How to Evaluate If Microorganisms Isolated From Sterile Drug Production Environments Monitoring Are Undesirable

This study addresses the identification of undesirable microorganisms (MOs) recovered during the environmental monitoring in manufacture of sterile medicinal products. We developed a methodology evaluation based on a decision tree; then, such approach was applied to hypothetical scenarios of uncommon MOs isolation in sterile drugs production settings. The scenarios were formulated on the basis of our field experience, in terms of both MOs selection and types of sampling site. The MOs were chosen in order to include emerging pathogens and MOs responsible for drug recall, and several sampling sites were considered for their detection (air, surfaces, and personnel). The classification of the unusual MOs revealed that most of them were undesirable, because they represented the loss of environmental control or a potential impact on the quality of the product. In some cases, the uncommon MOs were not considered as undesirable. Therefore, our results demonstrated the importance of a methodology, also in terms of recovery rate of unusual MOs and of the threshold probability for the unacceptability (e.g., 1% or 5%). The proposed methodology allowed an easy and documented evaluation for the undesirable MOs isolated from the environment of the analyzed settings for sterile drugs production.

Exploring adenovirus in water environments: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Adenoviruses (AdVs) have a significant impact in both medical and environmental contexts. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of AdV in different water types, such as untreated and treated wastewater, surface water, groundwater, drinking water, and other water matrices. A total of 239 articles were included in this meta-analysis. Adenoviruses were detected in various waters worldwide. The overall prevalence in water was found to be 59.2%, with the highest prevalence in untreated wastewater (83.1%) and treated wastewater (75.3%), followed by "other water matrices" (53.4%), surface water (49.5%) drinking water (22.7%), and groundwater (18.5%). Most of the studies did not assess the viability of the viruses, leading to weak links between water contamination and risk. Both human and animal AdV were found in water environments. The findings suggest that water, including drinking water, could be a significant route of AdV transmission in both developed and developing economies.

Wastewater-Based Epidemiology for Viral Surveillance from an Endemic Perspective: Evidence and Challenges

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is currently used to monitor not only the spread of the viral SARS-CoV-2 pandemic but also that of other viruses in endemic conditions, particularly in the absence of syndromic surveillance. The continuous monitoring of sewage requires high expenditure and significant time investments, highlighting the need for standardized methods and structured monitoring strategies. In this context, we conducted weekly wastewater monitoring in northwestern Tuscany (Italy) and targeted human adenovirus (HAdV), norovirus genogroup II (NoVggII), enterovirus (EV), and SARS-CoV-2. Samples were collected at the entrances of treatment plants and concentrated using PEG/NaCl precipitation, and viral nucleic acids were extracted and detected through real-time reverse transcription qPCR. NoVggII was the most identified target (84.4%), followed by HAdV, SARS-CoV-2, and EV. Only HAdV and EV exhibited seasonal peaks in spring and summer. Compared with data that were previously collected in the same study area (from February 2021 to September 2021), the results for SARS-CoV-2 revealed a shift from an epidemic to an endemic pattern, at least in the region under investigation, which was likely due to viral mutations that led to the spreading of new variants with increased resistance to summer environmental conditions. In conclusion, using standardized methods and an efficient monitoring strategy, WBE proves valuable for viral surveillance in pandemic and epidemic scenarios, enabling the identification of temporal-local distribution patterns that are useful for making informed public health decisions.

Critical Needs for Integrated Surveillance: Wastewater-Based and Clinical Epidemiology in Evolving Scenarios with Lessons Learned from SARS-CoV-2

During the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) and clinical surveillance have been used as tools for analyzing the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in the community, but both approaches can be strongly influenced by some sources of variability. From the challenging perspective of integrating environmental and clinical data, we performed a correlation analysis between SARS-CoV-2 concentrations in raw sewage and incident COVID-19 cases in areas served by medium-size wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) from 2021 to 2023. To this aim, both datasets were adjusted for several sources of variability: WBE data were adjusted for factors including the analytical protocol, sewage flow, and population size, while clinical data adjustments considered the demographic composition of the served population. Then, we addressed the impact on the correlation of differences among sewerage networks and variations in the frequency and type of swab tests due to changes in political and regulatory scenarios. Wastewater and clinical data were significantly correlated when restrictive containment measures and limited movements were in effect (ρ = 0.50) and when COVID-19 cases were confirmed exclusively through molecular testing (ρ = 0.49). Moreover, a positive (although weak) correlation arose for WWTPs located in densely populated areas (ρ = 0.37) and with shorter sewerage lengths (ρ = 0.28). This study provides methodological approaches for interpreting WBE and clinical surveillance data, which could also be useful for other infections. Data adjustments and evaluation of possible sources of bias need to be carefully considered from the perspective of integrated environmental and clinical surveillance of infections.

Optimized numerical solutions of SIRDVW multiage model controlling SARS-CoV-2 vaccine roll out: An application to the Italian scenario

In the context of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, mathematical modelling has played a fundamental role for making forecasts, simulating scenarios and evaluating the impact of preventive political, social and pharmaceutical measures. Optimal control theory represents a useful mathematical tool to plan the vaccination campaign aimed at eradicating the pandemic as fast as possible. The aim of this work is to explore the optimal prioritisation order for planning vaccination campaigns able to achieve specific goals, as the reduction of the amount of infected, deceased and hospitalized in a given time frame, among age classes. For this purpose, we introduce an age stratified SIR-like epidemic compartmental model settled in an abstract framework for modelling two-doses vaccination campaigns and conceived with the description of COVID19 disease. Compared to other recent works, our model incorporates all stages of the COVID-19 disease, including death or recovery, without accounting for additional specific compartments that would increase computational complexity and that are not relevant for our purposes. Moreover, we introduce an optimal control framework where the model is the state problem while the vaccine doses administered are the control variables. An extensive campaign of numerical tests, featured in the Italian scenario and calibrated on available data from Dipartimento di Protezione Civile Italiana, proves that the presented framework can be a valuable tool to support the planning of vaccination campaigns. Indeed, in each considered scenario, our optimization framework guarantees noticeable improvements in terms of reducing deceased, infected or hospitalized individuals with respect to the baseline vaccination policy.

