Role of wild birds in the circulation of Toxoplasma gondii in Southern Italy: molecular and epidemiological insights Francesco Serra, Stefano Scarcelli, Giovanni Sgroi, Marita Georgia Riccardi, Milad Badri, Marco Paone, Simona Rea, Martina Levante, Emanuela Di Lecce, Giorgia Borriello, Bianca Cecere, Nicola D'Alessio, Vincenzo Veneziano, Giorgio Galiero, Orlando Paciello, Giuseppe Iovane, Maria Grazia Amoroso Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2026 Introduction Toxoplasmosis is caused by the protozoal parasite Toxoplasma gondii and can be acquired through the consumption of food and water contaminated with sporulated oocysts and tissue cysts. The parasite is characterized by high host flexibility, being able to infect all warm-blooded animals, including birds and mammals. Wild birds are considered important reservoirs of infectious agents, some of which possess zoonotic potential. To date, few data are available on the role of these animals in the transmission of T. gondii , especially in the Italian Peninsula. Methods To address this gap, the present study investigated the circulation and genetic diversity of this parasite in various wild bird species, with the aim to assess the role of avian hosts in the epidemiology of the parasite. In 2023–2024, 256 carcasses belonging to 39 different wild bird species were collected in Campania and Calabria Regions and analyzed to assess the presence of T. gondii in the animal tissues. Results Out of 256 birds, 15 (5.9%) resulted positive for parasite DNA: 6 (40.0%) belonged to genotype GII and 1 (6.6%) to genotype GIII. Interestingly, 11/15 (73.3%) infected animals were non-migratory species and 10/15 (66.7%) were classified as omnivore/scavenger wild birds. Discussion Monitoring and genotyping T. gondii in birds could help to understand the environmental spread of oocysts. What's more, given the remarkable ecological diversity of wild avian species (different feeding habits and migratory behavior), surveillance of avian populations could deepen our understanding of T. gondii transmission dynamics and implement public health interventions and environmental management strategies.
First Detection of RGNNV Betanodavirus Genotype in Dactylopterus volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) and Balistes capriscus (Gmelin, 1798) Emanuele Esposito, Maria Oliviero, Doriana Iaccarino, Gianluigi Paduano, Francesco Serra, Martina Levante, Maria Grazia Amoroso, Rubina Paradiso, Antonio Rinaldi, Giorgia Borriello, Tobia Pretto, Anna Toffan, Giovanna Fusco, Esterina De Carlo, Fabio Di Nocera Journal of Fish Diseases, 2025 The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article. Appendix S1. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
One-Step Synthesized Folic Acid-Based Carbon Dots: A Biocompatible Nanomaterial for the Treatment of Bacterial Infections in Lung Pathologies Gennaro Longobardo, Francesca Della Sala, Giuseppe Marino, Marco Barretta, Mario Forte, Rubina Paradiso, Giorgia Borriello, Assunta Borzacchiello Nanomaterials, 2025 Bacterial infections are a major complication in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), where mucus accumulation and pH fluctuations further hinder treatment. Nanostructured systems such as carbon dots (CDs) are increasingly investigated as antimicrobial agents due to their scalability, low cost, and biocompatibility, compared to conventional antibiotics. Here, CDs were synthesized by a one-step microwave-assisted method at three reaction temperatures (130 °C, 170 °C, and 185 °C, named LT-CDs, MT-CDs, HT-CDs, respectively) to explore the effect of carbonization on their structure and function. TEM, Raman, and FTIR analyses were employed to investigate the size and distribution of carbon groups. UV–vis confirmed distinct pH-dependent spectral responses, and mucoadhesion studies revealed stronger and more stable interactions for MT-CDs. Biological assays demonstrated high biocompatibility across all samples on lung fibroblasts, while antimicrobial tests highlighted a selective effect against Staphylococcus aureus, due to ROS generation. Overall, MT-CDs represented the best compromise in terms of size, functionalization, biocompatibility, mucoadhesion, and antimicrobial activity, emerging as promising nanoplatforms for respiratory infection management in COPD and ARDS.
