Molecular Testing of Zoonotic Bacteria in Cattle, Sheep, and Goat Abortion Cases in Botswana.

Abortion is one of the major causes of economic losses in livestock production worldwide. Because several factors can lead to abortion in cattle, sheep and goats, laboratory diagnosis, including the molecular detection of pathogens causing abortion, is often necessary. Bacterial zoonotic diseases such as brucellosis, coxiellosis, leptospirosis, and listeriosis have been implicated in livestock abortion, but they are under diagnosed and under-reported in most developing countries, including Botswana.

The Challenge of Bacterial Strain Identification: Serovars Australis in a Dog and Long-Term Clinical Follow-Up.

Leptospirosis is a widespread disease throughout the world, presenting in severe clinical forms in dogs. The pathogenicity of the different serovars in field infections is not fully documented, and clinical diagnosis is often limited to a combination of serological tests and molecular analyses. The latter, although a fundamental tool, cannot identify the infecting strain without further analysis.

The use of scenario tree models in support of animal health surveillance: A scoping review.

Background: Scenario tree modelling is a well-known method used to evaluate the confidence of freedom from infection or to assess the sensitivity of a surveillance system in detecting an infection at a certain design prevalence. It facilitates the use of data from various sources and the inclusion of risk factors into calculations, while still obtaining quantitative estimates of surveillance sensitivity and probability of freedom.

Objectives: We conducted a scoping review to identify scenario tree models (STMs) applied to assess freedom from infection in veterinary medicine, characterize their use, parameterisation, reporting and potential limitations.

Mosquito management strategies in European rice fields: Environmental and public health perspectives.

Rice is a crucial food source and an important economic activity globally. Rice fields provide habitats for birds and other organisms but also serve as ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes, including potential vectors such as Culex, Aedes, and Anopheles. There is an urgent need to manage mosquitoes associated with rice crops, as they are important pests and vectors of diverse pathogens.

Unveiling directional physiological coupling in human-horse interactions.

This research investigates the human-horse bond, aiming to unveil the physiological mechanisms regulating interspecies interactions. We hypothesized observing a physiological synchronization in human-horse dynamics, akin to human interactions. Through time-frequency Granger causality analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) and behavioral data, this study reveals the establishment of bidirectional synchronization in HRV between humans and horses.

Highly Specific Polyphenolic Colloids as Alternatives to Antimicrobials in Livestock Production.

The dispersion of antibiotics in livestock farming represents a health concern worldwide, contributing to the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria through animals, the environment, and humans. Phenolic compounds could be alternatives to antibiotics, once drawbacks such as their low water solubility, bioavailability, and reduced stability are overcome. Although nano- or micro-sized formulations could counter these shortcomings, they do not represent cost-effective options.

HEMATOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY REFERENCE INTERVALS FOR FREE-LIVING ADULT LESSER KESTRELS () IN SOUTHERN ITALY.

The lesser kestrel () is a small falcon with a Euro-Central and Asian-Mediterranean range wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. In the second half of the 20th century, the European population experienced a steep decline and was classified as at risk; thus, its biological and ecological aspects have been widely investigated. Nonetheless, data on hematology and plasma chemistry are not yet available.

The integration of omics and cultivation-dependent methods could effectively determine the biological risks associated with the utilization of soil conditioners in agriculture.

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.

Antimicrobials administration, treatment outcome and bacterial susceptibility in canine pyometra cases subjected to ovariohysterectomy.

Pyometra is a bacterial uterine infection that frequently affects intact older bitches. The treatment of choice is ovariohysterectomy, often associated with perioperative antimicrobial therapy. The aim of this retrospective investigation was to evaluate the antibiotic choice at different administration times (pre-surgery, at surgery/during hospitalization, and post-surgery) against complications and outcomes, considering the susceptibility profile of bacteria.

The vaginal microbiota of healthy female cats.

The vaginal microbiota of the queen (i.e., female cat) has never been described using culture independent methods.

High pathogenic avian influenza A(H5) viruses of clade 2.3.4.4b in Europe-Why trends of virus evolution are more difficult to predict.

Since 2016, A(H5Nx) high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus of clade 2.3.4.

How to Measure Human-Dog Interaction in Dog Assisted Interventions? A Scoping Review.

