A novel mcr colistin resistance gene was identified in a strain of Salmonella enterica, monophasic variant of serovar Typhimurium (4,5,12:i:- ), isolated from a pig at slaughter in Italy in 2013, and in Escherichia coli strains collected during routine diagnostic of post-weaning diarrhoea in pigs from Spain and Belgium in 2015 and 2016. Immediate implementation of mcr-screening including this novel gene variant is required for Salmonella and E. coli from humans and food-producing animals in Europe.

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The VP4 gene of a G5 Italian porcine rotavirus strain, 344/04-1, was nontypeable by PCR genotyping. The amino acid sequence of the full-length VP4 protein had low identity (<76.6%) with the homologous sequences of representative strains of the remaining P genotypes, providing evidence for a novel P genotype.

1Diarrheic fecal specimens collected from porcine herds were screened for the presence of 2 group C rotaviruses using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay. A total of 3 188 samples were tested and 54 were positive. When compiled these data with diagnostic 4 results on group A rotaviruses and enteric caliciviruses we found that all but 5 group C 5 rotavirus positive samples contained at least one additional virus. A subset of samples were 6 subjected to nucleotide sequencing. The selected strains showed an unexpectedly wide range 7 of nucleotide sequence heterogeneity (88.6% to 100%) to each other and to the reference 8 porcine group C rotavirus strain, Cowden. The nucleotide sequence identity to the genuine 9 bovine and human strains were, respectively, 86.8% and 87.2% or less. In conclusion, our 10 study demonstrates that infection with group C rotavirus is frequent in Italian piggeries. The 11 considerable rate of multiple infections requires further studies to investigate the pathogenic 12 potential of group C rotaviruses in pigs, alone or in mixed infection, and raises challenges in 13 the laboratory diagnosis of porcine enteric infections. 14 15

An outbreak of giardiasis was observed in a sheep farm in Central Italy. Infected lambs (30-90 days of age) showed a malabsorption syndrome, decreased weight gain and impairment in feed efficiency. The most relevant clinical sign was the excretion of malodorous and poorly formed faeces, whereas diarrhoea was rarely observed in the flock. Laboratory investigations revealed the presence of Giardia in affected animals, while no other significant viral, bacterial or parasitic pathogens were identified in faeces or tissue samples. A mild to severe infiltrative enteritis with eosinophils, lymphocytes and plasma cells was detected in histological sections of the gut. Giardia parasites collected from duodenal aspirates were typed as Giardia duodenalis Assemblage B, by PCR amplification and sequencing of the TPI gene. Treatment with fenbendazole at a dose of 10mg/kg for 3 consecutive days, successfully cleared the infection. These results show that G. duodenalis can cause significant economic losses in sheep farming.