Kinematic patterns of tectonic displacements in the Blue Clay outcrops along the eastern border of the Bradanic Trough (Southern Italy) from {DTM} data processing

The Bradanic Trough (Southern Italy) is the Pliocene-present-day south Apennines foredeep. It is filled by a thick Pliocene to Pleistocene sedimentary succession constituted by hemipelagites (Blue Clay Fm.) in the lower part, and coarse grained deposits (sands and conglomerates) in the upper part, shaped in marine or continental terraced environment. On the eastern border of the Bradanic Trough along the Murgian Plateau (Apulia, Italy) numerous morphological lineaments are associated with sequential lowering and rotation of the surface, aligned with the carbonate substrate dip direction. These morphologies have been interpreted so far as erosion products; their association with medium-deep water circulations and surface phenomena, like mud volcanoes, now allows their interpretation as a lumped mass, detached and tilted along shear surfaces. The surface patterns of such surfaces may be easily detected for the presence, at some distance, of a quite similar twin track, which overlaps with good agreement. The numerical analysis of the tracks extracted from accurate DTMs allows us to reconstruct the kinematic patterns of the tectonic displacement (distance of the detachment; rotation; angle of the shear plane). This type of analysis might reveal very useful in some fields of engineering geology, such as underground works, and for interpreting many hydrogeological phenomena within the study area. Finally, the correct 3D representation of the detached masses helps to identify the true causes of the direct faulting, which is not always linked to the tectonics, not active in the concerned regions

Sequential circulation of canine adenoviruses 1 and 2 in captive wild carnivores, France

Scarce data are currently available about the ecology of canine adenoviruses (CAdVs) in wild carnivores. In this paper, the consecutive circulation of CAdV-1 and CAdV-2 in wild carnivores maintained in a French zoological park is reported. A fatal CAdV-1 infection was observed in a Eurasian wolf (Canis lupus lupus), which displayed gross lesions, histopathological changes and immunohistochemical findings suggestive of CAdV-1 infection. The virus was isolated on cell cultures and its genome was determined through next-generation sequencing, resulting genetically related to a recent Italian CAdV-1 strain detected in an Italian wolf. Subsequently, subclinical circulation of CAdV-2 was demonstrated by molecular methods in wild carnivores maintained in the same zoological park, some of which had been previously vaccinated with a CAdV-2 vaccine. Virus detection at a long distance from vaccination and by unvaccinated animals was suggestive of infection by a CAdV-2 field strain, although no data are available about the extent and duration of shedding of CAdV-2 modified-live virus in wild or domestic carnivores. The present paper provides new insights into the CAdV ecology in wildlife, although future studies are needed to fully understand the pathogenic potential of both CAdVs especially in endangered carnivore species

Feline calicivirus infection in cats with virulent systemic disease, Italy

Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a contagious viral pathogen that usually causes a mild, self-limiting respiratory disease. More recently, highly virulent FCV strains have emerged and have been associated with severe systemic infection, referred to as virulent systemic disease (VSD). The objective of this study is to report VSD cases in Italian cats along with the molecular characterization of two detected FCV strains. Three client-owned cats showed clinical signs resembling to those described for VSD cases. The cats were subjected to molecular investigations for detection of FCV and other feline pathogens. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry were performed on internal organs of one cat; molecular characterization of two detected FCV strains was obtained through sequence and phylogenetic analyses. Putative VS-FCV strains were detected in all three cats, which were co-infected with feline panleukopenia virus. The cat submitted to histopathology and immunohistochemistry displayed severe histological changes and FCV antigens in internal organs. Two Italian FCV strains, for which amplification of ORF2 was successful, were strictly related and formed a unique phylogenetic cluster. These viruses did not show consistent changes in the amino acid sequences with respect to reference VS-FCVs. The results of our study confirm that VS-FCV strains are circulating in Italy and that VSD diagnosis is complicated since both genetic and clinical markers have not been identified so far

Canine adenovirus type 1 and Pasteurella pneumotropica co–infection in a puppy [Co‑infezione di adenovirus canino tipo 1 e Pasteurella pneumotropica in un cucciolo di pastore tedesco]

In 2008, a 2‑month‑old male German shepherd was presented with fever, depression, and evident organic wasting. The puppy died within 48 hours after the onset of clinical signs. A complete necropsy was performed. Bacteriological examination of samples from the brain, lung, liver, spleen, and bone marrow tested positive for Pasteurella pneumotropica. Histopathology demonstrated inflammatory and vascular lesions in the central nervous system and internal organs. Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV‑1) nucleic acid was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the frozen brain but not in the formalin‑fixed, paraffin‑embedded liver and lung samples. The positive PCR was subsequently confirmed by indirect fluorescent antibody testing of the paraffin‑embedded brain and liver sections. Although the liver is the primary site of viral damage, these laboratory findings suggest that CAdV‑1 infection should be included in the differential diagnosis of neuropathological diseases in dogs and that adenoviral infections could promote septicaemia caused by opportunistic pathogens

HoBi-like pestivirus experimental infection in pregnant ewes: Reproductive disorders and generation of persistently infected lambs

In order to evaluate sheep as experimental model to test the efficacy of HoBi-like pestivirus vaccines for cattle, 10 sheep at different stages of pregnancy (30 or 50 days) were experimentally infected with the Italian prototype isolate Italy-1/10-1. Irrespective of the stage of pregnancy, virus inoculation resulted in reproductive failures, consisting of abortion, stillbirths or birth of weak or persistently infected (PI) lambs. Aborted fetuses, stillborn and dead lambs displayed extensive histopathological changes, consisting of hemorrhages, congestion and mononuclear infiltration in major organs. Pestiviral antigens were detected by immunohistochemistry in most tissues with remarkable signals in lungs and kidneys. PI lambs were constantly viremic, shed the virus through the nasal secretions and feces and, in all cases but one, did not have detectable HoBi-like pestivirus antibodies before the assumption of colostrum. The single seropositive infected lamb showed low-titer viremia and viral shedding that ceased only several weeks after the 3-month observation period. The study proves that sheep are susceptible to the reproduction failures caused by HoBi-like pestivirus infection and can serve as a suitable model for the evaluation of the fetal protection induced by homologous experimental vaccines

First report of malignant catarrhal fever in a captive pudu (Pudu puda)

A male, six-year-old pudu (Pudu puda) from an Italian zoo was submitted for postmortem examination after sudden death. Necroscopy revealed non-suppurative bronchopneumonia and degeneration of the liver and haemorrhagic lesions of the thymus, pericardium and spleen. Microscopically, multifocal perivascular mononuclear cell infiltrates were observed in the kidneys, lungs, spleen, and the portal triads of the liver. Histological examination of the brain showed meningitis, vasculitis and perivascular cuffs of mononuclear inflammatory cells. A region of the DNA polymerase gene of malignant catarrhal fever viruses was amplified by real-time PCR and nested PCR. PCR products from the tissue samples were sequenced and analysed. The sequences showed 99% similarity with a portion of the caprine herpesvirus 2 DNA polymerase gene. This is the first report of malignant catarrhal fever in a captive pudu