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PubMed1995

Yersinia pestis infection in three dogs.

Yersinia pestis infection was diagnosed in 3 dogs. Clinical signs included lethargy (3 dogs), pyrexia (2 dogs), and a purulent skin lesion in the cervical region (2 dogs). Yersinia pestis infection is a potentially fatal zoonotic disease of human beings. Human cases have resulted from contact with infected domestic cats; however, the risk of human infection from contact with infected domestic dogs is unknown. Dogs frequently are exposed to Y pestis in areas in which there are plague epizootics; however, clinical illness in dogs is rare. In the western United States, where Yersinia pestis is endemic, plague should be considered in the differential diagnosis when examining dogs with nonspecific fever and lethargy.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Safety issues in the exotic pet practice.

Small animal practitioners are well versed in the potential zoonoses from dogs and cats. Although these account for the vast majority of documented cases of zoonotic disease in humans, there are documented as well as potential zoonotic diseases that the nontraditional companion animal is capable of transmitting. This article is a compilation of potential disease risks to veterinarians, staff, and owners of nontraditional companion animals. In addition, the article may serve as a training tool for veterinary practices.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

[Zoonotic brucellosis risk associated with clandestine slaughtered porks].

To determine the sanitary risk to human health, 59 sera samples of clandestine slaughtered porks were examined through serologic procedures and have demonstrated to have anti-Brucella antibodies and antibodies titles suggestive of brucellosis infection. Surveillance measurements are recommended to prevent potential risk of zoonotic infection.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2004

Horses and the risk of zoonotic infections.

Infectious agents are insidious, often changing to adapt to host defenses or treatment advances. Because these challenges will continue, the need to apply standard and transmission-based precautions is important not only in the human hospital setting but in the veterinary clinic setting. In addition, to prevent human infection and potential liability, clinics need to establish program algorithms to prevent disease spread for specific agents or planned procedures to respond to potential nosocomial and zoonotic disease events. These need to be done proactively. Furthermore, more money needs to be dedicated to establish infection control programs and to improve the science of infection control in the veterinary setting.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

The potential reservoir role of donkeys and horses in zoonotic fascioliasis in Gharbia Governorate, Egypt.

No doubt, fascioliasis tops all the zoonotic helminthes worldwide. In Egypt, human fascioliasis is increasing. The incidence and prevalence of fascioliasis in the Egyptian farm animals are well documented. However, none in Egypt has focused on the potential role of other domestic farm animals. A preliminary coprologic examination of donkeys and horses was done in eight centers of Gharbia governorate. The overall rate of infection in donkeys was 3.03%, in horses was 1.5%, and in mules 0.0%. Horses 2/74 (2.70%) and 1/26 (3.86%) were infected in Zefta and El Mahala El Kobra centers respectively. None of the horses was infected in other six centers. On the other hand, donkeys showed infection rates of 4.6%, 7.6% and 9.09% in the centers of Santa, Zefta and El Mahala El Kobra respectively. So, fascioliasis infected donkeys and horses were in Zefta and El Mahala El Kobra respectively. The latter center was the relatively highly infected one, followed by Zefta and lastly Santa (donkeys only). According to the population density of donkeys and horses in Gharbia governorate, donkeys represent the 41h rank in number. So, donkeys and to a very less extend, horses should be considered within the preventive and control measures of zoonotic fascioliasis.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Validation of IgG-sandwich and IgM-capture ELISA for the detection of antibody to Rift Valley fever virus in humans.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus is an important zoonotic and a potential biothreat agent. This paper describes validation of sandwich and capture enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISA) based on gamma-irradiated antigens for the detection of RVFV-specific IgG and IgM antibody in humans. Validation data sets derived from testing field-collected sera from Africa (n=2400) were dichotomised according to the results of a virus neutralisation test. In addition, sera from laboratory workers immunized with inactivated RVF vaccine (n=93) and serial sera (n=3) from a single RVF case were used. ELISA data were expressed as percentage of high-positive control serum (PP). Cut-off values at 95% accuracy level were optimised using the misclassification cost term option of the two-graph receiver operating characteristics analysis. During the routine use of assays there was no evidence for excessive intra- and inter-plate variations within and between runs of assays. At a cut-off of 13.2 PP the sensitivity of the IgG-sandwich ELISA was 100% and specificity 99.95%, while for the IgM-capture ELISA the values were 96.47 and 99.44%, respectively, at a cut-off of 7.1 PP. Compared to the virus neutralisation test, the IgG-sandwich ELISA was more sensitive in detection of immunological responses in vaccines. Following natural infection class-specific antibodies were detected in serum taken 6 days after onset of symptoms. The results demonstrate that both assays will be useful for early diagnosis of infection, epidemiological surveillance and for monitoring of immune response after vaccination. As highly accurate, robust and safe tests, they have the potential to replace traditional diagnostic methods which are unable to distinguish between different classes of immunoglobulins, and pose health risks necessitating their use being restricted to high containment facilities outside RVF endemic areas.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed2000

Simian foamy virus infection among zoo keepers.

