Explore the vast range of titles available.

HoBi-like pestivirus (HoBiPeV) is an emerging group of pestiviruses that has been detected in cattle and other ruminants in South America, Europe, and Asia. Analogous to other bovine pestiviruses, namely bovine viral diarrhea (BVDV) 1 and 2, HoBiPeV is able to cause a variety of clinical forms that range from asymptomatic infections to fatal disease, having a great impact on cattle productions and causing substantial economic losses, mainly as a consequence of the occurrence of reproductive failures. The manuscript aims to provide an updated review of the currently available literature about the impact of HoBiPeV infection on cattle reproduction. The reproductive disorders observed in cattle due to natural and experimental infections caused by this virus are reported along with the few available in-vitro studies involving the reproductive tract. HoBiPeV should be considered among the bovine pathogens that impact on reproduction, but there is a need for more specific and sensitive diagnostic methods, while the cross-protection elicited by commercially available BVDV vaccines should be better investigated.

We conducted a serologic survey among dogs and cats in Italy to detect antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We found that SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was higher among cats (16.2%) than dogs (2.3%). In addition, seroprevalence was higher among animals living in close contact with SARS-CoV-2-positive owners.

Parvovirus infections in cats have been well known for around 100 years. Recently, the use of molecular assays and metagenomic approaches for virus discovery and characterization has led to the detection of novel parvovirus lineages and/or species infecting the feline host. However, the involvement of emerging parvoviruses in the onset of gastroenteritis or other feline diseases is still uncertain.

Dog circovirus (DogCV) was identified in an outbreak of enteritis in pups in Italy. The disease was observed in 6 young dachshunds pups of a litter from a breeding kennel and caused the death of 2 dogs. Upon full-genome analysis, the virus detected in one of the dead pups (strain Bari/411-13) was closely related to DogCVs that have been recently isolated in the USA. The present study, if corroborated by further reports, could represent a useful contribution to the knowledge of the pathogenic potential of DogCV and its association with enteritis in dogs.

Though scantly investigated, Leishmania infantum infection and clinical cases of leishmaniasis in cats have been recently reported in several countries of the Mediterranean basin, with large variability in prevalence data. A major limitation in the comparability of the data available is attributed to the differences in diagnostic techniques employed and cat populations sampled. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of L. infantum infection in owned cats across Italy by serological and molecular tests and the identification of potential risk factors. Blood samples from 2,659 cats from northern (n = 1,543), central (n = 471) and southern (n = 645) Italy were tested for antibodies against L. infantum, by an immunofluorescence antibody test and for the parasites' DNA, by real-time PCR. Samples were additionally screened for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) proviral DNAs. An overall cumulative L. infantum prevalence of 3.9% was recorded by serology (3.3%) and/or qPCR (0.8%), with a higher rate (10.5%) in southern Italy. The risk of L. infantum infection in cats was significantly associated to the geographical areas (South vs North and Centre; p<0.0001), age class (from 19 months to 6 years old vs ≤18 months old, p = 0.0003), neutering status (not neutered vs neutered, p = 0.0028) and FIV infection (p = 0.0051).Though the role of cats in the epidemiology of L. infantum is still debated, our findings indicate that cats are exposed to and/or infected by this protozoan, mainly in endemic regions of Italy. Hence, a standardization of procedures for a prompt diagnosis of L. infantum infection in cats and for screening cat population is crucial for a better understanding of the epidemiology of feline leishmaniasis, and of the potential role of cats in the transmission cycle of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis.

We conducted a survey for domestic cat hepadnavirus, an analog of human hepatitis B virus, in the endangered felid species Iberian lynx. Results revealed specific antibodies in 32.3% of serum samples and DNA in 0.5% of available liver samples. Phylogenetically, the virus segregated apart from other Europe strains of the virus.

Canine parvovirus and feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) are variants of Carnivore protoparvovirus 1. We identified and characterized FPV in dogs from Italy and Egypt using genomic sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. Cost-effective sequencing strategies should be used to monitor interspecies spread, evolution dynamics, and potential host jumping of FPV.

Hepadnaviruses infect several animal species. The prototype species, human hepatitis B virus (HBV), increases the risk of liver diseases and may cause cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Recently a novel hepadnavirus, similar to HBV, has been identified through transcriptomics studies in a domestic cat with large cell lymphoma in Australia. Herewith, a collection of 390 feline serum samples was screened for hepadnavirus. Overall, the virus was identified in 10.8% of the sera with a significantly higher prevalence (17.8%) in the sera of animals with a clinical suspect of infectious disease. Upon genome sequencing, the virus was closely related (97.0% nt identity) to the prototype Australian feline virus Sydney 2016. The mean and median values of hepadnavirus in the feline sera were 1.3 × 10 6 and 2.1 × 10 4 genome copies per mL (range 3.3 × 10 0 –2.5 × 10 7 genome copies per mL). For a subset of hepadnavirus-positive samples, information on the hemato-chemical parameters was available and in 10/20 animals a profile suggestive of liver damage was present. Also, in 7/10 animals with suspected hepatic disease, virus load was >10 4 genome copies per mL, i.e. above the threshold considered at risk of active hepatitis and liver damage for HBV.

Pestiviruses are widespread and economically important pathogens of cattle and other animals. Pestivirus A (formerly known as Bovine viral diarrhea virus 1, BVDV-1), Pestivirus B (Bovine viral diarrhea virus 2, BVDV-2), and Pestivirus H (HoBi-like pestivirus, HoBiPeV) species are infecting primarily cattle. Like other RNA viruses, pestiviruses are characterized by a high degree of genetic variability. This high rate of variability is revealed by the existence of a number of viral subgenotypes within each species. In cattle, the highest number of pestivirus subgenotypes has been documented in European countries, particularly in Italy. The aim of this review is to report an up-to-date overview about the genetic diversity of pestiviruses in Italian cattle herds. All three bovine pestiviruses species have been identified in cattle population with variable frequency and geographical distribution. The genetic diversity of Italian pestiviral strains may have diagnostic and immunological implications, affecting the performance of diagnostic tools and the full cross-protection elicited by commercially available vaccines. Implementation and strengthening of coordinated approaches for bovine pestivirus control in Italy are recommended. Therefore, it would be extremely important to increase control and restriction measures to the trade of cattle and biological products of bovine origin, including those containing fetal bovine serum.