Lisa Guardone

• Dr. Vet Med, PhD
• University of Pisa

Dibothriocephalosis is a fish-borne parasitic zoonosis that is caused by tapeworms of the Dibothriocephalus (syn. Diphyllobothrium) genus. This paper describes a human case of dibothriocephalosis associated with the consumption of a presumably infected fish, prepared at a restaurant near Iseo Lake (northern Italy). A month after, the patient found...

Milk has been consumed by humans for thousands of years for its nutritional properties. In recent years, raw milk demand has increased, valued for its authenticity and connection to local traditions. In Italy, the sale of raw milk is allowed exclusively through direct sale from the producing farm to the final consumer, either at the producing farm...

The European subtype of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV-Eur; species Orthoflavivirus encephalitidis, family Flaviviridae) was the only tick-borne flavivirus present in central Europe known to cause neurologic disease in humans and several animal species. Here, we report a tick-borne flavivirus isolated from Alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra r...

Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) pose a global threat to both canine and public health. This study evaluates the prevalence of Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), Rickettsia conorii, and Dirofilaria immitis in domestic dogs in Liguria, north-west Italy, a region where data were lacking. From 2013 to 2023, 858...

The inland bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) is a lizard species commonly kept as a pet worldwide. Endoparasites are among the most important pathogens affecting bearded dragons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the endoparasites in captive P. vitticeps in Italy. Faecal samples from 30 P. vitticeps were analysed by fresh faecal smears, flotati...

In the present study, in order to expand the knowledge on the distribution of parasites of the genus Eustrongylides in never investigated Italian lacustrine areas of Tuscany and Latium, fish specimens from four Tuscan lakes (Bilancino, Chiusi, Montedoglio and San Cipriano) and two Latium lakes (Bolsena and Bracciano) were collected and analyzed. Th...

Simple Summary This systematic review focuses on the occurrence of fish-borne zoonotic helminths, including Clinostomum complanatum, Contracaecum rudolphii, Dibothriocephalus latus, Eustrongylides excisus, Opisthorchis felineus, and Pseudamphistomum truncatum, in freshwater fish populations of Italy and neighbouring countries. The study outlines th...

Pufferfish (Tetraodontidae) inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea may represent an emerging public health risk due to the possible accumulation of marine neurotoxins such as tetrodotoxin (TTXs) and saxitoxin (STXs) in their tissues. In this study, the presence of pufferfish species in the Strait of Sicily (Lampedusa Island, Italy) was investigated using...

Pufferfish (Tetraodontidae) inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea can represent an emerging public health risk due to the possible accumulation of marine neurotoxins (TTXs and STXs) in their tissues. In this study, the presence of pufferfish species in the Strait of the Sicily (Lampedusa Island, Italy) was investigated using a Citizen Science (CS) appro...

Background and Objectives Transboundary animal diseases (TADs) impact animal health and countries’ economies. This work aimed to assess if the Land Western Balkan route for mixed human migration could play a role in spreading TADs with a focus on African Swine Fever (ASF) and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD). Material and Methods Between 2019 and 2022, s...

Most surveys of pathogens in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have focused on particular agents. The aim of this study was to verify, with bacteriological and molecular analyses, the occurrence of the main bacterial and protozoan pathogens that are able to infect canids, in red foxes regularly hunted in Central Italy. Spleen, brain, kidney and fecal sampl...

Environmental changes, due to climatic emergency and to anthropogenic activities severely impact on the epidemiology of vector borne diseases, mostly when transmitted by ticks. The data about the distribution of microorganisms responsible for them in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) population living in Italy are scanty and completely lacking in Tusc...

In recent years, the EU and neighbouring countries have experienced the progressive spreading of several infectious diseases, including African Swine Fever and Lumpy Skin Disease, with a high impact on animal health and countries’ economy, and a threat on European integration, trade and mobility patterns, historical rural livelihoods, and local gas...

Parasitic nematodes of the genus Anisakis are among the most important biological hazards associated with seafood. A survey of Anisakis spp. in European hake (Merluccius merluccius) was undertaken as this species is a staple of the Portuguese diet. Moreover, a literature review of cases of anisakiosis reported from Portugal, a country with one of t...

In the last few years, the widespread diffusion of potentially zoonotic parasitic nematodes of the genus Eustrongylides in the Trasimeno Lake, Central Italy, prompted FBOs operating in the freshwater fish supply chain to define preventive measures to reduce or eliminate this new hazard from fishery products. The results of the self-checks for paras...

Game meat is increasingly appreciated and consumed in Europe, also due to the growing population of wild ungulates. In addition to interesting nutritional properties and market opportunities, game meat is characterized by some specific public health issues. This review focuses on the etiology, epidemiology, public health aspects and risk management...

