Publications by authors named "Matteo RiccO"

Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic pathogen with the potential to cause human outbreaks with a high case fatality ratio. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, available evidence on NiV infections occurring in healthcare workers (HCWs) was collected and critically appraised. According to the PRISMA statement, four medical databases (PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Scopus) and the preprint repository medRixv were inquired through a specifically designed searching strategy.

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Background: Symptoms of anxiety and depression are very common among healthcare workers (HCWs) and could impact the quality of care.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of these disorders in a public health company and their association with work ability and work-related stress.

Methods: A cross-sectional study involved 80 HCWs being treated for mental disorders (MD), 55 HCWs who said they suffered from MD but were not being treated, and 824 healthy colleagues.

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory infections, particularly affecting young infants, older adults, and individuals with comorbidities. : This document, developed as a consensus by an international group of experts affiliated with the World Association of Infectious Diseases and Immunological Disorders (WAidid), focuses on recent advancements in RSV prevention, highlighting the introduction of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and vaccines. : Historically, RSV treatment options were limited to supportive care and the monoclonal antibody palivizumab, which required multiple doses.

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Background: The aim of this study was to estimate the effectiveness of original and bivalent COVID-19 vaccines in reducing COVID-19-associated hospitalizations among the adult population of Turin, Italy.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, test-negative, case-control study of 5768 adults aged ≥50 years who had symptoms that were consistent with COVID-19-like illness and were admitted to the hospitals of the Turin Health Unit network from 1 January 2021 to 31 January 2023. We evaluated the effectiveness of the vaccines that at the time of the study were authorized in the European Union (original/bivalent BNT162b2; original mRNA-1273; ChAdOx1-S; Ad26.

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Article Synopsis
  • Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk of varicella zoster virus (VZV) exposure due to potentially inadequate vaccination, which could lead to outbreaks that affect both HCWs and patients.
  • A meta-analysis including data from 58 studies with 71,720 HCWs revealed a VZV seronegative status of 5.72%, with higher rates among younger workers, and similar seronegative rates were found for measles and rubella.
  • The findings highlight the need for systematic immunity testing for newly hired HCWs to ensure adequate protection against VZV, measles, and rubella.
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Oropouche Virus (OROV; genus of Orthobunyavirus) is the causal agent of Oropouche Fever (OF). Due to the lack of specific signs and symptoms and the limited availability of diagnostic tests, the actual epidemiology of OROV infections and OF has been extensively disputed. In this systematic review with meta-analysis, a literature search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and MedRxiv in order to retrieve relevant articles on the documented occurrence of OROV infections.

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  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections are increasingly linked to neurological issues like encephalitis and encephalopathy, prompting a systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant studies and case reports.
  • The analysis included 15 studies with over 7,700 RSV infections and found a pooled prevalence of 2.20 cases of encephalitis/encephalopathy per 100 RSV cases, suggesting a significant association.
  • While RSV detection in the central nervous system (CNS) was rare (about 17.86% of cases), it was more common in males and often resulted in long-term complications, highlighting the virus as a notable but infrequent cause of encephalitis.
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Article Synopsis
  • - A systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody, in preventing lower respiratory tract diseases caused by RSV in infants, analyzing data from 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 7 real-world studies.
  • - The analysis, covering 45,238 infants, found an overall immunization efficacy of 88.40% in reducing hospital admissions due to RSV, although efficacy decreased with longer observation times.
  • - While nirsevimab proved effective, the increased risk of breakthrough infections over longer follow-up periods suggests the need for future research to refine public health strategies during RSV seasons.
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Respiratory diseases, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections, are common reasons for seeking healthcare among refugees and asylum seekers. A systematic review with meta-analysis was designed to appraise all the available evidence on RSV infections among individuals in refugee camps. Three medical databases (PubMed, Embase, and Scopus) as well as the preprint repository medRxiv.

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Monoclonal antibodies targeting interleukin (IL)-5 pathways have revolutionized the treatment expectations for eosinophilic-associated conditions, particularly in patients with respiratory involvement. Mepolizumab (IL-5 antagonist monoclonal antibody), benralizumab (IL-5 receptor blocker monoclonal antibody), and reslizumab (IL-5 antagonist monoclonal antibody) have collectively contributed to the overall improvement of the disease burden in various conditions. Eosinophilic asthma currently boasts the most robust evidence across all age groups: all three biologics are approved for adults (aged ≥18 years); mepolizumab is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) also in children (aged ≥ 6 years), while bernalizumab was recently approved by the FDA for patients aged ≥6 years in the USA.

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A systematic review and meta-analysis was designed in order to ascertain the effectiveness of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination in preventing lower respiratory tract diseases (LRTD) in older adults (age ≥ 60 years). Studies reporting on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched for in three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Scopus) and the preprint repository medRxiv until 31 March 2024. A total of nine studies were eventually included, two of which were conference proceedings.

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Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common cause of respiratory tract infections. Usually associated with infants and children, an increasing amount of evidence suggests that RSV can cause substantial morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals, including recipients of bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The present systematic review was therefore designed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines to collect available evidence about RSV infections in BMT recipients.

