Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “zoonotic potential”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and exposure to phenoxyherbicides, chlorophenols, fencing work, and meat works employment: a case-control study.

A previous case-control study which used the occupational information available on the New Zealand Cancer Registry found that agricultural workers were at increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The findings are now presented for the second phase of the study which entailed interviewing 83 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma registered under code 202 of the International Classification of Diseases together with 168 controls with other types of cancer and 228 general population controls. The findings for the two control groups were similar, and there were no significant differences between cases and controls regarding potential exposure to phenoxy-herbicides (odds ratio = 1.4, 90% confidence limits 0.7-2.5, p = 0.26) or chlorophenols (odds ratio = 1.3, 90% confidence limits 0.6-2.7, p = 0.39). The odds ratio for fencing work, necessitating exposure to several potential risk factors including arsenic and sodium pentachlorophenate was 2.0 (90% confidence limits 1.3-3.0, p = 0.01). The odds ratio for employment in a meat works, necessitating potential exposure to 2, 4, 6-trichlorophenol and zoonotic viruses, was 1.8 (90% confidence limits 1.1-3.1, p = 0.04). There was a significant statistical interaction between the risks associated with these two activities, the odds ratio for involvement in both activities compared with involvement in neither being 5.7 (90% confidence limits 2.3-14.3, p = 0.03).

2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic Acid↗
PubMed1997

Acute life-threatening toxocaral tamponade.

An unusual case of life-threatening visceral larva migrans (toxocariasis) is reported herein. The patient was admitted with acute dyspnea and bilateral pleural effusion; rapidly pericardial tamponade developed. Blood and body fluid eosinophilia were elevated. Extensive investigations revealed no malignant process or vasculitis, but Toxocara infection was confirmed by rising specific antibody titers. The high seroprevalence of Toxocara antibodies, particularly in children, suggests that a diagnosis of visceral larva migrans should be considered before a diagnosis of systemic hypereosinophilic syndrome even when clinical presentation is unusual. Prophylaxis against this widespread polymorphic zoonotic infection is desirable in view of the potentially dramatic consequences of infestation.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

Animal farm--the ethics and public policy of xenotransplantation.

In 1997, over four thousand people on organ waiting lists lost their lives. The current organ shortage has led to the need to find alternative sources of organs for transplantation. Advances in immunosuppressive therapies and genetics have made xenotransplantation, the transplantation of animal organs into humans, an increasingly viable technology. However, the promise of xenotransplantation is tempered by the unspecified amount of risk that zoonotic pathogens could mutate and infect humans with potentially deadly diseases.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

New born chicks can serve as an experimental animal model for human campylobacteriosis.

Campylobacter enteritis is an emerging food borne zoonotic disease. Improperly cooked chicken serve as a potential source for this infection. Diarrheogenic potential of Campylobacter jejuni is tested either by in-vivo rat ileal loop (RIL) test or by molecular methods. This study reveals that 3-day-old chicks can serve as an animal model for toxigenic C. jejuni.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Zoonotic implications of the swine-transmitted protozoal infections.

Pig production is an important part of the economy in many countries. Domestic and wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are susceptible to a wide range of infectious and parasitic diseases. Some of these diseases are specifically limited to pigs while some of the other diseases are shared with other species of wildlife and domestic livestock. As the numbers and geographic distribution of wild and domestic swines continue to increase, it is certain that the number of contacts between these swines and domestic livestock will also increase, as will the probability of human exposure to the parasites of swine directly or indirectly. Here, we will discuss the protozoal infections of pigs, which have the potential to infect humans and provide reasonable risk assessment for zoonotic transmission.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Detection of Bacillus anthracis DNA by LightCycler PCR.

Anthrax is a zoonotic disease that is also well recognized as a potential agent of bioterrorism. Routine culture and biochemical testing methods are useful for the identification of Bacillus anthracis, but a definitive identification may take 24 to 48 h or longer and may require that specimens be referred to another laboratory. Virulent isolates of B. anthracis contain two plasmids (pX01 and pX02) with unique targets that allow the rapid and specific identification of B. anthracis by PCR. We developed a rapid-cycle real-time PCR detection assay for B. anthracis that utilizes the LightCycler instrument (LightCycler Bacillus anthracis kit; Roche Applied Science, Indianapolis, Ind.). PCR primers and probes were designed to identify gene sequences specific for both the protective antigen (plasmid pX01) and the encapsulation B protein (plasmid pX02). The assays (amplification and probe confirmation) can be completed in less than 1 h. The gene encoding the protective antigen (pagA) was detected in 29 of 29 virulent B. anthracis strains, and the gene encoding the capsular protein B (capB) was detected in 28 of 29 of the same strains. Three avirulent strains containing only pX01 or pX02, and therefore only pagA or pagB genes, could be detected and differentiated from virulent strains. The assays were specific for B. anthracis: the results were negative for 57 bacterial strains representing a broad range of organisms, including Bacillus species other than anthracis (n = 31) and other non-Bacillus species (n = 26). The analytical sensitivity demonstrated with target DNA cloned into control plasmids was 1 copy per microl of sample. The LightCycler Bacillus anthracis assay appears to be a suitable method for rapid identification of cultured isolates of B. anthracis. Additional clinical studies are required to determine the usefulness of this test for the rapid identification of B. anthracis directly from human specimens.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed2005

