Varicella-Zoster Virus Prevalence among Pregnant Women: A European Epidemiological Review

Europe has faced a massive spread of the varicella-zoster virus through the years. Since the introduction of an effective vaccine, complications and severe forms of chickenpox have been restricted. Nevertheless, among the population, some categories need specific care, such as pregnant women, who present one of the most fragile conditions facing this infection, both for the mother and the fetus. In this review, we highlight how the varicella-zoster virus can be dangerous during pregnancy, underlining the problem of treatment and vaccination, and collect information about the European epidemiology among this particular category of women

Is SARS-CoV-2 a Concern for Food Safety? A Very Low Prevalence from a Food Survey during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Northern Italy

In 2019, SARS-CoV-2 was identified as the cause of an easily transmissible disease that was declared as a world pandemic. Foodborne transmission was never reported. However, early studies suggested that food could be involved in SARS-CoV-2 entry in the human gastrointestinal tract leading to possible infection, and highlighting the importance of further studies to inspect possible issues linked to food consumption. In this perspective, this work aimed at monitoring SARS-CoV-2 presence in some food and mains water samples in Northern Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022). A total of 1806 foods, 112 mains water samples, and 580 swabs on meat and dairy product surfaces were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection by Real-time PCR. All the analyzed samples were negative to viral RNA detection with the exception of one vegetable sample. Even if data on foodborne coronavirus transmission suggested a limited importance of this pathway, the impact of the current pandemic in Northern Italy deserved a rigorous investigation to rule out such possibility. Indeed, gaining insight on all SARS-CoV-2 possible transmission pathways, including the foodborne route, seemed of interest to maintain consumers’ confidence and trust in food safety, and for the effective management of the current, and future, possible pandemics

Co-infection of chlamydia pneumoniae and mycoplasma pneumoniae with SARS-CoV-2 is associated with more severe features

34nononeDe Francesco, Maria Antonia; Poiesi, Claudio; Gargiulo, Franco; Bonfanti, Carlo; Pollara, Patrizia; Fiorentini, Simona; Caccuri, Francesca; Carta, Valentina; Mangeri, Lucia; Pellizzeri, Simone; Rizzoni, Damiano; Malerba, Paolo; Salvetti, Massimo; Muiesan, Maria Lorenza; Alberici, Federico; Scolari, Francesco; Pilotto, Andrea; Padovani, Alessandro; Bezzi, Michela; Chiappini, Raffaella; Ricci, Chiara; Castellano, Maurizio; Berlendis, Marialma; Savio, Giulia; Montani, Giovanni; Ronconi, Maurizio; Bove, Sergio; Focà, Emanuele; Tomasoni, Lina; Castelli, Francesco; Rossini, Angelo; Inciardi, Riccardo; Metra, Marco; Caruso, ArnaldoDe Francesco, Maria Antonia; Poiesi, Claudio; Gargiulo, Franco; Bonfanti, Carlo; Pollara, Patrizia; Fiorentini, Simona; Caccuri, Francesca; Carta, Valentina; Mangeri, Lucia; Pellizzeri, Simone; Rizzoni, Damiano; Malerba, Paolo; Salvetti, Massimo; Muiesan, Maria Lorenza; Alberici, Federico; Scolari, Francesco; Pilotto, Andrea; Padovani, Alessandro; Bezzi, Michela; Chiappini, Raffaella; Ricci, Chiara; Castellano, Maurizio; Berlendis, Marialma; Savio, Giulia; Montani, Giovanni; Ronconi, Maurizio; Bove, Sergio; Focà, Emanuele; Tomasoni, Lina; Castelli, Francesco; Rossini, Angelo; Inciardi, Riccardo; Metra, Marco; Caruso, Arnald