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PubMed2002

Inactivation of West-Nile virus during peptic cleavage of horse plasma IgG.

Peptic cleavage of horse plasma IgG is a common procedure for the preparation of F(ab)(2) products for human use, such as antivenin and antitoxin. The removal of the Fc fragment from the IgG molecule by enzymatic cleavage at low pH, ensures fewer side-effects of the F(ab)(2) product for passive immunotherapy compared with the whole IgG molecule. Since the starting material may be contaminated by zoonotic horse viruses, it is necessary to demonstrate the removal or inactivation of possible viral contaminants. Guidelines for performing such studies were published by the Commission for Plasma-Derived Medical Products (CPMP), and updated by the Committee for Proprietary Medical Products. It is recommended that viral clearance studies be performed on scaled down production processes that have been identified as possibly contributing to virus clearance and spiking of a model virus to the starting material. The model virus should be non-pathogenic but closely related to the potential infective virus. By quantifying the amount of virus in the product before and after the production process, the amount of virus cleared can be determined. Log(10) reductions of the order of 4 logs or more, and a biphasic inactivation curve (fast initial phase followed by a slower phase), are indicative of a clearance effect with a particular test virus under investigation.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Case report: Brucellosis: a re-emerging disease in Thailand.

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease prevalent in many countries, but it has been reported only once in Thailand, 36 years ago. We describe here two consecutive cases of brucellosis in Bangkok, Thailand. Both cases presented with prolonged fever and weight loss. Blood cultures taken from 2 patients yielded Brucella melitensis. The slide agglutination test of blood samples were also positive, with a titer of 1:64 for antibodies to Brucella. The first patient responded to a combination of doxycycline, gentamicin, and ciprofloxacin; the other responded to doxycycline and rifampicin. Brucellosis is a potential public health threat, therefore, preventive measures should be actively implemented. This clinical syndrome should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with prolonged fever, particularly those with contact to animals which could serve as reservoirs.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

bptA (bbe16) is essential for the persistence of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, in its natural tick vector.

Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), the agent of Lyme disease, is a zoonotic spirochetal bacterium that depends on arthropod (Ixodes ticks) and mammalian (rodent) hosts for its persistence in nature. The quest to identify borrelial genes responsible for Bb's parasitic dependence on these two diverse hosts has been hampered by limitations in the ability to genetically manipulate virulent strains of Bb. Despite this constraint, we report herein the inactivation and genetic complementation of a linear plasmid-25-encoded gene (bbe16) to assess its role in the virulence, pathogenesis, and survival of Bb during its natural life cycle. bbe16 was found to potentiate the virulence of Bb in the murine model of Lyme borreliosis and was essential for the persistence of Bb in Ixodes scapularis ticks. As such, we have renamed bbe16 a gene encoding borrelial persistence in ticks (bpt)A. Although protease accessibility experiments suggested that BptA as a putative lipoprotein is surface-exposed on the outer membrane of Bb, the molecular mechanism(s) by which BptA promotes Bb persistence within its tick vector remains to be elucidated. BptA also was shown to be highly conserved (>88% similarity and >74% identity at the deduced amino acid levels) in all Bb sensu lato strains tested, suggesting that BptA may be widely used by Lyme borreliosis spirochetes for persistence in nature. Given Bb's absolute dependence on and intimate association with its arthropod and mammalian hosts, BptA should be considered a virulence factor critical for Bb's overall parasitic strategy.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Dogs, zoonoses and immunosuppression.

Dogs are the source of a wide range of zoonotic infections that pose a significant threat to human health. This is particularly the case for immunocompromised people, although there are few robust studies that determine immunosuppression as a risk factor for transmission of zoonoses from dogs to humans. An increasing proportion of human society is immunodeficient, principally through the advent of HIV infection and through more people, particularly the expanding elderly group, being subjected to immunosuppressive agents. This is happening at a time when more such people are capitalizing on the acknowledged benefits of dog ownership, making for a potentially dangerous mix. Enteric pathogens (for example, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Cryptosporidium species, that may be canine derived) are a frequent risk to the health of immunocompromised persons. Veterinarians and physicians can be criticised for not communicating with each other, and for not providing adequate risk assessment to pet owners. There is scope for voluntary groups to provide information and support for the immunosuppressed who wish to keep their dogs. Key recommendations are to maintain a clean personal environment and intact mucocutaneous barriers. Public health professionals could help rectify the current communications gap between veterinary and medical staff and so facilitate in the appropriate management of dog-owning immunocompromised people.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Comparison of five commercial DNA extraction kits for the recovery of Francisella tularensis DNA from spiked soil samples.

