoffmann D, Eisenberg T, Schmidt K, Hulst M, van der Poel WHM, Sprong H, Maas M. Increased rat-borne zoonotic disease hazard in greener urban areas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:165069. [PMID: 37392874 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Urban greening has benefits for both human and environmental health. However, urban greening might also have negative effects as the abundance of wild rats, which can host and spread a great diversity of zoonotic pathogens, increases with urban greenness. Studies on the effect of urban greening on rat-borne zoonotic pathogens are currently unavailable. Therefore, we investigated how urban greenness is associated with rat-borne zoonotic pathogen prevalence and diversity, and translated this to human disease hazard. We screened 412 wild rats (Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus) from three cities in the Netherlands for 18 different zoonotic pathogens: Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Spiroplasma spp., Streptobacillus moniliformis, Coxiella burnetii, Salmonella spp., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)/AmpC-producing Escherichia coli, rat hepatitis E virus (ratHEV), Seoul orthohantavirus, Cowpox virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Toxoplasma gondii and Babesia spp. We modelled the relationships between pathogen prevalence and diversity and urban greenness. We detected 13 different zoonotic pathogens. Rats from greener urban areas had a significantly higher prevalence of Bartonella spp. and Borrelia spp., and a significantly lower prevalence of ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli and ratHEV. Rat age was positively correlated with pathogen diversity while greenness was not related to pathogen diversity. Additionally, Bartonella spp. occurrence was positively correlated with that of Leptospira spp., Borrelia spp. and Rickettsia spp., and Borrelia spp. occurrence was also positively correlated with that of Rickettsia spp. Our results show an increased rat-borne zoonotic disease hazard in greener urban areas, which for most pathogens was driven by the increase in rat abundance rather than pathogen prevalence. This highlights the importance of keeping rat densities low and investigating the effects of urban greening on the exposure to zoonotic pathogens in order to make informed decisions and to take appropriate countermeasures preventing zoonotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke P de Cock
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Gelderland, the Netherlands.
| | - Ankje de Vries
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Manoj Fonville
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Helen J Esser
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Gelderland, the Netherlands.
| | - Calvin Mehl
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Germany; Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Greifswald-Insel Riems, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
| | - Rainer G Ulrich
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Germany; Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Greifswald-Insel Riems, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
| | - Maike Joeres
- Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
| | - Donata Hoffmann
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
| | - Tobias Eisenberg
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Hessian State Laboratory, Giessen, Hessen, Germany.
| | - Katja Schmidt
- Microbiological Diagnostics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
| | - Marcel Hulst
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University & Research, Lelystad, Flevoland, the Netherlands.
| | - Wim H M van der Poel
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Gelderland, the Netherlands; Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University & Research, Lelystad, Flevoland, the Netherlands.
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Miriam Maas
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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Buhler KJ, Fernando C, Hill JE, Galloway T, Carriere S, Fenton H, Fauteux D, Jenkins EJ. Combining deep sequencing and conventional molecular approaches reveals broad diversity and distribution of fleas and Bartonella in rodents and shrews from Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:366. [PMID: 36229832 PMCID: PMC9563109 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05446-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bartonella are intracellular bacteria that are transmitted via animal scratches, bites and hematophagous arthropods. Rodents and their associated fleas play a key role in the maintenance of Bartonella worldwide, with > 22 species identified in rodent hosts. No studies have addressed the occurrence and diversity of Bartonella species and vectors for small mammals in Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems, which are increasingly impacted by invasive species and climate change. METHODS In this study, we characterized the diversity of rodent fleas using conventional PCR targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase II gene (COII) and Bartonella species in rodents and shrews (n = 505) from northern Canada using conventional PCR targeting the ITS (intergenic transcribed spacer) region and gltA (citrate synthase) gene. Metagenomic sequencing of a portion of the gltA gene was completed on a subset of 42 rodents and four rodent flea pools. RESULTS Year, total summer precipitation the year prior to sampling, average minimum spring temperature and small mammal species were significant factors in predicting Bartonella positivity. Occurrence based on the ITS region was more than double that of the gltA gene and was 34% (n = 349) in northern red-backed voles, 35% (n = 20) in meadow voles, 37% (n = 68) in deer mice and 31% (n = 59) in shrews. Six species of Bartonella were identified with the ITS region, including B. grahamii, B. elizabethae, B. washoensis, Candidatus B. rudakovii, B. doshiae, B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii and subsp. arupensis. In addition, 47% (n = 49/105) of ITS amplicons had < 97% identity to sequences in GenBank, possibly due to a limited reference library or previously unreported species. An additional Bartonella species (B. heixiaziensis) was detected during metagenomic sequencing of the gltA gene in 6/11 rodents that had ITS sequences with < 97% identity in GenBank, highlighting that a limited reference library for the ITS marker likely accounted for low sequence similarity in our specimens. In addition, one flea pool from a northern red-backed vole contained multiple species (B. grahamii and B. heixiaziensis). CONCLUSION Our study calls attention to the usefulness of a combined approach to determine the occurrence and diversity of Bartonella communities in hosts and vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla J Buhler
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada.