Organic Pollutants Associated with Plastic Debris in Marine Environment: A Systematic Review of Analytical Methods, Occurrence, and Characteristics

Plastic pollution has become one of the most serious environmental problems, and microplastics (MPs, particles < 5 mm size) may behave as a vehicle of organic pollutants, causing detrimental effects to the environment. Studies on MP-sorbed organic pollutants lack methodological standardization, resulting in a low comparability and replicability. In this work, we reviewed 40 field studies of MP-sorbed organic contaminants using PRISMA guidelines for acquiring information on sampling and analytical protocols. The papers were also scored for their reliability on the basis of 7 criteria, from 0 (minimum) to 21 (maximum). Our results showed a great heterogeneity of the methods used for the sample collection, MPs extraction, and instruments for chemicals' identification. Measures for cross-contamination control during MPs analysis were strictly applied only in 13% of the studies, indicating a need for quality control in MPs-related research. The most frequently detected MP-sorbed chemicals were polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Most of the studies showed a good reliability (>75% of the total score), with 32 papers scoring 16 or higher. On the basis of the collected information, a standardizable protocol for the detection of MPs and MP-sorbed chemicals has been suggested for improving the reliability of MPs monitoring studies.

Calibration of Methods for SARS-CoV-2 Environmental Surveillance: A Case Study from Northwest Tuscany

The current pandemic has provided an opportunity to test wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as a complementary method to SARS-CoV-2 monitoring in the community. However, WBE infection estimates can be affected by uncertainty factors, such as heterogeneity in analytical procedure, wastewater volume, and population size. In this paper, raw sewage SARS-CoV-2 samples were collected from four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Tuscany (Northwest Italy) between February and December 2021. During the surveillance period, viral concentration was based on polyethylene glycol (PEG), but its precipitation method was modified from biphasic separation to centrifugation. Therefore, in parallel, the recovery efficiency of each method was evaluated at lab-scale, using two spiking viruses (human coronavirus 229E and mengovirus vMC₀). SARS-CoV-2 genome was found in 80 (46.5%) of the 172 examined samples. Lab-scale experiments revealed that PEG precipitation using centrifugation had the best recovery efficiency (up to 30%). Viral SARS-CoV-2 load obtained from sewage data, adjusted by analytical method and normalized by population of each WWTP, showed a good association with the clinical data in the study area. This study highlights that environmental surveillance data need to be carefully analyzed before their use in the WBE, also considering the sensibility of the analytical methods.

Virus contamination and infectivity in beach environment: Focus on sand and stranded material

To assess the exposure of beachgoers to viruses, a study on seawater, sand, and beach-stranded material was carried out, searching for human viruses, fecal indicator organisms, and total fungi. Moreover, for the first time, the genome persistence and infectivity of two model viruses was studied in laboratory-spiked sand and seawater samples during a one-week experiment. Viral genome was detected in 13.6 % of the environmental samples, but it was not infectious (Human Adenovirus - HAdV, and enterovirus). Norovirus and SARS-CoV-2 were not detected. The most contaminated samples were from sand and close to riverine discharges. In lab-scale experiments, the infectivity of HAdV5 decreased by ~1.5-Log₁₀ in a week, the one of Human Coronavirus-229E disappeared in <3 h in sand. The genome of both viruses persisted throughout the experiment. Our results confirm viral contamination of the beach and suggest HAdV as an index pathogen for beach monitoring and quantitative risk assessment.

Adding functions to marine infrastructure: Pollutant accumulation, physiological and microbiome changes in sponges attached to floating pontoons inside marinas

The rate of introduction of man-made habitats in coastal environments is growing at an unprecedented pace, as a consequence of the expansion of urban areas. Floating installations, due to their unique hydrodynamic features, are able to provide great opportunities for enhancing water detoxification through the use of sessile, filtering organisms. We assessed whether the application of sponges to floating pontoons could function as a tool for biomonitoring organic and inorganic pollutants and for improving water quality inside a moderately contaminated marina in the NW Mediterranean. Fragments of two common Mediterranean sponges (Petrosia (Petrosia) ficiformis and Ircinia oros) were fixed to either suspended natural fibre nets beneath a floating pontoon or to metal frames deployed on the sea bottom. We assessed the accumulation of organic and inorganic contaminants in sponge fragments and, in order to provide an insight into their health status, we examined changes in their metabolic and oxidative stress responses and associated microbiomes. Fragments of both sponge species filtered out pollutants from seawater on both support types, but generally showed a better physiological and metabolic status when fixed to nets underneath the pontoon than to bottom frames. P. (P) ficiformis maintained a more efficient metabolism and exhibited a lower physiological stress levels and higher stability of the associated microbiome in comparison with I. oros. Our study suggests that the application of sponges to floating pontoon represents a promising nature-based solution to improve the ecological value of urban environments.

Environmental Health Literacy: an index to study its relations with pro-environmental behaviors

 

The citizen’ awareness about environmental health risks has been identified as an important determinant of citizens’ choices for the adoption of pro-environmental behaviors, but for its study simple measures to be applied in population studies are still lacking. The Environmental Health Literacy (EHL), is a recent sub-cathegory of health literacy, including functional, critical and interactive dimensions, that can be applied in surveys on environmental health risk perception and behaviors. The aim of our study was to elaborate and validate an EHL Index (ELHI) using data from a large multicenter survey carried out among 4778 students of different disciplines in 15 Italian Universities, with a self-administered anonymous questionnaire investigating risk perceptions, attitudes and behaviors towards environmental health risks and including a simple Functional Health Literacy test (FHL). From the original questionnaire of 56 items three sets of questions were selected to represent the three dimensions of health literacy (Functional, Critical or Interactive) and their outcomes were compared with the answers about FHL test and pro-environmental behaviors. The Principal Component Analysis was used to select the most representative questions that were then grouped in the EHLI. The index was significantly associated with both FHL test and behaviors questions. The ROC curve indicated a satisfying accuracy and was used to identify the best cut-off for ELHI. In conclusion the constructed ELHI can be considered reliable and useful for further population surveys in similar target people to plan communication interventions about environmental health risks and their prevention through individual choices.

