Cat and dog ownership and management patterns in central Italy

Three hundred and ninety-seven randomly selected households were interviewed by telephone to determine the numbers and management of owned cats and dogs in the Teramo Province of Italy. The households were selected using stratified random sampling for each municipality; municipalities were combined into coastal, central hills and mountain regions for analysis. The interviews were completed during May and June of 2004 with a response rate of 74% (397/536). Forty-six percent of households (n=181) owned pets; 15% of all households (n=60) owned cats and 33% (n=130) owned dogs. Twenty-seven of these households (7%) owned both cats and dogs. Data were provided on 91 cats evenly divided between males and females. The median age was 3 years (range 0.2-10 years). Forty-one percent of cats (36/87) entered the household as strays. Nearly half lived entirely outside. Seventy percent (62/88) had visited a veterinarian at least once; 43% (39/91) were sterilized. About 1/3 had had a litter and all litters were considered accidental rather than planned. Age, indoor/outdoor status, veterinarian visit and region were all associated with sterilization. Age, confined to a yard, veterinary visit and region were associated with allowing the cat to roam freely. Data were provided on 182 dogs. Sixty-two percent (113/181) were male, with a median age of 4 years (range newborn to 17 years) and 40% (72/181) were purebred. Almost half were acquired as a gift. Sixty-two percent (112/180) were kept entirely outside despite the fact that 82% (147/180) were considered companions rather than working dogs. Almost all of the dogs had been to a veterinarian at least once; only 20% (n=29) were sterilized. Male dogs were significantly less likely to be sterilized than females. Almost half the dogs had had at least one litter. Seventy-six percent (137/180) of dogs knew some basic commands. Sex, source and training to sit/stay/come were significantly associated with whether the dog was sterilized. Dog size, confinement to a yard, trained to leash walk, veterinary visit and region were predictors of roaming freely. Source and trained to leash walk were associated with dog registration. For cats and dogs, education about sterilization seemed to be critically important. For dogs, factors relating to training, which may reflect the strength of the human-animal bond, were also important.     

Educational intervention on dog sterilization and retention in Taiwan

We conducted a controlled randomized study to evaluate whether an educational intervention could alter dog owners’ decisions to have their dogs sterilized and to retain the dogs in the household.

One hundred and twenty-six new dog owners were recruited from 15 animal clinics across Taiwan and were successfully followed up for 3–8 months. Among them, 66 were randomly assigned to the intervention group and the other 60 were in the control group. At the end of the study, 22 had their dogs sterilized and 23 reported having an unsuccessful dog ownership. The educational intervention did not affect the owners’ decisions to sterilize their dogs (hazard rate ratio (HRR) for the intervention group against control group = 0.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.4, 1.3). We found a heterogeneous effect of the applied education on the rate of unsuccessful dog ownership. The intervention group had a higher rate of unsuccessful ownership than the control group in the first 4 months of their ownership (HRR = 19.2, 95% CI = 4.6, 79.7), and the effect reversed after 4 months (HRR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.2, 1.1).     

一例母犬胃内异物合并绝育手术的诊疗

文章研究治愈母犬胃内异物的同时做绝育手术的效果.对病犬采用临床检查、血常规检查、血清生化检查、影像学检查等方法确诊胃内有异物,并通过手术取出胃内异物的同时进行绝育.结果 表明:从母犬胃内取出一块大小为2 cm×1 cm×1 cm的石子,并成功给母犬做绝育,术后恢复效果较好.该病例的诊疗经验为临床上犬胃内异物的诊治和绝育...     

A survey on canine leishmaniasis and phlebotomine sand flies in central Italy

Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) is a vector-transmitted zoonosis caused by the parasitic protozoan Leishmania infantum. Bloodsucking sand flies of the subfamily Phlebotominae are the obligatory insect hosts, and the dog is the only domestic reservoir.This study reports data from a survey of canine infection and sand fly phlebotomine monitoring in the province of Perugia in central Italy. The overall seroprevalence in a total of 100 dogs tested was 8% (95% confidence interval: 3.8-15.6%). Data analysis revealed that serological positivity was statistically associated with age (p-value = 0.03) and the area where dogs lived. Standard blacklight traps employed for sampling Culicoides midges in bluetongue disease surveillance were used in phlebotomine monitoring. A total of 5698 sand flies were collected and the two species, Leishmania competent vectors, were identified, Phlebotomus perfiliewi (50%) and Phlebotomus perniciosus (30%).     

