1. PREVENTION IN LIVESTOCK DISEASES IN ITALY: HISTORY AND RECORDS
E.Piras; P. Gradito; R. Ciappelloni; L. Garau; S. Guarise; A. D’Orazi; M. Bucciarelli; F. Capuano; E. Aliberti; L. Lombardi
IZS della Sardegna IZS delle Regioni Lazio e Toscana IZS dell’Umbria e delle Marche IZS della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna IZS delle Venezie IZS della Sicilia IZS dell’Abruzzo- Molise IZS della Campania IZS del Piemonte-Liguria IZS della Perugia-Basilicata

2. AIM
The present work aims at outlining the historical and scientific evolution of the prevention of livestock diseases in Italy.
The original documents retrieved in the II.ZZ.SS. historical archives have been studied thus emphasizing the role of the Libraries in fostering research and support of scientific progress

3. METHODS (1)
The methodology adopted is inferred from bibliographic research.
The first step
a data collection accomplished by each single Institute as to the records pertaining to its own activities
(such as scientific publications and grey literature documents)

4. METHODS (2)
The second step
has focused on outlining the development of the II.ZZ.SS. since the establishment up to the year 1950

5. DISCUSSION
The origin of Istituti Zooprofilattici (II.ZZ.SS.), at the turn of the century, is strictly connected with the DEVELOPMENT of the Public Health and The Veterinary Assistance System
It is useful to sketch a brief description of the national health situation along this short period of history

6. DISCUSSION In 1885 Pasteur, addressing to the Veterinarians said :
“ …As we all know, since a few years,
your profession has became of outstanding importance… thanks to Bouley, because he never stopped to insist on the value of scientific research in the veterinary career.”

7. Historical background (1)
At the beginning of XX century, in Italy as in the rest of Europe, a change in agriculture was taking place:
A quantitative and qualitative livestock increase was occurring and the animal breeding was converting into a real industry
Milk production was increasing and dairy by-products used as feeding stuff allowed an increase in swine production
The veterinarians were asked a higher expertise and information and support was needed to tackle the new challenges

8. Historical background (2)
At the beginning of XX century, in Italy as in the rest of Europe, a change in agriculture was taking place:
a quantitative and qualitative livestock increase was occurring
Domestic animal breeding was converting into a real industry
in 1901 the Veterinary Services were gathered into the “Direzione Generale di Sanità” and, during the following ten years, they were completely reorganized

9. Historical background (3)
Indeed, the zooiatric and zootechnical services were underdeveloped, furthermore they operated through different Boards which were often not even interconnected in the intervention plans.
As a matter of fact, an efficient screening of the activities and a zootechnical program were lacking
an operative framework that could support the enforcement of the guidelines carried out by the Agencies in charge, was necessary in order to increase the production, breeding and livestock trading (Il Moderno Zooiatro, 1909)

10. Historical background (4)
In 1909, the Veterinary Services
had medical and zootechnical functions:
Health Police:
health measures in animal infectious diseases prevention; police controls over livestock trade in markets, in railway and in tramway stations
Mortuary Police:
Report of animal death causes; supervision of carcasses destruction to avoid the spreading of infections
Food supplies Police:
Inspection of slaughtered animals, meat and meat processing plants;
inspection of milk production and trade;
inspection of fish and shellfish
(Il Moderno Zooiatro, 1909)

11. such as the extinction of a number of animal epizooties
Historical background (5)
During the IX Conference of Veterinary Medicine, (Hague,Netherlands 1909),
much emphasis was given to the veterinary scientific progress and its positive impact on agriculture,
such as the extinction of a number of animal epizooties

12. Historical background (6)
The European Veterinary Medicine was focusing on diseases such as:
Equine Piroplasmosis, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumoniae, Classical Swine Fever and African horse Sickness
(Il Moderno Zooiatro, 1909)
The Veterinarians, realizing their vital role in the livestock protection, pledged all the local authorities of the Italian Kingdom to provide a National Veterinary Service.
At that time there was only one vet out of municipalities

13. Historical background (7)
The increase of the vet work force was essential so as to carry out diagnostic controls which was particularly important because of the peculiar Italian historical, geographical, social-economic background and of the present health conditions:
The Livestock breeding was strictly dependent on the territory
The infectious diseases, such as rinder pest, foot-and-mouth disease (already unfortunately known by breeders in the nineteenth century), were dramatically spreading

