Giuseppe Ru

• DVM PhD MSE
• Principal Investigator at Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale di Piemonte Liguria e Valle d'Aosta The Veterinary Medical Research Institute for Piedmont, Liguria and the Aosta Valley

The one health approach is gaining popularity among health professional training programs. However, it is often too theoretical and disconnected from specific epidemiological fields. This paper describes an experimental epidemiology course in one health targeted to young professionals that was originally planned as an in-person course but was later...

Slovenia submitted a request to the European Commission to be recognised as a Member State with negligible risk of classical scrapie. EFSA has been asked to assess if Slovenia has demonstrated that, between 2016 and 2022, a sufficient number of ovine and caprine animals over 18 months old, representative of those slaughtered, culled or found dead h...

The global spread of emerging infectious diseases in the late 20th century contributed to the development of the One Health approach (OH). However, environmental issues were initially neglected by the OH agenda. This paper describes two case studies of environmental contamination in Italy that catalysed the integration of environmental health into...

Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat, and pet-associated strains may pose a risk to human health. Equine veterinarians are at high risk of carrying methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS), but specific risk factors remain elusive, and few data are available for other personnel involved in the horse industry. The prevalence, characteristics...

Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus and non‐O1/non‐O139 Vibrio cholerae are the Vibrio spp. of highest relevance for public health in the EU through seafood consumption. Infection with V. parahaemolyticus is associated with the haemolysins thermostable direct haemolysin (TDH) and TDH‐related haemolysin (TRH) and mainly leads to acute gastroe...

The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) process was developed to provide a safety assessment approach for microorganisms intended for use in food or feed chains. In the period covered by this statement, no new information was found that would change the status of previously recommended QPS TUs. The TUs in the QPS list were updated based on a veri...

The European Commission requested an estimation of the BSE risk (C‐, L‐ and H‐BSE) from gelatine and collagen derived from ovine, caprine or bovine bones, and produced in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, or Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 and its implementing Regulation (EU) No 142/2011. A quantitative risk assessment was developed to esti...

Salmonellosis, one of the most common foodborne infections in Europe, is monitored by food safety surveillance programmes, resulting in the generation of extensive databases. By leveraging tree-based machine learning (ML) algorithms, we exploited data from food safety audits to predict spatiotemporal patterns of salmonellosis in northwestern Italy....

Two alternative methods for producing compost in a tunnel, from certain category (Cat.) 3 animal by‐products (ABP) and other non‐ABP material, were assessed. The first method proposed a minimum temperature of 55°C for 72 h and the second 60°C for 48 h, both with a maximum particle size of 200 mm. The assessment of the Panel on Biological Hazards (B...

Surveillance data published since 2010, although limited, showed that there is no evidence of zoonotic parasite infection in market quality Atlantic salmon, marine rainbow trout, gilthead seabream, turbot, meagre, Atlantic halibut, common carp and European catfish. No studies were found for greater amberjack, brown trout, African catfish, European...

Listeria monocytogenes (in the meat, fish and seafood, dairy and fruit and vegetable sectors), Salmonella enterica (in the feed, meat, egg and low moisture food sectors) and Cronobacter sakazakii (in the low moisture food sector) were identified as the bacterial food safety hazards most relevant to public health that are associated with persistence...

The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) process was developed to provide a safety assessment approach for microorganisms intended for use in food or feed chains. The QPS approach is based on an assessment of published data for each taxonomic unit (TU), with respect to its taxonomic identity, the body of relevant knowledge and safety concerns. Saf...

The contamination of water used in post‐harvest handling and processing operations of fresh and frozen fruit, vegetables and herbs (ffFVHs) is a global concern. The most relevant microbial hazards associated with this water are: Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., human pathogenic Escherichia coli and enteric viruses, which have been linked to...

The Czech Republic submitted a request to the European Commission to be recognised as a Member State with negligible risk of classical scrapie. EFSA has been asked to assess if the Czech Republic in its application has demonstrated for a period of at least 7 years (2015–2021) and proposed for the future, that a sufficient number of ovine and caprin...

The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) approach was developed to provide a regularly updated generic pre‐evaluation of the safety of microorganisms intended for use in the food or feed chains. Safety concerns identified for a taxonomic unit (TU) are, where possible, confirmed at the species/strain or product level and reflected by ‘qualification...

