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Dimzas D, Rubiola S, Pacifico L, Veneziano V, Chiesa F, Chassalevris T, Diakou A. Microscopic detection and molecular characterization of Sarcocystis miescheriana in wild boars (Sus scrofa): first report from Greece. Parasitol Res 2024; 123:234. [PMID: 38850432 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08254-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
The genus Sarcocystis includes protozoan parasites with an indirect life cycle. Sarcocystis spp. can infect various animal species and humans, causing sarcocystosis, a parasitosis of economic importance and zoonotic concern. Wild boars can act as intermediate hosts for Sarcocystis miescheriana and the zoonotic Sarcocystis suihominis that infects humans by consumption of raw or undercooked infected swine meat. In the present study, the diaphragmatic muscle tissue of 123 wild boars hunted in Greece was examined to determine the frequency of Sarcocystis spp. The samples were examined by tissue compression and molecular techniques. Under light microscopy, 34 out of 123 (27.6%) wild boars tested positive for Sarcocystis spp., while a higher infection prevalence (75%) was revealed by multiplex PCR performed in 100 of the samples. The partial mtDNA cox1 gene (~ 1100 bp) of 20 samples tested positive for S. miescheriana by multiplex PCR was amplified and sequenced. Sarcocystis miescheriana was identified as the only species involved in these infections. This is the first study on the prevalence of Sarcocystis spp. in wild animals in Greece. Further, large-scale surveys are needed to assess the prevalence and species of this parasite in Greece and to design efficient control and preventive measures in a One Health perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitris Dimzas
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Selene Rubiola
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, Grugliasco, 10095, Turin, Italy
| | - Laura Pacifico
- Department of Prevention, Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety Area, Azienda Sanitaria Locale Caserta, Via Feudo Di San Martino 10, Caserta, Italy
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Via Delpino 1, Naples, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Veneziano
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Via Delpino 1, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Chiesa
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, Grugliasco, 10095, Turin, Italy
| | - Taxiarchis Chassalevris
- Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Anastasia Diakou
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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Whitaker SH, Mannelli A, Kitron U, Bellini S. An analysis of the social, cultural, and ecological factors that affect the implementation of biosecurity measures on smallholder commercial swine farms in Italy in the context of an emerging African Swine Fever outbreak. Prev Vet Med 2024; 229:106238. [PMID: 38870565 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
African Swine Fever (ASF) is a contagious viral disease that infects wild and domesticated swine. In early 2022, the virus was found in wild boar in the Apennine mountains of mainland Italy.2 Since then, it has spread from wild boar to domesticated swine. To control the spread of ASF, an effective surveillance system and the implementation of strict biosecurity measures on farms are required yet are unevenly implemented across husbandry systems. Smallholder farms in particular are known to have low levels of biosecurity. In the Apennine mountains of Italy, small commercial farms have been found to have low levels of biosecurity despite being located in areas with high densities of wild boar, and, hence, being high-risk sites for potential ASF incursion and subsequent diffusion. To address the question as to why the level of biosecurity is low, interviews and participant observation were conducted with smallholder commercial farmers. The interviews identified the social, cultural, and ecological factors that affect the implementation of biosecurity measures in small commercial swine farms in the Apennines. Farmers expressed knowledge of priority biosecurity measures and an overall willingness to follow rules and regulations; however, the application of the measures in practice was uneven across farms. Economic, political, and ecological factors as well as farmer beliefs about biosecurity emerged as important factors affecting the implementation of biosecurity measures. These include economic constraints, challenges posed by the mountain environment, a shifting regulatory environment, and ideas about animal welfare. Other important factors include cultural factors such as the use of traditional agricultural methods and norms about customer access to animals, time constraints and the perceived hassle of implementing the measures, farmer age, farmer relationships with government officials and veterinarians, and the role of pigs in reducing farm waste. The study confirmed that wild boar are present in high numbers and in close proximity to smallholder commercial farms in the Apennines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Whitaker
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy; Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Anthropology, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA.
| | | | - Uriel Kitron
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Silvia Bellini
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
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3
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Pavone S, Bellini S, Iscaro C, Farioli M, Chiari M, Lavazza A, Ruocco L, Lelli D, Pintus G, Prati P, Feliziani F. Strategic Challenges to the Eradication of African Swine Fever Genotype II in Domestic Pigs in North Italy. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1295. [PMID: 38731299 PMCID: PMC11083415 DOI: 10.3390/ani14091295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a severe viral disease characterized by high lethality in suids and caused by the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV). The ASF genotype I virus was introduced to Europe in 1957, marking the onset of the first European epidemic wave. In 2007, ASFV genotype II was detected in Georgia, affecting domestic pigs and wild boars before spreading to various European and extra-European countries, including Italy. The first case of ASFV in Italy was documented on 7 January 2022, in a wild boar in the Piedmont region. Since then, several ASFV-positive wild boar carcasses have been identified in the Piedmont and Liguria regions. By June 2023, ASFV had spread to Lombardy, one of the major pig-producing regions in northern Italy; the virus was first detected in early summer in wild boar carcasses. Two months later, it was diagnosed in a commercial pig farm as a consequence of the disease's spread amongst wild boars and an increase in the viral environmental load. This report aims to describe the features of ASFV domestic pig outbreaks that occurred in the Zinasco municipality (Lombardy) and the joint efforts to mitigate potential direct and indirect economic impacts on the Italian and global pig industry. The epidemiological investigation and the measures implemented, which were all performed according to national and European regulations, as well as exceptional ad hoc measures aimed at protecting the pig industry, are described in order to provide a practical and effective approach to combating ASF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pavone
- National Reference Laboratory for Pestivirus and Asfivirus, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati” (IZSUM), Via G. Salvemini, 1, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.I.); (F.F.)
| | - Silvia Bellini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna, Via A. Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (S.B.); (A.L.); (D.L.); (P.P.)
| | - Carmen Iscaro
- National Reference Laboratory for Pestivirus and Asfivirus, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati” (IZSUM), Via G. Salvemini, 1, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.I.); (F.F.)
| | - Marco Farioli
- Regione Lombardia UO Veterinaria Direzione Generale Welfare, Piazza Città di Lombardia, 1, 20124 Milano, Italy; (M.F.); (M.C.)
| | - Mario Chiari
- Regione Lombardia UO Veterinaria Direzione Generale Welfare, Piazza Città di Lombardia, 1, 20124 Milano, Italy; (M.F.); (M.C.)
| | - Antonio Lavazza
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna, Via A. Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (S.B.); (A.L.); (D.L.); (P.P.)
| | - Luigi Ruocco
- Ministero della Salute Direzione Generale della Sanità Animale e del Farmaco Veterinario, Ufficio III Sanità Animale e Gestione Operativa del Centro Nazionale di Lotta ed Emergenza Contro le Malattie Animali e Unità Centrale di Crisi, Viale Giorgio Ribotta, 5, 00144 Roma, Italy;
| | - Davide Lelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna, Via A. Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (S.B.); (A.L.); (D.L.); (P.P.)
| | - Giorgia Pintus
- Local Health Authority (ATS), Via Indipendenza, 3, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Paola Prati
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna, Via A. Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (S.B.); (A.L.); (D.L.); (P.P.)
| | - Francesco Feliziani
- National Reference Laboratory for Pestivirus and Asfivirus, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati” (IZSUM), Via G. Salvemini, 1, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.I.); (F.F.)
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Dini FM, Musto C, De Nigris VM, Bellinello E, Sampieri M, Merialdi G, Barca L, Delogu M, Galuppi R. Sero-epidemiological investigation on Toxoplasma gondii infection in Apennine wolf (Canis lupus italicus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Italy. BMC Vet Res 2024; 20:62. [PMID: 38389083 PMCID: PMC10882895 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-03922-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The wild boar (Sus scrofa) and the Apennine wolf (Canis lupus italicus) are two wild species that have both increased their presence in the Italian territory, albeit in varying numbers. They can be occasionally found in peri-urban areas as well. Both of these species can serve as intermediate hosts for Toxoplasma gondii, as they can become infected either through the consumption of oocysts found in water, soil, or on vegetables, or through the ingestion of meat containing bradyzoites. Consequently, these animals can be regarded as key indicators of Toxoplasma presence in the wild or peri-urban environment. In our study, we examined a total of 174 wild boar meat juice and 128 wolf sera from Italy for the detection of T. gondii IgG using the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). RESULTS The results showed that 40 (22.6%) of the wild boar meat juice and 34 (26.6%) of the wolf serum samples tested positive. Interestingly, there were no significant differences in seropositivity with respect to gender, age group, or the region of origin in both species. CONCLUSIONS Overall the results indicate a moderate exposure in both the species under investigation, highlighting the spread of T. gondii in sylvatic and periurban environments. The prevalence of T. gondii in wild boar is consistent with findings from other studies conducted in Europe. Our study, with a considerably larger sample size compared to the available research in European context, provides valuable data on the seroprevalence of T. gondii in wolves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Maria Dini
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, 40064, Italy.
| | - Carmela Musto
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, 40064, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Maria De Nigris
- AUSL Bologna dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria- UO Veterinaria B, Via del Seminario, 1 San Lazzaro di Savena, Bologna, Italy
| | - Enrica Bellinello
- AUSL Modena, dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, via Suore di San Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo, 5 41026 Pavullo nel Frignano, Modena, Italy
| | - Maria Sampieri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna Bruno Ubertini, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Merialdi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna Bruno Ubertini, Brescia, Italy
| | - Lorella Barca
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Napoli, Italy
| | - Mauro Delogu
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, 40064, Italy
| | - Roberta Galuppi
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, 40064, Italy
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Sgroi G, D'Alessio N, Varcasia A, Degli Uberti B, Fani C, Trotta M, Fusco G, Doi K, Veneziano V. Morphometric, histopathological and molecular findings of Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus infection in wild boar (Sus scrofa) from continental Italy. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2024; 104:102110. [PMID: 38070400 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2023.102110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Although Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus is a neglected acanthocephalan of suids occasionally responsible for severe infections in humans, the spread of wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations in Europe could promote the circulation. Herein, we report the first morphometric, histological and molecular characterization of a severe M. hirudinaceus infection in a boar from continental Italy. The boar's intestine displayed granulomatous enteritis due to 24 helminths (14 females, 10 males), identified as adults of M. hirudinaceus by a combined morphometric/molecular approach. The phylogenetic analysis of the cox1 gene revealed a close relationship of the M. hirudinaceus sequence type found herein with those from Hungary and insular Italy. The high haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity of M. hirudinaceus specimens would suggest its rapid demographic expansion in the Mediterranean basin. More research is needed to assess the presence of M. hirudinaceus in susceptible beetle species and the role of boars in the epidemiology of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Sgroi
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici 80055, Italy.
| | - Nicola D'Alessio
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici 80055, Italy; Wildlife Observatory of the Campania region, Naples 80133, Italy
| | - Antonio Varcasia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari 07100, Italy
| | - Barbara Degli Uberti
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici 80055, Italy
| | | | | | - Giovanna Fusco
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici 80055, Italy
| | - Kandai Doi
- Department of Wildlife Biology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Tsukuba 305-8687, Japan
| | - Vincenzo Veneziano
- Wildlife Observatory of the Campania region, Naples 80133, Italy; Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80137, Italy
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Calò S, Tironi M, Cappa V, Scaburri A, Perna SF, Chiari M, Marracci M, Bellini S. Evaluation of the Risk of African Swine Fever Virus Transmission at the Interface between Feral and Domestic Pigs in Lombardy, with a View to Establishing Preventive Measures for Domestic Pigs. Pathogens 2023; 12:1462. [PMID: 38133345 PMCID: PMC10748101 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12121462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) continues to spread worldwide, and has reached multiple countries across Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Pacific, representing a serious economic burden threatening pig health and welfare, as well as food security. The disease affects domestic pigs and wild boar, and in several European countries the disease is endemic in wild boars. The lack of vaccines or effective treatments highlights the importance of effective control measures used to keep domestic and feral pigs separated to prevent the spread of the virus. However, the study of the livestock-wildlife interface is quite complex and has many aspects to consider, including the uncertainty of wild-boar population data. In this study, we determined the risk of spread of the ASF virus at the interface between domestic pigs and wild boars using indicators that can indirectly indicate the presence of wild boars in order to target specific control measures in the highest risk areas. The results of the study were compared with those obtained by Pittiglio, in which the population data for wild boars was estimated using a geostatistical method and similar results were obtained. However, the present study used specific information relating to the wild-boar population and this allowed us to use fewer variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Calò
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia-Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, Via Bianchi, 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (S.C.); (M.T.); (V.C.); (A.S.); (S.F.P.)
