Molecular Detection of Viral and Bacterial Pathogens in Red Foxes (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) from Italy
Martina Magliocca,
Roberta Taddei,
Lorenza Urbani,
Cristina Bertasio,
Veronica Facile,
Laura Gallina,
Maria Sampieri,
Gianluca Rugna,
Silva Rubini,
Giulia Maioli,
Alessia Terrusi,
Mara Battilani,
Andrea Balboni
Affiliations
Martina Magliocca
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy
Roberta Taddei
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) “Bruno Ubertini”, Sede Territoriale di Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Lorenza Urbani
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy
Cristina Bertasio
Italian Reference Centre for Animal Leptospirosis, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) “Bruno Ubertini”, Sede Territoriale di Brescia, 25124 Brescia, Italy
Veronica Facile
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy
Laura Gallina
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy
Maria Sampieri
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) “Bruno Ubertini”, Sede Territoriale di Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Gianluca Rugna
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) “Bruno Ubertini”, Sede Territoriale di Modena, 41122 Modena, Italy
Silva Rubini
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) “Bruno Ubertini”, Sede Territoriale di Ferrara, 44124 Ferrara, Italy
Giulia Maioli
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) “Bruno Ubertini”, Sede Territoriale di Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Alessia Terrusi
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy
Mara Battilani
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy
Andrea Balboni
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy
Animals, including wildlife, are part of One-Health concept since many infectious diseases can affect both humans and animals. In this study, 126 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Northern Italy in 2022–2023 were tested by molecular assays for Protoparvovirus carnivoran 1 (PPVC-1), Canine adenovirus type 1 and 2 (CAdV-1 and CAdV-2), Circovirus canine (CanineCV), Canine distemper virus (CDV), and Leptospira spp. A total of 39 of 126 (30.9%) red foxes were infected with at least one pathogen and five of these were coinfected: 20/126 (15.9%) red foxes tested positive for PPVC-1, 3/126 (2.4%) for CAdV, 20/126 (15.9%) for CanineCV, and 2/126 (1.6%) for Leptospira spp. DNA. No foxes tested positive for CDV RNA. The pathogens identified were genetically analysed. New findings were reported such as a fox with multiple feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) and canine parvovirus type 2b (CPV-2b) infection associated with quasispecies dynamics, typical genetic characteristics of the identified CanineCV, and the first detection in red foxes of Leptospira ST198 related to L. interrogans serogroup Australis. Further studies are necessary to investigate the transmission between domestic animals and wildlife and to understand the role of red foxes in the maintenance of these pathogens not only in the wild but also in urban and peri-urban environments.