Key messages

Impact of storms and proximity to entry points on marine litter and wrack accumulation along Mediterranean beaches: Management implications

Beach litter can affect public health and economic activities worldwide forcing local authorities to expensive beach cleaning. Understanding the key mechanisms affecting the accumulation of this waste on beaches, such as sea state and proximity to entry points, is critical to plan effective management strategies. In this one-year study, we estimated the impact of storm events and waterways runoff on litter abundance and local economy using as a model a managed, peri-urban beach facing a north-western sector of the Mediterranean Sea. We also investigated the relationship between litter composition/density and beach proximity to major/closest harbors/rivers at regional scale by combining our data with those on litter density available in literature. Autumn/winter storms caused larger litter depositions than spring/summer ones in the peri-urban beach. No preferential accumulation occurred near to waterway mouths. Litter mainly consisted of plastic, and its composition in terms of micro-categories varied over seasons. In total, 367,070 items were deposited along 4.7 km of beach over one year, and the cost for the removal of this waste amounted to approximately 27,600 euros per km/year. At regional scale, beach litter density was positively correlated to the proximity of major harbors while its composition was related to the proximity to both major harbors and rivers. Results indicate that autumn/winter storms are important drivers of marine litter deposition. They also suggest that beaches in front of the convergence zone of littoral currents and close to major harbors can be particularly subjected to this kind of pollutant. To increase their effectiveness, litter mitigation/cleaning activities should be planned based on predictions of major storm events and performed at spatial scales encompassing at least coastal regional sectors.

Exploring the Online Health Information-Seeking Behavior in a Sample of Italian Women: The "SEI Donna" Study

There is much discussion about the skills of people in understanding and managing online health information. The Italian survey “SEI Donna” aimed to investigate perceptions and use of the web in women regarding health issues considering their health literacy (HL) and healthcare skills. We used an online questionnaire to explore different aspects of online health-related information-seeking behavior. The study participants (n = 7027) were categorized into healthcare workers (HW), healthcare students (HS), and non-healthcare women (non-HW). Half the sample (52%) searched online for a second opinion after the medical examination without statistical difference among HW, HS, and non-HW. Women in the age range of 26−40 years (OR = 1.28, p < 0.001), having chronic illness (OR = 1.48; p < 0.001), and being moderately (OR = 1.58; p < 0.001) or not satisfied (OR = 2.04; p < 0.001) with healthcare professionals were more likely to use the Internet to seek medical insight. Overall, 34% of women had a functional HL, the same being higher in HW (64%) and in HS (43%) than the rest of the women (18%) (p < 0.0001). The suboptimal HL suggests the need to improve HL in the general population to be skilled in surfing the web and, at the same time, to reorganize health training to improve the HL of healthcare professionals, also enriching their communication skills.

Human adenovirus in municipal solid waste leachate and quantitative risk assessment of gastrointestinal illness to waste collectors

Leachate is a variable effluent from waste management systems generated during waste collection and on landfills. Twenty-two leachate samples from waste collection trucks and a landfill were collected from March to December 2019 in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and were analyzed for Human Adenovirus (HAdV), bacterial indicators and physico-chemical parameters. For viral analysis, samples were concentrated by ultracentrifugation and processed for molecular analysis using QIAamp Fast DNA Stool mini kit® for DNA extraction followed by nested-PCR and qPCR/PMA-qPCR TaqMan® system. HAdV was detected by nested-PCR in 100% (9/9) and 83.33% (12/13) of the truck and landfill leachate samples, respectively. Viral concentrations ranged from 8.31 × 10¹ to 6.68 × 10⁷ genomic copies per 100 ml by qPCR and PMA-qPCR. HAdV species A, B, C, and F were characterized using nucleotide sequencing. HAdV were isolated in A549 culture cells in 100% (9/9) and 46.2% (6/13) from truck and landfill leachate samples, respectively. Regardless of the detection methods, HAdV concentration was predicted by the quantity of total suspended solids. A quantitative microbial risk assessment was performed to measure the probability of gastrointestinal (GI) illness attributable to inadvertent oral ingestion of truck leachate, revealing the higher probability of disease for the direct splashing into the oral cavity (58%) than for the gloved hand-to-mouth (33%). In a scenario where waste collectors do not wear gloves as protective personal equipment, the risk increases to 67%. This is the first study revealing infectious HAdV in solid waste leachate and indicates a potential health risk for waste collectors.

Objectionable microorganisms in pharmaceutical production: Validation of a decision tree

The release of quality, safe, and effective non-sterile drugs needs to exclude the presence of objectionable microorganisms, which include microorganisms potentially involved in product degradation, or considered as poor hygiene indicator during manufacturing, or causing adverse effect on patient's health. In this paper, a method allowing objective and verifiable evaluations has been investigated through the development of a suitable decision tree with a template for data collection. The decision tree has been used to establish which microorganisms were objectionables, using several hypothetical scenarios in which 24 different biological agents, both harmless microorganisms and opportunistic pathogens, were combined with 9 different products, representing each type of administration route for non-sterile drugs. The results showed that the use of aforementioned approach makes the microorganisms evaluation easy and verifiable and highlighted that even the microbes initially considered harmless could be objectionable.

SUIHTER: a new mathematical model for COVID-19. Application to the analysis of the second epidemic outbreak in Italy

The COVID-19 epidemic is the latest in a long list of pandemics that have affected humankind in the last century. In this paper, we propose a novel mathematical epidemiological model named SUIHTER from the names of the seven compartments that it comprises: susceptible uninfected individuals (S), undetected (both asymptomatic and symptomatic) infected (U), isolated infected (I), hospitalized (H), threatened (T), extinct (E) and recovered (R). A suitable parameter calibration that is based on the combined use of the least-squares method and the Markov chain Monte Carlo method is proposed with the aim of reproducing the past history of the epidemic in Italy, which surfaced in late February and is still ongoing to date, and of validating SUIHTER in terms of its predicting capabilities. A distinctive feature of the new model is that it allows a one-to-one calibration strategy between the model compartments and the data that are made available daily by the Italian Civil Protection Department. The new model is then applied to the analysis of the Italian epidemic with emphasis on the second outbreak, which emerged in autumn 2020. In particular, we show that the epidemiological model SUIHTER can be suitably used in a predictive manner to perform scenario analysis at a national level.