| | - Marco Tironi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia-Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, Via Bianchi, 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (S.C.); (M.T.); (V.C.); (A.S.); (S.F.P.)
| | - Veronica Cappa
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia-Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, Via Bianchi, 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (S.C.); (M.T.); (V.C.); (A.S.); (S.F.P.)
| | - Alessandra Scaburri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia-Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, Via Bianchi, 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (S.C.); (M.T.); (V.C.); (A.S.); (S.F.P.)
| | - Stefano Francesco Perna
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia-Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, Via Bianchi, 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (S.C.); (M.T.); (V.C.); (A.S.); (S.F.P.)
| | - Mario Chiari
- Direzione Generale Welfare di Regione Lombardia, Unità Organizzativa Veterinaria, Piazza Città di Lombardia, 20124 Milan, Italy;
| | - Massimo Marracci
- Direzione Generale Agricoltura, Sovranità Alimentare e Foreste di Regione Lombardia, Unità Organizzativa Politiche Ittiche-Faunistico-Venatorie, Forestali e Montagna, Piazza Città di Lombardia, 20124 Milan, Italy;
| | - Silvia Bellini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia-Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, Via Bianchi, 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (S.C.); (M.T.); (V.C.); (A.S.); (S.F.P.)
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Kmetiuk LB, Biondo LM, Pedrosa F, Favero GM, Biondo AW. One Health at gunpoint: Impact of wild boars as exotic species in Brazil - A review. One Health 2023; 17:100577. [PMID: 37332883 PMCID: PMC10276213 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Wild boars have been listed among the 100 most invasive species worldwide, spreading impacts to all continents, with the exception of Antarctica. In Brazil, a major source of introduction was a commercial livestock importation for exotic meat market, followed by successive escapes and releases to natural ecosystems. Currently found in all six Brazilian biomes, with reports in 11 Brazilian states, wild boars have invaded natural and agricultural areas. Wild boars have been reportedly indicated as hosts and reservoirs of several zoonotic diseases in Brazil, including toxoplasmosis, salmonelosis, leptospirosis, brucellosis, tuberculosis, trichinellosis, and hepatitis E. Wild boars have been also associated with Brazilian spotted fever and rabies, infected while providing plentiful exotic blood supply for native ticks and hematophagous bats. Due to their phylogenetic proximity, wild boars may present ecological niche overlapping and direct disease risk to native white-lipped and collared peccaries. Moreover, wild boars may post an economical threat to Brazilian livestock industry due to restrictive diseases such as Aujeszky, enzootic pneumonia, neosporosis, hemoplasmosis, and classic swine fever. Finally, wild boars have directly impacted in environmentally protected areas, silting up water springs, rooting and wallowing native plants, decreasing native vegetal coverage, disbalancing of soil components, altering soil structure and composition. Wild boar hunting has failed as a control measure to date, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Environment, due to private hunting groups mostly targeting males, intentionally leaving females and piglets alive, disseminating wild boar populations nationwide. Meanwhile, non-government animal welfare organizations have pointed to animal cruelty of hunting dogs and wild boars (and native species) during hunting. Despite unanimous necessity of wild boar control, eradication and prevention, methods have been controversial and should focus on effective governmental measures instead occasional game hunting, which has negatively impacted native wildlife species while wild boars have continuously spread throughout Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Bach Kmetiuk
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 80035-050, Brazil
| | - Leandro Menegueli Biondo
- National Institute of the Atlantic Forest (INMA), Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Santa Teresa, Espirito Santo, Brazil
| | - Felipe Pedrosa
- Mão na Mata – Environmental Management and Solutions, São Paulo, SP 05350-000, Brazil
| | - Giovani Marino Favero
- Department of General Biology, State University of Ponta Grossa, General Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, Ponta Grossa, PR 84030-900, Brazil
| | - Alexander Welker Biondo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 80035-050, Brazil
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Forth JH, Calvelage S, Fischer M, Hellert J, Sehl-Ewert J, Roszyk H, Deutschmann P, Reichold A, Lange M, Thulke HH, Sauter-Louis C, Höper D, Mandyhra S, Sapachova M, Beer M, Blome S. African swine fever virus - variants on the rise. Emerg Microbes Infect 2023; 12:2146537. [PMID: 36356059 PMCID: PMC9793911 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2146537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV), a large and complex DNA-virus circulating between soft ticks and indigenous suids in sub-Saharan Africa, has made its way into swine populations from Europe to Asia. This virus, causing a severe haemorrhagic disease (African swine fever) with very high lethality rates in wild boar and domestic pigs, has demonstrated a remarkably high genetic stability for over 10 years. Consequently, analyses into virus evolution and molecular epidemiology often struggled to provide the genetic basis to trace outbreaks while few resources have been dedicated to genomic surveillance on whole-genome level. During its recent incursion into Germany in 2020, ASFV has unexpectedly diverged into five clearly distinguishable linages with at least ten different variants characterized by high-impact mutations never identified before. Noticeably, all new variants share a frameshift mutation in the 3' end of the DNA polymerase PolX gene O174L, suggesting a causative role as possible mutator gene. Although epidemiological modelling supported the influence of increased mutation rates, it remains unknown how fast virus evolution might progress under these circumstances. Moreover, a tailored Sanger sequencing approach allowed us, for the first time, to trace variants with genomic epidemiology to regional clusters. In conclusion, our findings suggest that this new factor has the potential to dramatically influence the course of the ASFV pandemic with unknown outcome. Therefore, our work highlights the importance of genomic surveillance of ASFV on whole-genome level, the need for high-quality sequences and calls for a closer monitoring of future phenotypic changes of ASFV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan H. Forth
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Sten Calvelage
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Melina Fischer
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jan Hellert
- Centre for Structural System Biology (CSSB), Leibnitz-Institut für Virologie, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Julia Sehl-Ewert
- Department of Experimental Animal Facilities and Biorisk Management, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Hanna Roszyk
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Paul Deutschmann
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Adam Reichold
- Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Lange
- Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hans-Hermann Thulke
- Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Dirk Höper
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Svitlana Mandyhra
- State Scientific and Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise (SSRILDVSE), Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Maryna Sapachova
- State Scientific and Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise (SSRILDVSE), Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Martin Beer
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Sandra Blome
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany, Sandra Blome Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Suedufer 10, 17493, Greifswald – Insel Riems, Germany
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9
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Kolluru V, John R, Saraf S, Chen J, Hankerson B, Robinson S, Kussainova M, Jain K. Gridded livestock density database and spatial trends for Kazakhstan. Sci Data 2023; 10:839. [PMID: 38030700 PMCID: PMC10687097 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02736-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Livestock rearing is a major source of livelihood for food and income in dryland Asia. Increasing livestock density (LSKD) affects ecosystem structure and function, amplifies the effects of climate change, and facilitates disease transmission. Significant knowledge and data gaps regarding their density, spatial distribution, and changes over time exist but have not been explored beyond the county level. This is especially true regarding the unavailability of high-resolution gridded livestock data. Hence, we developed a gridded LSKD database of horses and small ruminants (i.e., sheep & goats) at high-resolution (1 km) for Kazakhstan (KZ) from 2000-2019 using vegetation proxies, climatic, socioeconomic, topographic, and proximity forcing variables through a random forest (RF) regression modeling. We found high-density livestock hotspots in the south-central and southeastern regions, whereas medium-density clusters in the northern and northwestern regions of KZ. Interestingly, population density, proximity to settlements, nighttime lights, and temperature contributed to the efficient downscaling of district-level censuses to gridded estimates. This database will benefit stakeholders, the research community, land managers, and policymakers at regional and national levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkatesh Kolluru
- Department of Sustainability and Environment, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA.
| | - Ranjeet John
- Department of Sustainability and Environment, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
| | - Sakshi Saraf
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
| | - Jiquan Chen
- Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Brett Hankerson
- Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Theodor-Lieser-Str. 2, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Sarah Robinson
- Institute for Agricultural Policy and Market Research & Centre for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Maira Kussainova
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
- Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, AgriTech Hub KazNARU, 8 Abay Avenue, Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan
- Kazakh-German University (DKU), Nazarbaev avenue, 173, 050010, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Khushboo Jain
- Department of Sustainability and Environment, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
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10
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Pavone S, Iscaro C, Dettori A, Feliziani F. African Swine Fever: The State of the Art in Italy. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2998. [PMID: 37835604 PMCID: PMC10571570 DOI: 10.3390/ani13192998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a severe viral disease of domestic pigs and Eurasian wild boars (Sus scrofa) caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV). ASF is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, where 24 genotypes of the virus have been reported. Between the late 1950s and the early 1980s, genotype I ASFV emerged in Europe, including Italy. In June 2007, a second ASF epidemic wave caused by genotype II was registered, involving several European and extra-European countries, including Italy in 2022. The present paper aims to provide the state of the art of ASF in Italy, describing the course of ASF in wild boars and domestic pigs as an example of multiple concurring different scenarios. Sardinia is coping with the last phase of the eradication of the disease by applying the exit strategy. Conversely, four clusters of infection located in North, Central, and South Italy are still ongoing. The unique and complex Italian experience in ASF-controlling may be useful to increase know-how on the efficacy of strategies and measures, as well as issues that could be further improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pavone
- National Reference Laboratory for Pestivirus and Asfivirus, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.I.); (F.F.)
| | - Carmen Iscaro
- National Reference Laboratory for Pestivirus and Asfivirus, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.I.); (F.F.)
| | - Annalisa Dettori
- Regional Veterinary Epidemiology Observatory, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, 06126 Perugia, Italy;
| | - Francesco Feliziani
- National Reference Laboratory for Pestivirus and Asfivirus, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.I.); (F.F.)
