Annunziata Giangaspero

• DVM, PhD, Diplomate EVPC
• Professor (Full) at University of Foggia

In Europe, 5 Lipoptena species have been recorded, including Lipoptena fortisetosa . This species, native to Asian countries, was described as a parasite of sika deer and its appearance in Europe dates back to more than 50 years ago. Lipoptena fortisetosa has been recently reported in Italy, sharing its hosts with Lipoptena cervi . A morpho-molecul...

Cite this as: O.A.E Sparagano, D.R. George, R.D. Finn, A. Giangaspero, K. Bartley, and J. Ho (2020). Dermanyssus gallinae and egg production: Impact, management, and a predicted compatibility matrix for integrated approaches. Experimental and Applied Acarology (in Press). Abstract: The poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae is a worldwide threat to...

Wildlife is frequently infected by intestinal protozoa, which may threaten their fitness and health. A diverse community of Eimeria species is known to occur in the digestive tract of mountain-dwelling ungulates, including chamois (genus Rupicapra). However, available data on Eimeria diversity in these taxa is at times inconsistent and mostly dated...

A case of a nasal myiasis in a 3-yr-old Italian girl who was referred to Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome, Italy, is reported. Larvae discharged with the nasal mucus were microscopically identified as Megaselia spp.; DNA barcoding analysis showed that they belonged to the 'scuttle fly' species Megaselia rufipes (Meigen). Based on the patient's history...

Over the past few decades, among equine parasitoses caused by gastrointestinal nematodes, habronematidosis has been discontinuously studied worldwide. Habronematidosis is a parasitic disease distributed all over the world. It is caused by Habronema microstoma, Habronema muscae, and Draschia megastoma (Spirurida, Habronematidae), and it is maintaine...

Deer keds (Lipoptena spp.) are blood‐sucking ectoparasites of domestic and wild animals, and also accidentally of humans. In Europe, five Lipoptena spp. have been recorded, although the lack of specific taxonomic keys has often led to mistaken identification or to missing data. The present study aimed to develop an identification key of the Europea...

Blastocystis is a ubiquitous protozoan with a wide range of hosts. In humans, its presence has been associated with gastrointestinal disorders, although its role as a pathogen still needs to be elucidated. Until now, 17 Blastocystis subtypes (STs) have been identified, with ST1–ST4 the most commonly found in humans. Among domestic animals, the same...

The given names and family names of the authors of the originally published version of this article was inadvertently interchanged. Correct presentation of the author names are presented here.

The zoonotic protozoan parasites Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia duodenalis have been recorded worldwide in economically important edible shellfish, and are thus likely to represent a significant public health risk. Therefore, an innovative, user-friendly diagnostic tool is required in order to improve food safety control. The...

Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer, 1778) is a major problem for the poultry industry worldwide, as it negatively affects virtually all kinds of rearing systems. Therefore, the control of infestation has become a routine process, and its economic cost is constantly increasing. Until now, most of the control strategies rely on the use of synthetic chemic...

Dermanyssus gallinae is a haematophagous ectoparasite primarily known as a pest of domestic and wild birds. It occasionally feeds on a range of mammals, and, more importantly, is also of growing concern in human medicine. This review highlights mite attacks on people working with poultry and updates the increasing incidence of dermanyssosis in urba...

Mediterranean mussels ( Mytilus galloprovincialis) and blue mussels ( Mytilus edulis) are among the most consumed fishery products, but they are frequent vehicles of foodborne infection worldwide. In this study, we investigated the occurrence and seasonality of zoonotic protozoans in mussels farmed or sold at retail outlets in Italy. We collected a...

This chapter is presenting the main arthropod pests encountered in the poultry sector, including flies, cockroaches, lice, mites and the lesser mealworm. Each subsection highlights the biological characteristics, life cycle, prevalence, risks to animals and humans, and control methods used on farms with or without the presence of the birds, of each...

Toxoplasma gondii is a cosmopolitan zoonotic protozoan parasite, and the consumption of raw or undercooked pig meat is one of the most important sources of T. gondii infection. Three predominant lineages, types I, II, and III, are widespread in Europe. Although still poorly understood, a relationship between each type and the severity of illness re...

In the last year, the poultry chain has been shaken by the Fipronil scandal, when several farms all over the Europe were found to be positive to that molecule, illegally used to control the infestation by the poultry red mite (PRM) Dermanyssus gallinae. This event is leading to some considerations. In the first place, the operators’ unawareness of...

