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Listeria monocytogenes has been identified on minimally processed fruit and vegetables, and can transmit a severe foodborne disease through the consumption of ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh-cut produce, mostly if the storage conditions are incorrect, and the cold chain is not abided to. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the behaviour of L. monocytogenes in RTE fresh-cut papaya and melon, two low-acid fruits stored in temperature-abuse conditions (10 and 8°C, respectively) during the shelf-life indicated by the producer (7 d). A microbiological challenge test was performed to assess the maximum growth rate (MGR) and the duplication time (Td) of the pathogen, testing three strains separately. We also assessed the behaviour of the indigenous microflora of the fruits. Results demonstrated that papaya and melon were two favourable substrates for L. monocytogenes. The MGR was 0.044 log CFU/g/h with a Td of 6.77 h for papaya, and 0.029 log CFU/g/h with a Td of 10.24 h for melon. The storage of RTE fresh-cut papaya and melon at an abusive temperature above 8°C could encourage the growth of L. monocytogenes with a possible risk to public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, the lung was not listed and recognized as a major target organ of diabetic injury. The first evidence of diabetic lung involvement was published fifty years ago, with a study conducted in a population of young adults affected by type 1 diabetes (T1D). In recent years, there has been mounting evidence showing that the lung is a target organ of diabetic injury since the beginning of the disease-at the pediatric age. The deeply branched vascularization of the lungs and the abundance of connective tissue, indeed, make them vulnerable to the effects of hyperglycemia, in a way similar to other organs affected by microvascular complications. In this review, we focus on pulmonary function impairment in children and adolescents affected by T1D. We also cover controversial aspects regarding available studies and future perspectives in this field.

In Europe, Trichinella spiralis, the most dangerous species for humans of the genus Trichinella, has a patchy distribution with important foci in Eastern countries and Spain. This zoonotic pathogen was apparently not circulating among wild and domestic animals of Italy. In 2016, muscle larvae belonging to this nematode species were detected in a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) shot in the Piacenza province (Northern Italy). This parasite may have been introduced into northern Italy from eastern Europe by hunters, by a hunting dog, or by immigrants, who illegally carried infected meat in their personal baggage. In the same year, T. spiralis infected sausages illegally introduced by personal baggage into Italy from Romania, were inadequately disposed of in the garbage of a central Italian town. Even though these two episodes may not be connected in time and space, they represent an increased risk of infection for domestic and wild swine, which are highly susceptible to this pathogen. In these animals, T. spiralis shows a higher larval burden and a longer survival time than other Trichinella species. Since most of the Italian pig production plants are in northern Italy, the circulation of T. spiralis should be strictly monitored in wildlife living in these areas., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Consumption of milk and dairy products is considered one of the main routes of human exposure to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). Quantitative data on MAP load in raw cows' milk are essential starting point for exposure assessment. Our study provides this information on a regional scale, estimating the load of MAP in bulk tank milk (BTM) produced in Emilia-Romagna region (Italy). The survey was carried out on 2934 BTM samples (88.6% of the farms herein present) using two different target sequences for qPCR (f57 and IS900). Data about the performances of both qPCRs are also reported, highlighting the superior sensitivity of IS900-qPCR. Seven hundred and eighty-nine samples tested MAP-positive (apparent prevalence 26.9%) by IS900 qPCR. However, only 90 of these samples were quantifiable by qPCR. The quantifiable samples contained a median load of 32.4 MAP cells mL(-1) (and maximum load of 1424 MAP cells mL(-1) ). This study has shown that a small proportion (3.1%) of BTM samples from Emilia-Romagna region contained MAP in excess of the limit of detection (1.5 × 10(1) MAP cells mL(-1) ), indicating low potential exposure for consumers if the milk subsequently undergoes pasteurization or if it is destined to typical hard cheese production., (© 2016 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The causative agent of paratuberculosis in ruminants, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), although still a matter of debate, has been linked with Crohn's and other human diseases. The availability of rapid methods for assessing the viability of MAP cells in food, in particular milk, could be of great use for risk management in food safety. MAP viability is generally assessed using culture techniques that require prolonged incubation periods for the growth of MAP. To differentiate between viable and nonviable MAP cells in milk samples, this study explores the combination of two already described techniques: peptide magnetic bead separation followed by Propidium Monoazide qPCR. Using an Ordinal Multinomial Logistic Regression model to analyze the results obtained after spiking milk samples with mixtures containing different percentages of viable/dead cells, we were able to assess the probability of the viability status of MAP found in milk. This model was applied to contaminated pasteurized milk to ascertain the efficacy of heat treatment in MAP killing. The method reported herein can potentially be used for direct detection of MAP viability in milk., (© 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Analysis of micro- and minisatellite loci is widely used in sub-typing of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. Microsatellite (short sequence repeat, SSR) loci have shown highest discriminatory power, but direct sequencing of amplicons is required for correct assignment of the repeat number. We developed an alternative method to sequencing, focusing on the SSR8 locus (constituted by GGT triplets from three to six repeats). The approach is based on asymmetric quantitative PCR, followed by high-resolution melting analysis with unlabelled probes (UP-HRM). Data showed perfect concordance between direct sequencing and UP-HRM, which is faster, simpler and more cost effective., (© 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) is the etiological agent of paratuberculosis. The aim of our study was to combine Mini-and Microsatellite loci analysis in order to explore the effectiveness of this sub-typing method in a group of Map isolates. For this purpose, 84 Italian Type C Map isolates, each from a different cattle herd, were submitted to MIRU-Variable-Number Tandem-Repeats (VNTRs) typing and Short Sequence repeats (SSRs) sequencing. Moreover, the method was used to analyse the variability inside 10 herds (from three to 50 isolates per herd)., Results: The molecular sub-typing, carried out using three SSR and 10 MIRU-VNTR loci, differentiated the 84 isolates into 33 clusters, reaching a Simpson's Discriminatory Index (SID) value of 0.952 (0.933 to 0.972, 95% confidence intervals). Among all considered loci, six (SSR2, MIRU2, SSR1, SSR8, VNTR3527 and VNTR1067) showed relevant allelic variability. Thirty-eight% of the isolates were clustered into four genotypes, differing from each other for the SSR2 locus. The other isolates, characterised by differences in two or more loci, were spread among the rest of the clusters. The intra-herd analysis revealed more than one genotype in most herds with a similar distribution of clusters., Conclusions: Our results revealed the advantage of using both Mini-and Microsatellite approaches for successfully discriminating among Map Type C isolates from the same geographic area, host species and herd. These data suggest that the combination of loci here proposed could be a useful molecular tool for regional epidemiological studies.

Neutralizing antibodies to encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) were found in 69.13% of the serum samples obtained from pigs from representative regions of Italy. The antibodies are distributed fairly uniformly throughout the swine populations with all age groups being equally involved.