Low pathogenic human coronaviruses during the first waves of COVID-19 in Italy.

Low-pathogenic human coronaviruses (HCoVs) infect the upper respiratory tract and cause mild, cold-like respiratory illness. Although several studies have shown evidence of the global distribution of HCoVs, information about their distribution in Italy are often focused only on hospitalized children and elderly with respiratory symptoms. In this study, a total of 916 swab samples collected during the first two SARS-CoV-2 pandemic waves in Abruzzo region (central Italy) was selected for molecular screening of low pathogenic HCoVs by real-time RT-PCR.

Immunization with Usutu virus and with a chimeric West Nile virus (WNV) harboring Usutu-E protein protects immunocompetent adult mice against lethal challenges with different WNV lineage 1 and 2 strains.

West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV), two antigenically related flaviviruses co-circulating in Europe, can cause severe neurological disease in animals and humans. The immune response against USUV and WNV and their immunopathogenesis are still poorly investigated. Here we present results upon sequential infections of adult immunocompetent CD-1 and BALB/c mice primed with two different doses (high dose, HD or low dose, LD) of an USUV isolate and challenged with HD or LD of three different WNV isolates.

Epstein-Barr Virus Seroprevalence and Primary Infection at the University Hospital Luigi Vanvitelli of Naples from 2007 to 2017.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a common herpesvirus that may cause asymptomatic infection or various diseases, such as mononucleosis, lymphoproliferative disorders and several cancers. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of EBV among patients hospitalized in "Luigi Vanvitelli" University Hospital in the last 10 years. Our results showed that EBV seroprevalence in our geographical area was 65%.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors toward Eating Disorders among Adolescents in Italy.

The objectives of this survey were to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward eating disorders among adolescents in Italy. The survey was undertaken between May and June 2017 among a random sample of 420 adolescents aged 14-20 years. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire.