According to the EFSA and ECDC annual report, human salmonellosis is mostly related to consumption of contaminated poultry products. Since 2003 in Europe, the Salmonella serovars considered relevant for human health and subject to control in breeding hens of Gallus gallus are: S.

Antibiotic resistance is a serious concern for public health. Farm environments are relevant reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes ( ARGs ), thus strategies to limit the spread of ARGs from farms to the environment are needed. In this study a broiler farm, where antibiotics have never been used for any purpose, was selected to evaluate if this measure is effective in reducing the ARGs load in farm environment ( FE ) and in meat processing environment ( MPE ). Faecal samples from FE and MPE were processed for DNA extraction. Detection and quantification of the 16S rRNA gene and selected ARGs ( bla TEM , qnr S, sul 2, and tet A) were carried out by PCR and digital droplet PCR ( ddPCR ), respectively. Generally, the relative abundance of the quantified ARGs in FE was similar or higher than that measured in intensive farms. Furthermore, apart for tet A, no differences in relative abundances of the other ARGs between FE and MPE were determined. These results suggest that the choice to not use antibiotics in broiler farming is not so effective to limit the ARGs spread in MPE and that further sources of ARGs should be considered including the preceding production phase with particular reference to the breeding stage.

The illegal trade of companion animals in the European Union poses several legal, ethical and health issues to the entire community. In the framework of the Biocrime Interreg project between Italy and Austria, we surveyed puppies and kittens confiscated at the borders to identify the most frequent pathogens associated with (i) the risk of spread within the shelter, (ii) the development of fatal disease and (iii) the zoonotic potential. From January 2018 to December 2020, we examined a total of 613 puppies and 62 kittens coming from 44 requisitions. Feces, skin specimens and blood sera from confiscated animals were tested to verify the presence of major infections and to assess the rabies post-vaccination immunity. Out of the total of individuals under investigation, necropsies and laboratory investigations were also performed on 79 puppies and three kittens that had died during the observation period. Results indicated a high prevalence of Canine Parvovirus (CPV) and Giardia spp. infections, CPV as the most likely cause of fatal gastroenteritis in puppies and Salmonella and Microsporum canis as major zoonotic pathogens. Conversely, both extended spectrum beta lactamases Escherichia coli and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius strains as rare findings. Results highlighted that illegal animal trade could expose the human population to potential zoonotic risk and naïve animal population to potentially disrupting epidemic waves, both of these issues being largely underestimated when buying companion animals.