Antibiotic resistance pattern and virulence genesin avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) from different breeding systems.

Colibacillosis is the most frequent bacterial disease in avian species and antimicrobials are the main weapon to reduce incidence and mortality associated to it. However, indiscriminate use of antibiotics may lead to therapy failure and economic losses for the breeder. The aims of this study were to, determine the antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli isolates, evaluate the correlation between E. coli isolation and systems of breeding included in this study, and identify the avian pathogenic E.coli (APEC) amongst the E. coli strains isolated. A total of 51 E. coli strains were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility test and they were screened for the presence of virulence genes through PCR. Resistance was most frequently detected against ampicillin and nalidixic acid meanwhile E. coli isolates showed less resistance to the cephalosporins. Overall, 40% of the isolates showed resistance to at least three or more antimicrobials and 16/51 isolates were defined APEC strains. The virulence genes iucD, cvi/cva, irp2 and iss were detected from all 16 APEC strains. The virulence genes tsh, vat, papC, and astA were detected from 11, 7, 5 and 3 APEC strains, respectively. Results demonstrated the importance of studies on APEC and antibiotic resistance genes in Italy, and it was shown that the systems of breeding might influence the antibiotic resistanc.

Pharmaco-epidemiological evaluation of veterinary antimicrobial prescriptions for cattle, swine, small ruminants, poultry, rainbow trout, and food-producing horses in Umbria in 2014.

Veterinary  antimicrobial  use  could  lead  to  problems  such  as  the  spread  of  antimicrobial resistance or the presence of residues in animal-derived products for human consumption. Related  to  this,  data  on  drug  consumption  is  in  strong  demand.  The  aims  of  this  study are  therefore  to  evaluate  a  regional  Defined  Daily  Dose  (DDDvet_Umbria)  for  all  of  the antimicrobials  prescribed  in  Umbria  during  2014  and  to  analyse  prescriptions  for  cattle, swine,  small  ruminants,  poultry,  rainbow  trout,  and  food-producing  horses.  Consumption, prevalence,  and  intensity  of  use  indicators  are  calculated.  Swine,  poultry,  and  fish  were  the  most  treated  species  during  2014.  Beta-lactams  were  the  most  frequently  consumed antimicrobials  for  these  species.  Critically  important  antimicrobials  were  mostly  prescribed for  swine,  poultry,  and  cattle.  Colistin  was  the  most  frequently  used  critically  important  antimicrobial to treat swine and poultry. This study helps to better understand antimicrobial consumption  in  food-producing  animals  by  overcoming  the  limitations  of  other  proposed approaches.  Our  data  are  useful  for  quantifying  antimicrobial  consumption,  identifying problematic  farms,  and  supports  a  comparison  among  different  animal  species.  Results highlight that the critical sectors in drug consumption - where the highest use of antibiotics were found - are swine, poultry, and trout farms.

Evaluation of antibiotic usage in swine reproduction farms in Umbria region based on the quantitative analysis of antimicrobial consumption.

Antibiotic use in food-producing animals has considerable impact on public health, especially with respect to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. Pigs represent one of the main species in which antibiotics are frequently used for different purposes. Surveillance of antibiotic consumption and dose appropriateness, through novel approaches based on defined daily doses, is strongly needed to assess farms' antibiotic risk, in terms of spread of antibiotic resistance and possibile presence of residues in meat. In this study, antibiotic consumption was monitored in 14 swine reproduction farms, together with managerial, structural, and health aspects. Most of the controlled farms (65%) were classified as at medium antibiotic risk, 21% at high antibiotic risk, and 14% at low antibiotic risk. Critical aspects of antibiotic administration concerned treatments for suckling and weaner piglets, oral antibiotic administration, treatment and diagnosis of gastroenteric infections, and use of critically important antimicrobials for human medicine, especially colistin. These aspects could be considered critical aspects of antibiotic use in from-farrow-to-wean/finish swine farms in the Umbria region and must be controlled to minimize risks. Even though a small number of farms in Umbria region are at high antibiotic risk, the risk of antibiotic resistance should be minimized, and management and biosecurity of the farms should be improved by extending the use of antimicrobial susceptibility tests and optimizing the diagnostic methods for infectious diseases. Furthermore, farmers' and veterinarians' knowledge of antibiotic resistance should be improved and the prudent use of antibiotics encouraged to prevent the development and spread of resistant microorganisms.

Development of mucoadhesive patches for buccal administration of ibuprofen.

A new formulation for topical administration of drugs in the oral cavity has been developed using several film-forming and mucoadhesive polymers. The films have been evaluated in terms of swelling, mucoadhesion and organoleptic characteristics. The best film, containing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as film-forming polymer and carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt (NaCMC) as mucoadhesive polymer, was loaded with ibuprofen as a model compound and in vitro and in vivo release studies were performed. Statistical investigation of in vitro release revealed that the diffusion process was the main drug release mechanism and the Higuchi's model provided the best fit. In vivo studies showed the presence of ibuprofen in saliva (range 70-210 microg/ml) for 5 h and no irritation was observed. These mucoadhesive formulations offer many advantages in comparison to traditional treatments and can be proposed as a new therapeutic tool against dental and buccal diseases and disturbs.