Retrospective study on the surveillance on dairy cows infective abortions in Northeastern Italy from 2006 to 2019

Objectives: Bovine abortion is an important cause of economic loss in dairy cattle, and has important implications in public veterinary health. Veneto region, in Northeastern Italy, has implemented since year 2006 an official surveillance plan on abortion in dairy cattle. The aim of this study is to describe the results of this surveillance, from 2006 to 2019, and to provide information about the occurrence of abortive pathogens and their prevalence. Material and methods: Aborted fetuses, accompanied by the dam’s blood sample, were delivered to the Regional State Veterinary Laboratory (IZSVe), and submitted to a panel of laboratory tests. The cows’ sera were tested for antibodies against Neospora caninum, Chlamydophila abortus, Coxiella burnetii, IBR virus, and BVD non structural protein NS2-3 by mean of commercial ELISA tests, and to Brucella abortus and melitensis following the EU regulation mandatory method. Antibody against Coxiella burnetii were detected using also the complement fixation test according to OIE guideline. On all the fetuses were performed necroscopy, microbiological culture from abomasum, histopathology from lung, and detection, by PCR from spleen, of BVD virus, Chlamydia spp., and Coxiella. burnetii. Detection of Neospora caninum by PCR from the brain was performed only on fetuses older than four month. Brucella spp isolation was carried out only if the abortion occurred after the fifth pregnancy month; while Campylobacter fetus isolation was performed on abortions occurred before the fifth month. A PCR for the detection of Schmallenberg virus from the brain was introduced after year 2013. Results: During these years (2006-2019) 4,562 bovine abortions were delivered to IZSVe, 668 of them were under the fifth month of gestation (14.6%). The most of fetuses delivered were autolytic (62.7%), without macroscopic lesions (30.8%) or mummified (4.5%). Histologically lung inflammatory lesions were present in 32.8% of cases. An infective agent was detected in 1451 fetuses (31.8%). Neospora caninum was the most frequent specific abortion agent isolated (22.2%), followed by BVD virus (5.7%), Coxiella. Burnetii (4.7%) and Chlamydia spp (0.7%). Schmallenberg virus was detected only in 3 fetuses delivered respectively in year 2012, 2013 and 2014, but only one showed congenital abnormalities (limbs arthrogryposis and jaw malformation). Microbiological culture was considered positive only when specific abortifacient pathogens were isolated: according to this criteria the 13% had a culture positive test. Among the bacteriological agents isolated the most relevant were T. pyogenes (47.4%), Bacillus spp. (29.4%), Streptococcus spp. (15.8%), L. monocytogenes and fungi (1.9%), P. multocida (1.7%), Salmonella spp. (1.1%), M. haemolytica (0.7%), Corynebacterium spp. (0.2%). Campylobacter fetus was isolated in one abortion and Brucella spp. was never isolated. Serological tests showed a high percentage of cows had antibodies against BVD virus (44.8%), Chlamydophila abortus (41.3%), Neospora caninum (33.2%); IBR virus (25.4%), C. burnetii (15.8%). All tested sera and abortions were negative for Brucella spp. The agreement between serological test and PCR for Neospora caninum was substantial (Cohen’s kappa (k) = 0.667, while the agreement for BVD virus and C. burnetii was slight (k = 0.11; k = 0.16). Conclusions: In our opinion, the abortion surveillance program provided many useful and interesting information about the health status of dairy farms and the diagnostic methods suitable for abortion diagnosis. Necroscopy findings showed the low prevalence of specific macroscopic lesion in fetuses, highlighting the importance to use a standardized protocol including tests for detection of the most relevant abortion agents. Infective abortions should be expected approximately in 30% of cases, several other causes should be considered as the source of pregnancy interruption. In order of importance Neospora caninum is the major abortive pathogen in Northeastern Italy, bacterial or fungal agents are the second, with prevalence ranging from 12-14%, while BVD virus and Coxiella. burnetii are less likely to be isolated

Una porta per Napoli. Il tema dell'ingresso alla città tra tessuti consolidati, porto, infrastrutture e aree industriali in transizione

Nell'ambito del tema generale degli Stadtingänge (ingressi della città), nella recente esperienza didattica e di ricerca della 10. Internationale Frühjahrsakademie promossa dalla TU di Dortmund con l'Università di Napoli "Federico II", la TU/e di Eindhoven e la FH di Potsdam, era stato chiesto, a ognuna delle quattro Università partecipanti, di indicarne una possibile declinazione nella propria città di riferimento. Nel caso di Napoli la proposta è caduta sulla porta sud orientale della città e, in particolare, sull'area interessata dal grande opificio dei Granili realizzato da Ferdinando Fuga a partire dal 1779 sino al 1790. A partire dal riconoscimento del significativo ruolo urbano del maestoso Palazzo dei Granili (fortemente danneggiato dal II conflitto mondiale e definitivamente abbattuto nel 1953) e della chiesa dedicata a San Raimondo Nonnato (costruita a partire dal 1856 e anch'essa scomparsa) che lo fronteggiava nel punto mediano, della presenza i antichi opifici industriali fortemente rimaneggiati e di un tessuto residenziale non completamente consolidato, sono state proposte due confrontabili ipotesi di progetto. Le due varianti, a partire da presupposti analitici comuni, hanno risondato la possibilità di realizzare la porta alla città attraverso la rinnovata relazione tra un grande manufatto longitudinale sul sedime dei Granili, legato alle attività del porto e con la previsione di un museo della navigazione, e il lotto fronteggiante ove era collocata la chiesa da destinare ad albergo, uffici e aula civica, con la ipotesi di investire con le trasformazioni vieppiù il fronte e l'area posta a settentrione della via Reggia di Portici

Treatment Trends for Eosinophilic Esophagitis and the Other Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases: Systematic Review of Clinical Trials

Background: Eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) are chronic inflammatory disorders of the gut, including eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), gastritis (EoG), duodenitis (EoD), gastroenteritis (EoGE), and colitis (EoC). Available treatments may be ineffective in some patients, and several clinical trials are investigating alternative treatments. Aim: We performed a systematic review of clinical trials to illustrate EGIDs treatment research trends. Methods: We searched clinicaltrials.gov to identify studies investigating EGIDs treatment. For each trial we analysed relevant data, including therapeutic intervention, method of administration, study outcomes, and temporal trends. Results: For EoE, 66 studies were eligible: 26 testing topical corticosteroids (39.4%), 17 (25.8%) monoclonal antibodies, eight (12.1%) dietary measures, five (7.6%) immunomodulators, one (1.5%) esophageal dilation, and nine (13.6%) other medical treatment strategies. With regard to EoG, EoD, and EoGE, 10 studies were testing monoclonal antibodies (71.5%), one immunomodulators (7.1%), one dietary measures (7.1%), and two other treatments (14.3%). There were no trials for EoC. Ongoing studies on corticosteroids are focused on novel delivery systems, including viscous suspensions, orally disintegrating tablets, or capsules. Increased research on monoclonal antibodies was seen from 2018, with interleukin (IL)-4 receptor-α, IL-5 receptor-α, IL-5, IL-13, IL-15, and Siglec-8 as the targets. Conclusion: Clinical trials on EGIDs are predominantly investigating corticosteroids or monoclonal antibodies. EGIDs therapeutic landscape will be trasnformed imminently