Seroprevalence of vector-borne pathogens in outdoor workers from southern Italy and associated occupational risk factors

Stufano, Angela; Iatta, Roberta; Sgroi, Giovanni; Jahantigh, Hamid Reza; Cagnazzo, Francesco; Flöel, Agnes; Lucchese, Guglielmo; Loconsole, Daniela; Centrone, Francesca; Mendoza‐Roldan, Jairo Alfonso; Chironna, Maria; Otranto, Domenico; Lovreglio, Piero

doi:10.1186/s13071-022-05385-6

Cited by 10 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…The remaining 7 papers were eventually included in qualitative and quantitative analysis (2.2% of the initial sample). The retrieved studies (range: 2006-2022) [13,14,18,25,26,36,37] included a total of 16 estimates from occupational settings and 3 reference groups. Of the aforementioned studies, 3 were based on immunofluorescence assay (IFA), 3 on enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), and one complement fixation test (CFT).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interestingly, not only is the notification of QF mandatory in Germany and voluntary in France, but the very same case definition is quite heterogenous [23,24]. In other words, the occasional absence of symptoms, the low clinical suspicion, and the need for serological diagnostic tests, all of them characterized by different techniques and cut-off points, may lead to general underdiagnosis of this disease [5,23,26]. In turn, the underestimation of the actual QF burden may lead to the inappropriate definition of preventive measures, even in high-risk groups, ultimately leading to the persistence of this disorders as an occupational health threat [2,4,13,15,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii in Occupational Settings: A Meta-Analysis of Italian Studies

et al. 2023

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Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) can cause a serious human disease known as Q Fever (QF). Our study summarized seroprevalence data from occupational settings in Italy, a country characterized by low notification rates of QF (17 cases between 2015 and 2021). Through systematic research on 3 databases (PubMed, EMBASE, MedRxiv), all studies including seroprevalence rates of C. burnetii in Italy were retrieved, and their results summarized and compared. We identified a total of 7 articles for a total of 1178 workers, mostly from agricultural settings. A pooled seroprevalence of 44.0% (95% Confidence Interval [95%CI] 27.6 to 61.8) was calculated. Subgroup estimates ranged from 2.8% (95%CI 0.9–6.3) in forestry rangers to 49.2% (95%CI 26.8–72.0) in livestock farmers, and peaked at 73.7% (95%CI 56.9–86.6) and 75.9% (95%CI 13.4–98.5) in abattoir workers and veterinary professionals, respectively. Seroprevalence rates for C. burnetii largely exceeded the official notification rates, suggesting its substantial underreporting in Italy.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii in Occupational Settings: A Meta-Analysis of Italian Studies

et al. 2023

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“…Recently outdoor working activities such as veterinarians and workers in contact with animals have been reported as job categories at risk for vector-borne infections (Stufano et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently outdoor working activities such as veterinarians and workers in contact with animals have been reported as job categories at risk for vector‐borne infections (Stufano et al, 2022). Indeed, the close relationship with dogs, the primary reservoirs of the parasite, and the work attitude in conducting field activities in peri‐urban and rural areas may represent an occupational risk factor for vector's exposure (Davitt et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seroprevalence of Leishmania infantum in outdoor workers from southern Italian endemic regions

Morea

Stufano

Sgroi

et al. 2023

Zoonoses and Public Health

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Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonotic vector‐borne disease caused by Leishmania infantum. The infection often remains asymptomatic, though clinical forms may occur in immunosuppressed individuals. Although data on leishmaniasis in humans are available worldwide, the exposure to L. infantum of workers conducting outdoor activities has been scantly investigated, and it is limited to military personnel operating in endemic regions. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of L. infantum in different groups of outdoor workers and the occupational risk factors. The cross‐sectional study was performed on 229 workers including forestry guards, farmers, veterinarians, geologists and agronomists from three regions of southern Italy (i.e., Apulia, Basilicata and Campania). All serum samples were screened for L. infantum‐specific IgG/IgM by using automated indirect chemiluminescent immunoassays. Overall, 5.7% (13/229) of workers was positive to anti‐L. infantum antibodies, with the highest seroprevalence in veterinarians (13.6%). An increased occupational health surveillance for L. infantum infection in outdoor workers is essential to better understand the risk of exposure in specific jobs. Furthermore, guidelines and education along with a One Health collaboration among veterinarians, physicians, parasitologists and occupational health care professionals are crucial for the prevention of this disease.

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“…The epidemiology of vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) has dramatically changed across the globe over the last two decades as a consequence of a variety of environmental, socioeconomic and geopolitical factors ( 35 – 39 ). These changes are, to a large extent, associated with alterations in the distribution and biology of their arthropod vectors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The long-distance relationship between Dirofilaria and the UK: case report and literature review

Panarese

Moore²,

Page

et al. 2023

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Over the last two decades, vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) have changed their distribution across the globe as a consequence of a variety of environmental, socioeconomic and geopolitical factors. Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens are perfect exemplars of European VBPs of One Health concern that have undergone profound changes in their distribution, with new hotspots of infection appearing in previously non-endemic countries. Some areas, such as the United Kingdom, are still considered non-endemic. However, a combination of climate change and the potential spread of invasive mosquito species may change this scenario, exposing the country to the risk of outbreaks of filarial infections. Only a limited number of non-autochthonous cases have been recorded in the United Kingdom to date. These infections remain a diagnostic challenge for clinicians unfamiliar with these “exotic” parasites, which in turn complicates the approach to treatment and management. Therefore, this review aims to (i) describe the first case of D. repens infection in a dog currently resident in Scotland, (ii) summarise the available literature on Dirofilaria spp. infections in both humans and animals in the United Kingdom and (iii) assess the suitability of the United Kingdom for the establishment of these new VBPs.

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Seroprevalence of vector-borne pathogens in outdoor workers from southern Italy and associated occupational risk factors

Cited by 10 publications

References 58 publications

Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii in Occupational Settings: A Meta-Analysis of Italian Studies

Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii in Occupational Settings: A Meta-Analysis of Italian Studies

Seroprevalence of Leishmania infantum in outdoor workers from southern Italian endemic regions

The long-distance relationship between Dirofilaria and the UK: case report and literature review

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