Francisella tularensis is the etiologic agent of the zoonotic disease tularemia and is thought to be maintained in the environment principally by various terrestrial and aquatic vertebrate animals. The organism is known to persist in water or mud for long periods of time and Francisella-specific DNA has been identified from water and soil. To gain a better understanding of the ecology and epidemiology of F. tularensis, it will be important to further explore its distribution in the environment. Therefore, methods must be established to efficiently extract Francisella-specific DNA from the soil and be able to eliminate potential PCR inhibitors. Thus, we evaluated five commercial DNA extraction kits for their ability to recover F. tularensis-specific DNA from soil samples and eliminate potential PCR inhibitors. The kits evaluated included the Puregene DNA purification kit, QIAamp Stool Mini kit, Epicentre Biotech SoilMaster DNA extraction kit, and the UltraClean and PowerMax soil DNA isolation kits from MoBio. Soil samples were spiked with gamma-irradiated F. tularensis SHU-4 strain (corresponding to a range from 10 to 10(5)CFU). Spiked samples were extracted with each kit and evaluated using a F. tularensis-specific real-time PCR assay and an internal positive control assay that measures the presence of potential PCR inhibitors. DNA extraction using the UltraClean and PowerMax kits resulted in the most consistently positive results at the lowest limit of detection (20 and 100CFU/g soil, respectively) for all soil types tested, suggesting that these kits can provide the most sensitive methods for extracting F. tularensis from environmental soil samples. Processing time and cost were also evaluated.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed2001

Description and epidemiology of Theileria youngi n. sp. from a northern Californian dusky-footed woodrat (Neotoma Fuscipes) population.

An epidemiologic study designed to identify the small mammal reservoir for the zoonotic WA1-type babesial parasite resulted in the discovery of a small, intraerythrocytic piroplasm in smeared blood from dusky-footed woodrats (Neotoma fuscipes) in northern California. The woodrat parasites were isolated and compared to other piroplasm parasites based on their morphology, antigenicity, and genetic characteristics. These studies indicated that the woodrat parasites were not the WA1-type babesial agent but were of the genus Theileria. We accordingly named it Theileria youngi. The prevalence in the woodrat population was high (61%). Infection was unrelated to gender or age of the woodrats. Potential vectors for this tick-transmitted parasite included 3 species of ticks recovered from the woodrats. Dermacentor occidentalis, Ixodes woodi, and Ixodes pacificus. Mostly larval or nymphal stages were recovered, suggesting transstadial transmission is possible. This is the first piroplasm fully characterized from a dusky-footed woodrat.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

The genome sequence of Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis, a highly invasive and resistant zoonotic pathogen.

Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis (S. Choleraesuis), a highly invasive serovar among non-typhoidal Salmonella, usually causes sepsis or extra-intestinal focal infections in humans. S. Choleraesuis infections have now become particularly difficult to treat because of the emergence of resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents. The 4.7 Mb genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant S. Choleraesuis strain SC-B67 was determined. Genome wide comparison of three sequenced Salmonella genomes revealed that more deletion events occurred in S. Choleraesuis SC-B67 and S.Typhi CT18 relative to S. Typhimurium LT2. S. Choleraesuis has 151 pseudogenes, which, among the three Salmonella genomes, include the highest percentage of pseudogenes arising from the genes involved in bacterial chemotaxis signal-transduction pathways. Mutations in these genes may increase smooth swimming of the bacteria, potentially allowing more effective interactions with and invasion of host cells to occur. A key regulatory gene of TetR/AcrR family, acrR, was inactivated through the introduction of an internal stop codon resulting in overexpression of AcrAB that appears to be associated with ciprofloxacin resistance. While lateral gene transfer providing basic functions to allow niche expansion in the host and environment is maintained during the evolution of different serovars of Salmonella, genes providing little overall selective benefit may be lost rapidly. Our findings suggest that the formation of pseudogenes may provide a simple evolutionary pathway that complements gene acquisition to enhance virulence and antimicrobial resistance in S. Choleraesuis.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Global aspects of emerging and potential zoonoses: a WHO perspective.

