Publications by authors named "Losasso C"

Introduction: Farms are significant hotspots for the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes (ARGs) into the environment and directly to humans. The prevalence of ARGs on farms underscores the need for effective strategies to reduce their spread. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a guideline on "best practices for farming" aimed at reducing the dissemination of antibiotic resistance.

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In the circular economy, reusing agricultural residues, treated biowaste, and sewage sludges-commonly referred to as soil conditioners-in agriculture is essential for converting waste into valuable resources. However, these materials can also contribute to the spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in treated soils. In this study, we analyzed different soil conditioners categorized into five groups: compost from source-separated biowaste and green waste, agro-industrial digestate, digestate from anaerobic digestion of source-separated biowaste, compost from biowaste digestate, and sludges from wastewater treatment plants.

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Non-diphtheroid sepsis is rare and has affected only immunocompromised or particularly predisposed patients so far. We present the first case of urosepsis caused by in a 67-year-old woman, without any known immunodeficiencies and in absence of any immunosuppressive therapy, admitted to the hospital for fever and acute dyspnea. This work suggests a new approach in evaluating the isolation of , especially if isolated from blood.

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Raw milk cheeses harbor complex microbial communities. Some of these microorganisms are technologically essential, but undesirable microorganisms can also be present. While most of the microbial dynamics and cross-talking studies involving interaction between food-derived bacteria have been carried out on agar plates in laboratory-controlled conditions, the present study evaluated the modulation of the resident microbiota and the changes of metabolite production directly in ripening raw milk cheese inoculated with strains.

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Uncommon Salmonella Infantis variants displaying only flagellar antigens phenotypically showed identical incomplete antigenic formula but differed by molecular serotyping. Although most formed rough colonies, all shared antimicrobial resistances and the presence of usg gene with wild-type Salmonella Infantis. Moreover, they were undistinguishable wild-type Salmonella Infantis by whole-genome sequencing.

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Along the Italian coasts, toxins of algal origin in wild and cultivated shellfish have been reported since the 1970s. In this study, we used data gathered by the Veterinary Public Health Institutes (IZS) and the Italian Environmental Health Protection Agencies (ARPA) from 2006 to 2019 to investigate toxicity events along the Italian coasts and relate them to the distribution of potentially toxic species. Among the detected toxins (OA and analogs, YTXs, PTXs, STXs, DAs, AZAs), OA and YTX were those most frequently reported.

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The large use of fish meal/fish oil in carnivorous fish feeds is the main concern regarding environmental sustainability of aquaculture. Here, we evaluated the effects of an innovative diet, designed to be (1) environmentally sustainable by lowering the marine protein content while being (2) cost effective by using sustainable alternative raw materials with acceptable cost and produced on an industrial scale, on growth performance, gut microbiota composition, health and welfare of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), a key species of the Mediterranean marine aquaculture, reared in sea cages. Results show that the specific growth rate of fish fed the low marine protein diet was significantly lower than those fed conventional diet (0.

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Introduction: The spread of antimicrobial resistance among zoonotic pathogens such as is a serious health threat, and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) carrying antimicrobial resistance genes favor this phenomenon. In this work, phenotypic antimicrobial resistance to commonly used antimicrobials was studied, and the antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and plasmid replicons associated with the resistances were determined.

Methods: Eighty-eight Italian strains ( = 88), from human, animal and food sources, isolated between 2009 and 2019, were selected to represent serovars with different frequency of isolation in human cases of salmonellosis.