| | - Champika Fernando
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Janet E Hill
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Terry Galloway
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, 12 Dafoe Road, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Suzanne Carriere
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 5Th Floor Scotiabank Centre, Government of The Northwest Territories, PO Box 1320, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, X1A 2P9, Canada
| | - Heather Fenton
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 5Th Floor Scotiabank Centre, Government of The Northwest Territories, PO Box 1320, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, X1A 2P9, Canada.,Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Dominique Fauteux
- Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration, Canadian Museum of Nature, 1740, Chemin Pink, Gatineau, QC, J9J 3N7, Canada
| | - Emily J Jenkins
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
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Byers KA, Lee MJ, Hill JE, Fernando C, Speerin L, Donovan CM, Patrick DM, Himsworth CG. Culling of Urban Norway Rats and Carriage of Bartonella spp. Bacteria, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Emerg Infect Dis 2022; 28:1659-1663. [PMID: 35876624 PMCID: PMC9328906 DOI: 10.3201/eid2808.211164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the effects of culling on Bartonella spp. bacteria carriage among urban rats in Canada. We found that the odds of Bartonella spp. carriage increased across city blocks except those in which culling occurred. Removing rats may have prevented an increase in Bartonella spp. prevalence, potentially lowering human health risks.
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Pontifes PA, Fernández‐González A, García‐Peña GE, Roche B, Suzán G. Drivers of flea abundance in wild rodents across local and regional scales in the Chihuahuan Desert, northwestern Mexico. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Paulina A. Pontifes
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México Mexico
- Departamento de Etología Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México Mexico
| | - Adriana Fernández‐González
- Departamento de Etología Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México Mexico
| | - Gabriel E. García‐Peña
- Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad C3 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México Mexico
| | - Benjamin Roche
- MIVEGEC (Infectious Diseases and Vectors: Ecology, Genetics, Evolution and Control), IRD (Research Institute for Sustainable Development), CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research) University of Montpellier Montpellier France
| | - Gerardo Suzán
- Departamento de Etología Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México Mexico
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Morelli S, Diakou A, Di Cesare A, Colombo M, Traversa D. Canine and Feline Parasitology: Analogies, Differences, and Relevance for Human Health. Clin Microbiol Rev 2021; 34:e0026620. [PMID: 34378954 PMCID: PMC8404700 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00266-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cats and dogs are treated as family members by most pet owners. Therefore, a high quality of veterinary care and preventive medicine is imperative for animal health and welfare and for the protection of humans from zoonotic pathogens. There is a general perception of cats being treated as "small dogs," especially in the field of clinical parasitology. As a result, several important differences between the two animal species are not taken into proper consideration and are often overlooked. Dogs and cats are profoundly different under evolutionary, biological, ethological, behavioral, and immunological standpoints. These differences impact clinical features, diagnosis, and control of canine and feline parasites and transmission risk for humans. This review outlines the most common parasitoses and vector-borne diseases of dogs and cats, with a focus on major convergences and divergences, and discusses parasites that have (i) evolved based on different preys for dogs and cats, (ii) adapted due to different immunological or behavioral animal profiles, and (iii) developed more similarities than differences in canine and feline infections and associated diseases. Differences, similarities, and peculiarities of canine and feline parasitology are herein reviewed in three macrosections: (i) carnivorism, vegetarianism, anatomy, genetics, and parasites, (ii) evolutionary adaptation of nematodes, including veterinary reconsideration and zoonotic importance, and (iii) behavior and immune system driving ectoparasites and transmitted diseases. Emphasis is given to provide further steps toward a more accurate evaluation of canine and feline parasitology in a changing world in terms of public health relevance and One Health approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Morelli
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Anastasia Diakou
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Angela Di Cesare
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | | | - Donato Traversa
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
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