Human brucellosis: Incidence, prevention and strategies for control

Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonotic infection caused by Gramnegative, facultative intracellular bacteria belonging to the genus Brucella. The main species with moderate-to-significant human pathogenicity are: Brucella melitensis (from sheep and goats), Brucella suis (from pigs), Brucella abortus (from cattle), and Brucella canis (from dogs). The pathogen is primarily transmitted to humans through direct or indirect contact with infected animals or by consuming contaminated food, such as undercooked meat and untreated milk and dairy products (e.g., cheese, butter or ice cream made from raw milk). The infection causes abortion, sterility, or stillbirth in domestic and wild animals, and decreases milk production, resulting in significant economic losses. In humans, it presents a wide spectrum of symptoms, including undulant fever, general malaise, fatigue, muscle pain, arthralgia, orchitis/epididymitis, endocarditis, and meningitis. Human cases are primarily associated with occupational exposure. Livestock owners, farmers, veterinarians, artificial inseminators, milkers, meat packers or laboratory workers are at higher risk of frequent exposure to the pathogen. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies brucellosis as one of the most neglected zoonotic diseases. Its incidence is higher in underdeveloped nations (over 170 countries/regions), with the Mediterranean region particularly affected. The disease is also known by various names, including Mediterranean flaccid fever, Malta fever, Crimean fever, or Gibraltar fever. Brucellosis remains a significant public health concern, with approximately half a million new human cases reported annually worldwide. In the European Union (EU), according to Directive 2003/99/EC, brucellosis is subject to mandatory surveillance in 25 Member States. Based on the 2022 report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC), there were 198 confirmed cases of illness, resulting in 55 hospitalizations, with a notification rate of 0.04 cases per 100,000 population. This represents a slight increase (29.2%, 0.03% per 100,000 population) compared to 2021. Controlling brucellosis mainly involves education and prevention, as well as personal hygiene measures and food safety practices. Surveillance, identification and isolation of infected animals are critical for managing prevention, control, and eradication programs. This chapter examines the recent prevalence of brucellosis, the pathogenicity of the microorganism as well as the clinical manifestations of the infection in humans. It also describes the methods for detecting the pathogen, outlining appropriate measures to prevent the presence of Brucella spp. in food

Essere «voce della molteplicità (e simultaneità) del vivente»: il ‘diario’ di Lorenzo Malagugini in Sotto specie umana

Studio sulla raccolta poetica di Mario Luzi "Sotto specie umana" e sul suo alter ego/ eteronimo Lorenzo Malagugin

La tassazione tra nutrizione e sostenibilità: analisi dei principi fiscali e potenziali applicazioni

I dati relativi all’obesità e al sovrappeso sono oramai allarmanti. Alla luce di essi, le principali organizzazioni internazionali (OMS e ONU) incentivano l’utilizzo di politiche fiscali atte a direzionare le abitudini alimentari dei consumatori verso scelte più salutari. L’obiettivo della tesi è quello di porre in rilievo l’opportunità, sotto il profilo della tutela della salute, di quelle forme di tassazione (fat tax e sugar tax) che, attraverso una rimodulazione (in aumento) dei prezzi, siano in grado di influenzare (in negativo) la domanda degli alimenti considerati dannosi per l’uomo (c.d. junk food). Attesa la comprovata correlazione tra cibi sani e cibi a minor impatto ambientale, l'analisi ivi condotta evidenzia altresì come un siffatto cambio di alimentazione possa contribuire alla necessaria riduzione delle emissioni di gas serra (GHG) associate al cibo. Sotto questo profilo, può ipotizzarsi l’introduzione di un prelievo modulato sulle emissioni di carbonio generate da ciascun alimento (c.d. carbon tax sugli alimenti) o, in alternativa, un’imposizione afferente ai soli prodotti di origine animale (c.d. carbon meat tax). A tal fine, vengono analizzate, dapprima, la compatibilità di siffatte forme di prelievo con i principi cardine del diritto tributario e, successivamente, le ipotetiche forme strutturali della tassazione (in specie impiego di forme di prelievo già esistenti o istituzione di tributi ad hoc), nonché le modalità attuative maggiormente in grado di permettere alla stessa di raggiungere, sotto il profilo del suddetto scopo disincentivante, i migliori risultati possibili. Lo studio, infine, evidenzia come una tassazione di questo tipo possa contribuire al raggiungimento dell’obiettivo non solo per il tramite dell’aumento di prezzo che deriverebbe dal prelievo e, quindi, della forza deterrente che ne è insita, ma anche attraverso l’auspicabile finalizzazione dell’entrata così percepita al finanziamento di misure integrative e accessorie, di natura non autoritativa (quali, ad esempio, investimenti tecnologici in grado di rendere gli alimenti e le produzioni più sostenibili, riduzione dell’IVA applicata sui cibi più salutari, ecc.) che, in una logica di intervento multisettoriale, devono necessariamente sussistere

Seasonal prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profiles in Enterococcus spp. identified from mussels farmed along the coasts of the Abruzzo region

The present study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) circulation through the different seasons in the Enterococcus genus isolated from mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) for human consumption and farmed along the coasts of the central Adriatic Sea (Abruzzo region, Italy). A total of 250 mussels were collected, and 32 Enterococci (90.62% Enterococcus faecium and 9.37% Enterococcus durans) were identified using the VITEK 2 system (bioMérieux, France). Antibiograms included 26 molecules used for the treatment of veterinary and human infections. Biomolecular screenings involved 45 genetic determinants responsible for AMR. Results showed mainly resistance against tetracycline (44.44%), vancomycin (27.78%), quinupristin-dalfopristin (16.67%), nitrofurantoin, and linezolid (11.11%). Concerning the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), multiplex end-point polymerase chain reaction assays mostly amplified tetC (59.37%), tetD (50.00%), cfr (43.75%), vanA and vanD (37.50%), vatE (21.87%), vatD, poxtA and qnrS (18.75%) and 52.67% and 35.11% in winter and spring seasons, respectively. The consistent environmental ARG circulation confirms the genetic pollution of marine environments, and the season variable (water temperatures) significantly influences their horizontal circulation and phenotypical expression. The AMR phenomenon, defined as uncontrolled, represents a crucial public health concern that needs to be monitored

Review of the book of Santana, Germán (dir). Patrimonio cultural africano atlántico y de la afrodescendencia. Paris: L’Harmattan, 339 pages

This review will summarise the main aspects of the book, on African heritage and the forgiveness it has been subjected to in history. Several authors bring different perspectives and points of view, along with different places, to this multidisciplinary study that gives us an overview of how heritage management is working in different places on the Atlantic African continent

Perspectives on cultured and traditional meat: An analysis of Italian consumers

This study investigates Italian consumers’ perceptions and preferences regarding cultured versus traditional meat. Two distinct consumer groups emerged: conservative consumers, who resist novel foods and are largely unwilling to buy cultured meat, and younger, more open-minded consumers, who prioritize environmental and animal welfare concerns and are more inclined to purchase cultured meat. Logistic regression analysis indicates that food neophobia, technophobia, and concerns about cultured meat’s impact on rural economies negatively influence the likelihood of purchasing cultured meat. Conversely, awareness of the meat industry’s environmental issues positively correlates with the likelihood of opting for cultured meat products