The hidden cost of following currents: Microplastic ingestion in a planktivorous seabird.

Microplastics are increasingly pervasive pollutants, particularly abundant in the neuston where they drift with currents. We assessed dietary microplastic ingestion in the Mediterranean storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus melitensis), a small pelagic seabird that forages on plankton and inhabit the Mediterranean sea, one of the most polluted seas worldwide. We collected spontaneous regurgitates from 30 chick-rearing individuals and used GPS tracking data from 7 additional individuals to locate foraging areas. Birds foraged in pelagic areas characterized by water stirring and mixing, and regurgitates from 14 individuals (i.e. 45 %) contained microplastics. Fibers were the dominant shape (56 %), with polyester, polyethylene and nylon being the most frequent polymers. Our findings highlight the potential sensitivity of this species of conservation interest to plastic pollution and suggest that storm petrel regurgitates can be a valuable matrix to investigate microplastic ingestion in planktonic foragers, providing a characterization of spatio-temporal patterns of microplastic exposure in pelagic environments.

GroEL typing and phylogeny of Anaplasma species in ticks from domestic and wild vertebrates.

Anaplasma species are globally distributed tick-borne bacteria causing a range of clinical conditions in domestic animals, wildlife, and human. Nevertheless, data on presence and distribution of Anaplasma strains in ticks are still lacking, especially in the Mediterranean region. This study reports the molecular identification, genetic characterization and phylogeny of Anaplasma strains of both veterinary and zoonotic importance in ticks collected from domestic and wild hosts sampled in a typical Mediterranean warm temperate region, the island of Sardinia. Results reveal the presence of A. ovis in Rhipicephalus bursa and R. sanguineus sensu lato ticks; A. platys-like was found in R. bursa ticks; while A. platys and A. phagocytophilum were detected in Hyalomma marginatum and H. lusitanicum ticks. Investigating the occurrence of different Anaplasma species in ticks from domestic and wild hosts improves the knowledge of tick-borne diseases in the Mediterranean area, and has implications in defining vector species distribution and risk assessment.

Molecular detection and groEL typing of Rickettsia aeschlimannii in Sardinian ticks.

Rickettsia aeschlimannii is an emerging tick-borne pathogen of the spotted fever group Rickettsiae with considerable impact on both human and animal health. This study reports the molecular detection and groEL characterization of R. aeschlimannii in ticks collected from birds and ruminants in a typical Mediterranean environment. Phylogeny of R. aeschlimannii and species representative of the spotted fever and typhus groups based on the groEL gene is reconstructed for the first time. Results expand the knowledge on distribution and typing of emerging human tick-borne diseases in Sardinia and pave the way for future molecular epidemiology studies of zoonotic Rickettsiae.

Influenza monitoring in Sardinia, Italy identifies H3 subtype in Mediterranean wild migratory birds.

INTRODUCTION: Wild migratory birds are global distributors of pathogens. Sardinia, Italy, is the second largest Island in the Mediterranean and is a land bridge between Europe and Africa. METHODOLOGY: We designed a surveillance protocol to investigate wild migratory birds for presence, frequency, and type of avian influenza viruses. We collected over 4,000 avian samples and compared three sampling methods, fecal, cloacal, and tracheal, to determine the most productive for virus identification. To determine frequency of infection, RNA was extracted and RT-PCRs for avian influenza virus genes were run. Positive samples were cultivated for live virus, sub typed and sequenced. RESULTS: Forty-four samples were positive for influenza nucleoprotein gene. We identified two previously unidentified H3 subtype strains and found cloacae to have the highest rate of virus identification and fecal sampling to provide quality RNA and repeatable results for determination of virus presence. CONCLUSION: Our investigation provides information on the frequency of Mediterranean avian influenza viruses, and validates the initiation of an avian influenza surveillance protocol.  Taken together with global avian influenza findings, these results give insight into infectious disease distributions which is important for viral pandemic monitoring and design of preventative measures.