Percorrer por autor "Rodrigues, Filipa Teixeira"
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- Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania spp. in domestic cats from Luanda, AngolaPublication . Lopes, Ana Patrícia; Oliveira, Ana Cristina; Granada, Sara; Rodrigues, Filipa Teixeira; Papadopoulos, Elias; Schallig, Henk; Dubey, Jitender P.; Cardoso, Luís MiguelToxoplasma gondii and Leishmania spp. are zoonotic protozoa of importance to animal and public health. The present study aimed to assess for the first time the seroprevalence of these zoonotic parasites in a domestic feline population living in Luanda, Angola. One hundred and two cats were sampled at a veterinary medical centre, from May 2014 to February 2016. The age of the cats ranged from 2.5 to 143 months (median: 12 months; interquartile range: 7.5–24). Serum samples were tested for immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies to T. gondii at two-fold dilutions of 1:20 to 1:2560 with a modified agglutination test (MAT) commercial kit. The direct agglutination test (DAT) for titration of IgG antibodies specific to Leishmania spp. used a standard freeze-dried antigen at a concentration of 5 × 10 7 promastigotes per milliliter, following a predefined protocol. Two-fold dilution series ranging from 1:25 to 1:800 were tested, with a cut-off titre of 100 chosen for seropositivity. Four out of 102 cats (3.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1–9.7) had antibodies to T. gondii: one had a titer of 20, one a titer of 160, and two had a titer ≥ 2560. No cat (0.0%; CI: 0.0–3.5) was found seropositive for Leishmania spp. A statistically significant difference was found between T. gondii seroprevalence and Leishmania spp. seroprevalence (p = 0.043). The odds of a cat being seropositive to T. gondii increased by an average factor of 1.58 for each 1-year increase in age (p = 0.003). The sampled cats were well-cared animals and may not represent the overall feline population of Angola at the national and city levels. The fact that only 12 out of the 102 sampled cats ate or had access to raw or undercooked meat and/or viscera may have reduced the likelihood of finding seropositive results. Under these circumstances, additional studies, including a larger number of cats, are necessary for a more comprehensive assessment of the zoonotic risk posed by these animals in Angola.
- New records of Lipoptena andaluciensis (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) in the Iberian Peninsula with a pictorial key of the genusPublication . González, Mikel Alexander; Mateus, Teresa Letra; Rodrigues, Filipa Teixeira; Martins, Filipa; Martínez-Calabuig, Néstor; Saldaña, Ana; Panadero, Rosario; Estruch, Josep; Bravo-Barriga, Daniel; Carrera-Faja, LauraSince its first description in southern Spain, Lipoptena andaluciensis (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) has drawn increasing attention due to its uncertain origin and distribution. In this study, we report new records of L. andaluciensis from geographically distant regions, including the Castelo Branco district in Portugal and three different northern Spanish provinces (Lerida, Tarragona, and Aragon). A total of 26 specimens, identified as unwinged L. andaluciensis based on morphological traits and COI barcoding, were collected between 2022 and 2024 during several field surveys on red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Additionally, Lipoptena cervi and Hippobosca equina were also collected on hosts. These recent records, indicate that the species may have been previously overlooked or misidentified, underscores the need for enhanced taxonomic resolution and expanded surveillance. To facilitate accurate identification, we provide a pictorial key to distinguish among the six European Lipoptena species, with special emphasis on Lipoptena fortisetosa, L. cervi, and L. andaluciensis. We also highlight the importance of combining detailed morphological and molecular analyses of both recent and historical specimens to prevent misidentifications and to better understand the biogeography of this emerging species.