Infective Diseases of Domestic Animals

Members

Alessandra Piccirillo

Research topic

Poultry and rabbit production represents an important sector of animal husbandry in Italy and more than a half of the Italian poultry and rabbit farms are located in the Northern Regions. Domestic poultry and rabbits may be reservoir of zoonotic microorganisms, representing thus a potential source of infection for humans. Current areas of research include: 1) studying zoonotic microorganisms in poultry and rabbits, with Campylobacter being the primary organism under study; 2) studying antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic microorganisms of poultry and rabbits; 3) studying respiratory infections of chickens, with Infectious Laryngotracheitis virus being the primary organism under study. The research is carried out by using a combination of microbiological and molecular methods.