Publications by authors named "Angela Pista"

Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers analyzed 416 isolates and found that fluoroquinolone-resistant (FQR) strains increased significantly, reaching 38% in S. flexneri and 80% in S. sonnei by 2022.
  • * Notably, S. sonnei from men were much more likely to be FQR, and genomic analysis identified two major resistant genetic clusters linked to high transmission rates among men who have sex with men, emphasizing the need for better surveillance.
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Foodborne diseases are a serious public health concern, and food-producing animals are a major source of contamination. The present study analysed and spp. isolated from faecal samples of 100 fattening pigs and from 52 samples of pork meat.

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In September 2023, the UK Health Security Agency identified cases of Saintpaul distributed across England, Scotland, and Wales, all with very low genetic diversity. Additional cases were identified in Portugal following an alert raised by the United Kingdom. Ninety-eight cases with a similar genetic sequence were identified, 93 in the United Kingdom and 5 in Portugal, of which 46% were aged under 10 years.

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poses a threat to both human and animal health. This work describes an outbreak in a Portuguese rabbit farm, detailing the isolates' clinical manifestations, necropsy findings, and phenotypic and genomic profiles. Clinical signs, exclusively observed in does, included lethargy and reproductive signs.

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Due to specific bacterial microbiota, raw milk cheeses have appreciated sensory properties. However, they may pose a threat to consumer safety due to potential pathogens presence. This study evaluated the microbiological contamination of 98 raw milk cheeses from Beira Baixa, Portugal.

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subsp. serovar Enteritidis ( Enteritidis) is one of the leading causes of foodborne infections associated with broilers and laying hens. Portugal has had the lowest notification rates of salmonellosis in recent years, due to the vaccinations of layer and breeder flocks and strict compliance with biosecurity measures.

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Gulls act as intermediaries in the exchange of microorganisms between the environment and human settlements, including spp. This study assessed the antimicrobial resistance and molecular profiles of spp. isolates obtained from fecal samples of gulls in the city of Porto, Portugal, in 2008 and 2023 and from water samples in 2023.

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Because of public health concerns, much greater scrutiny is now placed on antibiotic use in pets, especially for antimicrobial agents that have human analogs. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the phenotypic and genotypic profiles of multidrug-resistant bacteria isolated from nasal swabs samples taken from a one-year-old male Serra da Estrela dog with rhinorrhea that was treated with amikacin. An extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) was isolated in the first sample taken from the left nasal cavity of the dog.

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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top public health threats nowadays. Among the most important AMR pathogens, resistant to extended spectrum cephalosporins (ESC-EC) is a perfect example of the One Health problem due to its global distribution in animal, human, and environmental sources and its resistant phenotype, derived from the carriage of plasmid-borne extended-spectrum and AmpC β-lactamases, which limits the choice of effective antimicrobial therapies. The epidemiology of ESC-EC infection is complex as a result of the multiple possible sources involved in its transmission, and its study would require databases ideally comprising information from animal (livestock, companion, wildlife), human, and environmental sources.

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Traditional cheeses are part of the Portuguese gastronomic identity, and raw milk of autochthonous species is a common primary ingredient. Here, we investigated the presence of , Coagulase Positive Staphylococci (CPS) and pathogenic , as well as of indicator microorganisms ( and other spp.) in 96 cured raw milk cheeses from the Alentejo region.

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Birds are potential carriers of pathogens affecting humans and agriculture. Aiming to evaluate the occurrence of the top three most important foodborne pathogens in free-living birds in Portugal, we investigated 108 individual fecal samples from free-living birds and one pooled sample of gull feces ( = 50) for the presence of (pathogenic and non-pathogenic), spp. and spp.

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Human-wildlife coexistence may increase the potential risk of direct transmission of emergent or re-emergent zoonotic pathogens to humans. Intending to assess the occurrence of three important foodborne pathogens in wild animals of two wildlife conservation centers in Portugal, we investigated 132 fecal samples for the presence of (Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) and non-STEC), spp. and spp.

