Abruzzo Region Research Articles

Numana and its ancient territory: new data and research perspectives

Numana is one of the most important centers for the Picenian civilization and prospered in the Marche and Abruzzo regions during the Iron Age. Almost all of the archaeological evidence found until now refers to the necropoleis spread over a broad territory, while data concerning inhabited areas are quite scarce. Although findings are plenty, the study of Ancient Numana is quite incomplete. As a matter of fact, all the published materials are related to single burials or finds and there are no overall studies on its territory. A recent research project involving a wider sector of the largest Numana necropolis (Quagliotti-Davanzali), has not been published yet but offers a detailed description since the excavation documentation is available. The project sets out to consider burials as organized systems, offering information on cultural transformations and on the social organization of the ancient community. The systematic analysis of the data from the burial and the single funerary sets - to be organized in a specific GIS - will be accompanied by an investigation of the ancient landscape in its many components - necropolis and inhabited area - in its diachronic development, thanks to the results of other recent analyses carried out in the Numana territory (geomorphology, GIS of the archaeological map, new surveys of the territory). The scope of the project is therefore to analyze times, ways of arrangements, shapes of the Ancient Numana, in its definition of a territorial, inhabited, rural space, by using methods and techniques to record and read new data, to build knowledge in a scenario which can be integrated with results coming from future research.

A surgical department for intensified care.

The growing pressure to rationalize costs in the healthcare system demands the development of new healthcare models aimed at allowing patients to receive the best treatment, without ignoring the rising costs. In the Healthcare Unit 2 located in the Abruzzo region in Italy, a new model of intensified care surgical department was designed in January 2013. The department was based on the selection of the degree of patient disease. Patients requiring a medium-low degree surgery were treated in the peripheral unit, in the Ortona hospital, while more complex surgical procedures, most cancer cases (including stomach, liver, pancreas, colon-rectum or multi-organ resections), were performed in the central unit in the Chieti hospital. The value of production at the peripheral unit, in Ortona, increased by 299.4% along with an increase in discharges of 112.6%, with an average DRG weight from 1.02 to 1.45. At the central unit, in Chieti, the average DRG weight produced was 3.328. In relation to quality assessment, pancreatic surgery morbidity was 27.0% and mortality was 1.7% due to resection and 2.2% for other causes. Likewise, for colon-rectal surgery, a global morbidity of 35.0% and anastomotic leakage of 3.9% was seen. The 24-month preliminary results show that new models of intensified care surgical departments can be created. In addition, results clearly show that such model significantly improves both services and surgical results. This original model allows optimal use of resources favouring both service quality and patient satisfaction.

Middle Pleistocene molluscan fauna from the Valle Giumentina (Abruzzo, Central Italy): Palaeoenvironmental, biostratigraphical and biogeographical implications

Abstract Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions through the Middle Pleistocene sequence in the Valle Giumentina, located in the Abruzzo region of Central Italy, are discussed. The sampled sequence is 16 m thick and includes nine levels with Lower Palaeolithic industries. The lithostratigraphy shows fluvio-glacial sediments with interbedded colluvial deposits and volcanic tephras. Fine sediments are composed of calcareous sands and silts, most of them yielding well-preserved mollusc shells. Forty-five samples, at 10 cm resolution, yielded 45 taxa, which could be assigned to four biozones. The oldest (biozone VGM1) indicate an open environment, which becomes a closed forest landscape developing under temperate conditions (VGM2). After a decline of thermophilous species (VGM3), mollusc assemblages indicate a dry open environment typical of a glacial period (VGM4). All prehistoric occupation horizons occur during stable environmental episodes but under both temperate and cold climatic conditions. The molluscan succession is allocated to the Middle Pleistocene on the basis of the occurrence of Jaminia malatestae, a well-known Italian species, now extinct, as well as the similarity of the molluscan record to that of Case Picconetto, a well-dated site nearby. This attribution is supported by three tephra layers dated by 40Ar/39Ar at 556 ± 6, 531 ± 5 and 456 ± 2 ka. The sequence is correlated with marine isotopic stages 14, 13 and 12. Four species of land snail (Azeca goodalli, Ruthenica filograna, Pagodulina pagodula, Nesovitrea hammonis) occur beyond their modern range and are therefore of biogeographical interest. These snails are western and central European in origin and their presence within the Valle Giumentina deposits highlight a north-south gradient of colonization during Pleistocene interglacial periods.

