90 research outputs found
Hazard Identification Related to the Presence of Vibrio spp., Biogenic Amines, and Indole-Producing Bacteria in a Non-Filter Feeding Marine Gastropod (Tritia mutabilis) Commercialized on the Italian Market
open4noTritia mutabilis is a carrion-feeder edible marine gastropod with an open circulatory sys-
tem. Therefore, biological, and chemical contaminants associated with the feed can reach all body
tissues. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible association of these char-
acteristics with some food safety hazards. Vibrio spp. load, and the prevalence of pathogenic
V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, and V. cholerae, were investigated. Moreover, biogenic amines (BAs)
and indole-producing bacteria (IPB), markers of seafood decomposition, were quantified for the
first time in an edible carrion-feeder. Overall, 49 batches were analyzed (38 from retail, and 11 from
primary production). The Vibrio spp. load resulted of 5.64 ±0.69 log10 CFU gâ1 at retail, and
5.27 ±0.74 at harvest but all batches resulted negative for pathogenic Vibrio. Histamine, putrescine,
cadaverine, and tyramine were detected both at harvest and at the retail level. Their sum (BAs
Index) showed a mean value of 50.45 and 65.83 mg Kgâ1 in batches at harvest and at retail, respec-
tively. IPB were detected at harvest and upon refrigeration for three days (T1âT3). The mean load
resulted in 2.52 ±0.85 log10 MPN gâ1 at T0, 3.31 ±1.23 at T3 in batches immediately refrigerated,
and 3.22 ±1.18 at T3 in batches previously immersed in clean seawater. Our results contribute to
identifying food-borne hazards for T. mutabilis that may be related to the retention of biogenic amines
and indole-producing bacteria due to carrion feedingopenSerratore, Patrizia; Bignami, Giorgia; Ostanello, Fabio; Lorito, LunaSerratore, Patrizia; Bignami, Giorgia; Ostanello, Fabio; Lorito, Lun
Improvement of environmental quality in intensive pig farming through an integrated bioactivation program for the control and prevention of swine mycoplasmal pneumonia
The decline of pig health status is the effect of a bad air quality inside breeding
facilities related to the concentration of biogases derived from the action of faecal
microbial flora on urine nitrogen. Bioactivation of the environment with bacterialenzymatic
mixtures is able to reduce this chemical emanation.
An experimental trial has been performed to evaluate the efficacy of the bioactivation
treatment to prevent mycoplasmal pneumonia in finishing pigs. Treated and untreated
groups, different treatment schemes and different floors have been compared. The
ammonia concentration was checked by a chemical method. M. hyopneumoniae
infection was evaluated through seroprevalence and by a quantitative lung-scoring
system. For all slaughter-lots average carcass weight was recorded.
The decrease of the environmental ammonia concentration resulted in lower lungscores
and higher carcass weight
Detection and Characterization of Porcine Sapelovirus in Italian Pig Farms
Porcine sapelovirus (PSV) belongs to the genus Sapelovirus of the family Picornaviridae. PSV infects pigs asymptomatically, but it can also cause severe neurologic, enteric, and respiratory symptoms or reproductive failure. Sapelovirus infections have been reported worldwide in pigs. The objective of this study was to investigate the presence and the prevalence of PSV in Italian swine farms in animals of different ages to clarify the occurrence of the infection and the genetic characteristics of circulating strains. In the present study, 92 pools of fecal samples, collected from pigs across three farms, were analyzed by Reverse Transcriptase-polymerase Chain Reaction-PCR (RT-PCR). Fecal pools from young growers (63/64) were found positive for Sapelovirus in all farms while detection in sows (4/28) was observed in only one farm. Phylogenetic analyses of the 19 partial capsid protein nucleotide sequences (VP1) (6\u20137 each farm) enable the classification of the virus sequences into three distinct clades and highlighted the high heterogeneity within one farm. The whole genome sequence obtained from one strain showed the highest correlation with the Italian strain detected in 2015. The study adds novel information about the circulation and heterogeneity of PSV strains in Italy and considering the movement of pigs across Europe would also be informative for other countries
