Studio sulla distribuzione di forme infettanti di Toxoplasma gondii in differenti tagli commerciali di carne di suini naturalmente infetti finalizzato alla valutazione del rischio zoonotico e valutazione delle eventuali variazioni di caratteristiche organolettiche delle carni contaminate

L’infezione da Toxoplasma gondii negli animali allevati a scopo alimentare si configura come un problema di sanità pubblica rilevante, nonostante in Italia ed in UE tale infezione non sia soggetta a denuncia sanitaria. Secondo la letteratura scientifica la specie suina risulta tra quelle con indici di sieroprevalenza più elevati e per l’EFSA T. gondii è stato ritenuto uno dei fattori di rischio biologico più rilevanti nel contesto dell'ispezione della carne suina, insieme a Salmonella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica e Trichinella spp. In ragione di tali osservazioni L’EFSA ha invitato la comunità scientifica internazionale ad estendere gli studi a riguardo, in particolare in riferimento alla valutazione del rischio alimentare. Oltre alla valutazione del rischio alimentare associato alla presenza di T. gondii nelle carni suine, lo studio effettuato si proponeva anche una valutazione di eventuali variazioni delle caratteristiche organolettiche delle carni contaminate dal parassita

Toxoplasma gondii in animals and food: results of four-years monitoring by the official italian zoonoses informative system.

When considering human toxoplasmosis, food remains the main source of infection. Whether is meat from susceptible animals that naturally harbour Toxoplasma gondii tissue cysts or food like fresh vegetables or fishery products (mussels, fish) contaminated by environmentally derived oocysts, information about animal toxoplasmosis prevalence should continue to be under the spotlight. Directive 2003/99/EC of the European Parliament and the Council classifies toxoplasmosis and its causative agent as a class B zoonosis/agent for which monitoring depends on the epidemiological situation. Surveillance systems on animal toxoplasmosis are different across Europe and regulated by national legislation. In Italy, administrative regions are called annually to submit data on animal toxoplasmosis to SINZOO (Zoonoses Informative System) that is part of the Veterinary Informative System managed by the Italian Ministry of Health. Foodborne zoonoses data collected at the national level are then processed and summarized by EFSA to became part of the annual EFSA/ECDC joint European Union summary reports on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and foodborne outbreaks. No foodborne outbreaks of toxoplasmosis have been reported in Italy during 2017, the most recent year for which a report is available. Unfortunately, prevalence data are often the results of fragmented researches or clinical investigations but, nevertheless, they provide baseline data to monitor epidemiological trends for guiding public health preventive measures. Over the past four years (2014-2017), in Italy, sheep, cattle, pig, goats, wild boars and wild ruminants were the main species tested besides pet animals. Prevalence of the infection ranged: 3.49-11.10% in cattle (209 to 2289 animals tested); 11.46-34.55% in pigs (37 to 2051 animals tested); 18.01-45.72% in sheep (912 to 2682 animals tested); 5.98-23.25% in goats (234 to 432 animals tested. Positive among wildlife ranged from 0 to 10.24% for wild boars (26 to 901 animals tested) and from 0.76 to 11.25% for wild ruminants (240 to 394 animals tested). For cats, that are solely responsible for contamination with environmentally-resistant oocysts, the prevalence ranged from 19.48 to 34.77% (77 to 696 animals tested). Although these data cannot support epidemiological analyses, they suggest that pigs and small ruminants are still the major sources of meatborne toxoplasmosis. Cattle are also under a special watch list since beef consumption has been predicted as the most important source of meatborne toxoplasmosis at least in Italy and the Netherlands as resulting from quantitative risk assessment studies. Cattle are often found positive to serological screening although direct detection of T. gondii via biological assay or PCR is uncommon with lack of concordance between antibodies and parasite DNA detection. The informative system also reports very limited information on food such as fresh vegetables or fishery products that can be contaminated by T. gondii oocysts dispersed in the environment although 1 sample of mussels and 3 samples of fish resulted positive by PCR in 2017. These findings suggest that surveillance on animal toxoplasmosis and meat and other food contamination with T. gondii should be enhanced since it is one of the few effective tools to control the parasite diffusion and prevent the transmission of the zoonosis

Results of five years monitoring for Toxoplasma gondii infection in animals by the official Italian Zoonoses Informative System (SINZOO)

