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The goal of the trial was testing the effects of a blend of organic acids and essential oils dietary supplementation on growth performance and gut healthiness in broiler chickens. In total, 420 male Ross 308 chicks (1-day old) were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments: basal (BD) and organic acids and essential oils (OA&EO) diets (three replicates/treatment; 70 broilers/replicate). BD group received commercial diets whereas OA&EO group basal diets + 5 g/kg of microencapsulated organic acids and essential oils. OA&EO treatment improved the average daily gain (p < 0.01) and feed conversion ratio at 37–47 days compared to BD treatment. OA&EO treatment improved gut morphology mostly at ileum and duodenum levels in terms of villi height, crypt depth, number of villi, mucosa thickness and villi area at 24 and 34 sampling days. A certain selective action against Clostridium perfringens in ileum of OA&EO group was shown at 33 (p = 0.053) and 46 days (p = 0.09) together with lower median values for Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococci, Mesophilic bacteria and Clostridium perfringens at ceca level. Overall, organic acids and essential oils supplementation improved growth performance in the final growth stage and some morphological gut traits and reduced to a certain extent Clostridium perfringens count in ileum.

Recently, the African swine fever (ASF) epizootic has been reported in domestic pigs and wild boars in several European Union Member States (EU MS) and epidemiological evidence has accumulated which indicates that wild boar play a key role in maintaining and spreading the disease. Thanks to the experience gained when managing ASF outbreaks in Sardinia (Italy) and Eastern Europe, Directive 2002/60 CE was issued. This directive represented an important step forward in controlling the disease, particularly the risk of spreading the virus to wild animals. Since 2021, according to Regulation (EU) 2016/429, which is also called “Animal Health Law—AHL”, when the MS competent authority suspects or confirms ASF (a cat. A listed disease) in wild animals, it is mandatory to conduct surveillance in the wild boar population and implement the necessary control measures. Within AHL, Regulations (EU) 2020/687 and 2023/594 established special ASF control measures in kept and wild porcine animals, and their products and by-products, focusing on and underlying old and new responsibilities that vets (both public and private ones) have to accomplish under the new regulations. The new change in the legal framework deals with specific measures to be applied in the wild and represents a great challenge for MS veterinary services. Some of these measures have been well established in the last two decades, particularly those related to application in the farming system, while other measures are still new to veterinary health management and require a holistic approach in terms of intensity, considering all geographical, ecological, productive, cultural and social features of the involved EU MS. In this contribution, the authors intend to focus on specific measures which have been issued in order to limit or stop the spread of ASF in a wild, “boundless” ecosystem. These measures expand the field of competence of the official veterinary service to wild areas in addition to farm activity.

Dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) has been responsible for several outbreaks of systemic infection and has resulted in cetacean strandings in the Mediterranean. In August-October 2016, seven striped dolphins ( Stenella coeruleoalba ) stranded on the Sicilian coastline (Italy) tested positive for DMV. Tissue samples from brain, lung, pulmonary lymph nodes, heart, spleen, liver, stomach, intestine, kidneys and urinary bladder, as well as blowhole swabs, were collected during necropsy for molecular diagnostics and pathology studies. Extracted tissue RNA was screened for DMV by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Some tissues exhibited microscopic lesions that were consistent with DMV infection on histopathological and immunohistochemical grounds. Conventional reverse transcription PCR to target partial nucleoprotein and phosphoprotein genes yielded sequences used to genetically characterize the associated DMV strain. DMV RNA was detected by both PCR assays in all tested tissues of the seven dolphins, which suggests systemic infections, but was absent from another dolphin stranded on the Sicilian coastline during the same period. The partial phosphoprotein and nucleoprotein gene sequences from the positive dolphins were 99.7% and 99.5% identical, respectively, to the DMV sequences recently observed in cetaceans stranded on the Spanish Mediterranean. Our study suggests that this DMV strain is circulating in the Mediterranean.