We investigated 322 North American zoo workers in an anonymous serosurvey for antibodies to simian foamy viruses to establish the potential risk of zoonotic transmission by these retroviruses. 4 of 133 (3%) individuals who worked specifically with mammals including primates were seropositive, primarily with chimp-like viruses, indicating the importance of work practices to reduce exposure to these agents.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed2003

Fungal diseases of rabbits.

Although fungal diseases in rabbits are reported, they are encountered infrequently in clinical practice. The most common fungal disease is a superficial dermatophytosis, with deep mycotic infections being rare. Rabbits can be asymptomatic carriers of dermatophytes and should be considered a potential source of zoonotic exposure. Treatment protocols often are based on common small animal regimes. Rabbits also have normal gastrointestinal yeast that often is found on routine fecal examinations.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

A single amino acid difference in the host APOBEC3G protein controls the primate species specificity of HIV type 1 virion infectivity factor.

The HIV type 1 (HIV-1) virion infectivity factor (Vif) protein blocks the action of the host defense factor APOBEC3G in human cells, thereby allowing release of infectious virions, but fails to inhibit similar APOBEC3G proteins present in some simian cells. Conversely, the Vif protein encoded by the African green monkey (agm) simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) can block agm APOBEC3G function but fails to inhibit human APOBEC3G. This difference plays a key role in determining the primate species tropism of HIV-1 and SIV agm. Here, we demonstrate that a single APOBEC3G residue, which is an aspartic acid in human APOBEC3G and a lysine in agm APOBEC3G, controls the ability of the HIV-1 Vif protein to bind and inactivate these host defense factors. These data identify a critical charged residue that plays a key role in mediating the formation of the distinct Vif:APOBEC3G complexes formed in human and simian cells. Moreover, these results suggest that the biological barrier preventing the entry of additional SIV into the human population as zoonotic infections is potentially quite fragile.

APOBEC-3G Deaminase↗
PubMed2000

Septic arthritis of the hip secondary to rat bite fever: a case report.

Rat bite fever is a rare infection typically caused by Streptobacillus moniliformis. The mode of transmission is most commonly through a bite or scratch from an infected rat. This disease is characterized by polyarthritis, fever, and a delayed onset erythematous maculopapular rash of the extremities. The authors report a case of rat bite fever, which led to septic arthritis of the hip. To the authors' knowledge, the complication of hip sepsis requiring an arthrotomy has not been reported in the literature. The orthopaedist should be aware of not only Streptobacillus moniliformis, but also of other zoonotic organisms, which potentially can cause septic arthritis and warrant treatment with specific antibiotics.

Arthritis, Infectious↗
PubMed2001

A prevalence survey for zoonotic enteric bacteria in a research monkey colony with specific emphasis on the occurrence of enteric Yersinia.

Transmissible pathogenic and opportunistic zoonotic enteric bacteria comprise a recognized occupational health threat to exposed humans from non-human primates (NHPs). In an effort to evaluate the occurrence of selected enteric organisms with zoonotic and biohazard potential in a research colony setting, we performed a prevalence study examining 61 juvenile and young adult rhesus macaques participating in a transplant immunology project. Primary emphasis was directed specifically to detection of pathogenic enteric Yersinia, less well-documented and reported NHP pathogens possessing recognized significant human disease potential. NHPs were surveyed by rectal culture during routine health monitoring on three separate occasions, and samples incubated using appropriate media and specific selective culture methods. Enteric organisms potentially transmissible to humans were subcultured and identified to genus and species. Significant human pathogens of the Salmonella/Shigella, Campylobacter, and enteric Yersinia groups were not isolated throughout the survey, suggesting prevalence of these organisms may generally be quite low.