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11
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Dini F, Morselli S, Marangoni A, Taddei R, Maioli G, Roncarati G, Balboni A, Dondi F, Lunetta F, Galuppi R. Spread of Toxoplasma gondii among animals and humans in Northern Italy: A retrospective analysis in a One-Health framework. Food Waterborne Parasitol 2023; 32:e00197. [PMID: 37333686 PMCID: PMC10273278 DOI: 10.1016/j.fawpar.2023.e00197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis occurs worldwide and is considered one of the most important food-borne parasitic zoonoses. The consumption of undercooked meat containing viable tissue cysts and ingestion of environmental oocyst are the most important sources of infection. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the spread of Toxoplasma gondii in the province of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna region) in northern Italy, with a One Health approach, comparing seropositivity rates in different animal species and in humans over the last 19 and 4 years respectively. Analyses were performed on serological data collected over different periods at three separate locations: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e della Emilia-Romagna (IZSLER); Veterinary University Hospital Clinical Pathology Service, Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna; and Unit of Microbiology, St. Orsola Hospital, Bologna. Most relevant seropositivity rates observed in animals were 15.5% (wild boar), 25% (roe deer), 18.7% (goat), 29.9% (sheep), 9.7% (pigs), 42.9% and 21.8% in cat and dog, respectively. A comprehensive screening was conducted on a population of 36,814 individuals, revealing a prevalence of 20.4%. Among pregnant women, a frequence of 0.39% for active toxoplasmosis was observed. Despite certain limitations, this study provided valuable insights into the extensive distribution of this parasitic infection among diverse animal species and human populations in the province of Bologna. These findings underscore the importance of implementing consistent and proactive toxoplasmosis screening protocols during pregnancy, while emphasizing the critical need for adopting a One Health approach for effective control of this parasitic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- F.M. Dini
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - S. Morselli
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - A. Marangoni
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - R. Taddei
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia e della Emilia-Romagna, Italy
| | - G. Maioli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia e della Emilia-Romagna, Italy
| | - G. Roncarati
- Microbiology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - A. Balboni
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - F. Dondi
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - F. Lunetta
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - R. Galuppi
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
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12
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Sgroi G, D’Alessio N, Auriemma C, Salant H, Gallo A, Riccardi MG, Alfano F, Rea S, Scarcelli S, Ottaviano M, De Martinis C, Fusco G, Lucibelli MG, Veneziano V. First molecular detection of Babesia vulpes and Babesia capreoli in wild boars from southern Italy. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1201476. [PMID: 37609054 PMCID: PMC10442169 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1201476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Following the increase of wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations in Europe, a potential risk of emerging infections by vector-borne pathogens may occur. Despite this, the circulation of piroplasmid species in these ungulates is still a neglected topic, particularly in the Mediterranean basin. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the presence of Babesia/Theileria spp. in wild boars from southern Italy to assess the epidemiological role of these ungulates in the circulation of piroplasmids. Methods By using a citizen science approach among hunters and veterinarians, wild boar spleen samples were collected in the Campania region (southern Italy) between 2016 and 2022. A combined semi-nested PCR/sequencing analysis targeting the V4 hyper-variable region of 18S rRNA was run to detect Babesia/Theileria spp. DNA. Results Out of 243 boars, 15 (i.e., 6.2, 95% CI: 3.4-9.9) tested positive to Babesia/Theileria spp., Babesia vulpes (n = 13, 5.3, 95% CI: 3.1-8.9) the most prevalent, followed by Babesia capreoli (n = 2, 0.8, 95% CI: 0.2-2.9). Three different B. vulpes sequence types were identified (i.e., ST1, ST2, ST3), with the most representative as ST1 (60%), and a single B. capreoli sequence type. No statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) were found between the presence of the pathogens and boar age, sex, province and sample collection year. Discussion Data demonstrate for the first time the occurrence of B. vulpes and B. capreoli in wild boars, which may play a role in the biological cycle of piroplasmids. We emphasize the importance of monitoring these ungulates to prevent potential foci of infection. The engagement of hunters in epidemiological scientifically based surveys can constitute a technically sound control strategy of piroplasmids in a One Health perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Sgroi
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Nicola D’Alessio
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici, Italy
- Osservatorio Faunistico Venatorio—Campania Region, Naples, Italy
| | - Clementina Auriemma
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Harold Salant
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Amalia Gallo
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Marita Georgia Riccardi
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Flora Alfano
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Simona Rea
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Stefano Scarcelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Martina Ottaviano
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Claudio De Martinis
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Giovanna Fusco
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Maria Gabriella Lucibelli
- Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Veneziano
- Osservatorio Faunistico Venatorio—Campania Region, Naples, Italy
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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13
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Vedel G, Triadó-Margarit X, Linares O, Moreno-Rojas JM, la Peña ED, García-Bocanegra I, Jiménez-Martín D, Carranza J, Casamayor EO. Exploring the potential links between gut microbiota composition and natural populations management in wild boar (Sus scrofa). Microbiol Res 2023; 274:127444. [PMID: 37421802 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
We surveyed wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations using 16S rRNA gene analysis of the gut microbiota in fresh faeces taken from 88 animals hunted in 16 hunting estates. The wild boar is a very convenient model system to explore how environmental factors including game management, food availability, disease prevalence, and behaviour may affect different biological components of wild individuals with potential implications in management and conservation. We tested the hypotheses that diet (according to stable carbon isotopes analyses), gender (i.e., animal behaviour studying males and females), and both health (analyses of serum samples to detect exposure to several diseases) and form statutes (i.e., thoracic circumference in adults) are reflected in changes in the intestinal microbiota. We focused on a gut functional biomarker index combining Oscillospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae vs. Enterobacteriaceae. We found that gender and the estate (population) were explanatory variables (c.a. 28% of the variance), albeit a high degree of overlapping among individuals was observed. The individuals with higher abundance of Enterobacteriaceae showed a gut microbiota with low diversity, mostly in males. Significant statistical differences for thoracic circumference were not found between males and females. Interestingly, the thoracic circumference was significantly and inversely related to the relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae in males. Overall, we found that diet, gender, and form status were major factors that could be related to the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota. A high variability was observed in the biomarker index for populations with natural diet (rich in C3 plants). Although, we noticed a marginally significant negative trend between the index (higher abundance of Enterobacteriaceae) and the continuous feeding of C4 plants (i.e., supplementary maize) in the diet of males. This result suggests that continuous artificial feeding in hunting estates could be one of the factors negatively influencing the gut microbiota and the form status of wild boars that deserves further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Vedel
- Wildlife Research Unit, University of Cordoba (UIRCP-UCO), 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Xavier Triadó-Margarit
- Ecology of the Global Microbiome, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes-Spanish Council for Research (CEAB-CSIC), Accés Cala St Francesc, 14, E-17300 Blanes, Spain
| | - Olmo Linares
- Wildlife Research Unit, University of Cordoba (UIRCP-UCO), 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - José Manuel Moreno-Rojas
- Department of Food Science and Health, Andalusian Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training (IFAPA), Alameda del Obispo, Avda. Menéndez Pidal, s/n, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Eva de la Peña
- Wildlife Research Unit, University of Cordoba (UIRCP-UCO), 14071 Córdoba, Spain; IREC National Wildlife Research Institute (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Department of Animal Health, Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), UIC Zoonoses and Emreging Diseases ENZOEM, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain; CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
| | - Débora Jiménez-Martín
- Department of Animal Health, Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), UIC Zoonoses and Emreging Diseases ENZOEM, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Juan Carranza
- Wildlife Research Unit, University of Cordoba (UIRCP-UCO), 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Emilio O Casamayor
- Ecology of the Global Microbiome, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes-Spanish Council for Research (CEAB-CSIC), Accés Cala St Francesc, 14, E-17300 Blanes, Spain.
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14
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Bezymennyi M, Tarasov O, Kyivska GV, Mezhenska NA, Mandyhra S, Kovalenko G, Sushko M, Hudz N, Skorokhod SV, Datsenko R, Muzykina L, Milton E, Sapachova MA, Nychyk S, Halka I, Frant M, Huettmann F, Drown DM, Gerilovych A, Mezhenskyi AA, Bortz E, Lange CE. Epidemiological Characterization of African Swine Fever Dynamics in Ukraine, 2012-2023. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1145. [PMID: 37514961 PMCID: PMC10384127 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11071145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a viral disease, endemic to Africa, that causes high mortality when introduced into domestic pig populations. Since the emergence of p72-genotype II African swine fever virus (ASFV) in Georgia in 2007, an ASF epidemic has been spreading across Europe and many countries in Asia. The epidemic first reached Ukraine in 2012. To better understand the dynamics of spread of ASF in Ukraine, we analyzed spatial and temporal outbreak data reported in Ukraine between 2012 and mid-2023. The highest numbers of outbreaks were reported in 2017 (N = 163) and 2018 (N = 145), with overall peak numbers of ASF outbreaks reported in August (domestic pigs) and January (wild boars). While cases were reported from most of Ukraine, we found a directional spread from the eastern and northern borders towards the western and southern regions of Ukraine. Many of the early outbreaks (before 2016) were adjacent to the border, which is again true for more recent outbreaks in wild boar, but not for recent outbreaks in domestic pigs. Outbreaks prior to 2016 also occurred predominantly in areas with a below average domestic pig density. This new analysis suggests that wild boars may have played an important role in the introduction and early spread of ASF in Ukraine. However, in later years, the dynamic suggests human activity as the predominant driver of spread and a separation of ASF epizootics between domestic pigs and in wild boars. The decline in outbreaks since 2019 suggests that the implemented mitigation strategies are effective, even though long-term control or eradication remain challenging and will require continued intensive surveillance of ASF outbreak patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maksym Bezymennyi
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine (IVM), National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Oleksandr Tarasov
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine (IVM), National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Ganna V Kyivska
- State Scientific Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise (SSRILDVSE), 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Nataliia A Mezhenska
- State Scientific Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise (SSRILDVSE), 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Svitlana Mandyhra
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine (IVM), National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
- State Scientific Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise (SSRILDVSE), 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Ganna Kovalenko
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine (IVM), National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - Mykola Sushko
- State Scientific Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise (SSRILDVSE), 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Nataliia Hudz
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine (IVM), National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Serhii V Skorokhod
- State Scientific Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise (SSRILDVSE), 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Roman Datsenko
- State Scientific Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise (SSRILDVSE), 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Larysa Muzykina
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine (IVM), National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Elaina Milton
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - Maryna A Sapachova
- State Scientific Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise (SSRILDVSE), 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Serhii Nychyk
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine (IVM), National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Ihor Halka
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine (IVM), National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Maciej Frant
- Department of Swine Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), 24-100 Pulawy, Poland
| | - Falk Huettmann
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Devin M Drown
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Anton Gerilovych
- State Scientific Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise (SSRILDVSE), 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Andrii A Mezhenskyi
- State Scientific Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise (SSRILDVSE), 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Eric Bortz
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine (IVM), National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03151 Kyiv, Ukraine
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - Christian E Lange
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
- Metabiota Inc., San Francisco, CA 94104, USA
- Labyrinth Global Health, Saint Petersburg, FL 33704, USA
- Department of Biology, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC V3W 2MB, Canada
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15
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Freuling CM, Hlinak A, Schulze C, Sehl-Ewert J, Wysocki P, Szentiks CA, Schmitt K, Wohlsein P, Kluth G, Reinhardt I, Mettenleiter TC, Müller T. Suid alphaherpesvirus 1 of wild boar origin as a recent source of Aujeszky's disease in carnivores in Germany. Virol J 2023; 20:110. [PMID: 37264455 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-023-02074-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The high susceptibility of carnivores to Suid Alphaherpesvirus 1 [SuAHV1, synonymous pseudorabies virus (PrV)], renders them inadvertent sentinels for the possible occurrence of Aujeszky's disease (AD) in domestic and wild swine populations. The aim of this study was to epidemiologically analyse the occurrence of PrV infections in domestic and wild animals in Germany during the last three decades and to genetically characterise the causative PrV isolates. METHODS PrV in dogs was detected using standard virological techniques including conventional and real time PCR, virus isolation or by immunohistochemistry. Available PrV isolates were characterized by partial sequencing of the open gC reading frame and the genetic traits were compared with those of archived PrV isolates from carnivores and domestic pigs from Germany before the elimination of AD in the domestic pig population. RESULTS During 1995 and 2022, a total of 38 cases of AD in carnivores, e.g. dogs and red foxes, were laboratory confirmed. Sequencing and subsequent phylogenetic analysis of PrV isolates established a strong connection between AD cases in carnivores and the occurrence of PrV infections in European wild boars in the end phase of and after elimination of AD from the domestic pig population. While PrV infections occur at low numbers but regularly in hunting dogs, interestingly, PrV was not observed in grey wolves in Germany. In none of 682 dead-found grey wolves and wolf-dog hybrids tested from Germany during 2006-2022 could PrV infection be detected by molecular means. CONCLUSIONS Although PrV has been eliminated from domestic pigs, spillover infections in domestic and wild carnivores should always be expected given the endemic presence of PrV in wild pig populations. Since detection of PrV DNA and virus in carnivores is sporadic even in areas with high seroprevalence of PrV in wild pigs, it may not reflect the full diversity of PrV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad M Freuling
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493, Greifswald- Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Andreas Hlinak
- Berlin-Brandenburg State Laboratory, 15236, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany
| | - Christoph Schulze
- Berlin-Brandenburg State Laboratory, 15236, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany
| | - Julia Sehl-Ewert
- Department of Experimental Animal Facilities and Biorisk Management, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493, Greifswald- Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Patrick Wysocki
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Epidemiology, 17493, Greifswald- Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Claudia A Szentiks
- IZW - Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus Schmitt
- Landesamt für Verbraucherschutz Saarland, 66115, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Peter Wohlsein
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Gesa Kluth
- LUPUS - German Institute for Wolf Monitoring and Research, 02826, Görlitz, Germany
| | - Ilka Reinhardt
- LUPUS - German Institute for Wolf Monitoring and Research, 02826, Görlitz, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Müller
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493, Greifswald- Insel Riems, Germany.
