Indagine epidemiologica sulle piroplasmosi bovine in un'area del trentino orientale, italia

Introduction: Bovine Piroplasmoses are parasitic diseases caused by different species of Babesia and Theileria genera, with a paramount importance at global level and an emerging zoonotic potential. In northern Italy, piroplasmoses clinical cases and outbreaks are rare and therefore these diseases are scarcely investigated by researchers and poor attention is paid by veterinary practitioners. Nevertheless, outbreaks of piroplasmoses were reported in north-eastern Italy recently. Aim: The present study consists of an epidemiological survey, aimed to detect and describe the presence of different species of piroplasms, and to suggest hypotheses on potential risk factors, in a small mountainous area of north-eastern Italy, where the use of pasture is very common among bovine farmers. Materials and methods: Ticks were collected through dragging and investigated by means of bimolecular analysis for the presence of piroplasms, whereas blood samples were retrieved from 79 cattle and analysed with direct (blood smear and PCR) and indirect examinations (IFAT for Babesia bovis and B. bigemina; ELISA for B. divergens). A phylogenetic tree was constructed using sequences of samples positive to biomolecular analysis and a risk factor analysis was performed by univariate approach. Results and discussion: One pool of nymphs, out of 12 analyzed pools (n=98 Ixodes ricinus ticks collected), resulted positive for B. venatorum (syn. Babesia EU1). Cattle showed high sero-prevalence values against B. bovis (43.0%) and B. divergens (12.7%), but only one animal resulted positive to B. bigemina. Totally, 10 animals were positive to PCR, all identified in the Theileria buffeli/sergenti/orientalis group. At phylogenetic analysis, some sequences were identical to isolates described as potentially pathogenetic in Australia. No clear indication was provided by risk factor analysis, even if farms using pasture with high tick density appear to be at major risk for some piroplasm species. Conclusions: Different piroplasm species are circulating in the study area, such as probably in many areas of the Alps. In order to obtain better information on the epidemiological features of circulating species, it is recommendable to perform a detailed ethiological investigation of possible new piroplasmoses outbreaks in the mountainous areas of northern Italy.