Dermanyssus gallinae (Mesostigmata: Dermanyssidae) is the most harmful ectoparasite of laying hens, represents an occupational hazard for poultry workers, and a growing threat to medical science per se. There is increasing demand for alternative products, including plant-derived acaricides, with which to control the mite. The present study investig...

Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread protozoan affecting animals and humans. One of the major routes of human infection is through the consumption of raw or under-cooked meat, particularly of certain animal species, including pigs. Although T. gondii represents an important public health issue, its control at slaughter is not mandatory. Consequently,...

Equid habronemosis is a widespread parasitic disease caused by the dioecious nematodes Habronema microstoma, Habronema muscae, and Draschia megastoma (Spirurida, Habronematidae). These parasites live as both larvae and adults in the stomach of domestic and wild equids (i.e., horses, donkeys, mules, and zebras), while as larvae they live on the skin...

To investigate the prevalence of protozoan contamination by Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium spp., Toxoplasma gondii and Cyclospora cayetanensis, in ‘ready to eat’ (RTE) salads on sale in Italy, 648 packages were purchased from industrial and local brands. Nine individual packages from each brand were collected per month, pooled and subjected to...

To evaluate the occurrence of Toxoplasma gondii and to genetically characterize its isolates in carcasses of industrial fattening pigs, blood, diaphragm, and heart samples were collected from 375 carcasses of pigs slaughtered to be processed for Parma ham production. Pigs had been bred on approved farms (n = 75) located in the so-called Food Valley...

To evaluate the occurrence of Toxoplasma gondii and to genetically characterize its isolates in carcasses of industrial fattening pigs, blood, diaphragm, and heart samples were collected from 375 carcasses of pigs slaughtered to be processed for Parma ham production. Pigs had been bred on approved farms (n = 75) located in the so-called Food Valley...

In order to establish seawater contamination by emerging protozoan parasites, we used qPCR to molecularly characterize and evaluate the parasitic burden of Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Cyclospora cayetanensis in 1255 wild bivalve mollusks collected along the Tunisian coasts. T. gondii, G. duodenalis and C. cayeta...

In Mediterranean countries, Sarcophaga (Liopygia) crassipalpis , Sarcophaga (L.) argyrostoma, and Sarcophaga (L.) cultellata share the same ecological niche and can be responsible of myiasis. In this study, the main morphological characters of a larva found in a hospitalized woman were described and illustrated by light and SEM microscopy and the f...

To identify the geographical origins of larvae of Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) causing myiasis of sheep in Italy, comparative DNA sequence analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was performed, based on gene fragments amplified by PCR from genomic DNA isolated from individual specimens. DNA extractions of 19 larvae from La...

Although chamois Rupicapra spp. are the most abundant mountain ungulates in Europe, no data are available on the presence of Giardia duodenalis infecting these species. A total of 157 fecal samples from Alpine Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra and Apennine Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata chamois were tested for the presence of G. duodenalis by immunofluores...

Geographic spread of parasites and pathogens poses a constant risk to animal health and welfare, particularly given that climate change is expected to potentially expand appropriate ranges for many key species. The spread of deleterious organisms via trade routes and human travelling is relatively closely controlled, though represents only one poss...

Cyclospora is a protistan parasite that causes enteritis in several species of animals including humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Cyclospora in captive non-human primates. A total of 119 faecal samples from Pan troglodytes, Macaca sylvanus, Cercopithecus cephus, Erythrocebus patas, Chlorocebus aethiops, and Macaca fa...

Tap water samples from the toilets of an Italian national railway train were collected over a period of 10 months and tested for the presence of Cyclospora cayetanensis (C. cayetanensis) using EvaGreen® real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay coupled with high resolution melting (HRM) analysis for protozoan detection and oocyst quantific...

PCR Reverse Line Blot (RLB) hybridization and sequencing were used to determine the dynamics of infection with tick-borne pathogens in one hundred apparently healthy sheep in Italy. Blood samples were tested once prior to the onset of the grazing season (June 2010) and once after the end of the grazing season (August 2010). Ticks collected from she...

A survey on the prevalence and geographical distribution of traumatic myiasis in sheep, and the risk factors for the disease, was carried out in a region of southern Italy. A total of 138 sheep flocks were selected and visited to acquire data on the presence or absence of traumatic myiasis using both a questionnaire for retrospective analysis and a...