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16
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Rusinà A, Valentini F, Scollo A, Franceschini G, Salvato S, Cappa V, Bellato A, Mannelli A, Bellini S. Semi-Quantitative Risk Assessment of African Swine Fever Virus Introduction in Outdoor Pig Farms. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12050709. [PMID: 37242379 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12050709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In a previous study, a semi-quantitative risk assessment was developed to rank pig holdings in terms of likelihood of introducing African swine fever virus (ASFV) by assessing their compliance with biosecurity and exposure to geographical risk factors. The method was initially developed for confined pig holdings, but given that ASF is endemic in wild boar of several countries, we modified the approach to make it suitable for free-range farms as well. In the current study, a total of 41 outdoor pig farms were assessed in an area where exposure to wild boar was generally high (density from 2.3 to 10.3 wild boar per Km2). As expected, non-compliance with biosecurity measures was frequent in outdoor farms, and the frequency of non-compliance indicated that the absence of adequate separation of pigs from the external environment was the major weakness in the farms assessed. In 46.3% of them, there was no fence or, if present, it was not adequate to avoid contact with wild boar. However, the approach adopted proved to be suitable for identifying intervention priorities to mitigate the risk of ASFV spread in free-range pig herds and for identifying the weaknesses of individual farms, as recommended by EFSA in 2021, which suggests implementing tools to improve biosecurity by favoring higher-risk farms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Rusinà
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Francesco Valentini
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Annalisa Scollo
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Giorgio Franceschini
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Sara Salvato
- Sorveglianza Epidemiologica, Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna, 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Veronica Cappa
- Sorveglianza Epidemiologica, Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna, 25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bellato
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Alessandro Mannelli
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Silvia Bellini
- Sorveglianza Epidemiologica, Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna, 25124 Brescia, Italy
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17
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Gago H, Ruiz-Fons F, Drechsler RM, Alambiaga I, Monros JS. Response to letter-to-the-editor by A. Estrada-Peña "Regarding the identification of Rhipicephalus ticks in the Western Mediterranean: A comment on Gago et al. (2022)". Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102164. [PMID: 36931955 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hector Gago
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, c/Catedratico Jose Beltran Martinez 2, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain.
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Health and Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigacion en Recursos Cinegeticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Robby M Drechsler
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, c/Catedratico Jose Beltran Martinez 2, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain
| | - Ivan Alambiaga
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, c/Catedratico Jose Beltran Martinez 2, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain
| | - Juan S Monros
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, c/Catedratico Jose Beltran Martinez 2, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain
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18
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Zuleger AM, Perino A, Wolf F, Wheeler HC, Pereira HM. Long-term monitoring of mammal communities in the Peneda-Gerês National Park using camera-trap data. Biodivers Data J 2023; 11:e99588. [PMID: 38327315 PMCID: PMC10848441 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.11.e99588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background In the past decades, agricultural land abandonment and declining land-use intensity became common, especially in the Mediterranean countries of southern Europe. In some areas, this development opened up possibilities for rewilding and the recolonisation or expansion of large mammal populations. Yet, in some instances, co-occurrence of wild mammals and free-ranging domestic herbivores might lead to potential conflicts. It is, therefore, necessary to study the ecological interactions between wild and domestic mammal species to understand the effects of land abandonment and rewilding on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Camera traps are an effective tool for studying species interactions and occupancy dynamics as they allow for long-term monitoring with minimal interference. We conducted a long-term monitoring programme with camera traps in the Peneda-Gerês National Park in northern Portugal. The area has undergone substantial land-use changes following the abandonment of agricultural areas in the past 60 years. While agro-pastoral activities, especially the breeding of free-ranging horses and cattle, are still common in the area, the intensity of these activities has decreased significantly, promoting natural succession and an increase or return of several large mammal species in recent years. Overall, our project aims at: (1) assessing the population trends of the medium and large sized mammals in the area over time; (2) analysing the effects of passive rewilding on occurrence, abundance and behaviour; and (3) understanding potential interactions or conflicts between wild and domestic herbivores. In this publication, we present results of a primary occupancy analysis between 2015 and 2020, as well as a comparison between occupancy and density estimates for 2019. New information Our publication provides a dataset from long-term camera-trap monitoring in the Peneda-Gerês National Park between 2015 and 2021. We established a 16 km² grid of 64 cameras deployed yearly during the summer months. Together with this publication, we publish the data and images collected between 2015 and 2021, using both the Camtrap DP standard and the GBIF Darwin Event Core. We obtained a total of 934,810 pictures on 41,234 trap nights. The pictures were automatically grouped into sequences with each sequence representing a distinct occurrence event, resulting in 80,191 occurrences. Out of those, 14,442 contained observations of a species, while the remaining were either blank or the species was not identifiable. We only obtained the information whether a species was present or absent on a picture, disregarding the number of individuals. Most observations were of domestic cattle (Bostaurus) and horses (Equuscaballus), followed by European roe deer (Capreoluscapreolus) and wild boar (Susscrofa). Further observations include red fox (Vulpesvulpes), gray wolf (Canislupus), Eurasian badger (Melesmeles), stone marten (Martesfoina), common genet (Genettagenetta), Iberian ibex (Caprapyrenaica) and red deer (Cervuselaphus). We estimated occupancy and densities for the most common species. The project is on-going and additional data will be included in the future. The dataset is freely available for ecological analysis, but also for training machine-learning systems in automated image classification as all pictures have been manually classified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika M Zuleger
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Halle (Saale) Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Andrea Perino
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Halle (Saale) Germany
| | - Florian Wolf
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Halle (Saale) Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Helen C Wheeler
- School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge United Kingdom
| | - Henrique M Pereira
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Halle (Saale) Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO Vairão Portugal
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19
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Fernandez-de-Simon J, Ferreres J, Gortázar C. The number of hunters and wild boar group size drive wild boar control efficacy in driven hunts. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-023-01661-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
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20
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Bolzoni L, Bonardi S, Tansini C, Scaltriti E, Menozzi I, Morganti M, Conter M, Pongolini S. Different Roles of Wild Boars and Livestock in Salmonella Transmission to Humans in Italy. ECOHEALTH 2023; 20:122-132. [PMID: 36918504 PMCID: PMC10014403 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-023-01625-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is the most widely distributed large wildlife mammal worldwide. To investigate the transmission of Salmonella enterica amongst wild boars (Sus scrofa), humans, and livestock, we compared via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and whole genome sequences the isolates of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (biphasic and monophasic variants) and Enteritidis collected from wild boars, food-producing animals, and human patients in Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy) between 2017 and 2020. Specifically, we analysed 2175 isolates originated from human (1832), swine (117), bovine (128), poultry (76), and wild boar (22). The genomic analyses showed that wild boars shared most of their lineages of biphasic Typhimurium with bovines and most of Enteritidis with poultry, whilst we did not find any lineage shared with swine. Moreover, almost 17% of human biphasic Typhimurium and Enteritidis belonged to genomic clusters including wild boar isolates, but the inclusion of bovine and poultry isolates in the same clusters and the peculiar spatial distribution of the isolates suggested that human cases (and wild boar infections) likely originated from bovines and poultry. Consequently, wild boars appear not to play a significant role in infecting humans with these serovars, but seem to get infected themselves from livestock, probably through the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Bolzoni
- Risk Analysis and Genomic Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna, Sezione di Parma, Strada dei Mercati 13/A, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Silvia Bonardi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Unit of Inspection of Food of Animal Origin, University of Parma, Strada del Taglio 10, 43126, Parma, Italy.
| | - Cesare Tansini
- Department of Veterinary Science, Unit of Inspection of Food of Animal Origin, University of Parma, Strada del Taglio 10, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Erica Scaltriti
- Risk Analysis and Genomic Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna, Sezione di Parma, Strada dei Mercati 13/A, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Ilaria Menozzi
- Risk Analysis and Genomic Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna, Sezione di Parma, Strada dei Mercati 13/A, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Marina Morganti
- Risk Analysis and Genomic Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna, Sezione di Parma, Strada dei Mercati 13/A, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Mauro Conter
- Department of Veterinary Science, Unit of Inspection of Food of Animal Origin, University of Parma, Strada del Taglio 10, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Stefano Pongolini
- Risk Analysis and Genomic Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna, Sezione di Parma, Strada dei Mercati 13/A, 43126, Parma, Italy
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21
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Scollo A, Valentini F, Franceschini G, Rusinà A, Calò S, Cappa V, Bellato A, Mannelli A, Alborali GL, Bellini S. Semi-quantitative risk assessment of African swine fever virus introduction in pig farms. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1017001. [PMID: 36777667 PMCID: PMC9911915 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1017001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
A semi-quantitative risk assessment was developed to classify pig farms in terms of the probability of introduction of African swine fever virus (ASFV). Following on-farm data collection via a specific checklist, we applied a modified failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) to calculate the risk priority codes (RPC's), indicating increasing risk levels ranging from 1 to 5. The importance of biosecurity measures was attributed by experts. To consider geographic risk factors, we classified pig farms based on local density of farmed pigs, and on the estimated wild boar population density. The combination of RPC's with geographical risk factors resulted into a final ranking of pig farms in terms of the risk of ASFV introduction. Furthermore, the estimation of frequency and levels of non-compliance with biosecurity measures was used to identify weak points in risk prevention at farm level. The outcome of the risk assessment was affected by choices in assigning non-compliance scores and importance to specific components of biosecurity. The method was applied in 60 commercial farms in major pig production areas in Italy. Furthermore, we applied a reduced version of our checklist in 12 non-commercial/small commercial (≤20 pigs) farms in the northern Apennines. In commercial farms, highest RPC's were obtained for biosecurity measures associated with personnel practices and farm buildings/planimetry. Intervention should be addressed to training of personnel on biosecurity and ASF, to avoid contacts with other pig herds, and to improve practices in the entrance into the farm. Sharing trucks with other farms, and loading/unloading of pigs were other weak points. Fencing was classified as insufficient in 70% of the commercial farms. Among these farms, breeding units were characterised by the lowest risk of ASFV introduction (although differences among median ranks were not statistically significant: P-value = 0.07; Kruskal-Wallis test), and increasing herd size was not significantly correlated with a higher risk (Kendall's τ = -0.13; P-value = 0.14). Density of farmed pig was greatest in the main pig production area in northern Italy. Conversely, exposure to wild boars was greatest for non-commercial/small commercial farms on the Apennines, which were also characterised by non-compliance with critical biosecurity measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Scollo
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy,*Correspondence: Annalisa Scollo ✉
| | | | | | - Alessia Rusinà
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Stefania Calò
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna, Sorveglianza Epidemiologica, Brescia, Italy
| | - Veronica Cappa
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna, Sorveglianza Epidemiologica, Brescia, Italy
| | | | | | - Giovanni Loris Alborali
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna, Sorveglianza Epidemiologica, Brescia, Italy
| | - Silvia Bellini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna, Sorveglianza Epidemiologica, Brescia, Italy
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Trichinella britovi in wild boar meat from Italy, 2015-2021: A citizen science approach to surveillance. One Health 2022; 16:100480. [PMID: 36632478 PMCID: PMC9826805 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2022.100480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
As a result of the increase of game meat intended for human consumption through Europe, a plethora of food-borne diseases, including trichinellosis, may occur in consumers, posing a relevant public health threat. Thus, this study aims to a citizen science approach to monitor the occurrence of Trichinella spp. in wild boar meat intended for human consumption, evaluating the risk of infection for consumers. Following the European Regulation 2015/1375 (laying down specific rules on official controls for Trichinella in meat), from 2015 to 2021, hunters (n = 478) were involved to collect diaphragm pillar samples of wild boars from mainland southern Italy, which were tested for Trichinella spp. L1 larvae via HCl-pepsin digestion and Multiplex PCR. Overall, 139,160 animals were collected (average of 19,880 per year), being 14 (i.e., 0.01%) tested positive to Trichinella britovi by the combined biochemical and molecular approach. An average larval burden of 28.4 L1 per gram of meat was found (minimum 3.2 - maximum 132.6). A statistically significant difference was found in the prevalence according to hunting seasons (p < 0.01, with higher values in 2016 and 2021) and regions of the study area (p < 0.01). No statistically significant decrease in the prevalence of T. britovi throughout the study period was found (p = 0.51), except in Apulia region (p < 0.01). These findings revealed a stable prevalence of T. britovi in wild boar meat intended for human consumption, suggesting a risk of infection for consumers, especially hunters and local markets users. Citizen science surveillance models could be promoted to improve trichinellosis control and prevention in a One Health perspective.
