Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is recognised as a major global public health threat, with the environment increasingly acknowledged as a key reservoir and dissemination pathway for resistant bacteria and resistance genes. In this study, 148 surface water samples were collected between 2023 and 2024 from six rivers and three canals discharging wastewater into two lake waters in Southern Italy to assess the occurrence and genomic features of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-, AmpC-, and carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Relevant isolates were obtained using selective culturing, and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by broth microdilution. Major β-lactam resistance genes were detected by real-time PCR. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on presumptive carbapenemase-producing isolates. ESBL- and/or carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales were detected in 67.6% of samples, yielding a total of 176 non-duplicate isolates. The most prevalent gene was bla_CTX-M, detected in 79.3% of positive isolates (96/121), while carbapenemase genes were detected in 20.6% (25/121) of isolates, mainly bla_OXA-48 and bla_VIM. WGS analysis of carbapenemase PCR-positive isolates revealed occurrence of clinically relevant high-risk clones, such as K. pneumoniae ST512/ST307 carrying bla_KPC-3 and E. coli ST10 harbouring bla_OXA-244. These findings highlight a potential risk to public health and underscore the importance of integrating environmental compartments into One Health surveillance frameworks for AMR.

The Belostomatidae is a family of aquatic Heteropteran insects that normally inhabit swamps of tropical, subtropical and temperate regions where they naturally feed on a large range of prey, mainly fish, amphibians and reptiles. However, these arthropods can occasionally bite humans when provoked, causing pain. The only species of giant water bug known to be found in Europe is Lethocerus (L.) patruelis. We reported the finding of a specimen of female L. patruelis in Southern Italy. The arthropod was collected by a tourist on his body while he lying down on a beach close to a nature reserve. To finalize the giant water bug identification, both morphological and molecular tools were used for the first time in our country. Herein, information on cases of patients bitten by giant water bugs belonging to the Belostomatidae family are reported, and circumstances involving their contact with humans are also discussed.

This data paper presents a curated, georeferenced dataset of the frequencies of the two main target site mutations (V1016G and F1534C) associated with resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in Aedes albopictus in Italy. Populations were collected in 102 out 107 Italian provinces between 2023 and 2025. Specimens were sampled by members of the Mosquito Insecticide Resistance Italian Network (MosqIRIT) as part of RN2 activities within the INF-ACT project. Genotyping was performed on 3,517 individuals by specific allele-specific PCR assays. Each record includes metadata on sampling site, administrative location, developmental stage, collection method, and mutation-specific genotype frequencies. To support spatial analysis modelling effort, the dataset integrates geographic, eco-climatic, and demographic data. This resource will support mosquito control programs, pyrethroid resistance monitoring and managing, as well as ecological modelling, and is compliant with the FAIR data program.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is recognised as a major global public health threat, with the environment increasingly acknowledged as a key reservoir and dissemination pathway for resistant bacteria and resistance genes. In this study, 148 surface water samples were collected between 2023 and 2024 from six rivers and three canals discharging wastewater into two lake waters in southern Italy to assess the occurrence and genomic features of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-, AmpC- and carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Relevant isolates were obtained using selective culturing, and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by broth microdilution. Major β-lactam resistance genes were detected by Real-Time PCR. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on presumptive carbapenemase-producing isolates. ESBL- and/or carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales were detected in 67.6% of samples, yielding 176 non-duplicate isolates. The most prevalent gene was bla_CTX-M, detected in 79.3% of positive isolates (96/121), while carbapenemase genes were detected in 20.6% (25/121) of isolates, mainly bla_OXA-48 and bla_VIM. WGS analysis revealed occurrence of clinically relevant high-risk clones, such as K. pneumoniae ST512/ST307 carrying bla_KPC-3 and E. coli ST10 harboring bla_OXA-244. These findings demonstrate widespread contamination of surface waters with clinically relevant resistant Enterobacterales and highlight the importance of integrating environmental compartments into One Health AMR surveillance frameworks.

This data paper presents a curated, georeferenced dataset of the frequencies of the two main target site mutations (V1016G and F1534C) associated with resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in Aedes albopictus in Italy. Populations were collected in 102 out 107 Italian provinces between 2023 and 2025. Specimens were sampled by members of the Mosquito Insecticide Resistance Italian Network (MosqIRIT) as part of RN2 activities within the INF-ACT project. Genotyping was performed on 3,517 individuals by specific allele-specific PCR assays. Each record includes metadata on sampling site, administrative location, developmental stage, collection method, and mutation-specific genotype frequencies. To support spatial analysis modelling effort, the dataset integrates geographic, eco-climatic, and demographic data. This resource will support mosquito control programs, pyrethroid resistance monitoring and managing, as well as ecological modelling, and is compliant with the FAIR data program.

The anisakid nematode Sulcascaris (S.) sulcata is one of the most frequently reported pathogenic parasites of the gastrointestinal tract of sea turtles, with a wide distribution in warm marine ecosystems of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Mediterranean basins. Sea turtles, including the Mediterranean loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), act as definitive hosts by ingesting infected bivalve and gastropod mollusks containing fourth-stage larvae. Infected sea turtles typically develop ulcerative gastritis and chronic mucosal inflammation. We molecularly characterized 19 anisakid nematodes collected from the gastric tract of stranded C. caretta (n = 19) along the Adriatic and Ionian coasts and examined them at local Zooprophylactic Institutes. Stomach samples from five severely infested turtles were also submitted to histological analysis. Species identification was performed through two conventional PCRs targeting MT-CO1 and MT-CO2, and sequencing of 35 amplicons confirmed their identity as S. sulcata, revealing high genetic homogeneity. Phylogenetic analyses showed no clustering by geographic origin or host. Pathological examination revealed mucocatarrhal gastritis with ulcerative lesions, while histological analysis showed chronic gastritis characterized by lymphocytic infiltration. These findings refine current knowledge on S. sulcata distribution and host–parasite dynamics, with implications for marine turtle health and intermediate-host ecology.