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PubMedDate not supplied

Antigenic variation in vector-borne pathogens.

Several pathogens of humans and domestic animals depend on hematophagous arthropods to transmit them from one vertebrate reservoir host to another and maintain them in an environment. These pathogens use antigenic variation to prolong their circulation in the blood and thus increase the likelihood of transmission. By convergent evolution, bacterial and protozoal vector-borne pathogens have acquired similar genetic mechanisms for successful antigenic variation. Borrelia spp. and Anaplasma marginale (among bacteria) and African trypanosomes, Plasmodium falciparum, and Babesia bovis (among parasites) are examples of pathogens using these mechanisms. Antigenic variation poses a challenge in the development of vaccines against vector-borne pathogens.

Anaplasma↗
PubMed2005

Host range and emerging and reemerging pathogens.

An updated literature survey identified 1,407 recognized species of human pathogen, 58% of which are zoonotic. Of the total, 177 are regarded as emerging or reemerging. Zoonotic pathogens are twice as likely to be in this category as are nonzoonotic pathogens. Emerging and reemerging pathogens are not strongly associated with particular types of nonhuman hosts, but they are most likely to have the broadest host ranges. Emerging and reemerging zoonoses are associated with a wide range of drivers, but changes in land use and agriculture and demographic and societal changes are most commonly cited. However, although zoonotic pathogens do represent the most likely source of emerging and reemerging infectious disease, only a small minority have proved capable of causing major epidemics in the human population.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Engagement of the pathogen survival response used by group A Streptococcus to avert destruction by innate host defense.

Neutrophils are a critical component of human innate host defense and efficiently kill the vast majority of invading microorganisms. However, bacterial pathogens such as group A Streptococcus (GAS) successfully avert destruction by neutrophils to cause human infections. Relatively little is known about how pathogens detect components of the innate immune system to respond and survive within the host. In this study, we show that inactivation of a two-component gene regulatory system designated Ihk-Irr significantly attenuates streptococcal virulence in mouse models of soft tissue infection and bacteremia. Microarray analysis of wild-type and irr-negative mutant (irr mutant) GAS strains revealed that Ihk-Irr influenced expression of 20% of all transcripts in the pathogen genome. Notably, at least 11 genes involved in cell wall synthesis, turnover, and/or modification were down-regulated in the irr mutant strain. Compared with the wild-type strain, significantly more of the irr mutant strain was killed by human neutrophil components that destroy bacteria by targeting the cell envelope (cell wall and/or membrane). Unexpectedly, expression of ihk and irr was dramatically increased in the wild-type strain exposed to these same neutrophil products under conditions that favored cell envelope damage. We report a GAS mechanism for detection of innate host defense that initiates the pathogen survival response, in which cell wall synthesis is critical. Importantly, our studies identify specific genes in the pathogen survival response as potential targets to control human infections.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Growth of inoculated psychrotrophic pathogens on refrigerated fillets of aquacultured rainbow trout and channel catfish.

Aquacultured rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) fillets were inoculated with the psychrotrophic pathogens Listeria monocytogenes and Aeromonas hydrophila: cell populations were monitored during refrigerated storage at 2 to 4 degrees C. Fillets of both species were placed individually in sterile plastic bags and inoculated with cell suspensions (10(4.7) CFU/100 g of fish) of either A. hydrophila or L monocytogenes or of both A. hydrophila and L. monocytogenes, for a total of three treatments for each species of fish. Each inoculum and fillet were mixed to ensure uniform distribution and then stored at 2 to 4 degrees C. A. hydrophila, L. monocytogenes, and aerobic cell populations were determined on days 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 13, and 15. Individually inoculated A. hydrophila and L. monocytogenes grew on catfish and trout fillets during the 15-day study. There was no inhibition of either pathogen by the natural flora on the fillets. Both psychrotrophic pathogens grew equally well in catfish and trout fillets inoculated with a combination of A. hydrophila and L. monocytogenes. In all three treatments, the counts of the psychrotrophic pathogens were lower than the aerobic plate counts. The growth of the psychrotrophic pathogens L. monocytogenes and/or A. hydrophila during refrigerated storage on aquacultured fish fillets could increase the food hazard risk, particularly where there is a possibility of cross-contamination with ready-to-eat food products.

