Marina Tesauro

University of Milan | UNIMI · Department of Biomedical, Surgical , and Dental Sciences

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, water has played a key role in epidemiological monitor of SARS-CoV-2. Our study aimed to verify if flood spillways activity during heavy rain events could be a source of SARS-CoV-2 contamination of a rural canal and consequently of human infection. Methods A total of 12 water samples (2L) were collected in f...

Background Bees are important environmental indicators, revealing pollution through mortality or residues in honey and other hive products. We compared honey quality in a rural (Western Milan) and an industrial area (Northern Milan-Rho) in Lombardy (Italy). Methods In collaboration with the local Health and Environmental Protection Agencies, we co...

the COVID-19 infection, caused by severe Coronavirus 2 syndrome (Sars-Cov-2), immediately appeared to be the most tragic global pandemic event of the twentieth century. Right from the start of the pandemic, diabetic patients treated with metformin experienced a reduction in mortality and complications from COVID-19 compared to those with different...

Bees and hive products, such as honey, can act as indicators of environmental quality. Our research aimed to evaluate historical data of honey quality in Lombardy (Northern Italy) and consider the possible sources of air contamination that can influence it. We collected analytical data from the local Health Protection Agency on residues of 57 honey...

Background Many studies consider the contamination of dental unit waterlines (DUWLs), but few of them have studied the possible presence of antibiotic resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the DUWLs. Aims Investigation of the presence of P. aeruginosa and Pseudomonas spp. strains in DUWLs and evaluation of their resistance to six antibiotics (ceftaz...

During the COVID-19 public health emergency, an increasing number of studies reported the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewaters worldwide, but little is known about the presence of the virus in surface freshwaters. The aim of the current study was to develop and validate an appropriate and scalable methodological approach for the concentration an...

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) and the worldwide health crisis have significantly changed both people’s habits and lifestyles. Most of the studies found in the literature were carried out on specific professional categories in the socio-health sector, taking into consideration psychological dis...

Purpose Analyses of 34 water samples from 13 healthcare structures revealed how culture method and quantitative PCR (qPCR) often differ in the detection of Legionella pneumophila ( Lp ). With these considerations in hand, culture method, PCR and Ethidium Monoazide Bromide (EMA) qPCR have all been compared in order to detect Lp in water samples, ide...

In many parts of the world, rural canals in agro-urban environments represent the water bodies intended to receive stormwater runoff from urban, industrial and agrarian surfaces. The risk of acute and chronic contamination of riparian vegetation and sediments, and the deterioration of water quality, make it problematic to use these canals to convey...

Purpose: Culture method, Real-Time PCR (qPCR) and Ethidium Monoazide Bromide (EMA) qPCR have been compared in order to detect Legionella pneumophila (Lp) in water samples, to identify a method able to speed up the procedures, detect the “viable but not cultivable” bacteria (VBNC) and exclude dead bacteria using a commercial kit for extraction and a...

The awareness of citizens concerning the health risks caused by environmental pollution is growing, but studies on determinants of pro-environmental behaviors have rarely examined health-related aspects. In this study, we investigated these determinants using data from a large survey among Italian university students (15 Universities: 4778 filled q...

The aims of this work were to apply the Environmental Cleanliness and Clutter Scale (ECCS) in order to assess domestic squalor in dwellings of hoarders, prevent sanitary risks, and intervene in solving the problem. Methods The ECCS is a domestic squalor scale, developed as a quantitative descriptive tool, based on ten items and a four-point scale....

We much appreciate the positive comments and interest concerning our study on the environmental and occupational risk factors of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) [...].

Objectives: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease with still unknown etiology. We aimed at investigating the association between environmental and occupational factors with ALS risk. Methods: We performed a population-based case-control study in four Italian provinces (Catania, Modena, Novara, and...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the microbial air contamination values obtained by active sampling (colony-forming units per cubic metre, CFU/m3) and by passive sampling (Index of microbial air contamination, IMA) and to calculate the corresponding equations. Air sampling was performed in ten dental clinics (DC), befor...

Determination of Legionella concentrations in water networks is useful for predicting legionellosis risks. The standard culture technique using concentration with membranes filters is the most commonly used method for environmental surveillance of Legionella. The aim of this study was to verify whether filtration with different filter pore sizes (0...

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease of the motor neurons. The etiology of ALS remains largely unknown, particularly with reference to the potential environmental determinants. Methods: We performed a population-based case-control study in four provinces from both Northern and Southern It...

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...

Aims: The aim of this research is to verify the presence of Legionella in human dental plaque. Methods: 65 adult patients not treated with systemic or local antibiotics at least 2 months before the time of sample collection were enrolled for plaque collection between September 2015 and December 2016. A brief questionnaire about lifestyle and hea...

Introduction: Energy drinks represent an emerging health problem among young people. Energy drinks generally refer to a class of beverages containing sugars and various combinations of bioactive ingredients such as caffeine, taurine etc. Also the mix of energy drinks with alcohol is fairly frequent among young people and could be associated with d...

Background: The economic crisis in Italy has led to profound changes in resource management not only at the macro level but also for individual families, causing substantial changes in different habits of Italians. Study design: The purpose of this research was to conduct a study on changes in family eating habits potentially triggered by the ec...

This study provides the dietary intakes of six trace elements (cadmium, chromium, copper, manganese, selenium and zinc), generally characterized by both nutritional and toxicological features depending on their exposure. Being diet the most relevant source of exposure to trace elements in non-professionally exposed subjects, we measured content of...

Objective and methods: Based on nationwide death certificates, a cluster of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been reported in the area of Briga (Novara province, northern Italy), known for its severe environmental contamination. We further investigated this finding, by following up with the collection of recent incidence ALS data in 2002-20...