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23
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Ito S, Bosch J, Jeong H, Aguilar-Vega C, Park J, Martínez-Avilés M, Sánchez-Vizcaíno JM. Spatio-Temporal Epidemiology of the Spread of African Swine Fever in Wild Boar and the Role of Environmental Factors in South Korea. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122779. [PMID: 36560783 PMCID: PMC9782897 DOI: 10.3390/v14122779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the first confirmation of African swine fever (ASF) in domestic pig farms in South Korea in September 2019, ASF continues to expand and most notifications have been reported in wild boar populations. In this study, we first performed a spatio-temporal cluster analysis to understand ASF spread in wild boar. Secondly, generalized linear logistic regression (GLLR) model analysis was performed to identify environmental factors contributing to cluster formation. In the meantime, the basic reproduction number (R0) for each cluster was estimated to understand the growth of the epidemic. The cluster analysis resulted in the detection of 17 spatio-temporal clusters. The GLLR model analysis identified factors influencing cluster formation and indicated the possibility of estimating ASF epidemic areas based on environmental conditions. In a scenario only considering direct transmission among wild boar, R0 ranged from 1.01 to 1.5 with an average of 1.10, while, in another scenario including indirect transmission via an infected carcass, R0 ranged from 1.03 to 4.38 with an average of 1.56. We identified factors influencing ASF expansion based on spatio-temporal clusters. The results obtained would be useful for selecting priority areas for ASF control and would greatly assist in identifying efficient vaccination areas in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ito
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Center, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Jaime Bosch
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Center, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Hyunkyu Jeong
- Dodram Pig Research Center, Daejeon 35377, Republic of Korea
| | - Cecilia Aguilar-Vega
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Center, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jonghoon Park
- Independent Scholar, Daejeon 35377, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Jose Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Center, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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24
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Bah MT, Grosbois V, Stachurski F, Muñoz F, Duhayon M, Rakotoarivony I, Appelgren A, Calloix C, Noguera L, Mouillaud T, Andary C, Lancelot R, Huber K, Garros C, Leblond A, Vial L. The Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever tick vector Hyalomma marginatum in the south of France: Modelling its distribution and determination of factors influencing its establishment in a newly invaded area. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:e2351-e2365. [PMID: 35511405 PMCID: PMC9790221 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
We developed a correlative model at high resolution for predicting the distribution of one of the main vectors of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), Hyalomma marginatum, in a recently colonised area, namely southern France. About 931 H. marginatum adult ticks were sampled on horses from 2016 to 2019 and 2021 in 14 southern French departments, which resulted in the first H. marginatum detection map on a large portion of the national territory. Such updated presence/absence data, as well as the mean number of H. marginatum per examined animal (mean parasitic load) as a proxy of tick abundance, were correlated to multiple parameters describing the climate and habitats characterising each collection site, as well as movements of horses as possible factors influencing tick exposure. In southern France, H. marginatum was likely detected in areas characterised by year-long warm temperatures and low precipitation, especially in summer and mostly concentrated in autumn, as well as moderate annual humidity, compared to other sampled areas. It confirms that even in newly invaded areas this tick remains exclusively Mediterranean and cannot expand outside this climatic range. Regarding the environment, a predominance of open natural habitats, such as sclerophyllous vegetated and sparsely vegetated areas, were also identified as a favourable factor, in opposition to urban or peri-urban and humid habitats, such as continuous urban areas and inland marshes, respectively, which were revealed to be unsuitable. Based on this model, we predicted the areas currently suitable for the establishment of the tick H. marginatum in the South of France, with relatively good accuracy using internal (AUC = 0.66) and external validation methods (AUC = 0.76 and 0.83). Concerning tick abundance, some correlative relationships were similar to the occurrence model, as well as the type of horse movements being highlighted as an important factor explaining mean parasitic load. However, the limitations of estimating and modelling H. marginatum abundance in a correlative model are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madiou Thierno Bah
- CIRAD, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance,ASTREUniv Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAEMontpellierFrance
| | - Vladimir Grosbois
- CIRAD, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance,ASTREUniv Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAEMontpellierFrance
| | - Frédéric Stachurski
- CIRAD, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance,ASTREUniv Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAEMontpellierFrance
| | - Facundo Muñoz
- CIRAD, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance,ASTREUniv Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAEMontpellierFrance
| | - Maxime Duhayon
- CIRAD, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance,ASTREUniv Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAEMontpellierFrance
| | - Ignace Rakotoarivony
- CIRAD, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance,ASTREUniv Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAEMontpellierFrance
| | | | - Clément Calloix
- CIRAD, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance,ASTREUniv Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAEMontpellierFrance
| | - Liz Noguera
- Section of EpidemiologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Théo Mouillaud
- CIRAD, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance,ASTREUniv Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAEMontpellierFrance
| | - Charlotte Andary
- CIRAD, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance,ASTREUniv Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAEMontpellierFrance
| | - Renaud Lancelot
- CIRAD, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance,ASTREUniv Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAEMontpellierFrance
| | - Karine Huber
- ASTREUniv Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAEMontpellierFrance
| | - Claire Garros
- CIRAD, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance,ASTREUniv Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAEMontpellierFrance
| | | | - Laurence Vial
- CIRAD, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance,ASTREUniv Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAEMontpellierFrance
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25
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Ruiz-Rodríguez C, Fernández-López J, Vicente J, Blanco-Aguiar JA, Acevedo P. Revisiting wild boar spatial models based on hunting yields to assess their predictive performance on interpolation and extrapolation areas. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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26
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Changes in the Genetic Structure of Lithuania’s Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) Population Following the Outbreak of African Swine Fever. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13091561. [PMID: 36140730 PMCID: PMC9498859 DOI: 10.3390/genes13091561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of African swine fever (ASF) in Lithuania and its subsequent persistence has led to a decline in the population of wild boar (Sus scrofa). ASF has been spreading in Lithuania since its introduction, therefore it is important to understand any genetic impact of ASF outbreaks on wild boar populations. The aim of this study was to assess how the propensity for an outbreak has shaped genetic variation in the wild boar population. A total of 491 wild boar samples were collected and genotyped using 16 STR markers. Allele richness varied between 15 and 51, and all SSR loci revealed a significant deviation from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Fixation indices indicated a significant reduction in heterozygosity within and between subpopulations. PCoA and STRUCTURE analysis demonstrated genetic differences between the western region which had had no outbreaks (restricted zone I) and the region with ASF infection (restricted zones II and III). It is concluded that environmental factors may play a particular role in shaping the regional gene flow and influence the genetic structure of the wild boar population in the region with ASF outbreaks.
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27
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Markov N, Economov A, Hjeljord O, Rolandsen CM, Bergqvist G, Danilov P, Dolinin V, Kambalin V, Kondratov A, Krasnoshapka N, Kunnasranta M, Mamontov V, Panchenko D, Senchik A. The wild boar
Sus scrofa
in northern Eurasia: a review of range expansion history, current distribution, factors affecting the northern distributional limit, and management strategies. Mamm Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Niсkolay Markov
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology Ural Branch Russian Academy of Sciences 620144 Marta Str. 202 Ekaterinburg Russia
| | - Alexander Economov
- Russian Research Institute of Game Management and Fur Farming 610000 Preobrazhenskaya str. 79 Kirov Russia
| | - Olav Hjeljord
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences Elizabeth Stephansens vei 15 1430 Ås Norway
| | - Christer M. Rolandsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research P.O. Box 5685 Torgarden NO‐7485 Trondheim Norway
| | - Göran Bergqvist
- Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management Öster Malma SE‐611 91 Nyköping Sweden
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences PO Box 49 SE‐230 53 Alnarp Sweden
| | - Pjotr Danilov
- Institute of Biology of Karelian Research Centre Russian Academy of Sciences 185910, 11 Pushkinskaya Street Petrozavodsk Karelia Russia
| | - Vadim Dolinin
- Far Eastern Branch of Russian Research Institute of Game Management and Fur Farming 680000 L. Tolstogo str. 15a Khabarovsk Russia
| | - Victor Kambalin
- Irkutsk State Agrarian University 664038, Irkutsk region, Irkutsk district Molodezhny Russia
| | - Alexander Kondratov
- Irkutsk State Agrarian University 664038, Irkutsk region, Irkutsk district Molodezhny Russia
| | - Nikolay Krasnoshapka
- West‐Siberian Branch of Russian Research Institute of Game Management and Fur Farming 630108, Parkhomenko str., 26 Novosibirsk Russia
| | - Mervi Kunnasranta
- Natural Resources Institute Finland Yliopistokatu 6 80130 Joensuu Finland
| | - Victor Mamontov
- Laboratory for Biological Resources and Ethnography Institute of Biogeography and Genetic Resources, FECIAR Ural Branch RAS 163000 Arkhangelsk Russia
| | - Danila Panchenko
- Institute of Biology of Karelian Research Centre Russian Academy of Sciences 185910, 11 Pushkinskaya Street Petrozavodsk Karelia Russia
| | - Alexander Senchik
- OOO “Amuskaya Promislovaya Kompania” 675000, Gorkogo, 252 Blagoveschensk Amurskaya Oblast Russia
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28
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Bacigalupo SA, Chang Y, Dixon LK, Gubbins S, Kucharski AJ, Drewe JA. The importance of fine-scale predictors of wild boar habitat use in an isolated population. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9031. [PMID: 35784084 PMCID: PMC9217887 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Predicting the likelihood of wildlife presence at potential wildlife-livestock interfaces is challenging. These interfaces are usually relatively small geographical areas where landscapes show large variation over small distances. Models of wildlife distribution based on coarse data over wide geographical ranges may not be representative of these interfaces. High-resolution data can help identify fine-scale predictors of wildlife habitat use at a local scale and provide more accurate predictions of species habitat use. These data may be used to inform knowledge of interface risks, such as disease transmission between wildlife and livestock, or human-wildlife conflict.This study uses fine-scale habitat use data from wild boar (Sus scrofa) based on activity signs and direct field observations in and around the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England. Spatial logistic regression models fitted using a variant of penalized quasi-likelihood were used to identify habitat-based and anthropogenic predictors of wild boar signs.Our models showed that within the Forest of Dean, wild boar signs were more likely to be seen in spring, in forest-type habitats, closer to the center of the forest and near litter bins. In the area surrounding the Forest of Dean, wild boar signs were more likely to be seen in forest-type habitats and near recreational parks and less likely to be seen near livestock.This approach shows that wild boar habitat use can be predicted using fine-scale data over comparatively small areas and in human-dominated landscapes, while taking account of the spatial correlation from other nearby fine-scale data-points. The methods we use could be applied to map habitat use of other wildlife species in similar landscapes, or of movement-restricted, isolated, or fragmented wildlife populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yu‐mei Chang
- Royal Veterinary CollegeUniversity of LondonHatfieldUK
| | | | | | - Adam J. Kucharski
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineUniversity of LondonLondonUK
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29