Many new human pathogens that have emerged or reemerged worldwide originated from animals or from products of animal origin. Many animal species as well as categories of agents have been involved in the emergence of diseases. Wild (e.g., bats, rodents) as well as draught animals (e.g., horses) and food animals (e.g., poultry, cattle) were implicated in the epidemiologic cycles of these diseases. Many of the agents responsible for new infections and diseases in humans were viruses (e.g., hantaviruses, lyssaviruses, and morbilliviruses), but bacteria, especially enteritic bacteria (e.g., Salmonellae and Escherichia coli) and parasites (e.g., Cryptosporidium) of animal origin, were also involved in major food and waterborne outbreaks. The public health relevance of some of these agents (e.g., new lyssaviruses and morbilliviruses) is not yet fully assessed. In addition the zoonotic nature of some other human diseases, such as Ebola and the new variant form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, is suspected but not yet demonstrated. Finally, the possible future use of xenografts may lead, if precautions are not taken, to the emergence of new diseases called xenozoonoses.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Bartonella spp. in pets and effect on human health.

Among the many mammals infected with Bartonella spp., pets represent a large reservoir for human infection because most Bartonella spp. infecting them are zoonotic. Cats are the main reservoir for Bartonella henselae, B. clarridgeiae, and B. koehlerae. Dogs can be infected with B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, B. henselae, B. clarridgeiae, B. washoensis, B. elizabethae, and B. quintana. The role of dogs as an important reservoir of Bartonella spp. is less clear than for cats because domestic dogs are more likely to be accidental hosts, at least in nontropical regions. Nevertheless, dogs are excellent sentinels for human infections because a similar disease spectrum develops in dogs. Transmission of B. henselae by cat fleas is better understood, although new potential vectors (ticks and biting flies) have been identified. We review current knowledge on the etiologic agents, clinical features, and epidemiologic characteristics of these emerging zoonoses.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

The role of livestock keeping in tuberculosis trends in Arusha, Tanzania.

SETTING: Arusha, Tanzania. OBJECTIVE: To assess risk factors that might influence TB control in the general population and in livestock-keepers. METHODS: Of 242 villages in four districts, 27 were selected randomly. In each village, a general and a livestock-keeping group were selected at random. The households were home-visited and 426 family members were interviewed. RESULTS: On average, three-quarters of households practised at least one risk activity for transmission of zoonotic tuberculosis, and respondents had poor knowledge about tuberculosis. In the livestock-keeping group, the risks of having a tuberculosis patient in the family were determined by poor ventilation (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.1-6.5), confining livestock indoors with people (OR 2.3, 95%CI 1.1-5.0) and multiple determinants including poor ventilation (OR 13.5, 95% CI 2.5-71.7). Risk activities and the risks of having a tuberculosis patient in a family were significantly higher in the livestock-keeping group. CONCLUSIONS: The respondents had limited knowledge about tuberculosis, and the households had practices that posed potential risks for both human and bovine tuberculosis infection. Poor ventilation and confining livestock indoors were associated with tuberculosis spread in the households. These risks were observed more in the livestock-keeping group than in the general population group.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Pet-assisted therapy in the nursing home setting: potential for zoonosis.

Pet-assisted therapy in the nursing home setting, as a vital component of the Eden Alternative or Human Habitat program, is gaining widespread recognition and implementation. Programs such as this help to improve the quality of life of nursing home residents by offsetting resident loneliness, helplessness, and boredom. However, use of companion animals (and, frequently, birds and fish) may be associated with the introduction of infectious entities that are normally uncommon in this setting (zoonosis). Examples include psittacosis, bartonellosis, toxocariasis, Capnocytophaga canimorsus, pasturellosis, Q fever, and leptospirosis, to name but a few. Hence vigilance for unusual clinical manifestations that may herald such diseases is necessary. In addition, prevention of such illnesses by routine veterinary screening of both resident and visiting companion animals is mandatory. Infection control policies and procedures geared toward management and prevention of zoonotic illnesses should be developed and implemented in all nursing homes offering pet-assisted therapy.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Workshop summary: food safety: meat- and fish-borne zoonoses.