INGV data lifecycle management system performances during Mw 6.0 2016 Amatrice earthquake sequence

At 01:36:32 UTC on August 24, 2016 an earthquake of magnitude 6.0 occurred in Central Italy, affecting many small towns and municipalities in the Lazio, Umbria, Marche and Abruzzo regions. The event caused severe damages, many victims and 299 fatalities. Only 21 seconds after the beginning of the earthquake, the first automatic location of this earthquake was available and stored in our earthquakes database. The first magnitude estimate followed 68 seconds after the origin time. Few seconds later the INGV seismologists on duty in accordance to the agreed protocols provided the first alert to the Italian Civil Protection Department (Dipartimento di Protezione Civile, DPC) and thereby triggered the seismic emergency protocol. Subsequently, they elaborated the data in order to produce the first manually reviewed hypocenter, which was published on the Institute’s website at 01:53:18 UTC. The sequence following this mainshock generated thousands of earthquakes in the epicentral area, which the INGV automated localization system processed and detected along with the usual seismic activity in the rest of the Italian territory. In this paper we analyze the behavior of the automated system and of the data lifecycle management procedures in such extraordinary conditions. In particular we want to measure the capability of the system to manage the huge data flow, in terms of frequency and size of seismic events and its ability to remain fairly responsive and accurate in accomplishing its duty in the expected time. This will help us to identify potential problems and to suggest necessary improvements to better serve the INGV mission for Civil Protection.<br /><br id="tinymce" class="mceContentBody " />

SISMIKO: emergency network deployment and data sharing for the 2016 central Italy seismic sequence

<p>At 01:36 UTC (03:36 local time) on August 24th 2016, an earthquake Mw 6.0 struck an extensive sector of the central Apennines (coordinates: latitude 42.70° N, longitude 13.23° E, 8.0 km depth). The earthquake caused about 300 casualties and severe damage to the historical buildings and economic activity in an area located near the borders of the Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo and Marche regions. The Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) located in few minutes the hypocenter near Accumoli, a small town in the province of Rieti. In the hours after the quake, dozens of events were recorded by the National Seismic Network (Rete Sismica Nazionale, RSN) of the INGV, many of which had a ML > 3.0. The density and coverage of the RSN in the epicentral area meant the epicenter and magnitude of the main event and subsequent shocks that followed it in the early hours of the seismic sequence were well constrained. However, in order to better constrain the localizations of the aftershock hypocenters, especially the depths, a denser seismic monitoring network was needed. Just after the mainshock, SISMIKO, the coordinating body of the emergency seismic network at INGV, was activated in order to install a temporary seismic network integrated with the existing permanent network in the epicentral area. From August the 24th to the 30th, SISMIKO deployed eighteen seismic stations, generally six components (equipped with both velocimeter and accelerometer), with thirteen of the seismic station transmitting in real-time to the INGV seismic monitoring room in Rome. The design and geometry of the temporary network was decided in consolation with other groups who were deploying seismic stations in the region, namely EMERSITO (a group studying site-effects), and the emergency Italian strong motion network (RAN) managed by the National Civil Protection Department (DPC). Further 25 BB temporary seismic stations were deployed by colleagues of the British Geological Survey (BGS) and the School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh in collaboration with INGV. All data acquired from SISMIKO stations, are quickly available at the European Integrated Data Archive (EIDA). The data acquired by the SISMIKO stations were included in the preliminary analysis that was performed by the Bollettino Sismico Italiano (BSI), the Centro Nazionale Terremoti (CNT) staff working in Ancona, and the INGV-MI, described below.</p>

Future scenarios and conservation strategies for a rear-edge marginal population of Pinus nigra Arnold in Italian central Apennines

