Veterinaria Italiana (Journal)
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P06.4 Modeling the spread of ASF into the US swine industry: the example of Iowa
No full textRecent global spread of African swine fever (ASF) have demonstrated the devastating impact this disease can have on the swine industry, posing a threat to the livelihoods of those who rely on it. While significant progress has been made in understanding the disease's dynamics in the newly infected areas, it has been shown that the effectiveness of interventions varies depending on the environmental and socioeconomic context of the affected population. There is no ASF in the United States (US) yet, but it is likely to be introduced given the global burden of the disease. The state of Iowa is characterized by large-scale operations and intense pig trade. Given the significance and uncertainty surrounding the potential impact of introducing ASF into highly dense areas such as Iowa, we have developed a spatial-explicit agent-based model to assess the overall consequences of the disease and the effectiveness of disease control interventions. Population characteristics were aggregated within a hexagonal grid, where the unit of analysis was each cell with distinctive population attributes such as: number of farms, animal density, movement patterns, among others. The model simulates disease transmission at local and long distance, allowing us to incorporate the spatial heterogeneity of the susceptible population. Local disease dynamics are modeled using ordinary differential equations and the long distance dynamics based on simulated movements between farms. The model uses an agent based approach, where the agents are reactive to the current state of their neighborhood and the interventions implemented for disease control. Some interventions evaluated in the model included: preventive culling, movement restrictions, and improving of biosecurity. These interventions were explored in different combinations under different introduction scenarios. Given the high spatio-temporal resolution of the model, it allows us to present the results using maps and detailed transmission networks, evidencing the key agents in the transmission of the disease. Additionally, a global sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the most influential parameters affecting our model outcomes. While the model incorporates synthetic population and network dynamics, it remains flexible enough to integrate observed data on precise farm locations and movement records, enabling the evaluation of specific scenarios and providing valuable insights to inform risk mitigation strategies. This modeling approach is also sensitive to different levels of confidentiality allowing the user to aggregate the population at different spatial scales without significant impacts in the overall epidemic impacts
P10.8 A Spatial Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approach to map the risk of Avian Influenza in Lazio and Toscana (central Italy)
No full textAvian Influenza (AI) is an infectious viral disease transmitted by many species of birds. Some wild water birds (Anseriformes and Charadriiformes in particular) have the role of reservoir for domestic birds (poultry) and humans (zoonosis). This causes great concern in terms of high bird mortality rates and economic losses, and as potential source of human pandemic.
AI viruses are globally widespread. In Italy, many outbreaks are notified every year in the north, while sporadic outbreaks occur in other zones. The aim of this study was to map the suitability level (vulnerability maps) for AI, to address risk-based surveillance and control, often poorly supported by data-driven models. A Spatial Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was used. A list of possible risk factors was identified, based on literature research and 3 experts’ opinions. 11 risk factors have been considered. They can be grouped into 4 categories:
Domestic birds farms and related facilities: domestic birds farms, backyard farms, ducks or geese farms, free-range farms, farms belonging to North Italy avian industries, manure treatment plants, poultry slaughterhouses
Wild birds density
rivers, lakes and other bodies of water
roads network
All the risk factors were imported as layers in a GIS project and transformed into raster maps, with a common scale/spatial resolution (3x3 km cells). For each risk factor a weight was calculated, following the Analytical Hierarchy Process (using QGis 2.8.8 plugin “Easy AHP”) based on 3 elicited experts’ opinion. Each raster was processed based on a specified fuzzification algorithm (by “Fuzzy membership” in ArcGis® 10.8.1) before their integration in the final map. The range of medium-high risk values (0.49-0.78) covers about the 30% of the total region in Lazio, in particular the inner part of Viterbo province and the coastal area between Latina and Roma. In Toscana, high risk areas are present on the coast and an inner area between Siena and Arezzo.
MCDA can provide a possible knowledge-based approach to support specific health and surveillance measures in a scenario increasingly oriented to a One-Health perspective. 
