ABSTRACT
Wild rabbits--Oryctolagus cuniculi--living in large numbers in a protected zone of Tuscany, the park of Migliarino--San Rossore--Massaciuccoli, showed to be carriers of the hard tick Rhipicephalus pusillus, previously observed in North Africa and Sicily. Antibodies to Rickettsia conorii and R. slovaca were detected in 78.9 per cent of the wild rabbits captured in that area. Seroconversion towards R. conorii was also observed in guinea pigs inoculated with homogenates of R. pusillus parasitizing the wild rabbits. These results identify an ecological niche of rickettsiae of the Spotted fever group in the host-parasite system O. cuniculi/R. pusillus. Attempts to isolate rickettsiae from the ticks and the wild rabbits were unsuccessful both in the egg yolk sac and in the guinea pig. This failure probably shows the low pathogenicity of the rickettsiae parasitizing the biosystem O. cuniculi/R. pusillus.
Subject(s)
Rabbits/parasitology , Rickettsia Infections/transmission , Rickettsia/isolation & purification , Tick Infestations/veterinary , Ticks/microbiology , Animals , Antibodies, Bacterial/analysis , Chick Embryo , Complement Fixation Tests , Guinea Pigs , Male , Rickettsia/immunology , Rickettsia Infections/etiology , Tick Infestations/complicationsSubject(s)
Arthropods , Animals , Animals, Domestic , Animals, Wild , Diptera , Feeding Behavior , Humans , Italy , Seasons , TicksABSTRACT
In the urban periphery of Rome, two sub-zones could be distinguished, characterized by uncultivated steppeland and by small shacks with large quantities of domestic refuse, respectively. Rhipicephalus sanguineus appeared to be typical of this second sub-zone. R. sanguineus adults and nymphae were captured in different seasonal periods and were checked for the prevalence of rickettsiae of the Spotted Fever (SF) group. Moreover, larvae from hatched eggs, laid by captured R. sanguineus females, were checked for the transovarial transmission of rickettsiae. Ten lots each of three guinea-pigs, seronegative to rickettsiae of the SF group, were inoculated with R. sanguineus extracts, prepared from adults or larvae. Clinical signs of infection, fever and scrotal reaction, could be observed only in one lot of guinea-pigs inoculated with adult parasites. On the other hand, in 8 out of 10 guinea pig lots, antibodies to the soluble antigens of R. conori and R. slovaca were observed by the complement fixation (CF) test. In the remaining two lots only antibodies to R. slovaca were detected. No antibodies to Coxiella burneti could be demonstrated in the same sera.
Subject(s)
Rickettsia rickettsii/isolation & purification , Ticks/microbiology , Animals , Guinea Pigs , ItalySubject(s)
Hemoglobinuria, Paroxysmal/diagnosis , Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use , Adult , Aged , Anemia/etiology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Anticoagulants/therapeutic use , Blood Transfusion , Clinical Laboratory Techniques , Female , Hemoglobinuria, Paroxysmal/complications , Hemoglobinuria, Paroxysmal/therapy , Hemorrhage/etiology , Humans , Serologic TestsABSTRACT
A list is given of Sciomyzidae recorded from Italy (Tab. 1). It results from literature and from our collections (species with one asterisk in tab. 1) that there 70 species in Italy. On the other hand some of these (three asterisks in tab 1) are records of old Authors. Some dubious records (in the opinion of Verbeke and Knutson, 1967) are signed with two asterisks in tab 1. Pherbellia annulipes (fig. 1) and Limnia paludicola (fig. 2) seem new records for Italian fauna. The species listed in Tab. 1 have the next types of geographical distribution: central-south-European (30%), European (17,14%), central north-European (15,7%), oloartic (14,2%), west-mediterraneous (8,5%), Eurasiatic (5,7%), borealpine (2,8%). Observations are also reported on preferential habitat of Sciomyzidae collected in some "natural damp places" (see figg. 3-4).
Subject(s)
Diptera/growth & development , Animals , Diptera/anatomy & histology , Diptera/classification , Ecology , ItalyABSTRACT
Cephenemya stimulator (Clark) (Diptera Oestridae) is first recorded in Italy parasiting roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Diagnosis was made by examination of II-III instar larvae (fig. 1-2) from roe deers killed in Trient province. In these last years in the Trentin region, there was an increasing of roe deers number (actually about 20.000); at the same time growed roe deers infestation by C. stimulator (Tab. 1). Females of C. stimulator probably attack young roe-deers lying down on field-pastures near forest (fig. 3). From examination of killed roe-deers (Tab. 2) there is evidence of debilitation status of infested specimens. Location and dislocations of parasitising larvae in the head cavity was that shown in fig. 4 and 5.