High infection rate of Trichophyton verrucosum in calves from Central Italy

Recent epidemiological features of the zoonotic dermatophyte Trichophyton verrucosum were investigated in 294 calves from 20 farms located in Central Italy. By the combination of microscopic examinations and fungal cultures, the total prevalence rate of T. verrucosum infection was found to be high, with 87.7% of samples yielding positive results and 100% of farms being infected. Farm to farm prevalence of infection varied from 25% to 100% of the examined calves. Prevalence rates were higher in females than males (91.6% versus 84%), in >3-< or =6 than >6-< or =9 month old calves (89.8% versus 85.7%), in purebred than in crossbred (88.5% versus 81.8%), and in symptomatic than asymptomatic ones (95.7% versus 80.4%). T. verrucosum was as prevalent in semi-intensive as in intensive breeding system (88.2% versus 87.6%) but more prevalent in calves raised for meat rather than milk production (91.1% versus 84.9%), and reared under conventional than organic production management system (89.3% versus 82.6%). Prevalence rates were also higher when the cattle present in the farm were of mixed origin, rather than when the whole stock was purchased or was born in the farm (92% versus 88.2% and 85.7%), when other cattle in the farm were showing skin signs (90% versus 84.2%), and at least one case of human ringworm was recorded in the farm (90.9% versus 86.1%). No statistically significant association was found. Therefore, T. verrucosum infection may be more widespread in calves from Central Italy than it was previously thought to be. Calves of any sex, breed, age, and of any of the farm condition considered, are highly exposed to the risk of infection. As calves may play a considerable role as reservoirs of the infection, our results highlight the need to determine the incidence and the importance of T. verrucosum ringworm in personnel involved with cattle care in Italy and elsewhere.     

Effect of owner experience,living environment,and dog characteristics on owner reports of behavior of Argentine Dogos in Italy

Previous research reported contrasting results on the effect of owner experience on dog behaviors. This may be because of dog breed genetic variability, differences in expectations, management choices, and attitude toward their dogs by owners of dogs of different breeds. A study of a single breed may help provide a better insight into this issue. A convenience sample of 94 participants, owners of 181 Argentine Dogos, was recruited to provide information on their dogs' behaviors through a questionnaire. Participants were classified according to their previous general experience or inexperience with dogs and whether they had previously owned an Argentine Dogo (expert vs. naive owners). Reasons for getting a dog (companionship, guarding, hunting, breeding) and attendance at dog-training classes were also explored. Pearson chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions were used to analyze the data. Previous inexperience with dogs was associated with a higher prevalence of dogs that were fearful of children and unknown dogs. Naive Dogo owners perceived that their dogs were more obedient and friendly toward strangers but aggressive toward children, than those belonging to Argentine Dogo experts. It also appeared that living environment and the dog's age are critical predictors of many outcome variables. Kennel living was found to be predictive of car and food protection, owner-directed aggression and aggression toward children, whereas house living was associated with fear of loud noises. Changes related to the dogs' age were probably related to behavioral development in the dogs. Destructiveness, excessive body licking, and protective aggression were more common in younger dogs, whereas aggression to unknown dogs was more common in older ones. Protective aggression was more common in males, and fear of startling noises was more common in females. Intact dogs showed a higher probability of having attention-getting behavior, and neutered dogs were more fearful of traffic. Our findings are correlative. Even if causative links cannot be made, our findings certainly provide direction for further investigation.     

Occurrence of anthelmintic resistant equine cyathostome populations in central and southern Italy

In the present survey, 276 horses bred on 16 farms located in central and southern Italy were investigated for the presence of drug resistant cyathostomes by a Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT). Sixteen to 20 animals were selected on each farm and randomly assigned to one of four equally sized treatment groups. Groups were treated with fenbendazole, pyrantel pamoate, ivermectin or moxidectin. Resistance to fenbendazole was declared on six farms (37.5%) and suspected in two farms (12.5%), with FECR values ranging from 41% to 88.3%. Resistance to pyrantel was found in two farms (12.5%) and was suspected in one case (6.2%), with FECR values ranging from 43% to 85.4%. Macrocyclic lactones remained effective on all farms. Only cyathostome third stage larvae (L3) were found in fecal cultures after treatment. This paper reports the first wide survey conducted in Italy for anthelmintic resistance in equine cyathostomes. The results indicate that multiple drug resistant equine cyathostomes are present in the central and southern regions of Italy. These data call for a geographically and numerically broader investigation of horse farms in all regions and for the development and implementation -among veterinarians, owners and managers of a plan to reduce the expansion of these anthelmintic resistant populations and control these important parasites.     