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Article Synopsis
  • Asbestos is a significant occupational carcinogen, and despite its ban in Italy since 1992, the country continues to face high rates of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs), particularly in the Province of Palermo from 2010 to 2021.
  • The study identified 245 ARD cases among asbestos-exposed workers, revealing a range of conditions including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, with tobacco use notably increasing lung cancer risk.
  • The findings highlight the ongoing public health challenge posed by ARDs, stressing the need for improved data collection and early diagnosis methods to better manage these diseases in affected populations.
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Introduction: The recent surge in migration to and within the European Union and European Economic Area has brought the development of migration policy, including health policy, to the forefront of regional priorities. While migrants, in general, do not pose a health threat to the host population, specific subgroups of migrants, including refugees, asylum seekers, and irregular migrants, are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases. To support public health policies in this area, the Emergency Preparedness and Management' working group of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health has conducted a systematic narrative review with the aim to comprehensively analyze the infectious disease risk within the refugee and asylum seeker populations in EU, EEA, and EU-applicant countries.

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Homeless people (HP) are disproportionally affected by respiratory disorders, including pneumococcal and mycobacterial infections. On the contrary, more limited evidence has been previously gathered on influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and very little is known about the occurrence of human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common cause of respiratory tract infections among children and the elderly. The present systematic review was designed to collect available evidence about RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections in HP, focusing on those from urban homeless shelters.

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Background And Aim: This cross-sectional study assessed knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of Italian Occupational Physicians (OPs) on Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among meat/poultry processing plant workers (MPWs) (Summer season 2020).

Methods: Data were collected through an online questionnaire including demographic characteristics, and items about COVID-19-related KAP in MPWs. A logistic regression was modelled in order to characterize explanatory variables of the outcome variable of having any professional experience as OP in meat/poultry processing industry.

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Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) represents a potential health threat for tourists in high-risk areas, including the Dolomite Mountains in northeastern Italy. The present questionnaire-based survey was, therefore, designed in order to assess knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices (KAP) in a convenience sample of Italian tourists visiting the Dolomite Mountains, who were recruited through online discussion groups. A total of 942 participants (39.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Both OP and WS had similar rates of COVID-19 incidence, but OP experienced milder symptoms and clinical courses; however, these differences were not statistically significant.
  • * Patients with BS who contracted COVID-19 had better weight loss outcomes and a higher occurrence of gastric-bypass procedures, indicating that follow-up for these patients is essential as COVID-19 may influence BS results.
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: Nitrous oxide (NO) has recently emerged as a cheap alternative to other recreational substances. Although legally available, its chronic use is associated with severe neurological and hematological complications due to the irreversible inactivation of vitamin B12. While no reliable data on abuse of NO in Italy have been provided to date, we assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Italian medical professionals on the management of NO abuse cases.

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Workers occupationally exposed to welding dusts and fumes have been suspected to be at increased risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). Since the 2010s, the United Kingdom Department of Health and the German Ständige Impfkommission (STIKO) actively recommend welders undergo immunization with the 23-valent polysaccharide (PPV23) pneumococcal vaccine, but this recommendation has not been extensively shared by international health authorities. The present meta-analysis was therefore designed to collect available evidence on the occurrence of pneumococcal infection and IPD among welders and workers exposed to welding fumes, in order to ascertain the effective base of evidence for this recommendation.

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Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) Virus can cause a serious human disease, with the case fatality ratio previously estimated to be 30-40%. Our study summarized seroprevalence data from occupational settings, focusing on the following occupational groups: animal handlers, abattoir workers, farmers, healthcare workers, veterinarians, rangers, and hunters. Systematic research was performed on three databases (PubMed, EMBASE, MedRxiv), and all studies reporting seroprevalence rates (IgG-positive status) for CCHF virus were retrieved and their results were reported, summarized, and compared.

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Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) can cause a severe human syndrome characterized by meningo-myeloencephalitis. The actual epidemiology of BoDV-1 remains disputed, and our study summarized prevalence data among children and adolescents (<18-year-old). Through systematic research on three databases (PubMed, EMBASE, MedRxiv), all studies, including seroprevalence rates for BoDV-1 antigens and specific antibodies, were retrieved, and their results were summarized.

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Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a main cause of medical referrals and hospitalizations in all infants, particularly among newborns. Nevertheless, relatively limited evidence on chest tomography (CT) findings has been collected. According to the PRISMA statement, Pubmed, Embase, and medRxiv were searched for eligible observational studies published up to 31 December 2022.

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In Italy, Legionnaires' Disease (LD) causes >1000 hospital admissions per year, with a lethality rate of 5 to 10%. Occupational exposures could reasonably explain a substantial share of total cases, but the role of Occupational Physicians (OPs) in management and prevention of LD has been scarcely investigated. The present survey therefore evaluates the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding LD from a convenience sample of Italian OPs, focusing on their participation in preventive interventions.

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