GASTROINTESTINAL PARASITES INFECTING CALVES FROM DIFFERENT FARMING SYSTEMS IN NORTHERN ITALY: PRELIMINARY RESULTS

collected from calves on nine farms with different production systems (milk or beef) located in the provinces of bologna and Cremona. whenever possible, samples were obtained from all calves present in each barn. A check list about management and biosecurity data was filled out. The fecal samples underwent parasitological microscopic examination, which included sediment analysis using Lugol and ziehl-Neelsen staining, as well as a flotation technique. Samples that tested positive using the flotation technique were further analyzed using Mc Master quantitative analysis to quantify the parasitic burden. For fecal samples that tested positive for Giardia sp., DNA extraction was performed to conduct a nested PCR targeting the TPI gene in order to genotype the strains. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A total of 155 calves, both with and without diarrhea, were sampled, ranging in age from one week to six months. The prevalence of parasitic protozoa observed was: 28% for eimeria spp., 28% for amoebae cysts; 15% for Cryptosporidium spp.; 10% for Giardia duodenalis, 1.29% for Buxtonella sp., 0.65% for Blastocystis sp. In some calves also Strongyloides papillosus (1.29%), and Toxocara vitulorum (0.65%) were found. Preliminary molecular results indicated that the genotype of G. duodenalis in tested calves was Assemblage E. quantitative coprological analysis revealed that eimeria oocyst counts ranged from <20 to 50120 oocysts per gram, while all detected helminths showed egg counts of less than 20 eggs per gram. eimeria spp. was detected in all sampled farms, Cryptosporidium in 89% of the barns, and Giardia sp. in 67%. Amoebae cysts, rarely described in cattle, were recorded in 56% of the investigated farms; in particular, in two dairy barns of the province of bologna, they were found in 41.17% and 59.45% of the calves.