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FEMS Microbiology Letters Dec 2019Food-borne diseases are a threat to human health and can cause severe economic losses. Nowadays, in a growing and increasingly interconnected world, food-borne diseases... (Review)
Review
Food-borne diseases are a threat to human health and can cause severe economic losses. Nowadays, in a growing and increasingly interconnected world, food-borne diseases need to be dealt with in a global manner. In order to tackle this issue, it is essential to consider all possible entry routes of human pathogens into the production chain. Besides the post-harvest handling of the fresh produce itself, also the prevention of contamination in livestock and agricultural soils are of particular importance. While the monitoring of human pathogens and intervening measures are relatively easy to apply in livestock and post-harvest, the investigation of the prevention strategies in crop fields is a challenging task. Furthermore, crop fields are interconnected with livestock via fertilizers and feed; therefore, a poor hygiene management can cause cross-contamination. In this review, we highlight the possible contamination of crop plants by bacterial human pathogens via the rhizosphere, their interaction with the plant and possible intervention strategies. Furthermore, we discuss critical issues and questions that are still open.
Topics: Agriculture; Communicable Diseases; Crops, Agricultural; Disease Reservoirs; Food Microbiology; Humans
PubMed: 31981360
DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnaa016 -
Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases... Mar 2021Although rodents are well-known reservoirs and vectors for a number of zoonoses, the functional role that peridomestic rodents serve in the amplification and... (Review)
Review
Although rodents are well-known reservoirs and vectors for a number of zoonoses, the functional role that peridomestic rodents serve in the amplification and transmission of foodborne pathogens is likely underappreciated. Clear links have been identified between commensal rodents and outbreaks of foodborne pathogens throughout Europe and Asia; however, comparatively little research has been devoted to studying this relationship in the United States. In particular, regional studies focused on specific rodent species and their foodborne pathogen reservoir status across the diverse agricultural landscapes of the United States are lacking. We posit that both native and invasive species of rodents associated with food-production pipelines are likely sources of seasonal outbreaks of foodborne pathogens throughout the United States. In this study, we review the evidence that identifies peridomestic rodents as reservoirs for foodborne pathogens, and we call for novel research focused on the metagenomic communities residing at the rodent-agriculture interface. Such data will likely result in the identification of new reservoirs for foodborne pathogens and species-specific demographic traits that might underlie seasonal enteric disease outbreaks. Moreover, we anticipate that a One Health metagenomic research approach will result in the discovery of new strains of zoonotic pathogens circulating in peridomestic rodents. Data resulting from such research efforts would directly inform and improve upon biosecurity efforts, ultimately serving to protect our food supply.
Topics: Animals; Biosecurity; Disease Outbreaks; Disease Reservoirs; Europe; Rodentia; United States; Zoonoses
PubMed: 33351736
DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2020.2640 -
Parasitology International Apr 2022Plasmodium vivax is the most geographically widespread human malaria parasite. Global malaria efforts have been less successful at reducing the burden of P. vivax... (Review)
Review
Plasmodium vivax is the most geographically widespread human malaria parasite. Global malaria efforts have been less successful at reducing the burden of P. vivax compared to P. falciparum, owing to the unique biology and related treatment complexity of P. vivax. As a result, P. vivax is now the dominant malaria parasite throughout the Asia-Pacific and South America causing up to 14 million clinical cases every year and is considered a major obstacle to malaria elimination. Key features circumventing existing malaria control tools are the transmissibility of asymptomatic, low-density circulating infections and reservoirs of persistent dormant liver stages (hypnozoites) that are undetectable but reactivate to cause relapsing infections and sustain transmission. In this review we summarise the new knowledge shaping our understanding of the global epidemiology of P. vivax infections, highlighting the challenges for elimination and the tools that will be required achieve this.