Human-dog interaction is the working tool through which the therapeutic, educational and recreational goals of dog-assisted interventions (DAIs) are achieved. A better understanding of the characteristics of this interaction could improve the effectiveness of DAIs. This scoping review addresses the question: how has the human-dog connection been measured in the context of DAIs? After searching the Web of Science and Scopus platforms, only peer-reviewed, primary research studies reporting measures of therapy dog-human interaction, relationship and bond were included.

HEMATOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY REFERENCE INTERVALS FOR REHABILITATED EUROPEAN BADGERS ().

The goal of this study was to establish routine reference intervals (RI) for common laboratory tests for the European badger (). Blood samples were collected from 13 female and 11 male adult European badgers in a wildlife rehabilitation facility and used for standard hematology and biochemistry analyses. The established 95% RI (2.

SARS-CoV-2 in Animal Companions: A Serosurvey in Three Regions of Southern Italy.

Several animal species have been found to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The occurrence of infection in dogs and cats living in close contact with owners deserves particular attention from public health authorities in a One Health approach. In this study, we conducted serological screening to identify SARS-CoV-2 exposure in the sera from dogs and cats in three regions of southern Italy sampled during the years 2021 and 2022.

The application of biosecurity practices for preventing avian influenza in North-Eastern Italy turkey farms: An analysis of the point of view and perception of farmers.

Introduction: Italian and international outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), particularly in densely populated poultry areas (DPPAs), have increased over the past few decades. These emerging risks, which endanger both human and animal health and the entire poultry industry, can be effectively limited by biosecurity measures implemented at human-animal food chain interfaces. Some problems, however, persist in the application of these measures on the part of poultry farmers, prompting the need to explore those aspects and causes that limit their implementation.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a dog: a systematic diagnostic approach.

A seven-year-old female neutered Parson Russel terrier was referred for syncopal episodes. An electrocardiogram revealed paroxysmal atrial flutter followed by periods of sinus arrest, suggesting sick sinus syndrome. Echocardiography showed severe biventricular wall thickening (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) phenotype) with no signs of fixed or dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.

A systematic review on the occurrence of Salmonella in farmed Tenebrio molitor and Acheta domesticus or their derived products.

Insects represent a sustainable and protein-rich food source. This new supply chain requires the study and monitoring of pathogens' presence and impact, as for other farmed animals. Among pathogens, Salmonella is of interest due to the well-established possibility for insects to harbor it.

A systematic review of experimental studies on Salmonella persistence in insects.

The consumption of insects as food and feed has been recently suggested as a possible alternative to the rising global food need, thus it is crucial to monitor any potential food safety hazards in the insect supply chain. The aims of this systematic review were to collect, select, and evaluate studies investigating the persistence of Salmonella in insects. We searched PUBMED, EMBASE, WEB of Science Core Collection, and Food Science and Technology Abstracts.

Ancient DNA re-opens the question of the phylogenetic position of the Sardinian pika Prolagus sardus (Wagner, 1829), an extinct lagomorph.

Palaeogenomics is contributing to refine our understanding of many major evolutionary events at an unprecedented resolution, with relevant impacts in several fields, including phylogenetics of extinct species. Few extant and extinct animal species from Mediterranean regions have been characterised at the DNA level thus far. The Sardinian pika, Prolagus sardus (Wagner, 1829), was an iconic lagomorph species that populated Sardinia and Corsica and became extinct during the Holocene.

Epidemiology, surveillance and diagnosis of Usutu virus infection in the EU/EEA, 2012 to 2021.

BackgroundUsutu virus (USUV) is a flavivirus with an enzootic cycle between birds and mosquitoes; humans are incidental dead-end hosts. In Europe, the virus was first detected in Italy in 1996; since then, it has spread to many European countries.AimWe aimed to report on the epidemiology, surveillance, diagnosis and prevention of USUV infection in humans, mosquitoes and other animals in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) from 2012 to 2021.

Development of a Training Strategy Aimed at Increasing Veterinarians' Awareness of the Proper Use of Antibiotics on Rabbit Farms.

The rabbit sector faces significant challenges with antimicrobial usage (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). A focus group involving nine rabbit sector stakeholders identified key issues contributing to high AMU and the need for veterinarians' training. Participants emphasized the lack of clear legislation, biosecurity standards, and the importance of training on best practices to reduce AMU.

Tetrodotoxin in bivalve mollusks: An integrated study towards the comprehension of the influencing factors of a newly native phenomenon.

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.