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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 -
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 -
The Journal of Clinical Investigation Jun 2024Despite effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), persons living with HIV (PWH) harbor reservoirs of persistently infected CD4+ cells, which constitute a barrier to cure....
Despite effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), persons living with HIV (PWH) harbor reservoirs of persistently infected CD4+ cells, which constitute a barrier to cure. Initiation of ART during acute infection reduces the size of the HIV reservoir, and we hypothesized that in addition, it would favor integration of proviruses in HIV-specific CD4+ T cells, while initiation of ART during chronic HIV infection would favor relatively more proviruses in herpesvirus-specific cells. We further hypothesized that proviruses in acute-ART-initiators would be integrated into antiviral genes, whereas integration sites in chronic-ART-initiators would favor genes associated with cell proliferation and exhaustion. We found the HIV DNA distribution across HIV-specific vs. herpesvirus-specific CD4+ T cells was as hypothesized. HIV integration sites (IS) in acute-ART-initiators were significantly enriched in gene sets controlling lipid metabolism and HIF-1α-mediated hypoxia, both metabolic pathways active in early HIV infection. Persistence of these infected cells during prolonged ART suggests a survival advantage. IS in chronic-ART-initiators were enriched in a gene set controlling EZH2 histone methylation; and methylation has been associated with diminished LTR transcription. These differences we found in antigen specificities and IS distributions within HIV-infected cells might be leveraged in designing cure strategies tailored to the timing of ART initiation.
PubMed: 38833307
DOI: 10.1172/JCI159569 -
Journal of Virology Jun 2024Porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV), a neurotropic betacoronavirus, is prevalent in natural reservoir pigs and infects mice. This raises concerns...
Porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV), a neurotropic betacoronavirus, is prevalent in natural reservoir pigs and infects mice. This raises concerns about host jumping or spillover, but little is known about the cause of occurrence. Here, we revealed that dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) is a candidate binding target of PHEV spikes and works as a broad barrier to overcome. Investigations of the host breadth of PHEV confirmed that cells derived from pigs and mice are permissive to virus propagation. Both porcine DPP4 and murine DPP4 have high affinity for the viral spike receptor-binding domain (RBD), independent of their catalytic activity. Loss of DPP4 expression results in limited PHEV infection. Structurally, PHEV spike protein binds to the outer surface of blades IV and V of the DPP4 β-propeller domain, and the DPP4 residues N229 and N321 (relative to human DPP4 numbering) participate in RBD binding via its linked carbohydrate entities. Removal of these -glycosylations profoundly enhanced the RBD-DPP4 interaction and viral invasion, suggesting they act as shielding in PHEV infection. Furthermore, we found that glycosylation, rather than structural differences or surface charges, is more responsible for DPP4 recognition and species barrier formation. Overall, our findings shed light on virus-receptor interactions and highlight that PHEV tolerance to DPP4 orthologs is a putative determinant of its cross-species transmission or host range expansion.IMPORTANCEPHEV is a neurotropic betacoronavirus that is circulating worldwide and has raised veterinary and economic concerns. In addition to being a reservoir species of pigs, PHEV can also infect wild-type mice, suggesting a "host jump" event. Understanding cross-species transmission is crucial for disease prevention and control but remains to be addressed. Herein, we show that the multifunctional receptor DPP4 plays a pivotal role in the host tropism of PHEV and identifies the conserved glycosylation sites in DPP4 responsible for this restriction. These findings highlight that the ability of PHEV to utilize DPP4 orthologs potentially affects its natural host expansion.
PubMed: 38829136
DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00753-24 -
Le Infezioni in Medicina 2024Plague raged in Europe for over 1400 years and was responsible for three major pandemics. Today, plague still poses a serious threat to global public health and...
