Carlo Vittorio CitterioIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie | IZSVe · SCT2 - Treviso, Belluno and Venice
Carlo Vittorio Citterio
DVM; PHD; DiplECZM; EBVS® European Veterinary Specialist in Wildlife Population Health
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Introduction
Surveillance, diagnostics, control and research on infectious diseases of wild and domestic animals and veterinary public health
Additional affiliations
January 2009 - June 2016
Publications
Publications (98)
Simple Summary
A serosurvey study was conducted in southern Spain to assess the exposure and spatial distribution of Sarcoptes scabiei in Iberian ibexes (Capra pyrenaica) and domestic goats (Capra hircus). The study included sera from 411 Iberian ibexes (157 with skin lesions compatible with sarcoptic mange and 254 that were clinically healthy), sk...
The cestode Echinococcus multilocularis is the causative agent of alveolar echinococcosis, a fatal zoonotic parasitic disease of the northern hemisphere. Red foxes are the main reservoir hosts and, likely, the main drivers of the geographic spread of the disease in Europe. Knowledge of genetic relationships among E. multilocularis isolates at a Eur...
Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is increasingly emerging tool for identification of arthropods including tick vectors using whole or body part of specimens. In this study we created two databases populated with spectra generated from legs and heads of ticks belonging to 11 different specie...
Nella Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia i carnivori selvatici sono sottoposti a sorveglianza passiva in base alle priorità e ai protocolli definiti nel piano regionale. Durante il periodo 2018-2023 sono stati analizzati 2908 esemplari delle specie volpe (Vulpes vulpes - 1840), tasso (Meles meles - 844), faina (Martes foina - 66) martora (Martes martes...
The recent reinforcement of CoV surveillance in animals fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic provided increasing evidence that mammals other than bats might hide further diversity and play critical roles in human infectious diseases. This work describes the results of a two-year survey carried out in Italy with the double objective of uncovering CoV di...
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1085996.].
The red fox acts as reservoir for several helminthic infections which are of interest for both public and animal health. Huge efforts have been made for the assessment of the sensitivity of coprological tests for the detection of Echinococcus multilocularis, while less attention has been paid to other helminthic species. This study aimed at assessi...
The assessment of red fox population density is considered relevant to the surveillance of zoonotic agents vectored by this species. However, density is difficult to estimate reliably, since the ecological plasticity and elusive behavior of this carnivore hinder classic methods of inference. In this study, red fox population density was estimated u...
Introduction Echinococcus multilocularis is a zoonotic parasitic cestode affecting wild carnivores worldwide. In the EU, monitoring consists of assessing prevalence in red fox (Vulpes vulpes), which represents the main definitive host and is crucial for the maintenance of the sylvatic cycle. An adequately sized sample of foxes must be tested to ass...
Since 1995, the Alpine chamois (Rupicapra r. rupicapra) population of the Dolomites has
been affected by sarcoptic mange with considerable management concerns. In this study, 15 years (2006–2020) of passive surveillance and demographic data were analyzed in order to describe a mange outbreak. Furthermore, an enhanced passive surveillance protocol w...
Members of the family Parvoviridae are well recognized infectious agents of companion, livestock and wild animals as well, whose relevance on production, health, welfare and conservation is often high. Nevertheless, the knowledge of their epidemiology in wild populations is scarce or fragmentary. In this study, the presence and features of two parv...
Hantaviruses include several zoonotic pathogens that cause different syndromes in humans, with mortality rates ranging from 12 to 40%. Most commonly, humans get infected through the inhalation of aerosols or dust particles contaminated with virus-containing rodent excreta. Hantaviruses are specifically associated with the host species, and human ca...
Citation: Leopardi, S.; Drzewnioková, P.; Baggieri, M.; Marchi, A.; Bucci, P.; Bregoli, M.; De Benedictis, P.; Gobbo, F.; Bellinati, L.; Citterio, C.; et al. Identification of Dobrava-Belgrade Virus in Apodemus flavicollis from NorthEastern Italy during Enhanced Mortality.
Surveillance of Echinococcus multilocularis at the edge of its range is hindered by fragmented distributional patterns and low prevalence in definitive hosts. Thus, tests with adequate levels of sensitivity are especially important for discriminating between infected and non-infected areas. In this study we reassessed the prevalence of E. multilocu...
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is the causative agent of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), a severe zoonosis occurring in the Palearctic region mainly transmitted through Ixodes ticks. In Italy, TBEV is restricted to the northeastern part of the country. This report describes for the first time a case of clinical TBE in a roe deer (Capreolus cap...