Real-time PCR assays targeting a unique chromosomal sequence of Yersinia pestis.

BACKGROUND: Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of the zoonotic infection plague, is a major concern as a potential bioweapon. Current real-time PCR assays used for Y. pestis detection are based on plasmid targets, some of which may generate false-positive results. METHODS: Using the yp48 gene of Y. pestis, we designed and tested 2 real-time TaqMan minor groove binder (MGB) assays that allowed us to use chromosomal genes as both confirmatory and differential targets for Y. pestis. We also designed several additional assays using both Simple-Probe and MGB Eclipse probe technologies for the selective differentiation of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis from Y. pestis. These assays were designed around a 25-bp insertion site recently identified within the yp48 gene of Y. pseudotuberculosis. RESULTS: The Y. pestis-specific assay distinguished this bacterium from other Yersinia species but had unacceptable low-level detection of Y. pseudotuberculosis, a closely related species. Simple-Probe and MGB Eclipse probes specific for the 25-bp insertion detected only Y. pseudotuberculosis DNA. Probes that spanned the deletion site detected both Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis DNA, and the 2 species were clearly differentiated by a post-PCR melting temperature (Tm) analysis. The Simple-Probe assay produced an almost 7 degrees C Tm difference and the MGB Eclipse probe a slightly more than 4 degrees C difference. CONCLUSIONS: Our method clearly discriminates Y. pestis DNA from all other Yersinia species tested and from the closely related Y. pseudotuberculosis. These chromosomal assays are important both to verify the presence of Y. pestis based on a chromosomal target and to easily distinguish it from Y. pseudotuberculosis.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Rodent ectoparasites from two locations in northwestern Florida.

From Feb.-Apr. 1999, 19 species of ectoparasitic arthropods (2 sucking lice, 4 fleas, 4 ticks, 2 mesostigmatid mites, 5 chiggers, 2 fur mites) were recovered from 106 rodents belonging to 5 species (cotton mouse, Peromyscus gossypinus, n = 64; cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus, n = 23; eastern woodrat, Neotoma floridana, n = 9; golden mouse, Ochrotomys nuttalli, n = 9; eastern gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis, n = 1) at Tall Timbers Research Station, Leon County, Florida. During the same period, 13 species of ectoparasites (2 sucking lice, 1 flea, 3 ticks, 3 mesostigmatid mites, 2 chiggers, 2 fur mites) were recovered from 57 rodents belonging to 3 species (S. hispidus, n = 40; black rat, Rattus rattus, n = 16; S. carolinensis, n = 1) from Panama City, Bay County, Florida. Noteworthy ectoparasite records include Ixodes minor from both sites, which extends the known geographical range of this tick, and Stenoponia americana from Tall Timbers that represents the second documented Florida record of this flea. Potential tick vectors (Dermacentor variabilis and Ixodes scapularis) of zoonotic pathogens (Rickettsia rickettsii and Borrelia burgdorferi) were collected at both sites. On S. hispidus, fleas were more prevalent at Tall Timbers but sucking lice, chiggers, ticks, mesostigmatid and listrophorid mites all were more prevalent at the Panama City site. Arthropods recovered from arboreal nests (n = 3) of O. nuttalli at Tall Timbers included 3 species of ectoparasites (1 tick, 2 laelapid mites).