14. Historical background (8)
The national livestock resources had completely changed and such infectious pathologies, causing much damage to breeders and a serious economic impact, needed a thorough study and further research to assure control by means of immunizing products

15. Historical background (9)
Furthermore, a special interest was aroused by the study of the following aspects:
Swine epidemic diseases
Poultry diseases
Neonatal diseases
The production of anti-aphtous vaccine;
The production and distribution of vaccine against brucellar abortion,
enzootic sterility
Meat microbiological examination;
Zoonoses

16. Historical background (10)
The State intervention was urged and the “Consiglio Superiore di Sanità” (Health Superior Council) established the first Experimental Stations to tackle the epizooties.
"Such stations have no educational purposes, in this sense they are not a duplicate of the Institutes and scientific laboratories studying cattle infectious diseases active in medicine and veterinary medicine. On the contrary, they have a practical nature and they have preventive objectives. They represent the ramparts which have to reinvigorate the action of health administration in the effort …" (Altara, 1954)

17. Historical background (11)
This action proved to be only a promotional approach
Indeed, Experimental Stations needed specific resources to operate on the field, considering the correlation with local agriculture organizations, Chambers of Commerce and veterinarians
The creative boost was the need to fill the gaps coping with inadequate tools to act against the spreading of contagious diseases in breeding

18. Historical background (12)
During the second half of the XXth century, modern epidemiology has developed.
In the Veterinary field, the Regolamento di Polizia Veterinaria was issued enforcing the rules to manage the most dangerous animal diseases, such as:
avian salmonellosis, bovine tuberculosis, bovine and small ruminantsbrucellosis, foot-and-mouth disease, classic swine fever, bovine enzootic leucosis, etc.

19. Historical background (13)
Administrative autonomy was accomplished as a consequence to avoid a complete “nationalization” which might have reduced the freedom of action in the field.
“In Italy there are ten Institutes which have been established and directed by outstanding veterinary scientists and veterinarians. Today, they represent our most important scientific institutions (apart from schools), where our main experimental and diagnostic activity is carried out, especially in the immunological field.
Both overseas and in our country, these institutions are highly regarded by the medical class.”
(Zooprofilassi, 1949)

20. In thirty years’ time 10 Institutes were established

21. the presence of new animal diseases or infections, zoonosis
Historical background (14)
The increase of the zootechnic livestock resources on a worldwide level involved
the presence of new animal diseases or infections, zoonosis
(such as infections caused by poultry Salmonella enteritidis, brucelllosis, tubercolosis),
(Zooprofilassi, 1949)

22. The national livestock appeared completely renewed after the war period:

23. Livestock Health Situation (1)
The infectious diseases trend recorded at the end of the World War II show that Italy was still fighting against livestock serious diseases
(Zooprofilassi, 1950)

24. Livestock health situation (2)
From: Zooprofilassi 1949

25. Livestock health situation (3)
The deteriorated health situation urged the II.ZZ.SS. to their complete development, through the subdivision that allowed the Istitutes to serve the entire nation
District breakdown:
the Institute of Torino, together with the Genoa’s centre, provides for Piemonte and Liguria regions;
The Institute of Brescia, with Milano and Reggio Emilia Diagnostic sites, provides for Lombardia and Emilia;
The Institute of Padova provides for Veneto, Friuli and Trentino-Alto Adige;

26. The Institute of Rome, together with Pisa, Florence and other 6 diagnostic centres, provides for Toscana and Lazio;
The Institute of Perugia, with the centre of Ancona, provides for Umbria and Marche;
The Institute of Teramo provides for Abruzzo;
The Institute of Foggia provides for Puglia and Molise;
The Institute of Portici, together with the Catanzaro’s centre, provides for Campania, Lucania and Calabria;
The Institute of Palermo provides for Sicily;
The Institute of Sassari, together with the Cagliari’s centre, provides for Sardinia.

