Experimental infection of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus and Culex pipiens mosquitoes with Bluetongue virus.

Bluetongue disease (BT), caused by Bluetongue virus (BTV), infects wild and domestic ruminants, causing severe economic damage in the cattle and sheep industry. Proven vectors of BTV are biting midges belonging to the Culicoides genus, but other arthropods are considered potential vectors, such as ticks, mosquitoes, wingless flies, and sand flies. The present study represents the first attempt to evaluate the vectorial capacity of Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus for BTV. Mosquitoes were artificially fed with blood containing BTV serotype 1. Infection, dissemination and transmission rates were evaluated at 0, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days after an infected blood meal. Viral RNA was only detected up to 3 days post infection in the bodies of both species. This study indicates that the two Italian populations of Cx. pipiens and Ae. albopictus are not susceptible to BTV infection.

Pseudomonas protegens Affects Mosquito Survival and Development.

This study investigated the pathogenic potential of Pseudomonas protegens on mosquito larvae of the two species Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus, representing major threats for disease transmission in the Mediterranean area and worldwide. The bacterium achieved to kill over 90% of the mosquito larvae within 72 h after exposition to a bacterial concentration of 100 million CFU/ml. These lethal effects were concentration dependent and a significantly higher susceptibility was associated with younger larvae of both mosquito species. Significant slowdown of immature (larval and pupal) development and decrease in adult emergence rate after treatment with sub-lethal doses of the bacterium were also detected. This study reports for the first time the insecticidal activity of a root-associated biocontrol bacterium against aquatic mosquito larvae.

Validation of a Novel Commercial ELISA Test for the Detection of Antibodies against Coxiella burnetii.

Q fever is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii, a Gram-negative pathogen with a complex life cycle and a high impact on public and animal health all over the world. The symptoms are indistinguishable from those belonging to other diseases, and the disease could be symptomless. For these reasons, reliable laboratory tests are essential for an accurate diagnosis. The aim of this study was to validate a novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, named the Chorus Q Fever Phase II IgG and IgM Kit (DIESSE, Diagnostica Senese S.p.A), which is performed by an instrument named Chorus, a new device in medical diagnostics. This diagnostic test is employed for the detection of antibodies against C. burnetii Phase II antigens in acute disease. Our validation protocol was performed according to the Italian Accreditation Body (ACCREDIA) (Regulation UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018 and 17043:2010), OIE (World Organization for Animal Health), and Statement for Reporting Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD). Operator performance was evaluated along with the analytical specificity and sensitivity (ASp and ASe) and diagnostic accuracy of the kit, with parameters such as diagnostic specificity and sensitivity (DSp and DSe) and positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), in addition to the repeatability. According to the evaluated parameters, the diagnostic ELISA test was shown to be suitable for validation and commercialization as a screening method in human sera and a valid support for clinical diagnostics.

The disease burden of human cystic echinococcosis based on HDRs from 2001 to 2014 in Italy.

BACKGROUND: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is an important neglected zoonotic parasitic infection belonging to the subgroup of seven Neglected Zoonotic Disease (NZDs) included in the World Health Organization's official list of 18 Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). CE causes serious global human health concerns and leads to significant economic losses arising from the costs of medical treatment, morbidity, life impairments and fatality rates in human cases. Moreover, CE is endemic in several Italian Regions. The aim of this study is to perform a detailed analysis of the economic burden of hospitalization and treatment costs and to estimate the Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) of CE in Italy. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In the period from 2001 to 2014, the direct costs of 21,050 Hospital Discharge Records (HDRs) belonging to 12,619 patients with at least one CE-related diagnosis codes were analyzed in order to quantify the economic burden of CE. CE cases average per annum are 901 (min-max = 480-1,583). Direct costs include expenses for hospitalizations, medical and surgical treatment incurred by public and private hospitals and were computed on an individual basis according to Italian Health Ministry legislation. Moreover, we estimated the DALYs for each patient. The Italian financial burden of CE is around € 53 million; the national average economic burden per annum is around € 4 million; the DALYs of the population from 2001 to 2014 are 223.35 annually and 5.26 DALYs per 105 inhabitants. CONCLUSION: In Italy, human CE is responsible for significant economic losses in the public health sector. In humans, costs associated with CE have been shown to have a great impact on affected individuals, their families and the community as a whole. This study could be used as a tool to prioritize and make decisions with regard to a surveillance system for this largely preventable yet neglected disease. It demonstrates the need of implementing a CE control program aimed at preventing the considerable economic and social losses it causes in high incidence areas.