Aeromonas hydrophila↗
PubMed1998

Prevalence of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in groups of swine at slaughter.

In order to estimate the prevalence of swine herds infected with pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica, 103 lots of market swine were randomly selected at slaughter during six 1-month intervals. Pigs within each lot were sampled by swabbing the oral-pharyngeal surface, poststunning and postexsanguination but prescalding. Ninety-five lots (92.2%) contained at least one pig infected with Y. enterocolitica. Pathogenic strains were defined as those harboring the ail gene which has been identified in Y. enterocolitica that causes human clinical disease. Identification of those strains harboring the ail gene was accomplished using a polymerase chain reaction technique. Twenty-nine lots (28.2%) contained at least one pig from which ail-containing (pathogenic) Y. enterocolitica were isolated. Of the 107 pathogenic Y. enterocolitica isolates identified, 89.7% were serotype O:5 and 3.7% were serotype O:3. The results from this study will aid in the design of future epidemiological investigations concerning on-farm prevalence and associated risk factors for pathogenic Y. enterocolitica. Additionally, the results support the hypothesis that swine are a significant potential reservoir for human infections by Y. enterocolitica.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2000

Evaluation of batch and semicontinuous application of high hydrostatic pressure on foodborne pathogens in salsa.

The effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HPP; 545 MPa) on strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus, and nonpathogenic microorganisms were studied in tomato-based salsa. Products were evaluated for the survival of the inoculated pathogens following HPP treatment and after storage at 4 degrees C and 21 to 23 degrees C for up to 2 months. Inoculated samples without HPP treatment, stored under the same conditions, were also evaluated to determine the effects of the acid environment of salsa on the survival of inoculated strains. None of the inoculated pathogens were detected in the HPP-treated samples for all treatments throughout the storage period. Inoculated pathogens were detected in the non-HPP-treated samples stored at 4 degrees C after 1 month, with L. monocytogenes showing the highest level of survivors. In the non-HPP-treated samples stored at 21 to 23 degrees C, E. coli and S. aureus were not detected after 1 week, but L. monocytogenes was detected in low levels. Studies with nonpathogenic strains of the pathogens were conducted at Oregon State University using HPP treatments in a semicontinuous production system. The nonpathogenic microorganisms (E. coli, Listeria innocua, Listeria welshimeri, and nonenterotoxigenic S. aureus) were inoculated together into a feeder tank containing 100 liters of salsa. Microbiological results of samples collected before HPP treatment and from the aseptic filler were similar to those obtained for the pathogenic strains. No survivors were detected in any of the HPP-treated samples.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2001

Evaluation of thin agar layer method for recovery of acid-injured foodborne pathogens.

The thin agar layer (TAL) method of Kang and Fung was used to enumerate acid-injured foodborne pathogens. This method involves overlaying 14 ml of nonselective medium (tryptic soy agar [TSA]) onto a prepoured and solidified pathogen-specific, selective medium in a petri dish. After surface plating, injured cells resuscitated and grew on TSA during the first few hours of incubation; then, the selective agents from the selective medium diffused to the top layer, interacted with the recovered microorganisms, and started to produce typical reactions. Foodborne pathogens were exposed to 2% acetic acid for 1, 2, or 4 min, and the recovery rate with the TAL method was compared with the rate of TSA and pathogen-specific, selective media. No significant difference occurred between TSA and TAL (P > 0.05) for enumeration of acid-injured Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Yersinia enterocolitica, and both recovered significantly higher numbers than the selective medium for each respective pathogen (P < 0.05). For recovery of acid-injured Listeria monocytogenes, no difference (P > 0.05) occurred among TSA, TAL, and selective media. However, fewer cells were recovered in the selective media. The TAL method is a one-step, convenient procedure for recovery of acid-injured cells.

Acids↗
PubMed2001

Standardization of a method to determine the efficacy of sanitizers in inactivating human pathogenic microorganisms on raw fruits and vegetables.

