A web-based geographic information system monitoring wildlife diseases in Abruzzo and Molise regions, Southern Italy.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays there is a worldwide consensus on the importance of conducting wildlife disease surveillance. Indeed, 60% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in nature, and the majority of these (71.8%) originate in wildlife. Surveillance of wildlife diseases is crucial to prevent negative effects on human and animal health. Data digitization and sharing are among the main goals for the present and coming years. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are increasingly used to analyze the geographical distribution of diseases and the relationships between pathogenic factors and their geographic environments. METHODS: Wild animal's samples collected in the Abruzzo and Molise regions and delivered to our laboratory are entered in our Laboratory Information System and processed to be displayed through the Web-GIS mash-up presented in this paper. We built it using both open source and proprietary solutions, to produce data driven interactive maps, charts and tables to help to understand the epidemiology of wild animal diseases, their spread and trend. RESULTS: Since 2013, 9.606 samples collected from wild animals have been analyzed in the laboratories of the IZS-Teramo and have been recorded in the system, facilitating the reporting to the judicial authorities and the identification of highly risky areas to set up control and repression measures. Moreover, thanks to the monitoring health protocol, a canine distemper epidemic in wolves has been detected and monitored in its temporal and spatial evolution, as well as cases of bovine tuberculosis in wild boars. CONCLUSIONS: While it is more evident that the starting point is to choose the right sampling method, it is for sure less obvious that the information system in which data is stored is equally important. In fact, it should give the possibility to consult it in an easy and instructive way. GIS allows immediately grasping the spatial relationships between the data itself and those between the data and the territory; it is an important tool to support veterinary services in managing epidemic and non-epidemic emergencies and performing epidemiological investigations, but also to examine control plans and identify new gaps and challenges.

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Serotype 8, Italy, 2022.

We describe the detection of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) serotype 8 in cattle farms in Sardinia and Sicily in October-November 2022. The virus has a direct origin in North Africa; its genome is identical (>99.9% nucleotide sequence identity) to EHDV serotype 8 strains detected in Tunisia in 2021.

Estimation of R0 for the Spread of the First ASF Epidemic in Italy from Fresh Carcasses.

After fifty years of spread in the European continent, the African swine fever (ASF) virus was detected for the first time in the north of Italy (Piedmont) in a wild boar carcass in December, 2021. During the first six months of the epidemic, the central role of wild boars in disease transmission was confirmed by more than 200 outbreaks, which occurred in two different areas declared as infected. The virus entered a domestic pig farm in the second temporal cluster identified in the center of the country (Lazio). Understanding ASF dynamics in wild boars is a prerequisite for preventing the spread, and for designing and applying effective surveillance and control plans. The aim of this work was to describe and evaluate the data collected during the first six months of the ASF epidemic in Italy, and to estimate the basic reproduction number (R0) in order to quantify the extent of disease spread. The R0 estimates were significantly different for the two spatio-temporal clusters of ASF in Italy, and they identified the two infected areas based on the time necessary for the number of cases to double (td) and on an exponential decay model. These results (R0 = 1.41 in Piedmont and 1.66 in Lazio) provide quantitative knowledge on the epidemiology of ASF in Italy. These parameters could represent a fundamental tool for modeling country-specific ASF transmission and for monitoring both the spread and sampling effort needed to detect the disease early.

Corrigendum: Overview of Control Programs for Twenty-Four Infectious Cattle Diseases in Italy.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.665607.].

First seroprevalence investigation of epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus in Libya.

Background: Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a vector-borne viral disease of domestic and wild ruminants. Epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) is transmitted by Culicoides spp. EHDV is a member of the Orbivirus genus within the Reoviridae family. It shares many morphological and structural characteristics with other members of the genus, such as the bluetongue virus, African horse sickness virus, and equine encephalosis virus. Aims: The purpose of our study was to investigate the epidemiological situation of EHDV in Libya in order to gain some knowledge about the presence of this virus in the country. Methods: In this study, we investigated the seroprevalence of EHDV in Libya, testing 855 blood samples collected during 2015. The samples were collected from domestic ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats) originating from 11 provinces of Libya. Sera were tested by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and positive samples confirmed by serum neutralization test. Results: The overall seroprevalence of EHDV was estimated to be 4% (95% confidence intervals = 2.8%-5.4%). Small ruminant seroprevalence was significantly (p = 0.016) higher than that found in cattle. Neutralizing antibodies against EHDV-6 were detected in a sheep from the western region of Libya. Conclusion: This study suggests that EHDV has circulated or is circulating in Libya, and sheep could play an important role in the epidemiology of EHDV, and the virus may still be circulating in North Africa.

