Campylobacter and risk factors associated with dog ownership: a retrospective study in household and in shelter dogs.

Campylobacteriosis has been the most frequently reported zoonotic disease in humans in Europe. The scientific literature has reported that the role of dogs may be relevant. The objectives of this work are to improve the knowledge about Campylobacter spp.

First seroprevalence investigation of epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus in Libya.

Background: Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a vector-borne viral disease of domestic and wild ruminants. Epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) is transmitted by spp. EHDV is a member of the genus within the family.

Epidemiological Significance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Dynamic in Naso-Pharyngeal Swabs.

From 16 March to 15 December 2020, 132,357 naso-pharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs were collected in the province of Teramo, Abruzzo Region, Italy, and tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA by a commercially available molecular assay. A total of 12,880 swabs resulted positive. For 8212 positive patients (4.

Infection sustained by lineage B.1.1.7 of SARS-CoV-2 is characterised by longer persistence and higher viral RNA loads in nasopharyngeal swabs.

Following the announcement on December 2020 about the emergence of a new variant (VOC 202012/ 01, B.1.1.

Multi-locus sequence typing and virulence profile in strains isolated from dairy products.

Members of group are important food contaminants and they are of relevant interest in food safety and public heath due to their ability to cause two distinct forms of food poisoning, emetic and diarrhoeal syndrome. In the present study, 90 strains of isolated from dairy products, have been typed using Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) analysis and investigated for the occurrence of 10 enterotoxigenic genes (, , , , , , , , and ) and one emetogenic gene (), to determine their genetic diversity. A total of 58 sequence types were identified and among these 17 were signalled as new profiles.

A COVID-19 Hotspot Area: Activities and Epidemiological Findings.

By late March 2020, Villa Caldari, a small village of the municipality of Ortona (Abruzzo region), was registering an incidence rate of COVID-19 cases ten times greater than the overall municipality and was declared a hotspot area. Twenty-two days later, epidemiological investigation and sampling were performed, to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 circulation and the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Overall, 681 nasopharyngeal swabs and 667 blood samples were collected.

SARS-CoV-2 RNA Persistence in Naso-Pharyngeal Swabs.

Since February 2020, Italy has been seriously affected by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. To support the National Health Care system, naso-pharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs collected from suspected cases of Teramo province, Abruzzo region, are tested at Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale, for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA.

African Swine Fever: Lessons to Learn From Past Eradication Experiences. A Systematic Review.

Prevention, early detection, prompt reaction, and communication play a crucial role in African swine fever (ASF) control. Appropriate surveillance capable of early detection of the disease in both domestic and wild animals, and the implementation of consolidated contingency plans, are currently considered the best means of controlling this disease. The purpose of this study was to understand the lessons to be learned through the global disease eradication history.

A New Information System for the Management of Non-Epidemic Veterinary Emergencies.

The Italian National Veterinary Services, public health professionals, and policy makers are asked to participate at different levels in the decision-making process for the management of non-epidemic emergencies. A decision support system offering the different administrative and operational emergency management levels with a spatial and decisional tool to be used in the case of natural disasters is still missing at the national level. Within this context, the Italian General Directorate for Animal Health of the Ministry of Health funded a research project for the implementation of a new Veterinary Information System for Non-Epidemic Emergencies (SIVENE), an innovative real-time decision support tool for emergency response in a disaster management scenario.

Emerging Mosquito-Borne Threats and the Response from European and Eastern Mediterranean Countries.

Mosquito-borne viruses are the cause of some of the greatest burdens to human health worldwide, particularly in tropical regions where both human populations and mosquito numbers are abundant. Due to a combination of anthropogenic change, including the effects on global climate and wildlife migration there is strong evidence that temperate regions are undergoing repeated introduction of mosquito-borne viruses and the re-emergence of viruses that previously were not detected by surveillance. In Europe, the repeated introductions of West Nile and Usutu viruses have been associated with bird migration from Africa, whereas the autochthonous transmission of chikungunya and dengue viruses has been driven by a combination of invasive mosquitoes and rapid transcontinental travel by infected humans.

Rift Valley fever virus: a serological survey in Libyan ruminants.

A serological survey was carried out in Libya to investigate the circulation of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) among domestic ruminants. A total of 857 serum samples were collected from year 2015 to 2016 in eleven provinces of Libya belonging to five branches of the country. Samples were tested for RVFV antibodies using a competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (c-ELISA).

Seroprevalence of West Nile virus in horses in different Moroccan regions.

West Nile virus-associated disease is one of the most widespread vector-borne diseases in the world. In Morocco, the first cases were reported in horses in 1996 and the disease re-emerged in 2003 and in 2010. The objective of this work was to study the epidemiological situation of WNV-associated infection in Morocco, by quantifying the seroprevalence of anti-WNV IgM and IgG antibodies in horses in different bioclimatic regions-zones of Morocco in 2011.

Sero-prevalence and epidemiology of peste des petits ruminants in Libya.