The efficacy of sanitizers in killing human pathogenic microorganisms on a wide range of whole and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables has been studied extensively. Numerous challenge studies to determine the effects of storage conditions on survival and growth of pathogens on raw produce have also been reported. Results of these studies are often difficult to assess because of the lack of sufficient reporting of methods or, comparatively, because of variations in procedures for preparing and applying inocula to produce, conditions for treatment and storage, and procedures for enumerating pathogens. There is a need for a standard method to accurately determine the presence and populations of pathogenic microorganisms on produce. The adoption of standard, well-characterized reference strains would benefit a comparative assessment of a basic method among laboratories. A single protocol will not be suitable for all fruits and vegetables. Modifications of a basic method will be necessary to achieve maximum recovery of pathogens on various types of produce subjected to different sanitizer or storage treatments. This article discusses parameters that must be considered in the course of developing a basic standard method against which these modifications could be made.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2002

Inactivation of foodborne pathogens in milk using dynamic high pressure.

Improving the microbiological safety of perishable foods is currently a major preoccupation in the food industry. The aim of this study was to investigate the inactivation of three major food pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes [LSD 105-1], Escherichia coli O157:H7 [ATCC 35150], and Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis ATCC [13047]) by dynamic high pressure (DHP) in order to evaluate its potential as a new alternative for the cold pasteurization of milk. The effectiveness of DHP treatment against L. monocYtogenes, E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella Enteritidis was first evaluated in 0.01 M phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at pH 7.2 as a function of applied pressure (100, 200, and 300 MPa) and of the number of passes (1, 3, and 5) at 25 degrees C. A single pass at 100 MPa produced no significant inactivation of the three pathogens, while increasing the pressure up to 300 MPa or the number of passes to five increased inactivation. From an initial count of 8.3 log CFU/ml, complete inactivation of viable L. monocytogenes was achieved after three successive passes at 300 MPa, while 200-MPa treatments with three and five passes completely eliminated viable Salmonella Enteritidis and E. coli O157:H7, respectively. The effectiveness of DHP for the inactivation of these pathogens was compared to that of hydrostatic high pressure (HHP) using the same pressure (200 MPa, single pass at 25 degrees C). In general, two additional log reductions in viable count were obtained with DHP DHP was less effective against L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 in raw milk than in PBS. After five passes at 200 MPa, an 8.3-log reduction was obtained for E. coli O157:H7, while a reduction of about 5.8 log CFU/ml was obtained for L. monocytogenes exposed to 300 MPa for five passes. Exposing milk or buffer samples to mild heating (45 to 60 degrees C) prior to dynamic pressurization enhanced the lethal effect of DHP The inactivation of pathogens also depended on the initial bacterial concentration. The highest reduction was obtained when the bacterial load did not exceed 10(5) CFU/ml. In conclusion, DHP was shown to be very effective for the destruction of the tested pathogens. It offers a promising alternative for the cold pasteurization of milk and possibly other liquid foods.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Survival and growth of foodborne pathogens during cooking and storage of oriental-style rice cakes.

Fresh cooked rice cakes for retail sale are typically held at room temperature because refrigeration dramatically reduces their quality. Room temperature, high water activity, and a pH of > 4.6 provided an environment conducive to pathogen growth. To date, no studies have been published regarding survival and growth of foodborne pathogens in fresh cooked rice cakes. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of steam cooking on foodborne pathogens and their subsequent growth in five varieties of rice cakes made from flours of regular rice, sweet rice, white rice, tapioca, and mung bean. Bacillus cereus spores were detected in white rice, tapioca, and mung bean samples. The rice cake flours were inoculated with non-spore-forming foodborne pathogens (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus) or spore-forming bacteria (Bacillus cereus) and steam cooked (100 degrees C) for 30 min. Steam cooking significantly reduced (> 6 log CFU/g) non-spore-forming foodborne pathogens in all samples and inactivated spores of B. cereus by 1 to 2 log CFU/g. Although spores of B. cereus survived steam cooking and germinated during 3 days of storage at room temperature, populations in most rice cakes remained below 106 CFU/g, which is the threshold for producing toxin. Rice cakes made from mung bean flour supported growth and germination of B. cereus spores above that critical level. In mung bean rice cakes, enterotoxin production was detected by the second day, when B cereus cell populations reached about 6.9 log CFU/g. The toxin concentration increased with storage time. However, our results suggest that rapid growth of total mesophilic microorganisms by more than 7 to 8 log CFU/ml during the first day of storage produced off flavors and spoilage before B. cereus was able to grow enough to produce toxins. Therefore, steam-cooked rice cakes made from a variety of flours including mung bean flour are safe for sale for up to 1 day after storage at room temperature and are free of B. cereus toxins.

