Increased reports of measles in the Metropolitan City of Milan, northern Italy, September 2023 to March 2024.

Since late 2023, the Metropolitan City of Milan and surrounding areas (northern Italy) have been experiencing a resurgence of measles, with most cases detected starting from January 2024. During this brief period, we observed measles in travellers from endemic areas, participants in international events, vaccinees and healthcare workers. Indigenous cases have also been identified. Even though we have not yet identified large and disruptive outbreaks, strengthening surveillance and vaccination activities is pivotal to help limit the impact of measles spread.

Listeria monocytogenes Transmission from Donated Blood to Platelet Transfusion Recipient, Italy.

We report Listeria monocytogenes infection in a patient in Italy who was transfused with pooled platelet concentrate. Genomic analysis revealed that L. monocytogenes isolates from the donor blood unit, the transfused platelets, and the patient's blood culture were genetically closely related, confirming transfusion transmission. Additional surveillance and secondary bacterial screening could improve transfusion safety.

Differential diagnosis of fever and rash cases negative for measles and rubella to complement surveillance activities.

In the quest to eliminate measles virus (MV) and rubella virus (Ruv), every suspected case must be properly identified and diagnosed. Since 2017, in Milan (Italy), a total of 978 measles and rubella suspected cases (fever and rash) were investigated and 310 were not laboratory confirmed (discarded cases). To improve surveillance activities, we investigated the presence in discarded cases of 8 other viral pathogens commonly associated with rash: human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and 7 (HHV-7), parvovirus B19 (B19V), enterovirus (EV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human adenovirus (HAdV), cytomegalovirus (HCMV), and SARS-CoV-2. Differential diagnosis was carried out on 289 discarded cases by multiplex real-time PCR assays. At least one pathogen was detected in 188 cases (65.1%) with HHV-7 being the most frequently detected virus. No difference in the number of detected infections overtime was observed and infections were identified in all age groups. As expected, most HHV-6, EV, HAdV, and HCMV-positive cases were found in children aged 0-4 years and HHV-7 was most frequent in the 15-39 age group. In light of the World Health Organization measles elimination goal, the introduction of laboratory methods for differential diagnosis is required for the final classification of clinically compatible cases. The used screening panel allowed us to increase the percentage of virus-positive cases to 87.5%, allowing us to clarify viral involvement and epidemiology, improve diagnosis, and strengthen surveillance activities. As all investigated pathogens were detected, this diagnostic panel was a suitable tool to complement MV and RuV surveillance activities.

Detection of human papillomavirus in fresh and dried urine through an automated system for cervical cancer screening in low- and middle-income countries.

The majority of cervical cancer cases and associated deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where sociocultural barriers, poor access to prevention and care, and technical and practical difficulties hinder screening coverage improvement. Using urine specimens for human papillomaviruses (HPV) molecular screening through automated testing platforms can help to overcome these problems. We evaluated the high-risk (HR) HPV detection performance of the Xpert® HPV test on GeneXpert® System (Cepheid), on fresh and dried urine (Dried Urine Spot [DUS]) samples as compared to an in-house polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genotyping assay. Forty-five concentrated urine samples collected from women with known cytological and HPV infection status, determined through in-house PCR and genotyping assays, were tested "as is" and as DUS with the Xpert® HPV test. This system detected HR-HPV in 86.4% of fresh and in 77.3% of dried urine samples collected from HPV+ women, correctly identifying HR-HPV infection in 100% of women with low- and high-grade lesions. High concordance (91.4%, k = 0.82) was found between PCR test and Xpert® HPV Test from urine. Urine-based Xpert® HPV test seems to be a suitable screening test for detection of HR-HPV infections associated with low- and high-grade lesions requiring follow-up monitoring or treatment. This methodology, relying on noninvasively collected samples and on available rapid testing platforms, could facilitate large, at-scale screening programs, particularly in LMICs and rural areas, thus reducing adverse outcomes of HPV infection and facilitating achievement of the WHO cervical cancer elimination goal.

Serological investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with suspect measles, 2017-2022.

