Campylobacteriosis is the most commonly reported gastrointestinal disease in humans. Campybacter jejuni is the main cause of the infection, and bacterial colonization in broiler chickens is widespread and difficult to prevent, leading to high risk of occurrence in broiler meat. Phage therapy represents an alternative strategy to control Campylobacter in poultry. The aim of this work was to assess the efficacy of two field-isolated bacteriophages against experimental infections with an anti-microbial resistant (AMR) Campylobacter jejuni strain. A two-step phage application was tested according to a specific combination between chickens’ rearing time and specific multiplicities of infections (MOIs), in order to reduce the Campylobacter load in the animals at slaughtering and to limit the development of phage-resistant mutants. In particular, 75 broilers were divided into three groups (A, B and C), and phages were administered to animals of groups B and C at day 38 (Φ 16-izsam) and 39 (Φ 7-izsam) at MOI 0.1 (group B) and 1 (group C). All broilers were euthanized at day 40, and Campylobacter jejuni was enumerated in cecal contents. Reductions in Campylobacter counts were statistically significant in both group B (1 log₁₀ colony forming units (cfu)/gram (gr)) and group C (2 log₁₀ cfu/gr), compared to the control group. Our findings provide evidence about the ability of phage therapy to reduce the Campylobacter load in poultry before slaughtering, also associated with anti-microbial resistance pattern.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emergent zoonotic pathogen, causing worldwide acute and chronic hepatitis in humans. HEV comprises eight genotypes and several subtypes. HEV genotypes 3 and 4 (HEV3 and HEV4) are zoonotic. In Italy, the most part of HEV infections (80%) is due to autochthonous HEV3 circulation of the virus, and the key role played by wild animals is generally accepted. Abruzzo is an Italian region officially considered an HEV “hot spot”, with subtype HEV3-c being up to now the only one reported among wild boars. During the year 2018–2019, a group of wild boars in Abruzzo were screened for HEV; positive RNA liver samples were subjected to HEV characterization by using the whole genome sequencing (WGS) approach methodology. This represents the first report about the detection of HEV-3 subtypes e and f in the wild boar population in this area. Since in Italy human infections from HEV 3-e and f have been associated with pork meat consumption, our findings deserve more in-depth analysis with the aim of evaluating any potential correlation between wild animals, the pork chain production and HEV human infections.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial pathogen responsible of listeriosis, a disease that in humans is often related to the contamination of ready-to-eat foods. Phages are candidate biodecontaminants of pathogenic bacteria thanks to their ability to lyse prokaryotes while being safe for eukaryotic cells. In this study, ΦIZSAM-1 was isolated from the drain-waters of an Italian blue cheese plant and showed lytic activity against antimicrobial resistant Listeria monocytogenes strains. This phage was subjected to purification and in vitro efficacy tests. The results showed that at multiplicities of infection (MOIs) ≤ 1, phages were able to keep Listeria monocytogenes at low optical density values up to 8 h, with bacterial counts ranging from 1.02 to 3.96 log₁₀ units lower than the control. Besides, ΦIZSAM-1 was further characterized, showing 25 principal proteins (sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis profile) and a genome of approximately 50 kilo base pairs. Moreover, this study describes a new approach to phage isolation for applications in Listeriamonocytogenes biocontrol in food production. In particular, the authors believe that the selection of phages from the same environments where pathogens live could represent a new approach to successfully integrating the control measures in an innovative, cost effective, safe and environmentally friendly way.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonotic pathogen, causing infectious hepatitis in man. Pigs and wild boars are the natural asymptomatic reservoirs, while the disease in humans could be either asymptomatic or evolve in hepatitis. In Europe, an increasing number of human infections from HEV have been reported over the last few years. The main route of transmission is through contaminated food, by direct or indirect consumption of raw or undercooked pork and wild boar meat and meat products. Up to now, HEV prevalence in Italian northern regions has been extensively determined in wild boars and pigs, while less data have been collected from the southern ones. There is a need to report more data about HEV prevalence from wild boars and pigs in southern Italy in consideration of the potential risk posed by some specific traditional food products manufactured in these areas and produced from pig and wild boar livers (e.g., sausages and salami). The aim of this study was to demonstrate the circulation of the Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in pigs and in the wild boar population of the province of Chieti, Abruzzo Region, Central Italy. Moreover, potential HEV seroprevalence in hunters from that area was also assessed. The overall prevalence of HEV RNA in wild boars was 9.5% (CI 5.4–16.2%), but no HEV RNA was detected in samples from pigs.

This study focused on the characterization of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in a renowned traditional Italian cheese, Pecorino di Farindola, in order to select an autochthonous culture and investigate its potential for the improvement of safety and functional properties. Two hundred and six LAB isolated throughout production and maturation from nine cheese lots of three farms were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and tested for the presence of genes encoding virulence factors, vancomycin resistance (for enterococci), biogenic amines (BAs) and bacteriocin production for antimicrobial activity; and for the capacity to survive in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) based on tolerance to low pH and bile salts and adhesion to CaCo-2 cells. A Lacticaseibacillus paracasei isolate was used in cheese making and determined a decline of spiked Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157 faster than in the control cheese. The autochthonous bacterial groups were numerically unaffected, apart from lactobacilli that were recovered in higher numbers in cheese with the addition of the L. paracasei strain. Based on repetitive extragenic palyndrome (Rep) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) profiles, the added strain possibly dominated until day 88 in the cheese. Results encourage further trials with autochthonous cultures in order to efficiently inhibit hazardous bacteria and to enrich a functional microbiota in Pecorino di Farindola and similar cheeses.