Veterinary parasitology最新文献

{"title":"Safety and efficacy assessment of a chewable tablet containing sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel in the treatment of Angiostrongylus vasorum in dogs","authors":"Anne Lloyd ,&nbsp;Lore Van Mechelen ,&nbsp;Carleen Van Overloop ,&nbsp;Padraig Doherty ,&nbsp;Jakob L. Willesen ,&nbsp;Fabrizio Solari Basano ,&nbsp;Thomas Geurden","doi":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110652","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110652","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Angiostrongylosis, caused by <em>Angiostrongylus vasorum</em>, is an important clinical disease in dogs in Europe with infection transmitted through infected snails and slugs which function as intermediate hosts. Previous studies demonstrated the preventive efficacy of a monthly administration of moxidectin in combination with sarolaner and pyrantel (Simparica Trio® chewable tablet (SMP); Zoetis). An experimental infection study and a field study were conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SMP for the treatment of infections with adult stages of <em>A. vasorum</em> in dogs. The experimental study evaluated the efficacy of a single (n = 7 dogs) or repeated dose (n = 8 dogs) of SMP at the minimum recommended dose of 1.2 mg/kg sarolaner, 0.024 mg/kg moxidectin and 5 mg/kg pyrantel (as pamoate salt) administered as a chewable tablet. against an induced infection with 200 (±10) L3 <em>A. vasorum</em> at least 63 days prior to treatment on Day 0, compared to a placebo control product (n = 8 dogs). Efficacy was determined based on adult worm counts 56 or 57 days after treatment. The field study at veterinary <em>practices</em> in Italy and Denmark evaluated the efficacy and safety of SMP in client-owned dogs (n = 66). Advocate® Spot On (100 mg/mL (minimum 10 mg/kg) imidacloprid + 25 mg/mL (minimum 2.5 mg/kg) moxidectin from Elanco Animal Health, n = 37) was used as the control product. Treatment was administered on Day 0 and repeated on Day 30 if the dog was still positive for <em>A. vasorum</em> larvae. Faecal samples were collected and analyzed with the modified Baermann method in-between scheduled visits. In the experimental study the percentage reduction in geometric mean adult worm counts compared to the placebo-treated group was 98.3 % (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001) after a single dose of SMP and 99.6 % <em>(P</em> &lt; 0.0001) after two doses. In the field study, faecal larvae counts were reduced by 90 % or more in 90.9 % of the dogs in the SMP-treated group at Day 30 and in 98.5 % of dogs at Day 60. Compared to the pre-treatment faecal larvae counts a geometric mean percent reduction of 96.7 % was observed on Day 30 and 99.1 % on Day 60 in the SMP treated group. Both in the experimental and in the field study, SMP as a chewable tablet was well tolerated and resulted in a high efficacy against adult <em>A. vasorum</em> infections after a single treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23716,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology","volume":"341 ","pages":"Article 110652"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145557975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relationship between fecal egg counts and intestinal nematode burden of naturally infected dogs, derived from records of anthelmintic efficacy studies","authors":"D. Hamel ,&nbsp;T. Lindner ,&nbsp;S. Rehbein","doi":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110639","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110639","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Using data collected in parasiticide efficacy studies for canine nematodes, the relation between fecal egg count (FEC) and worm burden was retrospectively explored. For the analysis, the FEC count at inclusion of the dogs into the studies and the adult nematode count established at the end of the studies, approximately 2 weeks after the FEC, were used. In total, information was available from 211, 233, 33 and 245 nematode-positive dogs of various age and sex with naturally acquired <em>Uncinaria stenocephala</em> (1–612 nematodes), <em>Toxocara canis</em> (1–91 nematodes), <em>Toxascaris leonina</em> (1–81 nematodes) and <em>Trichuris vulpis</em> (1–2780 nematodes) infections, respectively, of which 172, 195, 26 and 209 dogs, respectively, had a positive FEC. Analysis was conducted on log-transformed FEC and nematode counts to convert the data towards a normal distribution. The variables FEC, age, sex and body weight were analyzed in a linear model as predictors for the nematode count. Resulting models revealed only the FEC as significant predictor for the nematode count in all nematode species. The final linear regression model using log-transformed s accounted for 68 %, 50 %, 41 % and 39 % of the variation observed in the log-transformed burden of <em>U. stenocephala</em>, <em>T. vulpis</em>, <em>T. leonina</em> and <em>T. canis</em>, respectively (all p &lt; 0.0001). Within the limitations of the nature of the data, these results indicate that FEC can provide useful information on the burden of common nematodes in naturally infected dogs with more value with respect to <em>U. stenocephala</em> and <em>T. vulpis</em> infections and less for ascarid infections.