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Acta Tropica Jun 2024The genus Bartonella includes species and subspecies of fastidious, facultative intracellular Gram-negative bacilli that infect a wide variety of mammalian reservoirs...
INTRODUCTION
The genus Bartonella includes species and subspecies of fastidious, facultative intracellular Gram-negative bacilli that infect a wide variety of mammalian reservoirs including cats and humans. In 2022, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health reported an outbreak of cat scratch disease caused by B. henselae in the city of Guayaquil. Therefore, we aimed to characterize the presence of Bartonella spp. in domestic and stray cats from the area of Guayaquil where the outbreak happened in 2022.
METHODS
Whole blood samples of 100 domestic and stray cats were collected. Riboflavin synthase (ribC) and 16S rRNA genes detection was performed by PCR using Bartonella spp. specific primers, followed by Sanger sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.
RESULTS
14 cats were positive for Bartonella spp. carriage. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the presence of 12 cats infected with B. henselae and 2 cats with B. clarridgeiae.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a high prevalence of Bartonella spp. carriage in cats in the city of Guayaquil within the area where a recent cat scratch disease outbreak happened. Considering the high presence of cats and other domestic and stray animals in the city of Guayaquil, a One Health approach for surveillance and prevention of zoonotic diseases like cat scratch disease is needed.
PubMed: 38851625
DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107278 -
Preventive Veterinary Medicine Aug 2024To prevent foodborne infections from pigs and cattle, the whole food chain must act to minimize the contamination of products, including biosecurity measures which...
To prevent foodborne infections from pigs and cattle, the whole food chain must act to minimize the contamination of products, including biosecurity measures which prevent infections via feed and the environment in production farms. Rodents and other small mammals can be reservoirs of and key vectors for transmitting zoonotic bacteria and viruses to farm animals, through direct contact but more often through environmental contamination. In line with One Health concept, we integrated results from a sampling study of small mammals in farm environments and data from a capture-recapture experiment into a probabilistic model which quantifies the degree of environmental exposure of zoonotic bacteria by small mammals to farm premises. We investigated more than 1200 small mammals trapped in and around 38 swine and cattle farm premises in Finland in 2017/2018. Regardless of the farm type, the most common species caught were the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis), bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus), and house mouse (Mus musculus). Of 554 intestine samples (each pooled from 1 to 10 individuals), 33% were positive for Campylobacter jejuni. Yersinia enterocolitica was detected in 8% of the pooled samples, on 21/38 farm premises. Findings of Salmonella and the Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) were rare: the pathogens were detected in only single samples from four and six farm premises, respectively. The prevalence of Campylobacter, Salmonella, Yersinia and STEC in small mammal populations was estimated as 26%/13%, 1%/0%, 2%/3%, 1%/1%, respectively, in 2017/2018. The exposure probability within the experimental period of four weeks on farms was 17-60% for Campylobacter and 0-3% for Salmonella. The quantitative model is readily applicable to similar integrative studies. Our results indicate that small mammals increase the risk of exposure to zoonotic bacteria in animal production farms, thus increasing risks also for livestock and human health.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Swine; Prevalence; Swine Diseases; Finland; Cattle Diseases; Rodentia; Bacterial Zoonoses; Zoonoses; Disease Reservoirs; Risk Assessment; Farms
PubMed: 38850871
DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106228 -
Parasitology Research Jun 2024Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a common cause of human microsporidiosis and can infect a variety of animal hosts worldwide. In Thailand, previous studies have shown that...
Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a common cause of human microsporidiosis and can infect a variety of animal hosts worldwide. In Thailand, previous studies have shown that this parasite is common in domestic animals. However, information on the prevalence and genotypes of this parasite in other synanthropic wildlife, including bats, remains limited. Several pathogens have been previously detected in bats, suggesting that bats may serve as a reservoir for this parasite. In this study, a total of 105 bat guano samples were collected from six different sites throughout Thailand. Of these, 16 from Chonburi (eastern), Ratchaburi (western), and Chiang Rai (northern) provinces tested positive for E. bieneusi, representing an overall prevalence of 15.2%. Based on ITS1 sequence analysis, 12 genotypes were identified, including two known genotypes (D and type IV) frequently detected in humans and ten novel potentially zoonotic genotypes (TBAT01-TBAT10), all belonging to zoonotic group 1. Lyle's flying fox (Pteropus lylei), commonly found in Southeast Asia, was identified as the host in one sample that was also positive for E. bieneusi. Network analysis of E. bieneusi sequences detected in this study and those previously reported in Thailand also revealed intraspecific divergence and recent population expansion, possibly due to adaptive evolution associated with host range expansion. Our data revealed, for the first time, multiple E. bieneusi genotypes of zoonotic significance circulating in Thai bats and demonstrated that bat guano fertilizer may be a vehicle for disease transmission.