Topics: Disease Reservoirs; Humans; Liver; Malaria, Falciparum; Malaria, Vivax; Plasmodium vivax
PubMed: 34896312
DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102526 -
Current HIV/AIDS Reports Aug 2020Few interventional strategies lead to significant reductions in HIV-1 reservoir size or prolonged antiretroviral (ART)-free remission. Allogeneic stem cell... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Few interventional strategies lead to significant reductions in HIV-1 reservoir size or prolonged antiretroviral (ART)-free remission. Allogeneic stem cell transplantations (SCT) with or without donor cells harboring genetic mutations preventing functional expression of CCR5, an HIV coreceptor, lead to dramatic reductions in residual HIV burden. However, the mechanisms by which SCT reduces viral reservoirs and leads to a potential functional HIV cure are not well understood.
RECENT FINDINGS
A growing number of studies involving allogeneic SCT in people with HIV are emerging, including those with and without transplants involving CCR5 mutations. Donor cells resistant to HIV entry are likely required in order to achieve permanent ART-free viral remission. However, dramatic reductions in the HIV reservoir secondary to beneficial graft-versus-host effects may lead to loss of HIV detection in blood and various tissues and lead to prolonged time to HIV rebound in individuals with wild-type CCR5 donors. Studies of SCT recipients and those who started very early ART during hyperacute infection suggest that dramatic reductions in reservoir size or restriction of initial reservoir seeding may lead to 8-10 months of time prior to eventual, and rapid, HIV recrudescence. Studies of allogeneic SCT in people with HIV have provided important insights into the size and nature of the HIV reservoir, and have invigorated other gene therapies to achieve HIV cure.
Topics: Anti-Retroviral Agents; Berlin; Disease Reservoirs; Genetic Therapy; HIV Infections; HIV Seropositivity; HIV-1; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Humans; London; Receptors, CCR5
PubMed: 32519184
DOI: 10.1007/s11904-020-00505-2 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2021
Topics: Animals; Chiroptera; Disease Reservoirs; Immunity, Innate; Viruses
PubMed: 33718290
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.651289 -
Trends in Microbiology Jul 2022Bats are reservoirs for zoonotic viruses, which they tolerate without experiencing disease. Research focused on deciphering mechanisms of virus tolerance in bats has... (Review)
Review
Bats are reservoirs for zoonotic viruses, which they tolerate without experiencing disease. Research focused on deciphering mechanisms of virus tolerance in bats has rarely considered the influence of their gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiome. In mammals, GIT microbiomes influence infections through their effect on host physiology, immunity, nutrition, and behavior. Bat GIT microbiomes more closely resemble the Proteobacteria-dominated GIT microbiomes of birds than those of other mammals. As an adaptation to flight, bats have rapid GIT transit times which may reduce the stability of their microbiome, constrain nutrient uptake, and affect pathogen exposure and evolution of tolerance mechanisms. Experimental and longitudinal studies are needed to understand the function of bats' GIT microbiomes and their role in modulating viral infection dynamics.
Topics: Animals; Birds; Chiroptera; Disease Reservoirs; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Virus Diseases; Viruses
PubMed: 35034797
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.12.009 -
Journal of the Royal Society, Interface Jul 2022In this article, we take a mathematical approach to the study of population-level disease spread, performing a quantitative and qualitative investigation of an model...
In this article, we take a mathematical approach to the study of population-level disease spread, performing a quantitative and qualitative investigation of an model which is a susceptible-infectious-susceptible () model with exposure to an external disease reservoir. The external reservoir is non-dynamic, and exposure from the external reservoir is assumed to be proportional to the size of the susceptible population. The full stochastic system is modelled using a master equation formalism. A constant population size assumption allows us to solve for the stationary probability distribution, which is then used to investigate the predicted disease prevalence under a variety of conditions. By using this approach, we quantify outbreak vulnerability by performing the sensitivity analysis of disease prevalence to changing population characteristics. In addition, the shape of the probability density function is used to understand where, in parameter space, there is a transition from disease free, to disease present, and to a disease endemic system state. Finally, we use Kullback-Leibler divergence to compare our semi-analytical results for the model with more complex susceptible-infectious-recovered () and susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered () models.
