National Reference Centre / WOAH Reference Laboratory for Salmonellosis

Activities and services

The Centre performs phenotypic and genotypic characterisation of Salmonella strains isolated from samples of veterinary origin (animals, food, feed). Moreover, the Centre coordinates the Enter-vet net, which collects information on the results of Salmonella spp. typing at the national level. This net works in close collaboration the Enter-net system, which manages data on strains of human origin. The Enter-vet net involves all departments of the IZSVe, which provide the Centre with epidemiological data concerning all Salmonella strains; they also send all S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium strains for phage typing.

The Centre coordinates and manages national and regional monitoring and control programmes for Salmonella, in accordance with EC Regulation 2160/2003. The Centre collaborates with the Ministry of Health on developing national Salmonella monitoring and control programmes in animal populations. Experts working in the laboratory act as contact points for the Community reference laboratory of Bilthoven (NL), as well as for the EFSA Task Force on Zoonoses. The laboratory provides expertise to the European Commission and EFSA in the framework of different working groups.

The Centre organises annual ring trials for national laboratories, as external quality control for Salmonella serotyping and detection. The Centre performs sero – and phage-typing, as well as molecular typing for epidemiological investigations and subtyping of specific strains, and also for the study of antimicrobial resistance. Scientific and technical support is routinely provided to colleagues from different institutes, in both Italy and other countries, in the areas of:

• implementation and management of monitoring and control programmes
• diagnostic laboratory methods
• innovative molecular methods, typing, antimicrobial resistance
• cooperation with third countries (joint research projects, stages, training courses).

Reference strains are provided upon request.

