We present the results of the application of a recently proposed model to determine landslide hazard. The model predicts where landslides will occur, how frequently they will occur, and how large they will be in a given area. For the Collazzone area, in the central Italian Apennines, we prepared a multi-temporal inventory map through the interpretation of multiple sets of aerial photographs tak...

The Umbria Region of Central Italy has a long history of mass movements. Landslides range from fast moving rock falls and debris flows, most abundant in mountain areas, to slow moving complex failures extending up to several hectares in the hilly part of the Region. Despite landslides occurring every year in Umbria, their impact remains largely unknown. We present an estimate of the impact of s...

TA serosurvey has been conducted in Northern and Central Italy to investigate the presence in humans of antibodies against zoonotic Babesia and Theileria species. The study focused on a total of 432 volunteers, of which 290 were persistently exposed to tick bites because of their jobs (forester employees, livestock keepers, veterinary practitioners, farmers and hunters) and 142 resident in the ...

Maintaining the vaccine cold chain is an essential part of a successful immunization programme, but in developed countries faulty procedures may occur more commonly than is generally believed. A survey was conducted in a health district in central Italy to assess the methods of vaccine transportation and storage. Of 52 primary vaccination offices inspected, 39 (76.5%) had a refrigerator for vac...

BACKGROUND In the years 2003-2005 research was carried out concerning ethno-medicine in the high Molise (central- southern Italy), a region that has been the object of very little investigation from the ethnobotanical point of view. Upper Molise is a continuation of the mountain profiles of the Abruzzi Appenines: a series of hills, steep slopes and deep fluvial valleys making communications dif...

A survey was conducted in an area of central Italy in order to study the prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens in dogs. Blood samples were collected from 283 dogs and examined using a modified Knott's technique. In addition, in order to detect D. immitis occult infection, 203 serum samples were also analysed for D. immitis antigen detection. The results were analyzed in order to evalu...

BACKGROUND Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis with an acute and self-limited course. The incidence of KD differs widely among ethnic groups and is higher in the Asian population. In Italy, no recent data are available. Our purpose is to define the epidemiology of Kawasaki disease in the years 2008-2013 in children aged < 14 years in the Italian regions of Tuscany and Emilia Romagna ...

OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of multiple sclerosis in the L'Aquila district, central Italy. METHODS All available case sources were screened. Definite and probable cases of multiple sclerosis, classified according to the Poser criteria, were considered as prevalent cases. RESULTS On the prevalence day, 31 December 1996, 158 patients (105 women and 53 men; ratio 2:1) affected by defi...

Toscana virus was detected by reverse transcription-nested PCR in 5.6% of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with meningitis and encephalitis during the summer in southern Italy. The central nervous system infections were associated with young adults and with a substantially benign clinical course. Presenting features and CSF findings are also discussed in the present report.