Geographic information requires special modelling and analysis methods [1]. GIS technicians base the selection of data modelling and application methods on many factors including the available software, reason for the application, and, especially, user's level of training and examples from the literature [2]. Despite the increased interest in GIS a...

The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) approach was developed to provide a regularly updated generic pre-evaluation of the safety of microorganisms, intended for use in the food or feed chains, to support the work of EFSA's Scientific Panels. The QPS approach is based on an assessment of published data for each agent, with respect to its taxonom...

An assessment was conducted on the level of inactivation of relevant pathogens that could be present in processed animal protein of porcine origin intended to feed poultry and aquaculture animals when methods 2 to 5 and method 7, as detailed in Regulation (EU) No 142/2011, are applied. Five approved scenarios were selected for method 7. Salmonella...

The European Commission requested an analysis of the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) monitoring programme in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (9 January 2017-28 February 2022). Thirteen cases were detected in reindeer, 15 in moose and 3 in red deer. They showed two phenotypes, distinguished by the presence or ab...

The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) approach was developed to provide a regularly updated generic pre-evaluation of the safety of microorganisms, intended for use in the food or feed chains, to support the work of EFSA's Scientific Panels. The QPS approach is based on an assessment of published data for each agent, with respect to its taxonom...

The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) provides a generic pre‐assessment of the safety of microorganisms intended for use in the food or feed chains, to support the work of EFSA's Scientific Panels. QPS assessment allows a fast track evaluation of strains belonging to QPS taxonomic units (TUs): species for bacteria, yeast, fungi, protists/microa...

The impact of dry-ageing of beef and wet-ageing of beef, pork and lamb on microbiological hazards and spoilage bacteria was examined and current practices are described. As 'standard fresh' and wet-aged meat use similar processes these were differentiated based on duration. In addition to a description of the different stages, data were collated on...

An alternative method for the production of renewable fuels from rendered animal fats (pretreated using methods 1-5 or method 7 as described in Annex IV of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2011/142) and used cooking oils, derived from Category 3 animal by-products, was assessed. The method is based on a catalytic co-processing hydrotreatment using a m...

The transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) between food-producing animals (poultry, cattle and pigs) during short journeys (< 8 h) and long journeys (> 8 h) directed to other farms or to the slaughterhouse lairage (directly or with intermediate stops at assembly centres or control posts, mainly transported by road) was assessed. Among the i...

Swine farms are considered a hotspot of antimicrobial resistance and may contribute to the spread of antibiotic-resistant and/or pathogenic bacteria into the environment as well as to farm workers. In this study, swine faecal samples have been collected over the primary production, selecting three categories, i.e., “Suckling piglets”, “Weaning pigs...

Advances in tumour research are crucial, and comparative oncology can improve the knowledge in several ways. Dogs are not only models of specific naturally occurring tumours but can also be sentinels of environmental exposures to carcinogens, as they share the same environment with their owners. The purpose of this work was to describe the data col...

The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) approach was developed to provide a regularly updated generic pre-evaluation of the safety of microorganisms, intended for use in the food or feed chains, to support the work of EFSA's Scientific Panels. The QPS approach is based on an assessment of published data for each agent, with respect to its taxonom...

Foodborne zoonotic diseases and multi-drug resistance are of global concern for public health. Nontyphoid serotypes of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica are the second most reported cause of food-borne outbreaks in Europe. Disease incidence in humans have generally flattened out in last years thanks to the sanitary improvements gained in the vete...

European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) is one of the most economically important fish species in the Mediterranean Sea area. Despite strict requirements regarding indications of production method (wild/farmed), incorrect labelling of sea bass is a practice still frequently detected. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capabilities of two...

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease that affects cervids; it is classified under transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). CWD is particularly contagious, making its eradication in endemic areas very difficult and creating serious problems for cervid conservation and breeding. It has recently become an emerging public health ri...

High-pressure processing (HPP) is a non-thermal treatment in which, for microbial inactivation, foods are subjected to isostatic pressures (P) of 400–600 MPa with common holding times (t) from 1.5 to 6 min. The main factors that influence the efficacy (log10 reduction of vegetative microorganisms) of HPP when applied to foodstuffs are intrinsic (e....

Chlamydiaceae are obligatory intracellular bacteria causing acute and chronic diseases in animals and humans worldwide, with recently discovered species with a still unclear pathogenic potential (i.e., C. gallinacea). In Italy, Chlamydiaceae infections are underestimated both in animals and humans. To estimate the prevalence of Chlamydiaceae specie...

