Droplet Digital RT-PCR (dd RT-PCR) Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Honey Bees and Honey Collected in Apiaries across the Campania Region.

Coronaviruses (CoVs), a subfamily of Orthocoronavirinae, are viruses that sometimes present a zoonotic character. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the recent outbreak of COVID-19, which, since its outbreak in 2019, has caused about 774,593,066 confirmed cases and 7,028,881 deaths. Aereosols are the main route of transmission among people; however, viral droplets can contaminate surfaces and fomites as well as particulate matter (PM) in suspensions of natural and human origin.

A Reliable Multifaceted Solution against Foodborne Viral Infections: The Case of RiLK1 Decapeptide.

Food-borne transmission is a recognized route for many viruses associated with gastrointestinal, hepatic, or neurological diseases. Therefore, it is essential to identify new bioactive compounds with broad-spectrum antiviral activity to exploit innovative solutions against these hazards. Recently, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been recognized as promising antiviral agents.

Antimicrobial activity, membrane interaction and structural features of short arginine-rich antimicrobial peptides.

Antimicrobial activity of many AMPs can be improved by lysine-to-arginine substitution due to a more favourable interaction of arginine guanidinium moiety with bacterial membranes. In a previous work, the structural and functional characterization of an amphipathic antimicrobial peptide named RiLK1, including lysine and arginine as the positively charged amino acids in its sequence, was reported. Specifically, RiLK1 retained its β-sheet structure under a wide range of environmental conditions (temperature, pH, and ionic strength), and exhibited bactericidal activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungal pathogens with no evidence of toxicity on mammalian cells.

Effects of Essential Oils and Hydrolates on the Infectivity of Murine Norovirus.

The use of natural substances with antiviral properties might reduce foodborne viral diseases. In this study, we evaluated the virucidal effect of and essential oils (EOs) and of , and hydrolates on murine norovirus (MNV), a human norovirus surrogate. To assess the virucidal effect of these natural substances, the reduction in viral infectivity was estimated by comparing the TCID/mL of untreated viral suspension and the viral suspension treated with hydrolates and EOs at different concentrations.

SARS-CoV-2 in Atmospheric Particulate Matter: An Experimental Survey in the Province of Venice in Northern Italy.

Analysis of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) has been proposed for the environmental surveillance of SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this study was to increase the current knowledge about the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 in atmospheric PM, introduce a dedicated sampling method, and perform a simultaneous assessment of human seasonal coronavirus 229E. Thirty-two PM samples were collected on quartz fiber filters and six on Teflon using a low- and high-volumetric rate sampler, respectively, adopting a novel procedure for optimized virus detection.

SARS-CoV-2 detection in nasopharyngeal swabs: Performance characteristics of a real-time RT-qPCR and a droplet digital RT-PCR assay based on the exonuclease region (ORF1b, nsp 14).

The emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 has led to a compelling request for accurate diagnostic tests. The aim of this study was assessing the performance of a real-time RT-qPCR (rt RT-qPCR) assay and of a droplet digital RT-PCR (dd RT-PCR) targeting the nsp14 genome region for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal swabs. A total of 258 nasopharyngeal swabs were analyzed with the nsp14 assays and, for comparison, with a reference assay targeting the RdRp and E genes.

Hepatitis A Virus Strains Circulating in the Campania Region (2015-2018) Assessed through Bivalve Biomonitoring and Environmental Surveillance.

The genetic diversity of Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) circulating in the Campania Region in years 2015-2018 was investigated through the monitoring of sentinel bivalve shellfish and water matrices. Overall, 463 water samples (71 sewage samples, 353 coastal discharge waters, and 39 seawaters samples), and 746 bivalve shellfish samples were analyzed. Positivity for HAV was detected in 20/71 sewage samples, 14/353 coastal discharge waters, 5/39 seawaters, and 102/746 bivalve shellfish.

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment as support for bathing waters profiling.

Profiling bathing waters supported by Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) is key to the WHO's recommendations for the 2020/2021 revision of the European Bathing Water Directive. We developed an area-specific QMRA model on four pathogens, using fecal indicator concentrations (E. coli, enterococci) for calculating pathogen loads.

Molecular Detection of Human Salivirus in Italy Through Monitoring of Urban Sewages.

Salivirus (SalV) is a newly discovered virus associated to acute gastroenteritis in humans. In Italy, its prevalence and genetic diversity is unknown. To reduce this knowledge gap, 124 sewage samples collected throughout the country were analyzed for SalV by two nested RT-PCRs targeting the 5'UTR and the 3D regions and by real-time RT-qPCR.