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Desvars-Larrive A, Käsbohrer A. Surveillance and Control of African Swine Fever in the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic, March-May 2020: A Multi-Country E-Survey. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:867631. [PMID: 35774983 PMCID: PMC9238323 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.867631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Stringent COVID-19 public health and social measures (PHSMs) have challenged the work of animal health professionals, especially in the early phase of the pandemic. We aimed to qualitatively describe how COVID-19 PHSMs have affected the surveillance and control of African swine fever (ASF) in Europe, assess how professionals engaged in these activities perceived the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, and identify potential areas of improvement. An online questionnaire was proposed via email between 9 December 2020 and 22 January 2021 to professionals engaged in ASF-related activities in Europe and Eastern neighboring countries. The questionnaire contained questions pertaining to ASF surveillance and control activities between March and May 2020, respondent's perception of the impact of COVID-19 PHSMs on these activities, and respondent's opinion on potential improvements to prepare for future crises. Economic and sanitary variables were used to describe the national contexts over the study period. Twenty-seven respondents from 24 countries participated to the study. Essential activities related to surveillance and management of ASF were reduced and/or adapted but maintained in most surveyed countries. Communication was mentioned as the first area of improvement during crisis while maintenance of efficient veterinary services and surveillance activities were cited second and third top priorities. The need for the development of remote procedures was also recognized. Some respondents highlighted difficulties in ensuring biosecurity and biosafety of the field actors due to shortage in protective equipment. Only a small majority (52%) of the survey participants agreed that their institution/working group is better prepared to future lockdown-type situations. Our study emphasizes that short-term measures were globally successful to tackle the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the routine duties of professionals involved in ASF surveillance and control. Our findings suggest that country-specific improvements are necessary to support and advance the preparedness of the actors involved in infectious animal disease surveillance and control in case lockdown-like measures are implemented. Overall, our results highlight the crucial importance of recognizing animal health services as essential activities during crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Desvars-Larrive
- Institute of Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, Unit of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
- VetFarm, University of Veterinary Medicine, Pottenstein, Austria
- Complexity Science Hub, Vienna, Austria
- *Correspondence: Amélie Desvars-Larrive
| | - Annemarie Käsbohrer
- Institute of Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, Unit of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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30
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A combination of probabilistic and mechanistic approaches for predicting the spread of African swine fever on Merry Island. Epidemics 2022; 40:100596. [DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2022.100596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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31
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Fabbri MC, Crovetti A, Tinacci L, Bertelloni F, Armani A, Mazzei M, Fratini F, Bozzi R, Cecchi F. Identification of candidate genes associated with bacterial and viral infections in wild boars hunted in Tuscany (Italy). Sci Rep 2022; 12:8145. [PMID: 35581286 PMCID: PMC9114367 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12353-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Wild boar (Sus scrofa L.) is one of the large mammals most spread worldwide, highly adaptable, and its population rapidly increased in many areas in Europe, including Italy, where Tuscany is considered particularly suitable for wild boar. Wild boars are potential hosts for different etiological agents, such as Brucella spp., Leptospira spp. and Pseudorabies virus and they can contribute to maintain and/or to disseminate some bacterial or viral pathogens to humans and domestic animals, above all-in free-range farms. In order to identify hypothetical genomic regions associated with these infection diseases, 96 samples of wild boars hunted in Tuscany during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 hunting seasons were considered. Diagnosis was achieved by serological tests and 42 Pseudorabies, 31 Leptospira and 15 Brucella positive animals were identified. All animals were genotyped with Geneseek Genomic Profiler Porcine HD (70 k) and a genome-wide scan was then performed. Significant markers were highlighted for Pseudorabies (two SNPs), Brucella (seven SNPs), and Leptospira (four SNPs) and they were located within, or nearby, 29 annotated genes on chromosome 6, 9, 12, 13, 14 and 18. Eight genes are implicated in viral (SEC14L1, JMJD6, SRSF2, TMPRSS2, MX1, MX2) or bacterial (COL8A1, SPIRE1) infections, seven genes (MFSD11, METTL23, CTTNBP2, BACE2, IMPA2, MPPE1 and GNAL) are involved in mental disorders and one gene (MGAT5B) is related to the Golgi complex. Results presented here provide interesting starting points for future research, validation studies and fine mapping of candidate genes involved in bacterial and viral infections in wild boar.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Fabbri
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agrarie, Alimentari, Ambientali e Forestali, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy.
| | - A Crovetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agrarie, Alimentari, Ambientali e Forestali, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - L Tinacci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - F Bertelloni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Armani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - M Mazzei
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - F Fratini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - R Bozzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agrarie, Alimentari, Ambientali e Forestali, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - F Cecchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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32
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Gong Y, Zhang HY, Yuan Y, He Y, Zhang W, Han Y, Na R, Zeng Y, Luo J, Yang H, Huang Y, Zhao Y, Zhao Z, E GX. Genome-Wide Selection Sweep between Wild and Local Pigs from Europe for the Investigation of the Hereditary Characteristics of Domestication in Sus Scrofa. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12081037. [PMID: 35454283 PMCID: PMC9030587 DOI: 10.3390/ani12081037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The phenotypic characteristics of existing domestic pigs (DPs) greatly differ from those of wild boar (WB) populations thousands of years ago. After thousands of years of human domestication, WB and DP have diverged greatly in terms of genetics. Theoretically, worldwide local pigs have independent contributions from their local WBs at the beginning of Sus scrofa domestication. The investigation of the vicissitude of the heredity material between domestic populations and their wild ancestors will help in further understanding the domestication history of domestic animals. In the present study, we performed a genome-wide association scan (GWSA) and phylogeny estimation with a total of 1098 public European Illumina 60K single nucleotide polymorphism data, which included 650 local DPs and 448 WBs. The results revealed that the phylogenetic relationship of WBs corresponds to their geographical distribution and carries large divergence with DPs, and all WB breeds (e.g., HRWB, SBWB, and TIWB) presents a closely linkage with the middle WB (e.g., HRWB, and PLWB). In addition, 64 selected candidate genes (e.g., IDH2, PIP5K1B, SMARCA2, KIF5C, and TJP2) were identified from GWSA. A total of 63 known multiple biological functional pathways were annotated by 22 genes, and ubiquinone and other terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis pathways that belong to the metabolism of cofactors and vitamins were significantly enriched (p < 0.05). The most frequent (28.57%) pathways were classified under metabolism. We confirmed that the middle European WB has made an important genetic contribution to the entire European WB populations. A series of selected genes discovered from this study provides the scientific community with a deeper understanding of the heredity performance of metabolism and emotion and the real purpose behind domestication.
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33
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Amado MEV, Carmo LP, Berezowski J, Fischer C, Santos MJ, Grütter G. Towards risk-based surveillance of African Swine Fever in Switzerland. Prev Vet Med 2022; 204:105661. [DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2022.105661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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34
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Mercato A, Cortimiglia C, Abualsha’ar A, Piazza A, Marchesini F, Milani G, Bonardi S, Cocconcelli PS, Migliavacca R. Wild Boars as an Indicator of Environmental Spread of ESβL-Producing Escherichia coli. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:838383. [PMID: 35432265 PMCID: PMC9011151 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.838383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents an increasing issue worldwide, spreading not only in humans and farmed animals but also in wildlife. One of the most relevant problems is represented by Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESβLs) producing Escherichia coli because they are the cause of important infections in human. Wild boars (Sus scrofa) as a source of ESβLs attracted attention due to their increasing density and their habits that lead them to be at the human-livestock-wildlife interface. The aim of this study was to increase the knowledge about the ESβLs E. coli strains carried by wild boars living in a particularly high-density area of Northern Italy. The analysis of 60 animals allowed to isolate 16 ESβL-producing E. coli strains (prevalence 23.3%), which were characterised from a phenotypical and molecular point of view. The overall analysis revealed that the 16 isolates were all not only ESβL producers but also multidrug resistant and carried different types of plasmid replicons. The genome analysis performed on a subset of isolates confirmed the heterogeneity observed with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and highlighted the presence of two pandemic sequence types, ST131 and ST10, with different collections of virulence factors. The genomic context of ESβL genes further evidenced that all of them were surrounded by transposons and insertion sequences, suggesting the possibility to exchange AMR genes. Overall, this study shows the worrying dissemination of ESβL-producing E. coli in wild boars in Northern Italy, suggesting the role of these animals as a spreader of AMR and their inclusion in surveillance programmes, to shed light on the “One Health” complex interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Mercato
- Department of Clinical-Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, Unit of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Claudia Cortimiglia
- Department for Sustainable Food Processes, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Aseel Abualsha’ar
- Department of Clinical-Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, Unit of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Aurora Piazza
- Department of Clinical-Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, Unit of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Federica Marchesini
- Department of Clinical-Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, Unit of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Milani
- Department for Sustainable Food Processes, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Silvia Bonardi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Unit of Food Inspection, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Pier Sandro Cocconcelli
- Department for Sustainable Food Processes, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
- *Correspondence: Pier Sandro Cocconcelli,
| | - Roberta Migliavacca
- Department of Clinical-Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, Unit of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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35
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Spatio-temporal behaviour of female wild boar in an agro-forestry–pastoral landscape of Southern Italy. MAMMAL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-022-00617-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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36
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Rhimi W, Sgroi G, Aneke CI, Annoscia G, Latrofa MS, Mosca A, Veneziano V, Otranto D, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Cafarchia C. Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) as Reservoir of Zoonotic Yeasts: Bioindicator of Environmental Quality. Mycopathologia 2022; 187:235-248. [PMID: 35072853 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-021-00613-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Wildlife animals are recognized as reservoirs for zoonotic fungi and their faeces might play an important role in introducing pathogens into the environment. Thought wild boar (Sus scrofa) population has dramatically increased across Europe, information about their possible role in dissemination of zoonotic pathogenic yeasts in the environment is scant. Therefore, fecal samples (n = 124) from wild boars from Campania region (Southern Italy) were collected and yeasts identified biochemically and molecularly by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region and their phylogenetical relationship assessed. The antifungal susceptibility profiles of yeasts were also investigated using AFST-EUCAST method. Yeasts were isolated from 50.1% of the samples with the highest occurrence in samples from the province of Salerno (61.1%). A total of 368 Candida strains belonging to nine species were identified, with Candida albicans (45.7%), followed by Candida krusei (15.2%), Kazachstania slooffiae (9.8%) and Candida parapsilosis (7.6%) as the most prevalent identified species. Among C. albicans four sequence types (i.e., ST1-ST4) were identified with an intraspecific nucleotide difference up to 0.21%. The ML tree grouped all representative sequence types as paraphyletic clades with those of the references yeast species, respectively and supported by high bootstrap values. Fluconazole was the less active drug whereas, posaconazole, voriconazole, and isavuconazole the most active one. No resistance phenomena were observed for C. albicans and high MICs values for 5FC, azoles and echinocandines were registered in non-albicans Candida spp. This study showed, for the first time, the important role of wild boars in dissemination of pathogenic fungi in the environment. The absence of resistance phenomena in the Candida spp. might reflect environmental free from residues of azoles antifungals pollution or chemicals and suggests the role of wild boar as bio indicators of environment quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wafa Rhimi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Giovanni Sgroi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Chioma Inyang Aneke
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy.,Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
| | - Giada Annoscia
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | | | - Adriana Mosca
- Dipartimento Interdisciplinare di Medicina, Università degli Studi "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Veneziano
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Osservatorio Faunistico Venatorio - Campania Region, Naples, Italy
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy.,Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo
- Medical Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Center for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Claudia Cafarchia
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy.
