1,721,001 research outputs found
Scent of a Killer: Microbial Volatilome and Its Role in the Biological Control of Plant Pathogens
No full textAntimicrobial Resistance in Veterinary Medicine and Public Health
No full textAnimal productions, and populations, have been rapidly expanding over the last decades, forcing the ever-closer coexistence of human beings and domestic animals on our yet “narrow” planet [...
Diagnosis and control of brucellosis through food: The contribution of omics sciences
No full textMore than 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases in humans are zoonoses, and about 70 percent of these come from wildlife. In this context, infectious diseases in animals are no longer a problem confined to the livestock and animal health sector but have important repercussions in public health-related risk assessment and management. One of the most relevant risks in the transmission of zoonoses is certainly the consumption of food contaminated with pathogens, especially because of the potential epidemiological relevance of foodborne outbreaks. Brucellosis represents one of the most prevalent zoonoses worldwide and one of the most important foodborne zoonoses, particularly in the Mediterranean and developing countries; The European Union has funded numerous eradication and control programs in at-risk herds. This review aims to analyze current diagnostic methods used in the detection of Brucella in food matrices. It will highlight issues related to the timing and specificity of classical diagnostic methods while also analyzing new diagnostic methods in the current literature. The focus of this work is on emphasizing the potential that integrated omics sciences have in developing early and highly sensitive diagnostic tools. It analyzes strengths and weaknesses and underscores, through a review of recent scientific articles in the “PubMed” and “Google Scholar” databases, the importance of current and future research, especially those based on an omics approach, in providing fundamental biological data and knowledge. This, in turn, could play a crucial role in designing innovative diagnostic tests to complement those currently in use
Food Safety Concerns in “COVID-19 Era”
No full textIn March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the COVID-19 outbreak can be characterized as a pandemic. Human-to-human transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus may initially be blamed as the first cause of spread, but can an infection be contracted by ingestion of contaminated food or touching contaminated food surfaces? Recently cold-chain food contamination has been indicated as a possible source of many human cases in China. However, the risk of a food-related COVID-19 infection is still debated since the virus may reach people through a fresh product or packaging, which have been touched/sneezed on by infected people. This review summarizes the most recent evidence on the zoonotic origin of the pandemic, reports the main results regarding the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through food or a food chain, as well as the persistence of the virus at different environmental conditions and surfaces. Emphasis is also posed on how to manage the risk of food-related COVID-19 spread and potential approaches that can reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 contamination
Avian Influenza Virus: Comparative Evolution as the Key for Predicting Host Tropism Expansion
No full textThe avian influenza virus poses an emerging public health risk due to its ability to cross the species barrier and infect a broad spectrum of hosts, including humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanisms and evolutionary dynamics underlying the spillover, using a bioinformatics approach to viral sequences. Eight viral proteins involved in the process of adaptation to new hosts were selected, and 156 amino acid mutations potentially associated with interspecies transmission were analyzed. The sequences, obtained from the NCBI Virus database, were aligned with the BLASTP1.4.0 tool and compared through phylogenetic analysis. The results show significant evolutionary proximity between human and animal viral strains, and the identification of shared mutations suggests the presence of conserved mechanisms in spillover. The identification of hosts that share mutations with human strains highlights the potential role of these animals as reservoirs or vectors. This study contributes to the understanding of viral adaptation and provides a starting point for targeted preventive strategies, including molecular surveillance and the development of containment and prevention measures
First report of a member of the Fusarium oxysporum species complex on Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch in Italy
No full textA proteomic investigation of Aspergillus carbonarius exposed to yeast volatilome or to its major component 2-phenylethanol reveals major shifts in fungal metabolism
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