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Francesca Gucciardi

  • Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 437-444 - MONOGRAPH

    Giuseppa Purpari, Santina Di Bella, Francesca Gucciardi, Francesco Mira, Santino Barreca, Laura Di Paola, Giusi Macaluso, Patrizia Di Marco & Annalisa Guercio
    Detection of human enteric viruses in water and shellfish samples collected in Sicily (Italy)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.437.444

    ABSTRACT
    Enteric viruses are responsible for foodborne and waterborne infections caused by contaminated food products and water, affecting a large number of people. Among the foods an important role is played by shellfish, on the ground that they can be eaten raw or undercooked. Data on food and water viral contamination in South of Italy are scarce and fragmentary. As illnesses result from the failure to control an hazard, the aim of this study was to detect the main pathogenic human enteric viruses in the environment, for evaluating the presence of viral contamination in shellfish and water samples collected in South of Italy (Sicily). The survey was conducted over a period of five years (2012–2016) on 16 water samples (sea waters, pipe waters and torrent water), and 72 fresh and frozen shellfishes from harvesting areas, restaurants, and markets during regional official control or checked at Veterinary Border Inspection Posts. Hepatitis A virus (HAV), GI and GII genogroup Norwalk virus (NoVs), Adenovirus and Rotavirus were detected by nucleic acid amplification (end-point and Real Time PCR/RTPCR) and sequence analysis. The most frequently detected viruses in shellfish were GI NoV (16.7%) and HAV (18.0%). Of the 16 water samples 12.5% were positive for GII NoV and 6.2% for RoV. Molecular surveillance of water and shellfish clearly demonstrated that human pathogenic viruses are widely found in aquatic environments and confirmed the role of bivalve molluscs as main reservoirs.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 431-436 - MONOGRAPH

    Giuseppa Purpari, Giusi Macaluso, Santina Di Bella, Francesco Mira, Vincenza Cannella, Francesca Gucciardi, Alessandra Castiglia, Patrizia Di Marco & Annalisa Guercio
    Viral encephalopathy and retinopathy (VER) in Mediterranean wild and farmed fish species: the experience of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Sicily (Italy)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.431.436

    ABSTRACT
    Betanodavirus infection is widespread in a broad spectrum of fish species worldwide. In Italy, it is responsible for outbreaks of Viral Encephalo-Retinopathy (VER) that causes mortality and economic losses in sea fish farming. The infection is also widespread in wildlife, where there are generally no observed clinical manifestations. In this study we report the results obtained from the decennial activity of Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Sicily on the research of Betanodavirus infection in wild fish of Mediterranean Sea and in farmed fish. Among the fish species analyzed, Gobius niger (Linnaeus, 1758), Mullus barbatus (Linnaeus, 1758), and Trisopterus minutus capelanus (Lacepède, 1800) were found positive and these could be a reservoir in which the virus can survive for long periods of time. The Betanodavirus isolation from pelagic species such as Pagellus erythrinus (Linnaeus, 1758), Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792), Lepidopus caudatus (Euphrasen, 1788), Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834), Epinephelus aeneus (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817) resulted interesting because these species could play a more significant epidemiological role, being able to move even at distances.