Plague raged in Europe for over 1400 years and was responsible for three major pandemics. Today, plague still poses a serious threat to global public health and surveillance is imperative. Plague is still present in natural reservoirs on several continents, including Africa, Asia and the Americas, and sometimes causes local cases and epidemics. The Third Plague Pandemic caused millions of deaths worldwide, including in Europe. Plague arrived in Europe in the autumn of 1896 mostly through maritime trade routes, where it spread with several epidemic events until 1945, when, in the port city of Taranto, the last known outbreak was recorded. In this paper, we present an overview of the natural history and pathogenicity of , the bacterium responsible for plague, its spread from Asia to Europe during the Third Pandemic, and the therapies used to treat and prevent the disease in Europe, with particular focus on the case of Taranto. In Taranto, the Pasteur Institute's antiserum antimicrobial therapy, and vaccination were used to treat and stop the advance of the bacterium, with mixed results.
PubMed: 38827832
DOI: 10.53854/liim-3202-14 -
Le Infezioni in Medicina 2024Dengue is a vector-borne disease, especially important in tropical and subtropical areas. The first presentation of many arboviral diseases occurred mainly in animals,... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Dengue is a vector-borne disease, especially important in tropical and subtropical areas. The first presentation of many arboviral diseases occurred mainly in animals, including multiple and , such as dengue.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the serological and molecular frequency of the dengue virus in animals.
METHODS
A systematic literature review was carried out in five databases for the proportion of animals infected with dengue, defined by molecular and serological tests. A meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model to calculate the pooled prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Cochran?s Q test and the I2 statistic were used to assess the heterogeneity between the two studies.
RESULTS
The presence of dengue in bats, primates, birds, sheep, horses, cattle, pigs, rodents and buffaloes, according to serological methods, had a prevalence of 10%, 29%, 8%, 1%, 11%, 0%, 49%, 2%, 7%, respectively. According to molecular methods, the presence of dengue in bats had a seroprevalence of 6.0%.
CONCLUSION
The present study confirms the presence of the Dengue virus in a large group of animal species, with potential implications as possible reservoirs of this virus, raising the possibility of zoonotic transmission.
PubMed: 38827825
DOI: 10.53854/liim-3202-7 -
Journal of Dairy Science May 2024Bovine digital dermatitis remains a widespread endemic disease of dairy cattle worldwide. Footbathing is commonly used as a control measure and has significant economic...
A survey of foot disinfection practices for control of bovine digital dermatitis; evaluating solution depth, footbath hygiene, and the potential of footbaths as infection reservoirs for Treponema species.
Bovine digital dermatitis remains a widespread endemic disease of dairy cattle worldwide. Footbathing is commonly used as a control measure and has significant economic and environmental impact. There are few studies documenting footbathing practices on dairy farms, or evaluating their suitability for achieving foot disinfection. This study describes footbathing practices on 32 farms observed in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands. We measured solution depth throughout footbathing and observed levels below 7cm on 9/32 farms, which leads to inadequate foot coverage. Solution depth was associated with the number of cow passages, decreasing by 1.2cm for every 100 cow passages. We also describe levels of organic matter content (g/L) throughout footbathing as a proxy for footbath hygiene. Our data indicates that almost half of footbaths (15/32) became contaminated above the 20g/L threshold to which veterinary biocides are tested for efficacy, and that organic matter content is associated with the number of cow passages per liter of footbathing solution provided. A multivariable mixed model predicted that one liter of footbathing solution per cow should be sufficient to prevent excess contamination. As a further measure of hygiene, we tested a subset of footbath samples to quantify the amount of DNA present from the Treponema species which are considered instrumental in the etiology of digital dermatitis. We did not detect Treponema DNA in footbath samples, suggesting they are unlikely to act as infection reservoirs for this disease. Multivariable mixed models including farm identity as a random effect demonstrated that for both change in solution depth and organic matter content the effect of farm-level factors was large. Because of the magnitude of this farm effect, applying model predictions will not translate to adequate solution depth and hygiene on all farms. Our data highlights the importance of footbath auditing on individual farms.
PubMed: 38825105
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-24108