Charalampos Attipa

The University of Edinburgh | UoE · Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

Background: In the Mediterranean basin, Leishmania infantum is a major cause of disease in dogs, which are frequently co-infected with other vector-borne pathogens (VBP). However, the associations between dogs with clinical leishmaniosis (ClinL) and VBP co-infections have not been studied. We assessed the risk of VBP infections in dogs with ClinL a...

Following Plasmodium falciparum infection, individuals can remain asymptomatic, present with mild fever in uncomplicated malaria cases, or show one or more severe malaria symptoms. Several studies have investigated associations between parasite transcription and clinical severity, but no broad conclusions have yet been drawn. Here, we apply a serie...

Malaria remains a global health problem causing more than 400,000 deaths annually. Plasmodium parasites, the causative agents of malaria, replicate asexually in red blood cells (RBCs) of their vertebrate host, while a subset differentiates into sexual stages (gametocytes) for mosquito transmission. Parasite replication and gametocyte maturation in...

Postmortem single-cell studies have transformed understanding of lower respiratory tract diseases (LRTD) including Covid19 but there is almost no data from African settings where HIV, malaria and other environmental exposures may affect disease pathobiology and treatment targets. We used histology and high-dimensional imaging to characterise fatal...

Cross-species transmission of coronaviruses (CoVs) poses a serious threat to both animal and human health. Whilst the large RNA genome of CoVs shows relatively low mutation rates, recombination within genera is frequently observed and demonstrated. Companion animals are often overlooked in the transmission cycle of viral diseases; however, the clos...

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has continued to evolve throughout the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, giving rise to multiple variants of concern (VOCs) with different biological properties. As the pandemic progresses, it will be essential to test in near real time the potential of any new emerging variant...

Cross-species transmission of coronaviruses (CoVs) poses a serious threat to both animal and human health ¹⁻³ . Whilst the large RNA genome of CoVs shows relatively low mutation rates, recombination within genera is frequently observed and demonstrated ⁴⁻⁷ . Companion animals are often overlooked in the transmission cycle of viral diseases; however...

Linking clinical biomarkers and lung pathology still is necessary to understand COVID-19 pathogenesis and the basis of progression to lethal outcomes. Resolving these knowledge gaps enables optimal treatment approaches of severe COVID-19. We present an integrated analysis of longitudinal clinical parameters, blood biomarkers and lung pathology in C...

Abstract Background There are several screening tools for detecting Leishmania infantum infection in dogs and various preventive measures to protect against it. Some studies have investigated them, but not many have described their current use. The aim of this study was to investigate which preventive measures and serological screening tools for L....

Malaria remains a global health problem with over 400,000 deaths annually ¹ . Plasmodium parasites, the causative agents of malaria, replicate asexually in red blood cells (RBCs) of their vertebrate host, while a subset differentiates into sexual stages (gametocytes) for mosquito transmission. Parasite replication and gametocyte maturation in the e...

Toxoplasma gondii is a cosmopolitan protozoon parasite, and the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, one of the most prevalent zoonotic parasitic diseases. Cats, as definitive hosts, spread the parasite via their faeces, but this occurs only for a very short period in their life. Seropositivity in cats, although not associated with current shedding of...

Toxoplasma gondii is a cosmopolitan protozoon parasite, and the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, one of the most prevalent zoonotic parasitic diseases. Cats, as definitive hosts, are spreaders of the parasite via their faeces, but this occurs only for a very short period in their life. Seropositivity in cats, although not associated with current s...

Background: Dogs that have clinical leishmaniosis (ClinL), caused by the parasite Leishmania infantum, are commonly co-infected with other pathogens, especially vector-borne pathogens (VBP). A recent PCR-based study found that ClinL dogs are more likely to be additionally infected with the rickettsial bacteria Ehrlichia canis. Further information...

A 22‐year‐old Irish Sport Horse presented following a period of bilateral blindness with subsequent spontaneous resolution. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated features consistent with pachymeningitis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed increased numbers of basophils, suggestive of an immunologic or neoplastic aetiology. It...