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Tetrodotoxins (TTXs) are potent neurotoxins named after the Tetraodontidae fish family. The ingestion of TTX-contaminated flesh can cause neurotoxic symptoms and can lead to death. In 2017 symptoms the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recognized the threat to food safety resulting from TTX exposure via food consumption and, thus, proposed a safety limit of 44 μg/kg of TTX in marine gastropods and bivalves.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A study tested whether certain genes could predict the likelihood of infection from various pathogen strains, using data from 87 strains and applying a random forest model to analyze their virulence.
  • * Results showed a wide range of infection probabilities but no clear patterns among serovars, indicating that common virulence factors are not reliable predictors and suggesting that biofilm formation mechanisms differ from those of cell invasion.
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We report the genome sequence of a Salmonella enterica subsp. serovar Bispebjerg strain that was isolated from a turkey flock in 2011. The genome analysis of the strain, a rare and multihost serovar, revealed its pathogenic potential due to antimicrobial resistance and a plethora of Salmonella pathogenicity islands and virulence factors.

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() is a worldwide cause of acute diarrheal disease both in humans and animals. The primary aim of this study was to investigate possible variations in gut microbiota in a population of asymptomatic dogs ( = 31), naturally infected or not by . Gut microbiota and the hematological, biochemical, and fecal parameters related to intestinal function were investigated.

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Although usually harmless, spp. can cause nosocomial and community-onset skin and soft tissue infections in both humans and animals; thus, it is considered a significant burden for healthcare systems worldwide. Companion animals have been identified as potential reservoirs of pathogenic with specific reference to Methicillin Resistant (MRSA).

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Article Synopsis
  • Antibiotic usage can lead to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in microbial communities, raising public health concerns due to the potential transmission among pathogens.
  • The origins and transmission routes of these ARGs, particularly from farms where antibiotics are used in animal husbandry, are still unclear, although studies indicate dairy farms are hotspots for high-risk ARGs.
  • The research highlights calves as significant contributors to ARG spread in dairy farms and suggests focused strategies to reduce ARG levels in this area of livestock production.
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Obesity in dogs is an emerging issue that affects canine health and well-being. Its development is ascribed to several factors, including genetic predisposition and dietary management, and recent evidence suggests that intestinal microbiota may be involved as well. Previous works have shown obesity to be linked to significant changes in gut microbiota composition in humans and mice, but only limited information is available on the role played by canine gut microbiota.

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We report the whole-genome sequence of a Campylobacter strain that was isolated from breeding pheasants presenting "bulgy eyes" in Italy. Traditional molecular typing methods did not return any reliable result. Whole-genome sequencing and sequence comparison with known genomes did not meet the criteria for assignment to an existing species.

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is a major cause of food-borne infections in Europe, and the majority of human infections are caused by only a few serotypes, among them are subsp. serotype Enteritidis (hereafter Enteritidis), Typhimurium, and the monophasic variant of . Typhimurium.

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Antibiotic resistance is a serious concern for public health. Farm environments are relevant reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), thus strategies to limit the spread of ARGs from farms to the environment are needed. In this study a broiler farm, where antibiotics have never been used for any purpose, was selected to evaluate if this measure is effective in reducing the ARGs load in farm environment (FE) and in meat processing environment (MPE).

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spp. isolated from poultry are a major public health concern. Antimicrobial resistance is increasing in general, which is associated with limited treatment of diseases in animal husbandry and in human as well.

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Tetrodotoxins (TTXs) are a group of potent neurotoxins named after the Tetraodontidae fish family (pufferfish). TTXs have been reported in several animal taxa, both terrestrial and marine. The ingestion of TTX-contaminated flesh can cause serious neurotoxic symptomatology and can eventually lead to death.

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Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Napoli (S. Napoli) ranks among the top serovars causing human infections in Italy, although not common in other European countries.

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is the most frequent foodborne zoonotic bacteria worldwide, with chicken meat being overwhelmingly the most important reservoir for human infections. Control measures implemented at the farm level (i.e.

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Background: Surgical sterilization is the most effective method of contraception for dogs. It also prevents pyometra and reduces the risk of mammary tumour development. However, this procedure also has negative effects, such as urinary incontinence.

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Objectives: Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Kentucky has been associated with the worldwide ciprofloxacin-resistant (CIP) Salmonella Kentucky sequence type 198 (ST198) epidemic clone, mostly recovered from poultry farms and products. The aim of this study was to examine whether this expanding clone exists in the Lebanese broiler chain.

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