Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding leptospirosis among residents of riverside settlements of Santa Fe, Argentina.

Leptospirosis is a global and re-emerging zoonotic disease caused by Leptospira spirochetes that are shed into the environment by infected animals. Humans can get infected via contact with animal hosts or contaminated environment. In Argentina, the highest annual incidences were reported in the province of Santa Fe, where epidemic outbreaks occurred during flooding events. This study examined the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding leptospirosis among residents of riverside slum settlements from Santa Fe after a major flood.A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to 113 residents of 3 riverside settlements from Santa Fe. The influence of knowledge and attitudes regarding leptospirosis on the likelihood that an individual will use preventive practices were evaluated using linear mixed-effects models. The majority of respondents (83.2%) had previously heard about leptospirosis; however specific knowledge about leptospirosis was limited. The results of the modeling efforts, show that the likelihood of using preventive practices was associated with having greater knowledge score, but not with more positive attitudes. We also found that females were more likely to use safer practices than males.Even though the majority of respondents had heard about leptospirosis, a high percentage of them had limited knowledge regarding the severity of the disease and its prevalence in the region. Our results suggest that public health interventions in these riverside communities should focus on educating the public on the multiple dimensions of leptospirosis in order to attain greater adherence to preventive practices instead of intending to change the perceptions or attitudes towards the disease, which did not have a significant influence. The key challenge lies in identifying effective strategies to reach the high risk group for leptospirosis here that is male fishermen, who spend most of the time in precarious campsites on the river islands

Flood map of the locations where the questionnaire was implemented.

<p>(A) Before the flood event; (B) During the flood event; (C) Location of the province of Santa Fe in Argentina; (D) Location of the study area in the province of Santa Fe. Accessible areas of study sites are overlaid as heat map where darker shades of orange indicate higher concentration of sampling units. Map generated with QGIS Geographic Information System. Satellite imagery was downloaded from Landsat8 OLI/TIRS downloaded from U.S. Geological Survey at: <a href="https://ers.cr.usgs.gov/" target="_blank">https://ers.cr.usgs.gov/</a>. Vector layers were downloaded from Natural Earth at: <a href="http://www.naturalearthdata.com/" target="_blank">http://www.naturalearthdata.com/</a>.</p

Study sites at the time of the questionnaire.

<p>(A) Children playing in a small dump-yard outside the evacuation center of Site 1; (B) Flooded household from Site 2; (C) Self-evacuated residents from Site 3.</p

Parameter estimations for the coefficients of the most parsimonious model for practices score (n = 92).

<p>Parameter estimations for the coefficients of the most parsimonious model for practices score (n = 92).</p

Frequencies (%) of attitudes towards leptospirosis among respondents that heard about leptospirosis (n = 94).

<p>Frequencies (%) of attitudes towards leptospirosis among respondents that heard about leptospirosis (n = 94).</p

<i>Scapteromys aquaticus</i>: nueva especie de roedor hospedadora de <i>Orthohantavirus</i> en la región central de Argentina

Los roedores silvestres son reservorios de Orthohantavirus, el agente etiológico del síndrome pulmonar por hantavirus (SPH). La región central de Argentina es endémica para SPH, con tasas de mortalidad de entre 24 y 31 %. En dicha región se han identificado tres Orthohantavirus patógenos para los humanos, aunque su asociación con especies de roedores hospedadores no es del todo clara. En los últimos años, además, se han incrementado los casos de SPH en el centro y norte de la provincia de Santa Fe. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar infecciones con Orthohantavirus en roedores de tres comunidades ribereñas cercanas a la ciudad de Santa Fe, pertenecientes al valle de inundación del río Paraná. Cada asentamiento fue dividido en tres sitios de estudio según el nivel de perturbación antrópica, colocándose en cada sitio una grilla de 25estaciones de trampeo consistentes en una trampa tipo Sherman y una trampa jaula. Los sitios se muestrearon entre 2014 y 2015, en dos primaveras y un otoño.Trabajo publicado en Cagliada, Maria del Pilar Lilia y Galosi, Cecilia Mónica (comps.). I Congreso de Microbiología Veterinaria. Libro de resúmenes. La Plata: Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, 2021.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

Frequencies (%) of socio-demographic characteristics and evacuation status of the respondents (n = 113).

<p>Frequencies (%) of socio-demographic characteristics and evacuation status of the respondents (n = 113).</p

Candidate linear mixed-effects models to explain variability on practices score using site as random intercept (n = 92).

<p>Candidate linear mixed-effects models to explain variability on practices score using site as random intercept (n = 92).</p

Current status and future perspectives of Italian finfish aquaculture

Currently available data show that shellfish and finfish production in Italy, derived both from fisheries and aquaculture activities, is on the order of 474,000 tons, each activity representing 50% of the total amount. In this context, the finfish aquaculture industry contributes on average 31 % to the national aquaculture production and on average 59 % of its value, giving a total amount of 72,000 tons and a value of around 351 million \u20ac (2010). According to FEAP statistics, Italy is the fourth largest finfish producer in EU27, after the UK, Greece, and Spain, while it is also one of the six largest finfish producers among the non-EU and EU member countries, together with Norway, UK, Greece, Turkey, and Spain. Presently, fish culture activities are mainly focused on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, 55.5 %), followed by European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, 13.6 %), gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, 12.2 %), gray mullet (Mugil cephalus, 5.3 %), sturgeon (Acipenser spp., 2 %), and European eel (Anguilla anguilla, 1.7 %). Over the last 20 years, freshwater fish production and aquaculture (trout, carp, and eel) have decreased in Italy, with the exception of sturgeon. In contrast, marine fish production has significantly increased during the same period, and the two leading species, European sea bass and gilthead sea bream, presently contribute 25.8 % of the finfish production. From 1,900 tons in 1990, production reached 19,000 tons in 2010, with a 900 % increase, at an average percentage of 4.5 %. In addition, new marine fish species were successfully cultured over the same period. This review outlines the past and present situation of finfish culture in Italy and discusses future developments and priorities, with particular emphasis on new, emerging aquaculture species