0000000001326497
AUTHOR
A. Nastasi
Cavezzo, the first Italian meteorite recovered by the PRISMA fireball network. Orbit, trajectory, and strewn-field
ABSTRACT Two meteorite pieces have been recovered in Italy, near the town of Cavezzo (Modena), on 2020 January 4th. The associated fireball was observed on the evening of New Year’s Day 2020 by eight all-sky cameras of the PRISMA fireball network, a partner of FRIPON. The computed trajectory had an inclination angle of approximately 68° and a velocity at infinity of 12.8 km s−1. Together with the relatively low terminal height, estimated as 21.5 km, those values were indicating the significant possibility of a meteorite dropping event, as additionally confirmed by the non-zero residual total mass. The strewn-field was computed taking into account the presence of two bright light flashes, re…
rDNA fingerprinting as a tool in epidemiological analysis of Salmonella typhi infections
SUMMARYCharacterization of 169 strainsof Salmonella typhiof phage types C1, C4, D1and D9isolated in 1975–88 was carried out by rDNA gene restriction pattern analysis. Twenty-four isolates had been recovered during four large waterbone outbreaks in the last 20 years in Sicily; 145 strains, isolated from apparently sporadic cases of infection in Southern Italy in the same period of time, were also examined.Application of rRNA–DNA hybridization technique after digestion of chromosomal DNA withClaI showed the identity of patterns of the epidemic strains of phage types C1and D1, confirming attribution of the outbreaks to single bacterial clones. Patterns of the two available strains of lysotype …
A study on oral rehydration therapy of diarrheal disease in Western Sicily
A longitudinal study to ascertain the most common therapeutic approach to diarrheal disease by general practitioners and pediatricians was carried out in Western Sicily. Data obtained showed that of 902 home-managed cases of diarrhea observed by 58 physicians during one year, 65.3% were treated with antibiotics, 8.0% with antimotility agents and 26.7% were not treated with any pharmacological agent (rehydration or diet). Although oral rehydration therapy was widely known by physicians in Western Sicily, only a few of them were willing to use it routinely as the principal and exclusive treatment.
Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium DT 104 antibiotic resistance genomic island I in serotype paratyphi B
We have identified Salmonella genomic island I (SGI1) in an isolate of Salmonella enterica serotype Paratyphi B. This antibiotic-resistance gene cluster, which confers multidrug resistance, has been previously identified in S. enterica serotype Typhimurium phage types DT 104 and DT 120 and in S. enterica serotype Agona.
Molecular study on nosocomial Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains.
Nosocomial Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were typed by DNA fingerprinting techniques. Chromosomal DNA banding patterns, after endonuclease digestion, of six isolates from a neonatal care unit confirmed the results of O-serotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern analysis. In contrast, the characterization by chromosomal DNA fingerprinting of P. aeruginosa strains isolated from patients treated in a burn unit disagreed with the two classic typing methods: in fact, isolates that varied in serotype and antibiograms showed identical restriction endonuclease profiles, whereas two indistinguishable isolates cultured from individual patients were easily and reproducibly differentiated by…
Salmonella serovars identified at the centre for enterobacteriaceae of palermo over the 5-year period 1983-87
Salmonellosis is become an increasing public health problem in many countries. Serotyping and assessment of antibiotic resistance are useful tools, which assist in understanding the epidemiology of Salmonella infections. In this respect, the Centre of Enterobacteriaceae of Southern Italy provides helpful information on the changing pattern of Salmonella serovars in this geographic area. This paper reports the distribution of serovars and their antibiotic susceptibility in the years 1983-1987. In particular, because of their peculiar trends during this 5-year period, epidemiological features of Mbandaka, Corvallis, Dublin, Infantis and Wien serovars are described.
Epidemiology ofSalmonella typhimurium: ribosomal DNA analysis of strains from human and animal sources
SUMMARYSalmonella typhimuriumis the most frequently identified serovar ofSalmonellain Italy. This serovar is characterized by the widespread dissemination among human and non-human sources of phenotypically and genetically well-differentiated clones.In this study 457 strains ofS. typhimuriumisolated in Italy in the years 1982–91 from human and animal sources were submitted to characterization by the rDNA fingerprinting technique. Application of this typing method, after digestion of chromosomal DNA withHincII endonuclease, confirmed the greatest genetic differentiation of clones ofS. typhimurium, allowing reliable identification of 45 rDNA patterns linked into 9 major clusters. rDNA pattern…
Cluster of cases of Salmonella enterica serotype Rissen infection in a general hospital, Italy, 2007.
In 2007, three strains of Salmonella enterica serotype Rissen (S. Rissen) were isolated in the laboratory of diagnostic microbiology of the General Hospital of Prato, Tuscany, Italy, over a 1 month and half interval of time. The first isolate was recovered on January 26 from an outpatient with enteritis. Then, two strains were isolated on February 16 and March 11 respectively, from central venous catheters of patients who were being hospitalized in two departments of the Hospital. An epidemiologically linked cluster of cases of salmonellosis was suspected. The three strains were submitted to single enzyme-amplified fragment length polymorphism (SE-AFLP) and XbaI macrorestriction and pulsed-…
Phage types and ribotypes of Salmonella enteritidis in southern Italy.
