scholarly journals A Sentinel Serological Study in Selected Zoo Animals to Assess Early Detection of West Nile and Usutu Virus Circulation in Slovenia

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 626
Author(s):  
Pavel Kvapil ◽  
Joško Račnik ◽  
Marjan Kastelic ◽  
Eva Bártová ◽  
Miša Korva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Detection ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Zoo Animals ◽  
Corvus Cornix ◽  
Crucial Part

Monitoring infectious diseases is a crucial part of preventive veterinary medicine in zoological collections. This zoo environment contains a great variety of animal species that are in contact with wildlife species as a potential source of infectious diseases. Wild birds may be a source of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu (USUV) virus, which are both emerging pathogens of rising concern. The aim of this study was to use zoo animals as sentinels for the early detection of WNV and USUV in Slovenia. In total, 501 sera from 261 animals of 84 animal species (including birds, rodents, lagomorphs, carnivores, ungulates, reptiles, equids, and primates) collected for 17 years (2002–2018) were tested for antibodies to WNV and USUV. Antibodies to WNV were detected by indirect immunofluorescence tests in 16 (6.1%) of 261 animals representing 10 species, which were sampled prior to the first active cases of WNV described in 2018 in Slovenia in humans, a horse, and a hooded crow (Corvus cornix). Antibodies to USUV were detected in 14 out of 261 animals tested (5.4%) that were positive prior to the first positive cases of USUV infection in common blackbirds (Turdus merula) in Slovenia. The study illustrates the value of zoological collections as a predictor of future emerging diseases.

scholarly journals Detection of Antibodies Against Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus and Other Flaviviruses in a Zoological Collection in Slovenia

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavel Kvapil ◽  
Joško Račnik ◽  
Marjan Kastelic ◽  
Pavlína Pittermannová ◽  
Tatjana Avšič-Zupanc ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Encephalitis Virus ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Tick Borne Encephalitis ◽  
Zoo Animals ◽  
Exotic Animal ◽  
Tick Borne Encephalitis Virus

Monitoring infectious diseases is one of the most important pillars of preventative veterinary medicine in zoological collections. The zoo environment offers a great variety of different animal species living in proximity and in contact with small wild animals and vectors (e.g., ticks and mosquitos). In this context, tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Usutu virus (USUV), and West Nile virus (WNV) causing vector-borne diseases are emerging pathogens that raise concern. The aim of the study was to detect antibodies to selected flaviviruses in various animal species in the Ljubljana Zoo, Slovenia. In total, 874 sera from 96 animal species were tested for antibodies to TBEV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA); positive samples were confirmed by a virus neutralization test (VNT) using TBEV, WNV, and USUV antigens. Antibodies to TBEV were detected by ELISA in 3.9% (34/874) of zoo animals, with 4% (30/753) in mammals and 5% (4/86) in birds; the sera of reptiles (n = 34) and amphibians (n = 1) were negative. Antibodies to TBEV were confirmed by VNT in 11 mammals; one bird was positive for both WNV and USUV. The mixture of exotic animal species and their contact with wild animals and vectors such as ticks and mosquitos suggest that screening of infectious diseases in zoo animals might provide good insight into the epizootological situation of the area. This is the first survey of TBEV, WNV, and USUV in a zoological collection in Slovenia.

scholarly journals Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases: Novel Challenges in Today’s World or More of the Same?

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2382
Author(s):  
João R. Mesquita
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Human Environment

More than 61% of all human pathogens are zoonotic, representing 75% of all emerging pathogens during the past decade. Albeit significant technological leaps in diagnostics development and disease surveillance, zoonotic emerging infectious diseases are evermore a matter of concern, particularly in modern days where global warming keeps providing ideal climatic conditions to the introduction of exotic infectious agents or disease vectors in new territories. Worryingly, the 2019 novel coronavirus epidemic acts as an extreme reminder of the role animal reservoirs play in public health, accounting for over 4,200,000 deaths worldwide until today. In this Special Issue, we approach a myriad of zoonotic infectious diseases and their complex mechanisms. This Special Issue is composed of three reviews on zoonotic diseases of African Lions, hemogregarine classification, and hepatitis E virus in Brazil, followed by one letter and one opinion piece that broadens the spectrum of disease emergence to mechanistic aspects of emerging non-communicable diseases. The Special Issue is completed by six research papers covering a wide array of emerging and re-emerging diseases of poultry, bovine, poultry and tortoises, of various nature such as parasitic, bacterial, and viral. This is a brief but assertive collection that showcases the need to address health at the animal–human–environment interface, in a One Health perspective.