Obtaining a Veterinary Surgeon degree relies on the acquisition of “Day One Competences” (DOCs), among which professional skills related to meat inspection are acquired during visits to abattoirs. In 2020, lockdown measures due to COVID-19 pandemic limited on-site practical training. The present study describes the creation of an e-learning course...

An analysis of the notifications in the European Union (EU) Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) portal due to residues of veterinary drugs in fish and fish products over the period 2001–2021 was conducted examining the following data: number and type of notifications; year of notification; notification basis; notifying country; country of...

Wild avifauna may act as fecal source of bacterial and parasitic pathogens for other birds and mammals. Most of these pathogens have a relevant impact on human and livestock health which may cause severe disease and economic loss. In the present study, the fecal samples collected from 121 wild birds belonging to 15 species of the genera Anas, Tador...

Off-leash dog parks are designated public spaces where dogs can move freely, under their owners’ supervision. These areas, allowing animals to socialize and move freely, are fundamental for dogs’ welfare. However, different pathogens, even zoonotic, may be excreted by the attending animals and contaminate the environment. The aim of the present stu...

This study was performed to assess the possible relationship between gastrointestinal strongylid infections and milk quantity and quality in donkeys used for milk production. Individual fecal and milk samples were collected from 16 multiparous lactating jennies of Amiatina breed at their 6th month of lactation. Statistical analysis was carried out...

The aim of this poster is to make a Literature Review about the microplastics in Bivalves molluscs, to support an exposure assessment to humans. In fact, microplastics are defined as heterogeneous mixture of differently shaped materials in the range of 0.1–5,000 µm and, because of their small size and widespread occurrence, they are now available a...

Gilthead seabream and European seabass are among the most appreciated farmed fish species in the European Union. This case study analysed the self-control plan procedures adopted in an offshore cage farm in Central Italy to prevent anisakids infection, in the light of the Anisakis contamination pathways previously proposed for farmed Atlantic salmo...

Donkeys may be susceptible to many pathological agents and may act as carriers of pathogens for other animal species and humans. This study evaluated the occurrence of potentially abortifacient apicomplexan protozoa DNA in blood and milk samples collected at different time periods during lactation (1, 6, and 10 months) from 33 healthy dairy jennies...

Cats may be affected by a wide range of arthropod-borne pathogens (ABPs) of medical and veterinary interest. Between February 2018 and October 2019, 85 blood samples were collected from stray cats from the Emilia Romagna region (northern Italy). Ticks (n = 28) on the examined cats were also collected. Serological and molecular methods were applied...

The activities performed by the Official Veterinarian at the slaughterhouse represent a useful source of data for the control of issues affecting human and animal health and welfare. This study analyzed the data deriving from ten years (2010–2019) of meat inspection in a pig slaughterhouse in Tuscany (Italy) to investigate the transport mortality r...

Pearsonema spp. nematodes infect the urinary bladder of domestic and wild carnivores. The red fox is considered a reservoir of Pearsonema plica, while the prevalence of Pearsonema spp. in domestic carnivores is still poorly known. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of Pearsonema spp. infection in privately owned cats (26) and dogs (83) from...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence, infection level and distribution of ascaridoid larvae in cephalopod products sold in Italy. Data on the species most commonly commercialized as whole and fresh on the Italian market were collected. After comparing commercial and literature data, Eledone spp., comprising E. cirrhosa and E. moscha...

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced as secondary metabolite by various Aspergillus and Penicillium species, with ascertained nephrotoxic, immunotoxic, carcinogenic and teratogenic potential. As a result of the introduction of alternative vegetable sources to substitute fish meal and fish oil, OTA may also contaminate aquafeed. This represent...

Cephalopods, an appreciated seafood product, are common hosts of marine cestodes. The aim of this work is to report visible alive plerocercoids in longfin inshore squid (Doryteuthis pealeii), a cephalopod species commercialized as fresh and whole in Italy. Seventy D. pealeii from the Northwest Atlantic (FAO area 21) were collected and visually insp...

Eustrongylides spp. are cosmopolitan parasitic nematodes with several freshwater fish species as intermediate or paratenic hosts, rarely reported as zoonotic agents. This work aims to report, for the first time, the occurrence of this parasite in specimens of big scale sand smelt (Atherina boyeri) caught in the lake Massaciuccoli (Northwest Tuscany...

Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) and European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) are among the most popular fish on the Italian and European market. The present study aimed to assess the occurrence and localization of ascaridoid nematodes in wild specimens of these two species caught in a previously not investigated area of the Tyrrhenian Sea (FAO sub...

In November 2019, the FishLab was consulted by a wholesaler for solving an identification issue concerning a batch of products labelled as “Chilean mussels” (Mytilus chilensis). Samples of the batch had been molecularly identified first as M. chilensis by an external private lab and, subsequently, as Choromytilus chorus through a second analysis en...

