scholarly journals A Host-Specific Blocking Primer Combined with Optimal DNA Extraction Improves the Detection Capability of a Metabarcoding Protocol for Canine Vector-Borne Bacteria

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 258
Author(s):  
Lucas G. Huggins ◽  
Anson V. Koehler ◽  
Bettina Schunack ◽  
Tawin Inpankaew ◽  
Rebecca J. Traub
Keyword(s):  
Dna Extraction ◽  
Cross Reactivity ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Zoonotic Risk ◽  
Blocking Primer ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Mitochondrial Sequences ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
The Tropics

Bacterial canine vector-borne diseases are responsible for some of the most life-threatening conditions of dogs in the tropics and are typically poorly researched with some presenting a zoonotic risk to cohabiting people. Next-generation sequencing based methodologies have been demonstrated to accurately characterise a diverse range of vector-borne bacteria in dogs, whilst also proving to be more sensitive than conventional PCR techniques. We report two improvements to a previously developed metabarcoding tool that increased the sensitivity and diversity of vector-borne bacteria detected from canine blood. Firstly, we developed and tested a canine-specific blocking primer that prevents cross-reactivity of bacterial primer amplification on abundant canine mitochondrial sequences. Use of our blocking primer increased the number of canine vector-borne infections detected (five more Ehrlichia canis and three more Anaplasma platys infections) and increased the diversity of bacterial sequences found. Secondly, the DNA extraction kit employed can have a significant effect on the bacterial community characterised. Therefore, we compared four different DNA extraction kits finding the Qiagen DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit to be superior for detection of blood-borne bacteria, identifying nine more A. platys, two more E. canis, one more Mycoplasma haemocanis infection and more putative bacterial pathogens than the lowest performing kit.

Impact of ticks and tick-borne diseases on agriculture and human populations in Europe

2005 ◽  
Vol 143 (6) ◽  
pp. 463-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. A. E. SPARAGANO
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Southern Europe ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Tick Borne Disease ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Human Ehrlichiosis

Ticks are considered in Europe to be the most important arthropod group responsible for vector-borne diseases in humans, while in the tropics mosquitoes take over this position with ticks being the second most important. Over the last decade, vector-borne diseases have proliferated within Southern Europe (Blue tongue and West Nile viruses, both mosquito-borne diseases) while human ehrlichiosis (a tick-borne disease) has increased dramatically in Eastern Europe.

Genomics Applications in Public Health

2016 ◽  
pp. 183-202
Author(s):  
E. William Ebomoyi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Participatory Techniques ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Aging Phenomenon

In the transformation of health, through genomics applications in public health, many of the disease burdens which were incriminated for low life expectancies are being scientifically challenged. However, efficient environmental sanitation played a major role in the eradication of hitherto life threatening vector-borne diseases. However, the outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases and chronic and degenerative conditions pose new challenges. Dr. Zerhouni, the former director of the National Institutes of Health meticulously identified the aging phenomenon. Health disparities and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and emerging non-communicable (obesity) as the precursors new health problems which demand innovative strategies. He has suggested, as key of the components of the future paradigm, the four Ps which comprise predictive, personalized, preemptive and, participatory techniques to combat national and international public health challenges. This innovative approached is currently being utilized to preempt the onset of many chronic and degenerative diseases.

Genomics Applications in Public Health

2016 ◽  
pp. 23-42
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Participatory Techniques ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Aging Phenomenon

In the transformation of health, through genomics applications in public health, many of the disease burdens which were incriminated for low life expectancies are being scientifically challenged. However, efficient environmental sanitation played a major role in the eradication of hitherto life threatening vector-borne diseases. However, the outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases and chronic and degenerative conditions pose new challenges. Dr. Zerhouni, the former director of the National Institutes of Health meticulously identified the aging phenomenon. Health disparities and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and emerging non-communicable (obesity) as the precursors new health problems which demand innovative strategies. He has suggested, as key of the components of the future paradigm, the four Ps which comprise predictive, personalized, preemptive and, participatory techniques to combat national and international public health challenges. This innovative approached is currently being utilized to preempt the onset of many chronic and degenerative diseases.

scholarly journals Focus on Common Small Animal Vector-Borne Diseases in Central and Southeastern Europe

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-169
Author(s):  
Leschnik Michael
Keyword(s):  
Small Animal ◽  
Diagnostic Procedures ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Pathogen Transmission ◽  
Temporal And Spatial Distribution ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Prophylactic Measures ◽  
Zoonotic Risk ◽  
Vector Borne