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23716,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology","volume":"341 ","pages":"Article 110639"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145460098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and validation of qPCR assay targeting COWP conserved region for sensitive detection and quantification of Cryptosporidium infections","authors":"Hend Okasha ,&nbsp;Hadeer A. El-Kalamawy ,&nbsp;Ahmed R. Mashaal ,&nbsp;Eman S. El-Wakil","doi":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110653","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110653","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div><em>Cryptosporidium</em> is a significant food and waterborne protozoan parasite. Molecular diagnosis and quantification play a crucial role in diagnosing infections, as well as in understanding the transmission dynamics. The <em>Cryptosporidium</em> oocyst wall protein (COWP) gene serves as an appropriate target for such assays since it remains conserved uniquely among significant species.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The current research focused on developing and validating a sensitive and specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) test targeting a conserved domain of the COWP gene to detect and quantify various <em>Cryptosporidium</em> species.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Design of selective degenerate primers on a conserved domain in the major <em>Cryptosporidium</em> spp. COWP gene. A COWP DNA library was constructed using molecular cloning into pET-15b vector to be used as a precursor for a standard curve absolute quantification strategy.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The designed primers successfully amplified a 311–317 bp product, with specificity tested using melt curve analysis. The slope of the standard curve was −3.279, efficiency of 100.8 %, and R² = 0.95 (p &lt; 0.0001) with LOD equals 9.55 × 10⁴ copies /µL.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>A qPCR assay that is both sensitive and efficient was developed and validated. The method produces a reliable technique of absolute quantitation of <em>Cryptosporidium</em> DNA in samples of unknown quantity, from which infection rates may be estimated accurately.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23716,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology","volume":"341 ","pages":"Article 110653"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145557906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of the protective immune response of Live vs. inactivated NC-a strain as an experimental vaccine for Neospora caninum in Balb/c mice","authors":"Matin Khosropour ,&nbsp;Mehdi Namavari ,&nbsp;Salomeh Shirali ,&nbsp;Zahra Bootorabi ,&nbsp;Zahra Khabazan","doi":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110625","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110625","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Developing an effective vaccine for Neosporosis is critical for its control and prevention. Our previous research introduced the attenuated strain prepared by long-term passage on the J774 cell line (NC-a) that yielded successful results in terms of protective immune response in mice. Given the preference for inactivated over live vaccines, this study evaluated the NC-a strain in its inactivated form (I. NC-a) with different adjuvants in a Balb/c mouse. Fifty Balb/c mice were randomly divided into five groups: G1 (I. NC-a with aluminum hydroxide), G2 (I. NC-a with Montanide ISA 70), G3 (I. NC-a without adjuvant), G4 (live NC-a), and G5 (negative control). Mice were immunized twice, 21 days apart, with 2 × 10⁶ NC-a tachyzoites, followed by a challenge with 2.5 × 10⁶ virulent NC-1 tachyzoites. Survival rates, serological tests assessing humoral and cellular immune responses and also, molecular testing were conducted. Serological results revealed that, there was a significant difference (P &lt; 0.05) between the vaccinated groups and the G5, as well as between adjuvanted inactivated vaccine groups (G1, G2) and the live vaccine group (G4). Also, the survival rate of mice in group G2 and G4 was about 90 %. In general, an important point is the adjuvant-inactivated strain induced comparable and potentially superior protective immune responses to the live strain. These results highlight the promise of inactive vaccines and suggest that complementary research could lead to a functional and safe neosporosis vaccine for various hosts, diverging from the focus on live vaccines dominant in protozoan studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23716,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology","volume":"341 ","pages":"Article 