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Open Veterinary Journal May 2024One zoonotic infectious animal disease is brucellosis. The bacteria that cause brucellosis belong to the genus . Numerous animal and human species are affected by... (Review)
Review
One zoonotic infectious animal disease is brucellosis. The bacteria that cause brucellosis belong to the genus . Numerous animal and human species are affected by brucellosis, with an estimated 500,000 human cases recorded annually worldwide. The occurrence of new areas of infection and the resurgence of infection in already infected areas indicate how dynamically brucellosis is distributed throughout different geographic regions. Bacteria originate from the blood and are found in the reticuloendothelial system, the liver, the spleen, and numerous other locations, including the joints, kidneys, heart, and genital tract. Diagnosis of this disease can be done by bacterial isolation, molecular tests, modified acid-fast stain, rose bengal test (RBT), milk ring test, complement fixation test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and serum agglutination test. The primary sign of a infection is infertility, which can result in abortion and the birth of a frail fetus that may go on to infect other animals. In humans, the main symptoms are acute febrile illness, with or without localization signs, and chronic infection. Female cattle have a greater risk of contracting Brucella disease. Human populations at high risk of contracting brucellosis include those who care for cattle, veterinarians, slaughterhouse employees, and butchers. Antibiotic treatment of brucellosis is often unsuccessful due to the intracellular survival of and its adaptability in macrophages. A "one health" strategy is necessary to control illnesses like brucellosis.
Topics: Brucellosis; Animals; Zoonoses; Humans; Brucella; Cattle; Global Health
PubMed: 38938422
DOI: 10.5455/OVJ.2024.v14.i5.1 -
Microorganisms May 2024Leptospirosis is an infectious disease that affects domestic animals, wild animals, and humans. It represents a public health problem and has an important economic...
Leptospirosis is an infectious disease that affects domestic animals, wild animals, and humans. It represents a public health problem and has an important economic impact on livestock. This study aims to investigate the importance of genital and transplacental infection in the epidemiology of leptospirosis in cows maintained in Caatinga biome conditions, Northeastern Brazil, as well as reporting organs colonized by spp. in embryos and fetuses. Blood, urinary tract (urine, bladder, and kidney), and reproductive tract (vaginal fluid, uterus, uterine tube, ovary, and placenta) samples were collected from 15 slaughtered pregnant cows. Two embryos and 13 fetuses were sampled. Central nervous system and choroid ovoid samples were collected from embryos. Blood, central nervous system, lung, peritoneal liquid, abomasal content, liver, spleen, urine, bladder, kidney, and reproductive system samples were collected from fetuses. Diagnostic methods included the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) using a collection of 24 serovars belonging to 17 different pathogenic serogroups of five species as antigens, as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Anti- spp. antibodies were found in 9 cows (60%), while 13 cows (86.67%) had at least one organ or urine with leptospiral DNA. No fetus was seroreactive. Among the embryos and fetuses, 13 (86.67%) presented leptospiral DNA, proving a high frequency of transplacental infection (100%). For cows, the most frequent biological materials regarding spp. DNA detection were placenta (13 out of 15 samples; 86.7%), uterus (10 out of 15 samples; 66.7%), and vaginal fluid (5 out of 15 samples; 33.3%), while, for fetuses/embryos, the most frequent PCR-positive samples were choroid ovoid (1/2; 50%), spleen (6/13; 46.2%), kidney (5/13; 38.5%), and central nervous system (5/15; 33.3%). Sequenced samples based on the LipL32 gene presented 99% similarity with . The results indicate that transplacental infection is an efficient way of spreading spp. in cows maintained in Caatinga biome conditions. Therefore, prevention and control strategies must include actions that interrupt transmission through this alternative route.
PubMed: 38930426
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061044 -
Microorganisms May 2024Leptospirosis is one of the most common zoonotic infections and a major problem in terms of both veterinary medicine and public health. However, the disease is...