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Serological detection of adenoviruses in non-human primates maintained in a colony in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Adenoviruses are known to cause several human diseases including acute febrile respiratory syndromes, epidemic conjunctivitis and gastroenteritis. These diseases associated with adenovirus infection affect adults and are usually more severe in infants and children. Forty-seven human adenoviruses serotypes have so far been identified adenovirus. The diversity of these viruses has delayed progress on vaccine development due to difficulties in identifying appropriate vaccine targets. To date, limited studies have been done to determine the prevalence of adenovirus infection in non-human primates with the goal of developing a non-human primate model that can be used to study the mechanisms of infection. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of enteric adenovirus infection in Kenyan non-human primates. DESIGN: A prospective study to investigate the prevalence of enteric andenovirus infection in captive non-human primates maintained in a colony. SETTING: Faecal samples were collected from monkeys trapped from different geographical areas of Kenya and also from the ones maintained in a colony at the Institute of Primate Research (IPR), Kenya. SUBJECTS: Ninety four faecal samples were collected from three species of non-human primates consisting of various ages and sex. Samples were collected from monkeys trapped from different geographical areas of Kenya and also from the ones maintained in a colony at the Institute of Primate Research (IPR), Kenya. All the faecal samples were screened for presence of adenoviruses using a commercial antigen-capture enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kit, this is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit designed for diagnosis of human enteric adenoviruses in stool samples. RESULTS: The highest prevalence of adenoviruses, detected by EIA kit, was in olive baboons (Papio anubis, 52.9%), followed by vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops, 48.9%) and the yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus, 18.8%). Sub-grouping within each species (based on age and sex) indicated no significant differences (p > 0.05) in adenovirus infection signifying equal susceptibility. The prevalence of adenoviruses in vervet monkeys that were also Simian Immunodeficiency virus (SIV) seropositive was determined and shown to be 63.2%. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that adenovirus infection is prevalent among non-human primates in Kenya. These findings suggest that cross species transmission in Kenyan non-human primates may be a common occurrence and there is a possibility of zoonotic transmission of adenoviruses. Furthermore, our results highlight the potential of using these non-human primates as models for testing safety and efficacy of candidate adenovirus vaccines prior to clinical trials in humans.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1978

Vaccination against pox diseases under immunosuppressive conditions.

Pox diseases, caused either by smallpox virus or zoonotic pox viruses or animals, continue to be of potential danger to a non-vaccinated population. Mass vaccinations will become necessary and will then also be administered to persons with immunological aberrations. The vaccines which are presently used against smallpox cause severe complications in such hosts. In contrast, the attenuated vaccinia virus strain MVA is safe even under the conditions of immunosuppression and is recommended for the production of smallpox vaccines. Because of the special epizootic situations and the numerous immunosuppressive factors present in developing countries, the use of such a safe pox vaccine there is of crucial importance.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Vesicular stomatitis.

Vesicular stomatitis is a disease of livestock caused by some members of the Vesiculovirus genus (Family Rhabdoviridae), two of which are called 'vesicular stomatitis virus'. Clinical disease presents as severe vesiculation and/or ulceration of the tongue, oral tissues, feet, and teats, and results in substantial loss of productivity. Except for its appearance in horses, it is clinically indistinguishable from foot-and-mouth disease. Unlike foot-and-mouth disease, it is very infectious for man and can cause a temporarily debilitating disease. Vesicular stomatitis occurs seasonally every year in the southeastern USA, southern Mexico, throughout Central America and in northern South America, and emerges from tropical areas to cause sporadic epidemics in cooler climates during the summer months. Other Vesiculoviruses are endemic in India and Africa. Vesiculoviruses are arthropod-borne and it is possible they are actually well adapted insect viruses that incidentally infect mammals. Vesiculoviruses are relatively simple, having a linear, single stranded, negative sense RNA genome encased in a bullet-shaped virion made from only five proteins. Upon infection of cultured cells, viral products turn off cellular gene expression and seize the entire metabolic potential of the cell. They also depolymerize the cytoskeleton to cause rapid tissue destruction. Virus infection in animals provokes interferon and nitric oxide responses, which quickly control viral replication, and an antibody response that prevents further viral replication. Vesiculovirus genome replication is error-prone, resulting in viral progeny containing many variants. This allows rapid adaptation. Nevertheless, vesicular stomatitis virus genomic sequences appear relatively stable within single endemic areas, and vary progressively on a North-South axis in the Western Hemisphere. Numerous important fundamental discoveries in immunology and virology have come from recent studies of vesicular stomatitis virus. However, these discoveries have not led to a safe and fully effective vaccine for man or beast. In the absence of a vaccine, the continual increase in rapid intercontinental travel, the increase in numbers and concentration of susceptible animals, the plasticity of the viral genome, and the underappreciation of vesiculoviruses as veterinary and zoonotic pathogens by regulators and biomedical researchers, are combining with potentially explosive consequences.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence of zoonotic agents in dogs visiting hospitalized people in Ontario: implications for infection control.

