The "Nutritional Prevention" within Italy's National Prevention Plan 2020-25.

Abstract: Italy's National Prevention Plan 2020-25 is the first to address nutritional prevention, highlighting its importance in combating chronic diseases. This letter discusses the relationship between food safety, nutritional security, and the need for nutritional prevention in the plan. Chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, are significant public health concerns in Italy, with poor nutrition being a critical risk factor. Incorporating nutritional prevention can promote healthy eating habits, food security and sustainability, reduce healthcare costs, and promote social cohesion and equality. Successful implementation will require cooperation among the government, the private sector, and the civil society to ensure healthier food choices and prevent chronic diseases in Italy.

The hesitancy in the nutritional prevention.

Abstract: Our letter discusses the concept of 'Nutritional Prevention Hesitancy', comparing it to the well-studied phenomenon of 'Vaccine Hesitancy'. Both hesitancies can be fueled by 'infodemics', the rapid spread of accurate and inaccurate information that can lead to public confusion and mistrust in authoritative sources. Drawing parallels between the two, the text highlights that nutritional prevention hesitancy can result in individuals not adopting evidence-based nutritional strategies, potentially leading to poorer health outcomes. The text emphasizes the critical role of diet in preventing diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer, and underscores the need for multifaceted strategies to combat misinformation and promote healthier dietary habits.

Impact of the environment on the health: From theory to practice.

The Erice 56 Charter titled "Impact of the environment on the health: from theory to practice" was unanimously approved at the end of the 56th course of the "International School of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine G. D'Alessandro" held from 3rd to November 7, 2019 in Erice - Sicily (Italy) and promoted by the Study Group of "Environment and Health" of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health. The course, that included lectures, open discussions and guided working groups, was aimed to provide a general training on epidemiological and toxicological aspects of the environmental health impact, to be used by public health professionals for risk assessment, without forgetting the risk communications. At the end of the course 12 key points were agreed among teachers and students: they underlined the need of specific training and research, in the perspective of "One Health" and "Global Health", also facing emerging scientific and methodological issues and focusing on communication towards stakeholders. This Discussion highlight the need to improve knowledge of Health and Environment topic in all sectors of health and environmental prevention and management.

[Law simplification: the Lombardy Region experience]. / Provvedimenti regionali in materia di semplificazione e di superamento delle attività inutili ed obsolete: la recente esperienza della regione Lombardia.

Lombardy Region, adopted its own rules to reorganize and to relaunch health prevention activities. Particularly, the started way foresees for the useless activity divestment, not backed by scientific evidences and of no effect to preserve public health. In this optics, the run is inserted that foresees the planning of the activity of official control, based on the acquisition of the epidemiological and the productive, economic and social territorial context data, so to be able to point out interventions priorities and to graduate health risks. Similarly the integration among different operators, belonging to different Services and Departments too, it's considered necessary, passing from the planning of independent Plans of sector to Plans bringing common and joined objectives, in a business logic. The change of perspective, needs a suitable monitoring of the obtained results aiming to start deepened evaluations to implement or to reassess the regional strategic lines.

Tuberculosis among immigrants from developing countries in the province of Milan, 1993-1996.

SETTING: The Province of Milan, which has high rates of immigration from developing countries, and the Villa Marelli Institute (VMI), Reference Centre for Tuberculosis Control of Lombardy. OBJECTIVE: To describe epidemiology and clinical patterns of tuberculosis among immigrants from developing countries (IDCs) in the Province from 1993 to 1996. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of the registries of the Regional Bureau for Public Health and of the VMI concerning immigrant patients with active TB living in the Province. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the available strains to detect recent transmission among immigrants. RESULTS: IDCs represented 22.8% of all TB cases. The standardised incidence rate was eight times higher in IDCs compared to Italians. Of 596 cases notified in IDCs, 524 (87.9%) had been referred at least once to the VMI. Of these, 77.2% were diagnosed within 5 years of arrival, and 86.6% were brought to medical attention because of symptoms. RFLP fingerprinting demonstrated that the mean period of stay in Italy was significantly higher in clustered than in non clustered patients (61.5 versus 37.3 months). Spread to the native population was episodic. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of TB is higher among more recent immigrants (i.e., Peruvians). TB cases are largely due to reactivation of infection occurring in the country of origin. Preventive measures for early diagnosis of disease or chemoprophylaxis of dormant infection are not regularly performed, but should be implemented for those immigrants at high risk.