Detection of hepatitis E virus RNA in rats caught in pig farms from Northern Italy
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains belonging to the Orthohepevirus genus are divided into four species (A\u2013D). HEV strains included in the Orthohepevirus A species infect humans and several other mammals. Among them, the HEV\u20103 and HEV\u20104 genotypes are zoonotic and infect both humans and animals, of which, pigs and wild boar are the main reservoirs. Viruses belonging to the Orthohepevirus C species (HEV\u2010C) have been considered to infect rats of different species and carnivores. Recently, two studies reported the detection of HEV\u2010C1 (rat HEV) RNA in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients, suggesting a possible transmission of rat HEV to humans. The role of rats and mice as reservoir of HEV and the potential zoonotic transmission is still poorly known and deserves further investigation. To this purpose, in this study, the presence of HEV RNA was investigated in the intestinal contents and liver samples from 47 Black rats (Rattus rattus) and 21 House mice (Mus musculus) captured in four pig farms in Northern Italy. The presence of both Orthohepevirus A and C was investigated by the real\u2010rime RT\u2010PCR specific for HEV\u20101 to HEV\u20104 genotypes of Orthohepevirus A species and by a broad spectrum hemi\u2010nested RT\u2010PCR capable of detecting different HEV species including rat HEV. The intestinal content from two Black rats resulted positive for HEV\u2010C1 RNA and for HEV\u20103 RNA, respectively. None of the House mice was HEV RNA positive. Sequence analyses confirmed the detection of HEV\u2010C1, genotype G1 and HEV\u20103 subtype e. The viral strain HEV\u20103e detected in the rat was identical to swine HEV strains detected in the same farm. Liver samples were negative for the detection of either rat HEV or HEV\u20103
Correlation of Anti-Salmonella Antibodies Between Serum and Saliva Samples Collected From Finisher Pigs
Saliva samples obtained by using absorptive devices, can provide an alternative diagnostic matrix to serum for monitoring disease status in pigs. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of anti-Salmonella antibodies between serum and saliva samples collected from pigs. Twenty individual paired serum and saliva samples were collected from a single farm. Anti-Salmonella IgG was detected in individual serum samples using a commercial Salmonella ELISA kit, validated for sera. The same kit was used with a protocol modified by extending incubation time and increasing temperature to test individual saliva samples. Anti-Salmonella IgG antibodies in pig saliva were always detected at a lower level than in the matching serum samples. A correlation (rho = 0.66; p = 0.002) and a moderate agreement (K > 0.62 p = 0.003) was found between individual Salmonella IgG in serum and saliva samples. Both correlation and the agreement levels are moderate. The size of this investigation was small, and further studies are necessary to further confirm these findings. The results of this work provide some evidence that saliva samples have the potential to be used for the diagnosis of Salmonella infection in pig farms
Enteropatia proliferativa da Lawsonia intracellularis nel suino
L\u2019enteropatia proliferativa del suino (proliferative enteropathy - PE), denominata anche ileite, \ue8 causata da Lawsonia intracellularis,
un batterio intracellulare obbligato. La PE \ue8 una patologia a trasmissione oro-fecale che si manifesta soprattutto nella fase
di magronaggio ed \ue8 responsabile di consistenti perdite economiche negli allevamenti intensivi. I danni economici sono causati
dalla riduzione dell\u2019incremento ponderale e dell\u2019indice di conversione dell\u2019alimento e dall\u2019aumento della mortalit\ue0 e dei soggetti
di scarto. La PE \ue8 endemica in numerosi Paesi con prevalenze di aziende ed animali infetti che, in Europa, superano il 90%
e il 40%, rispettivamente. Nel suino, la patologia \ue8 caratterizzata da un ispessimento della mucosa intestinale dovuto alla proliferazione
incontrollata delle cellule delle cripte intestinali accompagnata dall\u2019inibizione, ad opera di L. intracellularis, della maturazione
e della differenziazione delle cellule caliciformi secretorie e delle cellule assorbenti. La conseguenza inevitabile \ue8 la riduzione
dell\u2019assorbimento dei nutrienti e la perdita di aminoacidi e proteine nel lume intestinale, con conseguente diarrea. La