Leptospirosis is one of the most common zoonotic infections and a major problem in terms of both veterinary medicine and public health. However, the disease is under-recognised and under-diagnosed worldwide, particularly in horses. Clinical leptospirosis in horses is mainly associated with recurrent uveitis (ERU), which has recently been studied more intensively, and reproductive disorders, the epidemiology of which is still relatively poorly understood. To enhance our comprehension of abortions caused by leptospirosis in horses and to identify the causative strains, a serological study was carried out with subsequent molecular characterisation of the isolate obtained. Using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), serum samples from mares that aborted and foetal fluids (when available) were tested for antibodies against spp. Furthermore, bacteria isolation from kidney cultures was conducted. Of 97 mare serum samples, 21 (21.64%) tested positive, with Grippotyphosa and Pomona being the most frequently detected serogroups. A significantly higher seroprevalence was found in aborting mares compared to the healthy horse population from the same geographical area, as well as a pronounced seasonal variation. Leptospiral antibodies were not detected in any of the foetal fluids, but isolation was successful in 1 case out of 39 (2.56%). Genotyping by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) identified the obtained isolate as , serogroup Pomona, serovar Mozdok. Further surveillance and molecular typing of strains causing abortion in horses would be invaluable in understanding the prevalence and impact of leptospirosis on equine reproductive health in Europe.
PubMed: 38930421
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061039 -
A Quantitative Human Red Blood Cell Agglutination Assay for Characterisation of Galectin Inhibitors.International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024Galectins are a family of beta-galactoside-binding proteins that are characterised by their carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) and include galectin-1 and galectin-3....
Galectins are a family of beta-galactoside-binding proteins that are characterised by their carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) and include galectin-1 and galectin-3. These galectins have been implicated in numerous diseases due to their pleiotropic nature, including cancer and fibrosis, with therapeutic inhibitors being clinically developed to block the CRD. One of the early methods developed to characterise these galectins was the hemagglutination of red blood cells. Although it is insightful, this approach has been hampered by a lack of sensitivity and accurate quantification of the agglutination observed. In this study, we aimed to validate a more precise and quantitative method to enable the further investigation of differences between galectins in respect to agglutination induction in different blood groups, as well as the characterisation of small molecule inhibitors. Quantification of hemagglutination was shown to be optimal using U-bottom plates imaged and analysed with FIJI ImageJ rather than flat-bottom plates read for absorbance on an optical density plate reader. Galectin-3-induced red blood cell agglutination efficacy increased significantly from blood group O to A to B. However, for both the galectin-1 monomer and concatemer, a more comparable effect was observed between blood group B and O, but with more potent effects than in blood group A. Inhibition assays for both galectin-3 and galectin-1 induced-hemagglutination were able to demonstrate clear concentration responses and expected selectivity profiles for a set of small-molecule glycomimetics, confirming the historical profiles obtained in biochemical binding and functional cellular assays.
Topics: Humans; Erythrocytes; Hemagglutination; Galectins; Galectin 1; Galectin 3; Agglutination Tests; Hemagglutination Tests; Agglutination
PubMed: 38928462
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126756 -
Infection and Drug Resistance 2024Tabes dorsalis is a late manifestation of neurosyphilis, characterized by progressive ataxia, lightning pains, loss of proprioception, and urinary incontinence. The...
BACKGROUND
Tabes dorsalis is a late manifestation of neurosyphilis, characterized by progressive ataxia, lightning pains, loss of proprioception, and urinary incontinence. The absence of a definitive diagnostic standard and the non-specific clinical manifestations have led to a significant rate of misdiagnoses.
METHODS
Hospitalized patients with tabes dorsalis at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2010 and December 2023 were reviewed.
RESULTS
A total of 13 patients were included, with 10 males and 3 females. The median age was 50 years (range, 34-64). The most frequent initial symptoms were limb numbness (30.8%) and lightning pains (30.8%). Eleven patients (84.6%) received misdiagnoses prior to the final diagnosis. The most frequently observed physical sign was positive Romberg's sign (84.6%). Notably, Argyll Robertson pupil was presented in 7 subjects (53.8%). Serological tests revealed positive rapid plasma regain (RPR) and particle agglutination (TPPA) for all patients. All CSF samples were TPPA-reactive. Intramedullary hyperintensity on T2-weighted imaging of spinal MRI was found in 5 patients (38.5%). All patients received anti-syphilitic treatment, with effective treatment recorded in five cases.
CONCLUSION
This study underscores the importance of neurological symptoms and signs in diagnosing tabes dorsalis. Individuals with progressive ataxia and positive Romberg's sign should be closely monitored for potential neurosyphilis. Integrating clinical features, laboratory tests, and neuroimaging could reduce misdiagnosis and expedite the initiation of anti-syphilitic therapy.
PubMed: 38919834
DOI: 10.2147/IDR.S464581 -
APL Bioengineering Jun 2024Point-of-care (POC) testing offers fast and on-site diagnostics and can be crucial against many infectious diseases and in screening. One remaining challenge in...
