Seafood is a source of nutrients in human diet but also of environmental contaminants and its consumption could pose a risk to consumers’ health. A survey regarding the exposure to cadmium, lead and mercury through the consumption of bivalve mollusks, gastropods and sea urchins collected on Italian coasts was carried out among central Italian population over a period of three years. A limited number of samples exceeds the threshold set by legislation (6 samples) and the average level of contamination was low in all the species considered. The contribution Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) was higher for cadmium (9.17%) than lead (1.44%) and mercury (0.20%). The benefit-risk evaluation suggests that the bivalve mollusks and sea urchins consumption (Benefit Risk Quotient < 1) could be increased without health detrimental effects.
Klebsiella michiganensis is an emerging nosocomial pathogen, and, so far, few studies describe isolates of clinical origin in the environment. This study contributes to the understanding of how the dissemination of carbapenem-resistance outside the hospital setting may be related to the circulation of pKpQIL-like plasmids that are derived from epidemic Klebsiella pneumoniae strains.
Bivalve molluscs are filter-feeding organisms present in the water column: during their activity, they could retain microorganisms that are potentially dangerous to human health. For this reason, EU Regulations may require that a purification treatment be performed prior to bivalve trade. The length of the purification process could be affected by stress factors, such as parasitic infections. The purpose of this study was to determine if the presence of Marteilia spp. parasite in shellfish could modify time and efficacy of their microbiological purification treatment, in order to set up specific protocols. Lysosomal membrane stability, phagocytosis capacity, granulocyte/hyalinocyte rate and neutral lipid accumulation are biomarkers used to evaluate shellfish physiological state. These biomarkers were used to exclude any differences caused by stressor factors that could affect the purification results. Mussels were sampled from two different production areas. The presence or absence of parasites was confirmed by cytological test. Both groups of parasitized and non-parasitized mussels were contaminated with E.coli: they were then sampled for microbiological analyses and tested for biomarkers for up to 70 hours of purification. Parasitized and non-parasitized molluscs did not show any differences in levels of E. coli after 12, 24, 36, 48 and 70 hours of depuration. In relation to biomarkers, mussels seem to react to Lysosomal membrane stability in presence of Marteilia. The present study shows that the presence of Marteilia spp. does not affect the purification rate of mussels.
INTRODUCTIONChikungunya is an emerging Arbovirus of immense public health concern in Southeast Asian and African countries (6). Chikungunya virus (ChikV) is a single stranded positive sense enveloped RNA virus. It is a member of Alphavirus genus of the Togaviridae family and is transmitted to humans by Aedes aegypti (4). ChikV has two Open Reading Frames (ORFs), codifying for non structural proteins (nsP1, nsP2, nsP3 e nsP4) and for structural proteins (C, E2, E3, E1). ChikV produces an illness in humans that is often characterized by sudden onset of fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, rashes, myalgia and severe arthralgic pain (3, 5). Arthralgia may persist in a small proportion of cases even for months and has a great economic impact in many tropical countries. Currently, the diagnosis of ChikV-infection is accomplished through either virus isolation or detection of virus-specific antibodies by ELISA or genomic detection by retro transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In the last few years tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae), spread quickly and widely in the whole Italian territory. These insects are ideal vectors for different Arboviruses, particularly Dengue virus (DenV), and ChikV, causing millions of patients in the world per year. From ECDC data (European Centre for Diseases Control), several Member States have reported ChikV fever cases in travellers returning from affected areas, above all in South-East Asia. ChikV appeared for the first time in Italy in 2007 and spread in the Provinces of Ravenna, Rimini, Forlì and Bologna, causing more than 300 clinical cases (2). The great alarm in the Italian population drove health authorities to improve the surveillance of Arboviruses. This situation prompted regional public health authorities and the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche to begin a Surveillance Plan for this virus and a Vector Monitoring Program in the Marche Region, which is close to the area where the virus first appeared. The aim of this plan was the reduction of vector density and the very early individualization of illness cases to prevent viral spread. Monitoring was carried out by ovitraps, while
SUMMARYThe harvesting areas of clams in the Marche region in Italy are under control for faecal contamination as stated by a regional resolution. As required by EU regulations this occurs with the detection of Escherichia coli. The development of such contamination must be evaluated to control which areas have more risk of faecal contamination and if the sampling frequency is adequate. The data through years 2008-2010 have been evaluated to highlight the areas where the level of Escherichia coli is higher and provide a tool for risk analysis to competent authority on the harvesting areas controls. KEYWORDSclams, E. coli, classification, monitoring. INTRODUZIONEL'Unione Europea nell'ultimo decennio ha innovato significativamente la normativa in materia di Sicurezza Alimentare secondo i principi individuati nel Libro Bianco; tra questi principi, accanto alla piena responsabilità riconosciuta a tutti gli operatori del settore, occupa un posto di rilievo l'esecuzione di controlli ufficiali basati sulla valutazione del rischio. L'allegato II del Regolamento CE 854/2004 (1), che si applica ai molluschi bivalvi vivi (MBV), utilizza questi principi stabilendo le modalità per la classificazione delle zone di produzione, di stabulazione e degli allevamenti, nonché per il monitoraggio delle zone di produzione classificate. La classificazione di una zona di produzione deriva dalla valutazione del rischio di contaminazione fecale nei MBV e determina il destino del prodotto ai fini del consumo umano e gli eventuali trattamenti propedeutici alla sua commercializzazione. La classificazione, oltre che su una sorveglianza sanitaria delle fonti di contaminazione dell'area di produzione, è basata sull'analisi dei dati storici, per effettuare una previsione del rischio di contaminazione futura. Relativamente alla contaminazione fecale, le zone di produzione dei molluschi bivalvi, devono essere classificate e successivamente monitorate per la presenza di Escherichia coli con una frequenza appropriata in base alla probabilità del grado di contaminazione fecale (2
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