Abstract The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) approach was developed to provide a generic pre‐evaluation of the safety of biological agents. The QPS approach is based on an assessment of published data for each agent, with respect to its taxonomic identity, the body of relevant knowledge and safety concerns. Safety concerns are, where possible...

The European Commission requested EFSA to assess if different thermal processes achieve a 5 log10 reduction in Enterococcus faecalis or Salmonella Senftenberg (775W) and (if relevant) a 3 log10 reduction in thermoresistant viruses (e.g. Parvovirus) as well as if different chemical processes achieve a 3 log10 reduction of eggs of Ascaris sp., in eig...

Abstract The specific concentrations of florfenicol and thiamphenicol in non‐target feed for food‐producing animals, below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in bacteria relevant for human and animal health, as well as the specific antimicrobial concentrations in feed which have an effect in ter...

Abstract The specific concentrations of tilmicosin, tylosin and tylvalosin in non‐target feed for food‐producing animals, below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in bacteria relevant for human and animal health, as well as the specific antimicrobial concentrations in feed which have an effect i...

Abstract The specific concentrations of tetracycline, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline and doxycycline in non‐target feed for food‐producing animals, below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in bacteria relevant for human and animal health, as well as the specific antimicrobial concentrations...

Abstract The specific concentrations of apramycin, paromomycin, neomycin and spectinomycin in non‐target feed for food‐producing animals, below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in bacteria relevant for human and animal health, as well as the specific antimicrobial concentrations in feed which...

Abstract The specific concentrations of amprolium in non‐target feed for food‐producing animals, below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in bacteria relevant for human and animal health, as well as the specific antimicrobial concentrations in feed which have an effect in terms of growth promoti...

Abstract The specific concentrations of colistin in non‐target feed for food‐producing animals, below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in bacteria relevant for human and animal health, as well as the specific antimicrobial concentrations in feed which have an effect in terms of growth promotio...

Abstract The specific concentrations of trimethoprim in non‐target feed for food‐producing animals below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in bacteria relevant for human and animal health, as well as the specific antimicrobial concentrations in feed which have an effect in terms of growth promo...

Abstract The specific concentrations of tiamulin and valnemulin in non‐target feed for food‐producing animals, below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in bacteria relevant for human and animal health, as well as the specific antimicrobial concentrations in feed which have an effect in terms of...

Abstract The specific concentrations of lincomycin in non‐target feed for food‐producing animals, below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in bacteria relevant for human and animal health, as well as the specific antimicrobial concentrations in feed which have an effect in terms of growth promot...

Abstract The specific concentrations of amoxicillin and penicillin V in non‐target feed for food‐producing animals, below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in bacteria relevant for human and animal health, as well as the specific antimicrobial concentrations in feed which have an effect in term...

Abstract The European Commission requested EFSA to assess, in collaboration with EMA, the specific concentrations of antimicrobials resulting from cross‐contamination in non‐target feed for food‐producing animals below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in microbial agents relevant for human and...

Abstract The specific concentrations of flumequine and oxolinic acid in non‐target feed for food‐producing animals, below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in bacteria relevant for human and animal health, as well as the specific antimicrobial concentrations in feed which have an effect in term...

Abstract The specific concentrations of sulfonamides in non‐target feed for food‐producing animals, below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in bacteria relevant for human and animal health, as well as the specific antimicrobial concentrations in feed which have an effect in terms of growth prom...

The European Commission asked EFSA whether the scientific data on the 2-year intensified monitoring in atypical scrapie (AS) outbreaks (2013-2020) provide any evidence on the contagiousness of AS, and whether they added any new knowledge on the epidemiology of AS. An ad hoc data set from intensified monitoring in 22 countries with index case/s of A...

The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) approach was developed to provide a regularly updated generic pre-evaluation of the safety of biological agents, intended for addition to food or feed, to support the work of EFSA's Scientific Panels. The QPS approach is based on an assessment of published data for each agent, with respect to its taxonomic...

The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants and their rapid spread pose a threat to both human and animal health and may conceal unknown risks. This report describes an Italian human-to-cat outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 (the Alpha variant) . On March 7th, 2021, approximately ten days after COVID-19 appeared in the family, the onset of respira...

The role of food-producing environments in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in EU plant-based food production, terrestrial animals (poultry, cattle and pigs) and aquaculture was assessed. Among the various sources and transmission routes identified, fertilisers of faecal origin, irrigation and surface water for plant-based...

