1,721,044 research outputs found
Nutrient recovery from wastewater treatment by ultrafiltration membrane for water reuse in view of a circular economy perspective
Full text linkThe study aims to recover nitrogen from wastewater by employing ultrafiltration membrane in water reuse for agriculture purpose. To such aim, a new reclaimed water quality index (RWQI) is proposed and applied including an innovative protocol for its assessment. Specifically, the influence of filtration and backwashing times for an ultrafiltration system aimed to nutrient recovery has been analyzed. The final goal was to pin down the trade-off between operation costs and effluent quality. Results show that backwashing time play a crucial role in reducing the operation costs; indeed, low values (i.e., 0.5 min) lead to an increase in the number of required chemical cleanings and consequently operation costs (namely, up to 0.042 euro/m3). The compromise among effluent quality and operation costs has been obtained for 7 min and 1 min, filtration and backwashing, respectively
SARS-CoV-2 an extensive monitoring of an Italian full-scale wastewater treatment plant
Full text linkWastewater-based epidemiology was adopted to monitor SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Caltanissetta (Sicily, Italy) full-
scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The sampling campaign lasted 288 days (from October 11, 2021
to July 26, 2022). Influent wastewater, effluent from the secondary clarifier, and disinfected effluent samples
were monitored for SARS-CoV-2 RNA coupled with other conventional pollutants (total suspended solids – TSS,
chemical oxygen demand – COD, biochemical oxygen demand – BOD, respectively, Escherichia coli). Results
showed that the plant performs excellently in removing conventional pollutants (average removal of 94 %, 91 %,
and 91 % for TSS, COD, and BOD, respectively). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in all influent wastewater
analyzed samples (average 1.1 × 105 copies genomic per litre – GC
Varicella vaccination as useful strategy for reducing the risk of varicella-related hospitalizations in both vaccinated and unvaccinated cohorts (Italy, 2003-2018)
No full textThe present study summarizes evidences of the impact that varicella vaccination (VV) introduction and coverage can have on varicella attributable hospitalization rates
Coverage rates against vaccine-preventable diseases among healthcare workers in Sicily (Italy)
Full text linkVaccination of healthcare workers (HCWs) reduces the risk of occupational vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), prevents their nosocomial transmission and preserves healthcare delivery during outbreaks. Extensive implementation of vaccination programmes for HCWs allowed the elimination or control of several VPDs within healthcare facilities; despite these, the vaccine adherence rates among HCWs are persistently suboptimal
Occurrence of illicit drugs in two wastewater treatment plants in the South of Italy
No full textIn this study the occurrence and the behavior of illicit drugs and their metabolites have been investigated for two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) (namely, WWTP-1 and WWTP-2) located in Sicily (island of Italy). Samples were analyzed for methamphetamine, cocaine (COC), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methadone (METH), 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP), 3,4-methylenedioxy amphetamine (MDA); 3,4-methylenedioxy ethylamphetamine (MDEA), 11-nor-9-carboxy-Î9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) and Benzoylecgonine (BEG). The BEG, COC, MOR and THC-COOH were found at the highest concentration in both WWTPs. The Wastewater-based epidemiology calculation for BEG, COC, cannabinoids and THC-COOH was performed. On average, for both plants, population consumes 1.6 and 23.4 dose 1000 inhâ1dayâ1of cocaine and cannabis, respectively. For WWTP-1 negative removals of illicit drugs were observed. For WWTP-2 the following average removal efficiencies were obtained: BEG (77.85%), COC (92.34%), CODEINE (64.75%), MOR (90.16%) and THC-COOH (68.64%)
Mid-Term Estimates of Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness against the A(H1N1)pdm09 Prevalent Circulating Subtype in the 2023/24 Season: Data from the Sicilian RespiVirNet Surveillance System
Full text linkThe current influenza season started in Italy in October 2023, approaching the epidemic peak in late December (52nd week of the year). We aimed to explore the mid-term virologic surveillance data of the 2023/2024 influenza season (from 16 October 2023 to 7 January 2024) in Sicily, the fourth most populous Italian region. A test-negative design was used to estimate the effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccine (VE) against A(H1N1)pdm09 virus, the predominant subtype in Sicily (96.2% of laboratory-confirmed influenza cases). Overall, 29.2% (n = 359/1230) of oropharyngeal swabs collected from patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) were positive for influenza. Among the laboratory-confirmed influenza cases, 12.5% (n = 45/359) were vaccinated against influenza, with higher prevalence of laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of influenza A among subjects vaccinated with quadrivalent inactivated standard dose (29.4%), live attenuated intranasal (25.1%), and quadrivalent inactivated high-dose (23.8%) influenza vaccines. Comparing influenza vaccination status for the 2023/2024 season among laboratory-confirmed influenza-positive and -negative samples, higher vaccination rates in influenza-negative samples (vs. positive) were observed in all age groups, except for 45-64 years old, regardless of sex and comorbidities. The overall adjusted VE (adj-VE) was 41.4% [95%CI: 10.5-61.6%], whereas the adj-VE was 37.9% [95%CI: -0.7-61.7%] among children 7 months-14 years old and 52.7% [95%CI: -38.0-83.8%] among the elderly (>= 65 years old)