In order to drive effective public health preventive measures for human toxoplasmosis a scrupulous epidemiological monitoring of animal toxoplasmosis is essential. BACKGROUND AND AIM:T. gondii is the fourth most important parasite in the world and second out of 14 foodborne pathogens in the USA and in Europe. Meat-borne transmission of T. gondii causes most of food-borne infections in Europe (EFSA-European Food Safety Authority). SINZOO is part of the Veterinary Informative System of the Italian Ministry of Health. It collects and transmit data to EFSA, published in the annual EFSA/ECDC summary reports on zoonoses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of SINZOO for epidemiological surveillance of toxoplasmosis in Italy. METHODS:Among animal species tested in Italy between 2015 and 2019 the ones most commonly reared for human consumption (sheep, cattle, pig, goats) were selected, moreover wild boars, wild ruminants, cats. RESULTS:Infection rates ranged from 0.73% in wild boars to 45.72% in sheep. Total number of tested animals ranged from 37 pigs in 2015 to 3449 sheep in 2018. Besides a relevant incidence among wild boars in 2018 (45%) and 2019 (32%), higher infection rates were more often reported among sheep and pigs. Between 2018 and 2019 67% of the overall analyses were carried out in one region (Sardinia), mostly on one species (sheep) and emerged from targeted research or clinical investigation. In fact in 2019 83.45% of analyses were performed following clinical suspicions while only 8.43% came from official controls, highlighting toxoplasmosis underestimation by the national veterinary health system. CONCLUSIONS:Despite EFSA recognizes the relevance of toxoplasmosis, this is not included among zoonoses under mandatory notification, making animal epidemiological surveillance rather scarce and uneven. Data reported to SINZOO suggest that T. gondii is still a relevant hazard to monitor by meat inspection and in-farm survey, for effective epidemiological evaluations and appropriate public health interventions. This issue characterizes Italy and Europe, highlighting that toxoplasmosis monitoring should be made mandatory and with uniform rules

Assessment of 29 candidate genes for milk traits in Italian dairy cattle

Several investigations have recently searched for significant association between gene polymorphisms and milk traits in livestock and model species. In several cases, it remains rather difficult to assess if the observed effects are caused by the mutation tested, by a nearby mutation in the same gene or by a mutation in a different gene or DNA region in linkage disequilibrium with the former. As a consequence, only in a few cases (e.g., κ-casein, SCD, DGAT1) the causative mutation seems to have been identified and, even when evidence is rather clear, genetic heterogeneity and genetic background may influence the size of allele substitution effects. Therefore, the significance of gene-trait associations and the estimate of their effect have to be verified in any new population in which this information is planned to be used, to estimate its actual utility in gene assisted breeding. In the SelMol project, we selected 29 candidate genes on the basis of known relationships between physiological or biochemical processes and evidence of significant association with milk traits in cattle, in related (e.g., sheep and goats) and model (e.g., mouse) species. A total of 106 SNPs were selected, using either information available in literature, or in silico, searching the NCBI dbSNP database. SNPs found significantly associated in other investigations were preferentially targeted. Otherwise non-synonymous SNPs and those in putative control regions (e.g., in promoter binding sites) were selected from dbSNP. If within a gene no SNP having one of these characteristics was available in dbSNP, synonymous SNPs, occurring in introns and untranslated non-control regions were chosen. DNA was extracted from semen of elite sires. SNPs polymorphism was confirmed by screening a panel of 32 individuals each of Pezzata Rossa (PR), Bruna Italiana (BI), and Frisona Italiana (FI) dairy cattle breeds. A total of 73 SNPs were confirmed as polymorphic in at least one breed: 63 in PR, 61 in BI, and 68 in FI. Polymorphic SNPs were genotyped on 400 individuals of PR and 600 of BI. Statistical tests were applied to detect selection sweeps, significant association to EBVs and phenotypic traits related to milk production and quality (milk yield, protein and fat yield and percentage), together with a number of functional traits (fertility, SCS as indicator of mastitis resistance, conformational traits, and milkability)

Variation of Mitogen-activated protein kinase ((MEK3) and NOD2 receptor transcripts in Toxoplasma gondii infection: a preliminary comparative analysis

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite infecting almost all warm-blooded animals and 30% of the world’s human population. Among domesticated animals, small ruminants and swine are the most often infected species. Most severe consequences arise during early pregnancy and transplacental transmission to the fetus, causing conspicuous loss for breeders. Recognizing early transcriptional signatures of infection might be interesting not only for veterinary but also for human medicine. Most of investigations were reported in mice following in vitro infection while poor results are available about other species, naturally infected by the parasite [1]. Aim of this study was to compare the expression profile of MEK3 and NOD2 proteins, involved in the immune response to the parasite, among naturally infected and uninfected animals (control) of various species. Tissues were collected post mortem from 11 horses, 10 sheep, 15 pigs. Infection was assessed by immunoenzymatic assay. MEK3 and NOD2 mRNAs were evaluated by Real-time PCR in the encephalic trunk and diaphragm. Results were processed by ΔΔCt method and expressed as fold change among the target mRNAs, normalized to β-actin. Performed analysis revealed an increase of MEK3 mRNA in muscular and encephalic tissues and of NOD2 mRNA in brainstem of both infected sheep and swine. Moreover, a comparative analysis among healthy animals of afore mentioned species revealed higher Nod2 mRNA levels in brainstem of equine compared to sheep and pigs. Both proteins are involved in key molecular mechanisms of immune responses, such as apoptosis regulation, therefore, detected variations among infected and uninfected susceptible animals (MEK3, NOD2) as well as higher physiological amount of NOD2 mRNA in brainstem of less susceptible species compared to more susceptible ones might provide interesting insights into the immune response to T. gondii-related transcriptome of intermediate hosts. 1. Cong W. et al. Frontiers in Immunology (2018) 9, 240