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37
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Dessì G, Cabras P, Mehmood N, Ahmed F, Porcu F, Veneziano V, Burrai GP, Tamponi C, Scala A, Varcasia A. First molecular description of Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus in wild boars from Italy with pathomorphological and epidemiological insights. Parasitol Res 2021; 121:197-204. [PMID: 34820718 PMCID: PMC8612822 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07386-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus is a zoonotic parasite affecting suids worldwide which are the definitive hosts for this helminth species. Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus is of significant economic and management concern due to its pathogenicity, causing intestinal obstruction and perforation in the definitive hosts. Current study is the preliminary investigation from Sardinia, Italy, reporting the pathomorphological findings and molecular characterization of M. hirudinaceus in the wild boars (Sus scrofa meridionalis). A total of 59 wild boars were examined showing acanthocephalan infection in 8 (13.6%) animals. In total, 49 parasites were collected with a mean intensity of 6.1. Comparatively higher infection levels were observed for males (16.7%) and young boars (14.3%); however, these epidemiological differences were statistically non-significant. Histopathological examination revealed the presence of a variable number of nodules (∼5 mm) in the intestine of M. hirudinaceus infested animals surrounded by a hyperemic-hemorrhagic halo. Several parasites were recovered from the intestinal lumen attached by the means of characteristic hooks showing necrosis in muscle layers. A moderate number of plump reactive fibroblasts and lesser numbers of fibrocytes were embedded with and at the borders of the inflammatory nodules in a moderate amount of homogeneous intensely eosinophilic fibrillary material rupturing the cell membrane. For molecular characterization, six isolated worms were amplified for the partial mitochondrial cox1 gene showing distinct interindividual variations. This first pathological and molecular description from southern Europe provided new knowledge about the diffusion of M. hirudinaceus in wild boars, furthering the research into the origin and transmission status of M. hirudinaceus in endemic localities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Dessì
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Pierangela Cabras
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Sardegna, Tortolì, Italy
| | - Naunain Mehmood
- Department of Zoology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Fahad Ahmed
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Francesca Porcu
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Veneziano
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Pietro Burrai
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.,Mediterranean Center for Disease Control (MCDC), University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Claudia Tamponi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
| | - Antonio Scala
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Antonio Varcasia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
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38
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Palazzo M, Tavaniello S, Petrecca V, Zejnelhoxha S, Wu M, Mucci R, Maiorano G. Quality and safety of meat from wild boar hunted in Molise region. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/1828051x.2021.1965924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marisa Palazzo
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Siria Tavaniello
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Valeria Petrecca
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Sanije Zejnelhoxha
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Mengjun Wu
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Rossella Mucci
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Maiorano
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy
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39
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Ferretti F, Lazzeri L, Mori E, Cesaretti G, Calosi M, Burrini L, Fattorini N. Habitat correlates of wild boar density and rooting along an environmental gradient. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
In wild ungulates, habitat choice usually is influenced by foraging constraints and predator avoidance, potentially leading to spatial variation of population density (e.g., greater densities in food rich or safer habitats). Assessing habitat-correlates of abundance and foraging activity in turn is important in understanding determinants of distribution. We assessed habitat correlates of presence, density, and rooting, for wild boar Sus scrofa, the most widespread ungulate in the world, in six protected areas of central Italy. We worked along an altitudinal gradient ranging from the coast to mountains, in late spring-summer 2019. We surveyed 617 sampling plots randomly placed onto study areas with tessellation stratified sampling, where we used fecal counts to estimate wild boar density and visually estimated the proportion of rooted area. Overall estimates of density and rooting (± standard error) varied from 3.5 ± 2.0 to 17.9 ± 5.4 individuals/km2 and from 1.4 ± 0.8% to 10.9 ± 1.1% of rooted ground. Density and rooting showed a moderate yet nonsignificant correlation across sites. Probability of presence, abundance, and rooting in sampling plots were higher in ecotone habitats (transition habitats between wooded and open areas). Topography did not influence boar presence or local abundance. Rooting increased with decreasing slope and rock cover, as well as increasing elevation, possibly due to soil supporting forage of higher nutritional quality. Our results support the importance of ecotone habitats for wild boar, emphasizing the role of these transitional areas in the period of nursing/weaning of offspring, as well as when crops are actively growing. Differences in overall estimates of rooting across study sites may depend on site-specific features (soil moisture and availability of alternative food resources). Future studies should test the correlation between inter-annual differences of rooting and changes in population density. Notwithstanding the latter, we identified significant ecological drivers of wild boar density and rooting activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ferretti
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology, and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Lazzeri
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology, and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Emiliano Mori
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology, and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche—Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri—Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | - Gloria Cesaretti
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology, and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Martina Calosi
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology, and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Lucia Burrini
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology, and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Niccolò Fattorini
- Department of Life Sciences, Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology, and Wildlife Management, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milano, Italy
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Bonardi S, Tansini C, Cacchioli A, Soliani L, Poli L, Lamperti L, Corradi M, Gilioli S. Enterobacteriaceae and Salmonella contamination of wild boar ( Sus scrofa) carcasses: comparison between different sampling strategies. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2021; 67:88. [PMID: 34602932 PMCID: PMC8475815 DOI: 10.1007/s10344-021-01531-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
During 2020, a total of 64 wild boar carcasses were tested for Enterobacteriaceae count (EBC), Salmonella and Yersinia enterocolitica in the abdominal region (i) within 5 h after hunting in the game collection point and (ii) before dressing and processing in the game-handling establishment (GHE) (49 carcasses-average time interval between (i) and (ii): 4.3 days). Because of COVID-19 restrictions, 15 carcasses were transported to a near slaughterhouse (average time interval between (i) and (ii): 2.3 days). Mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) were collected and tested for Salmonella and Y. enterocolitica. Results are shown in relation to sampling A (49 carcasses-GHE) and sampling B (15 carcasses-slaughterhouse). Sampling A: EBC median values were (i) 2.51 log10 CFU/cm2 and (ii) 2.79 log10 CFU/cm2. EBC increase between (i) and (ii) was statistically significant (p = 0.001). Salmonella prevalence on carcasses varied from (i) 2.0 to (ii) 6.1%. Sampling B: EBC median values were (i) 3.1 log10 CFU/cm2 and (ii) 3.32 log10 CFU/cm2. EBC increase between (i) and (ii) was not statistically significant (p = 0.191). Salmonella prevalence on carcasses varied from (i) 6.7 to (ii) 0.0%. The prevalence (sampling A + B) of lymphatic Salmonella carriers was 7.8% (5/64). From carcasses and/or MNLs, the serovars Enteritidis, Typhimurium, Agama, Zaiman and Diarizonae O:50 (z) were detected. Y. enterocolitica was never isolated. Long chilling periods prior to wild game processing should be avoided, and carcasses should be tested at GHE rather than after shooting to proper reflect the microbial load of wild boar meat entering the food chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Bonardi
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Strada del Taglio 10, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Cesare Tansini
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Strada del Taglio 10, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Antonio Cacchioli
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Strada del Taglio 10, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Laura Soliani
- Risk Analysis and Genomic Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia E Dell’Emilia-Romagna, Sezione di Parma, Strada dei Mercati 13/A, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Luca Poli
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Strada del Taglio 10, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Luca Lamperti
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Strada del Taglio 10, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Margherita Corradi
- Management Body for Parks and Biodiversity “Emilia Occidentale”, 43038 Sala Baganza (PR), Italy
| | - Stefano Gilioli
- Management Body for Parks and Biodiversity “Emilia Occidentale”, 43038 Sala Baganza (PR), Italy
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Schulz K, Masiulis M, Staubach C, Malakauskas A, Pridotkas G, Conraths FJ, Sauter-Louis C. African Swine Fever and Its Epidemiological Course in Lithuanian Wild Boar. Viruses 2021; 13:1276. [PMID: 34208894 PMCID: PMC8310040 DOI: 10.3390/v13071276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) has been present in Lithuania since 2014. It is mainly the wild boar population that is affected. Currently, little is known about the epidemiological course of ASF in Lithuania. In the present study, ASF surveillance data from 2016-2021 were analyzed. The numbers of samples taken from hunted wild boar and wild boar found dead per year and month were recorded and the prevalence was estimated for each study month and administrative unit. A Bayesian space-time model was used to calculate the temporal trend of the prevalence estimates. In addition, population data were analyzed on a yearly basis. Most samples were investigated in 2016 and 2017 and originated from hunted animals. Prevalence estimates of ASF virus-positive wild boar decreased from May 2019 onwards. Seroprevalence estimates showed a slight decrease at the same time, but they increased again at the end of the study period. A significant decrease in the population density was observed over time. The results of the study show that ASF is still present in the Lithuanian wild boar population. A joint interdisciplinary effort is needed to identify weaknesses in the control of ASF in Lithuania and to combat the disease more successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Schulz
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; (C.S.); (F.J.C.); (C.S.-L.)
| | - Marius Masiulis
- Emergency Response Division, State Food and Veterinary Service, Siesiku 19, LT-07170 Vilnius, Lithuania; (M.M.); (A.M.)
- Dr. L. Kriauceliunas Small Animal Clinic, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Street 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
- National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute, J. Kairiūkščio Street 10, LT-08409 Vilnius, Lithuania;
| | - Christoph Staubach
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; (C.S.); (F.J.C.); (C.S.-L.)
| | - Alvydas Malakauskas
- Emergency Response Division, State Food and Veterinary Service, Siesiku 19, LT-07170 Vilnius, Lithuania; (M.M.); (A.M.)
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Street 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Gediminas Pridotkas
- National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute, J. Kairiūkščio Street 10, LT-08409 Vilnius, Lithuania;
| | - Franz J. Conraths
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; (C.S.); (F.J.C.); (C.S.-L.)
| | - Carola Sauter-Louis
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; (C.S.); (F.J.C.); (C.S.-L.)
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Hepatitis E Virus RNA Presence in Wild Boar Carcasses at Slaughterhouses in Italy. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11061624. [PMID: 34072795 PMCID: PMC8230283 DOI: 10.3390/ani11061624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a worldwide diffused pathogen responsible for acute hepatitis of humans. Transmission of the pathogen is mostly related to the consumption of contaminated food and water. Although initially the disease was contained in developing countries, in recent years autochthonous infections have been reported in several industrialised countries. A different epidemiological pattern of transmission has been highlighted; while in Africa and Asia transmission is mainly due to waterborne outbreaks caused by low sanitation standards, in Europe and other industrialised countries, the disease has mainly spread due to consumption of raw or undercooked meat and seafood. Although HEV has been identified in several domestic and wild animal species, pigs and wild boar, appear to play a distinct role mainly acting as a reservoir of the pathogen. In this study, we monitored the presence of HEV in carcasses and livers of wild boar sampled in Tuscany at the slaughterhouse following hunting activities. Our data indicate the presence of the pathogen in the liver and the carcasses, suggesting cross-contamination. This evidence highlights the importance of maintaining safety control measures to avoid the spreading of HEV infection. Abstract Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a waterborne and foodborne pathogen largely spread around the world. HEV is responsible for acute hepatitis in humans and it is also diffused in domestic and wild animals. In particular, domestic pigs represent the main reservoir of the infection and particular attention should be paid to the consumption of raw and undercooked meat as a possible zoonotic vehicle of the pathogen. Several studies have reported the presence of HEV in wild boar circulating in European countries with similar prevalence rates. In this study, we evaluated the occurrence of HEV in wild boar hunted in specific areas of Tuscany. Sampling was performed by collecting liver samples and also by swabbing the carcasses at the slaughterhouses following hunting activities. Our data indicated that 8/67 (12%) of liver samples and 4/67 (6%) of swabs were positive for HEV RNA. The presence of HEV genome on swabs indicates the possible cross-contamination of carcass surfaces during slaughtering procedures. Altogether, our data indicated that it is essential to promote health education programmes for hunters and consumers to limit the diffusion of the pathogen to humans.