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, a well-established respiratory pathogen of sheep and goats, has gained increased importance recently because of its detection in wild ruminants including members of the Cervidae family. Despite its frequent isolation from apparently healthy animals, it is responsible for outbreaks of severe respiratory disease which are often linked to infections with multiple heterologous strains. Furthermore, M. ovipneumoniae is characterized by an unusually wide host range, a high degree of phenotypic, biochemical, and genomic heterogeneity, and variable and limited growth in mycoplasma media. A number of mechanisms have been proposed for its pathogenicity, including the production of hydrogen peroxide, reactive oxygen species production, and toxins. It shows wide metabolic activity in vitro, being able to utilize substrates such as glucose, pyruvate, and isopropanol; these patterns can be used to differentiate strains. Treatment of infections in the field is complicated by large variations in the susceptibility of strains to antimicrobials, with many showing high minimum inhibitory concentrations. The lack of commercially available vaccines is probably due to the high cost of developing vaccines for diseases in small ruminants not presently seen as high priority. Multiple strains found in affected sheep and goats may also hamper the development of effective vaccines. This review summarizes the current knowledge and identifies gaps in research on M. ovipneumoniae, including its epidemiology in sheep and goats, pathology and clinical presentation, infection in wild ruminants, virulence factors, metabolism, comparative genomics, genotypic variability, phenotypic variability, evolutionary mechanisms, isolation and culture, detection and identification, antimicrobial susceptibility, variations in antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, vaccines, and control.

The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is a key component of Italian wildlife, yet its genetic structure and potential hybridisation with the invasive sika deer (C. nippon) remain poorly understood. Using double-digest Restriction-site Associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq), 35,063 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 66 deer sampled across Tuscany and Emilia Romagna. Population structure analyses revealed two main genetic clusters corresponding to Tuscany and Emilia Romagna, with evidence of gene flow between them. Signatures of introgression from C. nippon were detected in some individuals, particularly in Emilia Romagna, indicating historical or ongoing hybridisation in northern Apennine populations. These results provide the first genome-wide assessment of red deer in Central-Northern Italy and highlight the need for continued genetic monitoring and management actions to mitigate hybridisation risks and preserve the genetic integrity of native populations.

Introduction Scrapie is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease that affects sheep and goat worldwide, belonging to the group of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Since 2002, Member States (MS) of European Union (EU) have implemented active surveillance to control the risk of scrapie. In this context, over the past two decades, breeding programs to increase the frequency of the resistance-associated ARR allele in sheep populations have been introduced to minimize TSE risk in MS, but there was not a regulatory effort in adoption of analogous measures for goats. [...]scientific knowledge related to scrapie resistance associated with goat PRNP gene polymorphisms has considerably expanded in the last 10 years. The EFSA opinion also highlights that a high selective pressure in some breeds with a low frequency of resistant variants would likely have an adverse effect on genetic diversity and that each MS should be able to design its own genetic selection strategy depending on the breed concerned.

Mycoplasma agalactiae (Ma) is considered the primary causative agent of contagious agalactia (CA) in sheep and goats, which causes severe losses to the small ruminant dairy industry. As early as 1816, it was thought that environmental factors played a role in pathogen maintenance in endemic areas. Specifically, recent studies hypothesized a vector role for arthropods in the epidemiology of disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and anatomical localization of Ma in naturally infected Riphicephalus bursa ticks to better evaluate tick–pathogen interactions. Salivary glands and ovaries of confirmed Ma-positive R. bursa were analyzed to look for the Ma antigen using immunohistochemistry (IHC). IHC showed strong positivity to Ma in the cytoplasm of salivary cells as well as in cells from the ovary. Our work demonstrated for the first time the crossing of the tick midgut barrier by Ma and the subsequent infection of organs capable of spreading the infection, and this result represents an absolute novelty in disease-related knowledge. Our preliminary results provide conclusive evidence of the potential vector role represented by hard ticks in the epidemiology of CA. Further field and laboratory investigations are necessary to confirm the tick role in the transmission of clinical CA.

Maedi-visna (MV) is a disease caused by small ruminant lentiviruses. It is included in the list of notifiable terrestrial animal diseases due to economic losses and animal welfare harm in the sheep sector. To date, control programs remain the onliest approach to avoiding infection. The allelic variant p.Glu35Lys (E35K) of the TMEM154 gene has been strongly associated with host vulnerability to MV illness. The present study aimed to investigate the association of TMEM154 E35K allele frequencies with MV susceptibility in native Sicilian sheep breeds. More than 400 animals from 14 local sheep were serologically tested and genotyped for the TMEM154 E35K polymorphism. The local breeds displayed different values of MV seroprevalence, with the lowest antibody prevalence in Barbaresca and Pinzirita breeds. TMEM154 protective allele (K35) was less frequent than the risk allele (E35) in Valle del Belìce breed, whereas the other three breeds showed a more balanced alleles distribution. A positive association between seroprevalence and genotype was found in the entire sample set. The risk of infection resulted in more than 3-fold times as high in sheep with EK and EE genotype compared to the KK genotype. Our data could be helpful in establishing selection breeding programs aimed at reducing MV infection in Sicilian sheep farming and encouraging the breeding of native breeds.