Arthropod-borne diseases (ABD) are of increasing interest in veterinary and public health. Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) are known to harbor a wide range of pathogens, but information on their role as ABD reservoirs and their potential epidemiological relevance is limited. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of arthropod-borne pathogens...

Livestock is essential to global small scale farmers’ livelihoods. In Senegal, despite an increasing urbanisation, half of the population lives in rural areas relying on agricultural activities. The present work, which was carried out in the framework of a development project in the Kédougou region (South-East Senegal), analyses activities supporti...

The presented global retrospective study on human cases of tetrodotoxin (TTX) intoxication caused by seafood consumption was aimed at updating the relative risk according to seafood product categories (fish, gastropods, cephalopods, arthropods) and geographical areas. Overall, 3032 cases from five continents were collected, mainly from Asia. Over h...

The One Health (OH) approach to global health recommends a holistic view to face complex challenges that threaten human, animal and environmental health, through effective social policies and responsible management of natural resources (FAO, 2011). In this scenario, food security is a global priority that needs a multidisciplinary approach. In the...

The present study aimed at verifying labelling compliance to the current EU legislation, as well as the products' identity against substitution incidents, of processed herring currently available on the Italian market. Totally, one hundred and twenty-two herring samples including whole smoked exemplars, smoked fillets, pickled and canned products w...

Species substitution, favoured by the high supply chain complexity and the huge number of marketable species, poses economic and health issues and contribute to stocks exploitation. To face this issue, the current EU Regulation no. 1379/2013 imposes to the Member States to publish a list reporting the official designations, corresponding to species...

Herring is the third most commercialized fish species in the EU and a common host of Anisakis spp. larvae. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence, distribution and viability of Anisakis spp. larvae in different kind of ready to eat (RTE) herring products. One hundred and thirty-five products, consisting of 50 smoked whole specimens and...

A retrospective analysis on human anisakiasis in Italy since its first description in 1996 was performed by conducting a literature search. Inclusion criteria based on the presence of a larva and on parasite identification were applied. Epidemiological data and clinical features were analysed. Particular attention was paid to the source of infectio...

Food Business Operators (FBOs) rely on laboratory analysis to ensure seafood traceability. DNA barcoding and Forensically Informative Nucleotide Sequencing may represent a support within self-checking programs finalized to suppliers’ qualification and products identity certification. The present study aimed at verifying the usefulness of a decision...

Several studies have demonstrated that fish feeds contain significant concentrations of chemical contaminants, many of which can bioaccumulate and bioconcentrate in fish tissues. The serious concern regarding the use of fish meal and fish oil in the the aquaculture industry has led to extensive search of alternative raw materials for aquafeeds. The...

Through the analysis of the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) portal, this study aimed at highlighting the most relevant noncompliance affecting seafood and explore possible relationships between variables characterizing notified products. Trends in RASFF notifications can be useful to improve controls and audits of official authority...

Several pufferfish species belonging to the Tetraodontidae family are currently present in the Mediterranean Sea. Since 2013 Lagocephalus sceleratus is increasingly reported also along Italian coasts, where other two species of less concern, Lagocephalus lagocephalus and Sphoeroides pachygaster, also occur since a long time. This study represents o...

In this study the occurrence of visible anisakid larvae in semi-preserved anchovy products sold on the Italian market was investigated. Totally, 107 ready to eat products (33 salted-ripened, 49 in oil and 25 marinated) were sampled. Each sample was digested, then the digested material was observed under natural and UV light. Parasites were counted,...

Squids, cuttlefish and octopus are used for the preparation of traditional products sold on the Chinese market without a specific denomination. In this study DNA barcoding and phylogenetic distance analysis of COI and 16S rRNA genes' fragments were used to characterize the most commonly processed species in dried whole, grilled shredded and salted...

The importation of fishery products into the European Union (EU) is constantly rising. The aim of this study was to conduct a survey on labeling non-compliances on fishery products imported from non-EU/extra-European countries, in collaboration with the veterinary staff of the Italian Ministry of Health Border Inspection Post of Livorno-Pisa (BIP)-...

The European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), one of the most important pelagic fish resources in the Mediterranean Sea, is frequently infected by anisakid larvae. Food Business Operators (FBOs) should use appropriate sampling plans and analytical methods to avoid commercialization of massively infected batches and reduce the risk of transmission...

The present study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of gastrointestinal and cardio-respiratory parasites in dogs in Liguria (northwest Italy) which is a region that has scarcely been studied. A total of 450 dogs (260 males and 190 females) were enrolled in the study from 2009 and 2013. All dogs lived in a rural or semi-rural environment in t...