AbstractVector-borne diseases are one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in small animals in Europe. Many of these diseases are well-known among veterinary practitioners and some of them are called emerging diseases as prevalence, temporal and spatial distribution seem to increase in Europe. The number of newly recognized pathogens, transmitted by a variety of arthropod vectors, that are relevant for dogs and cats, is also increasing every year. The prevalence among infected vectors and hosts is a hot topic in veterinary science throughout the entire continent, as well as the development of efficient diagnostic procedures, therapy and prophylactic measures. Companion animal vector-borne diseases comprise a large group of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, protozoa and helminths. These pathogens are mainly transmitted by bloodsucking arthropods (ticks, fleas, mosquitos, sand flies), and more seldom by direct transmission between vertebrate hosts. Vector prevalence and activity is influenced by local climate conditions, host species density, changes in landscape and land use. Human parameters such as poverty and migration affect the use of prophylactic measures against pathogen transmission and infection as well as increasing the zoonotic risk to introducing pathogens by infected humans. Small animal associated factors such as pet trade and pet travel spread infection and certain vectors such as ticks and fleas. All these factors pose several complex and significant challenges for veterinarians in clinical practice to decide on efficient laboratory work-up and constructive diagnostic procedures.

scholarly journals An attempted transinfection of Wolbachia in the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jessica Francis Elizabeth Jane Russell
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Wolbachia Infection ◽  
Wolbachia Strain ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Heat Treated ◽  
Vector Borne

<p>Wolbachia, an intracellular endosymbiont found in up to 60% of arthropods, has been celebrated for its highly varied host-phenotype interactions. These effects are diverse, ranging from reproductive manipulations to obligate mutualisms and facultative symbiosis. These facultative effects include increased resistance to, and reduction in the ability to vector, a number of RNA viruses in insects. Artificial transinfection to mediate human vector-borne diseases such as Dengue fever and Zika virus in Aedes mosquitoes has had considerable success globally. However, using Wolbachia to mediate zoonotic disease directly in threatened species has not been examined. The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) has shown significant global population declines across the US and Europe, suffering from a diverse range of pathogens, including viral RNA and parasite vector networks. Wolbachia infection in honey bees has only been detected once and its effects have not been investigated. Here, I present the first attempted transinfection of Wolbachia in the Western honey bee using established transinfection protocols.  The natural, but rarely found, Wolbachia infection reported in A. mellifera was examined against a robust phylogeny of all existing Wolbachia supergroups, a feat that has not been updated in the literature since 2015. I discovered Wolbachia infection in Ancistrocerus gazella, the European tube wasp, where it has never been observed. I isolated the natural Wolbachia strain hosted by Drosophila melanogaster (wMel ) and more than 1200 individuals from a range of honey bee life stages (from eggs to adults) were used as potential Wolbachia recipients using sound microinjection protocols. Additionally, I present a novel transinfection avenue utilizing artificial insemination and honey bee breeding using Wolbachia-inoculated drone semen.  When no individuals were successfully infected with Wolbachia in F0 or F1, I investigated the expression of several antimicrobial peptides to characterize the immune response in young larvae to Wolbachia microinjection. There was a significant upregulation of apidaecin when injected with live Wolbachia, but not heat-treated bacteria, which has never been reported in host immune response to Wolbachia previously. The findings presented in this study highlight the importance of Wolbachia strain selection, immune response to Wolbachia, and the potential requirement for cell line culture in future transinfection attempts into A. mellifera. These findings will help inform future transinfection attempts, which are encouraged.</p>

scholarly journals Assessing the Role of Climate Change in Malaria Transmission in Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. T. Ngarakana-Gwasira ◽  
C. P. Bhunu ◽  
M. Masocha ◽  
E. Mashonjowa
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Falciparum Malaria ◽  
Malaria Vectors ◽  
Southern Limit ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Malaria Burden ◽  
Important Concern ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
African Highlands ◽  
The Tropics

The sensitivity of vector borne diseases like malaria to climate continues to raise considerable concern over the implications of climate change on future disease dynamics. The problem of malaria vectors shifting from their traditional locations to invade new zones is of important concern. A mathematical model incorporating rainfall and temperature is constructed to study the transmission dynamics of malaria. The reproduction number obtained is applied to gridded temperature and rainfall datasets for baseline climate and future climate with aid of GIS. As a result of climate change, malaria burden is likely to increase in the tropics, the highland regions, and East Africa and along the northern limit of falciparum malaria. Falciparum malaria will spread into the African highlands; however it is likely to die out at the southern limit of the disease.

scholarly journals Canine Leishmaniosis: A Silent Burden in Southeast Asia and Elucidating Existing Knowledge Gap