BACKGROUND: Several studies suggested that SARS-CoV-2 was already spreading worldwide during the last months of 2019 before the first outbreak was detected in Wuhan, China. Lombardy (Northern Italy) was the first European region with sustained SARS-CoV-2 transmission and recent investigations detected SARS-CoV-2-RNA-positive patients in Lombardy since late 2019. METHODS: We tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG all serum samples available in our laboratory (N = 235, collected between March 2017 and March 2022) that we received within the framework of measles/rubella surveillance from measles and rubella virus-negative patients. RESULTS: Thirteen of 235 samples (5.5%) were IgG-positive. The positivity rate increased starting in 2019 and was significantly different from the expected false positive rate from 2019 onwards. Additionally, in 2019 the percentage of IgG-positive patients was significantly lower among SARS-CoV-2 RNA-negative patients (3/92) compared to SARS-CoV-2 RNA-positive patients (2/7, p = 0.04). The highest percentage of IgG positivity in the pre-pandemic period was recorded during the second half of 2019. This coincided with an increase in negativity for measles and a widening of the peak of the number of measles discarded cases per 100,000 inhabitants, indicating a higher-than-normal number of measles-negative patients experiencing fever and rash. This also coincided with the first patient positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA (September 12th, 2019); this patient was also positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM. CONCLUSIONS: Although the number of samples was low and one cannot conclusively establish that the virus started circulating in Lombardy around September 2019, our findings should stimulate similar research investigating the possibility of undetected SARS-CoV-2 pre-pandemic circulation.

A large A(H3N2) influenza outbreak with a high attack rate in a drug user community in Italy, April 2022.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, influenza remains an important issue. Especially in community settings, influenza outbreaks can be difficult to control and can result in high attack rates. In April 2022, a large A(H3N2) influenza outbreak spread in the largest Italian drug-rehabilitation community. One hundred eighty-four individuals presented influenza-like symptoms (attack rate of 26.2%); 56% previously received the influenza vaccine. Sequence analyses highlighted a genetic drift from the vaccine strain, which may have caused the observed lack of protection.

The Immunological Profile of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children Is Linked to Clinical Severity and Age.

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is clinically less severe in children, even if the wide variety and degree of severity of symptoms reported in children pose a still-unresolved challenge for clinicians. We performed an in-depth analysis of the immunological profiles of 18 hospitalized SARS-CoV-2-infected children, whose results were compared to those obtained from 13 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). The patients were categorized as paucisymptomatic/moderate (55.6%) or severe/critical (44.5%) according to established diagnostic criteria and further stratified into the categories of infants (1-12 months), children (1-12 years), and adolescents (>12 years). We assessed SARS-CoV-2-specific RBD antibodies (Ab), neutralizing antibodies (nAb), and circulating cytokines/chemokines in the plasma, and the SARS-CoV-2-specific immune response was measured in PBMCs by gene expression and secretome analyses. Our results showed peculiar circulating cytokine/chemokine profiles among patients sharing a similar clinical phenotype. A cluster of patients consisting of infants with severe symptoms presented hyperinflammatory profiles, together with extremely polarized antibody profiles. In a second cluster consisting of paucisymptomatic patients, a less pronounced increase in the level of inflammatory cytokines, together with an association between the selected cytokines and humoral responses, was observed. A third cluster, again consisting of paucisymptomatic patients, showed a circulating cytokine/chemokine profile which overlapped with that of the HC. The SARS-CoV-2-stimulated production of pro-inflammatory proteins, T lymphocyte activation, and migration-specific proteins, were significantly increased in SARS-CoV-2-infected children compared to the HC. Our findings suggest that immune response activation in the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children is directly correlated with clinical severity and, to a lesser extent, age.

Molecular evidence for SARS-CoV-2 in samples collected from patients with morbilliform eruptions since late 2019 in Lombardy, northern Italy.

As a reference laboratory for measles and rubella surveillance in Lombardy, we evaluated the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and measles-like syndromes, providing preliminary evidence for undetected early circulation of SARS-CoV-2. Overall, 435 samples from 156 cases were investigated. RNA from oropharyngeal swabs (N = 148) and urine (N = 141) was screened with four hemi-nested PCRs and molecular evidence for SARS-CoV-2 infection was found in 13 subjects. Two of the positive patients were from the pandemic period (2/12, 16.7%, March 2020-March 2021) and 11 were from the pre-pandemic period (11/44, 25%, August 2019-February 2020). Sera (N = 146) were tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies. Five of the RNA-positive individuals also had detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. No strong evidence of infection was found in samples collected between August 2018 and July 2019 from 100 patients. The earliest sample with evidence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was from September 12, 2019, and the positive patient was also positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgG and IgM). Mutations typical of B.1 strains previously reported to have emerged in January 2020 (C3037T, C14408T, and A23403G), were identified in samples collected as early as October 2019 in Lombardy. One of these mutations (C14408T) was also identified among sequences downloaded from public databases that were obtained by others from samples collected in Brazil in November 2019. We conclude that a SARS-CoV-2 progenitor capable of producing a measles-like syndrome may have emerged in late June-late July 2019 and that viruses with mutations characterizing B.1 strain may have been spreading globally before the first Wuhan outbreak. Our findings should be complemented by high-throughput sequencing to obtain additional sequence information. We highlight the importance of retrospective surveillance studies in understanding the early dynamics of COVID-19 spread and we encourage other groups to perform retrospective investigations to seek confirmatory proofs of early SARS-CoV-2 circulation.

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in an Oropharyngeal Swab Specimen, Milan, Italy, Early December 2019.

We identified severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA in an oropharyngeal swab specimen collected from a child with suspected measles in early December 2019, ≈3 months before the first identified coronavirus disease case in Italy. This finding expands our knowledge on timing and mapping of novel coronavirus transmission pathways.

[Michelangelo COVID hotel in Milan (Northern Italy): analysis of a hospitality experience in time of Coronavirus]. / Michelangelo COVID hotel di Milano: analisi di un'esperienza di accoglienza in tempo di Coronavirus.

Il "progetto Michelangelo" è nato dall'esigenza di rallentare la diffusione dei contagi da SARS-CoV-2 e alleggerire il carico a livello ospedaliero. Inizialmente, la maggior parte degli ospiti dell'hotel Michelangelo di Milano erano pazienti dimessi dagli ospedali con test molecolare ancora positivo che non avevano la possibilità di restare in isolamento domiciliare. Ben presto, però, il progetto è stato esteso e circa un ospite su quattro era un adulto/nucleo familiare in condizioni di grave disagio economico o sociale o una persona senza fissa dimora. Inoltre, la maggior parte degli ospiti era di nazionalità non italiana: persone che, a causa di barriere linguistiche, legali, culturali e sociali, hanno trovato maggiore difficoltà ad avere un rapido accesso ai servizi sanitari. Il "progetto Michelangelo" non ha solo contribuito a ridurre il sovraffollamento degli ospedali, ma è stato di supporto ai servizi rivolti al contrasto della grave marginalità.

Molecular Epidemiology of B3 and D8 Measles Viruses through Hemagglutinin Phylogenetic History.

Of the 24 known measles genotypes, only D8 and B3 are responsible for outbreaks in the last years in Europe, Asia, and America. In this study the H gene of 92 strains circulating between 2015 and 2019 in Lombardy, Northern Italy, and 1273 H sequences available in GenBank were analyzed in order to evaluate the genetic variability and to assess the conservation of the immunodominant sites. Overall, in Lombardy we observed the presence of four different B3 and three different D8 clusters, each one of them including sequences derived from viruses found in both vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects. Worldwide, the residue 400 within the H protein, a position located within the main immune epitope, is mutated in all circulating strains that belong to the two globally endemic genotypes, B3 and D8. Our data demonstrate the usefulness of measles virus (MV) H gene sequencing. Indeed, the monitoring the H protein epitopes of circulating strains could be included in the measles laboratory surveillance activities in order to improve and optimize strategies for measles control, as countries go towards elimination phase.

