Abstract: Sewers are historically considered the main reservoir for commensal rodents, posing threats to urban ecosystem health. Aboveground rodent signs are often assumed to give clues to high sewer infestation, which can chronically restock surface areas. Thus, current sewer-baiting programmes are mostly reactive, responding to increased surface infestation. Conversely, proactive sewer-baiting (regardless of infestation levels) is often disregarded because cost-effectiveness is not always addressed. We explored the extent to which the surface infestation is related to rodent feeding activity on sewer and surface baits by analysing a set of proactive bait records in Bologna city, Italy. Sewer bait intakes were significantly lower than surface ones, suggesting that proactive sewer-baiting is generally less effective. As surface infestation increased, probability of recording surface bait intake increased significantly but this was not reflected by increased sewer bait intake, suggesting that surface infestation is not always a reliable indicator of sewer infestation. This should discourage the use of reactive sewer-baiting as a routine strategy. Poison-based control programmes by themselves are scarcely predictable and strategically limited, and ideally they should be handled within an ecologically based integrated pest management approach for achieving satisfactory results
Abstract: We describe trends in the occurrence of acute infectious gastroenteritis (1992 to 2009) and food-borne disease outbreaks (1996 to 2009) in Italy. In 2002, the Piedmont region implemented a surveillance system for early detection and control of food-borne disease outbreaks; in 2004, the Lombardy region implemented a system for surveillance of all notifiable human infectious diseases. Both systems are internet based. We compared the regional figures with the national mean using official notification data provided by the National Infectious Diseases Notification System (SIMI) and the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), in order to provide additional information about the epidemiology of these diseases in Italy. When compared with the national mean, data from the two regional systems showed a significant increase in notification rates of non-typhoid salmonellosis and infectious diarrhea other than non-typhoid salmonellosis, but for foodborne disease outbreaks, the increase was not statistically significant. Although the two regional systems have different objectives and structures, they showed improved sensitivity regarding notification of cases of acute infectious gastroenteritis and, to a lesser extent, food-borne disease outbreaks, and thus provide a more complete picture of the epidemiology of these diseases in Italy.
Abstract: The influence of host and parasite-related factors on the strongyle infection in 50 horses coming from 6 European countries and slaughtered in Italy for meat production was investigated using a multivariable modelling approach. The study was carried out by examining adult helminths, faecal eggs (identified by culture to the third larval stage) and mucosal larval stages of Cyathostominae. A modified Transmural Illumination technique (TMI) has been performed and Cyathostominae empty mucosal cysts were also evaluated in order to obtain further indications about small strongyles dynamic. All species found in this study were previously reported in European horses. Major differences were detected comparing Hungarian (#24) and Italian (#13) horses. Sex was confirmed as uninfluential, while relations with host age were only partially consistent with the development of acquired resistance. The analysis of both mucosal Cyathostominae larvae (more in Italy) and of the percentage of empty cysts (higher in Hungary) along with lower large strongyle abundance in Hungary allowed to hypothesise a wider use of anthelmintic treatments in Hungarian horses compared to Italian ones. The results regarding adult Cyathostominae (no significant differences nor regarding age or origin) suggested the important role of ecological interactions between larval and adult stages in regulating small strongyle populations.
Abstract: Anticoagulant poisoning is a common rodent control method in urban areas, but rodents may exhibit versatile feeding behavioural habits in varying environmental conditions. This study has been conducted to determine those environmental factors that could directly influence bait consumption and which therefore may affect an urban rodent control plan carried out with chemical methods. In the city of Bologna (Italy), 2500 bait stations have been monitored in various urban biotopes and the bait consumption studied in relation to several environmental factors, using both bivariate and multivariate analysis. Results reveal that the rodent patch distribution triggers the avoidance of baits placed outside of their home-range, hence the importance on bait placement. The logistic regression model confirms that vegetation, harbourage and water supplies are important variables in determining bait consumption, probably because they may spatially and temporarily facilitate the agoraphobic rodent movement, ensuring undisturbed bait consumption. The role of predators (dogs and cats) and food competitors (synanthropic birds) remains insignificant. However, bait eating invertebrates may consume part of the bait. For a proper rodent control plan the first real need is to minimize the alternative food sources, which may compete with baits. Weather conditions in which rodents could possibly pass unnoticed (fog and rainfall) may encourage bait consumption, vice versa with a cold climate. The considered environmental factors have satisfactorily explained bait consumption, highlighting the importance of human influence. The study of environmental factors may be useful in categorizing several site-specific conditions where rodent control efforts should be targeted, enhancing any intervention by matching the correct and specific strategy.