Bacillus cereus↗
PubMed2006

Location of bung bagging during beef slaughter influences the potential for spreading pathogen contamination on beef carcasses.

Preevisceration carcass washing prior to bung bagging during beef slaughter may allow pooling of wash water in the rectal area and consequent spread of potential pathogens. The objective of this study was to compare protocols for bung bagging after preevisceration washing with an alternative method for bung bagging before preevisceration washing for the potential to spread enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella on carcass surfaces. The study evaluated incidence rates of pathogens in preevisceration wash water (10 ml) samples (n = 120) and on surface (100 cm2) sponge samples (n = 120) in the immediate bung region when bagging occurred before (prewash bagging) and after (postwash bagging) preevisceration washing. Surface sampling from postwash bagging yielded incidence rates of 58.3, 5, and 8.3%, whereas wash water sampling yielded 28.3, 1.7, and 5% for enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella, respectively. Surface sampling from prewash bagging yielded incidence rates of 35, 1.7, and 0%, whereas wash water sampling yielded 18.3, 0, and 8.3% for enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella, respectively. Results of this research indicate that the rectal area is a significant source of pathogen contamination on carcasses and that wash water is an important mechanism for potential transfer of pathogen contamination from the rectal area. Results from this study suggest that bung bagging, as proposed in this study, before (prewash bagging) rather than after (postwash bagging) preevisceration washing was generally more effective in controlling pathogen contamination and potential spread from the rectal area of carcasses.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2004

[Chronic carriers of pathogen conjunctival bacteria. Possible risks in cataract surgery].

PURPOSE: To ascertain the frequency and characteristics of chronic carriers of conjunctival pathogen bacteria among patients undergoing cataract surgery in our hospital, to allow the design of studies of their postsurgical endophthalmitis risk. METHODS: Retrospective study of the preoperative conjunctival flora of 784 patients operated on for cataracts in both eyes, in two operations separated by 213 days (SD 170), from November 1993 to December 1997. Results of both cultures for each patient were obtained from the Laboratory cataract preoperative database, by means of an auxiliary utility in dBASE-III-PLUS program. The preoperative bacteria in both surgeries were compared and the patients having the same pathogen bacteria (all except Staphylococcus coagulase negative and Corynebacterium sp.) were identified. The mean values and standard deviations were calculated using Epiinfo 6.04, and the Chi2 test was carried out using Excel 97. RESULTS: The conjunctival flora stemming from the first preoperative culture of the 784 patients were statistically similar to those of our reference population. The pathogen bacteria decreased in the second preoperative culture; especially the Streptococcus Pneumoniae and Haemophilus sp. frequencies (p<0.05). The same pathogen was isolated in both cultures of 31 patients among the 784 who entered the study, Staphylococcus Aureus and Proteus Mirabilis being the most frequent colonizers. The mean age of those carriers was higher than the mean age of the reference population (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: 3.95% of our patients awaiting cataract surgery are usual conjunctival carriers of certain pathogen bacteria; this finding is associated with the age of the patients and possibly with some pre-existing diseases.

Aged↗
PubMed2026

Surface architecture of the bacterial envelope determines phage adsorption route in pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7.