The effect of Toxoplasma gondii on plasma serotonin concentration in sheep

Background and Aim: Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that commonly infects warm-blooded animals, including humans. Virtually all species can be infected, but a species-specific variability is evident, in terms of both type and severity of the symptoms encountered. As serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) plays an important regulatory role in both physiological and immune responses, the aim of this research was to assess whether toxoplasmosis disease could affect plasma 5-HT concentration and/or hematochemical parameters in a particularly susceptible species to infection as sheep. Materials and Methods: 5-HT plasma levels were analyzed in platelet-poor plasma fraction by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Blood count and hematochemical parameters were evaluated. Total proteins (TPs), glucose (Glu), and lactate dehydrogenase were determined by a spectrophotometer. Results: Results showed significantly higher levels in plasma 5-HT, monocytes, and TP and significantly lower levels of Glu, in infected sheep compared to the control group. Conclusion: Results could support the hypothesis of an effect of toxoplasmosis infection on plasma 5-HT concentrations in sheep. More research is needed to assess the function of 5-HT in the regulation of infected sheep's immune responses

Descrizione di un caso clinico di morbo coitale maligno (MCM) in un focolaio di malattia in Italia

In Italia, nel maggio 2011, in seguito a controlli effettuati su uno stallone per la relativa approvazione alla monta, è stato di nuovo segnalato il morbo coitale maligno (MCM). Nel lavoro viene descritto il caso di una cavalla con sintomi clinici della malattia ritenuta verosimilmente all’origine dell’infezione dello stallone

"Delirium Day": A nationwide point prevalence study of delirium in older hospitalized patients using an easy standardized diagnostic tool

Background: To date, delirium prevalence in adult acute hospital populations has been estimated generally from pooled findings of single-center studies and/or among specific patient populations. Furthermore, the number of participants in these studies has not exceeded a few hundred. To overcome these limitations, we have determined, in a multicenter study, the prevalence of delirium over a single day among a large population of patients admitted to acute and rehabilitation hospital wards in Italy. Methods: This is a point prevalence study (called "Delirium Day") including 1867 older patients (aged 65 years or more) across 108 acute and 12 rehabilitation wards in Italian hospitals. Delirium was assessed on the same day in all patients using the 4AT, a validated and briefly administered tool which does not require training. We also collected data regarding motoric subtypes of delirium, functional and nutritional status, dementia, comorbidity, medications, feeding tubes, peripheral venous and urinary catheters, and physical restraints. Results: The mean sample age was 82.0 ± 7.5 years (58 % female). Overall, 429 patients (22.9 %) had delirium. Hypoactive was the commonest subtype (132/344 patients, 38.5 %), followed by mixed, hyperactive, and nonmotoric delirium. The prevalence was highest in Neurology (28.5 %) and Geriatrics (24.7 %), lowest in Rehabilitation (14.0 %), and intermediate in Orthopedic (20.6 %) and Internal Medicine wards (21.4 %). In a multivariable logistic regression, age (odds ratio [OR] 1.03, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.05), Activities of Daily Living dependence (OR 1.19, 95 % CI 1.12-1.27), dementia (OR 3.25, 95 % CI 2.41-4.38), malnutrition (OR 2.01, 95 % CI 1.29-3.14), and use of antipsychotics (OR 2.03, 95 % CI 1.45-2.82), feeding tubes (OR 2.51, 95 % CI 1.11-5.66), peripheral venous catheters (OR 1.41, 95 % CI 1.06-1.87), urinary catheters (OR 1.73, 95 % CI 1.30-2.29), and physical restraints (OR 1.84, 95 % CI 1.40-2.40) were associated with delirium. Admission to Neurology wards was also associated with delirium (OR 2.00, 95 % CI 1.29-3.14), while admission to other settings was not. Conclusions: Delirium occurred in more than one out of five patients in acute and rehabilitation hospital wards. Prevalence was highest in Neurology and lowest in Rehabilitation divisions. The "Delirium Day" project might become a useful method to assess delirium across hospital settings and a benchmarking platform for future surveys