Abstract: The spatial distribution of large intestinal helminth parasites of 50 horses was studied. Both adult and mucosal larval stages were examined and counted within the ventral colon, dorsal colon and caecum. Thirty-three species of adult parasites were identified and their distribution in the three large intestinal regions reported, together with the localization of cyathostome encysted larvae and of empty mucosal cysts. In order to highlight interspecific interactions, both Spearman pairwise correlation (among all parasites) and multivariable negative binomial regression (among the most abundant parasites) were performed. Interactions among parasite species are very important from the ecological and parasitological point of view as they can modulate the abundance and the spatial distribution of parasites, as well as the composition of the infracommunity. The main results were: the selection of preferred sites of horse's large intestinal helminths has been confirmed; all statistically significant pairwise correlation coefficients (359 out of 666) were positive; the build up of multivariable regression models brought to light both negative and positive interactions; the most interesting competitive interactions have been observed between the most abundant and relatively large strongyle species: Strongylus edentatus and Strongylus vulgaris in the caecum and ventral colon. When S. edentatus is in the caecum, the favourite site of S. vulgaris, the latter decreases especially in the caecum. On the other hand, when S. edentatus is in the ventral colon, its favourite site, there is no negative relationship with S. vulgaris in the ventral colon and the positive correlation observed with bivariate analysis is maintained. The common belief that the horse large intestinal parasite community is isolationist, due to the absence of negative pairwise interaction, is therefore contradicted by the present study.
Abstract: Atlas datasets are the basis of many surveillance-oriented initiatives, providing qualitative data for documenting distribution of epidemiologically-relevant species. For major arthropod vectors in Italy, many occurrence data are available, but they are scattered in the literature. Collecting, harmonizing and mapping these data could provide information relevant for vector-borne disease surveillance. Here we outlined the structure behind the first bibliographical atlas on arthropod vectors in Italy that is currently being finalized.
We collected occurrence data of mosquito, sand-fly and tick species reported in Italy at the municipal level by scrutinizing available literature published between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 2009. Occurrence data of each species were georeferenced and symbolically mapped on a quinquennial basis using a EDÂ1950-UTM physical map of Italy (zone 32). Mapping was performed using ESRI-ArcGIS 9.
105, 35 and 40 citations were eligible for collecting mosquito, sand-fly and tick species occurrence data, respectively. A total of 1,873 (23.14%) municipalities had at least one mapped species, 1,496 (18.48%) of which for mosquitoes (47 species, 7 genera), 154 (1.90%) for sand-flies (7 species, 1 genus), and 353 (4.36%) for ticks (26, species, 8 genera). The atlas was mainly focused on 19 mosquito, 4 sand-fly and 17 tick species of medical importance in Italy. Each mapped species was accompanied by a brief account in standard layout.
This atlas represents a dynamic tool to be updated regularly. It makes the point on the literature so far produced by collecting, harmonizing and mapping available occurrence data of major arthropod vectors in Italy. These data provide the basis for predictive niche-modelling of species distribution based on environmental conditions, as well as for risk assessment and risk-based surveillance of vector-borne diseases.
Abstract: The contamination by Arsenic (As) and heavy metals (HM) in soils and ground-waters is a major cause for concern in many parts of the world. Several studies have detected significant As concentrations in soils and waters of different locations in central and southern Italy, and both geogenic (volcanic areas) and anthropogenic factors (mining activities) are often involved. In the northern Latium region, in particular, As concentrations above the legal limit (10 μg/L) were found in the 50% of sampled water wells, with 3% of these above 50 μg/L. Furthermore, in the southern Tuscany region, analyses of sediments of the Pecora River revealed an abnormal As concentration (665 mg/kg), largely caused by intensive pyrite extraction and transformation mining activities carried out over the past decades. Also in some industrial areas, high soil concentrations of As and HM such as Cadmium (Cd), Chrome (Cr), Lead (Pb), Cupper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn) were found. Phytoremediation techniques actually represent the most innovative and cost-effective alternative (or at least complementary to the traditional chemical engineering) for decontaminating these areas, especially in agricultural soils. In fact, where food crops are not allowed, woody crops for biomass production allow for both the decontamination and an economically-valuable fuelwood, timber and fiber production, thereby providing an attractive resolution for exploiting degraded lands while preserving environments. Many areas of central and southern Italy are characterized by typical Mediterranean climate. In such circumstances, Eucalyptus camaldulensis (Lake Albacutya provenance) and a selection of hybrid Eucalyptus clones used for biomass production (E. camaldulensis x E. viminalis; x E. grandis and x E. globulus subsp. bicostata) proved to be highly suitable for extensive cultivations thanks to their growth performances, environmental adaptability and drought resistance. In the present study, the suitability of exploiting these clones also for phytoremediation of soils contaminated by As and certain HM (Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu and Zn) was investigated in central Italy. The main objective of the study was the evaluation of the capability of the above-mentioned hybrid Eucalyptus clones and of the E. camaldulensis itself (genetic control) to concentrate contaminants in their epigeous tissues (leaves, stems and branches). Thirteen CRA-PLF selected clones were then tested in an ex situ nursery experiment with a completely randomized block design (5 replications) using an agricultural soil contaminated by As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu and Zn taken from a flat area in the Scarlino Municipality territory (Tuscany Region, Grosseto Province, Italy), heavily polluted by both anthropogenic and natural causes. All plants were cultivated during 8 months in 20L-volume standard pots before harvesting the entire epigeous portion for determination of plant growth (total anhydrous epigeous biomass) and chemical analyses to measure concentrations of each contaminant in epigeous tissues according to Inductively Coupled Plasma technique.