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Sgroi G, Iatta R, Lia RP, Latrofa MS, Annoscia G, Veneziano V, Otranto D. Fasciola hepatica in wild boar (Sus scrofa) from Italy. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 77:101672. [PMID: 34015590 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2021.101672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Fasciola hepatica is a trematode infecting ruminants worldwide, occasionally reported in a wide range of animal species, including humans. According to the WHO, fasciolosis is recognized as a re-emerging neglected tropical disease, responsible for endemic and epidemic outbreaks in humans. Although the main hosts of the parasite are represented by cattle, sheep and goats, wildlife may be involved in its circulation. Here we firstly report F. hepatica in a wild boar from Italy (southern area) and characterize it both morphologically and molecularly. The nad1 gene analysis of specimens analyzed, revealed a high genetic similarity with those of humans from Iran and Peru, as well as a close phylogenetic relationship to those in ruminants from Brazil, Ecuador and Egypt. Considering the increase in the wild boar populations in urban and peri-urban areas, a potential role of this ungulate in the circulation of this zoonotic trematode is suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Sgroi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, 70010, Italy
| | - Roberta Iatta
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, 70010, Italy
| | - Riccardo Paolo Lia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, 70010, Italy
| | | | - Giada Annoscia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, 70010, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Veneziano
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Osservatorio Faunistico Venatorio - Campania Region, Naples, Italy
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, 70010, Italy; Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.
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Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistances of Salmonella spp. Isolated from Wild Boars in Liguria Region, Italy. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10050568. [PMID: 34067207 PMCID: PMC8151295 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10050568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Salmonella spp. is an important zoonotic agent. Wild boars might host this pathogen in the intestinal tract and might represent a risk for Salmonella spp. transmission to humans. Wild boars are widely spread in Liguria, due to the environmental characteristics of the region. The aim of the study was the isolation, typing, and investigation of antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated strains of Salmonella spp. During the 2013–2017 hunting seasons, 4335 livers of wild boars were collected and analyzed for the presence of Salmonella spp. A total of 260 strains of Salmonella spp. were isolated and characterized, with a prevalence of 6%. The isolated strains belonged to all six Salmonella enterica subspecies. Most of them were identified as Salmonella enterica subs. enterica of which 31 different serotypes were identified. The dominating serotype identified was S. Enteritidis. The antimicrobial resistance profiles of the isolated strains were analyzed against sixteen molecules. Of the isolated strains, 94.6% were resistant to at least one of the tested antimicrobials. This study showed the circulation of resistant Salmonella spp. strains in the wild boar population living in this area of Italy, underling the potential risk for these animals to disseminate this pathogen and its antimicrobial resistances.
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Desmecht D, Gerbier G, Gortázar Schmidt C, Grigaliuniene V, Helyes G, Kantere M, Korytarova D, Linden A, Miteva A, Neghirla I, Olsevskis E, Ostojic S, Petit T, Staubach C, Thulke H, Viltrop A, Richard W, Wozniakowski G, Cortiñas JA, Broglia A, Dhollander S, Lima E, Papanikolaou A, Van der Stede Y, Ståhl K. Epidemiological analysis of African swine fever in the European Union (September 2019 to August 2020). EFSA J 2021; 19:e06572. [PMID: 33976715 PMCID: PMC8100952 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
An update on the African swine fever (ASF) situation in the 10 affected Member States (MS) in the EU and in two neighbouring countries from the 1 September 2019 until the 31 August 2020 is provided. The dynamics of the proportions of PCR- and ELISA-positive samples since the first ASF detection in the country were provided and seasonal patterns were investigated. The impact of the ASF epidemic on the annual numbers of hunted wild boar in each affected MS was investigated. To evaluate differences in the extent of spread of ASF in the wild boar populations, the number of notifications that could be classified as secondary cases to a single source was calculated for each affected MS and compared for the earliest and latest year of the epidemic in the country. To evaluate possible risk factors for the occurrence of ASFV in wild boar or domestic pigs, a literature review was performed. Risk factors for the occurrence of ASF in wild boar in Romanian hunting grounds in 2019 were identified with a generalised linear model. The probability to find at least one PCR-confirmed ASF case in wild boar in a hunting ground in Romania was driven by environmental factors, wild boar abundance and the density of backyard pigs in the hunting ground area, while hunting-related variables were not retained in the final model. Finally, measures implemented in white zones (ASF-free zones that are geographically adjacent to an area where ASF is present in wild boar) to prevent further spread of ASF were analysed with a spatially, explicit stochastic individual-based model. To be effective, the wild boar population in the white zone would need to be drastically reduced before ASF arrives at the zone and it must be wide enough. To achieve the necessary pre-emptive culling targets of wild boar in the white zone, at the start of the establishment, the white zone should be placed sufficiently far from the affected area, considering the speed of the natural spread of the disease. This spread is faster in denser wild boar populations. After a focal ASF introduction, the white zone is always close to the infection hence pre-emptive culling measures in the white zone must be completed in short term, i.e. in a few months.
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Prevalence of Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella britovi in wild boars in the northeast of Spain. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-021-01458-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Genital Brucella suis Biovar 2 Infection of Wild Boar ( Sus scrofa) Hunted in Tuscany (Italy). Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9030582. [PMID: 33809073 PMCID: PMC7998269 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9030582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Brucellosis is a zoonosis caused by different Brucella species. Wild boar (Sus scrofa) could be infected by some species and represents an important reservoir, especially for B. suis biovar 2. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Brucella spp. by serological and molecular assays in wild boar hunted in Tuscany (Italy) during two hunting seasons. From 287 animals, sera, lymph nodes, livers, spleens, and reproductive system organs were collected. Within sera, 16 (5.74%) were positive to both rose bengal test (RBT) and complement fixation test (CFT), with titres ranging from 1:4 to 1:16 (corresponding to 20 and 80 ICFTU/mL, respectively). Brucella spp. DNA was detected in four lymph nodes (1.40%), five epididymides (1.74%), and one fetus pool (2.22%). All positive PCR samples belonged to Brucella suis biovar 2. The results of this investigation confirmed that wild boar represents a host for B.suis biovar. 2 and plays an important role in the epidemiology of brucellosis in central Italy. Additionally, epididymis localization confirms the possible venereal transmission.
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Genualdo V, Turri F, Pizzi F, Castiglioni B, Marletta D, Iannuzzi A. Sperm Nuclei Analysis and Nuclear Organization of a Fertile Boar-Pig Hybrid by 2D FISH on Both Total and Motile Sperm Fractions. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:738. [PMID: 33800504 PMCID: PMC8001930 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A wide range of mammalian hybrids has recently been found by chance or through population-screening programs, but studies about their fertilizing capacity remain scarce and incomplete. Most of them are assumed to be sterile due to meiotic arrest caused by the failure of chromosome pairings. In this study, we evaluated both sperm meiotic segregation, by 2D fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, and sperm quality (Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay) by flow cytometer in a fertile boar-pig hybrid (2n = 37,XY) originating from a Nero Siciliano pig breed (Sus scrofa domesticus) and a wild boar (Sus scrofa ferus). Spermatozoa were also separated by a dual-layer (75-60%) discontinuous Percoll gradient, resulting in two fractions with a significantly better overall quality in the motile sperm fraction. These data were confirmed by FISH analysis also, where the frequencies of spermatozoa with a regular chromosome composition were 27% in total sperm fraction and 64% in motile sperm fraction. We also evaluated the nuclear architecture in all counted spermatozoa, showing a chromatin distribution changing when chromosome abnormalities occur. Our results demonstrate that the chromosome pairing has a minimal effect on the sperm segregation and semen quality of a boar-pig hybrid, making it fertile and harmful for the conservation of autochthonous pig breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Genualdo
- Institute for Animal Production System in Mediterranean Environment, National Research Council, Portici, 80055 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Federica Turri
- Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, National Research Council, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (F.T.); (F.P.); (B.C.)
| | - Flavia Pizzi
- Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, National Research Council, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (F.T.); (F.P.); (B.C.)
| | - Bianca Castiglioni
- Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, National Research Council, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (F.T.); (F.P.); (B.C.)
| | - Donata Marletta
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, 95131 Catania, Italy;
| | - Alessandra Iannuzzi
- Institute for Animal Production System in Mediterranean Environment, National Research Council, Portici, 80055 Napoli, Italy;
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Schettino DN, Abdrakhmanov SK, Beisembayev KK, Korennoy FI, Sultanov AA, Mukhanbetkaliyev YY, Kadyrov AS, Perez AM. Risk for African Swine Fever Introduction Into Kazakhstan. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:605910. [PMID: 33644144 PMCID: PMC7904699 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.605910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a disease of swine that is endemic to some African countries and that has rapidly spread since 2007 through many regions of Asia and Europe, becoming endemic in some areas of those continents. Since there is neither vaccine nor treatment for ASF, prevention is an important action to avoid the economic losses that this disease can impose on a country. Although the Republic of Kazakhstan has remained free from the disease, some of its neighbors have become ASF-infected, raising concerns about the potential introduction of the disease into the country. Here, we have identified clusters of districts in Kazakhstan at highest risk for ASF introduction. Questionnaires were administered, and districts were visited to collect and document, for the first time, at the district level, the distribution of swine operations and population in Kazakhstan. A snowball sampling approach was used to identify ASF experts worldwide, and a conjoint analysis model was used to elicit their opinion in relation to the extent at which relevant epidemiological factors influence the risk for ASF introduction into disease-free regions. The resulting model was validated using data from the Russian Federation and Mongolia. Finally, the validated model was used to rank and categorize Kazakhstani districts in terms of the risk for serving as the point of entry for ASF into the country, and clusters of districts at highest risk of introduction were identified using the normal model of the spatial scan statistic. Results here will help to allocate resources for surveillance and prevention activities aimed at early detecting a hypothetical ASF introduction into Kazakhstan, ultimately helping to protect the sanitary status of the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniella N Schettino
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, Center for Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | | | | | - Fedor I Korennoy
- FGBI "Federal Centre for Animal Health" (FGBI "ARRIAH"), Vladimir, Russia
| | | | | | | | - Andres M Perez
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, Center for Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
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Detection and Characterization of Viral Pathogens Associated with Reproductive Failure in Wild Boars in Central Italy. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11020304. [PMID: 33504030 PMCID: PMC7911021 DOI: 10.3390/ani11020304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Suid herpesvirus 1, porcine circovirus 2 and porcine parvovirus are causative agents of reproductive failures in swine and are widely diffused in the wild boar population. No data describing the impact of those viruses on the reproductive performance of wild boar are so far available. We aimed to investigate the ability of the above viruses to infect foetuses of free-ranging pregnant wild boar sows living in a highly-populated area. Molecular investigation revealed that although all investigated viruses were detected in pregnant sows, only herpesvirus and circovirus were detected in the foetuses. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a close relationship between the strains circulating in wild boar and those already described in domestic swine. This study highlights the importance of monitoring the circulation of pathogens that are shared between domestic and wild pigs. This information is essential for the pig industry to avoid possible economic losses. Abstract Wild boar and domestic swine share several pathogens, including viruses responsible for reproductive failures, representing an important sanitary and economic risk for the swine industry. Among them, suid herpesvirus 1 (SuHV-1), porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) and porcine parvovirus 1 (PPV1) are widely diffused in the wild boar population. Unfortunately, little is known about their pathogenetic mechanisms and impact on the reproductive parameters of wild animals. This study aims to investigate the presence of viruses responsible for reproductive failure in pregnant wild boar sows and their foetuses. The investigation was conducted on 46 pregnant wild boar and their foetuses by molecular analysis; a phylogenetic study was performed on the positive samples. All of the investigated pathogens were identified in sows, while only herpesvirus and circovirus were detected in the tissues of their foetuses. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the viral sequences obtained from the positive wild boars were closely related to those previously identified in domestic swine belonging to the same study areas. The results suggest that SuHV-1 and PCV2 can infect wild boar foetuses, with a possible impact on wild boar reproductive performance. Moreover, our data highlight the importance of continuous monitoring of swine pathogens circulating in wild environments, so as to carry out adequate sanitary actions.
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