Tick borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is the causative agent of Tick borne encephalitis in humans, a severe zoonosis occurring in the Paleartic region mainly transmitted through ticks belonging to the genus Ixodes. In Italy, TBEV is restricted to few foci in the north-eastern part of the country. This report describes for the first time a case of cl...
Background
Surveillance of E. multilocularis at the edge of its range is hindered by fragmented distributional patterns and low prevalence and burden in definitive hosts. Thus, tests with adequate levels of sensitivity are especially important for discriminating between infected and non-infected areas.
Aim
We reassessed the prevalence of E. multil...
Canine circovirus (CanineCV) is a recently identified virus affecting both domestic and wild carnivores, including foxes, sometimes in presence of severe clinical signs. Its circulation in wild animals can thus represent a potential threat for endangered species conservation and an infection source for dogs. Nevertheless, no data were available on...
Background
Echinococcus multilocularis is a small tapeworm affecting wild and domestic carnivores and voles in a typical prey-predator life cycle. In Italy, there has been a focus of E. multilocularis since 1997 in the northern Italian Alps, later confirmed in red foxes collected from 2001 to 2005. In this study, we report the results of seven year...
Canine angiostrongylosis is an emergent cardio-pulmonary gastropod-borne helminthic infection caused by the metastrongyloid nematode Angiostrongylus vasorum. Clinically, it is characterized by a wide spectrum of non-specific signs and the red fox serves as the most important reservoir for dog infections. In Italy, this disease has been well documen...
Background
Echinococcus multilocularis is a small tapeworm affecting wild and domestic carnivores and voles in a typical prey-predator life cycle. In Italy, a focus of E. multilocularis has been in existence since 1997 in the northern Italian Alps, later confirmed in foxes collected from 2001 to 2005. In this study, we report the results of seven y...
Sarcoptic mange represents the most severe disease for wild Caprinae individuals and populations in Europe, raising concerns for both conservation and management of these ungulates. To date, this disease has been investigated in different wild caprine species and under many different perspectives including diagnostics, epidemiology, impact on the h...
Canine distemper virus (CDV) represents an important threat for both wild and domestic carnivores. Since 2006, the North-Eastern regions in Italy have been experiencing severe and widespread recurring outbreaks of CDV affecting the wild carnivore population. In this study we performed an extensive phylogeographic analysis of CDV strains belonging t...
An unusual mortality of wild boars occurred in Italy from 2012 to 2015 due to Salmonella Choleraesuis infection. In order to confirm the occurrence of an outbreak of S. Choleraesuis in wild boars and to epidemically characterise the unique S. Choleraesuis biovar, a collection of isolates belonging to wild boars was investigated from the phenotypic,...
Information on the population dynamics of a reservoir species have been increasingly adopted to understand and eventually predict the dispersal patterns of infectious diseases throughout an area. Although potentially relevant, to date there are no studies which have investigated the genetic structure of the red fox population in relation to infecti...
Sample table.
Table showing in sequence year of collection, country of origin, specific location, disease status, sample ID, list of alleles for each microsatellite locus.
(XLSX)
Correlogram of the autocorrelation coefficient (r) as a function of distance classes.
Correlogram of the whole dataset with distance classes of 10 km. Correlation coefficient (r) is shown in the vertical axis. Error bars bound the 95% confidence interval determined by bootstrap resampling (999 iterations). Upper (U) and lower (L) confidence limits...
Distribution of the genetic groups (A-B-C) in the study area. Considering structure result K = 3 for the complete dataset, individuals assigned to groups A, B and C are identified with violet, light green and orange dots, respectively. Samples with an assignment probability greater than or equal to 0.7 (Q ≥ 0.7) are shown with dots; admixed individ...
Structure program results.
Structure analysis performed on the Italian subset estimated K = 4 as the most likely number of clusters.
(TIF)
Mantel test.
Geographic Distance in km (GGD) on the x-axes and Linear Genetic Distance (LinGD) on the y-axes.
(TIF)
Material and methods supplemental information.
(DOCX)
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging zoonosis caused by a positive RNA single stranded virus of the Hepeviridae family. In developed countries, pigs and wild boars are the main reservoir for zoonotic genotypes 3 and 4. In spring 2017, for the first time HEV was detected in wild boars captured in the Regional Park of the Euganean Hills, in north-e...
Trombiculosis has been reported in some wild ruminant species. We investigated the occurrence of trombiculosis in the northern chamois ( Rupicapra rupricapra rupicapra) in the Western Italian Alps, and we describe the related histopathologic changes. Superficial scrapes and skin samples were taken from 191 chamois from the Lombardy and Piedmont reg...