Animal Technicians↗
PubMed2002

Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis E virus in veterinarians working with swine and in normal blood donors in the United States and other countries.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is endemic in many developing and some industrialized countries. It has been hypothesized that animals may be the source of infection. The recent identification of swine HEV in U.S. pigs and the demonstration of its ability to infect across species have lent credence to this hypothesis. To assess the potential risk of zoonotic HEV infection, we tested a total of 468 veterinarians working with swine (including 389 U.S. swine veterinarians) and 400 normal U.S. blood donors for immunoglobulin G anti-HEV. Recombinant capsid antigens from a U.S. strain of swine HEV and from a human HEV strain (Sar-55) were each used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The anti-HEV prevalence assayed with the swine HEV antigen showed 97% concordance with that obtained with the human HEV antigen (kappa = 92%). Among the 295 swine veterinarians tested from the eight U.S. states (Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, and Alabama) from which normal blood donor samples were available, 26% were positive with Sar-55 antigen and 23% were positive with swine HEV antigen. In contrast, 18% of the blood donors from the same eight U.S. states were positive with Sar-55 antigen and 17% were positive with swine HEV antigen. Swine veterinarians in the eight states were 1.51 times more likely when tested with swine HEV antigen (95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 2.20) and 1.46 times more likely when tested with Sar-55 antigen (95% confidence interval, 0.99 to 2.17) to be anti-HEV positive than normal blood donors. We did not find a difference in anti-HEV prevalence between veterinarians who reported having had a needle stick or cut and those who had not or between those who spent more time (> or = 80% of the time) and those who spent less time (< or = 20% of the time) working with pigs. Similarly, we did not find a difference in anti-HEV prevalence according to four job categories (academic, practicing, student, and industry veterinarians). There was a difference in anti-HEV prevalence in both swine veterinarians and blood donors among the eight selected states, with subjects from Minnesota six times more likely to be anti-HEV positive than those from Alabama. Age was not a factor in the observed differences from state to state. Anti-HEV prevalence in swine veterinarians and normal blood donors was age specific and paralleled increasing age. The results suggest that swine veterinarians may be at somewhat higher risk of HEV infection than are normal blood donors.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Evidence and consequence of porcine endogenous retrovirus recombination.

The genetic nature and biological effects of recombination between porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERV) were studied. An infectious molecular clone was generated from a high-titer, human-tropic PERV isolate, PERV-A 14/220 (B. A. Oldmixon, et al. J. Virol. 76:3045-3048, 2002; T. A. Ericsson et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100:6759-6764, 2003). To analyze this sequence and 15 available full-length PERV nucleotide sequences, we developed a sequence comparison program, LOHA(TM) to calculate local sequence homology between two sequences. This analysis determined that PERV-A 14/220 arose by homologous recombination of a PERV-C genome replacing an 850-bp region around the pol-env junction with that of a PERV-A sequence. This 850-bp PERV-A sequence encompasses the env receptor binding domain, thereby conferring a wide host range including human cells. In addition, we determined that multiple regions derived from PERV-C are responsible for the increased infectious titer of PERV-A 14/220. Thus, a single recombination event may be a fast and effective way to generate high-titer, potentially harmful PERV. Further, local homology and phylogenetic analyses between 16 full-length sequences revealed evidence for other recombination events in the past that give rise to other PERV genomes that possess the PERV-A, but not the PERV-B, env gene. These results indicate that PERV-A env is more prone to recombination with heterogeneous backbone genomes than PERV-B env. Such recombination events that generate more active PERV-A appear to occur in pigs rather frequently, which increases the potential risk of zoonotic PERV transmission. In this context, pigs lacking non-human-tropic PERV-C would be more suitable as donor animals for clinical xenotransplantation.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Protection of mice against lethal infection with highly pathogenic H7N7 influenza A virus by using a recombinant low-pathogenicity vaccine strain.