Aim of study: To forecast the effects of climate change on the spatial distribution of Black pine of Villetta Barrea in its natural range and to define a possible conservation strategy for the speciesArea of study: A rear-edge marginal population of Pinus nigra spp. nigra in Abruzzo region, central Italian ApenninesMatherials and Methods: For its adaptive and genetic traits this population is considered endemic of the Italian peninsula and represents a rear-edge marginal population of nigra subspecies. The spatial distribution of the tree in the administrative Region (Abruzzo) was used to define the ecological traits while three modelling techniques (GLM, GAM, Random Forest) were used to build a Species distribution model according to two climatic scenarios.Main results: The marginal population's range was predicted to shift at higher elevations as consequence of climatic adaptation. Many zones, represented by the higher part of the mountains surrounding the study area (currently bare and inhospitable for trees), were identified as suitable in future for the species. However, in the case of a rapid climate change, this marginal population may not be able to move as fast as necessary. An in-situ adaptive management integrated with an assisted migration protocol might be considered to enforce the natural regeneration and improve the richness and variability of the genetic pool.Research highlights: Most of the genetic richness is held in small populations at the borders of natural distribution of forest species. Monitoring this MAP could be useful to understand the adaptive processes of the species and could support the future management of many other within-core populations.Keywords: Species Distribution Models; Mediterranean forests; Abruzzo; climate change; altitudinal shift.

The Madonna’s body: The social construction of a neutralized body

This paper deals with the statue without female forms of Our Lady of Maidens, kept in the parish church of Civitella Roveto in the Abruzzo region, in Italy. After describing the religious rituals involving the statue of this Virgin in order to shed light on her title, the study goes on to analyze vernacular discourses about her and explore the prohibition regarding the touching of her body. The symbolic aspects of the shapeless body of the statue are then investigated and discussed in the light of Marian, anthropological, sociological, and feminist literature, considering them a specific device for expelling female sexual desire from the domain of fertility. The article, focused on the body of the Madonna, hopes to contribute to studies in religious materiality as well as to studies in the social construction of gender inequality.

Preliminary analysis of the accelerometric recordings of the August 24th, 2016 MW 6.0 Amatrice earthquake

<p>On 24 August 2016, at 1.36:32 GMT, a M<sub>W</sub> 6.0 earthquake with epicenter located below the village of Accumoli, struck a wide area among the boundaries of Lazio, Abruzzo, Umbria and Marche regions (Central Italy): the main event caused the collapse of several buildings and about 300 fatalities, mainly in the towns of Amatrice, Arquata del Tronto and Accumoli. The main event was recorded by about 350 sensors, belonging to Italian Accelerometric Network (Rete Accelerometrica Nazionale, RAN), operated by the Department of Civil Protection (DPC), to the Italian Seismic Network (Rete Sismica Nazionale, RSN), managed by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) and to other local networks. All the corrected data are available at the Engineering Strong Motion Database (<a href="http://esm.mi.ingv.it">esm.mi.ingv.it</a>). This paper reports the preliminary results of the analysis of the strong-motion recordings.</p>

What is the impact of the August 24, 2016 Amatrice earthquake on the seismic hazard assessment in central Italy?

<p>The recent Amatrice strong event (M<sub>w</sub>6.0) occurred on August 24, 2016 in Central Apennines (Italy) in a seismic gap zone, motivated us to study and provide better understanding of the seismic hazard assessment in the macro area defined as “Central Italy”. The area affected by the sequence is placed between the M<sub>w</sub>6.0 1997 Colfiorito sequence to the north (Umbria-Marche region) the Campotosto area hit by the 2009 L’Aquila sequence M<sub>w</sub>6.3 (Abruzzo region) to the south. The Amatrice earthquake occurred while there was an ongoing effort to update the 2004 seismic hazard map (MPS04) for the Italian territory, requested in 2015 by the Italian Civil Protection Agency to the Center for Seismic Hazard (CPS) of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia INGV. Therefore, in this study we brought to our attention new earthquake source data and recently developed ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs). Our aim was to validate whether the seismic hazard assessment in this area has changed with respect to 2004, year in which the MPS04 map was released. In order to understand the impact of the recent earthquakes on the seismic hazard assessment in central Italy we compared the annual seismic rates calculated using a smoothed seismicity approach over two different periods; the Parametric Catalog of the Historical Italian earthquakes (CPTI15) from 1871 to 2003 and the historical and instrumental catalogs from 1871 up to 31 August 2016. Results are presented also in terms of peak ground acceleration (PGA), using the recent ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs) at Amatrice, interested by the 2016 sequence.</p>

Eating Disorders Risk Profiles in the Adolescents in the Abruzzo's Region in Italy: a Cross-Sectional Survey in the Aftermath of an Earthquake

In the Abruzzo's Region on the 6 April 2009 occurred a catastrophic earthquake, which divided the population into a natural cohort of subjects exposed to the event in the internal area of the territory and a not exposed fraction of the population in the coastal area.