Visitation of hospitalized people by dogs is becoming commonplace, but little is known about the potential health risks of introducing dogs to healthcare settings. This cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence of zoonotic agents in a group of 102 visitation dogs from a variety of sources across Ontario. Between May and July 2004, owners were interviewed by a standardized questionnaire while dogs underwent a standardized physical examination. One specimen of faeces, hair-coat brushings and one rectal, aural, nasal, oral and pharyngeal swab were collected from each dog and tested for 18 specific pathogens. All dogs were judged to be in good health. Zoonotic agents were isolated from 80 out of 102 (80%) dogs. The primary pathogen was Clostridium difficile, which was isolated from 58 (58%) faecal specimens. Seventy-one percent (41/58) of these isolates were toxigenic. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase Escherichia coli was isolated from one (1%) dog, extended-spectrum cephalosporinase E. coli was isolated from three (3%) dogs, and organisms of the genus Salmonella were isolated from three (3%) dogs. Pasteurella multocida or Pasteurella canis was isolated from 29 (29%) oral swabs, and Malassezia pachydermatis was isolated from eight (8%) aural swabs. Giardia antigen was present in the faeces of seven (7%) dogs, while Toxocara canis and Ancylostoma caninum were detected in two (2%) dogs and one (1%) dog, respectively. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, Campylobacter spp., Microsporum canis, group A streptococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Cryptosporidium spp. were not detected. Further information is needed before the full implications of these findings for infection control can be assessed properly.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Vector potential of Phlebotomus duboscqi and P. papatasi: a comparison of feeding behaviour, reproductive capacity and experimental infection with Leishmania major.

Phlebotomus duboscqi and P. papatasi are the incriminated vectors of Leishmania major, the causative agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) in various parts of the world. Factors contributing to the vector potential of these two species were investigated in the laboratory. It was found that 90.1% of the P. duboscqi females tested completed feeding in 1 h and they could complete up to eight gonotrophic cycles in their maximum adult life-span in the laboratory of almost 2 months. In contrast, only 70.3% of the female P. papatasi took bloodmeals within 1 h and they could only complete a maximum of four gonotrophic cycles in the maximum adult life-span of just 1 month. Biting habit (proportion feeding/day of the gonotrophic cycle), survival (proportion surviving first oviposition), gonotrophic discordance (proportion refeeding on blood before first oviposition) and experimental infection (proportion of flies offered a bloodmeal containing L. major which became infected) were all higher for P. duboscqi (0.18, 0.91, 0.50 and 0.65, respectively) than for P. papatasi (0.14, 0.71, 0.12 and 0.56, respectively). It therefore seems likely that P. duboscqi is a much more effective vector of L. major than P. papatasi in several endemic foci of ZCL.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Cancer in veterinarians.

OBJECTIVES: Veterinarians come into contact with several potentially carcinogenic exposures in the course of their occupation. These exposures include radiation, anaesthetic gases, pesticides (particularly insecticides), and zoonotic organisms. This review aims to summarise what is known about the carcinogenic risks in this profession. METHODS: The levels of exposure to potential carcinogens in the veterinary profession are examined and evidence is reviewed for carcinogenesis of these substances in humans at doses similar to those experienced by veterinarians. The few published studies of cancer in veterinarians are also summarised. RESULTS: Veterinarians have considerable potential for exposure to several known and potential carcinogens. Risks may be posed by work in clinics with poorly maintained x ray equipment, by use of insecticides, and from contact with carcinogenic zoonotic organisms. The few studies available suggest that veterinarians have increased mortality from lymphohaematopoietic cancers, melanoma, and possibly colon cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The exposures examined in this review are not unique to the veterinary profession, and, as a consequence, information gathered on the carcinogenic risks of these exposures has implications for many other occupations such as veterinary nurses, animal handlers, and some farmers, as well as dentists, radiographers, and anaesthetists.