The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the association between different social determinants of health at the local scale and Giardia duodenalis infection in diverse settlements in southern Côte d'Ivoire. Stool samples from 306 individuals aged 1-16 years were collected from six rural villages and a small town. Five variables were categor...

In order to investigate the genetic relationships between Dermanyssus gallinae (Metastigmata: Dermanyssidae) (de Geer) isolates from poultry farms in Italy and other European countries, phylogenetic analysis was performed using a portion of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene of the mitochondrial DNA and the internal transcribed spacers...

The poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, poses a significant threat to poultry production and hen health in many parts of the world. With D. gallinae increasingly suspected of being a disease vector, and reports indicating that attacks on alternative hosts, including humans, are becoming more common, the economic importance of this pest has incr...

Giardia duodenalis is considered a potentially zoonotic protozoan. Some animal species, including infected dogs, may play an important role in the spread of Giardia cysts through environmental contamination with their feces. In the present study, a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to examine 143 samples of dog feces col...

In recent years, interest in Dientamoeba fragilis on the part of biologists, clinicians and parasitologists has increased considerably due to the need to clarify the many unresolved issues related to the parasite and the associated infection. This paper aims to provide a summary of the state of knowledge of D. fragilis in its different aspects, and...

Given the spread of Aedes albopictus from northern to southern Italy, and the lack of updated data on Dirofilaria infections, this study was carried out to assess the infection risk for dogs and cats in Apulia region. During a 2-year study, 175 A. albopictus female specimens and samples of blood from 427 dogs (309 privately owned dogs and 118 shelt...

Background Parasitic diseases can represent a social and economic problem among disadvantaged people - even in developed countries. Due to the limited data available concerning Europe, the aims of the present study were to evaluate the presence of parasites in immigrant children and the risk factors favouring the spread of parasites. Subsequently,...

In order to evaluate infection occurrence and the potential zoonotic role of horse isolates of Giardia duodenalis, 431 individual fecal samples were genetically characterized by PCR tests -coupled sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Thirty-seven (8.6%) animals resulted infected by different Assemblage. The presence of sub-Assemblage was assessed...

Dermanyssus gallinae (poultry red mite) is a major threat for the poultry industry and is of significant interest for public health. Identification of D. gallinae can be difficult for scientists not familiar with mite morphology and terminology especially when trying to use identification keys. Moreover, this species may easily be confused with ano...

Table S1. Glossary of the main morphological terms used in the key (listed in alphabetical order).

Faecal samples were individually collected from pet (n = 63) and zoo (n = 83) birds representing 14 orders and 63 species. All the samples were examined by faecal flotation technique. In a subgroup of samples (n = 75), molecular assays were also used to detect Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia duodenalis cysts. Overall, 35.6% of the birds harbour...

Giardia duodenalis genotypes and Cryptosporidium species were studied in humans and free-ranging animals living in closed enclaves in Côte d'Ivoire. Three hundred and seven stool samples were tested from humans, and 47 from freely roaming domestic animals (dogs, goats, ducks, chickens). Molecular characterization of the isolates was performed by se...

In the poultry industry, control of the red mite D. gallinae primarily relies worldwide on acaricides registered for use in agriculture or for livestock, and those most widely used are carbamates, followed by amidines, pyrethroids and organophosphates. Due to the repeated use of acaricides - sometimes in high concentrations - to control infestation...

Over a 1-year period, we carried out an analysis for the presence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium (oo)cysts in 934 specimens taken from four species of shellfish farmed in the Varano Lagoon. We also studied the chemical, physical and meteo-climatic parameters in the same environment, to evaluate the possible effects of environmental conditions on pr...

Parasites are a problem wherever poultry are raised, either in large poultry infrastructures or small backyard flocks, and are responsible for economic losses that can be significant. This chapter will discuss the most economically important parasites, all having a negative impact on egg production and egg quality. However, it will mostly focus on...

The red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae (Acarina: Mesostigmata), is a temporary blood-sucking ectoparasite of poultry and other avian species, with a worldwide distribution. It can occasionally bite mammals, including humans, and cause dermatitis. Medical textbooks frequently cite itching and cutaneous lesions resulting from red-mite bites as a normal o...

Molecular characterization of Giardia duodenalis cysts from humans and animals living in well-defined contexts is useful to study the circulation of isolates and represents a tool to evaluate zoonotic infection risk. The presence of giardiasis in children living in a disadvantaged and socially deprived small Rom community, as well in dogs roaming f...