27. "The organization pattern was so well designed that each Institute was able to accomplish the several tasks concerning Italian Zootechnics and Public Health, using its own equipment and qualified staff"
(Zooprofilassi, 1950)

28. Since the beginning of the ’50s, the Istituti Zooprofilattici have gathered many functions that used to be developed by other institutions, acquiring a important role in the National Veterinary Public Health.
In August 1950, the General Direction of the Veterinary Services started a cooperation with the II.ZZ.SS. Since this very moment, II.ZZ.SS. have represented the first framework for Veterinary Public Health and food security throughout the country

29. A synthetic description of the main activities provided by each institute will be sketched as in 1950 the II.ZZ.SS covered the whole Italian country and were up to establish a network
The screening and research functions carried out by the Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali were heterogeneous and complex

30. EXPERIMENTAL STATION FOR CATTLE INFECTIVE DISEASES IN THE PROVINCE OF BRESCIA
The Experimental Station of Brescia is due to Brescia’s breeders initiative thanks to the financial support of different Institutions.
This institution took place the 19th of March 1921, when “the Experimental Station for cattle infective diseases in the province of Brescia” was set up.
Since 1923, the new Institute started its activities.
The institute intervention area included all provinces of Lombardia and Emilia. The main diseases represented a direct cause of permanent stalling: foot-and-mouth diseases, classical swine fever, Newcastle diseases, bovine brucellosis, salmonellosis, neonatal diseases.
The tasks entrusted to the Institute concern the study of animal contagious diseases and the preparation of immune products, the diagnostic activity, the application of bacteriological tests of animal meats slaughtered under necessity; the organization of the struggle against classical swine fever through serum and virus simultaneous inoculation, both for a preventive task and for emergency intervention in pigsties already affected; the organization of the struggle against bovine sterility.

31. SOUTH EXPERIMENTAL ZOOPROFILATTICA STATION “NICOLA MIRAGLIA”
The origins date back to 1908, when the “Istituto di Incoraggiamento of Naples”, decided its institution in order to enhance health safeguard action of the livestock in Southern Italy.
To operate in this large jurisdiction area, in 1925 the sections of Foggia, Catanzaro, Reggio Calabria, Cosenza, Potenza and Taranto were established.
Portici’s Institute, characterised by a very active in diagnostic activity, stands out for the divulgation action for zootechnic hygiene and basic prophylactic rules. The examined documents report all the important data on serum production against classical swine fever, antiapthous vaccine and rabies.
Studies and researches were targeted on: artificial sterility and insemination, food health control, equines and other domestic animals meningo-encephalomyelitis, Piroplasmosis, bovine tuberculosis prophylaxis and immunization against classical swine fever.

32. ISTITUTO ZOOPROFILATTICO SPERIMENTALE OF PIEMONTE AND LIGURIA
This Institute was established by the Comizio Agrario of Torino and started its activity in 1913.
It operates over all the provinces of Piemonte and Liguria.
The Institute, since the early years, performed its activities in the following fields:
diagnostics, production of immune defence, vaccines for Newcastle disease, neonatal diseases; poultry, fish and bee diseases; Brucellosis Trichomoniasis; bovine sterility; production of adsorbed vaccines against viruses; production of the vaccine against foot-and-mouth diseases vaccine against Newcastledisease; brucellosis therapy; equine infectious anemia; artificial insemination of domestic animals; immunology and serology of foot-and-mouth disease; qualifying courses in sterility care and execution of domestic animals artificial insemination.

33. ISTITUTO ZOOPROFILATTICO SPERIMENTALE DELLE REGIONI LAZIO E TOSCANA
In 1935, IZS-Lazio e Toscana, established in 1918, was changed into Stazione Zooprofilattica Sperimentale of Rome
in 1951 its jurisdiction was extended to the provinces of Tuscany
In the ‘50s, its activity concerned:
• Diagnostic activity
preparation of immune defences
• Sterility and artificial insemination, scientific research activity.

34. ISTITUTO ZOOPROFILATTICO SPERIMENTALE OF FOGGIA
It was established in 1921 as a separated station from the Experimental Station of Portici with the specific task of struggling against sheeppox (a disease extinguished in 1949)
As the years passed through, the laboratory started dealing also with other infectious diseases that affected the animals of the province of Foggia. It was the necessity to build a local experimental station
It operates in Puglia and Molise where the half-wild breeding encouraged the presence of diseases due to sporogenic or parasitic (helminthiasis and piroplasmosis)
agents

35. STAZIONE ZOOPROFILATTICA SPERIMENTALE OF SARDINIA
After the I World War, in Italy, it was vital to preserve the zootechnic livestock resources as an income source for a large part of the population. On the 10th of November 1922 the first local board in Sassari was held and the Statute was approved, stating the tasks and goals of the Institution. One year later the Provincial Commission of Sassari established in Sassari an Experimental Station for cattle infectious diseases, with jurisdiction over the entire island. On the 4th of January, the Station, through its first verdict, started its activity
At that time Sardinia used to have a wide livestock resource (sheep and goat) that amounted to 33.3% of the national sheep livestock resources.
The main activities of the centre included: struggle against parasitic diseases by means of studies, research, therapy and breeders involvement; diagnostic tests that allowed to trace and prove the nature of infectious diseases in Sardinia; meat microbiological examination; breeding techniques; serums and vaccines production together with other diagnostic materials; struggle against diseases concerning the reproductive apparatus and artificial insemination; experimental research

