Helminth Infection of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle Caretta caretta along the Coasts of Sicily and the North West Adriatic Sea
We provide new data on the presence of helminth parasites in 64 individual loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta stranded along the coasts of Sicily and the northwest Adriatic Sea between June 2014 and August 2016. The necropsy examination revealed 31 individuals (48.4%) positive for endoparasites, showing a greater prevalence of trematodes than nematodes. In particular, seven species and a single genus of Trematoda (Hapalotrema) and a single species and genus of Nematoda (Kathlania) were identified. Among the Digenea flukes the species with the highest prevalence of infection were Rhytidodes gelatinosus (34.6%) and Hapalotrema sp. (33.3%), while among the Nematoda they were Kathlania sp. …
The first inventory of birds of prey in sicilian museum collections (Italy)
Natural History Museums are places of scientific dissemination and informal education, and have a fundamental role in scientific research and in preserving the historical heritage of a territory and its biodiversity. The island of Sicily, thanks to its geographic position as an inter-continental bridge in the Mediterranean, presents a notable ornithological diversity, with both sedentary species and species that migrate between Africa and Europe. For this reason, and thanks to a strong hunting tradition, Sicilian collections also depict the avifaunal assemblage historically present in the region, particularly for birds of prey, the group we focus on because of its particular ecological char…
Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile and Tetracycline Resistance Genes Detection in Salmonella spp. Strains Isolated from Animals and Food
Salmonella spp. is among the leading causes of foodborne infections in humans and a large number of animals. Salmonella spp. is a pathogen involved in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance because it can accumulate antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, the antibiotic resistance profile to 15 antibiotics, belonging to six different classes, of 60 strains of Salmonella spp. collected from pets, farm animals, wildlife, and food in Sicily (Italy) was investigated by the Kirby-Bauer method. Given that almost 33.3% of the Salmonella spp. strains were resistant to tetracycline, Real-Time PCR analysis was applied on all the 60 strains to detect the presence of eight selected te…
Serological and Molecular Evidence of Bartonella henselae in Stray Cats from Southern Italy
Bartonella henselae is a slow growing and facultative intracellular pathogen mainly transmitted by arthropod vectors adapted to domestic and wild mammalian reservoir hosts. Since cats are the major source of the B. henselae infection, this study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence and the DNA presence in randomly sampled stray cats. Blood samples of 429 cats were collected from shelter of Palermo (Southern Italy) and sera and whole blood were analyzed for the presence of antibodies against B. henselae by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), respectively. Two hundred and three sera (47.3%) were positive to IFA and 148 blood samples (34.5%…
Further spread of West Nile virus in Italy.
Following two consecutive years of West Nile virus (WNV) circulation in Italy, new foci of infection were observed in August 2010 in Sicily and Molise in southern and central Italy, respectively. These incidents were far from the previous infected area in northern Italy, thereby confirming the ability of WNV to spread to new areas and affect new host populations. © Istituto G. Caporale 2010.
Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Mediterranean Sea
Seawater could be considered a reservoir of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes. In this communication, we evaluated the presence of bacterial strains in seawater collected from different coasts of Sicily by combining microbiological and molecular methods. Specifically, we isolated viable bacteria that were tested for their antibiotic resistance profile and detected both antibiotic and heavy metal resistance genes. Both antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, Vibrio and Aeromonas, and specific antibiotic resistance genes were found in the seawater samples. Alarming levels of resistance were determined towards cefazolin, streptomycin, amoxicillin/clavulanic aci…
Dal mare al museo. Il recupero di uno scheletro di stenella striata, Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen 1833)
In 2021, the Museum of Zoology “P. Doderlein” of the University of Palermo acquired a new specimen, the complete skeleton of Stenella coeruleoalba, a striped dolphin stranded in 2018 in Marinella di Selinunte, Castelvetrano (Sicily, Southern Italy). The project herein described is the result of a collaboration among the Bio-Reconstruction Laboratory of the IAS-CNR of Capo Granitola, the IZS of Palermo, the company Naturaliter and the Museum of Zoology “P. Doderlein”. In Natural History Museums, cetaceans are an excellent tool to facilitate scientific dissemination aimed at the conservation of marine biodiversity. The work herein described is presented as an example of good practices in reco…
First data on microflora of loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nests from the coastlines of Sicily (Italy)
ABSTRACT Caretta caretta is threatened by many dangers in the Mediterranean basin, but most are human-related. The purposes of this research were: (i) to investigate microflora in samples from six loggerhead sea turtle nests located on the Sicilian coast and (ii) to understand microbial diversity associated with nests, with particular attention to bacteria and fungi involved in failed hatchings. During the 2016 and 2018 summers, 456 eggs and seven dead hatchling from six nests were collected. We performed bacteriological and mycological analyses on 88 egg samples and seven dead hatchlings, allowing us to isolate: Fusarium spp. (80.6%), Aeromonas hydrophila (55.6%), Aspergillus spp. (27.2%) …
Human leptospirosis cases in Palermo Italy. The role of rodents and climate
Many regions of the world are increasingly exposed to leptospirosis due to poverty, global warming and high urban density. Here, we report a molecular survey for pathogenic Leptospira spp. in rodents and two symptomatic human cases of leptospirosis in the city of Palermo, Italy.Four rodent species were captured in six areas of the city, and a molecular analysis for pathogenic Leptospira spp. on DNA from the kidney samples showed a different prevalence of leptospirosis in all the species of rodents. In addition, two human cases that occurred in May and October of 2009 in the city were also reported. A 67-year-old woman recovered after antibiotic treatment, whereas a 71-year-old woman did not…
Is Caretta Caretta a Carrier of Antibiotic Resistance in the Mediterranean Sea?
Sea turtles can be considered a sentinel species for monitoring the health of marine ecosystems, acting, at the same time, as a carrier of microorganisms. Indeed, sea turtles can acquire the microbiota from their reproductive sites and feeding, contributing to the diffusion of antibiotic-resistant strains to uncontaminated environments. This study aims to unveil the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in (i) loggerhead sea turtles stranded along the coast of Sicily (Mediterranean Sea), (ii) unhatched and/or hatched eggs, (iii) sand from the turtles&rsquo