Web-Based HIV Testing in Abruzzo, Italy: Analysis of 15-Month Activity Results.

Undiagnosed cases of HIV infection in developed countries are estimated at 20-30% of individuals living with HIV. Web-based strategies may represent a new approach to easier, wider, and unrestricted access to early testing. The Abruzzo Region, Italy, developed a Web-based tool to recruit persons at high risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). At the Website www.failtestanchetu.it , browsers found information on STIs (HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis), a structured questionnaire called "risk calculator" to assess one's own risk behaviors and direct booking of their test at one of six sites throughout the region. The Website was advertised on local media and in pharmacies, high schools, sports facilities, and factories. Between February 1, 2014, and May 31, 2015, about 6000 users visited the Website; 3046 people attended a visit for counseling on risk behaviors, signs, or symptoms of STIs and accepted blood drawing for HIV, hepatitis B Virus (HBV), hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and syphilis tests. Fifty-eight (1.90%) subjects were positive for HCV, 56 (1.84%) for HBsAg, 90 (2.95%) for Treponema pallidum antibodies, and 28 (0.92%) for HIV. Ninety-two percent of HIV-positive patients were successfully linked to care. Late presenters were less frequent in this sample than in the population diagnosed with HIV in Italy in 2014. An overall 7% proportion of HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis-unaware cases were all transferred to care, with the exception of three people. HIV seropositivity among testers was higher than 2/1000, the cost-effectiveness threshold suggested for effective testing. Therefore, our Web-based unrestricted and free access methodology appears worth further and wider evaluation.

Detection of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in goats

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of acute hepatitis worldwide. Genotypes 1 and 2 are restricted to humans, whereas genotypes 3 and 4 also occur in animals and are recognized as zoonotic pathogens. In this study, by screening goat faecal samples collected from six small farms located in the province of Teramo (Abruzzo region, Italy), HEV RNA was found with an overall prevalence of 9.2% (11/119). Upon sequence analysis of a 0.8kb portion of the ORF2 gene, four strains were grouped with animal and human genotype 3 HEVs, subtype c, with the highest match (94.2–99.4% nt identity) to a wild boar strain, WB/P6-15/ITA, identified in the same geographical area in which the six goat farms were located. Further investigations are needed in order to assess if goat may represent an additional active host for HEV.

Fuzzy Boundaries Between Post-Disaster Phases: The Case of L’Aquila, Italy

A number of indices have been developed for measuring vulnerability to disasters, but little attention has been paid to recovery indices. Post-disaster periods are usually divided into four phases. The terms established by the United Nations Development Programme for post-disaster phases—relief, early recovery, recovery, and development—are used in this article. This research examines the hypothesis that the boundaries between post-disaster recovery phases are fuzzy and should be defined by the progress achieved in the recovery process, rather than by the amount of time elapsed since the event. The methodology employed involved four steps: fieldwork, mapping, identification of indicators, and assessment. The case study area was the city of L’Aquila in the Abruzzo region of central Italy, which was struck by an earthquake in April 2009. For each phase of the recovery process in L’Aquila a score was calculated based on the progress observed in 2016, 7 years after the earthquake. The highest score went to the early recovery phase (14 points), followed by the recovery phase (13 points), the development phase (12 points), and the relief phase (4 points). The results demonstrate the possibility of defining post-disaster recovery phases in an affected area based on measuring achievements through indicators rather than defining recovery phases in terms of elapsed time after a disaster.

Quantile regression and Bayesian cluster detection to identify radon prone areas

Albeit the dominant source of radon in indoor environments is the geology of the territory, many studies have demonstrated that indoor radon concentrations also depend on dwelling-specific characteristics. Following a stepwise analysis, in this study we propose a combined approach to delineate radon prone areas. We first investigate the impact of various building covariates on indoor radon concentrations. To achieve a more complete picture of this association, we exploit the flexible formulation of a Bayesian spatial quantile regression, which is also equipped with parameters that controls the spatial dependence across data. The quantitative knowledge of the influence of each significant building-specific factor on the measured radon levels is employed to predict the radon concentrations that would have been found if the sampled buildings had possessed standard characteristics. Those normalised radon measures should reflect the geogenic radon potential of the underlying ground, which is a quantity directly related to the geological environment. The second stage of the analysis is aimed at identifying radon prone areas, and to this end, we adopt a Bayesian model for spatial cluster detection using as reference unit the building with standard characteristics. The case study is based on a data set of more than 2000 indoor radon measures, available for the Abruzzo region (Central Italy) and collected by the Agency of Environmental Protection of Abruzzo, during several indoor radon monitoring surveys.

