Publications by authors named "Anna Morea"

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and migration are two interlinked issues and both pose an escalating threat to global health. With an increasing trend, there are 281 million migrants globally, while AMR is contributing to over 5 million deaths annually, with a projected rise to 10 million by 2050 if left unaddressed. Both AMR and migration are multifaceted problems that extend beyond human health, involving animals, plants, and the environment-a fact highlighted by the One Health approach.

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Background: Migration to Europe has intensified due to recent political conflicts, economic crises, and climate change, introducing an increased risk of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) within this population. While NTDs typically impact tropical regions, their presence among migrants in Europe presents a growing challenge, compounded by limited research in this area. This study provides the first meta-analysis on the prevalence of NTDs in migrants across European nations.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected tropical disease found in Italy, primarily affecting wild boars and dogs, and poses a risk to rural populations and outdoor enthusiasts.
  • A study was conducted involving 122 wild boar hunters from southern Italy, which included blood sampling and questionnaires to assess their knowledge about the infection risk related to CE.
  • Results showed that 4.9% of hunters had exposure to CE, 6.3% of hunting dogs tested positive for Taeniidae eggs, and the findings indicate the need for better education and health monitoring to reduce infection rates among hunters and their dogs.
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Background: Visceral leishmaniosis caused by infection with the zoonotic protozoan Leishmania infantum is a life-threatening disease affecting dogs and humans. The sympatric occurrence of L. infantum and Leishmania tarentolae in an area of southern Italy endemic for canine leishmaniosis, where dogs are also exposed to the latter species, suggests the persistence of herpetophilic L.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Visceral leishmaniasis, caused by the parasite Leishmania infantum, often shows no symptoms but can affect immunosuppressed individuals; exposure among outdoor workers is not well-studied.
  • - A study in southern Italy analyzed 229 outdoor workers (including forestry guards, farmers, and veterinarians) and found a 5.7% positivity rate for anti-L. infantum antibodies, with veterinarians showing the highest prevalence at 13.6%.
  • - The findings suggest a need for improved health surveillance and education for outdoor workers regarding L. infantum exposure, emphasizing collaboration between various health professionals to prevent the disease.
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Infections by carbapenemase (KPC)-producing represent a major challenge because of limited treatment strategies. New β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor associations may help to deal with this challenge. The aim of this study is to evaluate the susceptibility of KPC-producing for meropenem/vaborbactam in comparison with ceftazidime/avibactam against.

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Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) infections result in a significant public health impact because of the severity of the disease that, in young children especially, can lead to hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). A rise in the number of HUS cases was observed in the Apulia region of Italy from 2013 to 2017, and so, in 2018, a symptom-based surveillance system for children with bloody diarrhea (BD) was initiated in order to detect and manage STEC infections. The objective of the study was to describe the epidemiology of STEC infections in children from June 2018 to August 2019.

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Background: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-KP) is an urgent public health issue in Italy. This pattern of resistance is due mainly to dissemination of carbapenemase genes. Molecular characterization of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-KP) strains was performed over a three-year period.

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Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is one of the most common and serious causes of healthcare-associated bacteremia. The emergence and dissemination of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) PA strains pose a major clinical concern. ST235-PA is a high-risk clone which shows a high capacity to acquire antibiotic resistance.

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Background: Yearly influenza epidemics have considerable effects on public health worldwide. The 2017-2018 influenza season in Italy was of greater severity than previous seasons. The aim of this study was to describe the 2017-2018 influenza season in Southern Italy and the molecular characteristics of the circulating viral strains.

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Background: is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of macrolide-resistant strains in a convenience series of 234 adult hospitalised and nonhospitalised subjects with a diagnosis of CAP in January 2013 to April 2015 in South Italy.

Methods: Respiratory samples were subjected to real-time PCR.

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Noroviruses are one of the leading causes of gastro-enteric diseases worldwide in all age groups. Novel epidemic noroviruses with GII.P16 polymerase and GII.

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International travelers to areas endemic for vector-borne diseases (VBDs) may be at risk of contracting and spreading these diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies that are specific for Dengue Virus (DV), West Nile Virus (WNV), Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV), or Zika Virus (ZV) in a cohort of international travelers. The study enrolled travelers who attended the Travel Medicine and Migration outpatient service of Local Health Unit of Bari, Italy, in March 2015-June 2017 for counseling and vaccine prophylaxis before travel.

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Background: Despite universal immunization programs, pertussis remains a major public health concern. This study aimed to describe the pertussis epidemiology in the Puglia region in 2006-2015 and to identify recent polymorphisms in Bordetella pertussis virulence-associated genes.

Methods: The pertussis cases in 2006-2015 were identified from the National Hospital Discharge Database and the Information System of Infectious Diseases.

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In winter 2015-16, norovirus GII.17 Kawasaki 2014 emerged as a cause of sporadic gastroenteritis in children in Italy. Median patient age was higher for those with GII.

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Article Synopsis
  • The Italian Rotavirus Surveillance Program (RotaNet-Italy) has been tracking rotavirus strains in hospitalized children since 2007, specifically focusing on one rare strain (G8P[14]) discovered in 2012 in Apulia.
  • The genetic analysis of these strains revealed a combination of genes from both animal and human origins, suggesting they were formed through reassortment events.
  • The study found significant similarities between these strains and certain sheep and human strains, highlighting concerns that current vaccines may not effectively protect against these newly emerging rotavirus strains.
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Macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MR-MP) is an increasing problem worldwide. This study describes the clonal spread of a unique strain of MR-MP within a single family. On January 23, 2015, nasopharyngeal swabs and sputum samples were collected from the index case (a 9-year-old girl) in southern Italy.

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Background: Foodborne Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) outbreaks are being recognized as an emerging public health problem in industrialized countries. In 2013 three foodborne HAV outbreaks occurred in Europe and one in USA. During the largest of the three European outbreaks, most cases occurred in Italy (>1,200 cases as of March 31, 2014).

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