Topics: Chiroptera; Animals; Thailand; Enterocytozoon; Genotype; Microsporidiosis; Phylogeny; Prevalence; Humans; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Zoonoses; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; DNA, Fungal
PubMed: 38850488
DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08253-7 -
Pediatric Cardiology Jun 2024Atrial function provides insight into ventricular diastolic function. Invasive assessment of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function correlates with development of...
Atrial function provides insight into ventricular diastolic function. Invasive assessment of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function correlates with development of sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). Non-invasive assessment of atrial function may prove key towards assessment of diastolic function. We longitudinally evaluated the progression of biatrial function in patients with rTOF, regardless of pulmonary valve replacement (PVR). Patients with rTOF who had multiple CMR were identified. CMR examinations were retrospectively reviewed. Left (LA) and right (RA) atrial size and function were measured in the two and four-chamber views and assessed over time and after PVR. Left and right atrial reservoir, conduit, pump strain and strain rates were determined using tissue tracking. Thirty-six patients with rTOF were identified (64% male), ten (28%) had PVR during the study. Median age of PVR was 16.5 years. No improvement in RA or LA function was observed after PVR. A decline in RA reservoir strain rate (p < 0.05) and RA pump strain (p < 0.05) were observed despite improvements in right ventricular systolic function (p < 0.05). In patients who had multiple CMR without PVR, RA reservoir strain rate (p < 0.05) and pump strain rate (p < 0.05) worsened over time. LA pump strain decreased over time in all patients. There is progressive decline of several RA functional parameters over time. No significant improvement in LA or RA function after PVR was observed. Additional studies are needed to understand how these changes may relate to poor outcomes and potentially better guide timing of PVR.
PubMed: 38849600
DOI: 10.1007/s00246-024-03503-y -
Italian Journal of Food Safety May 2024Hepatitis E is a disease sustained by RNA viruses, which have four different genotypes, all of which are responsible for acute forms of hepatitis. Genotypes 1 and 2...
Hepatitis E is a disease sustained by RNA viruses, which have four different genotypes, all of which are responsible for acute forms of hepatitis. Genotypes 1 and 2 infect only humans, causing epidemics mainly transmitted by contaminated water, while geno-types 3 and 4 are zoonotic, and the infection is linked to the consumption of raw or undercooked meat or meat products. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotypes 3 and 4 have been detected in domestic , considered the asymptomatic reservoir of HEV, and in wild animals such as wild boar and deer. Despite scientific studies that have highlighted the presence of HEV in cured meat products, such as pork liver sausages, the viral persistence in the different production steps of curing has not been evaluated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the persistence of HEV genotype 3 during the different curing and storage times of experimentally contaminated pork liver sausages using biomolecular methods. The sausages tested positive at all curing and storage times. This study confirms the potential risk attributed to pork liver sausages in HEV transmission. However, to guarantee an efficient risk assessment, future studies will be performed to correlate the presence of HEV RNA with infectious viral particles.
PubMed: 38846049
DOI: 10.4081/ijfs.2024.12286 -
Current Research in Parasitology &... 2024Rats, being synanthropic, are hosts to agents of zoonotic diseases that pose a threat to human and domestic animal health. The nematode parasite , commonly known as the...