Experiencing local community resilience in action: Learning from post-disaster communities

Although increasing attention has been given to the need to engage local communities and facilitate community resilience, discrepancies between theory and practice remain evident. Myths, misconceptions and mistakes persist in post-disaster emergency operations, and in the reconstruction and re-development efforts following disaster. The ‘command and control’ approach typically deployed by disaster management agencies results in an increasing dependency on external support and annihilates the potentialities of local communities. Learning lessons from post-disaster interventions is important in order to better understand how to orient development interventions, especially those addressed to the sustainable development of vulnerable areas, such as mountain and rural territories. We emphasise the importance of recognizing community resilience and the capacity of local communities to self-organise. We describe examples of community resilience in action as it occurred following the earthquake in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of central Italy on 6 April 2009. We discuss the aftershock economies and aftershock societies that developed in the extraordinary communities that emerged around rural villages in the mountain areas around L'Aquila. A multi-methods approach was used, primarily drawing on personal experiences of life in the autonomous locally-organised camps that were established in rural areas following the earthquake. We conclude that the persistence of various disaster myths and the failure to acknowledge community resilience undermine more effective, socially-sustainable, disaster management and rural development planning. Learning from the post-disaster communities that arose in the L'Aquila post-earthquake mountain territory, we argue that in post-disaster management and in rural development planning, there should be a greater awareness of the underlying community resilience, and we suggest that greater attention should be given to understanding, recognizing and strengthening the capacities of local communities and the resilient social processes they put into action in order to address the negative social and economic impacts they experience during crises.

Lignocellulosic Ethanol Production from the Recovery of Stranded Driftwood Residues

This paper builds upon a research project funded by the Italian Ministry of Environment, and aims to recover stranded driftwood residues (SDRs), in order to transform a potential pollution and safety issue into valuable bio-resources. In particular, one of the experiments consisted of bioethanol production from lignocellulosic residues. The SDRs were gathered from the Italian coast (Abruzzo Region, Italy) after an intense storm. The biomass recalcitrance, due to its lignocellulosic structure, was reduced by a steam explosion (SE) pretreatment process. Four different pretreatment severity factors (R0) were tested (LogR0 3.65, 4.05, 4.24 and 4.64) in order to evaluate the pretreated material’s accessibility to enzymatic attack and the holocellulose (cellulose plus hemicellulose) recovery. A first enzymatic hydrolysis was performed on the pretreated materials by employing a solid/liquid (S/L) ratio of 1% (w/w) and an enzyme dosage of 30% (w enzyme/w cellulose), in order to estimate the maximum enzymatically accessible cellulose content. Since the primary goal of pretreatment and hydrolysis is to convert as much cellulose as possible into monomeric glucose and recover all the holocellulose, the two pretreated materials showing these features were selected for bioethanol production process. The pretreated materials underwent a semi-simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSSF). The SSSF process was performed into two lab-scale bioreactors (5 L) with an S/L ratio of 15% and an enzyme dosage of 15% for five days. The efficiency of the whole bioethanol production process was assessed as ethanol overall yields (g ethanol/100 g raw material). The best overall yield was achieved by sample BS04 (8.98 g ethanol/100 g raw material).

Structural analysis of stone masonry columns of the Basilica S. Maria di Collemaggio

The Basilica of Collemaggio in L’Aquila is one of the outstanding architectural heritage in Abruzzo Region. The church, built in the late XIII century, has experienced many earthquakes during its life, some of which caused damages to the masonry structures, requiring continuous interventions and renovations. The last strong earthquake (April 6th, 2009) caused the collapse of the transept structures and significant damages in the apses area.Since 2009, several research groups have focused their attention on the Basilica, both from architectural and structural point of view. Particularly, recent studies have pointed out the historical value of nave columns, which seem to be XIII century authentic elements.Despite the magnitude of the last earthquake, the columns have proved limited resistance against seismic loads, resulting in a widespread damage, but without reaching the collapse. The aim of the present paper is to understand their structural behavior under horizontal actions.An overall finite element model of the church has been developed to perform eigenvalue and response spectrum analyses of the Basilica.Afterwards, a representative nave column has been studied considering both geometrical and mechanical non-linearity. In order to obtain a reliable evaluation of its structural behavior, two different models have been developed: an analytical model and a solid-brick finite element one.The performed analyses have allowed the evaluation of the stresses redistribution inside the columns after cracking. The results, provided in terms of force–displacement curve and stress contours, have permitted to identify some possible explanations about the columns seismic response.

Diminishing high‐frequency directivity due to a source effect: Empirical evidence from small earthquakes in the Abruzzo region, Italy

AbstractThe aim of this study is to investigate the directivity effects of ~250 aftershocks (magnitudes 3–5.5) of the Mw 6.1 2009 L'Aquila earthquake (central Italy). To this end, we estimate the apparent source spectra at each station removing path and site effects inferred by standard Generalized Inversion Technique. Then, we evaluate the residuals between the apparent source spectra and the event mean source spectrum at selected frequencies. We investigate azimuthal and frequency dependence of the residuals for 40 events with the best station coverage. For most of events with the strongest directivity effect (Mw 3.4–4.0), we observe a remarkable decrease of the directivity amplification at high frequencies, which has not yet been documented for such relatively small‐magnitude events. Since there is negligible distance dependence, we ascribe this observation to a source phenomenon such as significant small‐scale rupture propagation complexity.

Pediatric Epidemic of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium in the Area of L’Aquila, Italy, Four Years after a Catastrophic Earthquake

Background: A Salmonella enterica epidemic occurred in children of the area of L’Aquila (Central Italy, Abruzzo region) between June 2013 and October 2014, four years after the catastrophic earthquake of 6 April 2009. Methods: Clinical and laboratory data were collected from hospitalized and ambulatory children. Routine investigations for Salmonella infection were carried out on numerous alimentary matrices of animal origin and sampling sources for drinking water of the L’Aquila district, including pickup points of the two main aqueducts. Results: Salmonella infection occurred in 155 children (83 females: 53%), aged 1 to 15 years (mean 2.10). Of these, 44 children (28.4%) were hospitalized because of severe dehydration, electrolyte abnormalities, and fever resistant to oral antipyretic and antibiotic drugs. Three children (1.9%) were reinfected within four months after primary infection by the same Salmonella strain. Four children (2.6%), aged one to two years, were coinfected by rotavirus. A seven-year old child had a concomitant right hip joint arthritis. The isolated strains, as confirmed in about the half of cases or probable/possible in the remaining ones, were identified as S. enterica serovar Typhimurium [4,5:i:-], monophasic variant. Aterno river, bordering the L’Aquila district, was recognized as the main responsible source for the contamination of local crops and vegetables derived from polluted crops. Conclusions: The high rate of hospitalized children underlines the emergence of a highly pathogenic S. enterica strain probably subsequent to the contamination of the spring water sources after geological changes occurred during the catastrophic earthquake.

Outbreak of unusual Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium monophasic variant 1,4 [5],12:i:-, Italy, June 2013 to September 2014.

Monophasic variant of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium (monophasic S. Typhimurium), with antigenic structure 1,4,[5],12:i:-, appears to be of increasing importance in Europe. In Italy, monophasic S. Typhimurium represented the third most frequent Salmonella serovar isolated from human cases between 2004 and 2008. From June 2013 to October 2014, a total of 206 human cases of salmonellosis were identified in Abruzzo region (Central Italy). Obtained clinical isolates characterised showed S. Typhimurium 1,4,[5],12:i:- with sole resistance to nalidixic acid, which had never been observed in Italy in monophasic S. Typhimurium, neither in humans nor in animals or foods. Epidemiological, microbiological and environmental investigations were conducted to try to identify the outbreak source. Cases were interviewed using a standardised questionnaire and microbiological tests were performed on human as well as environmental samples, including samples from fruit and vegetables, pigs, and surface water. Investigation results did not identify the final vehicle of human infection, although a link between the human cases and the contamination of irrigation water channels was suggested.