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An Unusual Outbreak of Ochratoxicosis Associated with Trigonella foenum-graecum Ingestion in Ruminants from Different Farms of Sicily.

Trigonella foenum-graecum is a widely cultivated legume in Mediterranean regions, and it is used for human and animal consumption, as well as for medical purposes. High temperatures and abundant rainfall during the spring season in Sicily favor the formation of an environment suitable for the growth and proliferation of fungi with the production of mycotoxins. In this study, ochratoxin A, aflatoxin, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, fumonisin, and T-2 toxin concentrations in Trigonella foenum-graecum were determined in feed administered to ruminants and also in blood samples from cattle and sheep i…

Hospitalizations for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Sicily from 2008 to 2021: clinical features and predictors of severity.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of bronchiolitis, resulting in 3.6 million hospitalizations for acute lower respiratory tract infections and 101,400 deaths in children under 5 years of age worldwide each year. In Europe, the estimated incidence of RSV-related hospitalizations in infants is 1.8%. We describe the incidence of RSV infection in patients hospitalized in Sicily (Italy) between 2008 and 2021, examine the clinical-epidemiological characteristics of RSV-positive patients, and assess comorbidities associated with illness severity. METHODS: All data we…

Evidence of Seasonal Variation in Body Color in Adults of the Parasitoid Cirrospilus pictus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in Sicily, Italy.

As part of the studies on the morphological color variation of insects, a case study on the seasonal body color variation of Cirrospilus pictus (Nees) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Eulophinae) parasitoid of leafminers is reported. Observations were made from January 2000 to December 2003 in north-western Sicily (Italy), in relation to sex, body regions of adults and seasonal periods. Wasps parasitizing Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) were collected from organic citrus orchards (Citrus limon L., var. "Femminello zagara bianca" and "Femminello comune"). Adults were grou…

Diagnostic Findings in a Confirmed Outbreak of Brucella ovis Infection in a Traditional Sheep Farm in Sicily (South-Italy).

Aim of this study is to report a laboratory investigation performed following the isolation of Brucella ovis, causing ovine epididymitis, in a traditional sheep farm in Sicily (South Italy). This disease represents a newly emerging risk for Italian livestock and is listed among diseases of EU priority (EU Reg 2016/429). Blood samples from 56 rams and 143 ewes were analyzed by both Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Complement Fixation Test (CFT). Genital swabs from all rams and 15 lactating ewes were collected to perform real-time PCR. Eighteen serologically positive rams were slaug…

Trends and projections of pleural mesothelioma incidence and mortality in the national priority contaminated sites of Sicily (Southern Italy).

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate short-medium term incidence and mortality projections of pleural malignant mesothelioma (PMM) in Sicily Region (Southern Italy) and in its four National Priority Contaminated Sites (NPCSs). DESIGN: population-based prediction study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: PMM cases from 1998 to 2016 registered by the Regional Operations Centre of the Sicilian Region. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: incidence and mortality trends of PMM were estimated for the period 1998-2016 from the relationships among mortality, incidence, and survival. Projections of incidence and mortality rates were o…

Characterization of metabolic changes in the phenotypes of women with polycystic ovary syndrome in a large Mediterranean population from Sicily.

OBJECTIVE: To better characterize the metabolic alterations in various phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in a large homogeneous … while there was no association with androgens. CONCLUSIONS: In Mediterranean women with PCOS from Sicily with a lower prevalence of obesity, the prevalence of diabetes, altered glucose metabolism and metabolic syndrome were much lower than reported in US studies. Phenotype B was the most metabolically affected phenotype, followed by phenotype A. Phenot …

The changing phenotype of iodine deficiency disorders: a review of thirty-five years of research in north-eastern Sicily.

Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) still represent a major public health problem, with almost 30% of the world population being exposed to the consequences of nutritional iodine deficiency (ID). In Italy, despite a sustained policy of iodine prophylaxis, more than 10% of people is still affected with goiter, and a presumably higher rate of subjects may suffer from minor cognitive deficits due to inadequate iodine supply during antenatal life. This review of systematic observational studies carried out over thirty-five years (1980-2015) in a sentinel ID area in North-eastern Sicily highlights th…

Distribution of liver disease in a cohort of immigrants in Sicily: analysis of day-hospital admissions in a migration medicine unit.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of liver disease and its aetiology in a cohort of immigrants. We retrospectively examined the hospital discharge charts of all the immigrant patients presenting at our day hospital from July 2009 to June 2013, and after evaluating the anamnestic, clinical and laboratory data on these charts we identified subjects with liver disease and its various aetiologies. The total sample population consisted of 1218 patients, of whom 112 (9.2%) had a diagnosis of liver disease. More than two-thirds of the latter (67.8%) came from Africa, while 15.

Levels of heavy metals in adolescents living in the industrialised area of Milazzo-Valle del Mela (northern Sicily).

In the Milazzo-Valle del Mela area, the presence of industrial plants and the oil refinery make local residents concerned for their health. For this reason, we evaluated the levels of heavy metals in 226 children aged 12-14 years, living in the 7 municipalities of the area. A control age-matched population (n = 29) living 45 km far from the industrial site was also enrolled. Arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, nickel, and vanadium were analysed in 24 h urine samples, while lead concentration was evaluated in blood samples. A questionnaire regarding life style and risk perception was also admi

Совпадение в полном тексте источника
… The current number of high-risk areas is 53, including 3 in Sicily, where past and current industrial activities caused environmental changes that may be harmful to human health. … An age-matched control group resident in a rural area of Sicily was also studied. Adolescents represent an essentially important population sample: in fact, exposure to heavy metals from the early childhood could have a negative impact on the developmental status. …

Short report: identification of the likely etiologic agent of human trichinellosis in Sicily (Italy) between 1933 and 1946.

Larvae of Trichinella sp. collected in 1961 from muscle samples of the last infected domestic pig slaughtered in Sicily (Italy), and preserved in absolute ethyl alcohol until 1997, have been identified as Trichinella spiralis by the polymerase chain reaction. This finding explains the severity of the clinical picture, resulting in death, and the high number of fatal cases (20 of 184, 11%) observed in three Sicilian outbreaks between 1933 and 1945, caused by the consumption of sausages from pigs originating from the same focus of 1961. The relationship between the human outbreaks and the infect…

Эпидемия лихорадки бутоннеза в западной Сицилии: случайная лабораторная инфекция с рикетциальным агентом, изолированным от клеща.

Поступают сообщения о случайной лабораторной инфекции с штаммом Spoted Fever-Group Rickettsiae, вновь изолированной от клеща, собранного в Западной Сицилии. Прививка в левый большой палец клетчатых организмов (10 (5)/мл) вызвала клинические признаки и симптомы лихорадки Бутоннега через шесть дней, т.е. повреждения в точке вакцинации, лихорадки, головной боли, конъюнктивита и миальгии. Рикетциане были изолированы от проб крови в острой фазе, собранных у инфицированного человека, и реакция ИгМ и ИгГ была обнаружена в сыворотке пациента при косвенном иммунофлюоресценции. Полное восстановление был

Совпадение в аннотации оригинала
A case is reported of an accidental laboratory infection with a strain of Spotted Fever-Group Rickettsiae freshly isolated from a tick collected in Western Sicily. Inoculation into the left thumb of cell-cultured organisms (10(5)/ml) gave rise to clinical signs and symptoms of Boutonneuse Fever after six days, i.e., a lesion at the point of inoculation, feve…

Social and individual factors associated with eating disorders risk among adolescents in secondary schools of Sicily (south-Italy).