Ongoing large measles outbreak with nosocomial transmission in Milan, northern Italy, March-August 2017.

A large measles outbreak has been ongoing in Milan and surrounding areas. From 1 March to 30 June 2017, 203 measles cases were laboratory-confirmed (108 sporadic cases and 95 related to 47 clusters). Phylogenetic analysis revealed the co-circulation of two different genotypes, D8 and B3. Both genotypes caused nosocomial clusters in two hospitals. The rapid analysis of epidemiological and phylogenetic data allowed effective surveillance and tracking of transmission pathways.

Sexually Transmitted Infections: A Novel Screening Strategy for Improving Women's Health in Vulnerable Populations.

BACKGROUND: Migrant women are one of the most vulnerable population to health problems and well-being. This study aimed at implementing a counseling and preventive strategy for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in undocumented migrant women in Milan, Italy. METHODS: Women (ages 18-65) were enrolled at the NAGA Centre (2012-2013) and asked for a urine sample in order to carry out molecular detection of Human papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct), Trichomonas vaginalis (Tv), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng)-DNA. Socio-demographic and sexual behavior information were collected. All HPV/Ct+ women were offered Pap tests and/or were prescribed antibiotic treatment. RESULTS: 537/757 women participated in the study (acceptability rate: 70.9%). Most of the women were from Latin America (45.6%) and Eastern Europe (30.7%); >60% of them had stable partners, did not use contraception and had had at least one pregnancy. The prevalence rates of HPV, Ct, Tv and Ng infections were 24.2%, 7.8%, 4.8% and 0%, respectively. In all, 43.2% of the positive women agreed to undergo a gynecological examination and accepted suitable treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows an overall high prevalence of STIs in undocumented migrant women in Milan. The screening strategy based on counseling and urine testing contributed to the successfully high acceptability rate. More appropriate health services that adequately address all aspects of women's health are required.

Measles in Italy: Co-circulation of B3 variants during 2014.

In 2013, the majority of the WHO/EUR countries reported an annual incidence of >1 case per one million population indicating that the elimination target is far from being met. Thus, there is the urgent need to uncover and analyze chains of measles virus (MV) transmission with the objective to identify vulnerable groups and avoid possible routes of introduction of MV variants in the European population. The analysis of molecular epidemiology of MV B3 strains identified in 2014 has shown that four different variants co-circulated in Italy, including the strain that caused a cruise-line ship outbreak at the beginning of the year.

Outbreak of a new measles B3 variant in the Roma/Sinti population with transmission in the nosocomial setting, Italy, November 2015 to April 2016.

A measles outbreak occurred from November 2015 to April 2016 in two northern Italian regions, affecting the Roma/Sinti ethnic population and nosocomial setting. Overall, 67 cases were reported. Median age of 43 cases in three Roma/Sinti camps was four years, nosocomial cases were mainly adults. The outbreak was caused by a new measles virus B3.1 variant. Immunisation resources and strategies should be directed at groups with gaps in vaccine coverage, e.g. Roma/Sinti and healthcare workers.

Chlamydia trachomatis infection and HPV/Chlamydia trachomatis co-infection among HPV-vaccinated young women at the beginning of their sexual activity.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection, co-infection with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and associated risk factors in a cohort of sexually active young women enrolled in an ongoing trial on HPV vaccination at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO, Milan, Italy). METHODS: Cervical samples were collected from 591 girls (median age 18.8 years) at the beginning of their sexual activity. At the time of sample collection, 354 women had not yet been vaccinated, and 237 women had been vaccinated for at least 12 months. All samples were analyzed through a molecular assay for the detection of C. trachomatis infection. Demographic, behavioral risk factors and high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) status were investigated. RESULTS: The prevalence of C. trachomatis infection was 4.9 % and HPV/C. trachomatis co-infection rate was 1.5 %. The exact analysis has not underlined statistical significance for the variables considered, except for the infection with HR-HPV (p < 0.001). The prevalence of C. trachomatis infection among women who had not been immunized and those already vaccinated was similar (5.6 vs 3.8 %). However, the rate of HPV/C. trachomatis co-infection was twice as high in unvaccinated women (2 %) compared to vaccinated women (0.8 %). CONCLUSIONS: Over 16 % of young women had at least one of the two STIs investigated. The risk of C. trachomatis infection was higher in HR-HPV infected compared to HR-HPV uninfected young women. The rate of co-infection was halved in HPV-vaccinated compared to unvaccinated women. This study underlines that HPV vaccination can confer benefits also in terms of co-infections prevention, leading to a decreased risk of developing cervical malignancies.