Publications

• Petrin S, Orsini M, Mastrorilli E, Longo A, Cozza D, Olsen JE, Ricci A, Losasso C, Barco L. Identification and characterization of a spreadable IncI1 plasmid harbouring a bla(CTX-M-15) gene in an Italian human isolate of Salmonella serovar Napoli. 2021 Mar;114:102566. doi: 0.1016/j.plasmid.2021.102566.
• Leati M, Zaccherini A, Ruocco L, D’Amato S, Busani L, Villa L, Barco L, Ricci A, Cibin V. The challenging task to select Salmonella target serovars in poultry: the Italian point of view. Epidemiol Infect. 2021 May 24;149:e160. doi: 10.1017/S0950268821001230.
• Arai N, Sekizuka T, Tamamura-Andoh Y, Barco L, Hinenoya A, Yamasaki S, Iwata T, Watanabe-Yanai A, Kuroda M, Akiba M, Kusumoto M.Arai N, et al. Identification of a Recently Dominant Sublineage in Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- Sequence Type 34 Isolated From Food Animals in Japan. Front Microbiol. 2021 Jul 1;12:690947. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.690947.
• El Hage R, Losasso C, Longo A, Petrin S, Ricci A, Mathieu F, Abi Khattar Z, El Rayess Y.El Whole-genome characterisation of TEM-1 and CMY-2 beta-lactamase-producing Salmonella Kentucky ST198 in Lebanese broiler chain. Glob Antimicrob Resist. 2020 Dec;23:408-416. doi: 10.1016/j.jgar.2020.11.002.
• Mastrorilli E, Petrin S, Orsini M, Longo A, Cozza D, Luzzi I, Ricci A, Barco L, Losasso C. Comparative genomic analysis reveals high intra-serovar plasticity within Salmonella Napoli isolated in 2005-2017. BMC Genomics. 2020 Mar 4;21(1):202. doi: 10.1186/s12864-020-6588-y.
• Longo A, Losasso C, Vitulano F, Mastrorilli E, Turchetto S, Petrin S, Mantovani C, Dalla Pozza MC, Ramon E, Conedera G, Citterio CV, Ricci A, Barco L, Lettini AA. Insight into an outbreak of Salmonella Choleraesuis var. Kunzendorf in wild boars. Vet Microbiol. 2019 Nov;238:108423. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2019.108423.
• Antonelli P, Belluco S, Mancin M, Losasso C, Ricci A. Genes conferring resistance to critically important antimicrobials in Salmonella enterica isolated from animals and food: A systematic review of the literature, 2013-2017. Res Vet Sci. 2019 Oct;126:59-67. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2019.08.022.
• Cibin V, Busetti M, Longo A, Petrin S, Knezevich A, Ricci A, Barco L, Losasso C. Whole Genome Sequencing of Salmonella Serovar Stanleyville from Two Italian Outbreaks Resulted in Unexpected Genomic Diversity Within and Between Outbreaks. Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2019 Apr;16(4):307-308. doi: 10.1089/fpd.2018.2564.
• Mancin M, Barco L, Losasso C, Belluco S, Cibin V, Mazzucato M, Bilei S, Carullo MR, Decastelli L, Di Giannatale E, D’Incau M, Goffredo E, Lollai S, Piraino C, Scuota S, Staffolani M, Tagliabue S, Ricci. Salmonella serovar distribution from non-human sources in Italy; results from the IT-Enter-Vet network. Vet Rec. 2018 Jul 14;183(2):69. doi: 10.1136/vr.104907.
• Mastrorilli E, Pietrucci D, Barco L, Ammendola S, Petrin S, Longo A, Mantovani C, Battistoni A, Ricci A, Desideri A, Losasso C. A Comparative Genomic Analysis Provides Novel Insights Into the Ecological Success of the Monophasic Salmonella Serovar 4,[5],12:i: . Front Microbiol. 2018 Apr 17;9:715. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00715.
• Di Cesare A, Losasso C, Barco L, Eckert EM, Conficoni D, Sarasini G, Corno G, Ricci A. Diverse distribution of Toxin-Antitoxin II systems in Salmonella enterica serovars. . Sci Rep. 2016 Jun 30;6:28759. doi: 10.1038/srep28759.
• Losasso C, Belluco S, Cibin V, Zavagnin P, Mičetić I, Gallocchio F, Zanella M, Bregoli L, Biancotto G, Ricci A. Antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles: sensitivity of different Salmonella serovars. Front Microbiol. 2014 May 26;5:227.
• Lettini AA, Saccardin C, Ramon E, Longo A, Cortini E, Dalla Pozza MC, Barco L, Guerra B, Luzzi I, Ricci A. Characterization of an unusual Salmonella phage type DT7a and report of a foodborne outbreak of salmonellosis. Int J Food Microbiol. 2014 Jul 28;189C:11-17.
• Mughini-Gras L, Barrucci F, Smid JH, Graziani C, Luzzi I, Ricci A, Barco L, Rosmini R, Havelaar AH, VAN Pelt W, Busani L. Attribution of human Salmonella infections to animal and food sources in Italy (2002-2010): adaptations of the Dutch and modified Hald source attribution models. Epidemiol Infect. 2014 May;142(5):1070-82.
• Barco L, Barrucci F, Olsen JE, Ricci A. Salmonella source attribution based on microbial subtyping. Int J Food Microbiol. 2013 May 15;163(2-3):193-203.
• Scavia G, Ciaravino G, Luzzi I, Lenglet A, Ricci A, Barco L, Pavan A, Zaffanella F, Dionisi AM. A multistate epidemic outbreak of Salmonella Goldcoast infection in humans, June 2009 to March 2010: the investigation in Italy. Euro Surveill. 2013 Mar 14;18(11):20424.
• Barco L, Mancin M, Ruffa M, Saccardin C, Minorello C, Zavagnin P, Lettini AA, Olsen JE, Ricci A. Application of the Random Forest method to analyse epidemiological and phenotypic characteristics of Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- and Salmonella Typhimurium strains. Zoonoses Public Health. 2012 Nov;59(7):505-12.
• Mughini-Gras L, Graziani C, Biorci F, Pavan A, Magliola R, Ricci A, Gilli G, Carraro E, Busani L. Surveillance of acute infectious gastroenteritis (1992-2009) and food-borne disease outbreaks (1996-2009) in Italy, with a focus on the Piedmont and Lombardy regions. Euro Surveill. 2012 Feb 23;17(8).
• Barco L., Lettini A.A., Ramon E., Longo A., Saccardin C., Pozza M.C., Ricci A. (2011) A rapid and sensitive method to identify and differentiate Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium and Salmonella enterica serotype 4,[5],12:i:- by combining traditional serotyping and multiplex polymerase chain reaction, Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, June 8(6), pagg. 741-743

News from the IZSVe on salmonellosis

You can read all the news on this topics on this page of the News section of the website: News > News Topics > Salmonellosis

Latest news

Contacts

Director of the National Reference Centre for Salmonellosis
Lisa Barco
E-mail: lbarco@izsvenezie.it
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Director of the WOAH Reference Laboratory for Salmonellosis
Antonia Ricci
E-mail: dirgen@izsvenezie.it
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Secretariat
Phone: +39 049 8084 137
E-mail: scs1.segreteria@izsvenezie.it