A risk-based approach was used to develop guidance to be followed by food business operators (FBOs) when deciding on food information relating to storage conditions and/or time limits for consumption after opening a food package and thawing of frozen foods. After opening the package, contamination may occur, introducing new pathogens into the food...

Medicated feeds are widely used to treat bacterial infection in poultry, pig and aquaculture. During feed production process, carry-over can occur as an unintentional but unavoidable presence of traces of active substances in a feed batch to the next ones. Sharing information overall among different countries is a crucial step in order to contain d...

A new alternative method for the production of biodiesel from rendered fat, including animal by-product (ABP) Category 1 tallow, was evaluated. The method consists of a conversion phase, based on esterification and transesterification in a single step (at temperature ≥ 200°C, pressure ≥ 70 bar with a retention time ≥ 15 min), using MgO as a catalys...

In 2013, the European Union (EU) lifted the feed ban restriction, authorizing the use of non-ruminant (NR) processed animal proteins (PAPs) as ingredient in aquafeed. A further relaxation is soon expected, and NR PAPs will be allowed in next future in poultry and pig feed, avoiding cannibalism. Other potential hazards linked to PAPs as raw material...

Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality olive oil mainly due to its beneficial constituents and nutritional properties. However, olive oil adulteration is a common fraudulent practice by deliberate mislabelling of less expensive oil categories and admixing expensive olive oils with low oils. To protect consumers from such commercial frauds, a...

Superchilling entails lowering the fish temperature to between the initial freezing point of the fish and about 1-2°C lower. The temperature of superchilled fresh fishery products (SFFP) in boxes without ice was compared to that of products subject to the currently authorised practice in boxes with ice (CFFP) under the same conditions of on-land st...

The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) approach was developed to provide a regularly updated generic pre-evaluation of the safety of biological agents, intended for addition to food or feed, to support the work of EFSA's Scientific Panels. It is based on an assessment of published data for each agent, with respect to its taxonomic identity, the...

The description of the pattern of livestock movements between herds provides essential information for both improving risk‐based surveillance and to understand the likely spread of infectious diseases. This study provides a description of the temporal pattern of pig movements recorded in Italy on a four‐year period (2013‐2016). Data, provided by th...

In industrialized countries, increasing autochthonous infections of hepatitis E virus (HEV) are caused by zoonotic transmission of genotypes (Gts) 3 and 4, mainly through consumption of contaminated raw or undercooked pork meat. Although swine and wild boar are recognized as the main reservoir for Gt3 and Gt4, accumulating evidence indicates that o...

The potential effects of a 24 or 72-h delay in post-mortem inspection (PMI) of ungulates on public health and monitoring of animal health and welfare was evaluated. The assessment used a survey of meat inspectors, expert opinion, literature search and a stochastic model for Salmonella detection sensitivity. Disease detection sensitivity at a delaye...

A risk-based approach was developed to be followed by food business operators (FBO) when deciding on the type of date marking (i.e. 'best before' date or 'use by' date), setting of shelf-life (i.e. time) and the related information on the label to ensure food safety. The decision on the type of date marking needs to be taken on a product-by-product...

Canine testicular tumors account for about 90 % of tumors affecting the male genitalia. Seminomas (SEM), Sertoli cell tumors (SCT), and interstitial cell tumors (ICT) are the most common histological diagnoses, but their incidence shows high variability among studies. Our aim is to report the results on the analysis of testicular tumors recorded by...

EFSA was requested to estimate the cattle bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk (C-, L- and H-BSE) posed by ruminant collagen and gelatine produced from raw material fit for human consumption, or from material classified as Category 3 animal by-products (ABP), to be used in feed intended for non-ruminant animals, including aquaculture animals...

Two alternative methods for the production of compost from certain category 3 animal by-products (catering waste and processed foodstuffs of animal origin) were assessed. The first proposed a minimum temperature of 55°C for 72 h; the second 60°C for 48 h, each with a maximum particle size of 200 mm. The proposed composting processes were assessed b...

Dibothriocephalus latus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea; syn. Diphyllobothrium latum), is a fish-borne zoonotic parasite responsible for diphyllobothriasis in humans. Although D. latus has long been studied, many aspects of its epidemiology and distribution remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, mean...