In this workshop, J.P. Dubey (USA), Th. Hiepe (Germany), and P. Deplazes (Switzerland), were invited speakers. The main areas covered were toxoplasmosis, microsporidiosis, trematode infections, taeniosis/cysticercosis and trichinellosis. The public health and economic impact of meat- and fish-borne parasitic zoonoses is considerable in terms of morbidity and even mortality in humans as well as in losses due to reduced productivity in animals and condemnation of parasitised meat and fish. In this context, the increasing demands of consumers for meat and fish free of pathogens and chemical residues has to be considered. Among the parasitic zoonoses some are widespread and frequent, for example toxoplasmosis. About 30-50% of women of child-bearing age are at risk of acquiring the infection during pregnancy with the potential of prenatal infection and severe disease of the foetus. In addition, toxoplasmosis plays an increasing role as an AIDS-associated infection. There are some recent indications that Toxoplasma infections acquired by adults by ingestion of sporulated oocysts may be more pathogenic than cyst-induced infections. In such cases, eye lesions are quite frequent and were previously thought to be predominantly acquired by prenatal infection (J.P. Dubey, USA). Fish- or crustacean-borne trematodes (species of Clonorchis, Opisthorchis, Paragonimus, intestinal flukes) infect about 39 million people, and about 550 millions are at risk (WHO, 1995). Other zoonotic infections are less frequent but may cause severe and lethal diseases, for example Taenia solium cysticercosis.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2006

Transmission of Campylobacter spp. in a poultry slaughterhouse and genetic characterisation of the isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

1. Contamination of retail products with Campylobacter spp. during the slaughter of poultry is a well-known problem of product hygiene. Mechanical evisceration often leads to intestinal rupture and discharge of gut contents, which can contain zoonotic and human pathogens. Processes along the slaughter line cause aerosols and airborne droplets, containing bacterial loads. 2. To estimate the possible transmission routes of intestinal Campylobacter, 36 measurements of the bioaerosol (Andersen sampler and SKC BioSampler), 30 cloacal (of three flocks), 10 equipment and 4 sedimentation samples were tested for the presence of Campylobacter species. 3. The results imply that, in addition to contaminated equipment, which was Campylobacter-positive in 80% of cases, aerosols with peak values of 4.0 x 10(4) (test series 1) and 1.4 x 10(4) (test series 2) CFU/m3 also provide a potential vector for horizontal transmission. 4. To explore the genetic similarities of isolates from different origins, 18 isolates recovered from air, 26 cloacal, 8 equipment and 4 sedimentation isolates were analysed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), using the restriction enzymes Sma I and Sal I. The similarity of cloacal isolates with isolates from equipment, air and sediment, suggest that the contamination is of intestinal origin. 5. There were direct links between Campylobacter-positive flocks and the presence of the same strains in the aerosol of the slaughter hall. Air as a potential source for microbial transmission must be taken into account.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2002

Future trends in veterinary public health.

Since the publication of the report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Veterinary Public Health in 1975, many significant developments have occurred in this field. The present report of a WHO Study Group re-examines the role and functions of veterinary public health and its contribution to public health practice today and in the years to come. Since 1975, new, emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases have acquired global significance for human health, and have required rapid responses from, and teamwork between, physicians, veterinarians, and biologists. The veterinary sector has a long distinguished history in contributing to the maintenance and promotion of public health. As health is multidimensional, health policy and practice should be interdisciplinary and intersectoral. Therefore, the contributions of other sectors--in particular agriculture, animal health and production, food industry, education, housing, public works, and communications--are vital. Such concerted action is particularly needed in developing countries with weak infrastructures and limited resources. This report reviews current and foreseen global changes for their potential implications on veterinary public health with regards to national and international policies, management of programmes and training. The report also provides recommendations for action in these areas.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

RNA viruses in sylvatic mosquitoes and phlebotomine sand flies from Alto Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil 2019.