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Abdul Rani PA
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Tropical Disease ◽  
Neglected Tropical Disease ◽  
Canine Leishmaniosis ◽  
Parasitic Disease ◽  
Southern Europe ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
The Tropics

Canine leishmaniosis is one of the most important canine vector - borne diseases (CVBD) caused by protozoan Leishmania sp . which pose zoonotic threat as some of its species are zoonotic. This parasitic disease is classified as Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) and can be found in parts of the tropics, subtropics and southern Europe. A lot of studies had been carried out across the globe but lack in Southeast Asia, thus its epi zootiology is still poorly understood. This article is meant to create awareness of the existence of this zoonotic disease amongst veterinary personnel, scientific community and readers.

scholarly journals An attempted transinfection of Wolbachia in the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jessica Francis Elizabeth Jane Russell
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Wolbachia Infection ◽  
Wolbachia Strain ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Heat Treated ◽  
Vector Borne

<p>Wolbachia, an intracellular endosymbiont found in up to 60% of arthropods, has been celebrated for its highly varied host-phenotype interactions. These effects are diverse, ranging from reproductive manipulations to obligate mutualisms and facultative symbiosis. These facultative effects include increased resistance to, and reduction in the ability to vector, a number of RNA viruses in insects. Artificial transinfection to mediate human vector-borne diseases such as Dengue fever and Zika virus in Aedes mosquitoes has had considerable success globally. However, using Wolbachia to mediate zoonotic disease directly in threatened species has not been examined. The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) has shown significant global population declines across the US and Europe, suffering from a diverse range of pathogens, including viral RNA and parasite vector networks. Wolbachia infection in honey bees has only been detected once and its effects have not been investigated. Here, I present the first attempted transinfection of Wolbachia in the Western honey bee using established transinfection protocols.  The natural, but rarely found, Wolbachia infection reported in A. mellifera was examined against a robust phylogeny of all existing Wolbachia supergroups, a feat that has not been updated in the literature since 2015. I discovered Wolbachia infection in Ancistrocerus gazella, the European tube wasp, where it has never been observed. I isolated the natural Wolbachia strain hosted by Drosophila melanogaster (wMel ) and more than 1200 individuals from a range of honey bee life stages (from eggs to adults) were used as potential Wolbachia recipients using sound microinjection protocols. Additionally, I present a novel transinfection avenue utilizing artificial insemination and honey bee breeding using Wolbachia-inoculated drone semen.  When no individuals were successfully infected with Wolbachia in F0 or F1, I investigated the expression of several antimicrobial peptides to characterize the immune response in young larvae to Wolbachia microinjection. There was a significant upregulation of apidaecin when injected with live Wolbachia, but not heat-treated bacteria, which has never been reported in host immune response to Wolbachia previously. The findings presented in this study highlight the importance of Wolbachia strain selection, immune response to Wolbachia, and the potential requirement for cell line culture in future transinfection attempts into A. mellifera. These findings will help inform future transinfection attempts, which are encouraged.</p>

scholarly journals Evolution and manipulation of vector host choice

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain Gandon
Keyword(s):  
Choice Behavior ◽  
Host Choice ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Vector Behavior ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Theoretical Results ◽  
Host Choice Behavior

AbstractThe transmission of many animal and plant diseases relies on the behavior of arthropod vectors. In particular, the choice to feed on either infected or uninfected hosts can dramatically affect the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases. I develop an epidemiological model to explore the impact of host choice behavior on the dynamics of these diseases and to examine selection acting on vector behavior, but also on pathogen manipulation of this behavior. This model identifies multiple evolutionary conflicts over the control of this behavior and generates testable predictions under different scenarios. In general, the vector should evolve the ability to avoid infected hosts. However, if the vector behavior is under the control of the pathogen, uninfected vectors should prefer infected hosts while infected vectors should seek uninfected hosts. But some mechanistic constraints on pathogen manipulation ability may alter these predictions. These theoretical results are discussed in the light of observed behavioral patterns obtained on a diverse range of vector-borne diseases. These patterns confirm that several pathogens have evolved conditional behavioral manipulation strategies of their vector species. Other pathogens, however, seem unable to evolve such complex conditional strategies. Contrasting the behavior of infected and uninfected vectors may thus help reveal mechanistic constraints acting on the evolution of the manipulation of vector behavior.

The Spread of Mosquito Borne Disease – Is Climate Change Beginning to Bite?

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 192-194
Author(s):  
John (Luke) Lucas
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Vector Borne

The author considers the threat to vector-borne diseases in the light of climate change.

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