36. ISTITUTO ZOOPROFILATTICO DELLE TRE VENEZIE
The first project for a Zooprophilactic Station dates back to1924, but it’s only in 1926 that it was established in Padova and, in 1929, it started to be operative. The range of action included all the provinces of Veneto, Friuli and Trentino.
The diseases in the area of the Institute were:
Actinobacillosis, Mal rossino, Brucellar abortion, Trichomoniasis, Turkey Enterohepatitis, Neonate bull calf dysentery, Classical Swine Fever, Symptomatic carbuncle, Rabbit hemorrhagic septicaemia, Chicken pseudo pest, Hare pseudo tuberculosis, Bovine pasteurellosis, Sheep contagious ecthyma, Catarrhal malignant fever, Bovine babesiosis, Aujeszky disease.
There was an important production of serum against swine mal rosso, distribution of serum anti-aphtha, production of anti-aphtha adsorbed vaccine, vaccine against systematic carbuncle, vaccine against fowl cholera, multivalent antisepticaemic serum, vaccine against fowl diphtheria, vaccine against pseudo pest. Activities included the field of diseases concerning the reproductive apparatus.

37. ISTITUTO ZOOPROFILATTICO SPERIMENTALE OF PERUGIA
The first negotiations about its foundation date back to 1933 by the Chamber of Commerce and the local University, but they reached a agreement only in 1939
Its jurisdiction includes Umbria and Marche, and it carries out activities on diagnostics, Zooiatric assistance and health information campaigns, production of serums and vaccines for: Mal rossino, Classicsal swine fever, Foot-and-mouth disease, Newcastle disease, Anti rabies vaccine following the Mirri technique; experimental research in sterility and diseases of the reproductive apparatus, parasitology and food inspection.
Research works are also carried out on enterotoxic staphylococcus in food milk, fresh meat, ice-cream, as well as studies on bovine echinococcosis; Rickettsia burnetii and studies on tuberculosis.

38. “Each Institute also carries on with success more specific scientific research and the great importance of this work in the development reached in Veterinary Science it’s clear ”
(I. Altara, 1954)

39. Scientific studies and publications represent the documental livestock resources available in our Institutions
hereafter, a summary schedule is reported, underlining, not only the number of scientific publications on national and international reviews, but also the topics studied
(Altara, 1954)

40. PORTICI

41. RESULTS
This historical study carried out on a documental basis has highlighted the Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali AID and SUPPORT in the prophylaxis of infectious and contagious diseases,
studying pathologies which were once hardly investigated in our country, such as neonatal and foot-and-mouth diseases

42. This paper focuses on the historical period from 1900 to 1950
CONCLUSIONS
This paper focuses on the historical period from 1900 to 1950
and it is the result of the work accomplished by the librarians of Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali, who at present make up a real cooperation ‘network’
In order to give an exhaustive collection of so many documents, (most of them out of commerce), and in reorganizing archives and libraries,
the IZS librarians are challenging to keep their roots alive
but they are also endeavouring to
RETRIEVE AND LOCATE A LARGE AMOUNT OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION to be available to the users,
since these documents can be considered essential for research but also for practical applications in the sanitary field
Documental sources this work refers to, can be accessed in each above-mentioned Institute

43. REFERENCES 1. Zooprofilassi, attualità, 1949; n. 5, p.278
2. Il Moderno Zooiatro, 1909; n. 9, p. 454
3. Il Moderno Zooiatro, 1909; n. 17, p. 867
4. Il Moderno Zooiatro, 1909; n. 19, p. 956
5. Altara I. Gli Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali: rassegna delle attività, 1954; p. VIII
6. Zooprofilassi, 1949; n.4, p.21
7. Zooprofilassi, 1949; n. 11, p.31
8. Zooprofilassi, 1950; n.4, p.250
9. Zooprofilassi, 1950; n.8, p.437
___________________________________________________________Fig. 1: title: Istituti Zooprofilattici of Italy / file IZSItaly_001.jpg

44. …Thank You for Your kind attention!!