PE si manifesta con due forme cliniche principali: 1) la forma acuta (enteropatia proliferativa emorragica - PHE) che si osserva
principalmente in animali dai 4 ai 12 mesi d\u2019et\ue0, caratterizzata da una diarrea sanguinolenta e da elevata mortalit\ue0 (fino al
50%) e, 2) la forma cronica (adenomatosi intestinale - PIA) che colpisce suini dalle 6 alle 20 settimane d\u2019et\ue0, e il cui sintomo principale
\ue8 rappresentato da una diarrea con feci pastose. Sono state descritte anche altre due forme cliniche a bassa incidenza: a)
l\u2019enterite necrotica (NE), espressione di una forma di enteropatia proliferativa cronica complicata da infezioni secondarie che
esita in un\u2019estesa necrosi coagulativa dell\u2019epitelio intestinale e, b) l\u2019ileite regionale (RI), risultante dalla guarigione delle lesioni
dovute a NE e caratterizzata da deposizione di tessuto di granulazione e ispessimento della tonaca muscolare. La diagnosi indiretta,
che viene generalmente eseguita utilizzando un test ELISA, consente di valutare l\u2019eventuale esposizione dei suini a L. intracellularis,
mentre la diagnosi diretta (realizzata impiegando test biomolecolari qualitativi: PCR o quantitativi: qPCR, immunoistochimica
- IHC) permette di valutare se l\u2019infezione \ue8 in atto. Analogamente a quanto accade per altre forme patologiche
del suino, la semplice messa in evidenza di L. intracellularis nelle feci non rappresenta un criterio diagnostico valido nei confronti
di PE. La corretta procedura diagnostica prevede la quantificazione del numero di microrganismi/grammo di feci e la messa in
evidenza di L. intracellularis all\u2019interno delle lesioni intestinali. La profilassi e il controllo si basano sull\u2019applicazione di rigide misure
di lavaggio e disinfezione che consentono di ridurre la contaminazione ambientale tra un ciclo produttivo e l\u2019altro e l\u2019applicazione
di misure di biosicurezza interna. Particolare attenzione va riservata all\u2019alimentazione, che dovrebbe garantire l\u2019equilibrio
della microflora intestinale tramite un corretto rapporto tra proteina altamente digeribile e frazione di fibra, con il supporto di
integratori probiotici e prebiotici. In una logica di uso consapevole del farmaco, la somministrazione di massa di antibiotici durante
la fase critica del magronaggio dovrebbe essere limitata ai soli gruppi con sintomatologia clinica, implementando invece
la profilassi vaccinale.Porcine Proliferative Enteropathy (PE or ileitis) is an infectious
enteric disease caused by the intracellular pathogen Lawsonia
intracellularis (LI). PE is endemic in many countries and causes
severe economic losses in swine production system worldwide
due to reduction of daily weight gain, reduction of feed
conversion ratio and increase of mortality and swine waste. In
Europe, the prevalence of infected farms and infected animals
is more than 90% and 40%, respectively. In PE, intestinal mucosa
is thickened by uncontrolled proliferation of intestinal crypt
cells while secretory cells and absorbent cells are decreased in
number because LI prevents their maturation. Diarrhea is the
consequence, due to reduced absorption and loss of amino acid
and protein in intestinal lumen. Clinical forms are divided into
acute (proliferative hemorrhagic enteropathy - PHE) and chronic
form (porcine intestinal adenomatosis - PIA). Acute form
affects animals from 4 to 12 weeks of age and is characterized
by high mortality (>50%) and hemorrhagic diarrhea. Chronic
form affects swine of 6-20 weeks of age and is characterized
by pasty diarrhea. Based on morphological findings, two
other forms are reported: necrotic enteritis (NE) and regional
ileitis (RI). The first is a chronic form complicated by secondary
infection that result in coagulative necrosis of intestinal
epithelium. Healing of necrotic enteritis lesions results in both
thickening of muscular layer of intestinal wall and granulation
tissue deposition, both of which are typical findings of RI. Indirect diagnosis (e.g. ELISA) assess the exposure to L. intracellularis
while direct diagnosis (PCR, qPCR, Immunohistochemistry
-IHC) assess the current infection. Effective diagnosis
is obtained comparing quantitation of microorganism/gram
of feces with the detection of L. intracellularis within intestinal
lesion. Prophylaxis and control of proliferative enteropathy are
based on biosecurity measures combined with strict washing
and disinfection measures to reduce environmental contamination.
