C Pinoni

Publications (9)14.76 Total impact

• Article: West Nile virus lineage 2 in Sardinian wild birds in 2012: a further threat to public health.

  G Savini, G Puggioni, A DI Gennaro, G DI Francesco, A M Rocchigiani, A Polci, V Marini, C Pinoni, S Rolesu, G Marruchella, A Lorusso, F Monaco
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  ABSTRACT: SUMMARY West Nile virus (WNV) strains belonging to lineage 2 were detected and isolated from the tissues of a goshawk and two carrion crows in Sardinia in August 2012. According to NS3 sequence analysis, the Sardinian isolates shared a high level of similarity with those of Italian lineage 2 strains which circulated in 2011 and with the homologous sequence of the 2004 Hungarian isolate. Following the human fatality reported in 2011 in Olbia, this study is the first to report the spread and enzootic circulation of WNV lineage 2 in Sardinia.
  Epidemiology and Infection 01/2013; · 2.84 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Gioia Capelli

  Article: Evidence of West Nile virus lineage 2 circulation in Northern Italy.

  G Savini, G Capelli, F Monaco, A Polci, F Russo, A Di Gennaro, V Marini, L Teodori, F Montarsi, C Pinoni, M Pisciella, C Terregino, S Marangon, I Capua, R Lelli
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  ABSTRACT: A West Nile virus (WNV) strain belonging to lineage 2 was for the first time detected in two pools of Culex pipiens collected in the province of Udine and in tissues of a wild collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) found dead in the province of Treviso, in North East of Italy. It was molecularly identified by group and WNV lineage specific RT-PCRs and characterized by partial sequencing of the NS3 and NS5 genes. When compared with the sequences of same fragments of NS3 and NS5 of the WNV lineage 2 strain isolated from birds of prey in Hungary (2004), the phylogenetic analysis of these sequences revealed 100% and 99% similarity, respectively. As the Hungarian strain, the NS3 selected sequence differed from the 2010 Greek isolate by one amino-acid located at 249 site which is the site involved in genetic modulation of WNV pathogenicity. The Italian and Hungarian strains have histidine rather than proline at this site. The presence of a lineage 2 strain in regions where the lineage 1 strain is still circulating, creates a new scenario with unpredictable consequences. In this situation comprehensive investigations on the occurrence, ecology, and epidemiology of these different WNV strains circulating in Italy become the highest priority.
  Veterinary Microbiology 02/2012; 158(3-4):267-73. · 3.33 Impact Factor
• Article: A new duplex real-time RT-PCR assay for sensitive and specific detection of African horse sickness virus.

  F Monaco, A Polci, R Lelli, C Pinoni, T Di Mattia, R S Mbulu, M Scacchia, G. Savini
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  ABSTRACT: A new real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for a simple and rapid diagnosis of African Horse Sickness (AHS) was developed. Primers and FAM-labeled TaqMan-MGB probes specific for African horse sickness virus (AHSV) were selected from the consensus sequence of the segment 8 of all 9 serotypes of AHSV reference strains. For the determination of the analytical sensitivity, an in vitro transcript (AHS_ns2T7) of the target region was constructed and tested. Furthermore, the AHS_ns2T7 transcript was used either as positive control or as a standard for quantifying target copies. A commercial heterologous Armored RNA was used as an internal positive control (IPC) for both RNA isolation and RT-PCR steps. The qRT-PCR AHS_ns2 was able to amplify the target sequence up to 0.71 copies/reaction. Its flexibility allowed to amplify a wide dynamic range of RNA copies from 1.5 to 0.001fg. Within this range, the Ct values varied from 18 to 38 cycles with SD values always lower than 0.5 confirming their strong and constant linear correlation with the RNA target. Furthermore the newly designed duplex real-time RT-PCR proved to be strictly AHSV-specific as it did not amplify close related viruses.
  Molecular and Cellular Probes 02/2011; 25(2-3):87-93. · 2.08 Impact Factor
• Article: 2009 West Nile disease epidemic in Italy: first evidence of overwintering in Western Europe?

  F Monaco, G. Savini, P Calistri, A Polci, C Pinoni, R Bruno, R Lelli
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  ABSTRACT: For the second consecutive year a West Nile disease (WND) epidemic has affected Italy causing disease in horses and humans. The infection re-occurred in the same places of the 2008 and moved westerly and southerly involving new areas and regions. The whole genome sequence of the Italian 2009 West Nile disease isolate (WNDV) was compared with those responsible for the 2008 WND outbreaks. The epidemiological findings of the two years of epidemic were compared as well. The high identity between 2008 and 2009 WNV strains (>99%), the earlier virus circulation in 2009 and the re-occurrence of the disease starting from the bordering infected areas reached by the infection in the previous year, strongly support the hypothesis of the overwintering of the virus and the endemisation to local host populations.
  Research in Veterinary Science 02/2011; 91(2):321-6. · 1.65 Impact Factor
• Article: Re-emergence of West Nile virus in Italy.

