Evaluation of next generation sequencing approaches for SARS-CoV-2.

Within public health control strategies for SARS-CoV-2, whole genome sequencing (WGS) is essential for tracking viral spread and monitoring the emergence of variants which may impair the effectiveness of vaccines, diagnostic methods, and therapeutics. In this manuscript different strategies for SARS-CoV-2 WGS including metagenomic shotgun (SG), library enrichment by myBaits® Expert Virus-SARS-CoV-2 (Arbor Biosciences), nCoV-2019 sequencing protocol, ampliseq approach by Swift Amplicon® SARS-CoV-2 Panel kit (Swift Biosciences), and Illumina COVIDSeq Test (Illumina Inc.), were evaluated in order to identify the best approach in terms of results, labour, and costs.

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Locoregional Treatments for Solid Pancreatic Neoplasms.

Solid pancreatic neoplasms are one of the most diagnosed gastrointestinal malignancies thanks to the current and progressive advances in radiologic methods. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided techniques have over time gained a prominent role in the differential diagnosis and characterization of these pancreatic lesions, including pancreatic cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, and metastases. Recently, several endoscopic ultrasound-guided locoregional treatment techniques, which are divided into thermal ablative techniques and non-thermal injection techniques, have been developed and applied in different settings for the treatment of solid pancreatic neoplasms.

Culicoides species responsible for the transmission of Epizootic Haemorrhagic Disease virus (EHDV) serotype 8 in Italy.

Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a viral disease transmitted by Culicoides biting midges that affects wild and domestic ruminants. The causative agent, EHD virus (EHDV), belongs to the family Sedoreoviridae, genus Orbivirus. The virus has never been reported in Europe until October 2022, when the virus was for the first time detected in Sicily and Sardinia.

Tick Species Diversity and Molecular Identification of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae Collected from Migratory Birds Arriving from Africa.

The role of migratory birds in the spread of ticks and tick-borne pathogens along their routes from Africa to Europe is increasingly emerging. Wild birds can host several tick species, often infected by bacteria responsible for zoonoses. The aim of the study is to assess the possible introduction of exotic ticks carried by migratory birds into Italy from Africa and to detect the presence of species and they may harbor.

Whole-Genome Sequence and Assembly of Eight Africa Horse Sickness Virus Strains Collected in Namibia and South Africa.

In this report, we describe eight complete genome sequences of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) strains belonging to four different serotypes, namely, AHSV-5, AHSV-6, AHSV-8, and AHSV-9. Samples were collected in Namibia and South Africa from infected horses between 2000 and 2011. As expected, phylogenetic analyses of the variable outer capsid protein VP2 genomic sequences of AHSV-6 and AHSV-8 show higher nucleotide identity between the isolated viruses than that of the relevant reference strains.

Direct oral anticoagulant administration in cirrhotic patients with portal vein thrombosis: What is the evidence?

In recent years, the traditional concept that cirrhosis-related coagulopathy is an acquired bleeding disorder has evolved. Currently, it is known that in cirrhotic patients, the hemostatic system is rebalanced, which involves coagulation factors, fibrinolysis and platelets. These alterations disrupt homeostasis, skewing it toward a procoagulant state, which can lead to thromboembolic manifestations, especially when hemodynamic and endothelial factors co-occur, such as in the portal vein system in cirrhosis.

Probiotic intake unmasking a gastro-pleural fistula.

Objective: Gastropleural fistula represents a rare clinical event often resulting in an iatrogenic complication of gastrointestinal surgery. Clinical presentation is insidious, patients complain of chronic and non-specific respiratory symptoms and may be conservatively treated for lung infections for several months until detailed tests finally reveal the correct diagnosis.

Patients And Methods: We describe a case of a healthy patient with an unexpected diagnosis of empyema due to a gastropleural fistula.

Cucullanus carettae Baylis, 1923, in a loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) from the Adriatic sea: first detection and molecular characterization.

Cucullanus carettae Baylis, 1923 (Nematoda: Cucullanidae) is found worldwide in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). Regarding the Mediterranean, C. carettae has been identified in the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian Sea and a unique description of a Cucullanus sp.

Survey of Bartonella species in cats from Abruzzo region, Italy.

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is a zoonotic disease, caused predominantly by Bartonella henselae and transmitted to humans through a scratch or bite of the cat. Cat represents the principal reservoir and healthy carrier of Bartonella, which is mainly transmitted, among cats, by the flea Ctenocephalides felis. During 2014, fifty‑two samples of whole blood and sera were collected randomly from cats in Abruzzo region and were examined by real-time PCR and IFAT tests, respectively.

Genetic diversity of Coxiella burnetii in domestic ruminants in central Italy.

Background: As the epidemiology of human Q Fever generally reflects the spread of Coxiella burnetii in ruminant livestock, molecular characterization of strains is essential to prevent human outbreaks. In this study we report the genetic diversity of C. burnetii in central Italy accomplished by MST and MLVA-6 on biological samples from 20 goat, sheep and cow farms.

Bluetongue Virus NS4 Protein Is an Interferon Antagonist and a Determinant of Virus Virulence.

Unlabelled: Bluetongue virus (BTV) is the causative agent of bluetongue, a major infectious disease of ruminants with serious consequences to both animal health and the economy. The clinical outcome of BTV infection is highly variable and dependent on a variety of factors related to both the virus and the host. In this study, we show that the BTV nonstructural protein NS4 favors viral replication in sheep, the animal species most affected by bluetongue.