Prevalence of nosocomial infections in Italy: result from the Lombardy survey in 2000.

A one-day survey was carried out in 88 out of 113 public hospitals in Lombardy to obtain prevalence rates of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) by hospital departments and to identify the pathogens more frequently involved. In total 18667 patients were surveyed, representing 72% of the average daily total of occupied beds in public hospitals in Lombardy. The overall prevalence of HAI was 4.9%. The highest prevalence was observed in intensive care units and in spinal units. The prevalence of bloodstream infections was 0.6%; pneumonia 1.1%; urinary tract infections 1.6% and gastrointestinal infections 0.4%. In surgical patients the prevalence of surgical site infections was 2.7%. The most frequently isolated pathogen from all sites of infections was Escherichia coli (16.8%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (15.0%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13.2%) and Candida spp. (8.7%). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus accounted for 23% of all isolated S. aureus. The results provide baseline data for rational priorities in allocation of resources, for further studies and for infection control activities.

[Risk profiles in agriculture: activities in the region of Lombardy]. / Profili di rischio in agricoltura: attività in Regione Lombardia.

Agriculture represents a very complex scenario that needs proper tools. To this aim, in the frame of Special Project "La Prevenzione nell'impiego di Antiparassitari in Agricoltura" promoted by the Region of Lombardy, profiles of exposure and/or risk have been identified as valid approach able to define particular conditions of exposure and risk for the operator in particular settings. The evaluation necessarily needs to identify the most important parameters affecting exposure and their extent on magnitude of exposure. Therefore, field studies should be further performed in order to confirm and improve the profile. The identification of profiles of exposure and risk is an activity still in progress that need to be carefully set up and standardised. The team involved in the study identified priorities deserving much attention in Lombardy, and planned a three years programme aimed at define the profile of exposure and risk in viticulture, maize crop, rice growing, nursery gardening, horticulture in greenhouses, maintenance of gardens, and poplar growing.

[Lombardy regional project: prevention of occupational tumors]. / Progetto regione lombardia: prevenzione dei tumori professionali.

In Lombardy, the regional project "Prevention of occupational cancers" is ongoing. The main objectives of this project are to identify work environments in which there might be a possible exposure to carcinogenic substances and to elaborate preventive measures. A casual sample of 250 working settings representing the different economic activities has been selected and evaluated. The 10% of the examined workplaces showed a possible exposure to chemical carcinogens. The most common carcinogens were trichloroethylene, preparation of plastics materials containing acrylonitrile-butadiene-stirene, formaldehyde, wood dust, hexavalent chromium, silica and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Galvanic industries, Bitumen production and placing companies and Plastics processing plants will be studied for environmental and biological monitoring and for the development of preventive measures.

[Epidemiology of rubella during 1971-1975. Comparison with abortus cases and malformed newborn in Lombardia (Italy) (author's transl)]. / Andamento epidemiologico della rosolia negli anni 1971-1975. Confronto con i casi di aborto e di nati malformati in Lombardia.

Details regarding claims of rubella occurred in Lombardia (Italy) have been collected by the AA., in force at the Regional Health Services. The results have been also compared with the claimed cases of abortus and of malformed newborn. The first results of voluntary vaccination, promoted by the Regional Services, both on children of the 5th Classes of Primary School and on women more exposed to risks provoked by rubella infections are also reported.

[Epidemiological situation in the region of Lombardy of reportable infectious deseases (1973). Comparison with the preceding years (1971 and 1972)]. / Situazione epidemiologica nella regione Lombardia delle malattie infettive soggette a denuncia (anno 1973). Confronto con gli anni precedenti (1971 e 1972)

The AA. acting as members of Regional Health Assessor in Lombardy, have exposed the data of infectious diseases declared in comparison with the data of other Regions and also with data of the single provinces. Useful indications shall be offered to the operators of public health and also to the responsible persons of the local Administrations.