Echinococcus multilocularis is a small tapeworm affecting wild and domestic carnivores and voles in a typical prey-predator life cycle. In Italy, there has been a focus of E. multilocularis since ...1997 in the northern Italian Alps, later confirmed in red foxes collected from 2001 to 2005. In this study, we report the results of seven years of monitoring on E. multilocularis and other cestodes in foxes and describe the changes that occurred over time and among areas (eco-regions) showing different environmental and ecological features on a large scale.
Eggs of cestodes were isolated from feces of 2872 foxes with a sedimentation/filtration technique. The cestode species was determined through multiplex PCR, targeting and sequencing ND1 and 12S genes. Analyses were aimed to highlight variations among different eco-regions and trends in prevalence across the study years.
Out of 2872 foxes, 217 (7.55%) samples resulted positive for cestode eggs at coproscopy, with differences of prevalence according to year, sampling area and age class. Eight species of cestodes were identified, with Taenia crassiceps (2.65%), Taenia polyacantha (1.98%) and E. multilocularis (1.04%) as the most represented. The other species, Mesocestoides litteratus, Taenia krabbei, T. serialis, T. taeniaeformis and Dipylidium caninum, accounted for < 1% altogether. Echinococcus multilocularis was identified in foxes from two out of six eco-regions, in 30 fecal samples, accounting for 1.04% within the cestode positives at coproscopy. All E. multilocularis isolates came from Bolzano province. Prevalence of cestodes, both collectively and for each of the three most represented species (T. crassiceps, T. polyacantha and E. multilocularis), varied based on the sampling year, and for E. multilocularis an apparent increasing trend across the last few years was evidenced.
Our study confirms the presence of a focus of E. multilocularis in red foxes of northeast Italy. Although this focus seems still spatially limited, given its persistence and apparent increasing prevalence through the years, we recommend research to be conducted in the future on the ecological factors that, on a smaller scale, allow this zoonotic species to persist. On the same scale, we recommend a health education campaign to inform on the measures to prevent this zoonosis, targeted at people living in the area, especially hunters, dog owners, forestry workers and other potentially exposed categories.
Deck and stringer boards’ manufacturing for wood pallet production requires complex management due to the variability of the logs used as raw material. An analysis was carried out on a representative ...sawmill in north-eastern Italy; the manufacturing line was composed of a band-saw, a cut-saw and a multi circular saw machine connected by rollers and belts conveyors provided with buffers. A discrete event simulation model was built in order to investigate the possible influence of the variability of log diameter and of the productive layout on the actual production level. The simulations showed that the major advantage could come from an improvement in the layout, identifying the cut-saw machine as the main bottleneck of the manufacturing line. By adopting a different cut-saw machine, the productivity of the manufacturing line could increase up to + 56% in the daily production of deck and stringer boards showing an increased daily productive time of + 13%. The effects of this change are evident especially for log diameters lower than 65 cm.
► The production system of deck and stringer boards for wood pallets was investigated. ► Discrete event simulation identified the main bottlenecks. ► The current and an improved layout were studied by varying the mean log diameter. ► Some different solutions (a new machine, control of input material) were proposed. ► Possible improvements of56% in daily production and 13% in productive time were identified.
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