Point-of-care (POC) testing offers fast and on-site diagnostics and can be crucial against many infectious diseases and in screening. One remaining challenge in serological POC testing is the quantification of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM). Quantification of IgG/IgM can be important to evaluate immunity and to discriminate recent infections from past infections and primary infections from secondary infections. POC tests such as lateral flow immunoassays allow IgG and IgM differentiation; however, a remaining limitation is their incapacity to provide quantitative results. In this work, we show how samples containing IgG or IgM can be distinguished in a nanoparticle-based agglutination biosensing assay by tuning the density of antigens on the nanoparticles' surface. We employ direct STochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy to quantify the accessible SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike proteins conjugated to magnetic nanoparticles at a single-particle level and gain insight into the protein distribution provided by the conjugation procedure. Furthermore, we measure the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM induced agglutination using an optomagnetic readout principle. We show that particles with high antigen density have a relatively higher sensitivity toward IgM compared to IgG, whereas low antigen density provides a relatively higher sensitivity to IgG. The finding paves the way for its implementation for other agglutination-based serology tests, allowing for more accurate disease diagnosis.
PubMed: 38894961
DOI: 10.1063/5.0196224 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... May 2024is a generalist zoonotic parasite that involves a wide range of warm-blooded animals as intermediate hosts and felines as definitive hosts. Recent studies have proved...
is a generalist zoonotic parasite that involves a wide range of warm-blooded animals as intermediate hosts and felines as definitive hosts. Recent studies have proved significant positive associations between human population density and seroprevalence in wildlife. However, there is limited data regarding wildlife in urban areas, where the highest human density occurs. The present study aimed to analyse the exposure in urban hedgehogs from the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, NE Spain. One hundred eighteen hedgehogs were analysed for the presence of antibodies (modified agglutination test; n = 55) and parasite DNA (qPCR; heart = 34; brain = 60). Antibodies were detected in 69.09% of hedgehogs. DNA was not detected in any of the analysed samples. The present study reports a high seroprevalence in urban hedgehogs in areas surrounding Barcelona, the most densely human-populated area of NE Spain, reinforcing the association between human population density and environmental oocysts. The lack of detection by molecular techniques warrants more studies. In the last few decades, the distribution and abundance of European hedgehogs have declined, including their urban populations. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of on hedgehog populations.
PubMed: 38891643
DOI: 10.3390/ani14111596 -
Infection and Drug Resistance 2024Syphilis, a prevalent sexually transmitted infection, poses severe risks, especially during pregnancy. This study aimed to elucidate the trends and impacts of syphilis...
BACKGROUND
Syphilis, a prevalent sexually transmitted infection, poses severe risks, especially during pregnancy. This study aimed to elucidate the trends and impacts of syphilis in Guangxi, China, focusing on prevalence, clinical manifestations, and treatment outcomes in pregnant women and newborns. The objectives included understanding the demographic characteristics of affected pregnant women, analysing the clinical manifestations in newborns, and assessing the effectiveness of the treatment protocol.
METHODS
Conducted in adherence to ethical guidelines, a retrospective cohort study from January 2013 to December 2023 included 54,048 pregnant women tested for . Diagnosis involved a comprehensive approach, utilizing tests like the Toluidine Red Unheated Serum Test (TRUST) and the Particle Agglutination (TPPA) assay. Infant diagnosis and clinical manifestations were evaluated through a decade-long follow-up. Treatment protocols, including Benzathine penicillin, were implemented. Statistical analyses were conducted using SAS version 9.4.
RESULTS
Among 54,048 pregnant women, 0.10% were syphilis positive, correlating with a rise in hospitalizations. Newborns exhibited varied clinical manifestations, with neonatal pneumonia and jaundice being prevalent. The treatment protocol, especially with Benzathine penicillin, achieved a remarkable 100% cure success rate. The study noted a significant reduction in mother-to-child transmission. Syphilis in mothers and babies was diagnosed at different clinical stages, including primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary.
CONCLUSION
This study underscores the escalating impact of syphilis on pregnant women and newborns in Guangxi, China. The findings highlight the necessity for robust preventive measures, early diagnosis, and effective treatment strategies. The observed 100% cure success rate with Benzathine penicillin emphasizes the importance of strict treatment protocols in mitigating the adverse effects of congenital syphilis and reducing its transmission.
