Age-dependent prevalence of equid herpesvirus 5 infection

Equid herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) infection was detected in a farm in Italy by the use of a semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting glycoprotein B of EHV-5 on nasal swabs and blood samples of clinically healthy and randomly selected Lipizzaner horses (n = 55). Twenty-five horses at the age of 4–17 years and 30 at an age of 1–3 years were sampled once. The association of the infection with these age-groups and the gender of the horses was investigated. The apparent prevalence of EHV-5 infection was significantly different between age-cohorts: it was higher in the younger group of horses with 73,3% and 80% positives in nasal swabs and blood respectively, compared to 40% of nasal swabs and 20% of blood in the older horses. An age-dependence therefore was observed: the young age is more frequently associated with EHV-5 infection.     

Beyond marine paper parks? Regulation theory to assess and address environmental non‐compliance

1. Many marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world are ‘paper parks’. A key factor contributing to their ineffectiveness is non‐compliance with the rules in place. 2. This paper contributes to the existing academic discussion on ‘paper parks’ by drawing on critical regulation scholarship to develop a theoretical framework to assess and address compliance gaps in MPAs. 3. The theoretical insights are then explored using a case study of the second largest Italian MPA (the ‘Penisola del Sinis‐Isola di Mal di Ventre’), employing a multidisciplinary perspective built on both biological and socio‐legal expertise. 4. The biological study consists of a review including existing unpublished data on biological resources in the MPA coupled with new analyses on the effects of sea urchin harvesting restrictions. The socio‐legal research consists of the analysis of primary qualitative research in the form of semi‐structured interviews conducted with key stakeholders at the local and regional level in 2014, followed by two workshops (one with stakeholders and one with the general public) in 2015 to discuss the research findings collectively. 5. The results show that the Sinis MPA is not achieving its conservation goals, primarily because of actors' non‐compliance with the rules. The interviews with key stakeholders reveal a number of interlinked social, normative and calculative motivations at the basis of non‐compliance. Policy solutions are then offered. 6. This study offers a novel analysis on ‘paper parks’ that may be applicable to other MPAs experiencing similar compliance issues. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Identification and genetic structure of wild Italian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Humulus lupulus</Emphasis> L. and comparison with European and American hop cultivars using nuclear microsatellite markers

Nine genic SSR loci were used to evaluate the genetic diversity and identify accessions in wild Italian Humulus lupulus L., in comparison with widely cultivated European and U.S. commercial cultivars. A collection of 80 wild hop samples from Italy and 43 hop cultivars from Europe and U.S., were characterized. Allelic frequency analysis revealed 65 distinct Italian genotypes and differentiated all the commercial cultivars; moreover, specific alleles were observed for wild and cultivated hops. The number of alleles identified in the wild population were 104 and 123 within all the accessions. The maximum polymorphic information content was evidenced for locus HlGA23 in the Italian wild population and in the whole set of accessions (0.905 and 0.902 respectively). The dendrogram constructed from Euclidean distance with the UPGMA method showed two main clusters, one including commercial American and European accessions and one mostly composed by wild Italian accessions. Model-based clustering (Bayesian method) placed the accessions into five germplasm groups, one of which was characterized by Italian genotypes only. The study showed for the first time the great biodiversity present in Italy, and the remarkable differences with European and American hops. It was also found that within the population of north-central Italy a large genetic variability is present, suited to be studied and exploited; this genetic wealth could be used in future breeding programs in order to develop new hop varieties carrying characteristics useful for brewers.     

Characterisation of Mycoplasma capricolum P60 surface lipoprotein and its evaluation in a recombinant ELISA

This paper reports the identification and characterisation of a 60kDa surface protein antigen (P60) of Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capricolum (Mcc), and describes its diagnostic application. Genomic localization and presence in P60 of conserved functional domains suggested a structural and functional relationship with the immunodominant antigen P48 of Mycoplasma agalactiae, a basic membrane protein. A rP60-ELISA was developed, and it resulted in a high specificity for Mcc infections after evaluation with 125 goat sera. The comparison with an existent ELISA based on whole Mcc cell lysates showed that the two assays have comparable sensitivities, but the rP60-ELISA has the significant advantage of a greater specificity. Results indicate that P60 is a potential marker of Mcc infection, especially useful in areas where the presence of M. capricolum subspecies capripenumoniae is also reported.     

Hormonal and metabolic adaptation to fasting: effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and reproductive performance of rabbit does

To assess the impact of acute caloric shortage on reproduction, rabbit does were either fed ad libitum (control, AL), or fasted for 24 (STF) or 48 h (LTF) before induction of ovulation with GnRH injection. Blood samples were collected during the last 3 h of fasting, and the following 4 h after GnRH injection, when feed was provided again, to measure plasma concentrations of LH, estradiol-17beta, leptin, insulin, T3, corticosterone, glucose, and NEFA. Before re-feeding, plasma leptin, insulin, and T3 concentrations were lower (P < or = 0.01) in both fasted groups than in controls, but then gradually increased following realimentation to match those of controls. During fasting, corticosterone levels were higher (P < or = 0.01) in LTF than in STF and AL does, but decreased to control values soon after realimentation. During fasting, plasma glucose concentrations did not differ among groups, but upon re-feeding they markedly increased (P < or= 0.01) both in STF and LTF does. NEFA levels were also more elevated (P < or = 0.01) in fasted rabbits than in controls, and rapidly decreased (P < or = 0.01) after re-feeding. Following GnRH injection, LH peak was lower (P < or = 0.01) in LTF than in AL and STF does. Estradiol-17beta showed higher pulse frequency and amplitude in AL than in STF and LTF does. Compared to controls, receptivity rate of STF and LTF artificially inseminated does declined respectively by -20.5% (P < or = 0.05) and -22.7%, and fertility rate by -23.9% (P < or = 0.05) and 21.4%, but no difference was found in ovulation rate. In summary, nutritional status of does, as modified by fasting, greatly influenced fertility, metabolic and reproductive hormones.     