We conducted a cross-sectional study during 2013 to quantify the serological prevalence of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) infection and to investigate host factors associated with PPR infection in small ruminants in Libya. A two-stage sampling design was carried out. A total number of 148 flocks owning at least 100 heads each were randomly selected.

Rift Valley fever trasmission dynamics described by compartmental models.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is one of the most important zoonotic Transboundary Animal Diseases able to cross international borders and cause devastating effect on animal health and food security. Climate changes and the presence of competent vectors in the most of the current RVF-free temperate countries strongly support the inclusion of RVF virus (RVFV) among the most significant emerging viral threats for public and animal health. The transmission of RVFV is driven by complex eco-climatic factors making the epidemiology of RVF infection difficult to study and to understand.

MLVA as an Epidemiological Tool To Trace Back Brucella melitensis Biovar 1 Re-Emergence in Italy.

Brucellosis is an important zoonosis caused by Brucella spp., still prevalent in most areas of the world. Brucellosis control in animals is the key to protect humans.

Identification of Suitable Areas for West Nile Virus Circulation in Tunisia.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-transmitted Flavivirus belonging to the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of the Flaviviridae family. It is transmitted primarily by the bite of infected mosquitoes, particularly Culex spp. and Aedes/Ochlerotatus spp.

Gammaherpesvirus infections in equids: a review.

Although the first equine gammaherpesvirus was identified over 50 years ago, the isolation and characterization of other members of this virus group has been relatively recent. Even so, numerous clinical syndromes have been identified in equid species in association with these viruses. Equid gammaherpesviruses are a genetically heterogeneous viral subfamily, the function of which in host immune modulation and disease pathogenesis has not yet been elucidated.

A Transitional Model for the Evaluation of West Nile Virus Transmission in Italy.

In August 2008, after 10 years of apparent silence, West Nile virus (WNV) infection re-emerged in northern Italy, spreading through the territories of three regions. In the following years, new cases occurred in the same area and additional foci of infection were observed in central and southern Italy, involving also Sicily and Sardinia islands. The Italian Ministry of Health ordered to test by RT-PCR all blood and organ donors from 15th June to 15th November of each year in the infected areas.

Epidemiology of West Nile disease in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin from 2009 to 2013.

West Nile virus (WNV) transmission has been confirmed in the last four years in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin. An increasing concern towards West Nile disease (WND) has been observed due to the high number of human and animal cases reported in these areas confirming the importance of this zoonosis. A new epidemiological scenario is currently emerging: although new introductions of the virus from abroad are always possible, confirming the epidemiological role played by migratory birds, the infection endemisation in some European territories today is a reality supported by the constant reoccurrence of the same strains across years in the same geographical areas.

Analysis of surveillance systems in place in European Mediterranean countries for West Nile virus (WNV) and Rift Valley fever (RVF).

West Nile virus (WNV) and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) represent an important group of viral agents responsible for vector-borne zoonotic diseases constituting an emerging sanitary threat for the Mediterranean Basin and the neighbouring countries. WNV infection is present in several Mediterranean countries, whereas RVF has never been introduced into Europe, but it is considered a major threat for North African countries. Being vector-borne diseases, they cannot be prevented only through an animal trade control policy.

The components of 'One World - One Health' approach.

The interaction between living beings, including men, animals and pathogens, sharing the same environment, should be considered as a unique dynamic system, in which the health of each component is inextricably interconnected and dependent with the others. Nowadays, a new integrated One Health approach is reflecting this interdependence with a holistic view to the ecological system. The One Health approach can be defined as a collaborative and a multidisciplinary effort at local, national and global level to guarantee an optimal healthy status for humans, animals and environment.

ANALYSIS OF BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC FACTORS INFLUENCING THE OCCURRENCE OF WEST NILE VIRUS INFECTION IN TUNISIA.

Eco-climatic conditions are often associated with the occurrence of West Nile Disease (WND) cases. Among the complex set of biotic and abiotic factors influencing the emergence and spread of this vector-borne disease, two main variables have been considered to have a great influence on the probability of West Nile Virus (WNV) introduction and circulation in Tunisia: the presence of susceptible bird populations and the existence of geographical areas where the environmental and climatic conditions are more favourable to mosquito multiplications. The aim of this study was to identify and classify the climatic and environmental variables possibly associated with the occurrence of WNVhuman cases in Tunisia.

First cases of Schmallenberg virus in Italy: surveillance strategies.

Following the first report of Schmallenberg virus (SBV) in the brain of a dystocic goat foetus in 2012 in Northern Italy, immediate response actions were adopted to avoid the virus circulation. The brain tested positive by 2 different one-step real-time RT-PCR protocols; these results were also confirmed by partial sequencing of the viral genome. At that time this was the first detection of the new Orthobunyavirus genus within the Bunyaviridae family in Italy.

Systems for prevention and control of epidemic emergencies.

The development of early warning systems is fundamental for preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Data collection, however, is a costly activity and it is not possible to implement early warning systems everywhere and for all possible events. Hence, tools helping to improve the focus of surveillance efforts are of paramount importance.