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Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases Jan 2024Published data on tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in camels worldwide have been collected to provide an overview of the global prevalence and species diversity of camelid... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Published data on tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in camels worldwide have been collected to provide an overview of the global prevalence and species diversity of camelid TBPs. Several TBPs have been detected in dromedary camels, raising concerns regarding their role as natural or maintenance hosts for tick-borne pathogens. Insubstantial evidence exists regarding the natural infection of camels with Babesia spp., Theileria spp., Anaplasma spp., and Ehrlichia spp., particularly because most of the camels were considered healthy at the time of sampling. Based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, a pooled prevalence of 35.3% (95% CI: 22.6-48.1%) was estimated for Anaplasma, which was the most frequently tested TBP in dromedaries, and DNA of Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma centrale, Anaplasma ovis, Anaplasma platys, and A. platys-like were isolated, of which ruminants and dogs are reservoirs. Similarly, the estimated pooled prevalence for the two piroplasmid genera; Babesia and Theileria was approximately equal (10-12%) regardless of the detection method (microscopy or PCR testing). Nevertheless, Babesia caballi, Theileria equi, and Theileria annulata DNA have frequently been detected in camels but they have not yet been proven to be natural hosts. Scarce data detected Babesia microti, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) DNA in blood of dromedaries, although ticks of the genus Ixodes are distributed in limited areas where dromedaries are raised. Interestingly, a pooled seroprevalence of 47.7% (26.3-69.2%) was estimated for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, and viral RNA was detected in dromedary blood; however, their contribution to maintain the viral transmission cycles requires further experimental investigation. The substantially low incidence and scarcity of data on Rickettsia and Ehrlichia species could imply that camels were accidentally infected. In contrast, camels may play a role in the spread of Coxiella burnetii, which is primarily transmitted through the inhalation of aerosols emitted by diseased animals and contaminated environments. Bactrian camels showed no symptoms due to the examined TBPs, meanwhile, clinical disease was seen in alpacas infected with A. phagocytophilum. Similar to dromedaries, accidental tick bites may be the cause of TBP DNA found in the blood of Bactrian camels.
Topics: Animals; Dogs; Camelus; Prevalence; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Ehrlichia; Rickettsia; Anaplasma; Babesia; Ixodes; Theileria annulata; DNA; Tick-Borne Diseases; Dog Diseases
PubMed: 37769585
DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102268 -
Viruses Aug 2023Co-infection is an underappreciated phenomenon in contemporary disease ecology despite its ubiquity and importance in nature. Viruses, and other co-infecting agents, can... (Review)
Review
Co-infection is an underappreciated phenomenon in contemporary disease ecology despite its ubiquity and importance in nature. Viruses, and other co-infecting agents, can interact in ways that shape host and agent communities, influence infection dynamics, and drive evolutionary selective pressures. Bats are host to many viruses of zoonotic potential and have drawn increasing attention in their role as wildlife reservoirs for human spillover. However, the role of co-infection in driving viral transmission dynamics within bats is unknown. Here, we systematically review peer-reviewed literature reporting viral co-infections in bats. We show that viral co-infection is common in bats but is often only reported as an incidental finding. Biases identified in our study database related to virus and host species were pre-existing in virus studies of bats generally. Studies largely speculated on the role co-infection plays in viral recombination and few investigated potential drivers or impacts of co-infection. Our results demonstrate that current knowledge of co-infection in bats is an ad hoc by-product of viral discovery efforts, and that future targeted co-infection studies will improve our understanding of the role it plays. Adding to the broader context of co-infection studies in other wildlife species, we anticipate our review will inform future co-infection study design and reporting in bats. Consideration of detection strategy, including potential viral targets, and appropriate analysis methodology will provide more robust results and facilitate further investigation of the role of viral co-infection in bat reservoirs.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Wild; Biological Evolution; Chiroptera; Coinfection; Virus Diseases
PubMed: 37766267
DOI: 10.3390/v15091860 -
Pediatric Reports Sep 2023Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) can cause a severe human syndrome characterized by meningo-myeloencephalitis. The actual epidemiology of BoDV-1 remains disputed, and our... (Review)
Review
Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) can cause a severe human syndrome characterized by meningo-myeloencephalitis. The actual epidemiology of BoDV-1 remains disputed, and our study summarized prevalence data among children and adolescents (<18-year-old). Through systematic research on three databases (PubMed, EMBASE, MedRxiv), all studies, including seroprevalence rates for BoDV-1 antigens and specific antibodies, were retrieved, and their results were summarized. We identified a total of six studies for a total of 2692 subjects aged less than 18 years (351 subjects sampled for BoDV-1 antibodies and 2557 for antigens). A pooled seroprevalence of 6.09% (95% Confidence Interval [95% CI] 2.14 to 16.17) was eventually calculated for BoDV-1 targeting antibodies and 0.76% (95% CI 0.26 to 2.19) for BoDV-1 antigens. Both estimates were affected by substantial heterogeneity. Seroprevalence rates for BoDV-1 in children and adolescents suggested that a substantial circulation of the pathogen does occur, and as infants and adolescents have relatively scarce opportunities for being exposed to hosts and animal reservoirs, the potential role of unknown vectors cannot be ruled out.
