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This article reports the clinical signs of scrapie occurring in sheep-goat flocks in Italy. The research, carried out on over 500 goats and 550 sheep, yielded an interesting clinical picture, especially of goat scrapie. The affected animals, aged between 2 and 8 years, showed neurological signs that could be classified into three categories: changes in mental status, abnormalities of movement and changes in sensation. Some general clinical signs were also observed. The clinical suspicion was confirmed by histopathological and biochemical investigations.

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The genotype of the host plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). In this respect, the most important factor is represented by the gene of the prion protein (PrP). The present work summarizes the currently available knowledge on the genetic basis of TSEs focusing, in particular, on sheep scrapie. Interest in this disease has grown markedly following the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, both for scientific and health reasons. In Italy, specific research grants from the Ministry of Health and the National Research Council (CNR), together with cooperation between the Istituto Superiore di Sanità and the Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali, have allowed us to study the PrP genotype and to investigate the genetic susceptibility to scrapie in the most important Italian sheep breeds, with special reference to Sarda, Comisana and Massese. The PrP genotype in relation to scrapie susceptibility was also studied in goats of Ionica breed.

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the causative agent of paratuberculosis [Johne's disease (JD)], a chronic disease that causes substantial economic losses in the dairy cattle industry. The long incubation period means clinical signs are visible in animals only after years, and some cases remain undetected because of the subclinical manifestation of the disease. Considering the complexity of JD pathogenesis, animals can be classified as infected, infectious, or affected. The major limitation of currently available diagnostic tests is their failure in detecting infected non-infectious animals. The present study aimed to identify metabolic markers associated with infected and infectious stages of JD. Direct analysis in real time coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS) was, hence, applied in a prospective study where cohorts of heifers and cows were followed up annually for 2–4 years. The animals' infectious status was assigned based on a positive result of both serum ELISA and fecal PCR, or culture. The same animals were retrospectively assigned to the status of infected at the previous sampling for which all JD tests were negative. Stored sera from 10 infected animals and 17 infectious animals were compared with sera from 20 negative animals from the same herds. Two extraction protocols and two (-/+) ionization modes were tested. The three most informative datasets out of the four were merged by a mid-level data fusion approach and submitted to partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Compared to the MAP negative subjects, metabolomic analysis revealed the m/z signals of isobutyrate, dimethylethanolamine, palmitic acid, and rhamnitol were more intense in infected animals. Both infected and infectious animals showed higher relative intensities of tryptamine and creatine/creatinine as well as lower relative abundances of urea, glutamic acid and/or pyroglutamic acid. These metabolic differences could indicate altered fat metabolism and reduced energy intake in both infected and infectious cattle. In conclusion, DART-HRMS coupled to a mid-level data fusion approach allowed the molecular features that identified preclinical stages of JD to be teased out.

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Some European countries have successfully implemented country-specific control programs (CPs) for infectious cattle diseases that are not regulated or are regulated only to a limited extent at the European Union (EU) level. Examples of such diseases include bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), and Johne's disease (JD). The CPs vary between countries in the design and quality of collected data as well as methods used to detect infection and estimate prevalence or probability of freedom from infection. Differences in disease status between countries and non-standardized approaches to assess freedom from infection pose a risk for countries with CPs for non-regulated diseases as infected animals may influence the progress of the disease control or eradication program. The implementation of output-based standards allows estimation and comparison of the probability of freedom for non-regulated cattle diseases in European countries. The aim of the current study was to assess the existence and quality of data that could be used for estimating freedom from infection in European countries. The online data collection tool was sent to 32 countries participating in the SOUND control COST Action and was completed by 24 countries. Data on cattle demographics and data from CPs of IBR and BVD exist in more than 50% of the response countries. However, data describing risk factors and CP of JD was reported as existing in <25% of the countries. The overall quality of data in the sections on demographics and CPs of IBR and BVD were evaluated as “good”, but risk factors and JD data were mostly evaluated as “fair.” Data quality was considered less good mainly due to two quality criteria: accessibility and accuracy. The results of this study show that the quantity and quality of data about cattle populations and CPs are relatively similar in many surveyed countries. The outcome of this work provides an overview of the current situation in the European countries regarding data on EU non-regulated cattle diseases and will further assist in the development and implementation of output-based standards.

The COST action “Standardising output-based surveillance to control non-regulated diseases of cattle in the European Union (SOUND control),” aims to harmonise the results of surveillance and control programmes (CPs) for non-EU regulated cattle diseases to facilitate safe trade and improve overall control of cattle infectious diseases. In this paper we aimed to provide an overview on the diversity of control for these diseases in Europe. A non-EU regulated cattle disease was defined as an infectious disease of cattle with no or limited control at EU level, which is not included in the European Union Animal health law Categories A or B under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002. A CP was defined as surveillance and/or intervention strategies designed to lower the incidence, prevalence, mortality or prove freedom from a specific disease in a region or country. Passive surveillance, and active surveillance of breeding bulls under Council Directive 88/407/EEC were not considered as CPs. A questionnaire was designed to obtain country-specific information about CPs for each disease. Animal health experts from 33 European countries completed the questionnaire. Overall, there are 23 diseases for which a CP exists in one or more of the countries studied. The diseases for which CPs exist in the highest number of countries are enzootic bovine leukosis, bluetongue, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, bovine viral diarrhoea and anthrax (CPs reported by between 16 and 31 countries). Every participating country has on average, 6 CPs (min–max: 1–13) in place. Most programmes are implemented at a national level (86%) and are applied to both dairy and non-dairy cattle (75%). Approximately one-third of the CPs are voluntary, and the funding structure is divided between government and private resources. Countries that have eradicated diseases like enzootic bovine leukosis, bluetongue, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and bovine viral diarrhoea have implemented CPs for other diseases to further improve the health status of cattle in their country. The control of non-EU regulated cattle diseases is very heterogenous in Europe. Therefore, the standardising of the outputs of these programmes to enable comparison represents a challenge.