Cytauxzoon Sp.: Un Protozoo Emergente Nel Gatto

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Cytauxzoon Sp.: Un Protozoo Emergente Nel Gatto Sede amministrativa: Università degli studi di Padova Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione Scuola di Dottorato di ricerca in SCIENZE VETERINARIE Indirizzo: SCIENZE BIOMEDICHE VETERINARIE E COMPARATE Ciclo XXV CYTAUXZOON SP.: UN PROTOZOO EMERGENTE NEL GATTO Direttore della Scuola: Ch.mo Prof. Gianfranco Gabai Coordinatore di Indirizzo: Ch.mo Prof. Gianfranco Gabai Supervisore: Ch.mo Prof. Mario Pietrobelli Correlatori: Ch. ma Prof.ssa Gioia Capelli Dr. Tommaso Furlanello Dr.ssa Laia Solano-Gallego Dottoranda: Dr.ssa Erika Carli Alla mia famiglia e a chi se ne sente parte 2 Ringraziamenti L’ultima cosa che sto scrivendo in questa tesi è la prima che voglio sia letta e cioè questa pagina di ringraziamenti. Innanzitutto voglio ringraziare l’inventore del microscopio ottico, anche se non si sa chi sia. Galileo Galilei, uno dei possibili nomi, definì il microscopio di sua costruzione “un occhialino per vedere le cose minime”. Chi come me lavora quotidiamente con questo strumento, sa quanto sia affascinante e, a volte, esaltante poter vedere “le cose minime” e può capire quanto sia stato entusiasmante il momento in cui ho visto per la prima volta Cytauxzoon nei globuli rossi di un gatto! Incomincio con il ringraziare Marco Caldin che mi ha insegnato e trasmesso la sua passione per l’Ematologia. Lo ringrazio anche perché la Clinica San Marco, da lui diretta, ha totalmente finaziato questo progetto di ricerca. Ringrazio Mario Pietrobelli che mi ha seguita e accompagnata da buon tutor in questo percorso e che ha accolto sempre con grande entusiasmo gli annunci delle mie gravidanze. Grazie anche ai miei correlatori Tommaso Furlanello e Gioia Capelli, per avermi dato suggerimenti preziosi e spunti di riflessione. Grazie a tutto lo staff del Laboratorio San Marco che ha sopportato il lavoro in più richiesto per analizzare i miei campioni sempre con estrema gentilezza e professionalità. In particolare, voglio ringraziare Eva Marcato, Arianna Martini, 3 Martina Nicetto e Carlo Masserdotti che mi hanno aiutata per la raccolta dei dati, l’analisi molecolare e gli esami istologici. Un ringraziamento particolare va a Michele Trotta, spalla, amico e compagno di grandi chiacchierate su Cytauxzoon , che ha dato un contributo fondamentale allo studio molecolare di questo parassita. Grazie anche a Fabrizio Montarsi, senza il quale non avrei saputo come dare un nome e cognome a pulci e zecche. Un sentitissimo ringraziamento va a Laia Solano-Gallego, altro correlatore di questa tesi, ricercatrice e nome importante nella medicina veterinaria ma per me amica, “sorella spagnola” e fonte di entusiasmo professionale dalla quale ho imparato e sto imparando tantissimo, soprattutto sulle malattie trasmesse da vettori. Infine grazie alla mia cuginetta Giorgia che ha messo a disposizione il suo tempo per leggere il mio inglese maccheronico. Fin qui ho voluto nominare chi ha partecipato attivamente al lavoro scientifico ma ci sono altre persone che meritano la mia riconoscenza perche con la loro disponibilità e il loro aiuto mi hanno permesso di trovare il tempo da dedicare alla stesura di questa tesi. Grazie mamma e papà che siete accorsi ogni volta che vi ho chiamati. Grazie al mio PG, (cosa farei senza di te!) che ha dipinto per me gli acquerelli dei gatti e che soprattutto mi ha supportato quando pensavo di non farcela e sopportato quando non ce la facevo! Grazie alla mia Cecilia, dono prezioso, che 4 ogni giorno mi dà l’entusiasmo verso la vita. Grazie anche a Bianca, che conoscerò tra due settimane e che in questi mesi, mentre ero davanti al computer, mi ha fatto compagnia con i suoi calcetti. Domenica 15 dicembre 2013 5 Indice Indice ........................................................................................................................... 6 Riassunto ..................................................................................................................... 8 Abstract...................................................................................................................... 11 Parte prima INTRODUZIONE ..................................................................................... 14 Rassegna della letteratura: Cytauxzoon felis ...................................................... 15 1.Classificazione e cenni storici .......................................................................................16 2.Diffusione e prevalenza.................................................................................................17 3.Ciclo biologico e vie di trasmissione ...........................................................................20 4.Fattori di rischio .............................................................................................................28 5.Patogenesi .......................................................................................................................29 6.Segni clinico-patologici .................................................................................................31 7.Rilievi anatomo-patologici ............................................................................................36 8.Diagnosi ...........................................................................................................................38 9.Terapia .............................................................................................................................43 10.Profilassi ........................................................................................................................45 11.Salute pubblica .............................................................................................................47 Rassegna della letteratura: Cytauxzoon sp. ........................................................ 48 Bibliografia. .............................................................................................................. 54 Parte seconda CYTAUXZOON SP: IN ITALIA .......................................................... 62 Capitolo primo: Cytauxzoon sp. infection in the first endemic focus described in domestic cats in Europe .................................................................. 63 Riassunto ............................................................................................................................64 Abstract ...............................................................................................................................65 Introduction .......................................................................................................................66 Material and methods.......................................................................................................67 Results .................................................................................................................................71 Discussion ..........................................................................................................................74 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................78 References ..........................................................................................................................78 Capitolo secondo: Cytauxzoon sp. infection in two free ranging young cats: clinicopathological findings, therapy and follow up ....................................... 89 Riassunto ............................................................................................................................90 Abstract ...............................................................................................................................91 6 Introduction .......................................................................................................................92 Material and methods and results ..................................................................................92 Discussion ..........................................................................................................................94 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................97 References ..........................................................................................................................97 Capitolo terzo: First study of Cytauxzoon sp. transmission: evaluation of ectoparasites, uterus and fetus removed from infected domestic cats. Could a vertical transmission be considered? .............................................................. 103 Riassunto ..........................................................................................................................104 Abstract .............................................................................................................................105 Introduction .....................................................................................................................106 Material and methods.....................................................................................................107 Results ...............................................................................................................................109 Discussion ........................................................................................................................110 Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................................113 References
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