Rischio acarologico per alcune zoonosi in parchi pubblici della provincia di Bologna

Lo studio e\u300 stato condotto nel periodo giugno-ottobre 2006 in 4 parchi pubblici del Comune di Imola (BO), differenti per vegetazione e fauna. Le zecche sono state raccolte tramite dragging lungo transetti di 100 m in corrispondenza di percorsi frequentati dai visitatori, rilevando temperatura e umidita\u300 relativ.a e con una frequenza complessiva di 33 interventi mensili. Il DNA estratto da ninfe e zecche adulte e\u300 stato sottoposto a PCR per l'identificazione di Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella spp., Borrelia burgdorferi s. l., Rickettsia spp. . Sulla base delle prevalenze di infezione nei vettori raccolti e della loro densita\u300 e\u300 stato calcolato il Rischio Acarologico, ovvero la probabilita\u300 di rinvenire almeno una ninfa infetta lungo un transetto di 100 m

Genomic analysis of extra-intestinal Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from commercial chickens.

Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli have commonly been considered harmless commensal inhabitants of the chicken gut; however, these Campylobacter spp. are known to be able to multiply in the gut and invade other tissues, negatively affecting host health and performance. In this study, fourteen Campylobacter spp. were isolated from chickens showing foci of necrosis on the liver surface resembling lesions observed in cases of avian vibrionic hepatitis/spotty liver disease. The whole genome sequences of the fourteen isolates were analysed and their virulomes compared to those of Campylobacter reference sequences, aiming to investigate the possible association between virulence genes and the observed pathological lesions. Nine C. jejuni and five C. coli were studied. These Campylobacter shared twelve virulence factors with other isolates originated from chicken livers and hosted a higher number of virulence-associated genes in comparison to the reference genomes, including genes encoding for factors involved in adherence to and invasion of the intestinal epithelial cells. Our findings seem to point out that these twelve common virulence-associated genes, together with the presence of a high number of virulence factors involved in adherence, invasion and motility, might be responsible for the extra-intestinal spread of our isolates and the colonization of parenchymatous tissues, possibly causing the pathological lesions observed

Heart failure in Eastern Veneto: prevalence, hospitalization rate, adherence to guidelines and social costs

Heart failure is a preminent problem of public health, requiring innovating methods of health services organization. Nevertheless, data are still not available on prevalence, hospitalization rate, adherence to Guidelines and social costs in the general Italian population. The necessity to identifying patients with heart failure derives from the efficacy of new therapeutic interventions in reducing morbidity and mortality. In this study we aimed to identify, in a subset of the Eastern Veneto population, patients with heart failure through a pharmacologic-epidemiologic survey. The study was divided in 5 phases: 1) identification of patients on furosemide in the year 2000 in the ASL 10 of Eastern Veneto general population, through an analysis of a specific pharmaceutic service database; 2) definition of the actual prevalence of heart failure in a casual sample of these patients, through data base belonging to general practitioners, cardiologists, or others. Diagnosis was based on the following criteria: a) previous diagnosis of heart failure; b) previous hospitalization for heart failure; c) clinical evidence, with echocardiographic control in unclear cases; 3) survey of hospitalizations; 4) evaluation of adhesion to guidelines, through both databases and questionnaires; 5) analysis of the social costs of the disease, with a retrospective “bottom up” approach. From a total population of 198.000 subjects, we identyfied 4502 patients on furosemide. In a casual sample of 10.661 subjects we defined a prevalence of heart failure in Eastern Veneto of 1.1%, that rised to 7.1% in octuagenarians. The prescription of life saving drugs was satisfactory, while rather poor was the indication to echocardiography and to cardiologic consultation. Hospitalization rate for DRG 127 was low: 2.1/1000 inhabitants/year in the general polulation and 12.5 /1000 inhabitants/year in patients >70 years of age. Yearly mortality was 10.3%. Social costs were elevated (15.394 €/patient/year), due to a relevant sanitary component (hospital 53%, drugs 28%) and particularly a to an indirect cost component. In conclusion, the assumption of furosemide lends itself as a good marker for identifying patients with heart failure. Patient identification is simple, cheap and cost-efficient, and can be easily reproduced in other regional areas