P02.6 The role of GeoCetus Geographic Information System in monitoring the impact of fishing on cetaceans and sea turtles along the Abruzzo and Molise coasts over three years (2020-2022)
No full textThe pressure of fishing activity has intensified dramatically during the last decades, resulting in increasing impacts on marine fauna (Carlucci et al., 2021; Lucchetti et al., 2019). Several are the reports of alive/dead stranded and/or bycaught sea turtles and cetaceans along the Italian coasts, underling a remarkable interaction of these animals with fishing activity. Although these reports are significant in number on a national basis, the only open-access database that collects the most important data on stranding and capture events is GeoCetus. The information can be used through the different tools made accessible on the web portal: a web-GIS application, an API, and a repository on GitHub. GeoCetus is a georeferenced database developed in 2012 by Centro Studi Cetacei, and improved over the years for the collection of usable data on cetacean and sea turtle stranding and capture events. The system is based on a completely open-source technology stack composed of a PostgreSQL Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) with PostGIS extension, a PHP business logic that exposes data via API, and a public presentation layer - the Web GIS - providing users with a user-friendly exploration and consultation tool. The data collected in the field are imported into the database via the management application, available for authorized users only. A unique code is automatically generated for each record. Data about the taxonomy, biometry, fishery interactions, location and other details - that have become more specific over the years - are entered along with photos (jpg/png) and necropsy sheet (pdf). The data are made available according to a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 EN). Furthermore, using the web-GIS application or the public API, it is possible to query the contents of the database and return a customized dataset ready to be explored and exported (Di Lorenzo et al., 2013). To date, 4168 reports (607 cetaceans - 3561 sea turtles) have been listed and displayed in GeoCetus. Among them, 446 sea turtles (115 alive, 331 dead) and 48 cetaceans (2 alive) have been registered from 2020 to 2022 along the coasts of Abruzzo and Molise. Interactions with human activities were reported in 137 cases of sea turtles: 73% in alive individuals, and 16% in carcasses. Concerning cetaceans, interactions were observed in 12 cases (26%). Thanks to the data gathered into the system, we observed there could be an underestimation of the data due to cadaveric alteration which precludes the necropsy insights in approximately 80% of sea turtles and 60% of cetacean carcasses. GeoCetus allows us to investigate several useful ecological data, also linked to human activities interaction mainly related to fishing, and to collect and freely share with the scientific community useful data aimed at conservation
R09.4 West Nile Virus in Europe: a return ticket to Africa
No full textWest Nile virus (WNV) is an arthropod-borne virus belonging to the Flavivirus genus and Flaviviridae family, which is currently considered a serious public health problem worldwide. The virus, first identified in Africa in 1937, is characterized by at least eight different lineages. WNV lineages 1 (L1) and 2 (L2), often associated with cases of encephalitis in humans and horses, are by far those most widespread in Europe and the Mediterranean basin. These two lineages are endemic in many Italian regions.
In this study, we have tried to uncover the spatial and temporal viral dynamics of the two lineages between Africa and Europe. By integrating epidemiological studies with molecular, phylogenetic, and phylogeographic analyses, we showed that there is a strong viral connection between the two continents, supported by birds crossing international boundaries while migrating through the African-Eurasian flyways. According to the data analysis, WNV L1 clade 1A seems to originate in the 1900s between North and West Africa. It moved forward and backward through Senegal, Morocco, and Western-Mediterranean European countries. WNV L2 strains now circulating in Europe and Africa likely originated between the 18th and the 19th century in South Africa from where it was introduced into Hungary in 2004 and then spread throughout Europe. Our study also gave an insight of the dynamics of the viral circulation in Italy, demonstrating the endemic presence of WNV L1 and L2 in part of Italy supported by resident wild birds and vector competent mosquitoes mainly belonging to the Culex genus, and the existence of a continuous transmission of the two strains between Western-Mediterranean countries, supported by short distance migratory birds. It also showed the presence of genetically stable WNV L2 strains in Italy with continuous circulation throughout the time, and characteristic silent periods observed for WNV L1 in the country, with unnoticed circulation lasting sometimes for more than 10 years thanks to overwintering mechanisms supported by bird-to bird, rodent-to bird, or mosquito-to bird transmission routes.