Objective: The study aimed to evidence previous cases of legionellosis or proven or suspected pneumonia in seven hospital facilities for the mentally disabled in Northern Italy, where no clinical surveillance had been previously carried out. An additional aim was to highlight the occurrence of strains of Legionella pneumophila of clinical and envi...

BACKGROUND: Lack of knowledge is the major reason for non-compliance with correct healthcare-associated infections (HAI) prevention procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge of the Dental School (DSS) and Dental Hygiene (DHS) students with regard to the prevention of HAI, as basic knowledge for improving and harmonizing the educat...

This study aims to analyze the structural, managerial and preventive requirements envisaged by the DGR (Regional Committee Resolution) 8100/2004 for dental activities in Milan, by means of a new testing tool, a questionnaire, and to be, at the same time, a tool for dentists to check the status of their offices.

Objectives: To monitor the presence of pesticide residues in food of plant origin in Milan from 1 July 2008 to 31 December 2011. Materials and methods: Food of plant origin found in fruit and vegetable markets and in supermarkets was analysed, to evaluate whether it was contaminated by any seventy active principles of pesticides. Results: Two...

The exact role of environmental risk factors in the etiology of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is still unknown. Their hypothetical contribution ranges from a minimal impact to a major role. Among the environmental factors strictu sensu (i.e., not life-style factors) suspected to play a role in ALS etiology, we co...

A microbiological environmental investigation was carried out in ten dental clinics in Italy. Microbial contamination of water, air and surfaces was assessed in each clinic during the five working days, for one week per month, for a three-month period. Water and surfaces were sampled before and after clinical activity; air was sampled before, after...

The aim of this work was to determine whether swimming pool water quality in Milan from 2006 to 2008 was within the standards established by national and local Italian laws (Circolare Min. Sanità 128/71 and DGR 2552/2006). In 2006, 580 samples of water from public swimming pools were analyzed to determine the presence of heterotrophic counts at 37...

The aim of this study was to identify the most effective disinfection protocol to reduce the presence of Legionella pneumophila in the water system of two Italian hospitals. From 2004 to 2009, 271 samplings of hot water were carried out in 11 hospital units to detect the presence of L. pneumophila. Additionally, water samples collected from one boi...

The aim of this study was to identify the most effective disinfection protocol to reduce the presence of Legionella pneumophila in the water system of two Italian hospitals. From 2004 to 2009, 271 samplings of hot water were carried out in 11 hospital units to detect the presence of L. pneumophila. Additionally, water samples collected from one boi...

Various techniques have been developed in recent years for the molecular typing of microorganisms. Remains particularly difficult to isolate clinical strains for the low availability of cases and even more problematic matching clinical / environmental strains. We investigated 13 strains of Legionella pneumophila of clinical and environmental origin...

We performed an environmental monitoring in an hospital to estimate the level of contamination from Legionella spp., in connection with several treatments of reclamation. In period 2002-2006 we executed 238 samplings in 21 units hospitals (from hot water, biofilm, filter of the conditioning system, instrument for the assisted respiration) for the d...

Several different subjects in the Degree Course in Dentistry and Prosthodontics, including Hygiene, are of fundamental importance to understand and prevent hygiene/ health risks in the dental field. The aim of this investigation is to evaluate the knowledge acquired by students during the Degree Course in Dentistry. A questionnaire was distributed...

The aim of this study was to survey, from a microbiological point of view, dental unit water, air and surface quality in public dental offices and in control environments in Milan. We studied tap and dental unit water (from fountain, air-water syringe, turbine), at the beginning and at the end of monday and thursday morning activity; air quality wi...

Questionnaires were distributed to the responsibles and to the dependents of structures with high turnover of people, to have informations about numbers and typology of instruments, habits of dependents and type of cleanings. In these structures, microbiologic quality of air and of informatic instruments' surfaces were evaluated and efficacy of tre...

At different times in recent years (before, during and after liming) we have studied the littoral macrobenthonic community in Lake Orta, and, for comparison, in Lake Mergozzo (an unpolluted lake). In this paper we compare the situations after liming in summer 1993 and in summer 1998. We found no clear difference between the summer samples in 1993 a...

The frog embryo teratogenesis assay-Xenopus (FETAX) is a powerful and flexible bioassay that makes use of the embryos of the anuran Xenopus laevis. FETAX satisfies the requirements of low cost, reliability and reproducibility and, thanks to its three endpoints (i.e., mortality, teratogenicity and growth inhibition) can detect the xenobiotics that a...

Aim of this investigation is to identify possible sanitary risks connected with the practice of dentistry and to draw up guidelines which may help all those who work in this field. Between April and July 1998, we distributed 231 questionnaires to public and private dental offices in Milan, to evaluate dentists' knowledge of sanitary risks in their...

BACKGROUND: Aim of this investigation is to identify possible sanitary risks connected with the practice of dentistry and to draw up guidelines which may help all those who work in this field. METHODS: Between April and July 1998, we distributed 231 questionnaires to public and private dental offices in Milan, to evaluate dentists' knowledge of san...

According to D.P.R.470/82, ARPA Piemonte-Dipartimento provinciale of Novara and Presidio Multizonale di Igiene e Prevenzione of Varese laboratories survey bathing water in Lake Maggiore. Every year, from May to September, twice a month, on the Piedmontese and Lombardy shore, 42 and 28 bathing places, respectively, are surveyed for chemical and bact...

The aim of this research was to analyse the effects of liming on the littoral benthonic fauna in the Phragmites communis macrophyte bank. Such effects were analysed on the basis of differences in faunal composition between a stressed and restored lake (Lake Orta) and an unaffected lake (Lake Mergozzo). The different chemical conditions (low pH, low...