Active circulation of bluetongue vaccine virus serotype-2 among unvaccinated cattle in central Italy

Several seroconversions occurring in 2002 among sentinel cattle during the bluetongue-vaccination campaign in Lazio and Tuscany (central Italy) led to the suspicion of vaccine-virus circulation. Therefore in 2003, 17 seroconverting sentinel herds were investigated for the characteristics of the virus involved. From these farms, 91 unvaccinated animals and 57 Culicoides pools were tested for the presence of the bluetongue vaccine virus (serotype-2) or other strains. The presence of vaccine virus serotype-2 was confirmed by PCR followed by restriction analysis in the whole blood of 17 unvaccinated sentinel cattle and 12 pools of Culicoides imicola or C. obsoletus. Of the 17 herds, five were positive only for vaccine virus serotype-2, four were positive for other strains and two for both the vaccine and other strains; the remaining premises were virologicaly negative. The vaccine virus serotype-2 also was detected in areas not included in the vaccination campaign.     

Transmission of pseudorabies virus within pig populations is independent of the size of the population

Epidemic models are often used to analyse the transmission of infectious diseases. These models, however, differ in whether they assume that transmission of a pathogen increases with population size or not. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the transmission of pseudorabies virus—expressed as the reproduction ratio R-depends on population size. Experimental groups of either ten or 40 vaccinated pigs per group were housed at equal density. We inoculated half of each group, and we estimated the transmission of the virus from the number of contact-infections, using a stochastic Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered model. We calculated that if the transmission depended on population size, the transmission in the group of 40 pigs would be four times as high as the transmission in the group of ten pigs. However, the transmission of the virus did not differ significantly between the groups, and thus we concluded that the transmission was not influenced by the size of the population. This finding suggests that control measures should not be aimed at reducing the size of the herd.     

Completeness of the dog registry and estimation of the dog population size in a densely populated area of Rome

In most European countries, registration and identification of dogs is compulsory. In Italy, the national dog registry is composed of regional dog registries. Although dog registries have been established for many years, the issue related to completeness of data has not been addressed so far. The objective of this study was twofold: first to assess the completeness of data of the dog registry through telephone interview of a sample of dog owners drawn from the dog registry, then to estimate the total owned dog population in 4 boroughs of Rome. For the second objective, a capture–recapture method was applied using data from the dog registry and data from a face-to-face questionnaire submitted to people waiting in the sitting room of 5 points of access for booking and payment of primary and specialist care. Different scenarios are proposed to verify the assumptions of the estimation procedure and potential biases are discussed. The completeness of data of the dog registry was 88.9% (95% CI: 85.8–91.9%) and the owned-dog population was estimated at 26,244 dogs (95% CI: 24,110–28,383). The dog registry is an important source of information especially when it is properly updated and completeness of data is known.     

Epidemiological studies on equine cestodes in central Spain: infection pattern and population dynamics

An epidemiological study on equine cestodosis was carried out in central Spain. A total of 372 digestive tracts from equids slaughtered in abattoirs located in central Spain were studied from November 2001 to May 2004. Anoplocephala perfoliata was detected in 24% of the animals and Anoplocephala magna in 18%. Individual tapeworm burden was from 1 to 491 tapeworms for A. perfoliata and from 1 to 64 tapeworms for A. magna. Low tapeworm burdens (less than 30 cestodes) predominated significantly (p < 0.01) in all seasons for both species.

Seasonal prevalence of infection by A. perfoliata was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in autumn (37.5%) and winter (32.3%) than in spring (9.2%) and summer (10.8%). Immature tapeworms were detected throughout summer (11%), autumn (23.4%) and winter (26.6%), signalling a summer to winter risk period for tapeworm infection in our conditions. Mature non-gravid tapeworms were collected in all seasons, with a decreasing pattern from summer (89%) to spring (6.7%). Conversely, gravid tapeworms showed an increasing pattern, from 0 in summer to a maximum (93.3%) in spring. Since prevalence of infection was significantly higher in winter than in spring, winter seems to be the season when more eggs would be available to be eaten by mites. A. perfoliata infection was detected in three different periods throughout the 3 year study: autumn 2001–winter 2002, summer 2002–spring 2003 and autumn 2003–spring 2004. This epidemiological pattern seems to describe the dependence of A. perfoliata to humidity in warm dry climate. In our conditions, A. perfoliata appears to follow a pattern of having only one generation per year, with a marked dependence on humidity. According to the results, autumn rainfall would influence the length, and late spring rainfall the appearance, of each annual generation.