Eating disorders (EDs) are complex medical conditions that primarily affect adolescents. In Italy, EDs are becoming a serious health concern, but the lack of up-to-date epidemiological data makes it difficult to assess their real impact across the country. Early identification of risk factors is crucial for timely intervention. A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,740 students aged 14-16 years in Sicily. Data on socio-demographic factors, EDs behaviors, social media usage, body appreciation, and bullying were collected through an electronic questionnaire. Regression model…

Epidemiology of boutonneuse fever in western Sicily: isolation of spotted fever group Rickettsiae from Rhipicephalus sanguineus (fam. Ixodidae).

Spotted fever group Rickettsiae were isolated from dog ticks (R. sanguineus) removed from dogs in different areas of western Sicily.

Migrants' Access to Mental Health Services in Italy: The Case of the Transcultural Psychiatric Operational Unit of Catania in Eastern Sicily.

This article, based on a collaboration between an ethnopsychiatrist, a psychologist and an anthropologist at the Transcultural Psychiatric Operational Unit (TPOU) in Catania, Sicily, examines how a culturally sensitive approach can support migrants suffering from trauma, depression and other psychological or psychiatric disorders in their recovery and adaptation to the host society. First, we analyse the structure of Italy's migrant reception system and the specific characteristics of the public healthcare framework in Sicily. Next, we trace the history of the TPOU, detailing patient profiles …

The chemical composition of the aerial parts essential oil of Stachys ocymastrum L. Briq. (Lamiaceae) growing in Sicily (Italy).

The genus Stachys L. (Lamiaceae) comprises more than 300 species as annual or perennial herbs or small shrubs, spread in temperate regions of Mediterranean, Asia, America, and Southern Africa. Several species have been used in the traditional medicine to treat stress, skin inflammations, gastrointestinal disorders, asthma, and genital tumours. In the present study the chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of Stachys ocymastrum L. Briq., belonging to section Olisia, endemic of the Western Mediterranean and Greece and collected in Sicily, was analysed by GC-MS. No one repor…

Rates of lymphocytic thyroiditis and ultrasound features of citologically-interrogated thyroid nodules based on the area of residence in a Sicily province.

PURPOSE: To verify the prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) and the ultrasound characteristics (composition and volume) of thyroid nodules with respect to the area of residence in the province of Messina, some areas having environmental issues. METHODS: Fine-needle aspiration-interrogated nodules (n = 902) of 809 patients were evaluated upon stratification into 8 areas of residence. RESULTS: Overall, women were younger than men (55.3 ± 14.0 vs. 58.6 ± 12.6 years, P = 0.0083). Patients residing in three areas (one hosting two garbage dumps, one hosting a petrochemical complex and a ther

Case-based surveillance of measles in Sicily during 2012-2017: The changing molecular epidemiology and implications for vaccine strategies.

Following the indication of the World Health Organization, a national plan for the elimination of measles was approved in Italy and this included the improvement of the molecular surveillance of measles viruses and the interruption of indigenous transmission of the disease. Nevertheless, large outbreaks continue to occur in almost all regions of the country, including Sicily. Here we describe the epidemiology and molecular dynamics of measles viruses as a result of the measles surveillance activity carried out by the "Reference Laboratory for Measles and Rubella" in Sicily over a 5-year period…

A lethal Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) due to TBE Virus in Sicily (Italy): a case of IgG+/IgM- response?

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an important viral infection of the central nervous system with high morbidity and mortality. With the incr … to TBEV infection in a 13-year-old man. This is the first report of an autochthonous case of TBE in Sicily, region in the in Southern Italy.

A Molecular survey of Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia canis and Babesia microti in foxes and fleas from Sicily.

Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) are obligate bloodsucking insects, which parasitize birds and mammals, and are distributed throughout the world. Several species have been implicated in pathogen transmission. This study aimed to monitor red foxes and the fleas isolated from them in the Palermo and Ragusa provinces of Sicily, Italy, as these organisms are potential reservoirs and vectors of pathogens. Thirteen foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and 110 fleas were analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect DNA of the pathogens Ehrlichia canis, Babesia microti, Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophil…