All Posts Tagged With: "helminths"

Excerpt:

In Italy, dogs and cats are at risk of becoming infected by
different vector-borne pathogens, including protozoa, bacteria,
and helminths. Ticks, fleas, phlebotomine sand flies, and
mosquitoes are recognized vectors of pathogens affecting cats and
dogs, some of which (e.g., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia
burgdorferi, Dipylidium caninum, Leishmania infantum, Dirofilaria
immitis, and Dirofilaria repens) are of zoonotic concern. Recent
studies have highlighted the potential of fleas as vectors of
pathogens of zoonotic relevance (e.g., Rickettsia felis) in this
country. While some arthropod vectors (e.g., ticks and fleas) are
present in certain Italian regions throughout the year, others
(e.g., phlebotomine sand flies) are most active during the summer
season.

Bacterial pathogens are ubiquitous in soil and water – concurrently so are free-living helminths that feed on bacteria. These helminths fall into two categories; the non-parasitic and the parasitic. The former have been the focus of previous work, finding that bacterial pathogens inside helminths are conferred survival advantages over and above bacteria alone in the environment, and that accidental ingestion of non-parasitic helminths can cause systemic infection in vertebrate hosts. Here, we determine the potential for bacteria to be associated with parasitic helminths. After culturing helminths from fecal samples obtained from livestock the external bacteria were removed. Two-hundred parasitic helminths from three different species were homogenised and the bacteria that were internal to the helminths were isolated and cultured. Eleven different bacterial isolates were found; of which eight were indentified. The bacteria identified included known human and cattle pathogens. We concluded that bacteria of livestock can be isolated in parasitic helminths and that this suggests a mechanism by which bacteria, pathogenic or otherwise, can be transmitted between individuals. Continued