Brominated flame retardants in Caretta caretta sea turtles from the Adriatic Sea.

This study evaluated the levels of 10 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 3 hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs) in liver and fat tissue of 45 Caretta caretta stranded along the Adriatic Sea. The analytical methodology was based on gas or liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry. The mean values of PBDEs and α-HBCDD were 0.

Exposure of to Microplastics: Accumulation, Depuration and Evaluation of the Expression Levels of a Selection of Molecular Biomarkers.

Microplastic contamination is a growing marine environmental issue with possible consequences for seafood safety. Filter feeders are the target species for microplastic (MPs) pollution because they filter large quantities of seawater to feed. In the present study, an experimental contamination of was conducted using a mixture of the main types of MPs usually present in the seawater column (53% filaments, 30% fragments, 3% granules) in order to test the purification process as a potential method for removing these contaminants from bivalves intended for human consumption.

Microplastics evidence in yolk and liver of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), a pilot study.

The potential toxicity of microplastics is a growing concern for the scientific community. The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is particularly inclined to accidently ingest plastic and microplastic due to its long-life cycle features. The possible transfer of microplastics from the female to the eggs should be investigated.

Infection in Striped Dolphins from Italian Seas: Associated Lesions and Epidemiological Data.

infections have been increasingly reported in cetaceans. In this study, we analyzed all cases of infection detected in striped dolphins stranded along the Italian coastline between 2012 and 2021 ( = 24). We focused on the pathogenic role of through detailed pathological studies, and ad hoc microbiological, biomolecular, and serological investigations, coupled with a comparative genomic analysis of the strains.

Dietary Preferences of Loggerhead Sea Turtles () in Two Mediterranean Feeding Grounds: Does Prey Selection Change with Habitat Use throughout Their Life Cycle?

According to their life stage, the loggerhead sea turtle () is found in a wide range of habitats, from neritic to more oceanic areas. Their feeding habits are expected to change as they develop, along with habitat use. Juvenile sea turtles are hypothesized to feed on pelagic species in oceanic areas, shifting to more benthic prey during the subadult and adult stages.

Chlorinated Persistent Organic Pollutants (PCDD/Fs and PCBs) in Loggerhead Sea Turtles Stranded along the Central Adriatic Coast.

Persistent organic pollutants are widespread in the marine environment. They can bioaccumulate and biomagnify in marine organisms through the food web with a potentially toxic effect on living organisms. The sea turtle is a carnivorous animal with opportunistic feeding behavior.

First Report of Septicaemic Listeriosis in a Loggerhead Sea Turtle () Stranded along the Adriatic Coast: Strain Detection and Sequencing.

Although there are increasing reports on the prevalence of in wild species, this is the first case of listeriosis in sea turtle. An adult female was rescued after being stranded alive along the coast of the Abruzzo region (Italy) in summer 2021. The turtle died in 6 days due to respiratory failure.

Cellular Prion Protein Expression in the Brain Tissue from -Infected Striped Dolphins ().

, a zoonotic pathogen of major concern to cetacean health and conservation, is responsible for severe meningo-encephalitic/myelitic lesions in striped dolphins (), often leading to their stranding and death. This study investigated, for the first time, the cellular prion protein (PrP) expression in the brain tissue from -infected, neurobrucellosis-affected striped dolphins. Seven -infected, neurobrucellosis-affected striped dolphins, found stranded along the Italian coastline (6) and in the Canary Islands (1), were investigated, along with five -uninfected striped dolphins from the coast of Italy, carrying no brain lesions, which served as negative controls.

Evaluating the impact of hydrometeorological conditions on E. coli concentration in farmed mussels and clams: experience in Central Italy.

Highly populated coastal environments receive large quantities of treated and untreated wastewater from human and industrial sources. Bivalve molluscs accumulate and retain contaminants, and their analysis provides evidence of past contamination. Rivers and precipitation are major routes of bacteriological pollution from surface or sub-surface runoff flowing into coastal areas.