PubMed: 37755407
DOI: 10.3390/pediatric15030047 -
Environmental Science & Technology Sep 2023The epidemic of coronaviruses has posed significant public health concerns in the last two decades. An effective disinfection scheme is critical to preventing ambient...
The epidemic of coronaviruses has posed significant public health concerns in the last two decades. An effective disinfection scheme is critical to preventing ambient virus infections and controlling the spread of further outbreaks. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation has been a widely used approach to inactivating pathogenic viruses. However, no viable framework or model can accurately predict the UV inactivation of coronaviruses in aqueous solutions or on environmental surfaces, where viruses are commonly found and spread in public places. By conducting a systematic literature review to collect data covering a wide range of UV wavelengths and various subtypes of coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2), we developed machine learning models for predicting the UV inactivation effects of coronaviruses in aqueous solutions and on environmental surfaces, for which the optimal test performance was obtained with R = 0.927, RMSE = 0.565 and R = 0.888, RMSE = 0.439, respectively. Besides, the required UV doses at different wavelengths to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 to 1 Log TCID/mL titer from different initial titers were predicted for inactivation in protein-free water, saliva on the environmental surface, or the N95 respirator. Our models are instructive for eliminating the ongoing pandemic and controlling the spread of an emerging and unknown coronavirus outbreak.
Topics: Humans; Pandemics; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Disease Outbreaks; Machine Learning
PubMed: 37660353
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03707 -
Microorganisms Jul 2023Control and treatment programs (CDTI) have been set up nationally in all endemic countries to overcome the impact of onchocerciasis on the affected populations. However,... (Review)
Review
Control and treatment programs (CDTI) have been set up nationally in all endemic countries to overcome the impact of onchocerciasis on the affected populations. However, Gabon must still succeed in setting up real onchocerciasis control programs. Here, various database articles have been used to provide the scientific community with a summary document showing the mapping of this disease in Gabon. The articles dealing with onchocerciasis, animal reservoirs, surveillance, and elimination were analyzed. Results showed that little research has been performed. Most studies are concentrated in one region (The area of Lastourville). In addition, we observed that the distribution of the disease varies significantly across the country. Indeed, specific environments present a hyper-endemicity of the disease, while others are meso and hypo-endemic. So, we found some departments with a prevalence ranging from 0% to over 20%; within them, villages had infection levels comprising 10% to 60%, indicating potential hotspots. Vectors activities were studied in some areas. This paper showed the challenges encountered in the country to eliminate this disease. One solution is a deeper understanding of the disease's bioecology to establish effective health policies to eliminate onchocerciasis in Gabon effectively.
PubMed: 37630506
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11081946 -
The Lancet. Global Health Sep 2023The epidemiology of human papillomavirus (HPV) in women has been well documented. Less is known about the epidemiology of HPV in men. We aim to provide updated global... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
The epidemiology of human papillomavirus (HPV) in women has been well documented. Less is known about the epidemiology of HPV in men. We aim to provide updated global and regional pooled overall, type-specific, and age-specific prevalence estimates of genital HPV infection in men.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the prevalence of genital HPV infection in the general male population. We searched Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, and the Global Index Medicus for studies published between Jan 1, 1995, and June 1, 2022. Inclusion criteria were population-based surveys in men aged 15 years or older or HPV prevalence studies with a sample size of at least 50 men with no HPV-related pathology or known risk factors for HPV infection that collected samples from anogenital sites and used PCR or hybrid capture 2 techniques for HPV DNA detection. Exclusion criteria were studies conducted among populations at increased risk of HPV infection, exclusively conducted among circumcised men, and based on urine or semen samples. We screened identified reports and extracted summary-level data from those that were eligible. Data were extracted by two researchers independently and reviewed by a third, and discrepancies were resolved by consensus. We extracted only data on mucosal α-genus HPVs. Global and regional age-specific prevalences for any HPV, high-risk (HR)-HPV, and individual HPV types were estimated using random-effects models for meta-analysis and grouped by UN Sustainable Development Goals geographical classification.