110625"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145420122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antiparasitic effects of copper nanoparticles on monogeneans Dactylogyrus spp. in Cyprinus carpio koi associated with physiological and histological alterations","authors":"Gracienhe Gomes dos Santos ,&nbsp;Domickson Silva Costa ,&nbsp;Paola Capistrano dos Santos ,&nbsp;Gabriele Bueno dos Anjos ,&nbsp;Marilia Tedesco ,&nbsp;Elenice Martins Brasil ,&nbsp;Caio Francisco Santana Farias ,&nbsp;Diego José Nogueira ,&nbsp;Bruno Luis Ferreira ,&nbsp;Eduardo Sidinei Chaves ,&nbsp;José Luiz Pedreira Mouriño ,&nbsp;Mauricio Laterça Martins ,&nbsp;Gabriela Tomas Jerônimo","doi":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110638","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110638","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the antiparasitic effects of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs, 44.33 nm) and their influence on hematological, ionic, and gill histological parameters of <em>Cyprinus carpio</em> koi. A total of 240 fish were distributed into four experimental groups: control (no copper exposure) and three groups treated with CuNPs (0.3, 0.6, and 1.25 mg/L) for 5 h. After exposure, some individuals were maintained for 48 h to evaluate potential reinfection and physiological alterations. Exposure to CuNPs significantly reduced infestation by <em>Dactylogyrus minutus</em> and <em>Dactylogyrus extensus</em>, particularly at 1.25 mg/L. After 48 h, an increase in total erythrocytes, leukocytes, lymphocytes, and neutrophils was observed in the groups exposed to 0.6 and 1.25 mg/L CuNPs, along with a reduction in hematocrit and mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Plasma chloride levels were most affected in the groups exposed to 0.6 mg/L at 5 h and 0.3 mg/L at 48 h, while calcium showed a significant reduction over time. Histological analyses revealed gill lesions such as lamellar congestion, lamellar fusion, eosinophilic and mononuclear inflammation, hyperplasia, and necrosis, which were more evident after 5 h of exposure and reduced after 48 h of CuNPs exposure. Despite the antiparasitic efficacy of CuNPs, their physiological effects require further studies to determine safe therapeutic doses for controlling monogeneans in this host fish.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23716,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology","volume":"341 ","pages":"Article 110638"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145420124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chronic Giardia infections in dogs: Longitudinal analysis of cyst excretion and fecal consistency in young and adult dogs","authors":"Bregt Decorte,&nbsp;Edwin Claerebout,&nbsp;Peter Geldhof","doi":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110650","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110650","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Giardia</em> infections are common in dogs, yet uncertainties remain regarding their clinical relevance and whether effective immunity develops over time. This study investigated <em>Giardia</em> infection dynamics in young and adult dogs through a longitudinal follow-up, assessing cyst excretion, potential indicators of immune development and associations with fecal consistency. Puppies were monitored monthly for five months after arriving in new households, while adult group-housed dogs across five study groups were followed biweekly over two months, with cyst excretion quantified by immunofluorescence microscopy. A substantial proportion of puppies exhibited chronic infection, consistently shedding high cyst levels, suggesting incomplete or delayed protective immunity. Infection status upon arrival strongly predicted chronicity, with puppies from professional breeders at higher risk compared with those from non-professional breeders. Similarly, chronic and high-intensity infections were prevalent in group-housed adult dogs, indicating an apparent absence of effective immune development. Although fenbendazole treatment was administered in some study groups, it only temporarily reduced cyst excretion; infection prevalence and cyst burdens remained persistently elevated. In puppies, <em>Giardia</em>-positive individuals showed a non-significant trend toward looser stools compared with negatives. In adult dogs, infected individuals had significantly higher odds of looser stools (OR: 2.32, p = 0.007). Furthermore, cyst excretion levels were positively correlated with fecal consistency scores in adult dogs. These findings emphasize the chronic nature of <em>Giardia</em> across age groups and suggest early infection status and environmental contamination significantly influence infection persistence. This study provides the first evidence linking <em>Giardia</em> cyst load to fecal consistency in adult dogs, highlighting potential clinical relevance of giardiosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23716,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology","volume":"341 ","pages":"Article 