Atypical Toxoplasmosis in a Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) Pup.

The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is the rarest species of pinniped in the world. Necropsy of a Mediterranean monk seal pup that stranded alive on the southern Adriatic Italian coast and died a few hours later revealed co-infection by cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) and Toxoplasma gondii. Pathological lesions included a multifocal, moderate to severe, necrotizing myocarditis and a diffuse, chronic, moderate interstitial pneumonia with bronchial and bronchiolar epithelial hyperplasia.

Specific capture and whole-genome phylogeography of Dolphin morbillivirus.

Dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) is considered an emerging threat having caused several epidemics worldwide. Only few DMV genomes are publicly available. Here, we report the use of target enrichment directly from cetacean tissues to obtain novel DMV genome sequences, with sequence comparison and phylodynamic analysis.

Immunohistochemical investigations on Brucella ceti-infected, neurobrucellosis-affected striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba).

Bacteria of the genus Brucella cause brucellosis, an infectious disease common to humans as well as to terrestrial and aquatic mammals. Since 1994 several cases of Brucella spp. infection have been reported in marine mammals worldwide.

A pilot study on molecular diagnosis of Hapalotrema mistroides (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) infection in blood samples of live loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta.

Background: Parasites of the family Spirorchiidae cause disease and mortality in marine and freshwater turtles; two species, Hapalotrema mistroides and Neospirorchis sp., are reported in the resident population of loggerhead turtles of the Mediterranean Sea, with the first being the most widespread. In vivo diagnosis of spirorchidiasis can represent a challenge in guaranteeing prompt control and treatment of the disease and is currently limited to copromicroscopy.

Comparative Immunopathology of Infection in Free-Ranging Dolphins From Western Mediterranean, Northeast-Central, and Southwestern Atlantic.

(CeMV; ) causes epizootic and interepizootic fatalities in odontocetes and mysticetes worldwide. Studies suggest there is different species-specific susceptibility to CeMV infection, with striped dolphins (), bottlenose dolphins (), and Guiana dolphins () ranking among the most susceptible cetacean hosts. The pathogenesis of CeMV infection is not fully resolved.

Comparative histopathologic and viral immunohistochemical studies on CeMV infection among Western Mediterranean, Northeast-Central, and Southwestern Atlantic cetaceans.

Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) is a major natural cause of morbidity and mortality in cetaceans worldwide and results in epidemic and endemic fatalities. The pathogenesis of CeMV has not been fully elucidated, and questions remain regarding tissue tropism and the mechanisms of immunosuppression. We compared the histopathologic and viral immunohistochemical features in molecularly confirmed CeMV-infected Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) from the Southwestern Atlantic (Brazil) and striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Northeast-Central Atlantic (Canary Islands, Spain) and the Western Mediterranean Sea (Italy).

Vibrio parahaemolyticus- and V. alginolyticus-associated meningo-encephalitis in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) from the Adriatic coast of Italy.

A case of Vibrio parahaemolyticus- and V. alginolyticus-associated meningo-encephalitis in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) found stranded along the Adriatic coast of Italy in 2016 is herein reported, along with a minireview on V. parahaemolyticus and V.

Genome Sequence of Canine Adenovirus Type 1 Isolated from a Wolf () in Southern Italy.

Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1), a DNA virus of the family , causes infectious canine hepatitis, a highly contagious disease primarily affecting canids. In this report, we describe the isolation and whole-genome sequence of a CAdV-1 isolate from the liver of a free-ranging wolf ().

Dolphin Morbillivirus Associated with a Mass Stranding of Sperm Whales, Italy.

In September 2014, seven sperm whales were stranded along Italy's Adriatic coastline. Postmortem investigations on 3 female adult whales and 1 male fetus carried by the largest female revealed molecular and immunohistochemical evidence of dolphin morbillivirus infection. A possible role of the virus in the stranding event was considered.