Agri-Food Extracts Effectiveness in Improving Antibacterial and Antiviral Properties of Face Masks: A Proof-of-Concept Study

The European dependencies for raw materials supply from foreign countries have been unquestionably shown by COVID-19 outbreak and have become particular evident from the slow response to the need for high quality personal protective equipment (PPEs). Among all medical devices, surgical face masks have earned themselves a primary role for the containment of the epidemic. In this context, our work aims at improving the barrier effect of surgical mask by depositing on their external surface a mixture of bioactive compounds, mainly polyphenols, extracted from agronomical sources. The main objective is the integration of the biorefining of agri-food solid wastes with the potential virucidal properties of the polyphenolic extracts for the treatment of PPEs.

Impact of the environment on the health: From theory to practice

The Erice 56 Charter titled "Impact of the environment on the health: from theory to practice" was unanimously approved at the end of the 56th course of the "International School of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine G. D'Alessandro" held from 3rd to November 7, 2019 in Erice - Sicily (Italy) and promoted by the Study Group of "Environment and Health" of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health. The course, that included lectures, open discussions and guided working groups, was aimed to provide a general training on epidemiological and toxicological aspects of the environmental health impact, to be used by public health professionals for risk assessment, without forgetting the risk communications. At the end of the course 12 key points were agreed among teachers and students: they underlined the need of specific training and research, in the perspective of "One Health" and "Global Health", also facing emerging scientific and methodological issues and focusing on communication towards stakeholders. This Discussion highlight the need to improve knowledge of Health and Environment topic in all sectors of health and environmental prevention and management.

Twitter monitoring evidence of Covid-19 infodemic in Italy

Background

Risk communication is essential for risk management, especially during alarming events, in order to create a balanced risk perception. The tweets follow up can be useful to timely evidence “media storms” or “infodemics” thus suggesting corrective interventions. The spread of Covid-19 has been the occasion to observe the evolution of tweets about this topic, with the aim of evidence peaks of fear

Methods

On 30th January 2020 we started a large collection of Italian and English tweets containing the following keywords: “coronavirus”, “2019-nCov”, “CoronavirusOutbreak”, “CoronavirusWho”, “WuhanCoronavirus”, “coronaviruschina”, “coronavirusitalia”, “virus cina”, “virus cinese”, “virus mascherine”, “virus paura”, “virus polmonite” and “virus vaccine”. “Covid-19” and “SARS-CoV-2” were added later. For the data collection Twitter Streaming API was used.

Results

The total number of tweets collected till 26th February was approximately 20M, 2M in Italian and 18M in English. The trend of the volume of tweets gathered shows a first small peak between Jan 30th and Feb 1st, but a second, higher, peak is visible after the 21st February, following the report of the Covid-19 clusters in Italy. Italian tweets account for 6% of the first peak and for 22% of the second. The Italian word “paura” firstly appeared on Feb 5th, with a peak after Feb 21th.

Conclusions

”infodemics” or “media storms”, are situations of uncontrolled diffusion of news and opinion, frequently leading to irrational and counterproductive behaviors. The Italian evolution of tweets indicate since the first day of cluster report, a clear escalation of fear, that suggests timely corrective actions to facilitate the disease control.

Key messages

With the twitter monitoring we demonstrate that since 21th February an infodemic is spreading in Italy.

The twitter follow up can be used to timely evidence a public alarm, motivate corrective interventions and. evaluate the efficacy of them.

The potential for coronavirus transmission in waters: what do we know?

Background

Although the main route of transmission of SARS-CoV2 is via droplets and close contact, concerns about the possible secondary transmission via waters is growing given evidence for SARS-CoV2 faecal elimination. Here we review studies on coronavirus in water environments.

Methods

A review was carried out of papers writen in English on PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Papers were identified using the keywords: coronavirus, SARS, MERS, Covid-19 associated with water, surface water, drinking water, wastewater, sewage, slurry, sludge, biosolid. Papers were screened using their title and abstract to confirm their relevance. They were then reviewed to identify: coronavirus type and strain, type of water sample, type of study, detection methods, monitoring data, survival data, effect of disinfection and treatments.

Results

Since 1978, only 18 papers met the selection criteria. Of these, 11 reported experimental studies, 6 field studies, and one included both field and experimental work. Experimental studies were carried out using samples spiked with SARS-CoV or surrogates: 4 addressed the recovery efficiency of detection methods; 3 reported studies on virus removal from waters by different treatments; 7 were focussed on survival in water samples with results ranging from 2 to > 100 days, depending on virus, type of water, temperature, and detection method. Field studies monitored the presence of coronavirus in waters, sewage, slurry or biosolid. The included in total no more than 200 samples and used different detection methods. Some samples tested positive in 5 studies.

Conclusions

While knowledge of coronavirus in waters appears very scarce and fragmentary, the recent SARS-CoV2 emergency demands new attention be focussed on its survival in natural conditions and following treatment in order to assess the risk of waterborne and food borne transmission as well as developing monitoring within sewage treatment facilities.

Key messages

The potential spread of SARS-CoV2 through waters cannot be excluded without better knowledge.

Urgent research on this topic is required.

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment as support for bathing waters profiling

Profiling bathing waters supported by Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) is key to the WHO's recommendations for the 2020/2021 revision of the European Bathing Water Directive. We developed an area-specific QMRA model on four pathogens, using fecal indicator concentrations (E. coli, enterococci) for calculating pathogen loads. The predominance of illness was found to be attributable to Human Adenovirus, followed by Salmonella, Vibrio, and Norovirus. Overall, the cumulative illness risk showed a median of around 1 case/10000 exposures. The risk estimates were strongly influenced by the indicators that were used, suggesting the need for a more detailed investigation of the different sources of fecal contamination. Area-specific threshold values for fecal indicators were estimated on a risk-basis by modelling the cumulative risk against E. coli and enterococci concentrations. To improve bathing waters assessment, we suggest considering source apportionment, locally estimating of pathogen/indicator ratios, and calculating site-specific indicators thresholds based on risk assessment.