A. magna showed a different pattern. Infection was detected throughout the whole study period. Seasonal prevalence was higher in autumn (25.5%) than in winter (14.9%), spring (12.1%) and summer (10.5%), but the differences were not statistically significant. Non-gravid A. magna tapeworms could be detected almost throughout the year but percentages were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in autumn (50.2%), indicating recent ingestion, than in the other seasons (30% in summer, 12.8% in winter and 0% in spring). However, data from spring were not enough to discard the season as a risk period for A. magna infection.     

Estimation of effective population size from the rate of coancestry in pedigreed populations

We introduce a simple method to estimate effective population size from increase in coancestry (Δc(jk)) for all pairs of individuals j and k in a reference subpopulation. An increase in pairwise coancestry for any pair of individuals j and k can be defined assuming that a hypothetical mating between them would give an individual with an inbreeding coefficient equal to c(jk), where c(jk) is the coancestry coefficient between the individuals j and k. The equivalent measure to discrete generations value (g(jk)) corresponding to the individual jk can be computed by averaging discrete equivalents generations of its parents (g(j) and g(k)). The mean increase in coancestry for all pairs of individuals in a reference subpopulation can be used to estimate a realized effective population size based on coancestries that would provide information on the effective size of a population under random mating. Performance of the new parameter was tested on simulated and empirical (horse) populations with different mating strategies and population structures. The routines needed to compute the introduced parameters have been included in a new version of the program ENDOG.     

硝唑尼特治疗犬贾第虫病的研究

选择试验犬8只,将其随机分为4个小组,每组2只.连续6 d对8只试验犬分剐进行粪检,确定无贾第虫感染后,用体外纯培养的犬贾第虫滋养体接种试验犬,然后每天采集试验犬新鲜粪便40 g,用硫酸锌漂浮法进行粪检,当检测犬贾第虫感染呈阳性时,分别用1、2、4 mg/kg体质量剂量的硝唑尼特时1、2、3组试验犬进行灌服治疗,第4组试验犬不用药作为对照.用药后,每天以同样的方法检测贾第虫包囊,并计数.结果表明,以2、4 mg/kg体质量给药的试验犬1 d后粪检结果转为阴性,以1 mg/kg体质量给药的试验犬4 d后粪检结果转为阴性.结果表明以2、4 mg/kg体质量剂量的硝唑尼特对犬贾第虫痛有很好的疗效.     

The influence of dog ownership in childhood on the sociality of elderly Japanese men

In Japan, care for the elderly has been a serious social issue. The relationship between dog ownership and health of the elderly has attracted considerable attention, but it is still unclear whether dog ownership affects the health of owners. In this study, we focused on the experiences of dog ownership in the past. The questionnaire survey was conducted targeting elderly Japanese men and asking them to clarify whether the experience of dog ownership in the past influences their current mental and physical health. To examine the characteristics of the experience of dog ownership, we divided past dog owners by a hierarchical cluster analysis using the variables related to the experiences of dog ownership. We added the ‘never owned a dog’ group to the three groups that were provided by the cluster analysis, and conducted analysis of variance and multiple linear regression analysis using the variables of physical and mental health. The results showed that the group that owned their first dog at an early age and owned more dogs later scored higher in the companionship and social support scales. These results suggested that the experiences of dog ownership in childhood were related to the sociality of older men, such as the enhancement of their companionship with others.     

The effect of varying levels of population control on the prevalence of tuberculosis in badgers in Ireland

We examined the effect of varying levels of badger population control on the prevalence of Mycobacterium bovis infection in badgers in four counties of Ireland. In the 'Removal' and 'Buffer' areas, proactive culling was conducted to substantially reduce and subsequently maintain badger populations at a low level for five years. In the 'Reference' areas, localised reactive culling was conducted in association with herd breakdowns. The infection status of badgers was determined using bacteriology. A total of 2696 badgers were recruited into the study, and 19.0% were found to be infected with M. bovis. The two population control strategies had differing effects on the subsequent prevalence of tuberculosis in badger populations. Proactive culling led to a long term decrease in the prevalence of tuberculosis in the re-emergent populations. Although there was an overall decline in the disease prevalence, no consistent trend in disease prevalence as a result of reactive culling was observed.     