Correction: Occurrence of Harmful Algal Species and Shellfish Toxicity in Sardinia (Italy).

[This corrects the article on p. 6095 in vol. 5, PMID: 28058244.].

Occurrence of Harmful Algal Species and Shellfish Toxicity in Sardinia (Italy).

Sardinia (Italy, north-western Mediterranean) is a commercially important producer of edible bivalve molluscs. Since the early 2000s, it was subjected to recurring cases of mussel farm closures due to toxic algal poison. Here, we present the studies on toxin concentrations and the associated potentially toxic phytoplankton distribution and abundances carried out by a regular monitoring programme in Sardinian shellfish areas, from January to May 2015. Diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins were detected in several bivalve molluscs samples, while paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) and paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins were present just once, without exceeding the legal limits. Potentially toxic algal species have been constantly present. Pseudo-nitzschia species were present during the entire study often with high abundances, while Dinophysis species reached high densities sporadically. Among PSP phytoplankton, only Alexandrium minutum Halim was found. The data obtained in this study showed an increase in the DSP toxicity in mussels in Sardinia. No clear relation between the occurrence of toxins in shellfish and the presence of potentially toxic algal species was found, although a slight correlation between DSP toxins and Dinophysis species could be supported.

Retrospective study of human cystic echinococcosis in Italy based on the analysis of hospital discharge records between 2001 and 2012.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is an important zoonotic parasitic infection. The European Centre for Disease Control highlights that Italy lacks a surveillance system for CE. Due to the lack of official data, we analysed the Hospital Discharge Records (HDRs) drawn from the National Ministry of Health. The aim of this study was to analyse data from the HDRs with CE-related diagnoses in Italy from 2001 to 2012 to assess the current status and trend of disease epidemiology. A total of 16,550 HDRs related to the admission of 10,682 Italian patients were examined. The HDRs were analysed according to the patient's region and province code to evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics of each case, together with the annual incidence rates of hospital cases (AIh) in administrative divisions in rural and urban areas. Lesions occurred frequently in the liver (83.6%) and lungs (8.4%). Patients ranged in age from 1 to 100 years (mean 59.8), and 57% were over 60 years old. The highest average AIh was registered in the Islands with 4.6/10(5) inhabitants (6.9/10(5) in Sardinia and 4.3/10(5) in Sicily), followed by the South with an average AIh of 1.9/10(5) inhabitants (5.4/10(5) inhabitants) and the Centre with an average AIh of 1.07/10(5) inhabitants (there was an AIh of 1.65/10(5) in Latium). The analysis for trend showed a statistically significant decrease in the AIh throughout the study period (e.g., in the Islands r(2)=0.98, p<0.001). An AIh over 2/10(5) inhabitants was observed in 31/110 provinces. Rural areas with comprehensive development problems had a relative risk of CE of 5.7 (95% CI, 5.3 to 6.9) compared to urban areas. The relative risk increased between areas where sheep breeding is widespread compared to those where it is less prevalent. This study shows a detailed picture of the geographic distribution and the epidemiological situation of CE in Italy, indicating that CE continues to be a significant public health problem in Italy. The retrospective study of HDRs is useful for the evaluation of the status of disease epidemiology; however, a surveillance system is needed to report confirmed cases of human CE.