Topics: Communicable Diseases; Disease Outbreaks; Disease Reservoirs; Disease Susceptibility; Epidemiological Models; Humans; Models, Biological; Stochastic Processes
PubMed: 35857906
DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0253 -
Current Opinion in Virology Aug 2021Bats have been increasingly recognised as an exceptional reservoir for emerging zoonotic viruses for the past few decades. Recent studies indicate that the unique bat... (Review)
Review
Bats have been increasingly recognised as an exceptional reservoir for emerging zoonotic viruses for the past few decades. Recent studies indicate that the unique bat immune system may be partially responsible for their ability to co-exist with viruses with minimal or no clinical diseases. In this review, we discuss the history and importance of bat virome studies and contrast the vast difference between such studies before and after the introduction of next generation sequencing (NGS) in this area of research. We also discuss the role of discovery serology and high-throughput single cell RNA-seq in future bat virome research.
Topics: Animals; Chiroptera; Disease Reservoirs; Genome, Viral; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Viral Zoonoses; Virome; Virus Diseases; Viruses
PubMed: 34052731
DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2021.04.013 -
Viruses May 2021Rodents are a speciose group of mammals with strong zoonotic potential. Some parts of Africa are still underexplored for the occurrence of rodent-borne pathogens,...
Rodents are a speciose group of mammals with strong zoonotic potential. Some parts of Africa are still underexplored for the occurrence of rodent-borne pathogens, despite this high potential. Angola is at the convergence of three major biogeographical regions of sub-Saharan Africa, each harbouring a specific rodent community. This rodent-rich area is, therefore, strategic for studying the diversity and evolution of rodent-borne viruses. In this study we examined 290 small mammals, almost all rodents, for the presence of mammarenavirus and hantavirus RNA. While no hantavirus was detected, we found three rodent species positive for distinct mammarenaviruses with a particularly high prevalence in Namaqua rock rats (). We characterised four complete virus genomes, which showed typical mammarenavirus organisation. Phylogenetic and genetic distance analyses revealed: (i) the presence of a significantly divergent strain of Luna virus in Angolan representatives of the ubiquitous Natal multimammate mouse (), (ii) a novel Okahandja-related virus associated with the Angolan lineage of for which we propose the name Bitu virus (BITV) and (iii) the occurrence of a novel Mobala-like mammarenavirus in the grey-bellied pygmy mouse () for which we propose the name Kwanza virus (KWAV). This high virus diversity in a limited host sample size and in a relatively small geographical area supports the idea that Angola is a hotspot for mammarenavirus diversity.
Topics: Animals; Arenaviridae; Arenaviridae Infections; Disease Reservoirs; Genome, Viral; Geography, Medical; Phylogeny; Prevalence; RNA, Viral; Whole Genome Sequencing
PubMed: 34070551
DOI: 10.3390/v13060982 -
Acta Tropica Apr 2021Human rabies is a significant public health concern in Tunisia. However, the spatiotemporal spread pattern of rabies in dogs, the major reservoir and vector, and its...
Human rabies is a significant public health concern in Tunisia. However, the spatiotemporal spread pattern of rabies in dogs, the major reservoir and vector, and its determinants are poorly understood. We collected geographic locations and timeline of reported animal rabies cases in the region of CapBon (study area), for the years 2015-2019 and integrated them in Geographical Information System (GIS) approach to explore the spatio-temporal pattern of dog rabies. The results show that roads and irrigated areas can act as ecological corridors to viral spread. Our study showed that there was a significant seasonal variation in the number of cases of rabies recorded, with a strong peak in spring and lower peak in winter and summer. These findings may play a role in updating and directing public health policy, as well as providing opportunities for authorities to explore control options in time and space. A better knowledge of the ecology and dog population dynamics is still necessary and important to achieve an effective rabies control.
Topics: Animals; Disease Reservoirs; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Geographic Information Systems; Population Dynamics; Rabies; Seasons; Spatio-Temporal Analysis; Tunisia
PubMed: 33421422
DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.105822