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Emerging Microbes & Infections Dec 2023The zoonotic bacteria, , is becoming the leading cause of canine brucellosis in Europe. In dogs, it causes reproductive problems as well as non-specific lameness or... (Review)
Review
The zoonotic bacteria, , is becoming the leading cause of canine brucellosis in Europe. In dogs, it causes reproductive problems as well as non-specific lameness or discospondilitis. In humans, can be origin of chronic debilitating conditions characteristic to its genus such as undulant fever, splenomegaly, and lymphadenopathy. Although shows some pathogenic characteristics similar to and , it lacks surface O-polysaccharide, like nonzoonotic . This review shows that host- interactions are still poorly understood, with many knowledge and capability gaps, causing relatively poor sensitivity and specificity of existing diagnostic tools. Currently, there is no vaccine for this rough species. Besides, antimicrobial therapy does not guarantee bacterial elimination, and infection relapses are frequently reported, increasing the risks of antibiotic resistance development. has been detected in dogs in almost all European countries which increased human exposure, but currently there is no systematic surveillance. Moreover, caused brucellosis is not included in Animal Health Law, and therefore there is no legal framework to tackle this emerging infectious disease. To map out the diagnostic strategies, identify risks for human infections and propose management scheme for infected pet and kennel dogs, we present current understanding of canine caused brucellosis, outline major knowledge gaps and propose future steps. To address and highlight challenges veterinary and public health services encounter in Europe, we developed two infection scenarios: of a single household pet and of a kennel dog in larger group.
Topics: Animals; Dogs; Humans; Sheep; Brucella canis; Public Health; Dog Diseases; Brucellosis; Europe
PubMed: 37649455
DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2249126 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Dec 2023Nano-based drug delivery systems are increasingly used for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of several diseases, thanks to several beneficial properties, including... (Review)
Review
Nano-based drug delivery systems are increasingly used for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of several diseases, thanks to several beneficial properties, including the ability to target specific cells or organs, allowing to reduce treatment costs and side effects frequently associated with chemotherapeutic medications, thereby improving treatment compliance of patients. In the field of communicable diseases, especially those caused by intracellular bacteria, the delivery of antibiotics targeting specific cells is of critical importance to maximize their treatment efficacy. Brucella melitensis, an intracellular obligate bacterium surviving and replicating inside macrophages is hard to be eradicated, mainly because of the low ability of antibiotics to enter these phagocityc cells . Although different antibiotics regimens including gentamicin, doxycycline and rifampicin are in fact used against the Brucellosis, no efficient treatment has been attained yet, due to the intracellular life of the respective pathogen. Nano-medicines responding to environmental stimuli allow to maximize drug delivery targeting macropages, thereby boosting treatment efficacy. Several drug delivery nano-technologies, including solid lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, chitosan, niosomes, and their combinations with chitosan sodium alginate can be employed in combination of antibiotics to successfully eradicate Brucellosis infection from patients.
Topics: Humans; Chitosan; Brucellosis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Brucella melitensis; Drug Delivery Systems
PubMed: 37979375
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115875 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2023Brucellosis remains an important zoonotic disease in several parts of the world; in Greece, although it is declining, it is still endemic, affecting both the financial...
Brucellosis remains an important zoonotic disease in several parts of the world; in Greece, although it is declining, it is still endemic, affecting both the financial and public health sectors. The current study was undertaken to investigate the presence and distribution of virulence-associated genes among spp. clinical strains isolated during 2001-2022. Species identification was performed using conventional methodology and Bruce-ladder PCR. The presence of the virulence genes N, A, A, A, 19, , and B was investigated using PCR. During the study period, a total of 334 isolates were identified, of which 328 (98.2%) were detected from positive blood cultures; 315 (94.3%) of the isolates were identified as , whilst the remaining 16 (4.8%) and 3 (0.9%) were identified as and , respectively. Notably, two of the were assigned to the REV-1 vaccine strain type. The presence of the 19, A, N and A genes was confirmed in all 315 isolates, while , A, and B genes were detected in all but 9, 2, 1 and 1 of the isolates, respectively. All eight virulence genes were amplified in all and isolates. The detection rate of virulence genes did not differ significantly among species. In conclusion, brucellosis is still considered a prevailing zoonotic disease in Greece, with the majority of the isolates identified as . The eight pathogenicity-associated genes were present in almost all isolates, although the gene was absent from a limited number of isolates.
PubMed: 38003739
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12111274 -
Veterinary Medicine International 2023Despite the implementation of brucellosis eradication programs in Iran, this disease is still endemic and highly prevalent among ruminants in this country. The infection...
