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Endoparasitic conditions in imported pheasants: Capillaria phasianina reported for the first time in Italy
No full text
SEROPREVALENCE FOR TOXOPLASMA GONDII INFECTION IN WILD BOAR AND FINISHING SWINE IN NORTHERN ITALY
No full textObjectives - The EFSA has recently recommended that Toxoplasma monitoring programmes should be initiated in the preharvest
sector on sheep, goats, pigs and game. The aim of the present study is to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii in wild boar
and in confined swine in Northern Italy, an area accounting for over 80% of the Italian swine production.
Materials and Methods - The study involved a total of 400 fattening pigs, randomly sampled in a main abattoir and 427 wild
boars collected during 2010-2011 hunting season. Samples of meat juice were examined for specific antibodies by a commercial
ELISA test (IDvet T. gondii serum screening). Muscolar tissue of seropositive animals (diaphragm and hearth) were further
examined for directly detecting the parasite contemporary by PCR and bioassay in mice.
Results - Seroprevalence against Toxoplasma gondii was 17.3% (CI 95%: 13.9-21.3%) in wildboar and 5.25% (CI 95%: 3.28%-
7.91%) in slaughtered fattening pigs. Amongst the 95 seropositive samples, 3 muscolar tissues were positive by PCR, instead all
bioassayed samples were negative.
Conclusions - Data from different studies are not directly comparable due to the variability in the sampling strategy and in
the type of method applied for the testing. However, our data demonstrate a high difference in seroprevalence (χ2=29.62;
p<0.05) between the wildboar sampled population and the farmed pigs even in the same study area. This survey confirms
the low infection rates in animals reared indoors and suggests that the maintenance and the implementation of biosecurity
measures can prevent the exposition to contaminated environment. The level of this agreement between indirect and direct
tests indicates that presence of antibodies is not a good indicator for the presence of viable T. gondii muscolar cystis
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (MRSA) NASAL COLONISATION IN A FARROW TO FINISH PIG HERD
No full textObjectives - To contribute to better understanding of age-related changes in MRSA nasal colonization (n.c.) in pigs.
Materials and methods - Thirty sows were submitted to nasal swabbing (n.s.) at d 80 of gestation. At d 3 post partum mammal
skin was swabbed. Sixty pigs were submitted to n.s. at d3 of life, one day before weaning (wean.) (d27); last day of wean. (d75);
first day of fattening (d120); approx. half of fattening (d180); slaughtering (approx. d270). Dust samples were collected with
dry sterile gauzes. Gestation facilities were tested only once (30 samples). Farrowing (farr.) crates, weaning boxes, growing
and fattening pens were tested twice: in the presence of animals (10 samples) and in cleaned and sanitized (C&S) rooms (10
samples).
Results - N. c. was recorded in 1/30 sows. No MRSA were detected from mammal skin swabs. At d3 of life 1/30 pig resulted
colonized (1,7%): At d 27 all pigs tested negative. At d75 and at d120 all pigs (30/30) resulted MRSA colonized. At approximately
d180 the number of colonized pigs decreased at 11/60 (18,3%) and at slaughter 14/59 tested positive (23,7%). MRSA
environmental contamination was not detected in gestation pens and in farr. crates. Five out of ten dust samples were identified
as MRSA positive in populated weaning boxes. After C&S, MRSA were detected in 4/10 weaning boxes. In growing boxes the
rate of positive samples (p.s.) was 5/10 in populated boxes and 2/10 after C&S. In fattening boxes the rate of p. s. was 1/10
before and after C&S.
Conclusions - MRSA n. c. rate appeared age-related. A clear increase was registered during wean., with the rate reaching 100%,
persisting in growers and decreasing in fatteners to approx. 20%. A similar trend was observed in environmental samples. The
rapid colonization of all pigs followed their introduction in contaminated wean. boxes
UTILIZZO DELLA TIPIZZAZIONE MOLECOLARE (MLST) E DELLA SIEROLOGIA PER LO STUDIO DELL'EPIDEMIOLOGIA DI BRACHYSPIRA HYODYSENTERIAE IN UN ALLEVAMENTO SUINO MULTISITO
No full textValutazione sierologica dell'efficacia di un vaccino anti-PCV2
No full textLa prova è stata condotta per valutare l’efficacia sierologica di un vaccino anti PCV2 in un allevamento con anamnesi positiva per PMWS. In due gruppi di scrofe (vaccinate e non vaccinate), sono stati valutati i titoli anticorpali pre-vaccinazione (6 settimane dal parto) e quelli presenti 10 giorni dopo il parto. Analogamente, su un campione di suinetti nati sia da scofe vaccinate sia da scrofe non vaccinate, è stato determinato il titolo anticorpale anti PCV2 a 10 e a 20 giorni di vita. Per la valutazione sierologica sono state utilizzate due diverse metodiche immunoenzimatiche. Nelle scrofe vaccinate, il titolo anticorpale a 10 giorni dopo il parto è risultato significativamente più elevato rispetto al gruppo di controllo. Anche i titoli anticorpali nei suinetti nati da madri vaccinate hanno messo in evidenza un’analoga differenza sia a 10 che a 20 giorni di vita
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Isolation and molecular typing of Leishmania infantum from Phlebotomus perfiliewi in a reemerging focus of leishmaniasis, Northeastern Italy
Full text linkVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania (L.) infantum is a public health threat in the Emilia-Romagna region, northeastern Italy, but its epidemiology has not been fully elucidated in this area. The objective of this study was to characterize Leishmania infection in sand flies collected in a re-emerging focus of VL in the Bologna province. During the summer of 2016, 6114 sand flies were collected, identified, and tested for Leishmania detection. Of the identified sand flies, 96.5% were Phlebotomus (P.) perfiliewi and 3.5% were P. perniciosus. Detected parasites were characterized by biomolecular methods (multilocus microsatellite typing and characterization of repetitive region on chromosome 31), and quantified by real-time PCR. The prevalence of Leishmania infection in individually-tested P. perfiliewi sand flies varied from 6% to 10% with an increasing trend during the season. Promastigotes of L. infantum were isolated by dissection in one P. perfiliewi female; the isolated strain (Lein-pw) were closely related to Leishmania parasites from VL cases in northeastern Italy, but differed from strains isolated in dogs from the same area. Our findings strongly support the vector status of P. perfiliewi for human VL in the study area
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