Making Waves: Coronavirus detection, presence and persistence in the water environment: State of the art and knowledge needs for public health

The main route of transmission of the human coronaviruses (HCoVs), and presumably also of the new pandemic SARS-CoV-2, is via droplets and close contacts, however their fecal elimination also suggests the possible spread via water. A scientific literature search was thus carried out to highlight the current state of the art and knowledge gaps regarding coronavirus in water. Since 1978 only 22 studies have met the inclusion criteria, and considered heterogeneous purposes, detection methods and types of water. In vitro experiments have addressed the recovery efficiency of analytical methods, survival in different types of water and the removal efficiency of water treatments. Field studies have monitored coronaviruses in surface waters, sewage, slurry, and biosolids. Overall, at the lab scale, HCoVs or surrogates can survive for several days at 4 °C, however their persistence is lower compared with non-enveloped viruses and is strongly influenced by temperature and organic or microbial pollution. HCoVs have rarely been detected in field investigations, however may be due to the low recovery efficiency of the analytical methods. The scarcity of information on HCoV in the environment suggests that research is needed to understand the fate of these viruses in the water cycle.

Enteric viruses, somatic coliphages and Vibrio species in marine bathing and non-bathing waters in Italy

Microbial safety of recreational waters is a significant public health issue. In this study we assessed the occurrence and quantity of enteric viruses in bathing and non-bathing waters in Italy, in parallel with microbial faecal indicators, somatic coliphages and Vibrio spp. Enteric viruses (aichivirus, norovirus and enterovirus) were detected in 55% of bathing water samples, including samples with bacterial indicator concentrations compliant with the European bathing water Directive. Aichivirus was the most frequent and abundant virus. Adenovirus was detected only in non-bathing waters. Somatic coliphages were identified in 50% bathing water samples, 80% of which showed simultaneous presence of viruses. Vibrio species were ubiquitous, with 9 species identified, including potential pathogens (V. cholerae, V. parahaemoylticus and V. vulnificus). This is the first study showing the occurrence and high concentration of Aichivirus in bathing waters and provides original information, useful in view of a future revision of the European Directive.

Environment and health: Risk perception and its determinants among Italian university students

Among the determinants of environmental health risk perception, health literacy and social media messages have been generally neglected. This study details the environmental health risk perception and its determinants in Italian university students, including a measure of functional health literacy and an analysis of newspapers and social media. A cross sectional survey was carried out among students from 15 Italian universities and different disciplines (grouped into Scientific-Health and Humanistic-Legal-Social sectors) using a self-administered anonymous questionnaire, divided into six sections: socio-demographic characteristics, information on health and environment, environmental health risk perception, trust, attitudes and behaviors and functional health literacy. Local newspapers and tweets in the same areas and period were analyzed in relation to quantity and topics. The study population included 4778 students (65.1% female) aged 21 ± 4.3 years, and functional health literacy was low (below the cutoff value) for 44.4% of students. A new outcome of the survey is that the detected association between high functional health literacy a higher global health risk perception and trust in institutions both as sources of information and as actors for protection against environmental risks. The internet and social networks were the most frequently consulted sources of information (77.7%), which was predictive of a higher risk perception. The possible relation between environmental health risk perception and tweet communication was highlighted by a comparison between the risk perception in the city with the highest number of tweets (Modena) and another one similar for socio-demographic characteristics (Pisa). In conclusion, the results of our study may be of help to strengthen information and education programs: functional health literacy should be taken into account in school programs, to produce a basic knowledge for a better understanding of health and environment. Moreover, mass and social media should be included in planning communication intervention and in verifying their results.

Health and web for women: preliminary results of “SEI Donna” survey

Background

In 2018, 52% of the European population use the Web to seek health information and 77% consider it a useful tool to improve their knowledge about health. The Italian survey “SEI Donna” aims to investigate knowledge, perceptions and use of the web tools in women regarding health issues.

Methods

We used an online questionnaire to collect data including the type of online research and the degree of trust towards different sources. We also assessed health literacy (HL) and eHealth literacy scale (eHEALS) using validated tests.

Results

Of 7291 women who completed the questionnaire, 96% (n = 7022) seeks health information online. The 33% of women follows social media groups on health. One third of sample (31%) purchased a health product online, particularly cosmetics (75%) and supplements (41%). More than one third of sample thinks that information retrieved by web improve their health (35%) and influence their habits (34%). Half of sample (52%) searched online for a second opinion after medical examination. The reason was the need of a deepening in the 67% of cases. Overall, the HL is functional in 34% of cases, marginal in 56% and low in the rest (10%). Women with low HL trust less health information reported by institutional websites than women with functional HL, respectively 73% vs 86% (p &lt; 0.001) and the eHEALS score of women less trusting is lower than those trusting, 23±7 vs 28±7 (p &lt; 0.001).

One third of women declares not to be able to evaluate the reliability of a website particularly women with low HL (36%) compared to those with functional HL (20%), p &lt; 0.001. Women reporting not to be able to evaluate the reliability of a website have eHEALS score lower than women who indicated an institutional website, respectively 24±7 vs 28±7 (p &lt; 0.001).

Conclusions

The results confirm the large use of the web as a tool to seek health information, have a second opinion and buy health products. A good level of HL and eHEALS seem to make women more skilled in surfing the web.

Key messages

The results confirm the importance to put effort on strategies aiming to improve health literacy and eHealth literacy in the population. In the public health communication perspective, the fact that one third of women thinks that information retrieved by web improve their health and influence their habits, must be considered.

The application of quantitative microbial risk assessment to natural recreational waters: A review

This review examines the aims of and approaches to the Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) of untreated recreational waters. The literature search was conducted on four databases and yielded 54 papers, which were analyzed on a quantitative (time-trend, geographical distribution, water type) and qualitative (aims, source of microbial data, pathogens and their measurement or estimation, ways to address variability and uncertainty, sensitivity analysis) basis. In addition, the parameters, implications, and limitations were discussed for each QMRA step. Since 2003, the number of papers has greatly increased, highlighting the importance of QMRA for the risk management of recreational waters. Nevertheless, QMRA still exhibits critical issues, above all regarding contamination data and dose-response relationships. To our knowledge, this is the first review to give a wide panoramic view on QMRA in relation to recreational exposure to untreated waters. This could be useful in identifying the current knowledge gaps and research needs.

