The cheese (or ham) skipper, Piophila casei (Linnaeus), belongs to the family Piophilidae and is a detritivore species that feeds on decaying organic matter. Its larvae are commonly found on high-protein substrates (including carcasses), with a life cycle that is strongly influenced by environmental temperature and food nature. In this study, we investigated development time and larval length of P. casei reared on Parma ham PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) at five constant temperatures (20, 22, 24, 26, 28 °C). We calculated the accumulated degree days (ADD) and constructed isomegalen- and isomorphen-diagrams to estimate the infestation time. The minimum development threshold (tL) obtained by extrapolating the development rates measured between 20 °C and 28 °C was 9.91 °C, resulting in ADDs (oviposition–eclosion) of 216.9, 219.9, 220.7, 209.2, and 220.1 at 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28 °C, respectively.

In the last fifteen years, the West Nile virus (WNV) has spread in the Po Valley plain in Italy, extending from Emilia-Romagna to Veneto in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, and Piedmont regions. The principal vector of WNV in Italy is Culex pipiens, and lineage 2 of arbovirus can overwinter. The sensitivity of the mosquito surveillance network to the circulation of WNV in urban and rural areas and the impact of the ecological system on the dynamics and spillover of disease were investigated in this study. WNV circulation in mosquitoes collected in 2021–2023 and screened with RT-PCR differed between the two environments. The vector index (VI) was significantly higher for Culex pipiens collected in rural areas and near rural wetlands (VI = 0.08 ± 0.16 SD and VI = 0.15 ± 0.29 SD respectively) than in urban environments (from VI = 0.00 in urban parks to VI = 0.04 ± 0.13SD in peri-urban areas). The incidence of West Nile neuroinvasive disease was higher in rural (1.01 ± 0.59SD per 100.000 inhabitants) than in urban areas (0.43 ± 0.32SD cases per 100.000 inhabitants). Throughout the study duration, by monitoring the virus circulation in mosquitoes, the WNV surveillance in the urban ecosystem predicted spillover in humans with about 2–4 weeks of anticipation, allowing prompt activation of the control protocols defined in the Italian National Plan Surveillance and Control for Arboviruses. WNV circulation in mosquitoes was recorded in urban environments where the probability of the simultaneous presence of reservoirs and vectors was higher such as ecological corridors and peri-urban areas. No WNV circulation was found in mosquitoes in urban parks.

Eight ticks were found in Comacchio (FE), Italy parasitizing a young black iguana (Ctenosaura similis) that had been accidentally transported in a commercial plant container from Costa Rica. Specimens were identified morphologically as Amblyomma scutatum and then confirmed by the barcoding of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. Amblyomma scutatum is a common tick known to infest reptiles in Central America, Mexico, and Venezuela, but not in Europe. In Italy, the possibility for this tick to become endemic is unlikely because of the absence of its principal hosts. Nevertheless, this finding confirms the high risk of introducing exotic species that is linked with global commerce and therefore the need for veterinary control of shipments.

The Anopheles maculipennis complex consists of several mosquito species, including some primary malaria vectors. Therefore, the presence of a species in a particular area significantly affects public health. In this study, 1252 mosquitoes were collected in northern Italy, representing four identified species of the Anopheles maculipennis complex (Anopheles daciae sp. inq., Anopheles maculipennis s. s., Anopheles atroparvus and Anopheles melanoon). The sequences of two DNA markers, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2), were generated. DNA-based species delimitation analyses were performed, incorporating public sequences, with distance-based and coalescent tree-based methods to confirm the actual species boundaries within the complex. While some morphospecies were unequivocally delimited by all methods and markers, COI analysis splitted An. maculipennis s. s. into two well-supported groups. However, molecular delimitation failed in recognizing An. daciae sp. inq. and An. messeae as two separate evolutionary entities. Species delimitation was further tested with a morphometric approach, which clearly differentiated species collected in the survey area. These findings underscore how challenging the characterization of the taxonomy of the complex is, providing evidence of potential introgression events in An. maculipennis s. s. and suggesting the need for robust evidence to support An. daciae sp. inq. and An. messeae as distinct species.

