Isolation and characterization of an atypical Mycoplasma gallisepticum strain showing a new mgc2 variant.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is an important pathogen of the poultry industry able to cause chronic respiratory disease in chickens and infectious sinusitis in turkeys. Despite the application of biosecurity measures and the availability of vaccines for chickens, monitoring systems routinely applied for MG detection are still essential for infection control. Pathogen isolation is time-consuming and not suitable for rapid detection, albeit it is a compulsory step for genetic typing and antimicrobial susceptibility evaluation of single strains. The mgc2 gene is a species-specific molecular target adopted by most of the PCR protocols available for MG diagnosis, which are also included in the WOAH Terrestrial Manual. We describe the case of an atypical MG strain, isolated in 2019 from Italian turkeys, characterized by an mgc2 sequence not detectable by common endpoint PCR primers. Considering the potential risk of false negative results during diagnostic screenings with the endpoint protocol, the authors propose an alternative mgc2 PCR endpoint protocol, named MG600, which should be considered as a further diagnostic tool.

A Ge.F.I. - ISFG European collaborative study on DNA identification of Cannabis sativa samples using a 13-locus multiplex STR method.

Cannabis sativa is the most used controlled substance in Europe. With the advent of new and less restrictive European laws on cannabis sale for recreational use (including in Italy), an increase in indoor cannabis crops were observed. This increase was possible due to the availability of cannabis seeds through the internet market. Genetic identification of cannabis can link seizures and if in possession then might aid in an investigation. A 13-locus multiplex STR method was previously developed and validated by Houston et al. A collaborative exercise was organized by the Italian Forensic Geneticists - International Society of Forensic Genetics (Ge.F.I. - ISFG) Working Group with the aim to test the reproducibility, reliability and robustness of this multiplex cannabis STR kit. Twenty-one laboratories from three European countries participated in the collaborative exercise and were asked to perform STR typing of two cannabis samples. Cannabis DNA samples and the multiplex STR kit were provided by the University of Barcelona and Sam Houston State University. Different platforms for PCR amplification, capillary electrophoresis (CE) and genotyping software were selected at the discretion of the participating laboratories. Although the participating laboratories used different PCR equipment, CE platforms and genotyping software, concordant results were obtained from the majority of the samples. The overall genotyping success ratio was 96%. Only minor artifacts were observed. The mean peak height ratio was estimated to be 76.3% and 78.1% for sample 1 and sample 2, respectively. The lowest amount of -1 / + 1 stutter percentage produced, when the height of the parent allele was higher than 8000 RFU, resulted to be less than 10% of the parent allele height. Few common issues were observed such as a minor peak imbalance in some heterozygous loci, some artifact peaks and few instances of allelic drop-out. The results of this collaborative exercise demonstrated the robustness and applicability of the 13-locus system for cannabis DNA profiling for forensic purposes.

Umbilical infections in foals: microbiological investigation and management.

This study aims to investigate the bacteria involved in equine omphalitis and their susceptibility to antimicrobial drugs, and consequently to provide guidelines concerning the most suitable treatment protocol in accordance with the clinical, ultrasound and laboratory findings. Forty foals aged between one and 30 days were evaluated in the course of this investigation. An ultrasound examination of all umbilical remnants was carried out carefully in all foals; umbilical swabs were collected for bacteriological examination, and blood samples were collected for blood culture from 19 foals with fever and abnormal blood values. Bacterial omphalitis was observed in 95 per cent of foals and bacterial septicaemia was diagnosed in 11 cases. Enterobacteria and coccoid Gram-positive bacteria were isolated more frequently than Serratia marcescens, Pantoea agglomerans and Trueperella pyogenes Omphalectomy was performed in 77.5 per cent of the foals examined; the remainder were treated only medically with antimicrobial drugs as recommended by antibiotic susceptibility testing performed for all bacteria isolated. Antibiotic therapy was successful in all foals that only received medical treatment; nevertheless, omphalectomy was performed in most cases particularly in situations of clinical decline despite antibiotic therapy and when involvement of umbilical vein, fever and joint disorders were observed.

[Ocular diskinesia]. / Disquinesias oculares.

The clinical findings and the electro-oculogram were correlated in four cases (3 postinfectious, 1 vascular) with ocular dyskinesias, of a mixed type in two of them. This correlation led to a more precise recognition of the pattern of opsoclonus, flutter and ocular dysmetria. Ocular dyskinesias have certain resemblances with voluntary saccadic movements; the effects of ocular following and optokinetic stimulation are described. The role of brainstem and cerebellar structures in relation with the physiopathology of these dyskinetic ocular movements is discussed.

Electro-oculographic and electroencephalographic correlative study of optokinetic responses in brain lesions.

Electro-oculograms of induced optokinetic responses (OKR) and EEG were recorded in 61 patients with either left or right hemisphere lesions. Of the 61 patients 55 showed focal EEG disturbances as follows: occipito-temporal (7 cases), parieto-temporal (10 cases), occipito-parieto-temporal (26 cases), temporal (9 cases) and frontal (3 cases). Symmetric OKR (21 cases) were recorded when no EEG changes were observed or when these were localized to left or right temporal and frontal electrodes and exceptionally when unilateral occipital and parietal regions were also involved. In 40 cases with unilateral hemispheric lesion a contralateral abnormal OKR was observed. Low frequency OKR with or without amplitude changes, especially of fast (saccadic) component, was mainly observed in parietal localization. In severely disturbed OKR, i.e. random jerks, the abnormal brain waves were mainly localized to the occipito-parieto-temporal region. In all cases in which no response was obtained the affected area was the occipito-parieto-temporal. These findings are discussed with reference to the regulating systems of slow (smooth) and fast (saccadic) eye movements triggered by visual stimuli.

Saccadic eye movements in frontal lesion and posthemispherectomy in humans. An electro-oculographic study.

This study was concerned with the assumed role that the frontal eye fields could play in the mechanisms of: the voluntary saccade optokinetic responses. Ten patients with frontal lobe tumors (8 unilateral, 2 bilateral) and two patients with a right hemispherectomy were studied. EOG and EEG were performed in the same session. Left and right voluntary saccadic potentials could be recorded in all cases, no matter where the frontal lesion was located. Minor differences in amplitude were observed between the fast eye movement to the lesion and to the normal side. Horizontal optokinetic responses to a moving drum were a constant finding in all cases. The frequency and amplitude of the fast component of the responses did not show substantial differences with the drum moving to the lesion or to the healthy side. Voluntary saccadic eye movements to the left and left horizontal optokinetic responses to a moving drum to the right, were recorded in the two cases with a right hemispherectomy. The hypothesis that considers frontal eye field as the pulse generator area for the voluntary or reflex saccadic eye movements is discussed.