Publications by authors named "Alborali G"

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) causes huge economic losses to pig farms worldwide. Currently available vaccines do not always offer complete protection, due to the extreme variability of the virus. Therefore, good farming practices must be improved to prevent the disease from spreading across the pig production system.

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MDR bacteria are an emerging global threat to public health, and the role of dogs in the rise of antimicrobial resistance is under investigation. This study investigated the fecal shedding of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-, AmpC- and carbapenemase (CP)-producing and associated risk factors in dogs admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Lodi, University of Milan, or other veterinary clinics and kennels in Northen Italy. Feces collected in 2020-2022 were microbiologically and molecularly analyzed.

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The present study retrospectively analyzed the infectious agents associated with 829 abortion outbreaks occurring from 2011 to 2021 in northern Italy. Foetuses were subjected to necropsies, and organ samples were analyzed by direct PCR to screen for six swine pathogens. In 42.

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Hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 3 is a prevalent zoonotic pathogen in European pig farms, posing a significant public health risk primarily through the foodborne route. The study aimed to identify effective biosecurity measures for controlling HEV transmission on pig farms, addressing a critical gap in current knowledge. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, fecal samples from gilts, dry sows, and fatteners were collected on 231 pig farms of all farm types across nine European countries.

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Over the last few decades, several pestiviruses have been discovered in ruminants, pigs, and, more recently, in non-ungulate hosts. Consequently, the nomenclature and taxonomy of pestiviruses have been updated. The Tunisian sheep-like pestivirus (TSV, ) is an additional ovine pestivirus genetically closely related to classical swine fever virus (CSFV).

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Article Synopsis
  • Respiratory diseases in pigs lead to production losses and higher use of antibiotics on farms.
  • An analysis of lung and pleural lesion scores from pig carcasses at slaughterhouses in Italy was conducted to assess the effectiveness of antimicrobial use (AMU) on 113 farms.
  • Significant correlations were found between lung scores and the use of critical antimicrobials, suggesting that monitoring these lesions can help improve antibiotic management and reduce unnecessary usage.
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Surveillance data collected in the period 2017-20 for Brucella spp. in wildlife of the Lombardy Region in northern Italy were used to describe the exposure of the wildlife species to Brucella spp. in wild boar (Sus scrofa), European brown hare (Lepus europaeus), fallow deer (Dama dama), red deer (Cervus elaphus), and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus).

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Respiratory diseases significantly affect intensive pig farming, causing production losses and increased antimicrobial use. Accurate classification of lung lesions is crucial for effective diagnostics and disease management. The integration of non-destructive and rapid techniques would be beneficial to enhance overall efficiency in addressing these challenges.

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Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) is a bacterium frequently associated with porcine pleuropneumonia. The acute form of the disease is highly contagious and often fatal, resulting in significant economic losses for pig farmers. Serotype diversity and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of APP strains circulating in north Italian farms from 2015 to 2022 were evaluated retrospectively to investigate APP epidemiology in the area.

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Article Synopsis
  • Optimizing antimicrobial usage (AMU) in livestock is essential to combat antimicrobial resistance, and a study analyzed AMU in over 1,000 cattle herds in Aosta Valley, Italy, from 2008 to 2018.
  • Dairy cows comprised more than 95% of the total AMU, with average annual herd-level AMU being low, but significant use of third and fourth generation cephalosporins and intramammary antimicrobials was noted.
  • The study found decreasing trends in total AMU over time and a positive association with herd size, suggesting the need for ongoing monitoring and prudent AMU practices even in small farms to ensure any potential issues are addressed.
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Aims: Our study evaluates the capacity of direct real-time PCR for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), with a focus on diagnostic performances and the feasibility of implementing this protocol in an eradication campaign. Specifically, we compare the effectiveness of the direct PCR method to various culture systems used by the Italian National Reference Laboratory over the last decade to detect MTBC.

Methods And Results: Bovine tissue samples were routinely tested and analyzed for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) confirmation using microbiological culture (solid and liquid media), histopathological analysis, and a direct PCR assay targeting IS6110, an insertion sequence specific to the MTBC that is widely used for tuberculosis diagnosis.

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Besides its translational value, an improved understanding of dog longevity and mortality is necessary to guide health management decisions, breed selection, and improve dog welfare. In order to analyse the lifespan of dogs in Italy, identify the most common causes of death, and evaluate possible risk factors, anonymised medical records were collected from 9 veterinary teaching hospitals and 2 public health institutions. Data regarding breed, sex, neuter status, age, diagnosis, and mechanism of death were retrieved.