The recent expansion of the habitat of several wildlife species, comprising anthropized areas, is a relevant risk factor for many zoonotic diseases and should be considered in national and regional sanitary monitoring systems. We evaluated adult intestinal Taenia spp. parasites isolated from wild carnivores and cystic larval forms isolated from wild mammals analysed at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna (IZSLER) as part of the regional wildlife sanitary surveillance plan. Then, we assessed parasite species through molecular analysis (multiplex PCR followed by ribosomal 12S subunit gene sequencing) in order to update the epidemiological situation on Taeniids infection in the Emilia-Romagna wildlife, reporting the prevalence of each isolated species. The most commonly isolated species was Taenia serialis, which we detected in both wolves and foxes as definitive hosts and in roe deer as intermediate host. More attention on the distribution of Taeniids in wildlife should be paid, considering their potential zoonotic role: several Taenia spp. (Taenia solium, Taenia multiceps, Taenia serialis, Taenia brauni, Taenia glomerulatus) are known for causing coenurosis in humans, with possible severe or fatal outcomes.

Background: Phlebotomine sand flies are known as vectors of various pathogens such as Leishmania sp parasite and Toscana virus (TOSV). Leishmaniasis is endemic in Morocco, and TOSV is increasingly reported. Our objective is to analyze the specific composition of the natural population of sand flies in endemic and non endemic area of leishmaniasis in Morocco, thus evaluated their infection by Toscana virus. Methods: Sand flies were collected by CDC miniature light traps from seven different localities with an altitude range from 399 m to 1496 m. Synanthropic index was calculated for each sand fly species. The collected female sand flies were grouped in 73 pools, with a maximum of 50 specimens per pool, and submitted to real time PCR for TOSV detection. Results: 8 sand fly species were identified morphologically: 5 of the Phlebotomus genus and 3 of the Sergentomyia genus. Phlebotomus sergenti was the most abundant species comprising of 43,12% of identified sand flies, followed by P. papatasi (18,89%) and P. longicuspis (13,43%). Estimated synanthropic indices for these species were between + 1.1 and + 12.6 suggesting a high preference to anthropogenic environments. A total of 3558 sand fly females were grouped in 73 pools (up to 50 sand flies per pool) for TOSV detection. TOSV was detected in one pool (out of 6 tested) from Lalla Laaziza locality (Chichaoua Province) where P. sergenti was the most abundant sand fly species. Conclusion: We reported the TOSV for the first time in a central Morocco, where cutaneous leishmaniasis by L. tropica is endemic. This result has epidemiological importance for both researchers and health authorities to monitor circulation of TOSV and implement a surveillance plan of sand fly-borne phleboviruses in Morocco. (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. CC_BY_NC_ND_4.0

The correct identification of mosquito vectors is often hampered by the presence of morphologically indiscernible sibling species. The Maculipennis complex is one of these groups that include both malaria vectors of primary importance and species of low/negligible epidemiological relevance, of which distribution data in Italy are outdated. Our study was aimed at providing an updated distribution of Maculipennis complex in Northern Italy through the sampling and morphological/molecular identification of specimens from five regions. The most abundant species was Anopheles messeae (2032), followed by Anopheles maculipennis s.s. (418), Anopheles atroparvus (28) and Anopheles melanoon (13). Taking advantage of ITS2 barcoding, we were able to finely characterize tested mosquitoes, classifying all the Anopheles messeae specimens as Anopheles daciae, a taxon with debated rank to which we referred as species inquirenda (sp. inq.). The distribution of species was characterized by Ecological Niche Models (ENMs), fed by recorded points of presence. ENMs provided clues on the ecological preferences of the detected species, with An. daciae sp. inq. linked to stable breeding sites and An. maculipennis s.s. more associated to ephemeral breeding sites. We demonstrate that historical Anopheles malaria vectors are still present in Northern Italy.