110650"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145557920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a visual rapid detection method for aquatic animal-derived Trypanosoma via MIRA-LFD","authors":"Xue-Mei Yuan ,&nbsp;Xin-Zhi Weng ,&nbsp;Xia-Lian Bu ,&nbsp;Jing Chen ,&nbsp;Jing-Biao Jiao ,&nbsp;Xian-Qi Peng ,&nbsp;Wei-Song Ma ,&nbsp;Ling-Yun Lin ,&nbsp;Lei Huang ,&nbsp;Xiao-Yi Pan ,&nbsp;Hong-Xia Hu ,&nbsp;Ling-Wei Xu ,&nbsp;Jia-Yun Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110636","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110636","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Trypanosoma</em> is a genus of flagellated protozoan parasites that commonly infect the blood of various vertebrates, including aquatic animals. Under natural conditions, these pathogens are vectored by leeches and may induce clinical manifestations such as anemia, edema, and appetite suppression in hosts. Prolonged infection can lead to severe weight loss, ultimately contributing to economic losses in aquaculture. In this study, we developed a rapid diagnostic assay combining Multienzyme isothermal rapid amplification (MIRA) with Lateral flow dipstick (LFD) visualization for detecting aquatic animal-derived <em>Trypanosoma</em>. Using Small Subunit Ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) gene as the detection target, specific primers and probes were designed. The optimal primer and probe combination were selected via primer screening. Through the optimization of reaction conditions and specificity and sensitivity testing, a method for detecting trypanosomes in aquatic animals was established using MIRA-LFD. The optimal reaction temperature for MIRA is 45℃. The reaction time is 15 min, and the result observation time is 5 min, resulting in a total duration of the entire detection process of 20 min. The specificity test results indicated that the method can specifically detect trypanosome DNA, with no cross-reactions observed with eight common parasites of aquatic animals (e.g., <em>Argulus</em> sp., <em>Cryptocaryon irritans</em>) or five host species (e.g., large yellow croaker, koi carp). The sensitivity test results demonstrated a detection limit of 8 pg/µL for trypanosome DNA (1000-fold higher than conventional PCR) and could detect as few as 1 trypanosome, compared to 100 trypanosomes required for conventional PCR. This method successfully detected trypanosome DNA from various tissue samples of large yellow croaker (<em>Larimichthys crocea</em>), including gill mucus, blood, and kidney tissue. In contrast, the PCR method only detected trypanosome DNA in blood samples. Clinical validation with 24 samples revealed 100 % detection rate for positive samples by MIRA-LFD, outperforming PCR’s 83.33 % (10/12) rate. The MIRA-LFD method developed in this study for detecting aquatic animal-derived trypanosomes is rapid, simple, highly sensitive, and specific. It requires no sophisticated or expensive equipment, making it ideal for basic laboratories and on-site testing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23716,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology","volume":"341 ","pages":"Article 110636"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145445992","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First report of marine leech Limnotrachelobdella okae infestation in miiuy croaker (Miichthys miiuy): An emerging threat to Chinese mariculture","authors":"Shunli Che ,&nbsp;Zequan Mo ,&nbsp;Hai Zhang ,&nbsp;Haoran Tang ,&nbsp;Xueming Dan ,&nbsp;Yanwei Li","doi":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110637","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110637","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>From January to April 2025, an unprecedented epizootic outbreak of <em>Limnotrachelobdella okae</em> infested <em>Miichthys miiuy</em> in China, reducing survival rates to 7.69 % and causing massive economic losses. Clinical manifestations included ulcerative lesions, gill filament pallor, and anorexia. The present study aimed to characterize this emerging parasitic threat and the involved pathogenic mechanisms. Leeches collected from infected fish were morphologically and phylogenetically identified. Although first documented to induce mortality in <em>M. miiuy</em>, <em>L. okae</em> exhibited broad host plasticity. Pathological impacts were assessed via hematological profiling and histopathology. The pathological effects of the infestation included a cascade of hemorrhagic anemia (40 % decrease in red blood cells and 39 % decrease in hemoglobin), systemic immunosuppression (69 % decrease in white blood cells), and anemia-induced multiple organ dysfunction (liver, spleen, head kidney, and trunk kidney). Furthermore, field data confirmed temperature (&gt;20 °C) as the dominant driver of epidemic termination (Pearson’s r = -0.717, <em>p</em> = 0.045). Environmental tolerance assays of <em>L. okae</em> demonstrated strict cryohalophilic dependence, with optimal viability at 5–15°C and 15–25 ‰ salinity, and complete mortality