The presence of anisakid larvae in fish is a public health issue, and effective risk management procedures are needed to avoid that heavily infected products reach the market. Currently, an official sampling plan for fresh fish defining sample size, inspection methods, and criteria to accept or reject the merchandise is lacking at the European and...

M13 universal non-homologous oligonucleotide tails incorporated into universal primers have been shown to improve amplification and sequencing performance. However, a few protocols use these tails in the field of food inspection. In this study, two types of M13 tails (by Steffens and Messing) were selected to assess their benefits using universal c...

The morphological similarity among Sparidae species, which are characterized by a different market price, represents a serious problem for their trade and for stock management, since it encourages frauds for substitution. The most accredited morphological method for their identification is based on the dental-plate, but this approach is not simple...

This paper reports the findings of a study on the presence of various species of filarial nematodes in dogs in Liguria, north-west Italy, a region traditionally considered free from the disease. Between 2009 and 2012 blood samples were taken from 365 dogs in rural areas in Liguria. The blood samples were then submitted to Knott's test, histochemica...

The number of seafood species sold on Western markets is constantly growing and many unconventional species are sold in ethnic food outlets. In this work, 68 ethnic seafood products variously processed were collected from the Italian market and a molecular analysis was performed by sequencing a full cytochrome c oxidase (COI) DNA barcode (FDB, ∼655...

The morphological similarity among Sparidae species, which are characterized by a different market price, represents a serious problem for their trade and for stock management, since it encourages fraud for substitution. The most accredited morphological method for their identification is based on the dental-plate, but this approach is not simple a...

Extraintestinal nematodes of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) are a wide group of parasites that infect wild and domestic carnivores and occasionally humans. Nematodes in the cardiopulmonary system, stomach, urinary apparatus and muscle tissue of 165 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from north-west Italy (Liguria and Piedmont) were investigated between 2009 an...

CBed bugs (Cimex lectularius) have been a common problem for humans for at least 3,500 years and in Europe their presence was endemic until the end of World War II, when infestations began to decrease. However, since the beginning of the 21st century new cases of infestations have been reported in developed countries. Many theories have been put fo...

Several species of Trichuridae nematodes can infect dogs, cats and wild mammals. The diagnosis of these infections relies on the microscopic identification of eggs which are characterized by a similar "lemon" shape and polar plugs in all Trichuridae. Thus, morphological diagnosis to species level is challenging. The use of biomolecular diagnostic m...

Calodium hepaticum (Bancroft, 1893) Moravec, 1982 (syn. Capillaria hepatica) is a cosmopolitan capillariid nematode, infecting mainly rodents and occasionally other mammals, including humans. Reports of C. hepaticum in canids are rare and the present one is, to the best of our knowledge, the first reported case in a red fox (Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus)...

Calodium hepaticum (Bancroft, 1893) Moravec, 1982 (syn. Capillaria hepatica) is a cosmopolitan capillariid nematode, infecting mainly rodents and occasionally other mammals, including humans. reports of C. hepaticum in canids are rare and the present one is, to the best of our knowledge, the first reported case in a red fox (Vulpes vulpes linnaeus)...

As a part of a wider study that examined endoparasites of carnivores in northwest Italy, 270 canine fecal samples were analyzed with flotation techniques. Overall prevalence was 7.4 % for Capillaria spp. and 12.2 % for Trichuris vulpis. This article stresses the importance of an accurate morphological and morphometrical analysis to distinguish eggs...

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BACKGROUND: Considering the increasing importance of small animals travel medicine and the spread of filariae with zoonotic potential to non-endemic European areas, routine filarial diagnosis in dogs is becoming important. Dirofilaria immitis, D. repens, Acanthocheilonema dracunculoides and A. reconditum are the most common canine filarial nematode...

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Dogs can be infected by several nematodes of the Trichuridae family. Trichuridae eggs are all similar, barrel shaped with polar plugs, and misdiagnosis among different species can occur. The most common species is Trichuris vulpis, while the respiratory parasites Eucoleus boehmi (syn. Capillaria boehmi) and Eucoleus aerophilus (syn. Capillaria aero...

The most frequently employed method for the diagnosis of Angiostrongylus vasorum in dogs is the detection of first stage larvae (L1) in faeces. The sensitivity of coproscopy, however, is limited in case of low parasite load, intermittent larval excretion, and during pre-patency. An epidemiological survey on dogs was conducted applying serological m...

Calodium hepaticum (Bancroft, 1893) Moravec, 1982 (syn. Capillaria hepatica) is a cosmopolitan capillariid nematode, infecting mainly rodents and occasionally other mammals, including humans. Reports of C. hepaticum in canids are rare and the present one is, to the best of our knowledge, the first reported case in a red fox (Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus)...