  F Monaco, R Lelli, L Teodori, C Pinoni, A Di Gennaro, A Polci, P Calistri, G Savini
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  ABSTRACT: In August 2008, West Nile disease re-emerged in Italy. The infection is affecting the North Eastern regions and, as of November 2008, has caused 33 clinical cases and five fatalities in horses. Until now, no deaths have been reported in birds. Mosquitoes, blood, serum and tissue samples, from horses and birds, within and around the outbreak area, have been collected and tested by various methods both serologically and virologically. West Nile virus strains have been isolated from blood samples of one horse and one donkey and from pools of brain, kidneys, heart and spleen of a pigeon and three magpies. When compared to the strain isolated during the 1998 Tuscany outbreak, the 255 bp sequence of the genome region coding for the envelope (E) protein of the isolated WNV strains, exhibited a 98.8% and 100% similarity at nucleotide and amino-acid level respectively.
  Zoonoses and Public Health 08/2009; 57(7-8):476-86. · 1.89 Impact Factor
• Article: Endogenous retroviruses in swine cell lines and evaluation of possible transmission to primate cellular systems.

  M Soncini, A Scalvini, E Bignotti, C Pinoni, R Fouchier
  Veterinary Research Communications 10/2003; 27 Suppl 1:363-5. · 0.82 Impact Factor
• Article: A study of the ability of a TK-negative and gI/gE-negative pseudorabies virus (PRV) mutant inoculated by different routes to protect pigs against PRV infection.

  M Ferrari, A Brack, M G Romanelli, T C Mettenleiter, A Corradi, N Dal Mas, M N Losio, R Silini, C Pinoni, A Pratelli
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  ABSTRACT: The capacity of a TK-negative (TK-) and gI/gE-negative (gI/gE-) pseudorabies virus (PRV) mutant to protect pigs against Aujeszky's disease carried out by experimental infection with a virulent PRV strain, was tested. There were three groups, each of four susceptible pigs which were inoculated twice by two different schedules. Group 1 received the modified virus by the intradermal (first inoculation)-intramuscular (second inoculation) routes; group 2 was treated by the intranasal (first inoculation)-intramuscular (second inoculation) routes. The third group was left untreated as the control. All of the pigs were challenged intranasally with a virulent PRV strain and they were subsequently injected with dexamethasone. Two pigs in each group were necropsied on days 5 and 15 after dexamethasone inoculation. The challenge exposure resulted in mild clinical signs, increase in growth and a shorter period of virus shedding in vaccinated pigs, whereas the control group showed severe signs of Aujeszky's disease. No difference in the titre of the virulent virus which was excreted by pigs of all three groups, was observed and all animals seroconverted. Both the mutant strain and the wild-type virus established a latent infection although only the latter was reactivated and shed. Slight lesions were observed in target tissues of the vaccinated animals and no significant differences were detected between the two inoculation schedules.
  Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series B 01/2001; 47(10):753-62. · 1.48 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: izs.it

  Article: Field vaccination of sheep with bivalent modified-live vaccine against bluetongue virus serotypes 2 and 9: effect on milk production.

  G Savini, F Monaco, A Facchinei, C Pinoni, S Salucci, F Cofini, M Di Ventura
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  ABSTRACT: In response to complaints of the potential side-effects of the bivalent live-modified vaccine used to control the spread of bluetongue (BT) virus (BTV) serotypes 2 and 9 in Italy, a study was conducted to determine the effects of immunisation on milk production. Thirty-four Comisana cross-bred sheep were vaccinated with the bivalent BTV-2/BTV-9 modified-live vaccine produced by Onderstepoort Biological Products in South Africa; six animals served as unvaccinated controls. All animals were bled twice a week for two months and the presence and titres of BTV in the blood determined. The somatic cell count, pH, fat, protein and lactose content of the milk, as well as the quantity of the milk produced, were also measured. Vaccine virus was isolated from vaccinated animals between day 3 and day 20 post vaccination (pv) with peak titres observed on days 3 and 6 pv for BTV-2 and BTV-9, respectively. Milk production declined in the vaccinated group between days 8 and 14 pv, with the greatest decrease on day 9 pv. No differences were observed in the somatic cell count and pH, or in the milk fat, protein and lactose content.
  Veterinaria italiana 40(4):627-30. · 0.67 Impact Factor
• Article: A new duplex real-time RT-PCR assay for sensitive and specific detection of African horse sickness virus

  F. Monaco, A. Polci, R. Lelli, C. Pinoni, T. Di Mattia, R.S. Mbulu, M. Scacchia, G. Savini
  [show abstract] [hide abstract]
  ABSTRACT: A new real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for a simple and rapid diagnosis of African Horse Sickness (AHS) was developed. Primers and FAM-labeled TaqMan-MGB probes specific for African horse sickness virus (AHSV) were selected from the consensus sequence of the segment 8 of all 9 serotypes of AHSV reference strains. For the determination of the analytical sensitivity, an in vitro transcript (AHS_ns2 T7) of the target region was constructed and tested. Furthermore, the AHS_ns2 T7 transcript was used either as positive control or as a standard for quantifying target copies. A commercial heterologous Armored RNA was used as an internal positive control (IPC) for both RNA isolation and RT-PCR steps. The qRT-PCR AHS_ns2 was able to amplify the target sequence up to 0.71 copies/reaction. Its flexibility allowed to amplify a wide dynamic range of RNA copies from 1.5 to 0.001 fg. Within this range, the Ct values varied from 18 to 38 cycles with SD values always lower than 0.5 confirming their strong and constant linear correlation with the RNA target. Furthermore the newly designed duplex real-time RT-PCR proved to be strictly AHSV-specific as it did not amplify close related viruses.
  Molecular and Cellular Probes.