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Article Synopsis
  • * This study analyzed data from over 60,000 Charolais cattle across 33 farms to determine how the timing of initial BRD vaccination and the specific pathogens targeted influence AMU and cattle performance metrics like slaughter age and carcass weight.
  • * Findings showed that early vaccination (on arrival) led to lower antimicrobial treatment incidence and improved outcomes, including faster growth rates and earlier slaughter compared to cattle vaccinated later.
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Successful reproductive performance is key to farm competitiveness in the global marketplace. Porcine parvovirus 1 (PPV1) has been identified as a major cause of reproductive failure, and since 2001 new species of porcine parvoviruses, namely PPV2-7, have been identified, although their role is not yet fully understood yet. The present study aimed to investigate PPVs' presence in reproductive failure outbreaks occurring in 124 farms of northern Italy.

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Rotavirus H (RVH) has been detected in humans, pigs and bats. Recently, RVH infections were reported in different porcine farms worldwide, suggesting epidemiological relevance. However, to date, the genome information of RVH strains has been limited due to the scarcity of deposited sequences.

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Article Synopsis
  • Porcine Respirovirus 1 (PRV1) is a negative-sense RNA virus linked to respiratory issues in pigs, first discovered in China in 2013 and later found in America and Europe.
  • A study conducted in Northern Italy between September 2022 and September 2023 tested 902 pig samples, identifying PRV1 in 14 cases (1.55%), raising concerns about its role in Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex (PRDC).
  • The research also detected other viruses like swine influenza virus (SIV) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in many PRV1-positive samples, suggesting PRV1 could act as a co-factor in respiratory diseases in pigs
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In aquaculture, is a common fish pathogen that can cause significant economic losses in several fresh and saltwater species. Despite the extensive range of hosts, infection in sea bass () has rarely been reported. During the summer of 2023, an outbreak occurred in an inland farm in the Gulf of Follonica (Tuscany, Italy).

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An untargeted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based metabolomics approach was applied as a first attempt to explore the metabolome of pigs treated with antibiotics. The final goal was to investigate the possibility of discriminating between antibiotic-treated (TX group) and untreated pigs (CTRL group), with the further perspective of identifying the authentication tools for antibiotic-free pork supply chains. In particular, 41 samples of pig liver were subjected to a biphasic extraction to recover both the polar and the non-polar metabolites, and the H NMR spectroscopy analysis was performed on the two separate extracts.

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The BIOPIGEE project (part of the One Health European Joint Programme under Horizon 2020) aimed to identify relevant measures to effectively control Salmonella, and another zoonotic pathogen, hepatitis E virus (HEV) within the pig meat food chain. The aim of this study was to identify biosecurity measures or management practices that are relevant for limiting Salmonella and/or HEV occurrence and spread within pig slaughterhouses. This was with the final goal of compiling a list of biosecurity measures for different processes and operations along the slaughter line with evidence of their effectiveness.

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Gastric lesions in pigs cause welfare and economic losses. Their prevalence in heavy pigs reared for premium products (e.g.

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Article Synopsis
  • Respiratory diseases in pigs are a significant issue in production, and assessing lung lesions at slaughter can aid in disease surveillance and epidemiology.
  • Variations in assessment methods, observers, and abattoir practices create inconsistencies, making it difficult to compare research findings.
  • This study compared two scoring systems for lung lesions in pigs and found that while both methods agreed on severe lesions, they differed in identifying healthy lungs, suggesting the Blaha method is better for surveillance, whereas Madec offers more detailed information for farm assessments.
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Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is one of the main diseases of pigs, leading to large economic losses in swine production worldwide. PRRSV high mutation rate and low cross-protection between strains make PRRS control challenging. Through a semi-longitudinal approach, we analysed the relationships among performance parameters, PRRSV-1 genetic diversity, coinfections and antimicrobial use (AMU) in pig nurseries.

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The increasing demand for reliable traceability tools in the meat supply chain has prompted the exploration of innovative approaches that meet stringent quality standards. In this work, 57 elements were quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and direct mercury analysis in 80 muscle and 80 liver samples of Italian heavy pigs to investigate the potential of new tools based on multi-elemental profiles in supporting value-added meat supply chains. Samples from three groups of animals belonging to the protected designation of origin (PDO) Parma Ham circuit (conventionally raised; raised with genetically modified organism (GMO)-free feeds; raised with GMO-free feeds plus the supplementation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA)) and a fourth group of samples from animals not compliant with the PDO Parma Ham production process were analyzed.

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spp. is a common zoonotic pathogen, causing gastrointestinal infections in people. Pigs and pig meat are a major source of infection.

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