Europe has faced a massive spread of the varicella-zoster virus through the years. Since the introduction of an effective vaccine, complications and severe forms of chickenpox have been restricted. Nevertheless, among the population, some categories need specific care, such as pregnant women, who present one of the most fragile conditions facing this infection, both for the mother and the fetus. In this review, we highlight how the varicella-zoster virus can be dangerous during pregnancy, underlining the problem of treatment and vaccination, and collect information about the European epidemiology among this particular category of women.

Salmonella and Campylobacter ssp. are bacterial pathogens responsible for most foodborne infections in EU countries. Poultry serves as a reservoir for these pathogens, and its important role in the meat industry makes it essential to develop a rapid detection assay able to provide results in one day. Indeed, the rapid identification of foodborne pathogens is an important instrument for the monitoring and prevention of epidemic outbreaks. To date, Salmonella and Campylobacter screening is mainly conducted through molecular methods (PCR or real-time PCR) performed after 18–24 h long enrichments. In this study, we evaluated short enrichments (0, 2, 4, and 6 h) combined with a colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal AMPlification (LAMP) or real-time PCR to detect Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry meat contaminated at different concentration levels (10¹, 10³, and 10⁵ CFU/g). Our results show that real-time PCR allows the detection of Salmonella and Campylobacter, even after shorter enrichment times than prescribed by ISO references; particularly, it detected Salmonella down to 10¹ CFU/g since T0 and Campylobacter from 10³ CFU/g since T0. Detection with LAMP was comparable to real-time PCR without the requirement of a thermal cycler and with shorter execution times. These characteristics make colorimetric LAMP a valid alternative when one-day results are needed, improving the timely identification of positive meat batches, even in the absence of specialized instrumentation.

Background/Objectives: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are significant nosocomial pathogens worldwide, potentially transmitted by food-producing animals and related products. This study investigates the epidemiological role of bovine raw milk in the transmission of VRE to humans. Methods: Bulk milk samples were screened for van gene presence using a multiplex PCR. Mastitogenic enterococci isolated from individual milk samples were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using the broth microdilution method. Strains not susceptible to vancomycin were whole genome sequenced. Results: Overall, vanC genes were detected in 299/1026 (29.14%) bulk milk samples. Specifically, vanC1 was found in 204 samples (19.88%) and vanC2/3 in 57 samples (5.56%), with both detected simultaneously in 38 samples (3.70%). Clinically significant vanA and vanB genes were not identified. A total of 163 mastitogenic Enterococcus strains were isolated from individual milk samples. Eight different Enterococcus species were detected, with E. faecium (104/163, 63.80%) and E. faecalis (34/163, 20.86%) being the most common. Multidrug resistance was observed in 106/163 (65.03%) isolates. The most common resistance frequencies were to ciprofloxacin and erythromycin (102/163, 62.58% both), followed by quinupristin/dalfopristin (93/163, 57.06%), linezolid (65/163, 39.88%), tetracycline (58/163, 35.58%), daptomycin (46/163, 28.22%), chloramphenicol (33/163, 20.25%), ampicillin, tigecycline, and high-dosage gentamycin (8/163, 4.91% all). Resistance to teicoplanin was not observed. Two vancomycin non-susceptible strains were identified: one vanC2/3 E. casseliflavus and one vanC1 E. gallinarum. Whole genome sequencing confirmed the presence of the complete vanC gene cluster and several virulence genes in both strains. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that while raw milk is unlikely to be a source of vancomycin resistance genes of highest clinical importance (vanA or vanB), it may contribute to the spread of vanC enterococci, which are increasingly associated with human infections.

Mycobacterium (M.) bovis and M. caprae are the causative agents of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), which is still a concern due to its health implications and economic impact. Although M. caprae is less prevalent than M. bovis among bovine tuberculosis cases, it has a significant impact on animal health especially in Europe, where it has been isolated from a range of hosts. Starting from spoligotyping and the MIRU-VNTR profile specifically associated with the Lechtal subgroup we decided to process a selection of Italian M. caprae isolates using whole genome sequencing (WGS) to define the phylogenetic relationships between isolates and deepen the understanding of this public health issue. In this study, 20 outbreaks of bovine tuberculosis caused by M. caprae in northern Italy were retrospectively investigated by interpreting and validating WGS results with available epidemiological information. Genomes of 34 Italian strains, with a known and traditionally typed genotype, isolated between 2001 and 2022 from 21 bovine farms, with 12 isolates from Austria, were analyzed focusing on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) to derive evolutionary relationships, pairing with the tracing of infections, suggested by the epidemiological contacts. The results outline possible connections between outbreaks, which caused the spread of the infection, obtaining two clusters differing by 6–16 SNP pairwise, overlapping with the territory distribution of the herds between two different Italian regions. Epidemiological information and phylogeny revealed that M. caprae was probably introduced in northern Italy from Austria and/or Germany, through separate and independent events for the two Italian clusters. The complex approach of integrating WGS data with epidemiological information proved to be useful in delineating likely transmission chains and identifying the possible sources of infection, showing how NGS is a powerful tool to support epidemiological investigations.

Background/Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can be influenced by the interconnection of human, animal and environmental compartments, making wildlife-based surveillance an important component of One Health surveillance. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes), due to its synanthropic behaviour and wide distribution, can be a valuable indicator of environmental AMR. Mobile colistin resistance (mcr) genes, which encode resistance to a highest-priority critically important antimicrobial (HPCIA), have never been identified in free-ranging foxes. Case presentation: A red fox faecal strain isolated using selective media was PCR-screened for major AMR genes, underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). This led to the identification of the first mcr-1-positive Escherichia coli from a wild red fox. The fox inhabited an area with a small human population but one of the highest cattle densities in Italy and high antimicrobial use (AMU), as established by comparing local livestock density and AMU with surrounding areas. Despite being borderline phenotypically susceptible to colistin, the isolate displayed resistance to other HPCIAs and antimicrobial classes commonly used in livestock. WGS revealed that mcr-1 was chromosomally integrated. Discussion: The study area showed near-zero colistin use in livestock alongside high overall AMU, suggesting that the mcr-1-positive isolate may have evolved through co-selection rather than direct colistin pressure. mcr-1 can persist and circulate in the environment, even where colistin use is minimal, and foxes may represent effective sentinels for tracking such events. Our results emphasise the importance of including wildlife in One Health surveillance frameworks to monitor AMR at the human–animal–environment interface.