Rats, being synanthropic, are hosts to agents of zoonotic diseases that pose a threat to human and domestic animal health. The nematode parasite , commonly known as the rat lungworm, is no exception; it can cause potentially fatal neural disease in humans, dogs and other species. The distribution of (haplotypes SYD.1 and Ac13) and its close relative, is not well understood in Australia. We investigated the prevalence of in rats in Sydney, Australia, primarily faecal qPCR, and identified the species and haplotypes using partial 1 sequencing. We found a moderate prevalence of infection (29%; 95% CI: 16.1-46.6%) in black () and brown () rats around public parks and residential areas. This study demonstrates that Sydney's urban rat population is a reservoir for . Modelling infection status as a function of rat species, sex, tibia length (as a proxy for age), and health index (a measure of weight by size) revealed that older rats are statistically more likely to be infected ( = 5.331, = 0.021). We observed a dominant presence of the SYD.1 haplotype, for which the implications are not yet known. No was detected, leading us to suspect it may have a more restricted host- and geographical range. Overall, this study illustrates the presence and potential risk of infection in Sydney. Public education regarding transmission routes and preventative measures is crucial to safeguard human and animal health.
PubMed: 38845789
DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100179 -
Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) Jun 2024To assess left atrial (LA) function in individuals with known paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) compared with healthy and nonhealthy individuals without atrial...
PURPOSE
To assess left atrial (LA) function in individuals with known paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) compared with healthy and nonhealthy individuals without atrial fibrillation.
METHODS
The Akershus Cardiac Examination 1950 Study included 3,706 individuals all born in 1950. LA strain assessment of reservoir (LASr), conduit (LAScd) and contractile (LASct) functions were performed in all participants by investigators blinded to clinical data. Participants with cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, pulmonary or renal disease were defined as nonhealthy, and those without as healthy. Patients with paroxysmal AF were identified through medical history and ECG documentation.
RESULTS
LA strain assessment was feasible in 3,229 (87%) of the participants (50% women). The healthy group (n = 758) had significantly higher LASr and LAScd than the nonhealthy (n = 2,376), but LASct was similar between the groups. Participants with paroxysmal AF had significantly lower values of all strain parameters than the other groups. Multivariable logistic regression showed a significantly reduced probability of having AF per standard deviation increase in LASr and LASct. A nonlinear restricted cubic spline model fitted better with the association of LASr with paroxysmal AF than the linear model, and LA strain values below the population mean associated with an increased probability of having AF, but for values above the population mean no such association was present.
CONCLUSION
Compared to participants without AF, those with known paroxysmal AF had significantly lower values of all LA strain parameters during sinus rhythm. Lower values of LA strain were associated with a significantly increased probability of having AF.
Topics: Humans; Atrial Fibrillation; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Heart Atria; Atrial Function, Left; Echocardiography
PubMed: 38837738
DOI: 10.1111/echo.15852 -
Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare... 2024This study aimed to investigate the contamination status of hospital sinks with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), the efficacy of daily cleaning with...
Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales isolated from hospital sinks: molecular relationships with isolates from patients and the change in contamination status after daily disinfection with sodium hypochlorite.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate the contamination status of hospital sinks with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), the efficacy of daily cleaning with sodium hypochlorite, and the relationships between CPEs isolated from contaminated sinks and patients.
DESIGN
Pre/postintervention surveys of the CPE-contaminated sinks.
SETTING
Hospital wards including pediatric intensive care unit in a children's hospital.
PARTICIPANTS
Consenting CPE-colonized patients admitted between November 2018 and June 2021 in our hospital.
METHODS
Environmental culture of 180 sinks from nine wards in our hospital was performed three times with an interval of 2 years (2019, 2021, 2023). Molecular typing of the isolated strains from the sinks and patients was performed. After the first surveillance culture, we initiated daily disinfection of the sinks using sodium hypochlorite.
RESULTS
Before the intervention, we detected 30 CPE-positive sinks in 2019. After the intervention with sodium hypochlorite, we observed a substantial decline in the number of sinks contaminated with CPE; 13 in 2021 and 6 in 2023. However, the intervention did not significantly reduce the number of CPE-contaminated sinks used for the disposal of nutrition-rich substances. The CPE isolates from the patients and those from the sinks of the wards or floors where they were admitted tended to have similar pulse-field gel electrophoresis patterns.
CONCLUSION
Contaminated sinks could be reservoirs of disseminating CPE to the patients. Daily disinfection of sinks with sodium hypochlorite may be effective in eliminating CPE, although the effect could be weaker in sinks with a greater risk of contact with nutrition-rich substances.