Differently from other European countries, Southern Italy was affected by a considerable increase in human infections due to Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) only after 1990. On the present investigation, two groups of S. Enteritidis strains isolated during the low-incidence period 1980-1984 and the epidemic period 1990-1993, respectively, have been submitted to phage-typing and ribotyping in order to ascertain whether the epidemic increase was determined by the spread of a foreign bacterial clone or not. Among the 150 isolates relative to the aforesaid two periods, 12 different phage types (PTs) were observed. PT4 was the most common phage type among…
Applicazione di nuove metodiche di tipizzazione allo studio di stipiti batterici responsabili di infezioni ospedaliere.
rRNA gene restriction patterns and biotypes of Shigella sonnei.
SUMMARYShigella sonneiis a major agent of diarrhoeal disease in developed as well as in developing countries. Several phenotypic methods to define strain differences have been applied to this species ofShigellaincluding, more recently, analysis of extrachromosomal and chromosomal DNA.In this study, 432 endemic and epidemic strains isolated between 1975 and 1991 in Italy, France and Switzerland were submitted to rRNA gene restriction pattern analysis, after digestion of whole-cell DNA byHincII, and to concomitant biotyping.Thirteen ribotypes, HI to H13, and five biotypes, a, d, e, f, g, were detected. Xinety-five percent of the sporadic strains were assigned to ribotypes HI to H4, which coul…
FRIPON: a worldwide network to track incoming meteoroids
Context. Until recently, camera networks designed for monitoring fireballs worldwide were not fully automated, implying that in case of a meteorite fall, the recovery campaign was rarely immediate. This was an important limiting factor as the most fragile - hence precious - meteorites must be recovered rapidly to avoid their alteration. Aims. The Fireball Recovery and InterPlanetary Observation Network (FRIPON) scientific project was designed to overcome this limitation. This network comprises a fully automated camera and radio network deployed over a significant fraction of western Europe and a small fraction of Canada. As of today, it consists of 150 cameras and 25 European radio receiver…
Identification of Shigella sonnei biotype g isolates carrying class 2 integrons in Italy in 2001-2003
ABSTRACT Phenotyping and genotyping have been carried out on 64 epidemic and sporadic isolates of Shigella sonnei identified in Italy in the years 2001 to 2003. Class 2 integron carriage has been also investigated. Isolates from four of the five outbreaks and four of six sporadic cases were biotype g , pulsed-field gel electrophoresis type B, and class 2 integron positive, suggesting emergence and spread of an epidemic clone in Italy.
A food borne outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Brandenburg as a hint to compare human, animal and food isolates identified in the years 2005-2009 in Italy.
Introduction. There are only a few reported cases of Salmonella enterica serotype Brandenburg foodborne outbreaks in the literature. In Italy Brandenburg is consistently present among the top-ten serotypes from human source, but at low prevalences. Methods. Fifty-five S. Brandenburg isolates from human, animal, environmental and food sources, including twelve isolates from a foodborne outbreak, were genotyped by PFGE. Results and Discussion. Eight pulsogroups and 19 pulsotypes were detected, with a unique pulsotype being attributed to the outbreak strains. Molecular subtyping can reliably complement the epidemiological investigations. Moreover, mapping molecular types of Salmonella isolates…
Epidemic dissemination of Salmonella enterica spp. enterica serovar Bovismorbificans in southern Italy in the years 1989-1991.
Epidemic strains of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Bovismorbificans isolated in southern Italy during the years 1989-1991 were submitted to a molecular epidemiological study in comparison with isolates identified in the years 1980-1988 in the same geographic area. Genomic DNA fragments obtained by digestion with BglI or Eco RI hybridized with Escherichia coli rRNA to produce three distinct, but highly related patterns. Ribotype 1, which had never been identified before 1989, was found to characterize most of the strains identified between 1989 and 1991. Such a finding supports the hypothesis of emergence and spread of a new bacterial clone associated with the increased number o…
Molecular relationship among Salmonella dublin isolates identified at the Center for Enterobacteriaceae of Palermo during the years 1971-85.
SUMMARYA molecular epidemiological study was carried out on 60Salmonella dublinisolates identified at the Southern Italy Enterobacteriaceae Center between 1971 and 1985. These included 23 isolates from children with diarrhoea in Palermo obtained during 1984.All isolates from the outbreak of gastroenteritis in children were resistant to chloramphenicol and streptomycin and harboured two plasmids of 50 MDa and 3 MDa molecular weight, whereas the majority of the isolates identified before 1984 were susceptible to these antibiotics and carried only a 50 MDa molecular weight plasmid. FourS. dublinstrains successively identified from cattle (Palermo, Foggia, Portici) and from a child (Palermo) we…
rRNA probing of chromosomal DNA of epidemic and sporadic isolates of Salmonella enterica subsp. Enterica serovar kottbus from Northern and Southern Italy
Fifty-two strains of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Kottbus, identified at the Centres of Enterobacteriaceae of Northern and Southern Italy, were investigated by molecular genetic methods. Thirteen isolates were recovered during two food-poisoning outbreaks that occurred in May 1987 in Lombardy. The rDNA gene restriction patterns, obtained by probing endonuclease cleaved chromosomal DNA with photobiotin labeled Escherichia coli rRNA, revealed some heterogeneity among strains isolated from Southern Italy, whereas Northern Italy isolates exhibited virtually identical banding patterns.