Overview of Control Programs for Twenty-Four Infectious Cattle Diseases in Italy

The cattle industry is a major driving force for the Italian agricultural sector totalling about 5. 6 million heads for dairy and meat production together. It is particularly developed in the northern part of the country, where 70% of the whole Italian cattle population is reared. The cattle industry development in the rest of the country is hampered by the hard orography of the territories and a variety of socioeconomic features leading to the persistence of the traditional rural farming systems. The differences in the farming systems (industrial vs. traditional) also affect the health status of the farms. Whereas, Enzootic Bovine Leukosis (EBL) is almost eradicated across the whole country, in Southern Italy where Bovine Tuberculosis and Brucellosis are still present and Bluetongue is endemic due to the presence of the competent vector (Culicoides imicola), less investments are aimed at controlling diseases with economic impact or at improving farm biosecurity. On the other hand, with the eradication of these diseases in most part of the country, the need has emerged for reducing the economic burden of non-regulated endemic disease and control programs (CPs) for specific diseases have been implemented at regional level, based on the needs of each territory (for instance common grazing or trading with neighboring countries). This explains the coexistence of different types of programs in force throughout the country. Nowadays in Italy, among cattle diseases with little or no EU regulations only three are regulated by a national CP: Enzootic Bovine Leukosis, Bluetongue and Paratuberculosis, while Bovine Genital Campylobacteriosis and Trichomonosis are nationwide controlled only in breeding bulls. For some of the remaining diseases (Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis, Bovine Viral Diarrhea, Streptococcus agalactiae) specific CPs have been implemented by the regional Authorities, but for most of them a CP does not exist at all. However, there is a growing awareness among farmers and public health authorities that animal diseases have a major impact not only on the farm profitability but also on animal welfare and on the use of antibiotics in livestock. It is probable that in the near future other CPs will be implemented.

Prevalence, Population Diversity and Antimicrobial Resistance of Campylobacter coli Isolated in Italian Swine at Slaughterhouse.

Campylobacter spp. are among the microorganisms most commonly associated with foodborne disease. Swine are known to be the main reservoir of Campylobacter coli and a possible source infection of humans as a result of carcass contamination at slaughter. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of C. coli contamination in swine carcasses, the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns of isolates and the genetic diversity between strains obtained from swine and those isolated from humans. The prevalence of contamination was higher on carcasses (50.4%) than in faeces (32.9%). The 162 C. coli isolated from swine were examined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). The results of PFGE indicated a high genetic diversity among the isolates, with 25 different PFGE types. MLST assigned 51 sequence types (STs) to isolates. The most common genotype was ST-854 (16.04%), ST-9264 (10.49 %) and ST-1016 (6.08 %). Results of AMR showed a high resistance to quinolones and fluoroquinolones together with aminoglycosides and tetracycline. Many strains were multi-resistant with predominant R-type TeSCipNa (57%). Five resistance genes were detected along with mutation in the gyrA gene. A strong correlation between phenotypic and genotypic resistance was found for fluoroquinolone and tetracycline. Genetic profiles obtained in swine isolates were compared to those of 11 human strains. All human strains and 64.19% of animal strains (104/162) were assigned to the ST-828 clonal complex.

Epidemiology, pathological aspects and genome heterogeneity of feline morbillivirus in Italy.

Feline morbillivirus (FeMV) is an emerging morbillivirus first described in cats less than a decade ago. FeMV has been associated with chronic kidney disease of cats characterized by tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN), although this aspect is still controversial and not demonstrated with certainty. To investigate FeMV prevalence and genomic characteristics, an epidemiological survey was conducted in a total number of 127 household cats originating from two Italian regions, Abruzzi and Emilia-Romagna. A total number of 69 cats originating from three feline colonies were also enrolled for the study. Correlation with TIN was investigated by employing a total number of 35 carcasses. Prevalence of FeMV RNA was higher in urine samples collected from cats of colonies (P = 31.8%, CI 95% 22.1-43.6) compared to household cats (P = 8.66%, CI 95% 4.9-14.9) and in young and middle-aged cats while prevalence of FeMV Abs was higher in old cats. Sequences obtained straight from infected biological samples, either partial or complete, cluster into two clades within FeMV genotype 1, distantly related to FeMV genotype 2. Immunohistochemistry analysis of kidney sections of FeMV RNA positive cats revealed immunoreactivity within epithelial cells of renal tubuli and inflammatory cells. However, statistically significant association between FeMV and renal damages, including TIN, was not demonstrated (p= 0.0695, Fisher exact test). By virus histochemistry performed with FeMV-negative feline tissues and a FeMV isolate, tropism for different cellular types such as inflammatory cells residing in blood vessels of kidney and brain, airway epithelial cells, alveolar macrophages and to a lesser extent, the central nervous system, was demonstrated. Additional studies are warranted in order to establish viral tropism and immune response during the early phases of infection and to disentangle the role of FeMV in co-infection processes.

Isolation and genome sequences of two Feline Morbillivirus genotype 1 strains from Italy.

Feline morbillivirus (FeMV) is a novel viral paramyxovirus detected in cats. FeMV is suspected to be associated to tubulointerstitial nephritis, but its pathogenic role is far to be clearly understood.  In this short communication, we report the whole genome coding sequences of the first two FeMV strains isolated in Italy.

Rift Valley fever virus: a serological survey in Libyan ruminants.

A serological survey was carried out in Libya to investigate the circulation of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) among domestic ruminants. A total of 857 serum samples were collected from year 2015 to 2016 in eleven provinces of Libya belonging to five branches of the country. Samples were tested for RVFV antibodies using a competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (c-ELISA). Antibodies specific for RVFV were not detected in any of the 857 samples. However, a statistical analysis was carried out to assess the maximum expected number of infected animals and the maximum expected prevalence of RVFV among Libyan ruminants' populations according to the sampled population. The overall maximum expected prevalence was estimated to be 1.8% for cattle and 0.4% for small ruminants. Results seem to exclude the circulation of RVFV, however, a surveillance plan should be implemented in areas at risk of RVFV introduction.

Development of a serum neutralization assay to detect Pteropine Orthoreovirus Indonesia/2010 neutralizing antibodies.

Pteropine Orthoreoviruses (PRVs) are fusogenic bat-borne orthoreoviruses that cause flu-like upper respiratory tract infections in humans. The presence of this group of viruses in bats and humans has been well documented in areas where their biological reservoirs - fruit bats (family Pteropodidae) - live densely. In the present study, a serum neutralization (SN) assay to detect neutralizing antibodies against PRV Indonesia/2010 isolate was set up and used to assess the seroprevalence of this virus in Italian domestic animals. The new developed assay was able of detecting PRV neutralizing antibodies in the hyper-immune polyclonal serum produced in rabbits (titer of 1:160). The negative serum was negative at all tested dilutions. No cross-reactions have been evidenced neither against reference MRVs nor against their respective hyper-immune sera. Eight hundred and fifty-three serum samples collected from 524 bovines, 271 small ruminants, and 58 horses (all used as sentinel animals in the Bluetongue and West Nile disease National surveillance program) were also tested with the new developed SN assay. According to the results of this survey, neither PRV nor PRV cross- reacting viruses antibodies have been demonstrated in Italian domestic animals. However, the new developed SN assay could be a very valuable diagnostic tool to detect infection in animals and humans.

Genome Sequence of Canine Adenovirus Type 1 Isolated from a Wolf (Canis lupus) in Southern Italy.

Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1), a DNA virus of the family Adenoviridae, causes infectious canine hepatitis, a highly contagious disease primarily affecting canids. In this report, we describe the isolation and whole-genome sequence of a CAdV-1 isolate from the liver of a free-ranging wolf (Canis lupus).

Whole-Genome Sequence of a Suid Herpesvirus-1 Strain Isolated from the Brain of a Hunting Dog in Italy.

Suid herpesvirus-1 (SHV-1), a DNA virus of the family Herpesviridae, causes a severe and fatal disease in a wide range of mammals. Here, we report the whole-genome sequence of an SHV-1 isolated in Italy in 2014 from the brain of a hunting dog that suffered from an acute and severe disease.

Lethal distemper in badgers (Meles meles) following epidemic in dogs and wolves.

Canine distemper virus (CDV) represents an important conservation threat to many wild carnivores. A large distemper epidemic sustained by an Arctic-lineage strain occurred in Italy in 2013, mainly in the Abruzzi region, causing overt disease in domestic and shepherd dogs, Apennine wolves (Canis lupus) and other wild carnivores. Two badgers were collected by the end of September 2015 in a rural area of the Abruzzi region and were demonstrated to be CDV-positive by real time RT-PCR and IHC in several tissues. The genome of CDV isolates from badgers showed Y549H substitution in the mature H protein. By employing all publicly available Arctic-lineage H protein encoding gene sequences, six amino acid changes in recent Italian strains with respect to Italian strains of dogs from 2000 to 2008, were observed. A CDV strain belonging to the European-wildlife lineage was also identified in a fox found dead in the same region in 2016, proving co-circulation of an additional CDV lineage.

The role of the wolf in endemic sylvatic Trichinella britovi infection in the Abruzzi region of Central Italy.

During the period 2004-2014 in the Abruzzi region (Central Italy), muscle samples gathered from hunted wild boars (n=16,323) and retrieved from carcasses of other susceptible wild mammals (n=838) and birds (n=438) were tested for Trichinella larvae according to European Union regulations. Although no positive samples were found from wild birds, 91 wild mammals tested positive. Six species were found to harbor Trichinella spp. infections, namely wolf (Canis lupus, 59 positive samples out of 218), red fox (Vulpes vulpes, 24/480), wild boar (Sus scrofa, 3/16,323), stone marten (Martes foina, 2/27), pine marten (Martes martes, 2/6) and wildcat (Felis silvestris, 1/8). All isolates tested for species attribution belonged to Trichinella britovi. The overall prevalence was 0.52% (IC 95%: 0.4-0.6). The higher frequency of positive samples in wolf, compared to red fox, was statistically significant (p=0.001). In spite of the limited geographical area of investigation and the random nature of sampling, this study provides new data on the circulation of T. britovi in Italy. In particular, the highest prevalence being found among wolves allows us to consider this species as a sentinel for T. britovi infection in the investigated area, and probably also in other apennine regions, which is different from the alpine regions where the red fox was reputed as the primary reservoir of Trichinella spp. infection.

The Arbo­zoonet Information System.

The Arbo­zoonet Information System has been developed as part of the 'International Network for Capacity Building for the Control of Emerging Viral Vector Borne Zoonotic Diseases (Arbo­zoonet)' project. The project aims to create common knowledge, sharing data, expertise, experiences, and scientific information on West Nile Disease (WND), Crimean­Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), and Rift Valley fever (RVF). These arthropod­borne diseases of domestic and wild animals can affect humans, posing great threat to public health. Since November 2011, when the Schmallenberg virus (SBV) has been discovered for the first time in Northern Europe, the Arbo­zoonet Information System has been used in order to collect information on newly discovered disease and to manage the epidemic emergency. The system monitors the geographical distribution and epidemiological evolution of CCHF, RVF, and WND since 1946. More recently, it has also been deployed to monitor the SBV data. The Arbo­zoonet Information System includes a web application for the management of the database in which data are stored and a WebGIS application to explore spatial disease distributions, facilitating the epidemiological analysis. The WebGIS application is an effective tool to show and share the information and to facilitate the exchange and dissemination of relevant data among project's participants.

Bluetongue virus surveillance in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania: Is serotype 26 circulating among cattle and dromedaries?

In March 2013, EDTA-blood and serum samples were collected from 119 cattle and 159 dromedaries at the slaughterhouse of Nouakchott, the capital city of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Serum samples were screened for the presence of Bluetongue (BT) antibodies by competitive ELISA (cELISA). Positive samples were then tested by serum-neutralization (SN) to determine BTV serotype. RNA from blood samples was first tested by a genus-specific quantitative RT-PCR assay which is able to detect all 27 existing BTV serotypes (RT-qPCR1-27). Positive samples were further screened by a RT-qPCR assay which, instead, is able to detect the classical 24 BTV serotypes only (RT-qPCR1-24). Of the 278 serum samples tested, 177 (mean=63.7%; 95% CI: 57.9%-69.1%) resulted positive by cELISA. Of these, 69 were from cattle (mean=58.0%; 95% CI: 49.0%-66.5%) and 108 from dromedaries (mean=67.9%; 95% CI: 60.3%-74.7%). BTV-26 neutralizing antibodies were by far the most frequently found as they were detected in 146 animals with titres ranging from 1:10 to 1:80. Out of 278 blood samples, 25 (mean=9.0%; 95% CI: 6.2%-12.9%) were found positive for BTV by RT-qPCR1-27, 20 (mean=16.8%; 95% CI: 11.2%-24.6%) were from cattle and 5 (mean=3.1%; 95% CI: 1.4%-7.1%) from dromedaries. When tested by RT-qPCR1-24 the 25 BTV positive samples were negative. Unfortunately, no genetic information by molecular typing or by next generation sequencing has been obtained as for the very low levels of RNA in the blood samples.

Circovirus in domestic and wild carnivores: An important opportunistic agent?

Circoviruses are relatively novel pathogens with increased importance in canids. In this study, we first screened the presence of dog circovirus (DogCV) by molecular methods from a total number of 389 internal organ samples originating from 277 individuals of domestic dogs and wild animals including wolves, foxes and badgers. All the animals originated from Central-Southern Italy, specifically from Abruzzi and Molise regions, areas hosting several natural parks. DogCV was detected in 9/34 wolves (P=26.4%; IC 95%: 14.6-43.1%), 8/209 dogs (P=3.8%; IC 95%: 1.9-7.3%), 0/24 foxes (P=0%; IC 95%: 0-13.8%), 1/10 badgers (P=10%; IC 95%: 1.79-40.4%). However, all DogCV positive animals were shown to be infected at least by an additional key pathogen, including canine distemper virus (CDV) and canine parvovirus type 2. All wolves, but one, presenting DogCV in the internal tissues suffered from CDV infection. The DNA purified from 17 DogCV infected organs was used for whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.

Spatio-Temporal Identification of Areas Suitable for West Nile Disease in the Mediterranean Basin and Central Europe.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-transmitted Flavivirus belonging to the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of the Flaviviridae family. Its spread in the Mediterranean basin and the Balkans poses a significant risk to human health and forces public health officials to constantly monitor the virus transmission to ensure prompt application of preventive measures. In this context, predictive tools indicating the areas and periods at major risk of WNV transmission are of paramount importance. Spatial analysis approaches, which use environmental and climatic variables to find suitable habitats for WNV spread, can enhance predictive techniques. Using the Mahalanobis Distance statistic, areas ecologically most suitable for sustaining WNV transmission were identified in the Mediterranean basin and Central Europe. About 270 human and equine clinical cases notified in Italy, Greece, Portugal, Morocco, and Tunisia, between 2008 and 2012, have been considered. The environmental variables included in the model were altitude, slope, night time Land Surface Temperature, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Enhanced Vegetation Index, and daily temperature range. Seasonality of mosquito population has been modelled and included in the analyses to produce monthly maps of suitable areas for West Nile Disease. Between May and July, the most suitable areas are located in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and North Cyprus. Summer/Autumn months, particularly between August and October, characterize the suitability in Italy, France, Spain, the Balkan countries, Morocco, North Tunisia, the Mediterranean coast of Africa, and the Middle East. The persistence of suitable conditions in December is confined to the coastal areas of Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Israel.