UNLABELLED: The outermost surface layers of Gram-negative bacteria determine phage access to terminal receptors, yet their genetic basis has been mapped almost exclusively in laboratory strains that lack them. Here we apply genome-wide RB-TnSeq fitness profiling to four Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains from distinct phylogenetic clades sharing the O157 O-antigen, using 38 phages with terminal receptors previously mapped in E. coli K-12 strain. RB-TnSeq fitness landscapes across all four pathogenic backgrounds were mostly similar, and dominated by surface-associated loci, including the gfc-etk group 4 capsule operon, O-antigen biosynthesis genes, LPS core assembly genes and outer membrane proteins. Disruption of gfc-etk abolished infection in 11 genetically diverse myoviruses, establishing the O-antigen capsule as a widespread required primary recognition substrate. O-antigen loci generated two classes of fitness score patterns. For 10 phages, disruption increased infectivity, indicating it is a barrier to receptor access; for 3 others, disruption abolished infectivity, demonstrating it can also be a primary recognition substrate. Outer membrane protein receptor identity was conserved across laboratory and pathogenic backgrounds, with the same proteins recognized in both K-12 and O157:H7, while glycan layer state determines whether these receptors are reached. These results demonstrate that outer surface glycan layers can act as primary and optional recognition substrates for phage infection, or as physical barriers preventing terminal receptor access. Extending the ability to probe phage-targeted receptors beyond outer membrane proteins provides a framework for incorporating glycan layer state into predictive models of phage-host interactions. IMPORTANCE: Bacteriophage-based interventions for controlling Escherichia coli O157:H7, a major foodborne pathogen responsible for tens of thousands of illnesses annually in the United States, require a mechanistic understanding of the factors governing strain-level susceptibility. Predictive frameworks developed in laboratory model strains lacking O-antigen and capsular polysaccharides can map the terminal protein receptors that phages bind, but are currently limited in their ability to determine whether those receptors are accessible in pathogenic isolates carrying full outer surface complexity. This study provides the first genome-scale, functional genetic map of phage susceptibility determinants in O157:H7 and demonstrates that the state of the outer surface layers, specifically the O-antigen and the gfc-etk capsule, determines whether phages can reach conserved terminal receptors. This finding explains differences in phage susceptibility between strains sharing nearly identical gene content, and identifies the molecular layers that must be characterized to predict phage host interaction in pathogenic E. coli backgrounds.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2026

Genomic signatures associated with epidemiologically defined high-risk pathogenic Escherichia coli isolates identified by interpretable machine learning.

Pathogenic Escherichia coli is a major cause of foodborne illness worldwide and includes strains capable of causing severe disease. To establish a genome-informed framework for foodborne outbreak surveillance, we analyzed 1,029 E. coli isolates from clinical, food, livestock, and environmental sources using whole-genome sequencing. Pathogenic isolates obtained from human clinical cases or linked to documented outbreaks were classified as epidemiologically defined high-risk (EpiHR), whereas the remaining pathogenic isolates were classified as non-EpiHR. Virulence-associated genomic features were extracted using a bioinformatics pipeline, and four machine learning (ML) algorithms, including gradient boosting machine, random forest (RF), and support vector machines with linear and radial basis function kernels, were evaluated. Among them, the RF model showed the best performance, achieving an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.98 and accuracy of 0.93 in 10-fold cross-validation. Additional leave-one-group-out validation showed retained discrimination across held-out sequence types and serotypes, although performance was reduced when isolates were grouped by isolation source. Evaluation using an independent test dataset of 1,908 publicly available pathogenic E. coli genomes showed an AUC of 0.97 and a sensitivity of 0.98. Feature importance analysis using Shapley additive explanations identified influential predictive features, including traT, etpB, and enterotoxin-associated genes. A reduced 10-feature model achieved an AUC of 0.79 in the independent test dataset, supporting its exploratory use for future simplified screening approaches. These results indicate that genome-based ML provides a sensitive framework for surveillance-oriented prioritization of EpiHR pathogenic E. coli isolates, with model predictions interpreted together with epidemiological information.

Escherichia coli↗
PubMed2004

Potential use of microarray technology for rapid identification of central nervous system pathogens.

Outbreaks of central nervous system (CNS) diseases result in significant productivity and financial losses, threatening peace and wartime readiness capabilities. To meet this threat, rapid clinical diagnostic tools for detecting and identifying CNS pathogens are needed. Current tools and techniques cannot efficiently deal with CNS pathogen diversity; they cannot provide real-time identification of pathogen serogroups and strains, and they require days, sometimes weeks, for examination of tissue culture. Rapid and precise CNS pathogen diagnostics are needed to provide the opportunity for tailored therapeutic regimens and focused preventive efforts to decrease morbidity and mortality. Such diagnostics are available through genetic and genomic technologies, which have the potential for reducing the time required in serogroup or strain identification from 500+ hours for some viral cultures to less than 3 hours for all pathogens. In the near future, microarray diagnostics and future derivations of these technologies will change the paradigm used for outbreak investigations and will improve health care for all.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Clinical pathology and assessment of pathogen exposure in southern and Alaskan sea otters.

The southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) population in California (USA) and the Alaskan sea otter (E. lutris kenyoni) population in the Aleutian Islands (USA) chain have recently declined. In order to evaluate disease as a contributing factor to the declines, health assessments of these two sea otter populations were conducted by evaluating hematologic and/or serum biochemical values and exposure to six marine and terrestrial pathogens using blood collected during ongoing studies from 1995 through 2000. Samples from 72 free-ranging Alaskan, 78 free-ranging southern, and (for pathogen exposure only) 41 debilitated southern sea otters in rehabilitation facilities were evaluated and compared to investigate regional differences. Serum chemistry and hematology values did not indicate a specific disease process as a cause for the declines. Statistically significant differences were found between free-ranging adult southern and Alaskan population mean serum levels of creatinine kinase, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, calcium, cholesterol, creatinine, glucose, phosphorous, total bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, and sodium. These were likely due to varying parasite loads, contaminant exposures, and physiologic or nutrition statuses. No free-ranging sea otters had signs of disease at capture, and prevalences of exposure to calicivirus, Brucella spp., and Leptospira spp. were low. The high prevalence (35%) of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in free-ranging southern sea otters, lack of antibodies to this parasite in Alaskan sea otters, and the pathogen's propensity to cause mortality in southern sea otters suggests that this parasite may be important to sea otter population dynamics in California but not in Alaska. The evidence for exposure to pathogens of public health importance (e.g., Leptospira spp., T. gondii) in the southern sea otter population, and the naïveté of both populations to other pathogens (e.g., morbillivirus and Coccidiodes immitis) may have important implications for their management and recovery.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2004

Exposure to feline and canine pathogens in bobcats and gray foxes in urban and rural zones of a national park in California.

Exposure of bobcats (Lynx rufus) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) to a range of common canine and feline pathogens was assessed in urban and rural zones of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a National Park in the San Francisco Bay Area, (California, USA) from 1992 to 1995. Testing included serology for canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus (CPV), canine adenovirus, Leptospira interrogans, feline calicivirus (FCV), feline panleukopenia virus, feline herpesvirus, feline enteric coronavirus (FECV), feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukemia virus, Toxoplasma gondii, and Bartonella henselae. Testing was also performed for Dirofilaria immitis. Significantly more gray foxes were seropositive for CPV in the urban zone than in the rural zone. In addition, radio-tracking of gray foxes in the rural zone indicated that all three of the rural CPV-seropositive foxes had traveled into adjoining small towns, whereas only one of the 11 seronegative animals had done so. Significantly more bobcats were seropositive for FCV in the rural zone than in the urban zone. Individual bobcats with positive FCV antibody titers had patterns of movement that intercepted park inholdings where domestic cats lived. Bobcat samples were seronegative for all five of the other viral feline pathogens, with the exception of a FECV-seropositive bobcat. High seroprevalence was detected for B. henselae and T. gondii in both zones. Variation in the seroprevalence for different pathogens might be related to differences in the exposure of bobcats and foxes to domestic animals: in the urban zone, gray foxes were located in residential areas outside the park, whereas bobcats were not. Although for most of the pathogens examined there was no relationship between urbanization and exposure, our results for CPV in foxes and FCV in bobcats indicated that proximity to urban areas or contact with humans can increase the risk of disease exposure for wild carnivore populations. Combining behavioral information from radio-tracking with data on pathogen exposure or disease incidence can provide valuable insights into the ecology of wildlife disease that might be missed with broad-scale, population-level comparisons alone.

Animal Identification Systems↗
PubMed1998

[A study on the distribution and etiology of pathogenic vibrio in the 5 coastal provinces of China].

In order to understand the distribution and pathogenicity of vibrio in the coastal areas of China a study consisted of 51 water samples and foodstuff from 10 different areas in 5 provinces was conducted microbiologically and etiologically. Results showed that 45 pathogenic vibrio were identified, with majority of A. caviae (26.7%), V. alginolyticus (22.2%) and V. parahaemolyticus (11.1%), same kinds of vibrio found in feces from patients with acute infectious diarrhea. Prevalence rates of pathogenic vibrio identified from the East China Sea, the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea were between 66%-77%. The detection rate of pathogenic vibrio in 29 water samples was 93.1% (27/29) with 38 strains isolated mainly in river water (57.8%), followed by in sea water (21.1%) and pool water (21.1%). The results revealed that the distribution of pathogenic vibrio in different waters was closely related to its pathogenecity, providing evidence that vibrio diarrhea be supervised, diagnosed and treated in order to decrease the incidence of the disease.

China↗