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

In September 2014, 7 sperm whales stranded along the Adriatic Italian coastlines. Postmortem investigations on 3 dead females dead and in 1 fetus harbored by the largest one revealed molecular and immunoistochemical evidences of dolphin morbillivirus infection. A possible role of the virus in the stranding event was considered

Serologic survey in a chamois population of Abruzzo

<strong>Abstract</strong> As part of the Abruzzo National Park wildlife health management program, serum samples from 62 free-living and captive Abruzzo chamois, <em>Rupicapra (pyrenaica) ornata</em>, were tested to estimate antibody presence to some pathogenous agents. The serum, drawn during chemical immobilisations for introductions or population study programs, were tested for: bovine <em>herpes virus</em> 1 (BHV-1),<em> parainfluenza virus</em> (PI3), <em>pesti virus</em>, foot and mouth disease virus (FMD) type O-A-C, bovine leukemia virus (BLV), <em>ovicaprini lentivirus</em>, <em>encephalomyocarditis virus</em> (EMCV), <em>S-phase brucellae</em>, <em>leptospira interrogans</em>, <em>mycobacterium paratuberculosis</em>, <em>chlamydia psittaci</em>, <em>coxiella burnetii</em>, <em>rickettsia mooseri</em> and <em>conori</em> and <em>toxoplasrna gondii</em>. Twenty-three subjects were found positive to BHV-1 (7/62), <em>pestivirus</em> (6/62), EMCV (8/62), <em>leptospira</em> (5/62) and <em>toxoplasma</em> (4/62). Results did not indicate any active infection but only contact with some pathogenic agents

Inhibitory Effect against Listeria monocytogenes of Carbon Nanoparticles Loaded with Copper as Precursors of Food Active Packaging

Human listeriosis is a serious foodborne disease of which outbreaks are occurring increasingly frequently in Europe. Around the world, different legal requirements exist to guarantee food safety. Nanomaterials are increasingly used in the food industry as inhibitors of pathogens, and carbon nanomaterials are among the most promising. In the present study, novel carbon nanoparticles loaded with copper (CNP-Cu) were prepared, and their antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes was assessed. CNPs of two sizes were synthesized and characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), electrophoretic light scattering (ELS) and electron microscopy (EM). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CNP-Cu was determined in accordance with the available standard. To get insights into its mechanism of action, the release of copper ions into a cell media was assessed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission (ICP-OE), and the ability of loaded CNPs to generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) was evaluated by EPR spectroscopy. Finally, the extent of release of copper in a food simulant was assessed. The results demonstrated the antimicrobial effectiveness of CNP-Cu, with growth inhibition up to 85% and a release of copper that was more pronounced in an acidic food simulant. Overall, the results indicate CNP-Cu as a promising agent for the design of active food packaging which is able to improve food shelf-life

Preliminary Assessment of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Two Wild Groups of Endangered Moor Macaques (Macaca maura) from Sulawesi

PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF GASTROINTESTINAL PARASITES IN TWO WILD GROUPS OF ENDANGERED MOOR MACAQUES (MACACA MAURA) FROM SULAWESI Alessandro Albani1, Claudio De Liberato2, Isra Wahid3, Federica Berrilli4, Erin Phelps Riley5, Giusy Cardeti2, Putu Oka Ngakan6, Monica Carosi1 1 Department of Sciences, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy 2 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri”, Rome, Italy 3 Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia 4 Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy 5 Department of Anthropology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, US 6 Faculty of Forestry, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia Information on parasite biodiversity and abundance can improve our understanding of parasitic infections on endangered wildlife, as parasites can affect host survival and reproduction and may play a crucial role in determining population dynamics. We conducted a noninvasive assessment of gastrointestinal parasites in wild Macaca maura, an Endangered primate endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, and examined the influence of season and sex on parasite richness and prevalence. We collected fecal samples (n = 72) from 18 individuals from two groups. We collected data from September 2014 to February 2015 and from June to November 2016, sampling each individual at least twice. We detected two taxa of nematodes (Trichuris sp. and Strongylida fam. gen.) and eight of protozoa (Giardia duodenalis, Chilomastix mesnili, Entamoeba hartmanni, Entamoeba polecki-like, Entamoeba coli, Iodamoeba bütschlii, Balantoides coli and Blastocystis sp.). The gastrointestinal parasite richness (2.5 ± 0.4 SD) was below the mean reported for non-threatened primates, whereas the mean prevalence of infection across all parasites (56.3%) was above the mean. We did not find any statistically significant difference in parasite richness or prevalence between seasons or the sexes. This preliminary assessment addresses the paucity of studies on parasites of wild primates in Southeast Asia, and can contribute to our understanding of the newly emerging human-macaque interface at this sit

Cetacean Poxvirus in two striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) stranded on the Tyrrhenian coast of Italy: histopathological, ultrastructural, biomolecular, and ecotoxicological findings

Tattoo skin disease (TSD) is a poxviral disease typical of cetaceans. Two juvenile and well-preserved male striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), found stranded along the Tuscany and Latium coasts of Italy in 2015 and 2016, respectively, showed typical skin lesions ascribable to TSD. Histological, ultrastructural and biomolecular investigations confirmed a poxviral aetiology for the aforementioned skin lesions. To our knowledge, this should be the first report of TSD in cetaceans stranded along the Italian coastline. As organochlorines like PCBs and DDTs are known to be highly immunotoxic, the tissue loads of these contaminants were evaluated, in order to increase our knowledge on their potential role as well as on the relationships between the level of exposure to these pollutants and poxviral infection's occurrence