SARS-CoV-2 molecular surveillance of migrant populations arriving to Italy via the Mediterranean Sea: lessons learnt
No full textRefugees and migrants remain one of the most vulnerable people and the COVID-19 pandemic has posed additional challenges both in terms of increased risk of infection and death experienced, highlighting existing inequities in access to and utilization of health services, as underlined by World Health Organization in 2020 in the Health and Migration Programme. In the context of the Programme 'Epidemiological surveillance and control of COVID-19 in metropolitan urban areas and for the containment of the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in the migrant population in Italy', coordinated by the Italian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CCM) and funded by the Italian Ministry of Health, an experimental epidemiological, virological, and molecular SARS-CoV-2 surveillance system addressed to migrant populations in Sicily through Mediterranean routes was implemented. To this end, a multidisciplinary network supported by a hub&spoke system of laboratories was established in Sicily Region (Southern Italy), using molecular and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques to identify different SARS-CoV-2 strains in relation to migration flows. Herein, the lesson learnt through this integrated surveillance model, that was in place from February 2021 till the end of the COVID-19 emergency in Italy, are reported. Overall, the data emphasized the need for enhancing molecular surveillance in the areas of the globe where testing and sequencing resources are limited. The epidemiological, virological, and molecular SARS-CoV-2 monitoring, targeted to the migrant population, may also provide a valuable experimental model
Insights into Genetic and Antigenic Characteristics of Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 Viruses Circulating in Sicily During the Surveillance Season 2023–2024: The Potential Effect on the Seasonal Vaccine Effectiveness
Full text linkAfter disruption in the influenza circulation due to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the intensity of seasonal outbreaks has returned to the pre-pandemic levels. This study aimed to evaluate the evolution and variability of whole-genome sequences of A(H1N1)pdm09, the predominant influenza virus in Sicily (Italy) during the season 2023–2024. The potential vaccine efficacy was calculated using the pepitope model based on amino acid changes in the dominant epitope of hemagglutinin. The HA gene sequences showed several amino acid substitutions, some of which were within the major antigenic sites. The phylogenetic analysis showed that Sicilian strains grouped into two main genetic clades (6B.1A.5a.2a.1 and 6B.1A.5a.2a) and several subclades. Notably, about 40% of sequences partially drifted from the WHO-recommended vaccine strain A/Victoria/4897/2022 for the Northern Hemisphere. These sequences mostly belonged to the subclades C.1.8 and C.1.9 and harboured the amino acid mutations responsible for the modest predicted vaccine efficacy (E = 38.12% of 53%, pepitope = 0) against these viruses. Amino acid substitutions in other gene segments were also found. Since influenza viruses are constantly evolving, genomic surveillance is crucial in monitoring their molecular evolution and the occurrence of genetic and antigenic changes, and, thus, their potential impact on vaccine efficacy
The Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Dynamics of Influenza B Virus in Two Italian Regions during 2010–2015: The Experience of Sicily and Liguria
No full textMolecular epidemiology of influenza B virus remained poorly studied in Italy, despite representing a major contributor to seasonal epidemics. This study aimed to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships and genetic diversity of the hemagglutinin gene sequences of 197 influenza B strains circulating in both Southern (Sicily) and Northern (Liguria) Italy between 2010 and 2015. Upper respiratory tract specimens of patients displaying symptoms of influenza-like illness were screened by real-time RT-PCR assay for the presence of influenza B virus. PCR-positive influenza B samples were further analyzed by sequencing. Neighbor-joining phylogenetic trees were constructed and the amino-acid alignments were analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis showed clusters in B/Victoria clade 1A/1B (n = 29, 14.7%), and B/Yamagata clades 2 (n = 112, 56.8%) and 3 (n = 56, 28.4%). Both influenza B lineages were found to co-circulate during the study period, although a lineage swap from B/Victoria to B/Yamagata occurred in Italy between January 2011 and January 2013. The most represented amino-acid substitutions were N116K in the 120-loop (83.9% of B/Yamagata clade 3 strains) and I146V in the 150-loop (89.6% of B/Victoria clade 1 strains). D197N in 190-helix was found in almost all viruses collected. Our findings provide further evidence to support the adoption of quadrivalent influenza vaccines in our country
Outbreak of ST395 KPC-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Palermo, Italy
Full text linkThe spread of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-Kp) is an emerging concern worldwide. Italy is a country endemic for Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapene- mases (KPCs). KPC spread in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) may represent a major safety issue for critical infants and a challenge in managing new admissions
- …