PubMed: 38836042
DOI: 10.1017/ash.2024.94 -
A helping HAND: therapeutic potential of MAGL inhibition against HIV-1-associated neuroinflammation.Frontiers in Immunology 2024Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) affects nearly 40 million people globally, with roughly 80% of all people living with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy....
BACKGROUND
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) affects nearly 40 million people globally, with roughly 80% of all people living with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy. Antiretroviral treatment suppresses viral load in peripheral tissues but does not effectively penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Thus, viral reservoirs persist in the central nervous system and continue to produce low levels of inflammatory factors and early viral proteins, including the transactivator of transcription (Tat). HIV Tat is known to contribute to chronic neuroinflammation and synaptodendritic damage, which is associated with the development of cognitive, motor, and/or mood problems, collectively known as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Cannabinoid anti-inflammatory effects are well documented, but therapeutic utility of cannabis remains limited due to its psychotropic effects, including alterations within brain regions encoding reward processing and motivation, such as the nucleus accumbens. Alternatively, inhibiting monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) has demonstrated therapeutic potential through interactions with the endocannabinoid system.
METHODS
The present study utilized a reward-related operant behavioral task to quantify motivated behavior in female Tat transgenic mice treated with vehicle or MAGL inhibitor MJN110 (1 mg/kg). Brain tissue was collected to assess dendritic injury and neuroinflammatory profiles, including dendritic microtubule-associated protein (MAP2ab) intensity, microglia density, microglia morphology, astrocyte density, astrocytic interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) colocalization, and various lipid mediators.
RESULTS
No significant behavioral differences were observed; however, MJN110 protected against Tat-induced dendritic injury by significantly upregulating MAP2ab intensity in the nucleus accumbens and in the infralimbic cortex of Tat(+) mice. No or only minor effects were noted for Iba-1 microglia density and/or microglia morphology. Further, Tat increased GFAP astrocyte density in the infralimbic cortex and GFAP astrocytic IL-1ß colocalization in the nucleus accumbens, with MJN110 significantly reducing these measures in Tat(+) subjects. Lastly, selected HETE-related inflammatory lipid mediators in the striatum were downregulated by chronic MJN110 treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings demonstrate anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties of MJN110 without cannabimimetic behavioral effects and suggest a promising alternative to cannabis for managing neuroinflammation.
Topics: Animals; Mice; HIV-1; Neuroinflammatory Diseases; Mice, Transgenic; Female; Monoacylglycerol Lipases; tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; HIV Infections; Humans; Brain; Disease Models, Animal; Microglia; AIDS Dementia Complex
PubMed: 38835765
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1374301 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Jun 2024Angiotensin-convertingenzyme 2 (ACE2) has dual functions, regulating cardiovascular physiology and serving as the receptor for coronaviruses. Bats, the only true flying...
Angiotensin-convertingenzyme 2 (ACE2) has dual functions, regulating cardiovascular physiology and serving as the receptor for coronaviruses. Bats, the only true flying mammals and natural viral reservoirs, have evolved positive alterations in traits related to both functions of ACE2. This suggests significant evolutionary changes in ACE2 during bat evolution. To test this hypothesis, we examine the selection pressure in ACE2 along the ancestral branch of all bats (AncBat-ACE2), where powered flight and bat-coronavirus coevolution occurred, and detect a positive selection signature. To assess the functional effects of positive selection, we resurrect AncBat-ACE2 and its mutant (AncBat-ACE2-mut) created by replacing the positively selected sites. Compared to AncBat-ACE2-mut, AncBat-ACE2 exhibits stronger enzymatic activity, enhances mice's performance in exercise fatigue, and shows lower affinity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Our findings indicate the functional pleiotropy of positive selection in the ancient ACE2 of bats, providing an alternative hypothesis for the evolutionary origin of bats' defense against coronaviruses.
Topics: Chiroptera; Animals; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2; Mice; Selection, Genetic; Genetic Pleiotropy; Evolution, Molecular; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Coronavirus; Humans; Phylogeny
PubMed: 38833475
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321619121