Despite the implementation of brucellosis eradication programs in Iran, this disease is still endemic and highly prevalent among ruminants in this country. The infection of small ruminants with may play a significant role in the continuation of brucellosis among the herds of ruminants. This study investigated the proportion of and in 150 samples of sheep and goat's raw milk which were obtained from Lorestan and Hamadan provinces in the western part of Iran using the PCR method. The results revealed that among the spp. positive samples, 26.5% and 73.4% of the samples were infected with and , respectively. The incidence rates of among the sheep and goats samples were 6.8% and 12.5%, respectively. There was a significant difference between goats and sheep regarding the proportion of . Three samples (2%) (2 goats and one sheep) were simultaneously infected with both and . This article renews our knowledge about the causative agent of brucellosis in small ruminants and shows that has a relatively high prevalence among those animals in the western regions of Iran, and its role as one of the main factors of abortion among small ruminants should not be ignored. The information provided in the present study is important for the surveillance program, as eradication programs and strategies to prevent the spread of among small ruminants that have not been vaccinated against this microorganism may be adapted accordingly.
PubMed: 38044961
DOI: 10.1155/2023/6751152 -
PLoS Pathogens Jul 2023Brucellosis is a disease caused by the bacterium Brucella and typically transmitted through contact with infected ruminants. It is one of the most common chronic...
Brucellosis is a disease caused by the bacterium Brucella and typically transmitted through contact with infected ruminants. It is one of the most common chronic zoonotic diseases and of particular interest to public health agencies. Despite its well-known transmission history and characteristic symptoms, we lack a more complete understanding of the evolutionary history of its best-known species-Brucella melitensis. To address this knowledge gap we fortuitously found, sequenced and assembled a high-quality ancient B. melitensis draft genome from the kidney stone of a 14th-century Italian friar. The ancient strain contained fewer core genes than modern B. melitensis isolates, carried a complete complement of virulence genes, and did not contain any indication of significant antimicrobial resistances. The ancient B. melitensis genome fell as a basal sister lineage to a subgroup of B. melitensis strains within the Western Mediterranean phylogenetic group, with a short branch length indicative of its earlier sampling time, along with a similar gene content. By calibrating the molecular clock we suggest that the speciation event between B. melitensis and B. abortus is contemporaneous with the estimated time frame for the domestication of both sheep and goats. These results confirm the existence of the Western Mediterranean clade as a separate group in the 14th CE and suggest that its divergence was due to human and ruminant co-migration.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Sheep; Brucella melitensis; Brucella abortus; Phylogeny; Brucellosis; Zoonoses; Goats
PubMed: 37523413
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011538 -
The Lancet. Microbe Feb 2024Laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) and accidental pathogen escape from laboratory settings (APELS) are major concerns for the community. A risk-based approach for... (Review)
Review
Laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) and accidental pathogen escape from laboratory settings (APELS) are major concerns for the community. A risk-based approach for pathogen research management within a standard biosafety management framework is recommended but is challenging due to reasons such as inconsistency in risk tolerance and perception. Here, we performed a scoping review using publicly available, peer-reviewed journal and media reports of LAIs and instances of APELS between 2000 and 2021. We identified LAIs in 309 individuals in 94 reports for 51 pathogens. Eight fatalities (2·6% of all LAIs) were caused by infection with Neisseria meningitidis (n=3, 37·5%), Yersinia pestis (n=2, 25%), Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (S Typhimurium; n=1, 12·5%), or Ebola virus (n=1, 12·5%) or were due to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (n=1, 12·5%). The top five LAI pathogens were S Typhimurium (n=154, 49·8%), Salmonella enteritidis (n=21, 6·8%), vaccinia virus (n=13, 4·2%), Brucella spp (n=12, 3·9%), and Brucella melitensis (n=11, 3·6%). 16 APELS were reported, including those for Bacillus anthracis, SARS-CoV, and poliovirus (n=3 each, 18·8%); Brucella spp and foot and mouth disease virus (n=2 each, 12·5%); and variola virus, Burkholderia pseudomallei, and influenza virus H5N1 (n=1 each, 6·3%). Continual improvement in LAI and APELS management via their root cause analysis and thorough investigation of such incidents is essential to prevent future occurrences. The results are biased due to the reliance on publicly available information, which emphasises the need for formalised global LAIs and APELS reporting to better understand the frequency of and circumstances surrounding these incidents.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Humans; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; Laboratory Infection; Yersinia pestis; Salmonella enteritidis; Salmonella typhimurium
PubMed: 38101440
DOI: 10.1016/S2666-5247(23)00319-1 -
Microbial Biotechnology Jul 2023Exosomes, membrane vesicles released extracellularly from cells, contain nucleic acids, proteins, lipids and other components, allowing the transfer of material...
