subsp. : Epidemiological and Genomic Findings of an Emerging Pathogen in Central Italy.

subsp. (SEZ) is a major problem in equine veterinary medicine. Typically, a commensal in horses, SEZ can cause severe disease including respiratory infections, septicaemia and reproductive tract infections under certain conditions.

One Health approach and tiered strategy to assess anticoagulant rodenticides exposure in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Central Italy.

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are widely used in urban and agricultural areas to control rodent populations, leading to potential exposure of non-target species like red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). However, data on AR exposure in red foxes in Italy remain limited. This study analyzed 92 red fox liver samples for residues of ten ARs, categorizing concentrations into five groups to assess potential toxicological risks.

Streptococcus suis in Water Buffalo Calves: First Report with Histological and Genomic Insights.

In this study, two cases of sudden death following infection-like symptoms in dairy water buffalo calves aged 5 - 12 days were investigated by anatomopathological examinations and laboratory tests. Four bacterial infectious agents were isolated from the brain, which presented meningitis-like lesions, and liver, which appeared hyperaemic and with fibrin formations. The four isolates were phenotypically identified as Streptococcus suis and found to be genetically identical by whole genome sequencing (WGS).

Cultural human-snake interactions in the festa dei serpari as an opportunity for the surveillance of bacterial pathogens of zoonotic concern.

Reptiles harbour a wide range of pathogen species, some of which can pose risks to human health. Among them, snakes serve as valuable sentinels for monitoring pathogens, particularly in some cultural contexts where animal-human interactions offer a unique opportunity to delve into bacterial dynamics throughout the years. This is the case of the annual serpent ritual "festa dei serpari" in Cocullo, in central Italy renowned for the San Domenico snakes festival.

Pathology-Based Animal Cancer Registry of Abruzzo and Molise Regions (Central Italy): A Ten-Year Retrospective Study (2014-2023).

Pets have a crucial role in cancer research. Specifically, dogs and cats share the same environment as their owners and thus may serve as sentinels of naturally occurring tumors that are linked to the exposure to environmental hazards. Quantitative comparison of tumor types may reveal unusual cancer frequencies, providing directions for research and generation of hypotheses of cancer causation in a specific area and identification of risk factors.

The Determination of the Prohibited Herbicide 4,6-Dinitro-Ortho-Cresol (DNOC) in Poisoned Domestic and Wild Animals in Italy.

This study reports the determination of DNOC in the baits and gastric contents of poisoned dogs and wild canids collected in the Abruzzo region between 2014 and 2022. A total of 663 samples of the baits and carcasses of domestic and wild animals were analyzed for the determination of DNOC through GC-MS. DNOC was found to be present in 58 cases from 663 analyzed samples, with 49 poison baits and nine gastric content samples from dogs and red foxes.

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in veterinary medicine: practical applications and tissue distribution in terrestrial vertebrate animals.

Rare earth elements (REEs) have shown promising potential in veterinary medicine, particularly as feed additives and diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Moreover, the increasing industrial use of REEs has raised concerns about their potential environmental contamination and bioaccumulation in animal tissues. While numerous studies have focused on the distribution of REEs in marine and freshwater ecosystems, information regarding their presence in terrestrial environments remains fragmented.

: A Brief Summary of the Last Five Years of Its Presence in the Abruzzo and Molise Regions in Italy.

is the causative agent of Q fever. The main reservoirs for this bacterium, which can lead to human infection, in our region are typically cattle, goats, and sheep. In animals, infection is often detected due to reproductive problems.

Domestic dogs as environmental sentinel in comparative toxicologic pathology: Assessment of metals and rare earth elements concentrations in healthy and neoplastic mammary glands.

Quantification of trace element concentrations in human and animal tissues has acquired great importance in the last few years, considering the pivotal role of these elements in several physiological and pathological processes. Variations in their concentrations appear to have a role in the development and advancement of diseases in both humans and animals, for example, cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the concentration of rare earth elements and metals in healthy and neoplastic Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) mammary gland tissue of dogs.

Comparative analysis of rare earth elements concentrations in domestic dogs and Apennine wolves of Central Italy: Influence of biological, nutritional, and lifestyle factors.

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are strategical elements playing a crucial role in the industry, especially in producing high-tech materials. Therefore, REEs are new contaminants of emerging concerns. However, due to the lack of exposure data on REE occurrence in environmental matrices, especially in European countries, it is still tricky to establish environmental background levels to assess the ecotoxicological risk related to REEs exposure.

Strain RB51 Administered to Prepubescent Water Buffaloes, from Vaccination to Lactation: Kinetics of Antibody Response and Vaccine Safety.