Mycoplasmas are recognized as avian pathogens, which may cause both respiratory disease and synovial infections in poultry, resulting in severe economic losses. Our study aims to determine the occurrence of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) among commercial and rural laying hens located in Ragusa province (South Italy), using a duplex real time PCR. Four hundred tracheal swabs were collected from seven commercial (200 swabs) and 25 rural (200 swabs) farms without any clinical disease history. Out of 400 swabs collected, 50 (12.5%) and 93 (23.25%) were positive for MG and MS, respectively. In particular, 9 (18%) and 22 (23.65%) positive swabs for MG and MS, respectively, originated from commercial farms, compared to 41 (82%) and 71 (76.34%) obtained from rural farms. Data obtained show a lower prevalence of MG than MS in the studied farms. Moreover, both pathogens were spread in rural and commercial farms. PCR could be concluded as a rapid and sensitive method for the identification of MG and MS in areas where commercial farms that are declared Mycoplasma-free and rural flocks coexist. These data highlight the importance of surveillance also in rural poultry to monitoring the occurrence of mycoplasmas strains in strategic productive districts.

The new approach of AHL by the application of proactive measures should facilitate trade within the boundaries of the EU (internal trade), minimize border controls and bureaucratic procedures between EU MSs, and eliminate the crowd of bilateral agreements applied so far. [...]the new system must guarantee and accelerate the traceability and sharing of data on the identification and certification of the moved animals to be ready for early detection and rapid warning of disease risk. The AHL consists of 283 articles that repeal 38 decisions, directives, and regulations adopted from 1964 up to today. Since the publication of Reg. 2016/429, more than 30 different delegated and implemented acts have been prepared concerning: the list of the diseases subject to notification to competent veterinary authority (Commission Delegated Regulation (CDR) (EU) 2018/16292018/1629—Diseases list) (12); their control measures, which are now not focused anymore on “single” diseases but grouped in five categories according to the risk (Commission Implemented Regulation (CIR) 2018/1882) (13) and their control measures (CDR 2020/687 (14); the rules for animal movements within the EU to and from third countries coming into force by the CDR 2020/688 (15). Each category includes groups of animal diseases that can affect various susceptible species, grouped by epidemiological characteristics. [...]all the 63 diseases listed in the CDR 2018/1629 (Table 1) are grouped into 5 categories (A, B, C, D, and E). Infection with rinderpest virus Infection with Rift Valley fever virus Infection with Brucella abortus, B. melitensis and B. suis Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (M. bovis, M. caprae and M. tuberculosis) Infection with rabies virus Infection with bluetongue virus (serotypes 1–24) Infestation with Echinococcus multilocularis Infection with epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus Anthrax Surra (Trypanosoma evansi) Ebola virus disease Paratuberculosis Japanese encephalitis West Nile fever Q fever Infection with lumpy skin disease virus Infection with Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC (Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia) Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis/infectious pustular vulvovaginitis Bovine viral diarrhea Bovine genital campylobacteriosis Trichomonosis Enzootic bovine leukosis Sheep pox and goat pox Infection with peste des petits ruminants virus Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia Ovine epididymitis (Brucella ovis) Infection with Burkholderia mallei (Glanders) Infection with equine arteritis virus Equine infectious anemia Dourine Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis Contagious equine metritis Equine encephalomyelitis (Eastern and Western) Infection with Aujeszky's disease virus Infection with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus Infection with Newcastle disease virus Avian mycoplasmosis (Mycoplasma gallisepticum and M. meleagridis) Infection with Salmonella Pullorum, S. Gallinarum and S. arizonae Infection with low pathogenic avian influenza viruses Avian chlamydiosis Infestation with Varroa spp.