Immunophenotypes of Newborns From SARS-CoV-2-infected Mothers.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the neonatal immunologic response to a maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection present during childbirth. Here we analyze a cohort of 75 neonates from SARS-CoV-2-infected mothers. METHODS: The SARS-CoV-2 infection status was laboratory assessed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction on nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) in both mothers during childbirth and neonates within 24 hours of life. Immunophenotypes of peripheral blood mononucleated cells and SARS-CoV-2 antispike IgA, IgM and IgG of the newborns were recorded. Ten (13.3%) of 75 neonates had positive NPS for SARS-CoV-2; 17 of 75 (23%) were SARS-CoV-2-IgG seropositive, of which one with positive NPS. All the newborns resulted seronegative for SARS-CoV-2 IgA and IgM and were asymptomatic. Our cohort of newborns was divided into groups according to IgG seropositivity (IgG+/-) and NPS results (NPS+/-). RESULTS: The count and proportion of lymphocyte subsets (evaluated measuring CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD19 markers) and of natural killer cells (evaluated by measuring the CD3-/CD16+/CD56+ subset) were all in the normal range, with no statistical differences among groups. We found a significant expansion of the T cell (CD3+) subset in the IgG+ group interpreted as the result of immune effects triggered by trained immunity in these newborns, but a decrease in CD4+ T cells for NPS+ neonates. It is therefore difficult to conclude that the decrease in CD4 can certainly be caused by an infection. CONCLUSIONS: A maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection resulted in an expansive effect of CD3+ T cells in IgG+ newborns; nonetheless, it seems not to affect structural and functional development of the newborn immune system.

COVID-19 monitoring of school personnel through molecular salivary test and dried blood spot analysis.

Background: When the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic broke out, most countries enforced school closures as a precautionary measure. Although COVID-19 is still present three years later, schools have been reopened. We aimed to test the association of molecular salivary testing (MST) and dried blood spot (DBS) analysis for community surveillance by investigating the immunological profile of a group of school staff during and following COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: We conducted the study in a school in Milan from April 2021, when school staff were administered the first dose of vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, until the school year ended in June 2022. Each participant provided samples for MST and DBS one month (T1, W1) after receiving their first dose of vaccine. Subsequently, they collected weekly MST samples for five weeks (W2-W6), plus a DBS sample in the last week (T2). Both samples were collected one (T3), four (T4), and seven months (T5) after the administration of the second vaccine dose in May 2021. A final DBS sample was collected one year (T6) after T3. Results: Sixty participants provided 327 MSTs and 251 DBSs. None of the MST samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA during the study period. A total of 201 DBS samples tested positive for the IgG semiquantitative analysis. Negative samples were found only at T1 (20.45%) and T2 (7.32%). We observed borderline results at T1 (4.55%), T2 (7.32%), and T4 (2.70%). The anti-SARS-CoV-2 average antibody ratio increased after the second dose between T2 and T3, and the trend peaked after the third dose between T4 and T6. We performed an immunoenzymatic assay of antibodies against nucleocapsid protein on samples collected at T1 from five participants who reported having been infected before the study and from four subjects with an abnormal increase in the antibody values at T4. Two samples tested positive in the first group and two in the second one. Conclusions: Our findings show that MST and DBS could be effective tools in the active surveillance of school personnel and that schools could be considered safe settings in view of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccines might have contributed to case and/or symptom reduction.