The Pantanal biome harbors exceptional biodiversity but has been increasingly impacted by climate change and human activities. This region is considered a high-risk zone for zoonotic spillover, making viral studies in sylvatic mosquitoes and other invertebrates indispensable, as these vectors are involved in the transmission of pathogens of public health concern. This study aimed to describe viral genomes identified in Aedes spp., Ochlerotatus sp., Mansonia sp., Phlebotomus sp., Psorophora spp., and Anopheles spp. dipterans collected in March and June 2019, in Pirizal and Porto São Luiz, Alto Pantanal, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Diptera specimens were pooled by genera, and nucleic acids were extracted, followed by library preparation and sequencing on the Illumina NextSeq 500/550 platform. A total of 39 putative viral sequences were recovered, including 23 potentially novel viruses. Coding-complete genomes were identified from Virgaviridae (n=1), Rhabdoviridae (n=1), and Metaviridae (n=1), as well as seven coding-complete segments from Partitiviridae (n=4) and Solemoviridae (n=3). Additionally, 29 partial genomes were recovered from Partitiviridae (n=7), Metaviridae (n=6), Chuviridae (n=2), Sedoreoviridae (n=1), Nodaviridae (n=3), Tombusviridae (n=2), Phasmaviridae (n=2), Flaviviridae (n=3), Virgaviridae (n=1), and Solemoviridae (n=2). Viral characterization in Diptera specimens has gained increasing importance with the advancement of metagenomic approaches, which contribute to global One Health initiatives by providing data that may support the prediction and prevention of future viral spillover events.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Antimicrobial resistance of thermophilic Campylobacter.

Campylobacter has become the leading cause of zoonotic enteric infections in developed and developing countries world-wide. Antimicrobial resistance has emerged among Campylobacter mainly as a consequence of the use of antimicrobial agents in food animal production. Resistance to drugs of choice for the treatment of infections, macrolides and fluoroquinolones has emerged as a clinical problem and interventions to reduce this are recommended. Resistance to fluoroquinolones and macrolides is mediated by chromosomal mutations. Resistance to other relevant antimicrobial agents, mediated by acquired resistance genes, has not become widespread so far. However, resistance genes originating from both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial species have been found, showing the potential for acquired resistance to emerge in Campylobacter.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Rat-bite fever (Streptobacillus moniliformis): a potential emerging disease.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the relative prevalence of human infections attributable to Streptobacillus moniliformis in California over the past 3 decades. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all the data collected was conducted on S. moniliformis cultures identified by the Microbial Diseases Laboratory (MDL) from January 1970 to December 1998. RESULTS: Information on a total of 45 S. moniliformis isolates was analyzed. Overall, 91% of the isolates were from human sources; 58% were received since 1990. These strains were divided almost equally between males and females, with 50% of the isolates from patients 9 years old or younger. In 75% of the cases of human infections where a diagnosis was given, rat-bite fever (RBF) was suspected; 83% of these suspected cases involved either a known rat bite or exposure to rodents. CONCLUSIONS: As crowding becomes an increasing environmental reality, humans are more frequently being exposed to zoonotic diseases as a result of encounters with "wild" animals. Domesticated animals also are exposed more frequently to wild animals; thus, increasing human exposure to once rare zoonotic illnesses. Rat-bite fever is a disease that seems to be easily recognizable by clinicians, easily identified in the clinical laboratory (if suspected), and successfully treated when the appropriate therapy is administered. Physicians should consider RBF as a possible diagnosis when fever, rash, and exposure to rats are part of the patient's history.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Ectoparasites of the Pallas squirrel, Callosciurus erythraeus, introduced to Japan.

The squirrel Callosciurus erythraeus (Pallas) (Rodentia: Sciuridae) was intentionally introduced to Japan in 1935 and has become established throughout much of the country. Although they live mainly in forests, Pallas squirrels come into gardens and are frequently fed by people or kept as pets, so their ectoparasites could be of potential medical as well as veterinary importance. During 2001-2003 we conducted the first ectoparasite survey of Pallas squirrels in Japan. From 105 C. erythraeus captured in Kamakura District of Kanagawa Prefecture on Honshu Island, three types of ectoparasite were found: 52 specimens of the sucking louse Neohaematopinus callosciuri Johnson (Anoplura: Haematopinidae), 26 fleas Ceratophyllus (Monopsyllus) anisus Rothschild (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) and four nymphs of the tick Haemaphysalis flava Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae) on 22, 13 and one squirrels, respectively. Evidently in Japan C. erythraeus carries relatively few ectoparasite species; this may be a contributory factor to their invasive success. Further investigations are needed to assess risks of zoonotic transmission of plague or murine typhus by C. anisus, of louse-borne typhus by N. callosciuri and of tularaemia and especially Japanese spotted fever (Rickettsia japonica) by H. flava.

Animals↗