A Preliminary Study on the Efficacy of Essential Oils Against Trichoderma longibrachiatum Isolated from an Archival Document in Italy Benedetta Paolino, Maria Cristina Sorrentino, Severina Pacifico, Maria Carmen Garrigos, Marita Georgia Riccardi, Rubina Paradiso, Ernesto Lahoz, Giorgia Borriello Heritage, 2025 In this study, a historically significant journal subject to fungal colonization was used as a case study for experimenting with a fumigation treatment using essential oils. The experiments were carried out both in vitro and in vivo directly on the artifact. Post-treatment monitoring showed that the succession of two fumigation treatments (alternately using rosemary and lavender oil) resulted in the complete disinfection of the first and second populations detected on the substrate. The latter was identified as Trichoderma longibrachiatum, a human pathogenic species, which was found to be sensitive to various concentrations of rosemary essential oil (1.2% v/v) and lavender essential oil (0.4% v/v), while it was not contained by the standard biocide based on benzalkonium chloride. The results obtained allowed the proposal of an application protocol for the fumigation of paper items that need to undergo biocidal treatment, which consists of alternating essential oils to increase the action spectrum of the natural substances and implementing a rotation principle to prevent the development of bio-resistances.
First Report of Streptococcus agalactiae Meningitis in a Non-Pregnant Adult in Italy Giorgia Borriello, Giovanna Fusco, Francesca Greco, Maria Vittoria Mauro, Lorella Barca, Antonio Limone, Maria Garzi Cosentino, Agata Campione, Antonio Rinaldi, Saveria Dodaro, Esterina De Carlo, Sonia Greco, Valeria Vangeli, Rubina Paradiso, Antonio Mastroianni Microorganisms, 2025 This study, for the first time in Italy, analyses by WGS a Streptococcus agalactiae strain isolated from a non-pregnant adult affected by Meningitis and without common risk factors. The S. agalactiae strain was classified as a serotype II (SS2), sequence type ST569. Molecular characterization evidenced the presence of resistance genes to tetracycline and macrolide (tet(M) and mre(A)) and several virulence genes coding for adhesion and immune evasion factors (bca, cps family, neu family, scpB, gbs family, pil family and hylB), toxins (cfa/cfb, cyl family), pro-inflammatory factors (lepA), and two homologous genes that contributed to bacterial escape from the host immune system (lmb, luxS). SNP analysis showed 18 different alleles, with 9 missense SNP mutations related to genes involved in cellular metabolism (dhaS, ftsE, ligA, nrdD and secA), virulence (bgrR and galE) and antimicrobial resistance (glpK and mutL). SNPs in glpK and mutL genes might reduce susceptibility to drugs. The SNP analysis highlighted the presence of mutations conferring pathogenicity to the strain. The evidence in this study could explain the development of Meningitis in a healthy patient. This case highlights the importance of using molecular methods to characterize the complete genome of a bacterial species that could seriously affect human health.
Human bloodstream infection caused by a Colistin multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strain: a case report New Microbiologica, 2025
The Use of Antimicrobials in Animal Husbandry as a Potential Factor for the Increased Incidence of Colorectal Cancer: Food Safety and Kinetics in a Murine Model Rosa D’Ambrosio, Stefania Cavallo, Roberta Brunetti, Roberta Pellicanò, Emanuela Vaccaro, Giorgia Borriello, Rubina Paradiso, Francesco Paolo Serpe, Sara Lambiase, Francesca Bruzzese, Giuseppe Palma, Domenica Rea, Antonio Barbieri, Marianna D’Amore, Maria Dimatteo, Barbara degli Uberti, Orlando Paciello, Loredana Baldi Animals, 2025 The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of the prolonged use of the broad-spectrum antimicrobial widely used in animal husbandry. By means of a mouse model, a translational study was carried out on immunocompetent mice (with a complete immune system). This study highlighted the effect of antimicrobial residues taken in with food on the growth time of cancer and on alterations to the gut microbiota. This project considered the fight against antimicrobial resistance from a One Health perspectivethrough collaboration between human medicine and veterinary medicine. Regarding food safety, antimicrobial residues in products of animal origin are rarely detected; they therefore constitute a negligible factor in determining colorectal cancer.
