Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of this paper: "First report of Salmonella 1,4,[5],12:i:- in free-ranging striped dolphins ( Stenella coeruleoalba ), Italy". Authors: C. Grattarola, S. Gallina, F. Giorda, A. Pautasso, M. Ballardini, B. Iulini, K. Varello,M. Goria, S. Peletto, L. Masoero, L. Serracca, A. Romano, A. Dondo, S. Zoppi, F. Garibaldi, F. E. Scaglione, L. Marsili, G. Di Guardo, A. A. Lettini, W. Mignone, A. Fernandez, C. Casalone Sci Rep 2019 Apr 15; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-42474-6 Abstract: Between 2015 and the beginning of 2018 (January-March), 30 cetaceans were found stranded along the Ligurian Sea coast of Italy. Necropsies were performed in 22 cases and infectious diseases resulted the most common cause of death. Three striped dolphins, showed a severe coinfection involving the monophasic variant of Salmonella Typhimurium (Salmonella 1,4,[5],12:i:-). The isolates were characterized based on antimicrobial resistance, Multiple-Locus Variable-number tandem-repeat Analysis (MLVA) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). All isolates demonstrated the same multidrug resistant genotype (ASSuT isolates), showed three different MLVA profiles, two of which closely related, and were identified as Sequence Type 34. Moreover, Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) analysis confirmed strong correlations between two out of the three isolates. To our knowledge, S. 1,4,[5],12:i:-, one of the most common serovars in cases of human infection and food sources worldwide, has not previously been described in marine mammals, and reports of Salmonella-associated disease in freeranging cetaceans are rare. These results highlight the role of cetaceans as sentinel species for zoonotic and terrestrial pathogens in the marine environment, suggest a potential risk for cetaceans and public health along the North Western Italian coastline and indicate cetaceans as a novel potential reservoir for one of the most widespread Salmonella serovars. You can find the article using the following link: https://rdcu.be/bwYsq<http://em.rdcu.be/wf/click?upn=lMZy1lernSJ7apc5DgYM8bqPqg2kVPPI4drE6FFSkbk-3D_2iq-2FBVzvipl1kM-2BUsoO8IwAipH9LUwe-2FTUM8ilQZDFUd7iDAvj3zDO6YFa0GlyeJ1Ccsyz5QuvCDP9klNUA0ySPDdqKEakoQTEVRh7JEzPJdRWHrkWCUxDuiJ6QdV3msM3SzGRCUNCLUWL-2FT5x-2BkbVHoQX0JUSKLLrsY9i6eISdEizM97KSXTsXthQb-2FgVjf87uFBwINBTZ1VEi1QU007zYtoJo1nTsBy-2FJNyJugQhJHm3aNXzYhTchLZdPCEEBHXXW78Jmjywgf-2FhWghU2YkmUZ0E5j4q3S-2B8-2FEXKxLRMg-3D> Kind regards, Carla Grattarola Carla Grattarola DVM S.C. Neuroscienze-Lab Neuropatologia CEA-Centro di Referenza Nazionale per le TSE C.Re.Di.Ma.- Centro di Referenza Nazionale per le indagini diagnostiche sui Mammiferi Marini spiaggiati Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta Via Bologna 148 10154 TORINO tel +39 011 2686 296 carla.grattarola@izsto.it<mailto:carla.grattarola@izsto.it> www.izsto.it<http://www.izsto.it/>