New SARS-CoV-2 mutations are constantly emerging, raising concerns of increased transmissibility, virulence or escape from host immune response.

Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) technology is currently increasingly used in diagnostic laboratories as a cost effective, rapid and reliable routine technique for the identification and typing of microorganisms. In this study, we used MALDI-TOF MS to analyze a collection of 160 strains belonging to the Bacillus cereus group (57 B. anthracis, 49 B. cereus, 1 B. mycoides, 18 B. wiedmannii, 27 B. thuringiensis, 7 B. toyonensis and 1 B. weihenstephanensis) and to detect specific biomarkers which would allow an unequivocal identification. The Main Spectra Profiles (MSPs) were added to an in-house reference library, expanding the current commercial library which does not include B. toyonensis and B. wiedmannii mass spectra. The obtained mass spectra were statistically compared by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) that revealed seven different clusters. Moreover, for the identification purpose, were generated dedicate algorithms for a rapid and automatic detection of characteristic ion peaks after the mass spectra acquisition. The presence of specific biomarkers can be used to differentiate strains within the B. cereus group and to make a reliable identification of Bacillus anthracis, etiologic agent of anthrax, which is the most pathogenic and feared bacterium of the group. This could offer a critical time advantage for the diagnosis and for the clinical management of human anthrax even in case of bioterror attacks.

The poultry red mite (PRM), Dermanyssus gallinae, is a nonburrowing haematophagous nest-dwelling ectoparasite of birds; occasionally it bites humans, inducing dermatitis. The possibility that this parasite may also be involved in transmission of pathogens is an additional concern. We investigated the presence of zoonotic agents in PRMs from bird nests and pets, and related them to urban outbreaks of dermatitis. A total of 98 PRMs from 12 outbreaks of PRM dermatitis that occurred in Italian cities from 2001 to 2017 were molecularly investigated for detection of Coxiella spp. (16S rRNA), Chlamydophila spp. (16S rRNA), Rickettsia spp. (17 kDa protein-encoding gene), Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (groEL gene) and Bartonella spp. (16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer). Of the 12 tested mite pools, one was positive for Coxiella burnetii (100% identity) and two for B. burgdorferi sensu lato (99% with Borrelia afzelii). For the first time, the presence of B. burgdorferi sensu lato and C. burnetii is reported in PRMs from urban areas. Birds, mainly pigeons, can harbour both pathogens. Therefore, birds and their nest-dwelling PRMs may play a role in the epidemiology of these infections.

The red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae (Acarina: Mesostigmata), is a temporary blood-sucking ectoparasite of poultry and other avian species, with a worldwide distribution. It can occasionally bite mammals, including humans, and cause dermatitis. Medical textbooks frequently cite itching and cutaneous lesions resulting from red-mite bites as a normal occurrence in subjects working in close conjunction with poultry. In fact, D. gallinae is one of the most common pests and a major cause of economic loss in the poultry industry, with a farm prevalence of up to 90%.1 In the literature, red-mite dermatitis (RMD) is generally regarded as an urban hygiene issue