Anesthetics↗
PubMed2004

Groupings of highly similar major surface protein (p44)-encoding paralogues: a potential index of genetic diversity amongst isolates of Anaplasma phagocytophilum.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a tick-borne bacterium that is zoonotic in the USA and southern Europe, but although the bacterium is endemic in the UK, no cases of clinical human disease have yet been detected in that country. Potential genomic differences amongst UK and USA isolates were investigated by comparing partial 16S rRNA gene and p44 paralogue sequences amplified by PCR from 10 UK ruminant or tick isolates, with published sequences from USA isolates. No significant clustering among the isolates was resolved by phylogenetic analysis of alignments containing 16S rRNA gene sequences. The structure of predicted proteins encoded by p44 paralogues, amplified from 81 clones obtained from the UK isolates, was similar to that described previously for paralogues from USA isolates. Paralogue sequences did not obviously cluster by country, host species or isolate, but most paralogues were 30-70 % similar, making meaningful alignments difficult. Some p44 paralogues from different isolates formed clusters of sequences that were more than 90 % similar to one another ('similarity groups'). The paralogues in each cluster were particularly similar in gene regions most likely to code for ligands. In the sample studied, 95 % of the similarity groups comprised paralogues from either USA or UK isolates only and occurred with greater frequency amongst paralogues from USA rather than UK isolates. These findings raise the hypothesis that sequences of paralogues in similarity groups may provide an index of adaptation of different 'strains' of A. phagocytophilum to specific reservoir hosts in different geographical locations, and any associations with infectivity for different species including humans.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Emerging infections in animals--potential new zoonoses?

It is well recognized that most emerging diseases of humans are zoonotic, and that the forces working to create emerging diseases in humans are also operating in animal populations. However, what is often overlooked is that emerging human diseases are usually preceded by the emergence of the same pathogen in an animal population. In fact, the developing disease in animals acts as a link allowing the disease to take hold and wreck havoc in public health. Numerous examples--Rift Valley fever, monkeypox, Nipah, and Ebola--serve to underscore this linkage and to highlight the increasing interconnectedness of animal and human health.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Survey of veterinary conference attendees for evidence of zoonotic infection by feline retroviruses.

OBJECTIVE: To examine exposure risks, possibility of zoonosis, and potential disease associations for feline retroviruses among a group of occupationally exposed individuals. DESIGN: Unlinked voluntary cross-sectional epidemiologic survey. SAMPLE POPULATION: 204 veterinarians, laboratory scientists, and other occupationally exposed individuals who attended a veterinary conference on feline geriatric medicine. PROCEDURE: Blood was collected from participants who also completed a 13-question survey requesting demographic, occupational, exposure, and health information. Blood specimens were fractionated into plasma and mononuclear cell components. Plasma was tested for antibodies against feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline foamy virus (FeFV), as well as p27 antigen of FeLV. Mononuclear cell lysates were tested for FeLV provirus. RESULTS: Subjects reported extensive duration of work with cats (mean, 17.3 years) and multiple high-risk exposures (eg, cat bites, scratches, and injuries with sharp instruments) per year. However, neither serologic nor molecular evidence of zoonosis with any of the 3 feline retroviruses was detected. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Veterinarians encounter occupational exposures to animal material that place them at high risk for zoonoses. For feline retroviruses, the risk of zoonosis among healthy adult humans appears to be extremely small. However, potential for retroviral zoonosis, especially for viruses such as FeLV and FeFV that can replicate in human cells, cannot be eliminated, and universal precautions to reduce potential exposures should be used when handling sick cats.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Tuberculosis in elephants: antibody responses to defined antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, potential for early diagnosis, and monitoring of treatment.

Tuberculosis (TB) in elephants is a re-emerging zoonotic disease caused primarily by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Current diagnosis relies on trunk wash culture, the only officially recognized test, which has serious limitations. Innovative and efficient diagnostic methods are urgently needed. Rapid identification of infected animals is a crucial prerequisite for more effective control of TB, as early diagnosis allows timely initiation of chemotherapy. Serology has diagnostic potential, although key antigens have not been identified and optimal immunoassay formats are not established. To characterize the humoral responses in elephant TB, we tested 143 serum samples collected from 15 elephants over time. These included 48 samples from five culture-confirmed TB cases, of which four were in Asian elephants infected with M. tuberculosis and one was in an African elephant with Mycobacterium bovis. Multiantigen print immunoassay (MAPIA) employing a panel of 12 defined antigens was used to identify serologic correlates of active disease. ESAT-6 was the immunodominant antigen recognized in elephant TB. Serum immunoglobulin G antibodies to ESAT-6 and other proteins were detected up to 3.5 years prior to culture of M. tuberculosis from trunk washes. Antibody levels to certain antigens gradually decreased in response to antitubercular therapy, suggesting the possibility of treatment monitoring. In addition to MAPIA, serum samples were evaluated with a recently developed rapid test (RT) based on lateral flow technology (ElephantTB STAT-PAK). Similarly to MAPIA, infected elephants were identified using the RT up to 4 years prior to positive culture. These findings demonstrate the potential for TB surveillance and treatment monitoring using the RT and MAPIA, respectively.

Animals↗