Streptococcus suis-associated neonatal meningitis and sepsis: characterization, antimicrobial resistance, and public health implications Giovanna Fusco, Rubina Paradiso, Lorena Cardillo, Maria Antonia Salvia, Saveria Dodaro, Veronica Del Monaco, Gianfranco Scarpelli, Francesca Greco, Antonio Rinaldi, Lorella Barca, Stefania Ambrogio, Antonio Limone, Esterina De Carlo, Giorgia Borriello Frontiers in Microbiology, 2025 Neonatal meningitis and sepsis were diagnosed in a 32-day-old preterm-born infant. Streptococcus (S.) suis was isolated from cerebrospinal fluid and blood. Next-generation sequencing revealed that the strain was serotype 2 sequence type 1, and contained the ermB and tet(W) genes, which are responsible for resistance to macrolides and tetracycline, along with several pilus-associated genes and 20 virulence factors. High homology was observed with previously identified human and swine strains in the same area. S. suis meningitis and sepsis are mainly reported in adults, related to direct contact with pigs or contaminated pork meat consumption, while it is rarely reported in children. Herein, we describe the first case of S. suis in a newborn associated with meningitis and antimicrobial resistance. The rates of resistance to tetracyclines, lincosamides, and macrolides for this bacterium are increasing and are creating concern worldwide. Altogether, our findings highlight the importance of investigating S. suis in cases of neonatal meningitis, as well as the necessity of assessing the antimicrobial profile to obtain useful information for developing targeted therapies.
Genetic diversity of Brucella abortus strains from cattle and water buffalo in the Italian province of Caserta Luigi Orrù, Antonella Lamontanara, Celestina Mascolo, Giorgia Borriello, Rubina Paradiso, Anna Cerrone, Paolo Coppa, Manuela Tittarelli, Carlo Ferrara, Esterina De Carlo, Giorgio Galiero, Alessandra Martucciello Veterinary Microbiology, 2024 Brucella abortus is an important zoonotic pathogen that infects cattle and buffaloes. In Italy the application of eradication programs combined with vaccination has greatly contributed to reduce the incidence of brucellosis. However, despite the eradication programs brucellosis continue to persist with a high endemicity in some areas of Italy including the province of Caserta. In the present study the genomes of 44 B. abortus strains isolated from different outbreak cases that affected the province of Caserta were sequenced to characterize the genetic diversity of the Brucella strains circulating during the period from 2017 to 2022. The relatedness among these isolates was compared to 52 publicly available genomes of Italian B. abortus isolates. The results highlighted a low genetic diversity in the B. abortus population present in the Caserta area with the persistence of a low number of Brucella lineages and suggests a reduction in circulating lineages in recent years due to eradication programs. • The population of B. abortus in the Caserta area has undergone a progressive reduction in genetic diversity. • The brucellosis eradication programs implemented in the Caserta area likely reduced genetic diversity in Brucella. • The outbreaks of brucellosis in the Caserta area were due to the persistence of the same lineages of Brucella abortus .
First WGS Characterization of Streptococcus suis Isolated From a Case of Human Meningitis in Southern Italy Giovanna Fusco, Saveria Dodaro, Maria Vittoria Mauro, Francesca Greco, Lorella Barca, Rubina Paradiso, Antonio Limone, Maria Garzi Cosentino, Agata Campione, Giovanna De Luca, Bianca Cecere, Sonia Greco, Valeria Vangeli, Esterina De Carlo, Giorgia Borriello, Antonio Mastroianni Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 2024
Effect of rennet on buffalo cheese microbiota, taste and flavor Angela M. I. Montone, Angelo Citro, Germana Colarusso, Francesca Garofalo, Rubina Paradiso, Giorgia Borriello, Domenico Vecchio, Federico Capuano Revista Cientifica De La Facultad De Veterinaria, 2023
Identification of Altered miRNAs in Cerumen of Dogs Affected by Otitis Externa Cristina Lecchi, Valentina Zamarian, Giorgia Borriello, Giorgio Galiero, Guido Grilli, Mario Caniatti, Elisa Silvia D'Urso, Paola Roccabianca, Roberta Perego, Michela Minero, Sara Legnani, Raffaele Calogero, Maddalena Arigoni, Fabrizio Ceciliani Frontiers in Immunology, 2020
PCR detection of Neospora caninum in water buffalo foetal tissues Clementina Auriemma, Maria Lucibelli, Giorgia Borriello, Esterina Carlo, Alessandra Martucciello, Lorena Schiavo, Amalia Gallo, Francesca Bove, Federica Corrado, Santa Girardi, Maria Amoroso, Barbara Ďegli Uberti, Giorgio Galiero Acta Parasitologica, 2014
Detection of toxin genes by pcr in clostridium perfringens isolates collected from water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) affected by lethal enterotoxemia Buffalo Bulletin, 2013
Infectious gastroenteritis in water buffalo calves: Identification and characterization of the major aetiological agents in herds of the Campania region Large Animal Review, 2012