Exosomes, membrane vesicles released extracellularly from cells, contain nucleic acids, proteins, lipids and other components, allowing the transfer of material information between cells. Recent studies reported the role of exosomes in pathogenic microbial infection and host immune mechanisms. Brucella-invasive bodies can survive in host cells for a long time and cause chronic infection, which causes tissue damage. Whether exosomes are involved in host anti-Brucella congenital immune responses has not been reported. Here, we extracted and identified exosomes secreted by Brucella melitensis M5 (Exo-M5)-infected macrophages, and performed in vivo and in vitro studies to examine the effects of exosomes carrying antigen on the polarization of macrophages and immune activation. Exo-M5 promoted the polarization of M1 macrophages, which induced the significant secretion of M1 cytokines (tumour necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ) through NF-κB signalling pathways and inhibited the secretion of M2 cytokines (IL-10), thereby inhibiting the intracellular survival of Brucella. Exo-M5 activated innate immunity and promoted the release of IgG2a antibodies that protected mice from Brucella infection and reduced the parasitaemia of Brucella in the spleen. Furthermore, Exo-M5 contained Brucella antigen components, including Omp31 and OmpA. These results demonstrated that exosomes have an important role in immune responses against Brucella, which might help elucidate the mechanisms of host immunity against Brucella infection and aid the search for Brucella biomarkers and the development of new vaccine candidates.
Topics: Brucella melitensis; Macrophages; Exosomes; Animals; Mice; Cell Polarity; Antigens, Bacterial; Brucellosis; Signal Transduction; Intracellular Space; Microbial Viability
PubMed: 37212362
DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14274 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2023Since 2010, the cases and incidences of human brucellosis have been increasing annually in Qinghai (QH) Province. Molecular epidemiology and phylogenetic analyses of...
Since 2010, the cases and incidences of human brucellosis have been increasing annually in Qinghai (QH) Province. Molecular epidemiology and phylogenetic analyses of strains from this region are crucial to better understand the transmission of the disease and the evolutionary patterns of strains. In this study, classical bio-typing assay, multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis, and the whole-genome sequencing-single-nucleotide polymorphism approach were used to illustrate the epidemiological and evolutionary patterns of . A total of 54 bv. 3 strains were isolated and molecularly characterized, with all strains belonging to the East Mediterranean lineages. Cross-regional transmission events (i.e., between counties) were caused by common sources of infection, suggesting that predominant circulating genotypes are endemic in different regions. Strengthening surveillance in animal brucellosis and controlling infected animals' cross-border movement are necessary. Two strains isolated from humans and marmots were clustered in the same sub-clade, implying the possible existence of direct and/or indirect contact between sheep (and goats) and wildlife (marmots), but this needs to be verified by further investigations. The global-scale phylogenetic analysis indicated that 54 strains sorted into six subclades, four of which formed independent lineages, suggesting that the increase in the incidence rate of human brucellosis may be caused by local circulating lineages. Further strengthening the serology and pathogen surveillance of animals (wildlife) and humans will contribute to an in-depth understanding of the transmission chain of human brucellosis in this region.
PubMed: 37799605
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1233686 -
Applied Biosafety : Journal of the... Jun 2023and are zoonoses transmitted from animals and animal products. Scientific information is provided in this article to support biosafety precautions necessary to protect... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
and are zoonoses transmitted from animals and animal products. Scientific information is provided in this article to support biosafety precautions necessary to protect laboratory workers and individuals who are potentially exposed to these pathogens in the workplace or other settings, and gaps in information are also reported. There is a lack of information on the appropriate effective concentration for many chemical disinfectants for this agent. Controversies related to include infectious dose for skin and gastrointestinal infections, proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the slaughter of infected animals, and handling of contaminated materials. is reported to have the highest number of laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) to date in laboratory workers.
METHODS
A literature search was conducted to identify potential gaps in biosafety and focused on five main sections including the route of inoculation/modes of transmission, infectious dose, LAIs, containment releases, and disinfection and decontamination strategies.
RESULTS
Scientific literature currently lacks information on the effective concentration of many chemical disinfectants for this agent and in the variety of matrices where it may be found. Controversies related to include infectious dose for skin and gastrointestinal infections, proper use of PPE during the slaughter of infected animals, and handling contaminated materials.
DISCUSSION
Clarified vulnerabilities based on specific scientific evidence will contribute to the prevention of unwanted and unpredictable infections, improving the biosafety processes and procedures for laboratory staff and other professionals such as veterinarians, individuals associated with the agricultural industry, and those working with susceptible wildlife species.
PubMed: 37342513
DOI: 10.1089/apb.2022.0042