RB51 is a live modified vaccine. Its use in water buffalo has been proposed using a vaccination protocol different to that used for cattle, but knowledge of the long-term effects of RB51 vaccination in this species remains incomplete. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and kinetics of antibody responses in water buffaloes vaccinated according to the protocol described for the bovine species in the WOAH Manual, modified with the use of a triple dose.

Identification of the Novel subsp. Sequence Type 525 in Donkeys of Abruzzo Region, Italy.

sub. (SEZ) is described as a commensal bacterium of several animal species, including humans. Growing evidence supports the potential role of SEZ in the onset and progression of severe clinical manifestations of diseases in horses and other animals.

Morphological and Immunohistochemical Characterization of an Oral Metastatic Carcinosarcoma in a Cat.

A 15-year-old neutered male mixed breed Domestic Shorthair cat was presented for a rapidly growing, intraoral soft gingival mass on the left mandibular region. The neoplastic tissue consisted histologically of two distinct malignant cell populations: spindle cells arranged in bands and epithelioid cells arranged in cords. A few multinucleated giant cells were scattered among the neoplastic cells.

The Italian Network of Laboratories for Veterinary Oncology (NILOV) 2.0: Improving Knowledge on Canine Tumours.

Advances in tumour research are crucial, and comparative oncology can improve the knowledge in several ways. Dogs are not only models of specific naturally occurring tumours but can also be sentinels of environmental exposures to carcinogens, as they share the same environment with their owners. The purpose of this work was to describe the data collected by The Italian Network of Laboratories for Veterinary Oncology in the first 9 years of activity (2013-2021) and to evaluate their potential epidemiological significance.

Detection of Vaccine Strain RB51 in Water Buffalo () Milk.

The isolation of RB51 vaccine strain from a milk sample in a water buffalo farm in southern Italy emphasizes the risk to public health of consuming contaminated milk or milk products following illegal vaccination.

Canine brucellosis due to Brucella canis: description of the disease and control measures.

Brucellosis is a contagious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella, which can affect different animal species. Dogs may occasionally be infected with B. abortus, B.

Validation of AmpliSeq NGS Panel for and Variant Detection in Canine Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Mammary Tumors.

Mammary carcinomas are the most common neoplasms observed in women and in female dogs. Canine mammary tumors show epidemiological, clinical, genetic, and prognostic characteristics comparable to human breast cancers. The recent introduction of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has greatly improved research and diagnostics for humans, while these new tools still need to be implemented in animal models.

Phenotypic and Genetic Characterization of Isolates from Wild Animals in Central Italy.

Despite being widely recognized as a nosocomial pathogen, there is a critical lack in defining its reservoirs and sources of infections. Most studies on risk factors have focused on multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates and clinically-oriented questions. Over a two-year period, we sampled 131 wild animals including mammal and bird species from three regions of Central Italy.

SARS-CoV-2 replicates in respiratory ex vivo organ cultures of domestic ruminant species.

There is strong evidence that severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 virus (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, originated from an animal reservoir. However, the exact mechanisms of emergence, the host species involved, and the risk to domestic and agricultural animals are largely unknown. Some domestic animal species, including cats, ferrets, and minks, have been demonstrated to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, while others, such as pigs and chickens, are not.

A COVID-19 Hotspot Area: Activities and Epidemiological Findings.

By late March 2020, Villa Caldari, a small village of the municipality of Ortona (Abruzzo region), was registering an incidence rate of COVID-19 cases ten times greater than the overall municipality and was declared a hotspot area. Twenty-two days later, epidemiological investigation and sampling were performed, to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 circulation and the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Overall, 681 nasopharyngeal swabs and 667 blood samples were collected.

Disseminated Scedosporium apiospermum infection in a Maremmano-Abruzzese sheepdog.

Background: Few cases of scedosporiosis have been reported in animals, but the true prevalence is probably underestimated due to a lack of awareness. Scedosporiosis in dogs has often been associated with localized infection (i.e.

Detection of Astrovirus in a Cow with Neurological Signs by Nanopore Technology, Italy.

In this study, starting from nucleic acids purified from the brain tissue, Nanopore technology was used to identify the etiological agent of severe neurological signs observed in a cow which was immediately slaughtered. Histological examination revealed acute non-suppurative encephalomyelitis affecting the brainstem, cerebrum, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata, while by using PCR-based assays, the nucleic acids of major agents for neurological signs were not detected. By using Nanopore technology, 151 sequence reads were assigned to Bovine Astrovirus (BoAstV).