Following the announcement on December 2020 about the emergence of a new variant (VOC 202012/01, B.1.1.7 lineage) in the United Kingdom a targeted surveillance was put in place in Abruzzo region (Italy), which allowed to detect 313 persons affected by lineage B.1.1.7, up to the 20th of February 2021. We investigated the results of RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal swabs tested from December 2020 to February 2021, to verify any difference on the viral load and persistence between people infected by lineage B.1.1.7 and others. Statistically significant lower values of CT associated with the detection of the N protein encoding gene (CT N) were observed in persons with lineage B.1.1.7 infection (median CT N = 15.8) in comparison to those infected by other lineages (median CT N = 16.9). A significant longer duration of the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharyngeal swabs was observed in persons with lineage B.1.1.7 infection (16 days) in comparison to those infected by other lineages (14 days).

Canine brucellosis caused by Brucella canis, is an infectious disease affecting dogs and wild Canidae. Clinical diagnosis is challenging, and laboratory testing is crucial for a definitive diagnosis. Various serological methods have been described, but their accuracy is uncertain due to limited validation studies. The present study aimed to evaluate the performances of three serological tests for the diagnosis of B. canis in comparison with bacterial isolation (gold standard), in order to establish a protocol for the serological diagnosis of canine brucellosis. A panel of sera from naturally infected dogs (n = 61), from which B. canis was isolated, and uninfected dogs (n = 143), negative for B. canis isolation, were tested using microplate serum agglutination (mSAT), complement fixation performed using the Brucella ovis antigen (B. ovis-CFT), and a commercial immunofluorescence assay (IFAT). The sensitivity and specificity of the three serological methods were, respectively, the following: 96.7% (95% CI 88.8–98.7%) and 92.3 (95% CI 86.7–95.1%) for mSAT; 96.7% (95% CI 88.8–98.7%) and 96.5 (95% CI 92.1–98.2%) for B. ovis-CFT; 98.4% (95% CI 91.3–99.4%) and 99.3 (95% CI 96.2–99.8%) for IFAT. The use in of the three methods in parallel, combined with bacterial isolation and molecular methods, could improve the diagnosis of the infection in dogs.

Brucella RB51 is a live modified vaccine. Its use in water buffalo has been proposed using a vaccination protocol different to that used for cattle, but knowledge of the long-term effects of RB51 vaccination in this species remains incomplete. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and kinetics of antibody responses in water buffaloes vaccinated according to the protocol described for the bovine species in the WOAH Manual, modified with the use of a triple dose. Water buffaloes were vaccinated with the vaccine RB51. A booster vaccination was administered at 12 months of age. When turning 23–25 months old, female animals were induced to pregnancy. RB51-specific antibodies were detected and quantified using a CFT based on the RB51 antigen. Vaccinated animals showed a positive serological reaction following each vaccine injection, but titers and the duration of the antibody differed among animals. For 36 weeks after booster vaccination, the comparison of CFT values between vaccinated and control groups remained constantly significant. Afterwards, antibody titers decreased. No relevant changes in antibody response were recorded during pregnancy or lactation. In conclusion, results indicated that the vaccination schedule applied is safe and allows for vaccinated and unvaccinated controls to be discriminated between for up to 8 months after booster vaccination.

Listeria monocytogenes is a significant concern in the food industry due to its association with outbreaks of listeriosis, particularly affecting vulnerable populations. High-throughput technologies such as RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and proteomics offer valuable insights into the molecular responses of L. monocytogenes to stress environments. In this study, a combined transcriptomic and immunoproteomic approach was applied to explore the stress response mechanisms of the L. monocytogenes strain ST7, which was responsible for an outbreak in central Italy. The bacterium was exposed to both optimal conditions and a stress environment representative of pork product matrices (pH 5.5; 7 % NaCl) and thermal abuse prior to consumption (12 °C).Transcriptomic analysis revealed variations in gene expression related to pathogenesis, stress responses, and virulence factors under different environmental conditions. Transcriptomic analysis of Listeria involves studying the complete set of RNA transcripts produced by the bacterium under various conditions or during different stages of its lifecycle. It can provide insights into its pathogenicity and virulence mechanisms. Immunoproteomic analysis identified proteins involved in stress response pathways, including oxidoreductases and DNA repair enzymes, uniquely expressed under stress conditions. Furthermore, the study highlighted proteins linked to antibiotic resistance and cell wall biosynthesis. By delineating specific proteins crucial in the stress response pathways, these findings not only deepen our comprehension of L. monocytogenes biology but also pave the way for designing more targeted mitigation strategies to safeguard food safety and public health effectively.

Animal welfare is a crucial factor in animal production, given its impact on ethics, consumer choices, and meat quality. Stress markedly influences poultry physiology and meat quality by affecting muscle biochemistry and key attributes such as tenderness, flavor, and color. This study employed a label-free quantitative (LFQ) proteomics approach using nLC-ESI-MS/MS combined with bioinformatics to compare muscle protein expression in broiler chickens raised under organic versus conventional production systems. A total of 722 proteins were identified, with 165 significantly upregulated and 162 downregulated in organic chickens. STRING analysis indicated that proteins upregulated in the organic group were primarily associated with oxygen transport, oxygen/metal binding, and muscle structure, suggesting improved oxygen metabolism and muscle development under enhanced welfare conditions. In contrast, proteins involved in ribosomal activity, structural molecule function, RNA binding, and translation regulation were more abundant in conventionally raised chickens, suggesting stress-related alterations in protein synthesis. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed increased activity in carbon metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle in organic chickens, while glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and ribosomal pathways were downregulated. Key differentially expressed proteins included PGM1, AMPD1, LDHA, ENO3, VDAC1, HSPB8, and PKLR (downregulated), and COL1A1, COL1A2, TTN, TPM2, CA3, MB, HSPB1, ACO2, ACAA2, GPX1, PRDX1, and TF (upregulated) in the organic group. These proteins, related to muscle structure and energy metabolism, may serve as potential biomarkers to differentiate meat quality based on production system. These findings enhance the understanding of stress-associated proteomic responses in poultry and support welfare-oriented production strategies. In this context, the results not only offert insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying meat quality, but also identify potential markers for its objective evaluation, offering valuable tools for both research and practical applications.

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is a significant respiratory disease in cattle caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides (Mmm). A better understanding of the pathogenesis of CBPP and the immune response of the host to infection will assist in the development of novel interventions to prevent disease progression. In this study, bovine lung explants (BLEs) were exposed to Mmm to investigate the upregulation and release of early inflammatory cytokines, mediators and receptors following tissue infection. Immunomodulatory molecules indicative of cell activation were investigated by immunoblotting on the BLEs and the tissue culture supernatants, and quantitative real-time PCR (RTq-PCR) was performed on the BLEs to determine the fold change in the expression of the respective mRNA. Immunoblotting indicated the production of inflammatory cytokines, mediators and receptors in Mmm-infected BLEs; however, this contrasted strongly with the mRNA expression profile, which did not show any significant fold increase. Infection of the BLEs with Mmm stimulated the production of some pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators, including IL-1β, COX-2, 5-LOX and iNOS. Toll-like receptor proteins TLR2 and TLR4 were detected solely in the tissue culture supernatant of Mmm-infected BLEs. These receptors are considered to be involved in the recognition of Mmm by BLE tissue cells, thus triggering intracellular pathways that produce specific inflammatory cytokines and mediators, initiating the inflammatory response.