FINDINGS
We identified 5685 publications from database searches, of which 65 studies (comprising 44 769 men) were included from 35 countries. The global pooled prevalence was 31% (95% CI 27-35) for any HPV and 21% (18-24) for HR-HPV. HPV-16 was the most prevalent HPV genotype (5%, 95% CI 4-7) followed by HPV-6 (4%, 3-5). HPV prevalence was high in young adults, reaching a maximum between the ages of 25 years and 29 years, and stabilised or slightly decreased thereafter. Pooled prevalence estimates were similar for the UN Sustainable Development Goal geographical regions of Europe and Northern America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Australia and New Zealand (Oceania). The estimates for Eastern and South-Eastern Asia were half that of the other regions.
INTERPRETATION
Almost one in three men worldwide are infected with at least one genital HPV type and around one in five men are infected with one or more HR-HPV types. Our findings show that HPV prevalence is high in men over the age of 15 years and support that sexually active men, regardless of age, are an important reservoir of HPV genital infection. These estimates emphasise the importance of incorporating men in comprehensive HPV prevention strategies to reduce HPV-related morbidity and mortality in men and ultimately achieve elimination of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases.
FUNDING
Instituto de Salud Carlos III, European Regional Development Fund, Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Department of Business and Knowledge of the Government of Catalonia, and Horizon 2020.
TRANSLATIONS
For the Spanish and French translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.
Topics: Young Adult; Humans; Female; Male; Adult; Human Papillomavirus Viruses; Papillomavirus Infections; Prevalence; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Papillomaviridae
PubMed: 37591583
DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00305-4 -
Cancers Jul 2023Globally, prostate cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death among men, and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer has a high cancer-related... (Review)
Review
Globally, prostate cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death among men, and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer has a high cancer-related mortality rate. However, the aetiology of this disease is not yet fully understood. While human papillomavirus (HPV) has been associated with several types of cancer, including cervical, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers, studies investigating the relationship between HPV and prostate cancer have shown mixed results. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the causative association between HPV and prostate cancer using Bradford Hill's criteria. A comprehensive search of PubMed was conducted, and 60 out of 482 studies were included in the review. The included studies were evaluated based on nine Bradford Hill criteria, and information on the identification and transmission of the virus and potential oncogenic mechanisms was also extracted. The strength of association criterion was not met, and other criteria, such as consistency and coherence, were not fulfilled. However, biological plausibility was supported, and potential oncogenic mechanisms were identified. While some studies have reported the presence of HPV in prostate cancer tissues, the overall quality of evidence remains low, and the association between HPV and prostate cancer is weak. Nevertheless, the prostate is a potential reservoir for the transmission of HPV, and the HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins and inflammation are likely to be involved in any oncogenic mechanisms. Further studies with a higher level of evidence are needed to establish a definitive link between HPV and prostate cancer.