Unusual localization of Dirofilaria repens (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) infection in the testicle of a dog

This report describes an uncommon localization of Dirofilaria repens in the testicle of a nine-year-old dog from southern Italy. The dog underwent neutring and three adult nematodes were found in the tunica vaginalis. At gross anatomy, no pathological changes were observed on the tunica, in the testicle or epididymis. The parasites, one female and two males, were morphologically and molecularly identified as D. repens. This is the first report of D. repens in the canine testicle in Italy. This case report highlights the asymptomatic nature of D. repens infection, suggesting that dogs living in endemic areas may act as silent carriers. Careful screening and an effective chemoprophylaxis should be ensured for all animals potentially exposed to D. repens infection in order to reduce the risk of infection to humans in areas where the parasite is endemic.     

Clinicopathological findings, molecular detection and characterization of Babesia gibsoni infection in a sick dog from Italy

A 4-year-old intact female American Pit Bull Terrier from Italy descendant of an American-born bitch was evaluated for anorexia, lethargy, weakness, and intermittent vomiting. On physical examination, the dog was dehydrated, had pale mucous membranes, hunched posture and abdominal pain. A moderate anemia was observed. Splenomegaly and hyperechoic regions suspected as infarcts in the spleen were seen on abdominal ultrasound. Based on the suspicion of splenic torsion, splenectomy was performed. After surgery, the clinical condition deteriorated. A follow-up complete blood count demonstrated severe macrocytic normochromic anemia with evidence of marked regeneration, left shift neutrophilia, monocytosis and marked thrombocytopenia. Blood smear evaluation revealed single to multiple, variable sized (1–3 μm in diameter), and round to oval to band-like piroplasms within many red blood cells consistent with small form Babesia spp. or Theileria spp. A partial segment of the 18S rRNA gene was amplified and the PCR product was analyzed by direct sequencing. The nucleotide sequence was completely identical to that of Babesia gibsoni present in GenBank^®. This is the first molecular detection and characterization of B. gibsoni infection in a sick dog from Italy.     

畜群规模的结构决策研究

结构和规模是影响草地放牧生态系统功能实现的重要因素。本文通过建立和分析畜群种群动态模型, 揭示了母畜结构参数是影响畜群规模唯一因素的一般规律：（１） 当１２ ∑ｒｉ＝ １ｂｉ ∏ｉｊ＝ １ ｑｉ,ｊ－ １ｐｉ,ｊ－ １ （１ － ｓｉ,ｊ－ １）（１ － （１ － ｑｉ,ｊ－ １） ｐｉ,ｊ－ １ （１ － ｓｉ,ｊ－ １）） ＝ １ 时, 畜群规模稳定, 基本保持不变;（２） 当１２ ∑ｒｉ＝ １ｂｉ ∏ｉｊ＝ １ ｑｉ,ｊ－ １ｐｉ,ｊ－ １ （１ － ｓｉ,ｊ－ １）（１ － （１ － ｑｉ,ｊ－ １） ｐｉ,ｊ － １ （１ － ｓｉ,ｊ－ １）） ＜ １ 时, 畜群规模呈下降趋势,最终趋近于零;（３） 当１２ ∑ｒｉ＝１ｂｉ ∏ｉｊ＝ １ ｑｉ,ｊ－ １ｐｉ,ｊ－ １ （１ － ｓｉ,ｊ－ １）（１ － （１ － ｑｉ ,ｊ－ １） ｐｉ,ｊ－ １ （１ － ｓｉ,ｊ－ １）） ＞ １ 时, 畜群规模随年度不断膨胀, 并最终突破系统的承载能力。     

Rabies-vaccination coverage and profiles of the owned-dog population in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

The Bolivian government issued a regulation for rabies control in November 2005, owing to increasing the prevalence of dog and human rabies cases in recent years. An assessment of rabies-vaccination coverage and other factors that might influence the success of the on-going vaccination campaign was needed. The objective of this study was to investigate dog rabies vaccination coverage and risk factors associated with dogs being unvaccinated against rabies, and profiles of the owned-dog population in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, where dog rabies was endemic. Mainly due to logistical reasons, the WHO's expanded programme on immunization cluster-survey method was used. The 390 households were included in the study. Information about dog population and management characteristics was obtained for 542 dogs from 301 households. On average, households had 1.4 dogs and 1.8 dogs per dog-owning household (median = 1). The human-to-dog ratio was 4.6 : 1. During the last 1 year prior to the study, of the 539 dogs aged >or=1 month, 463 (85%; 95% CI 79-91; design effect 3.6) were classified as vaccinated. Amongst the study dogs, dogs aged 1-11 months were the higher risk of dogs not being vaccinated (OR = 8.2; 95% CI 4.3-15.6; P < 0.01). Almost two-thirds of the study dogs were allowed to roam freely throughout the day or in part. Community education efforts should address the importance of dog ownership and movement restriction, and the need to vaccinate young dogs.