Human exposure to piroplasms in Central and Northern ItalySimona Gabrielli, Pietro Calderini, Rudi Cassini, Roberta Galuppi, Maria Paola Tampieri, Mario Pietrobelli & Gabriella Cancrini
doi: 10.12834/VetIt.1302.13
SummaryA serosurvey has been conducted in Northern and Central Italy to investigate the presence in humans of antibodies against zoonotic Babesia and Theileria species. The study focused on a total of 432 volunteers, of which 290 were persistently exposed to tick bites because of their jobs (forester employees, livestock keepers, veterinary practitioners, farmers and hunters) and 142 resident in the same area less frequently exposed. An indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) for humans was used to detect antibodies to Babesia microti, IFAT tests for veterinary use were modified to detect reactivity to Babesia bovis, Babesia canis and Theileria equi. A laboratory-derived ELISA was employed to detect antibodies to Babesia divergens. Both reactive and 10 negative sera were analysed against plasmodial antigens to evaluate possible aspecificity.
Keywords
Babesia, Italy, Risk exposure, Serosurvey, Theileria, Tick-borne zoonoses.
© IZSAM Agosto 2016
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