To evaluate the presence of Toxoplasma gondii in edible farmed shellfish, 1734 shellfish specimens i.e., 109 Crassostrea gigas (6 pools), 660 Mytilus galloprovincialis (22 pools), 804 Tapes decussatus (28 pools) and 161 Tapes philippinarum (6 pools), were collected from the Varano Lagoon (Apulia, Italy). Shellfish from 62 pools were subjected to tw...

One hundred and eighty one cats living in central Italy were tested for the presence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium infection by IFAT test and specific PCRs. Overall eight (4.4%) samples were IFAT-positive for Giardia. All the IFAT-positive samples for Giardia scored positive for the PCRs, and three more samples IFAT-negative generated PCR products...

Seven farms, two in Central Italy and five in Southern Italy, were visited for the presence of larvae-infested wounds. Ninety-six (3%) out of 3129 sheep examined had a traumatic myiasis with a very high percentage of infested animals found only in a farm (10.5%). Wounds were mainly localized on the vulva and prepuce. Infested animals were restless,...

Anthrax is a disease of human beings and animals caused by the encapsulated, spore-forming, Bacillus anthracis. The potential role of insects in the spread of B. anthracis to humans and domestic animals during an anthrax outbreak has been confirmed by many studies. Among insect vectors, the house fly Musca domestica is considered a potential agent...

Malaria is one of the most important infectious diseases in the world. Although most cases occur in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Central and South America, there is in Europe a significant increase in the number of imported cases in non-endemic countries, in particular due to the higher mobility in today's society. The prevalence of a poss...

To investigate the prevalence and cyst burden of Giardia duodenalis as well as the genetic identity and possible zoonotic potential of isolates in canine faeces left on soil, a total of 143 freshly passed faecal specimens were collected in four different green urban areas and examined by Real-time PCR. Overall, 30.8% of faeces from different dogs t...

Cryptosporidiosis is a worldwide-diffused protozoan disease causing important economic losses to animal husbandry and livestock production. Additionally, several species/genotypes of Cryptosporidium have a relevant zoonotic potential and ruminants may be important sources of infection for human beings. Nonetheless, in Europe, little is known of the...

The present study investigated genetic variability within a population of Habronema microstoma and Habronema muscae (Spirurida: Habronematidae) affecting horses in an endemic area of central Italy using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-coupled sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1). No different cox1 sequences wer...

Malaria is one of the most important infectious diseases in the world. Although most cases are found distributed in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Central and South Americas, there is in Europe a significant increase in the number of imported cases in non-endemic countries, in particular due to the higher mobility in today's society. The pre...

Phylogenetic analysis of Dermanyssus gallinae mites originating from UK, France and Italy was performed using partial amplification of the mitochondrial COI gene. Results showed that UK samples reveal the greatest variation and diversity and are linked to one of the French populations highlighting North-South genetic transitions in European red mit...

Cyathostome populations in horses on two farms located in central Italy with a history of fenbendazole (FBZ) resistance were investigated with the Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test to evaluate the susceptibility to oxibendazole and moxidectin. Faecal eggs were collected pre- and post-treatment on each farm and molecularly examined with a Reverse Line...

Many species of Vibrio are responsible for diseases in marine organisms and for economic losses to the aquaculture industry. The aim of this preliminary study was to obtain species-specific DNA zones to be used as potential probes from a phylogenetic analysis of the 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene of different Vibrio species from marine and human org...

In order to update and implement the data on the epidemiological situation of giardiosis in the Italian arena, stool samples from 240 dogs living in the Abruzzo region (central Italy) were examined for prevalence, risk factors, and genotypes. Giardia duodenalis cysts were detected in 26.6% of the dogs and kennel dogs tested. Dogs younger than 12 mo...

Red mite field populations from seven naturally infested Italian caged laying poultry farms were investigated for their susceptibility to acaricide formulations available on the market, containing amitraz, carbaryl and permethrin. A minimum of 3,000 mites of all stages were collected from each farm and were tested with five acaricide concentrations...

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay was used for the specific detection of Habronema microstoma and Habronema muscae (Nematoda, Spirurida) in order to identify the intermediate hosts of both nematode species under field conditions. A total of 1087 netted and 165 laboratory-bred flies were tested. Flies were identified as Musca domestica L...

