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Surveillance data collected in the period 2017-20 for Brucella spp. in wildlife of the Lombardy Region in northern Italy were used to describe the exposure of the wildlife species to Brucella spp. in wild boar (Sus scrofa), European brown hare (Lepus europaeus), fallow deer (Dama dama), red deer (Cervus elaphus), and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Among the tested species, wild boar (n = 6,440) showed the highest percentage of seropositive samples (5.9%). Notably, wild boars of perifluvial area of the Po River showed higher percentages of positivity than those of the pre- Alpine district. In addition, during the hunting season in 2018, 95 organs (uterus or testes, spleen, and submandibular lymph nodes) from wild boar of the perifluvial area of the Po River were collected for bacteriological examination. Brucella suis was isolated in culture from 18.9% of tested lymph nodes. These serological and microbiological results highlight the presence of B. suis in wild boar and suggest the importance of wild boar as a reservoir for B. suis. Comparison of the spatial distribution of Brucella-seropositive wild boars with the location of backyard swine farms revealed a higher chance of contact between the two populations only in the areas where the lower percentage of seropositive samples was observed. Conversely, the high percentage of seropositive samples observed in the Po River area coupled with positive microbiological cultures suggest a greater risk of infection for the humans directly or indirectly involved in wild boar hunting activity. These results may serve as a basis to establish sound wildlife management and to adopt education campaigns aimed at reducing the risk of human infection in people involved in wild boar hunting related activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) increases in the blood of cats with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a lethal disease caused by feline coronavirus (FCoV). However, the diagnostic potential of AGP might be limited because AGP also increases in pathophysiological conditions other than FIP. In this retrospective study, the diagnostic potential of serum AGP concentration was evaluated on the basis of the pretest probability of disease, according to the Bayesian approach. Serum AGP levels from cats with FIP (group 1; n = 58) and without FIP (group 2; n = 104) were evaluated. Non-FIP cats were further subgrouped as follows: 2a) inflammation (n = 26), 2b) asymptomatic FCoV infection (n = 49), 2c) injection-site sarcoma (n = 19), 2d) postvaccination (n = 7), and 2e) specific pathogen free (n = 3). Standard descriptive analyses by group and empirical receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve estimation were performed. Ordinary logistic regression analysis was performed to derive an estimate of the continuous likelihood ratio to produce the posttest probability of disease for any combination of pretest probability and serum AGP value. The comparison of serum AGP levels in the different groups and the analysis of the ROC curve confirmed that serum AGP is a powerful discriminating marker for FIP. The Bayesian approach demonstrated that when the pretest probability of FIP is high, based on history and clinical signs (groups 1 or 2a), moderate serum AGP levels (1.5-2 mg/ml) can discriminate cats with FIP from others, while only high serum AGP levels (>3 mg/ml) can support a diagnosis of FIP in cats with a low pretest probability of disease (groups 2b to 2e).

Among transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), particularly dreadful are the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), because of its epidemic character, and the new variant of Creutzfeldt-lakob disease (vCJD) in man, possibly related to BSE prion, through the intake of infected food. To treat TSE, many potentially therapeutic agents have been tested: some of them, among which is Congo Red (CAS 573-58-0, CR), delayed the onset of symptoms in scrapie-infected rodents, and some CR derivatives proved to be effective in vitro. The capacity of a synthesized CR derivative (CR-A) and of the aromatic central benzidine rings of CR (CR-B) to abrogate scrapie-induced disease in experimentally infected hamsters was assayed. CR, used as reference substance, administered i.c. after pre-incubation with the scrapie inoculum, was strongly effective in slowing the progression of the infection, while both CR-A and CR-B, administered alone or together, were not effective. Both CR-A and CR, when administered by subcutaneous route in i.c. scrapie-infected animals. prolonged the survival time in comparison to controls; CR-B was not effective. Moreover, both CR and CR-A were very effective in prolonging the survival time of i.p. scrapie-infected hamsters. The hypothesis of possible different mechanisms of interaction between CR or CR-A and the scrapie agent related to the chemical structures of the molecules is discussed.