Outbreak of a new measles B3 variant in the Roma/Sinti population, with transmission in the nosocomial setting, Italy, November 2015-April 2016

A measles outbreak occurred from November 2015 to April 2016 in two northern Italian regions, affecting the Roma/Sinti ethnic population and nosocomial setting. Overall, 67 cases were reported. Median age of 43 cases in three Roma/Sinti camps was four years, nosocomial cases were mainly adults. The outbreak was caused by a new measles virus B-3.1 variant. Immunisation resources and strategies should be directed at groups with gaps in vaccine coverage, e.g. Roma/Sinti and healthcare workers. Despite a national goal to eliminate measles by 2015, Italy is one of 18 European Region Member States where endemic transmission of measles has not been interrupted [1]. We report here a recent measles outbreak in northern Italy (Figure 1) affecting the Roma/Sinti ethnic population and the nosocomial setting

Local control and distant metastasis after electrochemotherapy of a canine anal melanoma

Canine anal melanoma is an aggressive neoplasm that rapidly leads to constipation in dogs, thus mimicking the behavior of their human counterpart. In this paper, the successful local palliation of this neoplasm is described using cisplatin selectively driven within the tumor cells by trains of biphasic pulses. The dog experienced tumor reduction with restoration of normal defecation for three months, then experienced massive dissemination to the sublumbar lymph nodes that led to intestinal obstruction and euthanasia. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a safe palliative therapy for such neoplasm and warrants further investigations in dogs as well humans