PubMed: 38882653
DOI: 10.2147/IDR.S467426 -
Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology Jun 2024Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important pathogen that can cause many community and hospital-acquired infections. This study was conducted to...
BACKGROUND
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important pathogen that can cause many community and hospital-acquired infections. This study was conducted to investigate the SCCmec gene types responsible for methicillin resistance in MRSA isolates isolated from hospitalised patients.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
MRSA isolates isolated from samples sent from various clinics to Gaziantep University Hospital Microbiology Laboratory between March 2021-January 2022 were included in the study. Bacteria were identified using by VITEK 2 automated system. Cefoxitin (FOX) resistance was determined by the disc diffusion method according to EUCAST standards. Cefoxitin resistance was confirmed by the Penicillin Binding Protein 2' latex agglutination test. Types of mecA, mecC, coa, nuc, Panton Valentin Leukocidin (PVL), ccrC2, class A mec, SCCmec types in isolates detected as MRSA were investigated by real-time PCR.
RESULTS
In this study, 116 isolates meeting the study criteria were examined. By detecting the nuc and coa genes in all isolates by PCR, the phenotypic identification of S.aureus was confirmed. While the mecA gene was detected in all MRSA isolates, no mecC gene was detected in any isolates. Detected SCCmec types were as follows; SCCmec Type 1 (2.6%), Type II (28.4%), Type III (12.9%), Type IVa (11.2%), Type IVb (3.4%), Type IVc (3.4%), Type IVg (12.1%), Type V (0.9%), Type VII (4.3%), Type VIII (18.1%), Type IX (0.9%), Type XII (1.7%). On the other hand, SCCmec Type VI, X, XI and XIII were not found in any isolate. It was determined that four of the MRSA isolates (3.4%) carried the PVL gene that two (50%) of these were found in SCCmec Type VIII.
CONCLUSION
Monitoring of FOX resistance is an effective and safe method for determination of MRSA isolates. The change in the mec gene causes resistance, which should be monitored regularly with molecular methods. Our study is the first study in Turkey.
PubMed: 38876184
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmmb.2024.100649 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2024Spondylitis caused by infection is a rare but challenging condition, and its successful management depends on timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment. This study...
BACKGROUND
Spondylitis caused by infection is a rare but challenging condition, and its successful management depends on timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment. This study reports two typical cases of thoracic and lumbar brucellosis spondylitis, highlighting the pivotal roles of real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) detection and surgical intervention.
CASE PRESENTATION
Case 1 involved a 49-year-old male shepherd who presented with a 6-month history of fever (40°C), severe chest and back pain, and 2-week limited lower limb movement with night-time exacerbation. Physical examination revealed tenderness and percussion pain over the T9 and T10 spinous processes, with grade 2 muscle strength in the lower limbs. CT showed bone destruction of the T9 and T10 vertebrae with narrowing of the intervertebral space, whereas MRI demonstrated abnormal signals in the T9-T10 vertebrae, a spinal canal abscess, and spinal cord compression. The Rose Bengal plate agglutination test was positive. Case 2 was a 59-year-old man who complained of severe thoracolumbar back pain with fever (39.0°C) and limited walking for 2 months. He had a 2.5 kg weight loss and a history of close contact with sheep. The Rose Bengal test was positive, and the MRI showed inflammatory changes in the L1 and L2 vertebrae. Diagnosis and treatment: real-time PCR confirmed infection in both cases. Preoperative antimicrobial therapy with doxycycline, rifampicin, and ceftazidime-sulbactam was administered for at least 2 weeks. Surgical management involved intervertebral foraminotomy-assisted debridement, decompression, internal fixation, and bone grafting under general anesthesia. Postoperative histopathological examination with HE and Gram staining further substantiated the diagnosis. Outcomes: both patients experienced significant pain relief and restored normal lower limb movement at the last follow-up (4-12 weeks) after the intervention.
CONCLUSION
Real-time PCR detection offers valuable diagnostic insights for suspected cases of brucellosis spondylitis. Surgical treatment helps in infection control, decompression of the spinal cord, and restoration of stability, constituting a necessary and effective therapeutic approach. Prompt diagnosis and comprehensive management are crucial for favorable outcomes in such cases.
Topics: Humans; Male; Brucellosis; Middle Aged; Spondylitis; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Lumbar Vertebrae; Thoracic Vertebrae; Brucella; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Magnetic Resonance Imaging
PubMed: 38841672
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1396152