Human adenoviruses as waterborne index pathogens and their use for Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment

The current microbial water quality standards are based on the monitoring of fecal indicator organisms, which are mainly bacterial indicators (i.e., Escherichia coli, intestinal enterococci), however epidemiological data indicate that viruses are important etiological agents of waterborne illnesses. Among waterborne viruses, human adenovirus can be considered as an index pathogen, owing to its abundance in sewage and persistence in the environment, as well as its potential infectivity. In this study, data on human adenoviruses from different water matrices (the entrance and exit of a water treatment plant, rivers and seawaters) were analyzed, in parallel with traditional fecal bacterial indicators and somatic coliphages. The results showed a 64% frequency of positive adenovirus samples, decreasing from the sewage system (100% at the entrance and 94% at the exit) to rivers (92% and 72% for different rivers) and seawater (21%). Adenovirus concentrations showed a significant correlation with somatic coliphages in one river and seawater, thus supporting the recent inclusion of coliphages as viral indicators in water safety guidelines. The data collected were used to estimate adenovirus to indicator ratios, which could be used as input in Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) studies.

Mutagenic and genotoxic effects induced by PM0.5 of different Italian towns in human cells and bacteria: The MAPEC_LIFE study

Particulate matter (PM) is considered an atmospheric pollutant that mostly affects human health. The finest fractions of PM (PM_2.5 or less) play a major role in causing chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the genotoxic effects of PM_0.5 collected in five Italian towns using different bioassays. The role of chemical composition on the genotoxicity induced was also evaluated. The present study was included in the multicentre MAPEC_LIFE project, which aimed to evaluate the associations between air pollution exposure and early biological effects in Italian children. PM₁₀ samples were collected in 2 seasons (winter and spring) using a high-volume multistage cascade impactor. The results showed that PM_0.5 represents a very high proportion of PM₁₀ (range 10-63%). PM_0.5 organic extracts were chemically analysed (PAH_s, nitro-PAH_s) and tested by the comet assay (A549 and BEAS-2B cells), MN test (A549 cells) and Ames test on Salmonella strains (TA100, TA98, TA98NR and YG1021). The highest concentrations of PAHs and nitro-PAHs in PM_0.5 were observed in the Torino, Brescia and Pisa samples in winter. The Ames test showed low mutagenic activity. The highest net revertants/m³ were observed in the Torino and Brescia samples (winter), and the mutagenic effect was associated with PM_0.5 (p < 0.01), PAH and nitro-PAH (p < 0.05) concentrations. The YG1021 strain showed the highest sensitivity to PM_0.5 samples. No genotoxic effect of PM_0.5 extracts was observed using A549 cells except for some samples in winter (comet assay), while BEAS-2B cells showed light DNA damage in the Torino, Brescia and Pisa samples in winter, highlighting the higher sensitivity of BEAS-2B cells, which was consistent with the Ames test (p < 0.01). The results obtained showed that it is important to further investigate the finest fractions of PM, which represent a relevant percentage of PM₁₀, taking into account the chemical composition and the biological effects induced.

The Association between Lead and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review

The etiology of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is complex and multifactorial. Although the development of ADHD symptoms remains to be elucidated, in recent years, epigenetic processes have emerged as candidate mechanisms. Lead is one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants, and it is suspected to be associated with ADHD. The aim of the present study was to review the epidemiological literature currently available on the relation between lead exposure and the diagnosis of ADHD. The PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched from 1 July 2018 up to 31 July 2018. The authors included observational studies (cohort, case⁻control and cross-sectional studies) published in English carried out on children within the last 5 years, measuring lead exposure and health outcomes related to ADHD. Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria: 5 of these studies found no association between lead exposure and ADHD whereas the remaining 12 studies showed positive associations, even though not all of them were homogeneous in terms of exposure periods considered or ADHD diagnosis. To conclude, the evidence from the studies allowed us to establish that there is an association between lead and ADHD and that even low levels of lead raise the risk. However, there is still a lack of longitudinal studies about the relationship between lead exposure and the development of ADHD. Given the potential importance for public health, further research that includes the entire potential risk factors for ADHD in children must be encouraged.

Health Risk Associated with Exposure to PM10 and Benzene in Three Italian Towns

Air pollution in urban areas is a major concern as it negatively affects the health of a large number of people. The purpose of this study was to assess the inhalation health risk for exposure to PM10 and benzene of the populations living in three Italian cities. Data regarding PM10 and benzene daily measured by "traffic" stations and "background" stations in Torino, Perugia, and Lecce during 2014 and 2015 were compared to the limits indicated in the Directive 2008/50/EC. In addition, an inhalation risk analysis for exposure to benzene was performed for adults and children by applying the standard United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) methodology. The levels of PM10 detected in Torino exceeded the legal limits in both years with an increased mean concentration >10 µg/m³ comparing with background station. Benzene concentrations never exceeded the legislative target value. The increased cancer risk (ICR) for children exposed to benzene was greater than 1 × 10-6 only in the city of Torino, while for adults, the ICR was higher than 1 × 10-6 in all the cities. The results suggest the need for emission reduction policies to preserve human health from continuous and long exposure to air pollutants. A revision of legal limits would also be recommended.

Misinformation on vaccination: A quantitative analysis of YouTube videos

In Italy, the phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy has increased with time and represents a complex problem that requires a continuous monitoring. Misinformation on media and social media seems to be one of the determinants of the vaccine hesitancy since, for instance, 42.8 percent of Italian citizens used the internet to obtain vaccine information in 2016. This article reports a quantitative analysis of 560 YouTube videos related to the link between vaccines and autism or other serious side effects on children. The analysis revealed that most of the videos were negative in tone and that the annual number of uploaded videos has increased during the considered period, that goes from 27 December 2007 to 31 July 2017, with a peak of 224 videos in the first seven months of 2017. These findings suggest that the public institutions should be more engaged in establishing a web presence in order to provide reliable information, answers, stories, and videos so to respond to questions of the public about vaccination. These actions could be useful to allow citizens to make informed decisions about vaccines so to comply with vaccination regulations.