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Abstract: The monitoring of carcass surface contamination along the slaughter line enables verification of slaughter operation hygiene and the use of good manufacturing practices. Pork meat is a common source of human nontyphoidal salmonellosis, one of the most frequently reported foodborne illnesses worldwide. This study was conducted to gather data on microbial loads before and after evisceration on the surfaces of swine carcasses in two slaughterhouses.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates antibiotic resistance in serovars Heidelberg and Minnesota found in fresh poultry meat imported to Portugal, revealing their potential to spread resistance genes due to their mobile genetic elements.
  • Out of 36 isolates analyzed, a staggering 94.4% were multidrug-resistant, with many carrying significant plasmids associated with resistance development.
  • The findings indicate that imported poultry not only introduces these resistant serovars into Europe but also highlights the need for stricter hygiene standards and monitoring to manage the spread of antibiotic resistance.
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Gastrointestinal infections caused by nontyphoidal (NTS) remain one of the main causes of foodborne illness worldwide. Within the multiple existing serovars, the serovar Rissen is rarely reported, particularly as a cause of human salmonellosis. Between 2015 and 2017, the Portuguese National Reference Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Infections observed an increase in the number of clinical cases caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) serovar Rissen, particularly from the Azores archipelago.

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Background: Primary Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) testing is the currently recommended cervical cancer (CxCa) screening strategy by the Portuguese Society of Gynecology (SPG) clinical consensus. However, primary HPV testing has not yet been adopted by the Portuguese organized screening programs. This modelling study compares clinical benefits and costs of replacing the current practice, namely cytology with ASCUS HPV triage, with 2 comparative strategies: 1) HPV (pooled) test with cytology triage, or 2) HPV test with 16/18 genotyping and cytology triage, in organized CxCa screenings in Portugal.

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Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is highly prevalent in the sexually active population. This study estimates the prevalence of HPV DNA in anal and oral samples from a cohort of men and women with incident anogenital warts. Anal and/or oral samples from 541 patients with anogenital warts were tested for 35 HPV genotypes using a PCR assay.

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Background: Cervical cancer incidence has decreased over time in England particularly after the introduction of organized screening. In Portugal, where opportunistic screening has been widely available with only slightly lower coverage than that of the organized programme in England, rates of cervical cancer have been higher than in England. We compared the burden of cervical cancer, risk factors and preventive interventions over time in both countries, to identify elements hindering the further decline in incidence and mortality in Portugal.

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Objective: To estimate the potential impact of the nonavalent HPV vaccine for high-grade cervical lesions and invasive cervical cancer (ICC) in Portugal.

Methods: The present secondary analysis used data collected in the CLEOPATRE II study on the prevalence of HPV 6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58 among female patients aged 20-88 years. The prevalence of HPV types in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grades 2/3 and ICC was examined.

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Persistent infection by high-risk human papillomavirus is a necessary cause for cervical cancer. DNA-based human papillomavirus (HPV) assays show high sensitivity but poor specificity in detecting high-grade cervical lesions. Assays detecting mRNA of the oncoproteins E6 and E7 show higher specificity but lack either detection of all high-risk genotypes or the ability to specify the detected genotypes.

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Introduction/objective: Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types is a necessary cause for cervical cancer development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of different molecular markers for cervical carcinogenesis, and to assess their association with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Materials And Methods: 378 cervical samples from women attending to primary Health Clinics of the National Health Service and Gynaecological Outpatient Clinics and referred for HPV testing were analyzed between between January 2007 and December 2010.

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Objective: Cervical cancer is the third most frequent cancer in women, worldwide and etiologically associated with infection by human papillomavirus (HPV). Following the results of the first epidemiologic population-based CLEOPATRE study in Portugal, it was important to understand the HPV type-specific distribution in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grades 2 and 3 and invasive cervical cancer (ICC).

Methods: This was an observational, multicenter, cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection.

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Objective: To investigate demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and medical factors that might predispose women to cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

Method: A cross-sectional population-based study was performed. Women aged 18-64 years who attended selected obstetrics and gynecology or sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics in mainland Portugal between February 2008 and March 2009 were recruited, according to an age-stratified sampling strategy.

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Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for a range of diseases, including cervical cancer. The primary objectives of the CLEOPATRE Portugal study were to estimate the overall and age-stratified prevalence of cervical HPV infection and to assess HPV prevalence and type-specific distribution by cytological results among women aged 18 to 64 years, who reside in mainland Portugal.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional population-based study recruited women aged 18 to 64 years, according to an age-stratified sampling strategy, who attended gynecology/obstetrics or sexually transmitted disease clinics across the 5 regional health administrations in mainland Portugal between 2008 and 2009.

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