With large variability among clones, all plants survived and grew well, tolerating successfully the levels of contaminants to which they were exposed and accumulating contaminants within their epigeous tissues according to satisfactorily uptake. Similarly to other plant species, most contaminant concentrations (As, Cu, Pb and Zn) were significantly higher in leaves than in stems and branches (vice versa with Cd and Cr), suggesting that the removal of the entire epigeous biomass, leaves included, allows for a more efficient phytoremediation process when using Eucalyptus species. This is easily practicable because Eucalyptus species are evergreen plants in which leaves persist attached to the plant even after harvesting. Therefore, leaves can be considered as a part of the obtainable biomass. On the contrary, this is not possible in other, and much more investigated, tree species commonly used for biomass production, such as poplars and willows, for which it has often been suggested to anticipate the cutting time before leaves fall, although this practice could reduce the vitality of the stumps and the consequent number of rotations.
In conclusion, this study highlighted the large phytoremediation potential of some Eucalyptus genotypes on soils contaminated by As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr and Zn. The growth in such circumstances did not affect the superiority in biomass production of the hybrid Eucalyptus clones used in this study compared to the control (E. camaldulensis), suggesting that tree-cloning is the correct way to follow for improving phytoremediation capabilities in this specific tree genus. Hybrid Eucalyptus clones represent a promising resource for both biomass production and phytoremediation purposes in the Mediterranean basin.
Abstract: Many data on the distribution of vectors and vector-borne pathogens in Italy are available, but they are not harmonized and easily accessible for public health purposes. With the aim to provide information and tools for vector-borne diseases risk assessment and surveillance, we collected bibliographical data on vector presence and pathogen detection in vectors, humans and animals in Italy from 1985 to 2010. Data were georeferenced, entered into databases and mapped to assess data quality. This work provides the basis for risk assessment and risk-based surveillance activities in Italy
Abstract: Background
In developed Countries the impact of acute gastroenteritis (AG) on public health is greatly underestimated. In 2007, the AG incidence in Italy was 17.4/100000 inhabitants, remarkably lower than EU. In 2002 and 2004, respectively Piedmont and Lombardy developed surveillance systems more sensitive towards detection of AG cases (Lombardy) and foodborne disease outbreaks (FDO) (Piedmont). We evaluated the performance of these two surveillance systems comparing AG cases and FDO in the two regions and in the rest of Italy.
Methods
For all Italian regions, the number of officially notified AG cases between 1992 and 2007, and the number of FDO from 1996 to 2007 were collected. Population data (by year, age and gender) were also collected. Temporal trends were assessed by Cuzick's test.
Results
Overall, we collected 246424 AG cases and 7180 FDO with 54982 individual cases involved. A significant decreasing trend was observed in AG incidences in Piedmont and in other regions, but not in Lombardy. When the period after the surveillance implementation is considered, the average of AG incidences in Lombardy and Piedmont was respectively +48.6% and +15.5% compared to the rest of Italy. The FDO decreasing trend was significant in Lombardy and in the rest of Italy, but not in Piedmont, where since 2001 the number of FDO was always above the national average. The mean number of individual cases per FDO decreased significantly over time, but not in Lombardy.
Conclusions
In Piedmont and Lombardy the surveillance systems improved the detection of AG cases and FDO, but their different objectives made comparisons difficult. Further analyses will provide information on possible harmonization and extension of the surveillance activities of these two regions to the rest of Italy.