PubMed: 37568712
DOI: 10.3390/cancers15153897 -
One Health (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Dec 2023There is an urgent need for biosurveillance of unregulated African meat imports at border points of entry in destination markets. This is underscored by recent pandemics... (Review)
Review
There is an urgent need for biosurveillance of unregulated African meat imports at border points of entry in destination markets. This is underscored by recent pandemics linked to exotic wildlife products. Our objective was to catalog the quantity of meat that is informally transported from Africa into and through Europe often without any veterinary or sanitary checks. We searched and included peer-reviewed studies that contained data on the intercontinental movement of unregulated meat from the African continent. This was followed by an investigation of the reported contamination of such meat. We included fifteen airport studies with limited data on this topic. The references included in this review describe the quantity of meat found at border inspection posts and the presence of pathogens. Disease-causing pathogens were found to be present, and the results are organized into bacteria, virus, and parasite categories. The species of animal meat found in this review were linked to CITES-protected species some of which are known reservoir hosts for infectious diseases. This represents a potential and unquantified human health risk to populations along the supply chain, and a loss to biodiversity in supply countries. Meat samples described in this review were primarily found opportunistically by Customs officials, indicating that any estimate of the total quantities passing undetected through border checkpoints must remain tentative, and cannot rule out the possibility that it is indeed considerably higher. We propose a template for future studies regarding African meat imports at border points of entry. The result of this review illustrates a gap in knowledge and lacunae regarding the amount of unregulated African meat imports worldwide, the pathogens it may contain, and the resulting biodiversity loss that occurs from the intercontinental movement of this meat.
PubMed: 37545542
DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100599 -
Tropical Medicine & International... Sep 2023To analyse acute Chagas disease (CD) outbreaks through a qualitative systematic review and discuss the determinants for its prevention and control.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse acute Chagas disease (CD) outbreaks through a qualitative systematic review and discuss the determinants for its prevention and control.
METHODS
Review of studies in which clinical cases of oral transmission were confirmed by parasitological and/or serological tests that included an epidemiological investigation of sources of infection, vectors and reservoirs.
RESULTS
Thirty-two outbreaks (1965-2022) were analysed. The main foods involved in oral transmission outbreaks are homemade fruit juices. Different species of vectors were identified. Reservoirs were mainly dogs, rodents and large American opossums (didelphids).
CONCLUSION
Under a One Health approach, environmental changes are one of the factors responsible of the rise of oral transmission of CD. Entomological surveillance of vectors and control of the changes in wild and domestic reservoirs and reinforcement of hygiene measures around food in domestic and commercial sites are needed.
Topics: Animals; Dogs; Chagas Disease; Disease Reservoirs; Genotype; One Health; Opossums; Trypanosoma cruzi
PubMed: 37488635
DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13915 -
Parasites & Vectors Jul 2023Eucoleus aerophilus (syn. Capillaria aerophila) is a nematode with a worldwide geographical distribution. It causes a disease called lung capillariosis by affecting the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Eucoleus aerophilus (syn. Capillaria aerophila) is a nematode with a worldwide geographical distribution. It causes a disease called lung capillariosis by affecting the respiratory tract of wild and domestic animals, and has also occasionally been described in humans. Despite steady increases in knowledge of the morphology of this neglected parasite, many aspects are still poorly understood. Epidemiological data regarding, for example, geographic distribution, range of hosts, clinical relevance and the actual zoonotic potential of this nematode are scarce and incomplete.
METHODS
This article is a systematic review based on the screening of three databases (PubMed, Web of Science and Science Direct) to identify eligible studies published from 1973 to the end of 2022.
RESULTS
From a total of 606 studies describing the occurrence of E. aerophilus, 141 articles from 38 countries worldwide were included in this meta-analysis, all of which presented results obtained mainly with flotation and necropsy. Due to the occurrence of E. aerophilus in many different species and different matrices (lungs and faeces), we decided to conduct the meta-analysis separately for each species with a given matrix. This systematic review confirmed the status of the Red fox as the main reservoir and main transmitter of E. aerophilus (average prevalence of 43% in faeces and 49% in lungs) and provided evidence of a higher prevalence of E. aerophilus in wild animals in comparison to domestic animals, such as dogs (3% in faeces) and cats (2% in faeces and 8% in lungs). Previous studies have investigated many host-related factors (age, sex, environmental/living conditions) in relation to the prevalence of E. aerophilus, but they show wide variations and no simple relationship has been demonstrates. Furthermore, mixed infections with other pulmonary nematodes, such as Crenosoma vulpis and/or Angiostrongylus vasorum, are reported very frequently, which greatly complicates the diagnosis.
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic review focused on identifying data gaps and promoting future research directions in this area. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review that evaluates and summarizes existing knowledge on the occurrence and prevalence of E. aerophilus in wild and domestic animals originating from different geographical locations worldwide.
Topics: Animals; Dogs; Cats; Humans; Nematode Infections; Animals, Domestic; Animals, Wild; Lung; Metastrongyloidea; Foxes
PubMed: 37475031
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05830-0