Detection of Felis catus papillomavirus type-2 DNA and viral gene expression suggest active infection in feline oral squamous cell carcinoma

Papillomavirus (PV) infection is associated with development of epithelial cancer in different species, including domestic cat (Felis catus). Felis catus PV type-2 (FcaPV-2) is considered the causative agent of a proportion of feline cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), through the transforming properties of its E6 and E7 oncogenes. However, the possible role of FcaPVs in the aetiology of feline oral SCC (FOSCC) is still unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the presence and gene expression of FcaPV-2 in FOSCC samples. We detected FcaPV-2 DNA in 10/32 (31%) of the analysed FOSCC by the use of PCR methods. Importantly, viral mRNA was detected by RT-PCR in 7/10 (70%) of DNA positive samples. In particular, FcaPV-2 L1, E2 and E6E7 genes were found to be expressed in 5/10 (50%), 3/10 (33%) and 5/10 (50%) samples, respectively. Viral DNA was also detected in non neoplastic oral ulcerative lesions (ULs) (4/11, 36%); qPCR suggested a difference in viral load between ULs and FOSCCs, particularly in those expressing E6E7, although it was not statistically significant. These data suggest, but do not definively prove, a possible role of FcaPV-2 in the development of a proportion of FOSCC. Moreover, L1 and E2 gene expression results indicate that FcaPV-2 infection associated with these tumours may possibly be productive

Whole Genome Characterization of Orthopoxvirus (OPV) Abatino, a Zoonotic Virus Representing a Putative Novel Clade of Old World Orthopoxviruses

Orthopoxviruses (OPVs) are diffused over the complete Eurasian continent, but previously described strains are mostly from northern Europe, and few infections have been reported from Italy. Here we present the extended genomic characterization of OPV Abatino, a novel OPV isolated in Italy from an infected Tonkean macaque, with zoonotic potential. Phylogenetic analysis based on 102 conserved OPV genes (core gene set) showed that OPV Abatino is most closely related to the Ectromelia virus species (ECTV), although placed on a separate branch of the phylogenetic tree, bringing substantial support to the hypothesis that this strain may be part of a novel OPV clade. Extending the analysis to the entire set of genes (coding sequences, CDS) further substantiated this hypothesis. In fact the genome of OPV Abatino included more CDS than ECTV; most of the extra genes (mainly located in the terminal genome regions), showed the highest similarity with cowpox virus (CPXV); however vaccinia virus (VACV) and monkeypox virus (MPXV) were the closest OPV for certain CDS. These findings suggest that OPV Abatino could be the result of complex evolutionary events, diverging from any other previously described OPV, and may indicate that previously reported cases in Italy could represent the tip of the iceberg yet to be explored.Peer Reviewe

RNA-sequence analysis of gene expression from honeybees (Apis mellifera) infected with Nosema ceranae

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are constantly subjected to many biotic stressors including parasites. This study examined honeybees infected with Nosema ceranae (N. ceranae). N. = ceranae infection increases the bees energy requirements and may contribute to their decreased survival. RNA-seq was used to investigate gene expression at days 5, 10 and 15 Post Infection (P. I) with N. ceranae. The expression levels of genes, isoforms, alternative transcription start sites (TSS) and differential promoter usage revealed a complex pattern of transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation suggesting that bees use a range of tactics to cope with the stress of N. ceranae infection. N. ceranae infection may cause reduced immune function in the bees by: (i) disturbing the host amino acids metabolism (ii) down-regulating expression of antimicrobial peptides (iii) down-regulation of cuticle coatings and (iv) down-regulation of odorant binding proteins

Detection of viruses from feces of wild endangered Macaca maura: a potential threat to moor macaque survival and for zoonotic infection

Background To date, there is a scarcity of information and literature on Macaca maura health status relative to viral diseases. The objectives of the present study were to investigate on the potential spread of enteric and non-enteric viruses shed in the environment through a wild macaque feces and to understand the possible interrelation in the spread of zoonotic viruses in a poorly studied geographical area, the Sulawesi Island. This study will also contribute providing useful information on potential threats to the health of this endangered species. Methods The sampling was conducted between 2014 and 2016 in the Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park, in the south of the Sulawesi Island and non-invasive sampling methods were used to collect fresh stools of the M. maura, one of the seven macaque species endemic to the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The population under study consisted in two wild, neighboring social macaque groups with partially overlapping home ranges; twenty-four samples were collected and examined using negative staining electron microscopy and a panel of PCR protocols for the detection of ten RNA and two DNA viruses. Results Viral particles resembling parvovirus (5 samples), picornavirus (13 samples) and calicivirus (13 samples) were detected by electron microscopy whereas the PCR panel was negative for the 12 viruses investigated, except for one sample positive for a mosquito flavivirus. The results did not correlate with animal sex; furthermore, because all of the animals were clinically healthy, it was not possible to correlate feces consistency with viral presence. Conclusions As information on viral infections in wild moor macaques remains limited, further studies are yet required to identify the fecal-oral and blood transmitted potentially zoonotic viruses, which may infect the moor macaque and other macaque species endemic to the South Sulawesi Island