In conclusion, from this study it clearly appears that WNV L1 and L2 have had different eco-epidemiological and genetic evolutionary features with L1 exhibiting complex behaviour and genomic heterogeneity, while L2 being characterised by homogeneity and less inclination to spread. We stress the crucial importance of an integrated surveillance system between Africa and Europe to monitor both the introductions and circulation of avian emerging zoonotic diseases in the two continents
Inglese
No full textBrucellosis is one of the world's major zoonotic pathogens and is responsible for enormous economic losses as well as considerable human morbidity in endemic areas. Definitive control of human brucellosis requires control of brucellosis in livestock through practical solutions that can be easily applied to the field. In Italy, brucellosis remains endemic in several southern provinces, particularly in Sicily Region. The purpose of this paper is to describe the developed brucellosis model and its applications, trying to reproduce as faithfully as possible the complex transmission process of brucellosis accounting for the mixing of grazing animals. The model focuses on the contaminated environment rather than on the infected animal, uses real data from the main grazing areas of the Sicily Region, and aims to identify the best control options for minimizing the spread (and the prevalence) and to reach the eradication within the concerned areas. Simulation results confirmed the efficacy of an earlier application of the controls, showed the control should take place 30 days after going to pasture, and the culling time being negligible. Moreover, results highlighted the importance of the timing of both births and grazing pastures (and their interaction) more than other factors. As these factors are region‑specific, the study encourages the adoption of different and new eradication tools, tuned on the grazing and commercial behavior of each region. This study will be further extended to improve the model's adaptability to the real world, with the purpose of making the model an operational tool able to help decision makers in accelerating brucellosis eradication in Italy
Occurrence of enteric viruses causing clinical diarrhea in small ruminants in northern Indian plains: a reverse transcription PCR based molecular study
Get PDFFowlpox virus (FPV) infects chickens and turkeys giving rise to pock lesions on various body parts like combs, wattles, legs, shanks, eyes, mouth, etc. The birds, affected with FPV, also show anemia and a ruffled appearance which are clinical symptoms of reticuloendotheliosis. Interestingly, the field strains of FPV are integrated with the provirus of reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV). Due to this integration, the infected birds, upon replication of FPV, give rise to free REV virions, causing severe immunosuppression and anemia. Pox scabs, collected from the infected birds, not only show positive PCR results upon performing FPV-specific 4b core protein gene PCR but also show positive results for the PCR of REV-specific env gene and FPV-REV 5’LTR junction. Homogenized suspension of the pock lesions, upon inoculating to the chorio-allantoic membrane (CAM) of 10-day-old specific pathogen-free embryonated chicken eggs, produces characteristic pock lesions in serial passages. However, the lesions also harbor REV mRNA or free virion, which can be identified by performing REV-specific env gene PCR using REV RNA from FPV-infected CAMs. The study suggests successful replication and availability of REV mRNA and free virion alongside the FPV, although the CAM is an ill-suited medium for any retroviral (like REV) growth and replication
O2-2 Histidine metabolism and metal homeostasis in Brucella abortus
No full textCopper is a heavy metal that plays an essential role as a co-factor for several proteins involved in biochemical processes. However, it can become toxic to bacteria when its concentration increases. To avoid damage, the bacteria have to put in place mechanisms to control the concentration of copper and to allow the homeostasis of the metal. Currently, the mechanisms used by Brucella abortus to maintaincopper homeostasis are unknown. In our laboratory, different mutants deleted for several genes of the histidine biosynthesis pathway showed lower replication in two infection models: HeLa cells and RAW 264.7 macrophages. Histidine is an amino acid that has the ability to coordinate different metal ions. In the present work, we investigated the impact of the deletion of histidine synthesis genes on copper homeostasis in B. abortus. First of all, a bioinformatics analysis was carried out to identify histidine-enriched proteins in the bacterium, and confirmed the link between this amino acid and metals. Secondly, we demonstrated that his mutants showed lower growth when copper was present in the medium, illustrating a sensitivity to copper. In addition, we were able to isolate suppressors with various mutations in the opp operon, suggesting that this could be a way for the bacteria to escape the toxicity of copper. It was also found that B. abortus does not show this sensitivity when actors classically described as involved in copper resistance are deleted. In conclusion, our results suggest that B. abortus would use histidine as the first line of defense against copper toxicity rather than the systems usually described