Proper nutrition management helps to ensure the balance
of intestinal microflora by the use of highly digestible protein,
by correct intake of fiber fraction and with probiotic and
prebiotic supplements. To limit subclinical forms of disease,
vaccination should replace antibiotic treatments which instead
should be reserved only for symptomatic groups of pig
A screening sampling plan to detect Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis-positive dairy herds
Abstract Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the etiological agent of paratuberculosis, a chronic contagious bacterial disease primarily affecting dairy cattle. Paratuberculosis represents a dual problem for the milk production chain: in addition to economic losses to affected herds, MAP may have zoonotic potential. Infected herds must be identified in order to implement programs designed to reduce the incidence of disease within and between herds and to prevent MAP from entering the food chain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of a screening sampling plan (SSP) to detect MAP-positive dairy herds by repetitive analysis of bulk tank milk (BTM) samples by ELISA and in-line milk filter (ILMF) samples by PCR. Samples from BTM and ILMF were collected twice from 569 dairy herds in southern Italy. Additionally, 12,016 individual milk samples were collected: 9,509 from 102 SSP-positive herds (SSP MAP-positive) and 2,507 from 21 randomly selected SSP-negative herds (SSP MAP-negative). There was a total of 126 SSP MAP-positive herds (i.e., 21.3% SSP MAP-positive herds; 95% confidence interval=18.0â24.9); the within-herd apparent prevalence (AP) ranged between 0.00 and 22.73% (mean 6.07%). A significant difference in within-herd AP was shown between SSP MAP-positive herds and SSP MAP-negative herds. A highly significant association was shown between the median AP herd status (>5%) and positivity to at least one ILMF or BTM sample. The SSP detected a minimum of 56.25% of low AP herds (AP â€2.0%) up to a maximum of 100% of herds with a within-herd AP â„8.0%. Overall, the SSP detected 85.57% of herds in which at least one individual milk sample was positive by ELISA. The proposed SSP was an inexpensive and useful tool to detect MAP-positive herds with a higher risk of infection diffusion and milk contamination. Although the SSP cannot be used for MAP-free certification of herds, it could be useful to prioritize appropriate control measures aimed at reducing the prevalence of infection in dairy herds and milk contamination
Evaluation of pre-slaughter losses of Italian heavy pigs
A retrospective observational study evaluated the risk factors for pre-slaughter losses (i.e. animal deaths occurring during transport and lairage) and their economic impact in Italian heavy pigs (about 160 kg body weight). Of the 3,344,730 pigs transported, 1,780 (0.053%) died before slaughter, with most losses occurring during transport (56.6%). The estimated economic impact was of \ue2\u82\uac 424,000. The percentage of batches with at least one animal lost pre-slaughter increased during summer (P<0.001). The proportion of pre-slaughter losses was higher when journey lasted above 90 min (P<0.001) and was correlated with transport duration (P<0.01). Losses were higher (P<0.01) in batches transported at low stocking densities (i.e., when heavier pigs were transported). Batches with lower slaughtering order (i.e., longer lairage time) had higher proportions of losses (P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of a given batch to have at least one animal lost pre-slaughter were 1.32 times higher for batches slaughtered in summer, 1.54 times higher if journey durations exceeded 90 min, 1.25 times higher for batches with low slaughtering order, and not significantly influenced by stocking density during transport
Absence of Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) in Italian Lagomorph Species Sampled between 2019 and 2021
The zoonotic hepatitis E virus genotype 3 (HEV-3) causes most autochthonous human
hepatitis E cases in Europe, which are due to the consumption of raw or undercooked food products
of animal origin. Pigs and wild boars are considered the main reservoirs of this genotype, while
rabbits are the reservoir of a distinct phylogenetic group named HEV-3ra, which is classified within
the HEV-3 genotype but in a separate clade. Evidence for the zoonotic potential of HEV-3ra was
suggested by its detection in immunocompromised patients in several European countries. HEV-
3ra infection was found in farmed and feral rabbit populations worldwide and its circulation was
reported in a few European countries, including Italy. Furthermore, Italy is one of the major rabbit
meat producers and consumers across Europe, but only a few studies investigated the presence of
HEV in this reservoir. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of HEV in 328 Italian hares
and 59 farmed rabbits collected in 3 Italian macro-areas (North, North-Central, and South-Central),
between 2019 and 2021. For this purpose, liver samples were used to detect HEV RNA using broad-
range real-time RT-PCR and nested RT-PCR. Using 28 liver transudates from hares, the ELISA test
for anti-HEV IgG detection was also performed. Neither HEV RNA nor anti-HEV antibodies were
detected. Further studies will be conducted to assess the HEV presence in Italian lagomorphs to
establish the role of this host and the possible risk of transmission for workers with occupational
exposure, to pet owners and via food
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