The Challenge of Bacterial Strain Identification: Serovars Australis in a Dog and Long-Term Clinical Follow-Up.

Leptospirosis is a widespread disease throughout the world, presenting in severe clinical forms in dogs. The pathogenicity of the different serovars in field infections is not fully documented, and clinical diagnosis is often limited to a combination of serological tests and molecular analyses. The latter, although a fundamental tool, cannot identify the infecting strain without further analysis.

Infectious Agents Associated with Abortion Outbreaks in Italian Pig Farms from 2011 to 2021.

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.

Bacteriological culture and direct PCR for detecting the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in the Italian eradication campaign: a decade of experience at the National Reference Laboratory.

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.

A Canine Leptospirosis Clinical Case Due to (Serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae) in a Dog Kennel in Castelvetrano (Western Sicily, South Italy).

Leptospirosis is a worldwide widespread zoonosis caused by genus. We report an acute leptospirosis case in a puppy housed at a municipal kennel and the subsequent diagnostic investigations carried out on all dogs housed in the kennel. Laboratory investigation included mainly a microagglutination test, real-time PCR, and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) for genus.

Genomic and Antimicrobial Surveillance of Population in Italian Poultry.

is one of the most common foodborne diseases worldwide with increasing rates of antibiotic resistance. Most cases of campylobacteriosis can be traced back to the consumption of poultry meat. Despite many efforts to reduce contamination in farms and in slaughterhouses, the persistence of this pathogen in poultry products remains a problem.

Identification of the most effective serovars to be included in the MAT antigen panel to optimize the serodiagnosis of Leptospira infection in Northern Italy.

The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) assay is adopted as a world-wide reference test for the serodiagnosis of leptospirosis in humans and animals. One of the main limitations of MAT is the lack of sensitivity and serodiagnostic antigens should be periodically updated with locally circulating serovars in order to optimise its performance. The aim of this study was to determine the need to implement the antigen panel currently adopted in Northern Italy for the diagnosis of Leptospira infection in dogs.

Serological and Molecular Evidence of Pathogenic spp. in Stray Dogs and Cats of Sicily (South Italy), 2017-2021.

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis of public health concern. Its prevalence in stray animals in the South of Italy is unknown. This study aimed to investigate spp.

Prevalence of Different Subspecies and Serotypes in Wild Carnivores in Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy.

is a pathogen of considerable health concern, given its zoonotic potential, and, in Italy, is the most frequently reported causative agent for foodborne outbreaks. Wild animals and in particular wild carnivores may be carriers of different subspecies and serotypes. Given their potential role as reservoirs, surveillance activities are necessary.

Virulence Factors and Antimicrobial Resistance Profile of Isolated from Laying Hens in Italy.

Colibacillosis is the most common bacterial disease in the poultry industry. The isolation of () strains with multiple resistance to various classes of antimicrobials has been increasing in recent years. In this study, antimicrobial resistance features, serotyping and the presence of avian pathogenic (APEC) virulence genes were investigated on a total of 71 strains isolated during outbreaks of colibacillosis in laying hens.

Antimicrobial Resistance of in Dairy Calves: A 15-Year Retrospective Analysis and Comparison of Treated and Untreated Animals.

The health problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) involves several species. AMR surveillance is essential to identify its development and design control strategies; however, available data are still limited in some contexts. The AMR profiles of 2612 strains isolated over a period of 15 years (2002-2016) from calf enteric cases were analyzed to determine the presence of resistance and their temporal dynamics.

Occurrence of Salmonella Typhimurium and its monophasic variant (4, [5],12:i:-) in healthy and clinically ill pigs in northern Italy.

Background: The serovar Typhimurium (4, [5],12:i:1,2), is the most frequently isolated serovar in case of salmonellosis in pigs in Europe and its monophasic variant (4, [5],12:i:-) has been increasingly responsible for Salmonella outbreaks in humans. A total of 25,215 samples were collected, during the years 2002-2017, from 1359 pig farms located in Northern Italy. Samples were collected from different material sources including fecal samples, rectal swabs, gut content and different organs.

Pathogenicity of Shiga Toxin Type 2e in Pig Colibacillosis.

Shiga toxin type 2e (Stx2e) is the causative factor of diarrhea and edema in swine. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of Stx2e-producing isolates and to characterize isolates from clinical cases of pig colibacillosis and healthy swine. During the 11 years of the study (2006-2017), a total of 233 Stx2e-producing isolates were detected-230 out of 2,060 (11.

Detection of New Genotypes Infecting Symptomatic Dogs: Is a New Vaccine Formulation Needed?

Leptospirosis in dogs has been largely described worldwide, and epidemiological studies have been mainly based on serological data. This study aims to detect and genotype leptospires affecting symptomatic dogs in Northeast Italy between 2013 and 2019. Overall, 1631 dogs were tested using real-time PCR, and leptospires from 193 dogs were subjected to Multilocus Sequence Typing and a Multiple Loci Variable-number Tandem Repeat Analysis.

Serological Survey and Molecular Typing Reveal New Serogroup Pomona Strains among Pigs of Northern Italy.

Swine act as both maintenance and incidental hosts of pathogenic spp. Here, a serological test was performed on 131,660 pig sera collected between 2002 and 2017 from 4715 farms in Northern Italy. A positivity rate of 13.

The Impact of Shear and Elongational Forces on Structural Formation of Polyacrylonitrile/Carbon Nanotubes Composite Fibers during Wet Spinning Process.

Wet spinning of polyacrylonitrile/carbon nanotubes (PAN/CNT) composite fibers was studied and the effect of spinning conditions on structure and properties of as-spun fibers influenced by the presence of CNTs investigated. Unlike PAN fibers, shear force had a larger effect on crystalline structure and physical and mechanical properties of PAN/CNT composite fibers compared to the elongational force inside a coagulation bath. Under shear force CNTs induced nucleation of new crystals, whereas under elongational force nucleation of new crystals were hindered but the already formed crystals grew bigger.

A comparative study of the mechanical properties of a dinosaur and crocodile fossil teeth.

Vertebrate teeth are complex structures adapted in terms of shape and structure to serve a variety of functions like biting and grinding. Thus, examining the morphology, composition and mechanical properties of the teeth can aid in providing insights into the feeding behaviour of extinct species. We here provide the first mechanical characterisation of teeth in a spinosaurid dinosaur, Suchomimus tenerensis, and a pholidosaurid crocodylomorph, Sarcosuchus imperator.

Challenges and benefits of integrating diverse sampling strategies in the observation of cardiovascular risk factors (ORISCAV-LUX 2) study.

Background: It is challenging to manage data collection as planned and creation of opportunities to adapt during the course of enrolment may be needed. This paper aims to summarize the different sampling strategies adopted in the second wave of Observation of Cardiovascular Risk Factors (ORISCAV-LUX, 2016-17), with a focus on population coverage and sample representativeness.

Methods: Data from the first nationwide cross-sectional, population-based ORISCAV-LUX survey, 2007-08 and from the newly complementary sample recruited via different pathways, nine years later were analysed.

Study design and characteristics of the Luxembourg European Health Examination Survey (EHES-LUX).

Background: The European Health Examination Survey in Luxembourg (EHES-LUX) is a population based survey performed from 2013 to 2015 with the aim to establish baseline information on the general health status of the Luxembourg population aged 25 to 64 years. The paper introduces the study design, recruitment method and representativeness of the sample, and summarizes the sociodemographic characteristics of participants and the prevalence of major health outcomes.

Methods: EHES-LUX is based on a random sample representative of the population of Luxembourg based on gender, age and district of residence.