Background West Nile virus (WNV) transmission was much greater in 2018 than in previous seasons in Europe. Focusing on Emilia-Romagna region (northern Italy), we analyzed detailed entomological and epidemiological data collected in 2013-2018 to quantitatively assess environmental drivers of transmission and explore hypotheses to better understand why the 2018 epidemiological season was substantially different than the previous seasons. In particular, in 2018 WNV was detected at least two weeks before the observed circulation in 2013-2017 and in a larger number of mosquito pools. Transmission resulted in 100 neuroinvasive human cases in the region, more than the total number of cases recorded between 2013 and 2017. Methodology We used temperature-driven mathematical models calibrated through a Bayesian approach to simulate mosquito population dynamics and WNV infection rates in the avian population. We then estimated the human transmission risk as the probability, for a person living in the study area, of being bitten by an infectious mosquito in a given week. Finally, we translated such risk into reported WNV human infections. Principal findings The estimated prevalence of WNV in the mosquito and avian populations were significantly higher in 2018 with respect to 2013-2017 seasons, especially in the eastern part of the region. Furthermore, peak avian prevalence was estimated to have occurred earlier, corresponding to a steeper decline towards the end of summer. The high mosquito prevalence resulted in a much greater predicted risk for human transmission in 2018, which was estimated to be up to eight times higher than previous seasons. We hypothesized, on the basis of our modelling results, that such greater WNV circulation might be partially explained by exceptionally high spring temperatures, which have likely helped to amplify WNV transmission at the beginning of the 2018 season.

With several human cases reported annually since 2008 and the unapparent risk of infection of blood donors, the West Nile virus (WNV) is emerging as an important health issue in Europe. Italy, as well as other European countries, experienced a recrudescence of the virus circulation in 2018, which led to an increased number of human cases. An integrated surveillance plan was activated in the Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy regions (Northern Italy) since 2008 in order to monitor the intensity and timing of WNV circulation. A fundamental part of this plan consists in entomological surveillance. In 2018, the surveillance plan made it possible to collect 385,293 mosquitoes in 163 stations in the two Regions. In total 269,147 Culex mosquitoes were grouped into 2,337 pools and tested for WNV, which was detected in 232 pools. Circulation started in the central part of the Emilia-Romagna region in the middle of June, about one month before the previous seasons. Circulation suddenly expanded to the rest of the region and reached the Lombardy region in the middle of July. WNV circulated more intensively in the eastern part of the surveyed area, as confirmed by the highest number of human cases. A relationship between the number of mosquitoes collected and the virus incidence emerged, but the data obtained highlighted that the probability of detecting the virus in a given site was less than expected with a higher number of collected mosquitoes. A significant relationship was observed between the temperature recorded one week before the sampling and the number of collected mosquitoes, as well as between the estimated number of WNV-positive mosquitoes and the temperature recorded two weeks before the sampling. The two weeks delay in the influence of temperature on the positive mosquitoes is in line with the time of the virus extrinsic incubation in the mosquito. This finding confirms that temperature is one of the principal drivers in WNV mosquito infection. The surveillance system demonstrated the ability to detect the virus circulation early, particularly in areas where circulation was more intense. This allowed evaluating the effect of mosquito abundance and weather factors on virus circulation.

Lineage 2 West Nile virus (WNV) caused a vast epidemic in Europe in 2018, with the highest incidence being recorded in Italy. To reconstruct the evolutionary dynamics and epidemiological history of the virus in Italy, 53 envelope gene and 26 complete genome sequences obtained from human and animal samples were characterised by means of next-generation sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two Italian strains originating between 2010 and 2012: clade A, which apparently became extinct in 2013-2014, and clade B, which was responsible for the 2018 epidemic. The mean genetic distances in clade B increased over time and with the distance between sampling locations. Bayesian birth-death and coalescent skyline plots of the clade B showed that the effective number of infections and the effective reproduction number (Re) increased between 2015 and 2018. Our data suggest that WNV-2 entered Italy in 2011 as a result of one or a few penetration events. Clade B differentiated mainly as a result of genetic drift and purifying selection, leading to the appearance of multiple locally circulating sub-clades for different times. Phylodynamic analysis showed a current expansion of the infection among reservoir birds and/or vectors.