In 2003, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza occurred in The Netherlands. The avian H7N7 virus causing the outbreak was also detected in 88 humans suffering from conjunctivitis or mild respiratory symptoms and one person who died of pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Here we describe a mouse model for lethal infection with A/Netherlands/219/03 isolated from the fatal case. Because of the zoonotic and pathogenic potential of the H7N7 virus, a candidate vaccine carrying the avian hemagglutinin and neuraminidase proteins produced in the context of the high-throughput vaccine strain A/PR/8/34 was generated by reverse genetics and tested in the mouse model. The hemagglutinin gene of the recombinant vaccine strain was derived from a low-pathogenicity virus obtained prior to the outbreak from a wild mallard. The efficacy of a classical nonadjuvanted subunit vaccine and an immune stimulatory complex-adjuvanted vaccine was compared. Mice receiving the nonadjuvanted vaccine revealed low antibody titers, lack of clinical protection, high virus titers in the lungs, and presence of virus in the spleen, liver, kidneys, and brain. In contrast, mice receiving two doses of the immune stimulatory complex-adjuvanted vaccine revealed high antibody titers, clinical protection, approximately 1,000-fold reduction of virus titers in the lungs, and rare detection of the virus in other organs. This is the first report of an H7 vaccine candidate tested in a mammalian model. The data presented suggest that vaccine candidates based on low-pathogenicity avian influenza A viruses, which can be prepared ahead of pandemic threats, can be efficacious if an effective adjuvant is used.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed2006

Adsorption of viruses to soil: impact of anaerobic treatment.

The adsorption of viruses in untreated flushed dairy manure wastewater (FDMW), anaerobically digested flushed dairy manure wastewater (ADFDMW) and groundwater to sandy soil was investigated. Batch adsorption studies showed differential adsorption of viruses in groundwater to soil. Less than 75% of PRD1 and MS2 added to groundwater adsorbed after 1 h, but greater than 95% of phiX174 and poliovirus 1 adsorbed to the soil. Adsorption differences in groundwater were related to the isoelectric points of the viruses. Suspending phages in untreated and treated wastewater reduced adsorption compared with groundwater. For MS2, more phages were adsorbed using ADFDMW than with FDMW. Adsorption of poliovirus 1 was not affected by FDMW and ADFDMW. Small column studies (6 x 2.5 cm) produced a similar trend in that adsorption was observed with groundwater and both FDMW and ADFDMW reduced virus adsorption. Groundwater, FDMW or ADFDMW did not affect the adsorption of poliovirus 1 in column studies. The major difference between FDMW and ADFDMW was in mobilisation of adsorbed viruses. The application of FDMW to soil columns with adsorbed viruses caused significantly more viruses to be mobilised than did the application of rainwater or ADFDMW. These results showed that treating FDMW by anaerobic digestion increased the adsorption of viruses to soil and decreased detachment of adsorbed viruses. As the potential for new zoonotic pathogens becomes known, the treatment of animal wastes may become mandatory. The assessment and management of viruses in manure for addressing possible risk to animal and human health is of interest.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2025

Occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in healthy pets in Duhok Province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major nosocomial pathogen responsible for various infections in humans and animals. AIM: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and molecular characteristics of MRSA isolates in healthy pets, specifically cats and dogs. METHODS: In this study, swab samples were collected from 135 healthy pets, including 100 cats and 35 dogs. The samples were analyzed using standard microbiology and molecular methods. RESULTS: The results showed the detection of MRSA in nostril isolates at a total rate of 23.2% (13/56) from both cats and dogs through the detection mecA gene. The prevalence rate was different in cats and dogs and it was 22% (9/41) and 27% (4/15), respectively. The same isolates were cefoxitin-positive and oxacillin-resistant. Basic Local Alignment Search Tool analysis of partial mecA sequences revealed 100% similarity with mecA genes from human Staphylococcus aureus isolates. All 13 mecA sequences exhibited identical results. Two partial mecA sequences from this study have been deposited in GenBank under accession numbers PQ881807 and PQ881808. The MRSA isolates only displayed staphylococcal cassette chromosome types I and IV (a and b). The results also showed a high prevalence of certain virulence factors, such as hemolysins, across the isolates and multidrug-resistant MRSA isolates among both cats and dogs. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to confirm the occurrence of MRSA among Duhok pets. The findings suggest the role of healthy animals as reservoirs of multidrug-resistant MRSA and highlight the potential threat of zoonotic transmission of MRSA between pets and humans.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Intestinal colonization of rats following experimental infection with Campylobacter jejuni.

Oral infection of rats with 10(6)-10(8) colony forming units per ml of Campylobacter jejuni resulted in prompt intestinal colonization. Campylobacter jejuni was recovered from rat faecal samples for four months post infection. The colonized rats did not succumb to clinical diarrhoea or pyrexia. The resistance of rats to C. jejuni clinical infection and their ability to shed the organism for protracted periods, make rats potential source of zoonotic campylobacteriosis.

Animals↗