Improving the knowledge on the distribution and status of the wild populations is desirable to inform
strategies for disease surveillance, early detection and control. This is the case for the red fox
in North-Eastern Italy, where rabies has been eradicated after a recent epizootic but the risk of
its re-introduction through the eastern border is s...
Background:
Northeastern Italy is a hotspot for several tick-borne pathogens, transmitted to animals and humans mainly by Ixodes ricinus. Here we compare the results of molecular monitoring of ticks and zoonotic TBPs over a six-year period, with the monitoring of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in an endemic area.
Results:
In the period 2011-2016, 2,5...
Game control centres could represent an important infrastructure for surveillance on wildlife diseases and, due to the increasing interest in game meat, the distribution of these facilities should become more and more widespread in North-Eastern Italy. At the moment, however, their distribution is still very patchy, being present in some areas, whi...
An unusual mortality in wild boars (Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758) was observed in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in north-eastern Italy, in 2013. Mortality was due to septicaemia caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis (Salmonella Choleraesuis), a swine-adapted serovar that may also lead to systemic infections in humans. In a public healt...
Background
Sarcoptic mange is a contagious skin disease caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, affecting different mammalian species worldwide including the Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica), in which mortalities over 90 % of the population have been reported. No efficient diagnostic methods are available for this disease, particularly when there are l...
Immune system cell subsets in lymph nodes and spleen from alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra subspecies rupicapra) living in the Italian Alps were characterized immunohistochemically. Seven primary antibodies (against human CD3, CD79αcy, CD68, or ovine CD4, CD8, CD21 and γδ T-cell receptor [TCR] epitopes) were tested on tissues fixed either in for...
Interactions between parasite species within a host play a fundamental role in shaping parasite communities that have been classified within a continuum between interactive and isolationist. Interactive communities are principally structured by interactions between parasite species, while isolationist communities are structured by processes indepen...
Population dynamics of chamois (genus
Rupicapra
, subfamily Caprinae) can be influenced by infectious diseases epizootics, of which sarcoptic mange is probably the most severe in the Alpine chamois (
Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra
). In this study, skin lesions and cellular inflammatory infiltrates were characterized in 44 Alpine chamois affected by...
INTRODUCTION
Porcine herpesvirus 1, also known as Aujeszky’s disease virus (ADV), is the causative agent of
Aujeszky’s disease (AD). The virus belongs to the Herpesviridae family, Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily,
Varicellovirus genus and it causes one of the most important and widespread diseases affecting
domestic and wild pigs. ADV is a neurotropic...
A 10-day-old litter of five puppies of Bracco Italiano dog breed showed weakness and diarrhea and, 2 days later, four of them died. At the same time, the bitch showed high hyperthermia (40°C) and endometritis. The necropsy of a puppy revealed a severe lobar pneumonia accompanied with a bilateral nephrosis. No gross lesions were detected in other or...
Sarcocystosis is one of the most common muscle parasitic diseases of domestic and wild ungulates. In some cases wild ruminant populations can be affected by acute fatal sarcocystosis. Lacking of previous data, a cross-sectional study on sarcosporidiosis was carried out in the province of Trento and a case of systemic sarcosporidiosis in a roe deer...
Assuring hygiene and quality of hunted game meat is relevant for public health, and should therefore be undertaken before game meat is marketed. Standardisation of the analytical methods and specific microbiological thresholds should be implemented, also considering the remarkable diversity in hunting traditions, conditions and facilities. The pres...
The sarcoptic mange epizootic affecting chamois in the Dolomites Alps since 1995 has risen considerable concern in a management and conservation perspective, due to its strong impact on chamois and ibex populations. A remarkable amount of data has been collected by different wildlife research and management institutions, in order to analyze mange p...
Sarcoptic mange appeared in chamois (Rupicapra r. rupicapra) in the eastern Parco Naturale Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino (PPPSM) in 2007, spreading from the neighboring areas of Belluno province. Since then, the disease spread further, covering all the park area in 2010-2011.
In this area, of approximately 200 km2, sarcoptic mange showed an impact...
Since 2006 the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) population in north-eastern Italy has experienced an epidemic of canine distemper virus (CDV). Additionally, in 2008, after a thirteen-year absence from Italy, fox rabies was re-introduced in the Udine province at the national border with Slovenia. Disease intervention strategies are being developed and implem...
In this supporting text, we develop a model of co-circulation that allows co-infection within a single fox population and use it to estimate transmission parameters of both diseases.
(DOCX)
In this supporting text, we perform sensitivity analyses of our estimates to changes in the density of foxes.
(DOCX)