P8-01 Develop a Series of Maps to Predict the Special Distribution of Brucellosis in South Caucasus
No full textZoonotic diseases are an important cause of human morbidity and mortality; around 75% of recently emerging human infectious diseases are zoonoses. The movement of people, goods, and animals, globally, as facilitated by free trade and tourism may allow emerging diseases to spread quickly. Animal movement caused by natural migration, trading and marketing livestock represents an especially critical aspect in dis-semination of zoonotic diseases. In order to predict the spatial distribution for selected pathogen - Brucella spp., we developed models linking geo-referenced covariate information on geographical, ecological, social factors with geo-referenced samples of the selected pathogen. The proposed work will modernize national surveillance and identify areas at risk for Brucellosis in the South Caucasus. Quantitative disease ecology provides useful tools to analyze spatially referenced data on distributions of animal hosts and infectious agents, and their spatial concordance with environmental and social parameters. Animal movement caused by trading and marketing livestock represents an especially critical aspect in dissemination of zoonotic diseases. The Atlas will identify areas where brucellosis diseases might occur, but human cases have not been recognized, but where further surveillance should be targeted. Effective surveillance systems rely on localand national participants’ ability and willingness to accurately report disease outbreaks, and their capability to implement local and national responses. Early identification of zoonotic disease emergence is essential to rapidly contain outbreaks, yet many local and national authorities lack the human and technical capability, capacity, and supporting financial resources to do so. By developing the Atlas, we will acquire information on the specifics of where and how the pathogen emerged, in what populations, in the past and, by extension, identify other similar regions where their circulation has gone undetected
Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolated from fecal samples of diarrheic camels in Tunisia
Get PDFShiga‑toxin‑producing E. coli (STEC) is a foodborne pathogen associated with outbreaks worldwide that can be identified in the feces and in the meat of food‑producing animals. Our study aimed to evaluate the incidence of E. coli O157:H7 in the feces of diarrheic camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Tunisia. From January 2018 to April 2019, 120 unduplicated fecal samples were obtained from diarrheic camels located in southern Tunisia. Non‑sorbitol‑fermenting colonies were confirmed as E. coli O157 via latex agglutination test and were screened for the presence of rfbEO157, fliCH7, stx1, stx2, eaeA, and ehxA genes by PCR. All isolates were examined for their susceptibility to 21 antibiotics. Of the 70 E. coli isolates that were recovered from 120 diarrheic camels, 4 (5.7%) were identified as STEC O157:H7. All isolates harbored ehxA and eae genes. Shiga toxin genes stx2 and stx1 were present in 50% and 25% of isolates, respectively. All E. coli O157:H7 isolates were sensitive to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cefotaxime, cefepime, aztreonam, colistin, and sulfamethoxazole‑trimethoprim. All isolates belonged to the phylogroup E. This is the first report of E. coli O157:H7 isolates from diarrheic camels in Tunisia with a prevalence of 4 isolates (3.3%) amongst 120 fecal samples. This study supports the necessity for a platform purposed for regular screening and surveillance programs in food‑producing animals and meat products, to perform early and rapid identification of food‑borne pathogens
Phlebovirus detection on phlebotomine sandflies in Lampedusa Island (Italy)
Get PDFPhleboviruses are common human pathogens diffused on the Mediterranean area whose infection can cause the typical prodromal symptom of a mild three‑days fever. In particular, Toscana Virus (TOSV) has a great concern since its capacity to provoke central nervous system disorders like meningoencephalitis. Furthermore, as the phlebotomine arthropod vectors represent the main carrier for pathogens of the genus Leishmania as well, the purpose of the study was to investigate the presence of TOSV in Lampedusa, Italy previously reported for leishmaniosis infection cases. The survey was carried out through an initial sampling phase of sand flies, by means of CDC light traps, and a second step of molecular analyses. The genomic S‑segment of TOSV was targeted. The positive samples were sequenced and compared with those available in GenBank™ using Basic Local Alignments Tool (BLAST) analyses. The study revealed for the first time the presence of TOSV in Lampedusa, Italy. The entomological studies directed on vectors are currently widely used in sand fly surveillance, and new data on TOSV are of public health concern