Lifestyles and socio-cultural factors among children aged 6-8 years from five Italian towns: the MAPEC_LIFE study cohort

BACKGROUND

Lifestyles profoundly determine the quality of an individual's health and life since his childhood. Many diseases in adulthood are avoidable if health-risk behaviors are identified and improved at an early stage of life. The aim of the present research was to characterize a cohort of children aged 6-8 years selected in order to perform an epidemiological molecular study (the MAPEC_LIFE study), investigate lifestyles of the children that could have effect on their health status, and assess possible association between lifestyles and socio-cultural factors.

METHODS

A questionnaire composed of 148 questions was administered in two different seasons to parents of children attending 18 primary schools in five Italian cities (Torino, Brescia, Pisa, Perugia and Lecce) to obtain information regarding the criteria for exclusion from the study, demographic, anthropometric and health information on the children, as well as some aspects on their lifestyles and parental characteristics. The results were analyzed in order to assess the frequency of specific conditions among the different seasons and cities and the association between lifestyles and socio-economic factors.

RESULTS

The final cohort was composed of 1,164 children (50.9 boys, 95.4% born in Italy). Frequency of some factors appeared different in terms of the survey season (physical activity in the open air, the ways of cooking certain foods) and among the various cities (parents' level of education and rate of employment, sport, traffic near the home, type of heating, exposure to passive smoking, ways of cooking certain foods). Exposure to passive smoking and cooking fumes, obesity, residence in areas with heavy traffic, frequency of outdoor play and consumption of barbecued and fried foods were higher among children living in families with low educational and/or occupational level while children doing sports and consuming toasted bread were more frequent in families with high socio-economic level.

CONCLUSIONS

The socio-economic level seems to affect the lifestyles of children enrolled in the study including those that could cause health effects. Many factors are linked to the geographical area and may depend on environmental, cultural and social aspects of the city of residence.

Sources of bathing water pollution in northern Tuscany (Italy): Effects of meteorological variables

This study was carried out in a popular tourist destination located in Italy, where short-term pollution posed the problem of low quality status of bathing waters (according to European Directive) owing to the fecal contamination caused by drainage ditches. Our goal was to understand the role of meteorological conditions on freshwater and seawater bacterial indicator levels, and the impact of polluted streams on seawater contamination. To this aim, results from surface waters were analyzed during five bathing seasons, from 2011 to 2015. Our results demonstrated a relationship between bacterial densities and rainfall amount and a time-dependent dilution effect of the sea between the two halves of each bathing season. This analytical survey confirmed the strategic role of meteorological variables in bathing waters quality, and it could be a support for generation and development of predicting models of indicator levels for bathing area.

Socio-Economic and Environmental Factors Associated with Overweight and Obesity in Children Aged 6-8 Years Living in Five Italian Cities (the MAPEC_LIFE Cohort)

The prevalence of obesity among Italian children has reached such alarming levels as to require detailed studies of the causes of the phenomenon. A cross-sectional study was carried out in order to assess the weight status of 1164 Italian children aged 6–8 years (the Monitoring Air Pollution Effects on Children for Supporting Public Health Policy (MAPEC_LIFE) cohort) and to identify any associations between selected socio-economic and environmental factors and overweight/obesity. The data were obtained by means of a questionnaire given to parents, and any associations were examined by binomial logistic regression analyses. Overweight was found to be positively associated with male gender, parents of non-Italian origin, and parents who smoke, and negatively associated with the parents’ level of education and employment. In addition, the frequency of overweight varied in relation to the geographical area of residence, with a greater prevalence of overweight children in the cities of central-southern Italy. This study highlights the need to implement appropriate obesity prevention programs in Italy, which should include educational measures concerning lifestyle for parents from the earliest stages of their child’s life.

Are 6-8 year old Italian children moving away from the Mediterranean diet?

BACKGROUND

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is considered one of the healthiest dietary models, as it decreases the risk of chronic diseases and may modulate the organism's early response to environmental pollution. In recent decades, Mediterranean countries have been replacing their traditional diet with other less healthy eating habits, especially among children and teenagers.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the MD and the level of adherence to it in 6-8 year old Italian children, in relation to residence, lifestyle, and social and family contexts.

METHODS

A questionnaire was administered to the children's parents in two seasons in 5 Italian towns. The diet section contained 116 questions investigating the frequency of consumption of different types of food. The Italian Mediterranean Index (IMI) was calculated according to the intake of 6 typical Mediterranean and 4 non-Mediterranean foods. On the basis of IMI score, MD adherence was classified as low (≤ 3 IMI score), medium (4-5) and high (≥ 6). Total energy load and diet composition in micro- and macronutrients were calculated from consumption frequency.

RESULTS

Diet analysis was computed on 1164 subjects with two complete questionnaires. Body mass index, calculated for each subject, showed that 28.9% of the children were overweight, the figure varying slightly with area of residence. Our findings showed that 59.0% of the children had a low score for MD adherence.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study showed that most Italian children did not follow the MD and socio-economic characteristics appeared not to be associated with type of diet.

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment in Occupational Settings Applied to the Airborne Human Adenovirus Infection

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) methodology, which has already been applied to drinking water and food safety, may also be applied to risk assessment and management at the workplace. The present study developed a preliminary QMRA model to assess microbial risk that is associated with inhaling bioaerosols that are contaminated with human adenovirus (HAdV). This model has been applied to air contamination data from different occupational settings, including wastewater systems, solid waste landfills, and toilets in healthcare settings and offices, with different exposure times. Virological monitoring showed the presence of HAdVs in all the evaluated settings, thus confirming that HAdV is widespread, but with different average concentrations of the virus. The QMRA results, based on these concentrations, showed that toilets had the highest probability of viral infection, followed by wastewater treatment plants and municipal solid waste landfills. Our QMRA approach in occupational settings is novel, and certain caveats should be considered. Nonetheless, we believe it is worthy of further discussions and investigations.

Link Prediction in Criminal Networks: A Tool for Criminal Intelligence Analysis

The problem of link prediction has recently received increasing attention from scholars in network science. In social network analysis, one of its aims is to recover missing links, namely connections among actors which are likely to exist but have not been reported because data are incomplete or subject to various types of uncertainty. In the field of criminal investigations, problems of incomplete information are encountered almost by definition, given the obvious anti-detection strategies set up by criminals and the limited investigative resources. In this paper, we work on a specific dataset obtained from a real investigation, and we propose a strategy to identify missing links in a criminal network on the basis of the topological analysis of the links classified as marginal, i.e. removed during the investigation procedure. The main assumption is that missing links should have opposite features with respect to marginal ones. Measures of node similarity turn out to provide the best characterization in this sense. The inspection of the judicial source documents confirms that the predicted links, in most instances, do relate actors with large likelihood of co-participation in illicit activities.

