Impatto di COVID-19 sulla relazione uomo-animale: indagine sierologica per la ricerca di anticorpi contro SARS-CoV-2 in furetti italiani

La recente pandemia di Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) ha avuto un impatto enorme sulla salute umana e, fin dai primi mesi, positività al severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sono state individuate anche tra gli animali. Come riportato in diversi paesi, numerose specie animali sono risultate suscettibili all’infezione, sia naturale che sperimentale e, tra queste, spiccano in modo particolare furetti e visoni. I furetti, già impiegati come modello animale nello studio di numerose patologie respiratorie dell’uomo, appaiono estremamente suscettibili all’infezione sperimentale da parte di SARS-CoV-2, mentre numerosi allevamenti di visoni sono stati duramente colpiti dall’infezione trasmessa dagli addetti ai lavori, con alcuni casi di successiva trasmissione del virus dagli animali all’uomo. Questi riscontri hanno costretto vari paesi a procedere con l’abbattimento degli animali negli allevamenti presenti sul territorio. In letteratura sono tuttavia disponibili informazioni ancora preliminari riguardo alla suscettibilità degli animali domestici a SARS-CoV-2 in ambiente naturale; le indagini svolte sulla specie furetto contano attualmente numeri irrisori e nessuno studio è stato ancora condotto per valutare la circolazione del virus in questa specie, in Italia. Durante il presente progetto di tesi, è stata ricercata la presenza di anticorpi contro SARS-CoV-2 in campioni di siero prelevati da furetti portati a visita presso ambulatori specialistici. I campioni sono stati testati con metodica ELISA e di sieroneutralizzazione, per conferma diagnostica e i risultati sono stati interpretati alla luce dei dati anamnestici relativi alla possibile esposizione a COVID-19 del nucleo familiare di provenienza dell’animale, raccolti attraverso un apposito questionario. Tutti i campioni sono risultati negativi, un dato in contrasto con l’ipotesi iniziale, avanzata in seguito agli studi sperimentali, che il furetto sia un animale estremamente suscettibile a SARS-CoV-2. Questo studio preliminare rappresenta la prima indagine sierologica sulla circolazione di SARS-CoV-2 in furetti italiani, sarà perciò interessante mettere in atto un campionamento strutturato, che possa contare su ampi numeri di animali e fornire risultati più solidi. In questo modo, sarà possibile acquisire dati che permettano di comprendere in modo approfondito l’interazione tra il virus, l’uomo e gli animali da compagnia, per controllare o ridurre il rischio che questa patologia rappresenta per una delle specie apparentemente più suscettibili tra i nostri “pets”

Impact of Sport Activity and Physical Exercise on Obstetrical and Perineal Outcomes at Delivery: A Prospective Study

Objective This study was aimed to investigate the effects of physical activity on perineal outcomes at delivery according to the different levels and types of maternal physical activity before and during pregnancy.Study Design We prospectively evaluated the obstetrical and perineal outcomes of all consecutive women who delivered at the Del Ponte Hospital, in the period between July 2014 and September 2014. Women were divided into three groups according to the features of physical activity performed before pregnancy: group 1: very sporty women, group 2: moderately sporty women, and group 3: inactive women. A subanalysis of our data was performed based on the specific type of sport activity, on the degree of involvement of perineal muscles during physical activity, and on the continuation/discontinuation of this activity during pregnancy.Results A total of 135, 84, and 85 women were included in group 1, group 2, and group 3, respectively. The demographic characteristics were comparable among all the groups. Sport activity during pregnancy was more frequent in groups 1 and 2 (59.3 and 53.6%, respectively, vs. 29.4% in group 3; p =0.003). No differences among groups were detected in terms of perineal outcomes. A lower rate of episiotomy/lacerations >= 2nd degree was found among women who practiced sports that specifically involved the perineal muscles and who continued this practice during pregnancy.Conclusion Perineal outcomes are not influenced by the intensity of sport activity performed before/during pregnancy. Continuous sports during pregnancy that specifically train the perineal muscles are associated with a lower rate of episiotomy and perineal lacerations >= 2nd degree

Pregnancy after Endometriosis: Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes according to the Location of the Disease

Objective: To systematically evaluate pregnancy and labor course, obstetrical complications, and maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with endometriosis, stratifying according to the specific location of the disease. Study design: We retrospectively analyzed our prospectively maintained obstetrical database from January 2011 to August 2014 to identify all women with a previous histological diagnosis of endometriosis who delivered at our institution (cases). We divided the cases according to the specific location of the disease (deep infiltrating endometriosis, ovarian endometriosis, and peritoneal endometriosis). As controls, we identified all unaffected women who delivered in the year 2013. To avoid the confounding effect of parity, we limited our analysis to nulliparous women. Results: A total of 118 nulliparous women with endometriosis and 1,690 nulliparous controls were identified. Women with endometriosis were significantly older, had a lower body mass index, and had a higher incidence of assisted reproductive technology. The duration of pregnancy was significantly shorter among women with endometriosis. A higher incidence of placenta previa (3.4 vs. 0.5%; p = 0.006), hypertension (11 vs. 5.9%; p = 0.04), cesarean section (41.5 vs. 24.2%; p < 0.0001), and vacuum delivery (10.1 vs. 2.9%; p = 0.006) was found in women with endometriosis. Neonatal outcomes were similar between groups. The incidence of placenta previa in patients with deep endometriosis was 11.7 versus 0.5% among controls (p < 0.0001), whereas in women with ovarian and peritoneal endometriosis, it was similar to the controls. Conclusion: Women with endometriosis have a higher incidence of vacuum delivery, cesarean section, and placenta previa compared with unaffected women. The higher risk of placenta previa is attributable exclusively to women with deep endometriosis. Neonatal outcomes are unaffected by the presence of the disease