{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]],"date-time":"2026-07-16T21:35:32Z","timestamp":1784237732351,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,18]],"date-time":"2025-11-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763424000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The ecological role and overlap with urban environments make wild carnivores useful epidemiological sentinels for several pathogens. The present study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Encephalitozoon cuniculi in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Central and Southern Italy. Sera from 120 foxes were analyzed using IFAT with a 1:20 cut-off value. Overall, seropositivity was highest for T. gondii (68.5%), followed by E. cuniculi (15.0%) and N. caninum (3.3%). Multivariable logistic regression models with stepwise selection identified age class and location as significant predictor factors for T. gondii exposure, with adults and red foxes from Southern Italy showing higher levels of prevalence. No significant associations with epidemiological risk factors were detected for E. cuniculi or N. caninum. Co-infections were detected in 15% of red foxes with a statistically significant positive association between T. gondii and E. cuniculi. These findings highlight that red foxes, being scavengers, are particularly exposed to food-borne pathogens, especially to T. gondii, and prove once again that they are reliable epidemiological sentinels for parasites that circulate at the wild\u2013domestic interface.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens14111175","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,18]],"date-time":"2025-11-18T09:58:42Z","timestamp":1763459922000},"page":"1175","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Encephalitozoon\u00a0cuniculi in Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Italy"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9086-1434","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leonardo","family":"Brustenga","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"},{"name":"WildUmbia, Wildlife Rescue Center, Loc Candeleto, 06026 Pietralunga, Italy"},{"name":"SELVA-VET, Veterinary Research Center on Wildlife, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-2754-7663","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stefano","family":"Scarcelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Via Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4880-699X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giulia","family":"Rigamonti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Iolanda","family":"Moretta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7128-0263","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuela","family":"Diaferia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"},{"name":"SELVA-VET, Veterinary Research Center on Wildlife, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6795-4605","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giulia","family":"Morganti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 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Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-3257-2048","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alice","family":"Ranucci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Umbria and Marche, Via Gaetano Salvemini 1, 06126 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5809-448X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giovanni","family":"Sgroi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Via Salute 2, 80055 Naples, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Sciences and Technologies (DST), University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8773-838X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fabrizio","family":"Passamonti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"},{"name":"SELVA-VET, Veterinary Research Center on Wildlife, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1082-5666","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fabrizia","family":"Veronesi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"},{"name":"SELVA-VET, Veterinary Research Center on Wildlife, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"128","DOI":"10.1053\/tvjl.2001.0662","article-title":"Wild Animals as Reservoirs of Infectious Diseases in the 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