Branching instability in expanding bacterial colonies

Self-organization in developing living organisms relies on the capability of cells to duplicate and perform a collective motion inside the surrounding environment. Chemical and mechanical interactions coordinate such a cooperative behaviour, driving the dynamical evolution of the macroscopic system. In this work, we perform an analytical and computational analysis to study pattern formation during the spreading of an initially circular bacterial colony on a Petri dish. The continuous mathematical model addresses the growth and the chemotactic migration of the living monolayer, together with the diffusion and consumption of nutrients in the agar. The governing equations contain four dimensionless parameters, accounting for the interplay among the chemotactic response, the bacteria-substrate interaction and the experimental geometry. The spreading colony is found to be always linearly unstable to perturbations of the interface, whereas branching instability arises in finite-element numerical simulations. The typical length scales of such fingers, which align in the radial direction and later undergo further branching, are controlled by the size parameters of the problem, whereas the emergence of branching is favoured if the diffusion is dominant on the chemotaxis. The model is able to predict the experimental morphologies, confirming that compact (resp. branched) patterns arise for fast (resp. slow) expanding colonies. Such results, while providing new insights into pattern selection in bacterial colonies, may finally have important applications for designing controlled patterns.

Global occurrence of Torque teno virus in water systems

Bacterial indicator organisms are used globally to assess the microbiological safety of waters. However, waterborne viral outbreaks have occurred in drinking water systems despite negative bacterial results. Using viral markers may therefore provide more accurate health risk assessment data. In this study, fecal, wastewater, stormwater, surface water (fresh and salt), groundwater, and drinking water samples were analyzed for the presence or concentration of traditional indicators, innovative indicators and viral markers. Samples were obtained in the United States, Italy, and Australia and results compared to those reported for studies conducted in Asia and South America as well. Indicators included total coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, male-specific coliphages, somatic coliphages and microviradae. Viral markers included adenovirus, polyomavirus, and a potential new surrogate, Torque teno virus (TTV). TTV was more frequently found in wastewaters (38-100%) and waters influenced by waste discharges (25%) than in surface waters used as drinking water sources (5%). TTV was also specific to human rather than animal feces. While TTV numbers were strongly correlated to other viral markers in wastewaters, suggesting its utility as a fecal contamination marker, data limitations and TTV presence in treated drinking waters demonstrates that additional research is needed on this potential viral indicator.

Possible Internalization of an Enterovirus in Hydroponically Grown Lettuce

Several studies have shown that enteric viruses can be transferred onto the surface of vegetables and fruits through spray irrigation, but, recently, reports have suggested viral contamination of vegetables sub-irrigated with reused wastewater. Hydroponic cultures, used to grow ready to eat fresh lettuce, have also been used to study the possibility of viral absorption through roots. This study was conducted to assess a possible risk of viral contamination in lettuce from contaminated water. The leaves of lettuce plants grown in hydroponic cultures where the roots were exposed to water containing Coxsakievirus B2, were analysed for evidence of the virus. The plants and water were sampled at different times and virus was measured using quantitative RT-PCR and infectivity assay. In leaf samples, the lowest observed infective data were lower than the qRT-PCR detection limits, suggesting that free viral RNA or damaged viruses are eliminated rapidly while infectious particles remain stable for a longer time. The obtained data revealed that the leaves were contaminated at a water concentration of 4.11 ± 1 Log Most Probable Number/L (8.03 ± 1 Log GC/L) a concentration observed in contaminated untreated water of wastewater treatment plants. However, the absorption dynamics and whether the virus is inactive in the leaves still remains to be clarified. Nevertheless, this work has practical implications for risk management in using reclaimed water for agricultural use; when irrigated vegetables are destined for raw consumption, virological contamination in water sources should be evaluated.

Mechanically driven branching of bacterial colonies

A continuum mathematical model with sharp interface is proposed for describing the occurrence of patterns in initially circular and homogeneous bacterial colonies. The mathematical model encapsulates the evolution of the chemical field characterized by a Monod-like uptake term, the chemotactic response of bacteria, the viscous interaction between the colony and the underlying culture medium and the effects of the surface tension at the boundary. The analytical analysis demonstrates that the front of the colony is linearly unstable for a proper choice of the parameters. The simulation of the model in the nonlinear regime confirms the development of fingers with typical wavelength controlled by the size parameters of the problem, whilst the emergence of branches is favored if the diffusion is dominant on the chemotaxis or for high values of the friction parameter. Such results provide new insights on pattern selection in bacterial colonies and may be applied for designing engineered patterns.

Feasibility and reliability of a questionnaire for evaluation of the exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollutants, diet and physical activity in 6-8-year-old children

INTRODUCTION

The MAPEC-Life project aims to study the biological effects of early exposure to air pollutants on the oral mucosa cells of school-age children in five Italian cities. A questionnaire was created to evaluate the association between outdoor and indoor airborne pollutants, lifestyle, diet and biomarker effects. The feasibility and reliability of the questionnaire were evaluated.

METHODS

A questionnaire was drawn up to be filled in by the parents of 6-8-year-old children. It consisted of 148 questions on the children's health, physical activity, environmental exposures and the frequency of food consumption at the main meals. First we conducted a questionnaire feasibility study involving 53 volunteer parents. We then performed a reliability study by administering the questionnaire to a further 156 parents and again one month later (test/retest method). The correlations between answers at the first and second administration of the questionnaire were evaluated using the Kappa statistic and Spearman's coefficient.

RESULTS

After verifying the feasibility of the questionnaire, we conducted a reliability analysis on 132 completed questionnaires. The percentage of agreement between the first and the second responses given was over 70%, all K values being greater than 0.6. The analysis of calories and macronutrients also showed good agreement.

CONCLUSIONS

The questionnaire drawn up for the study proved to be sufficiently reliable for gathering information about the factors of interest in our study of the relationship between air pollution and early biological effects in children.