Giardia and Cryptosporidium spp. are important enteric protozoan pathogens for humans and animals, and have been found to contaminate water as well as edible shellfish all over the world. This is the first study to simultaneously investigate the presence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in inflowing water and harvested shellfish in a geographically c...

Scleroderma domesticum is a 3-4 mm long arthropod living in worm-holed wood furniture. A case of a 64-year-old woman, affected by prurigo from more than 5 years is reported. Standard laboratory and instrumental investigations excluded the most common causes of prurigo. The patient's anamnestic indications showed night time exacerbation of itchy and...

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 fenbend...

Two hundred hair/skin samples were collected from 2002 to 2004 from two groups of cats (privately owned and stray cats from a shelter) and 165 samples were obtained during the same period from persons in whom dermatophyte infection was highly suspected. The epidemiological data were statistically evaluated. Thirteen of the 100 privately owned cats...

Equine cutaneous habronemosis, also known as "summer sores", is a parasitic infection caused by larvae of Habronema microstoma and Habronema muscae (Nematoda, Spirurida) released by dung-inhabiting fly vectors on abraded skin, skin wounds or muco-cutaneous transition sites. Larvae induce a local inflammatory reaction characterised by itching, granu...

Giardia and Cryptosporidium spp. are protozoa that cause human and animal disease worldwide and often exhibit zoonotic transmission. This review gives ample information concerning the epidemiology of these parasites in Italy, i.e. prevalence data in humans, farm and pet animals, shellfish and aquatic environment. Moreover, it reports genotyping res...

Giardia cysts were obtained from a cohort of 20 infected shelter dogs with diarrhoea (n = 10) or asymptomatic (n = 10), and were examined by molecular methods that included DNA extraction, triosephosphate isomerase gene amplification, and DNA sequence analysis. Results showed the presence of Assemblages A and C. Three samples belonged to Assemblage...

In order to evaluate the temporal occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in Ruditapes philippinarum clams bred along the northeastern Italian Adriatic coast and molecularly characterize the isolates, 2,160 specimens (180 clams per month) were collected from three clam farms from January to December 2004. Two farms (sites A and B) were located in Ven...

In the present study, the assemblage of Giardia isolates from stray and owned cats was investigated. Faeces were randomly collected from 27 cats, screened by microscopy and examined by molecular methods that included DNA extraction, small subunit rRNA gene amplification and DNA sequence analysis. Ten cats were found to be infected with Giardia and...

Gastric habronemosis of horses caused by Habronema microstoma and Habronema muscae (Nematoda, Spirurida) is characterized by catarrhal gastritis, diarrhoea, progressive weight loss and ulcers. Despite its importance in the equine industry and in clinical practice, knowledge of the epidemiology of this infection is still incomplete as diagnosis in l...

Larvae belonging to five species of Hypoderma spp. (Diptera, Oestridae) cause myiasis in wild and domestic ruminants that is characterized by migrations within deep tissues. In China hypodermosis is one of the most important arthropod diseases affecting ruminants and, moreover, represents a significant zoonosis, with numerous reports of Hypoderma s...

Faecal samples were collected from dogs during the period from 2001 to 2003, in seven provinces of two Italian regions: Veneto, in the north-east, and Abruzzi, in central Italy. The minimum sample size required (246 dogs) was calculated according to Thrusfield (1995) considering the population size (infinite), expected prevalence (20 per cent), con...

Two hundred and forty kennel and privately owned dogs were tested for a molecular epidemiological study on Cryptosporidium infection. Genomic DNA was extracted from individual faecal samples. All the DNA extracts were analysed with a PCR assay specific for a ∼400-bp fragment internal to the gene encoding for the Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein....

In the last decade, a major concern for the scientific community has been whether infected animals can serve as reservoirs of Giardia and Cryptosporidium infection for humans. Worldwide, prevalence studies and molecular tools have provided insights into the taxonomy and epidemiology of these protozoa in order to better understand such a relation. T...

Echinococcosis is still one of the most common parasitic disease in Italy and has important consequences on economic retums, productivity and public health. Although it is a notifiable disease, the lack of notifications in the Abruzzo region is an obstacle to tracing a reliable epidemiological picture of this parasitic disease in humans and livesto...

Tortoises of the genus Testudo living in Italy are Testudo hermanni, Testudo graeca and Testudo marginata. Although a great deal of information has been acquired on the internal medicine and surgery on these animals, little is known of their parasitological fauna. A survey on the presence of gastro-intestinal parasitic nematodes in tortoises bred i...