Rift Valley Fever Virus among Wild Ruminants, Etosha National Park, Namibia, 2011.

After a May 2011 outbreak of Rift Valley fever among livestock northeast of Etosha National Park, Namibia, wild ruminants in the park were tested for the virus. Antibodies were detected in springbok, wildebeest, and black-faced impala, and viral RNA was detected in springbok. Seroprevalence was high, and immune response was long lasting.

Multiple genome segments determine virulence of bluetongue virus serotype 8.

Unlabelled: Bluetongue virus (BTV) causes bluetongue, a major hemorrhagic disease of ruminants. In order to investigate the molecular determinants of BTV virulence, we used a BTV8 strain minimally passaged in tissue culture (termed BTV8L in this study) and a derivative strain passaged extensively in tissue culture (BTV8H) in in vitro and in vivo studies. BTV8L was pathogenic in both IFNAR(-/-) mice and in sheep, while BTV8H was attenuated in both species.

Host species barriers to Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus replication and carcinogenesis.

Understanding the factors governing host species barriers to virus transmission has added significantly to our appreciation of virus pathogenesis. Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) is the causative agent of ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA), a transmissible lung cancer of sheep that has rarely been found in goats. In this study, in order to further clarify the pathogenesis of OPA, we investigated whether goats are resistant to JSRV replication and carcinogenesis.

Determinants of bluetongue virus virulence in murine models of disease.

Bluetongue is a major infectious disease of ruminants that is caused by bluetongue virus (BTV). In this study, we analyzed virulence and genetic differences of (i) three BTV field strains from Italy maintained at either a low (L strains) or high (H strains) passage number in cell culture and (ii) three South African "reference" wild-type strains and their corresponding live attenuated vaccine strains. The Italian BTV L strains, in general, were lethal for both newborn NIH-Swiss mice inoculated intracerebrally and adult type I interferon receptor-deficient (IFNAR(-/-)) mice, while the virulence of the H strains was attenuated significantly in both experimental models.

Usutu virus in Italy: an emergence or a silent infection?

A two year study (2008-2009) was carried out to monitor the Usutu virus (USUV) circulation in Italy. Sentinel horses and chickens, wild birds and mosquitoes were sampled and tested for the presence of USUV and USUV antibodies within the WND National Surveillance plan. Seroconversion evidenced in sentinel animals proved that in these two years the virus has circulated in Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions.

The length of BTV-8 viraemia in cattle according to infection doses and diagnostic techniques.

Four groups of BTV free Frisian and cross bred calves were used to determine the length of viraemia following infection with different doses of BTV-8 Italian isolate. The first group of five animals was infected with 10 TCID(50) of BTV-8, the second group of four animals with 10(3) TCID(50) and the third group, which also included four animals, was infected with 10(6) TCID(50). A placebo containing uninfected tissue culture medium was given to the four animals of the fourth group.

Risk factors associated with the occurrence of undesired effects in sheep and goats after field vaccination with modified-live vaccine against bluetongue virus serotypes 2, 4 and 16.

In the 2004, the Sardinian bluetongue (BT) vaccination campaign used the combination of monovalent BTV-2, BTV-4 and BTV-16 modified-live vaccines manufactured by the Onderstepoort Biological Products in South Africa. Following vaccination, some herds showed temperature, oedema, lameness, hyperaemia and decrease in milk production, and some others remained perfectly healthy. This study aimed to evaluate whether important factors present in the herd at the time of vaccination could be associated to the occurrence of undesired effects observed after immunisation with BTV modified-live vaccines.

First evidence of bluetongue virus serotype 16 in Croatia.

This study described the first report of BTV-16 in Croatia. Serological evidence occurred in cattle at the end of September and continued during October and November 2004. All positive animals were in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, a region located in the southernmost part of Croatia.

Serological evidence of USUTU virus occurrence in north-eastern Italy.

In the recent years, USUTU virus (USUV), a flavivirus of the Japanese encephalitis virus complex, has been reported in Central Europe. As part of a systematic surveillance programme to monitor possible entrance and/or circulation of vector-borne viruses, since 2001, sentinel-chicken flocks were placed throughout the Italian territory nearby areas considered at risk of virus introduction. They have been periodically checked for the presence of antibodies against flaviviruses by indirect ELISA, plaque reduction neutralization test for USUTU, West Nile and tick-borne encephalitis viruses.

Use of real-time RT-PCR as a rapid molecular approach for differentiation of field and vaccine strains of bluetongue virus serotypes 2 and 9.

Since 2000 severe, long-lasting epidemics of bluetongue virus (BTV) have been described in Italy, caused by BTV serotypes 2, 4, 9 and 16. Vaccination programs have been applied extensively to control the infection, in spite of concerns about the potential dissemination of attenuated vaccine strains of BTV in susceptible animals. Accordingly, rapid and reliable differentiation between vaccine and field strains is paramount in routine diagnosis of BTV to evaluate the extent of this phenomenon.

Real-time polymerase chain reaction to detect bluetongue virus in blood samples.

The authors describe a real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect bluetongue viruses (BTV) in blood samples. The primers and Taqman probes used were specific for a conserved region of BTV RNA segment 5, which encodes non-structural protein NS1. The method was able to detect strains of BTV serotypes 2, 4, 9 and 16 isolated in Italy, and their respective vaccine strains.