Molecular and antigenic characterization of a Mycoplasma bovis strain causing an outbreak of infectious keratoconjunctivitis.

An unusually high incidence of infectious keratoconjunctivitis followed by pneumonia and arthritis was observed in beef calves of a managed herd. No Moraxella spp. or bacteria other than Mycoplasma spp. were obtained from conjunctival and nasal swabs. A strategy was designed for characterization of bovine mycoplasmas at species and strain level on the basis of a combination of molecular tools and the immunoblotting method. The strategy made it possible to rapidly assign the bacterium responsible for this outbreak to one of the phylogenetic clusters of bovine mycoplasmas delineated in this study and then to identify it as Mycoplasma bovis. The strain, designated Sar 1, showed a 100% 16S rDNA sequence identity with two European strains (120/81 and MC3386) isolated in Germany and Ireland, respectively, and hosts a vsp gene analog to the vspA, vsp422-4, and vsp422-8 genes of the M. bovis reference strain PG45T and of the field strain 422. The use of a cross-reactive rabbit serum developed against the Mycoplasma agalactiae immunodominant antigen P48 confirmed the molecular findings. The immunological response of calves against M. bovis was also investigated. This is the first report on the occurrence of M. bovis on the Island of Sardinia (Italy).     

Intra‐ovarian dynamic blood flow in pseudopregnant rabbits during prostaglandin F2α‐induced luteolysis

In the present study, we evaluated the dynamic changes of intra‐ovarian blood flow, by real‐time colour‐coded and pulsed Doppler ultrasonography, as well as the immunopresence of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) receptor (FP) and peripheral plasma progesterone concentrations in pseudopregnant rabbit after PGF2α treatments at either early‐ (4 days) and mid‐luteal (9 days) stages. During the pre‐treatment observation interval of one hour, the ovarian blood flows showed a fluctuating pattern. Independently of luteal stage, PGF2α administration caused a fourfold decline in the blood flow within 40 min that was followed 50 min later by a reactive hyperaemia that lasted several hours, while the resistive index showed an opposite trend. Twenty‐four hour later, the blood flow was one half that measured before PGF2α injection. At day 4 of pseudopregnancy, PGF2α did not affect peripheral plasma progesterone concentrations, but at day 9, it caused functional luteolysis as progesterone levels declined 6 hr later to reach basal values after 24 hr. The changes in the ovarian blood flows of pseudopregnant rabbits receiving PGF2α were accompanied by simultaneous changes in the resistance index. This biphasic response in the blood flow and vascular resistances likely reflects reactive hyperaemia following vasoconstriction. By immunohistochemistry, strong positive immune reaction for FP was detected in the cytoplasm of endothelial cells of ovarian arteries, veins and capillaries. In conclusion, these results suggest that PGF2α could acutely regulate the ovarian blood flow of pseudopregnant rabbits, even if there is no evidence of a blood flow reduction anticipating luteolysis.     

Outbreak of swimmer's itch in Central Italy: Description,causative agent and preventive measures

Swimmer's itch is caused by the penetration of free‐swimming larvae of trematodes of the family Schistosomatidae in human skin. It is usually reported in people engaged in recreational water activities in freshwater bodies and in most of cases, it is provoked by bird schistosomes of the genus Trichobilharzia. In the summer 2017, many cases of dermatitis were recorded in people bathing in the waters of the Albano Lake (Rome, Italy) and a parasitological investigation was carried out in order to ascertain the causative agent of these cases. Snails of the family Lymnaeidae, natural intermediate hosts of bird schistosomes, were collected from lake shallow waters to detect the presence of trematodes of the genus Trichobilharzia. Pools of maximum 10 snails were placed in Petri dishes, and cercarial emergence was stimulated exposing snails to strong artificial light intensity at 25°C. Three hundred and thirty‐seven snails were collected and screened for the shedding of cercariae. Furcocercariae of the family Schistosomatidae, with a morphology overlapping that of the genus Trichobilharzia, were detected in seven Petri dishes. Assuming that in each positive Petri dish just one snail was shedding furcocercariae, the minimum infectious rate was 2.1%. Molecular analysis of furcocercariae allowed ascribing them to the species Trichobilharzia franki. Snails of the species Radix auricularia were identified as intermediate hosts of the parasite. This is the second record of T. franki causing cercarial dermatitis in Central Italy, the third in Italy. The 2017 was in Italy exceptionally warm and dry. Trematodes are sensitive to changes in temperature, being cercarial production and emission rates temperature dependent. Small increases in water temperature would speed up parasite development and transmission, leading to a manifold increase in cercarial emergence. Moreover, high temperatures raise chances to acquire the infection, due to increased time spent in water by people.