Abstract The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) was developed to provide a generic safety evaluation for biological agents to support EFSA's Scientific Panels. It is based on an assessment of the taxonomic identity, the body of knowledge, safety concerns and antimicrobial resistance. Safety concerns identified for a taxonomic unit (TU) are where...

Abstract The 2011 EFSA opinion on Campylobacter was updated using more recent scientific data. The relative risk reduction in EU human campylobacteriosis attributable to broiler meat was estimated for on‐farm control options using Population Attributable Fractions (PAF) for interventions that reduce Campylobacter flock prevalence, updating the mode...

Abstract On‐land transport/storage of fresh fishery products (FFP) for up to 3 days in ‘tubs’ of three‐layered poly‐ethylene filled with freshwater and ice was compared to the currently authorised practice (fish boxes of high‐density poly‐ethylene filled with ice). The impact on the survival and growth of biological hazards in fish and the histamin...

Abstract An alternative method for the production of biodiesel from processed fats derived from Category 1, 2 and 3 animal by‐products was assessed. The method is based on a pre‐cleaning process, acidic esterification/transesterification of tallow using 1.5% methanesulfonic acid w/w; 140°C; 5.5 bar absolute pressure (bara); 4 h, followed by fractio...

A multi-country outbreak ofListeria monocytogenesST6 linked to blanched frozen vegetables (bfV)took place in the EU (2015–2018). Evidence of food-borne outbreaks shows thatL. monocytogenesisthe most relevant pathogen associated with bfV. The probability of illness per serving of uncooked bfV,for the elderly (65–74 years old) population, is up to 3,...

Small food businesses, because of their limited resources, are hard pressed to comply with the requirements of a conventional food safety management system (FSMS). To overcome it, the European legislation provides some flexibility in the application of FSMS. With this study, we evaluated the change in the perception and awareness of hazards in food...

Based on a large body of evidence asbestos minerals have been classified as carcinogens. Despite the Italian ban on asbestos in 1992 and the subsequent remediation activities, latent sources of contamination may still represent a hazard where asbestos were particularly used. Using wild rats as sentinel animals, this study aimed at uncovering sites...

Abstract Qualified presumption of safety (QPS) was developed to provide a generic safety evaluation for biological agents to support EFSA's Scientific Panels. The taxonomic identity, body of knowledge, safety concerns and antimicrobial resistance are assessed. Safety concerns identified for a taxonomic unit (TU) are where possible to be confirmed a...

Abstract The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) was developed to provide a safety pre‐assessment within EFSA for microorganisms. Strains belonging to QPS taxonomic units (TUs) still require an assessment based on a specific data package, but QPS status facilitates fast track evaluation. QPS TUs are unambiguously defined biological agents assesse...

Abstract The provisional molecular approach, proposed by EFSA in 2013, for the pathogenicity assessment of Shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli (STEC) has been reviewed. Analysis of the confirmed reported human STEC infections in the EU/EEA (2012–2017) demonstrated that isolates positive for any of the reported Shiga toxin (Stx) subtypes (and enc...

Animal and bait poisoning data for northwest Italy collected between 2012 and 2017 were described and analyzed to estimate the risk of exposure to hazardous substances by animals. In about 4% of animals necropsied (n = 356/9512), the cause of death was poisoning and domestic pets (9.5%) and synanthropic animals (12.2%) appear to be the most involve...

Abstract This Opinion considers the application of whole genome sequencing (WGS) and metagenomics for outbreak investigation, source attribution and risk assessment of food‐borne pathogens. WGS offers the highest level of bacterial strain discrimination for food‐borne outbreak investigation and source‐attribution as well as potential for more preci...

Abstract The European Commission asked EFSA for a Scientific Opinion: to revise the state of knowledge about the differences between the chronic wasting disease (CWD) strains found in North America (NA) and Europe and within Europe; to review new scientific evidence on the zoonotic potential of CWD and to provide recommendations to address the pote...

A simple method based on direct sampling analysis, coupled with a time of flight mass spectrometer, was developed to discriminate between wild and farmed sea bream on the basis of the docosahexaenoic and arachidonic fatty acid ratio. Good precision in repeatability and reproducibility (relative standard deviation < 15%) was obtained. The fatty acid...

In the European Union, there are surveillance systems to detect early appearance of classical swine fever (CSF), bluetongue (BT) and rabies, all notifiable diseases. In this study, we conducted a survey in three European countries, member of SPARE (SPatial Assessments of Risk for Europe) consortium to assess the surveillance systems for CSF, BT and...