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Pork is among the major sources of human salmonellosis in developed countries. Since the 1990s, different surveys and cross-sectional studies, both national and international (i.e., the baseline studies performed in the European Union), have revealed and confirmed the widespread non-typhoidal Salmonella serotypes in pigs. A number of countries have implemented control programs with different approaches and degrees of success. The efforts could be implemented either at farms, in post-harvest stages, or both. The current review revises the current state of the art in Salmonella in swine, the control programs ongoing or conducted in the past, and their strengths and failures, with particular attention to the weight of pre- and post-harvest control and the implications that both have for the success of interventions or mitigation after outbreaks. This review provides a novel perspective on Salmonella control in swine, a matter that still includes uncertainties and room for improvement as a question of public health and One Health.

Recent reports of Eucoleus garfiai in wild boars in southern Italy have highlighted the need for collecting epidemiological data on the presence of this parasite and understanding the role of possible interactions between wild boars, E. garfiai, and the environment. This study analyses, using histopathological and biomolecular techniques, the presence of E. garfiai in tongue samples of wild boars hunted in four provinces of the Campania and Latium regions (Italy), in areas located above and below 900 m above sea level (asl). Histopathological examinations revealed the presence of adults and eggs of nematodes, which were subsequently identified as E. garfiai by biomolecular analysis, in the tongue epithelium. The detection of the parasite was more frequent in samples collected from hunting areas located above 900 m asl than in those collected from areas located below 900 m asl (66.67% vs. 38.09%; p < 0.01). Some species of earthworms are intermediate hosts of E. garfiai and it is well known that earthworms are more present in high quality soils. Therefore, we can suggest that the higher prevalence of E. garfiai at higher altitudes is probably linked to a greater presence of earthworms in the soil, due to its higher quality in these areas.

Mastitis, one of the most common diseases in dairy cattle, causes severe losses in the dairy sector worldwide and affects animal welfare. The disease is characterized by an inflammatory reaction of the mammary gland and is mainly caused by bacterial infections, including both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The release of endotoxins associated to bacterial lysis is a weighty factor in the clinical course of Gram-negative associated mastitis and should be taken into consideration when using antibiotics in the treatment of these infections. Therefore, endotoxin detection in milk samples would be of help in the management of bovine mastitis. With this aim, we have validated a kinetic turbidimetric assay based on Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) for the quantification of endotoxins in milk samples. The assay was adapted to this particular matrix by incorporating filtration and dilution of the milk samples in the procedure. Our results demonstrate the robustness and usefulness of the assay, which allows the identification of coliform mastitis in milk samples from affected cows and the quantification of endotoxin activity in bulk and commercial milk samples. Further studies are required to evaluate the performance of the assay in mastitis milk samples associated to Gram-negative bacteria other than Escherichia coli as well as during the clinical course of these Gram-negative mastitis or after their treatment with antibiotics.