was observed at 25 °C. The present study identified <em>L. okae</em> as an emerging threat to mariculture diversification. The present findings expand the spectrum of high-risk parasites jeopardizing marine aquaculture. Elucidation of the behavioral ecology and pathogenesis of <em>L. okae</em> will advance targeted surveillance and mitigation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23716,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology","volume":"341 ","pages":"Article 110637"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145460022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Resistance concerns and coccidiosis management in rabbit farming: Insights from robenidine, diclazuril and feed evaluations","authors":"D. Häner-Grolimund ,&nbsp;D. Stucki ,&nbsp;J. Schwarz ,&nbsp;D. Wiederkehr ,&nbsp;C.F. Frey","doi":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110651","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110651","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rabbit coccidiosis, caused by <em>Eimeria</em> species and presenting in both hepatic and intestinal forms, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in meat rabbits (<em>Oryctolagus cuniculus</em>). Effective control strategies are urgently needed. This field study assessed the efficacy of two coccidiostats - robenidine and diclazuril – as well as a nutritionally optimized feed (referred to as “altered feed”), either on its own or supplemented with a resin acid-based additive, in managing coccidiosis. A total of 579 rabbits were allocated to five distinct feeding groups across two farms during two consecutive fattening cycles. Rabbits receiving diclazuril exhibited significantly lower oocyst per gram (OPG) values in environmental fecal samples and a markedly reduced risk of liver coccidiosis compared to all other groups (p &lt; 0.0001). In contrast, robenidine did not have a significant effect on OPG values, although it reduced the risk for liver coccidiosis. An overall mortality of 20.9 % was observed, with gastrointestinal and pulmonary alterations identified as the main causes of death in necropsy. This highlights the critical need for improved health management during the fattening cycles. The altered feed, particularly when supplemented with the resin acid-based additive, shows promise but warrants further investigation, as it performed either similarly to or better as the commercial feeds in terms of morbidity and mortality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23716,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology","volume":"341 ","pages":"Article 110651"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145496828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness of ultrasound in sheep as a monitoring tool for the long-term control of cystic echinococcosis","authors":"Beatrice Mercaldo,&nbsp;Maria Chiara Alterisio,&nbsp;Antonio Bosco,&nbsp;Antonio Di Loria,&nbsp;Elena Ciccone,&nbsp;Sergio Esposito,&nbsp;Laura Rinaldi,&nbsp;Paolo Ciaramella,&nbsp;Jacopo Guccione","doi":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110610","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110610","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound (US) in sheep compared with the necropsy (gold standard) as an <em>in-vivo</em> monitoring tool used in a long-term control program of cystic echinococcosis (CE). The study involved 10-randomly-selected farms, divided into a Treated-Group (TG, n = 5, receiving a control protocol for CE) and a Control-Group (CG, n = 5, no protocol), enrolled over 6-years in an endemic area of southern Italy. All sheep of ten farms destined for slaughter underwent liver and lung US followed by necropsy, during the study period. From a total of 1’175 sheep, 50.0 % (593/1’175) belonged to the TG and 49.5 % (582/1’175) to the CG were enrolled. Overall, the US showed a Sensitivity (SE) of 87.9 %, a Specificity (SP) of 72.3 % as well as a positive- (PPV) and negative-predictive-value (NPV), and Accuracy of 74.4 %, 86.7 %, and 79.7 %, respectively. A moderate Cohen’s Kappa-Coefficient (<em>K=</em>0.599) were also detected between the two techniques. The generalised linear mixed model showed that distribution (p &lt; 0.001) and type of lesion (p &lt; 0.001) significantly influence the US performance. The higher SP and PPV in CG likely result from a greater disease prevalence and presence of older lesions; the higher NPV in TG might reflect the beneficial effects of the control program and lower disease exposure. Although technical and logistical challenges have to be addressed for its use, a US conscious integration into continuous surveillance program might promote the early <em>in vivo</em> identification of infected farms, limiting necropsy dependence for CE monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23716,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology","volume":"340 ","pages":"Article 110610"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145091600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}