The outcome of infection with Leishmania infantum in dogs is variable, which is thought to be due to the nature of the immune response mounted by the host. As a consequence, the clinical signs and severity of canine leishmaniosis vary between individual dogs. Host immunogenetic factors might play an important role in determining the outcome of infe...

A 3-year-old male neutered Shih Tzu cross was presented for investigation of a three-week history of weight loss, seborrhoea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Initial clinicopathological findings included pancytopenia, mild hypercalcaemia and marked hyperglobulinaemia. Subsequent bone marrow and skin biopsies revealed the presence of Leishmania amastigotes....

An increasing number of non-endemic vectorborne pathogens have been described in dogs imported to the UK in the past two decades. Recently, an outbreak of canine babesiosis in south-east England has raised veterinary awareness with regard to the impact of such diseases on the UK canine population. Canine hepatozoonosis, caused by Hepatozoon canis a...

A 10‐year‐old male neutered Persian cat was presented with an abdominal mass and history of weakness. Blood smear examination found marked elliptocytosis, and serum biochemical analysis revealed hypokalemia, hypochloremia, increased creatine kinase activity, and a high aldosterone concentration. Cytologic examination of the mass revealed neoplastic...

Objectives The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of feline haemoplasma infections in Northern Serbia, identify potential risk factors and perform molecular subtyping of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Methods PCR analysis for feline haemoplasmas was performed on surplus EDTA blood samples from 373 cats from the Belgrade...

Background: Coxiella burnetii, causative agent of Q fever in humans, is an important zoonotic pathogen, especially in ruminants. In cats, infection with C. burnetii can cause abortions and is commonly subclinical, however, it has been proposed that cats can be a source of infection for humans. No prevalence studies for C. burnetii have been perform...

Background: Point-of-care biochemistry analysers (POC) are popular in first-opinion veterinary practises. A new POC (AmiShield, USHIO) is available, but studies evaluating its analytic performance are lacking. Objectives: 1) to calculate the imprecision and observed total error (TEobs) of the POC for measuring albumin, ALP, ALT, AST, creatinine,...

Case summary A 6-year-old female neutered domestic shorthair cat from Cyprus was presented with multiple ulcerated skin nodules. Cytology and histopathology of the lesions revealed granulomatous dermatitis with intracytoplasmic organisms, consistent with amastigotes of Leishmania species. Biochemistry identified a mild hyperproteinaemia. Blood extr...

Background Feline infectious agent studies are lacking in Cyprus. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and risk factors for various feline infectious agents, including feline vector-borne pathogens (FVBP), in cats from Cyprus. Methods A cross-sectional, descriptive, multicentre study was performed on 174 feline samples [138 owne...

426 Background: Sarcopenia is a decrease in skeletal muscle mass and is a quantifiable marker of frailty associated with poor oncological outcomes. Currently there are no studies using sarcopenia as a prognostic indicator for patients with penile cancer. This study investigated the association of sarcopenia with mortality and morbidity outcomes in...

When carrying out a complete blood count, preparation and evaluation of a blood smear should always be performed alongside. A blood film review will help confirm numerical data provided by the analyser and perform a differential cell count. It will also help identify morphological features that instruments cannot assess, such as left shift (increas...

Canine tick-borne pathogens such as Ehrlichia canis and Hepatozoon canis are widespread in the Mediterranean basin but have never been reported or investigated in Cyprus. We describe herein the presence of canine tick-borne pathogens in three dogs with clinical signs compatible with vector-borne diseases from Paphos area of Cyprus. Molecular and ph...

Dogs with ClinL were 12 times more likely to be co-infected with E. canis than clinically healthy dogs in Cyprus. It is advised that dogs with ClinL are regularly checked for E. canis infection using PCR techniques & have rigorous & effective ectoparasiticide treatment to prevent tick infestations. Further studies to identify the co-pathogenesis of...

Cyprus is an island state in the eastern Mediterranean basin. No epidemiological studies have yet been performed on infectious agents in cats from Cyprus. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of several infectious agents, including some vector-borne infections, in cats from Cyprus. Surplus EDTA-blood and serum samples were recruite...