Salmonella serotypes in wild boars (Sus scrofa) hunted in northern Italy

BACKGROUND: Salmonella species (spp.) are zoonotic enteric bacteria able to infect humans, livestock and wildlife. However, little is known about the prevalence and the presence of the different serovars in wildlife. Considering the wide distribution of wild boars and the feeding behaviour (omnivorous scavengers), wild boars may be a good indicator for environmental presence of Salmonella spp. The aims of this study were to determine the presence of Salmonella spp. in hunted wild boars and to determine the serotype the isolated strains. FINDINGS: Over three hunting seasons, the intestinal contents of 1,313 boars hunted in northern Italy were sampled and cultured. Salmonella spp. were isolated from 326 boars (24.82%). Thirty different serovars belonging to three different S. enterica spp. were found. Twenty-one serovars of S. enterica subsp. Enterica were found including the human pathogens S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis. In addition, nine serovars belonging to S.enterica subsp. diarizonae and S. enterica subsp. houtenae were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the widespread occurrence of wild boars in Europe, the epidemiological role of this species in relation to salmonellosis might be relevant and should be further investigated. Wild boars may act as healthy carriers of a wide range of Salmonella serotypes

Saharan dust impact in central Italy: An overview on three years elemental data records

In southern European countries, Saharan dust may episodically produce significant increases of PM10, which may also cause the exceedance of the PM10 daily limit value established by the European Directive (2008/50/EC). The detection with very high sensitivity of all the elements that constitute mineral dust makes PIXE technique a very effective tool to assess the actual impact of these episodes. In this work, a review of long-term series of elemental concentrations obtained by PIXE has been accomplished with the aim of identifying the occurrence of Saharan dust transport episodes over long periods in Tuscany and characterising them in terms of composition and impact on PM concentration, tracing back their contribution to the exceedances of the PM10 limit value. The impact of the different Saharan intrusions on PM10 showed a very high variability. During the most intense episodes (which occurred with a frequency of few times per year) the calculated soil dust concentration reached values as high as 25\u201330 \u3bcg m 123, to be compared with background values of the order of 5 \u3bcg m 123. The Saharan dust contribution was decisive to cause the exceedance of the PM10 daily limit value in the 1\u20132% of the days considered in the present work

Assessment of potential source regions of PM2.5 components at a southwestern Mediterranean site

A set of PM 2.5 samples ( n = 121) collected at an urban background location in Elche (in southeastern Spain) from December 2004 to November 2005 was analysed by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and ion chromatography in order to provide source identification and potential source locations. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to estimate source profiles and their mass contributions. The PMF modelling identified six sources: aged sea salt (9.2%), ammonium sulphate (40.4%), soil dust related to Saharan outbreaks (13.0%), traffic 1 (18.9%), nitrate aerosol and traffic 2 (5.5%) and local soil dust (6.0%). Potential source contribution function (PSCF) was then used to identify potential source locations. Scarce influence from Mediterranean and European regions was found with the exception of the nitrate source, whose potential source areas were northern Italy and eastern France. Primary source regions for the remaining components (ammonium sulphate, soil dust-related to Saharan outbreaks and aged sea salt) with known mass contributions due to long-range transport have a marked Atlantic and North African location, primarily between Morocco and northwestern Algeria. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2010.00510.

The study of left ventricular diastolic function by Doppler echocardiography: the essential for the clinician

The study of diastolic function by Doppler-echocardiography is complex and demanding. The cardiologist/echocardiographist must have a systematic approach to the study of left ventricular diastolic function, not only based on the Doppler index, but integrating Doppler patterns with other echo-parameters (chamber dimensions, wall thicknesses, systolic function, valve function and morphology) and clinical information. A rational interpretation of clinical and instrumental data can allow a correct diagnosis, which is essential for clinical decision-making