Understanding of Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases (EID and REID)

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 372-380
Author(s):  
Nobuhiko Okabe ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Control Law ◽  
Infectious Disease Control ◽  
Global Issues ◽  
And Control

Infectious diseases are no longer fatal enabling many people to live without anxiety. However, provision to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (EID/REID) are new global issues and every country has been requested to strengthen core capacity for infectious disease early detection and control. In this issue, background and concept of EID/REID, and Japanese efforts including introduction of Infectious Disease Control Law and surveillance system were described.

scholarly journals Concerning the Allocation of Emerging Natural Foci of the Currently Important Infectious Diseases in the West of Kazakhstan

2014 ◽  
pp. 20-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. K. Grazhdanov ◽  
T. Z. Ayazbaev ◽  
A. V. Toporkov ◽  
F. G. Bidashko ◽  
A. V. Zakharov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Epidemiological Surveillance ◽  
West Nile Fever ◽  
The West ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Western Kazakhstan ◽  
Natural Foci

Within the period of 2000-2011, in the West of Kazakhstan, identified have been five, previously unknown in the territory, natural foci of dangerous infectious diseases such as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, Astrakhan spotty fever, Crimean hemorrhagic fever, West Nile fever, and tick-borne viral encephalitis. The reason is that key ecological factors for the persistence of the infections in the local biocoenoses occurred. It is characteristic that circulation of the agents of new infectious diseases is registered in the territory of the long-established natural plague and tularemia foci. Since 2000 and on, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome morbidity is registered in the Western-Kazakhstan Region on a regular basis. There is some evidence to identification of West Nile fever patients in the territory of Russia in 2012, which came from Kazakhstan. Based on the spatial distribution of the natural foci of various infections, Western-Kazakhstan Region has been subdivided into four areas. In order to provide for the effective prophylaxis of emerging diseases, it is essential that healthcare facilities and services dealing with infectious diseases are consolidated and reinforced, and epidemiological surveillance is improved with the current conditions in mind.

scholarly journals Host-Pathogen Adhesion as the Basis of Innovative Diagnostics for Emerging Pathogens

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1259
Author(s):  
Alex van Belkum ◽  
Carina Almeida ◽  
Benjamin Bardiaux ◽  
Sarah V. Barrass ◽  
Sarah J. Butcher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Receptor Binding ◽  
Pathogen Detection ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Emerging Viruses ◽  
Ligand Interaction ◽  
Novel Structure ◽  
Specificity And Sensitivity

Infectious diseases are an existential health threat, potentiated by emerging and re-emerging viruses and increasing bacterial antibiotic resistance. Targeted treatment of infectious diseases requires precision diagnostics, especially in cases where broad-range therapeutics such as antibiotics fail. There is thus an increasing need for new approaches to develop sensitive and specific in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests. Basic science and translational research are needed to identify key microbial molecules as diagnostic targets, to identify relevant host counterparts, and to use this knowledge in developing or improving IVD. In this regard, an overlooked feature is the capacity of pathogens to adhere specifically to host cells and tissues. The molecular entities relevant for pathogen–surface interaction are the so-called adhesins. Adhesins vary from protein compounds to (poly-)saccharides or lipid structures that interact with eukaryotic host cell matrix molecules and receptors. Such interactions co-define the specificity and sensitivity of a diagnostic test. Currently, adhesin-receptor binding is typically used in the pre-analytical phase of IVD tests, focusing on pathogen enrichment. Further exploration of adhesin–ligand interaction, supported by present high-throughput “omics” technologies, might stimulate a new generation of broadly applicable pathogen detection and characterization tools. This review describes recent results of novel structure-defining technologies allowing for detailed molecular analysis of adhesins, their receptors and complexes. Since the host ligands evolve slowly, the corresponding adhesin interaction is under selective pressure to maintain a constant receptor binding domain. IVD should exploit such conserved binding sites and, in particular, use the human ligand to enrich the pathogen. We provide an inventory of methods based on adhesion factors and pathogen attachment mechanisms, which can also be of relevance to currently emerging pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Bending the epidemic curve: advancements and opportunities to reduce the threat of emerging pathogens

2019 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel N. Desai ◽  
Lawrence C. Madoff
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Epidemic Curve

AbstractThis invited editorial introduces a special issue of Epidemiology & Infection while also discussing advances in emerging infectious diseases.

scholarly journals Nutritional and Functional Properties of Colostrum in Puppies and Kittens

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3260
Author(s):  
Luciana Rossi ◽  
Ana Elena Valdez Lumbreras ◽  
Simona Vagni ◽  
Matteo Dell’Anno ◽  
Valentino Bontempo
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Functional Properties ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Glycogen Storage ◽  
Passive Immunity ◽  
Hepatic Glycogen ◽  
Therapeutic Effects

The present review aims toward a better understanding of the nutrition of newborn puppies and kittens. The post-natal period is very sensitive in dogs and cats, as in other animal species. During the first two weeks of life, puppies and kittens are at high risk of dehydration, hypothermia, and hypoglycemia, as well as infectious diseases as they start to acquire the physiological functions of the adult. Neonatal hepatic glycogen storage is low, and newborns depend on colostrum intake to survive. Colostrum provides immunoglobulins and other important substances such as lipids and carbohydrates. Immunoglobulins are central to the immunological link that occurs when the mother transfers passive immunity. The mechanism of transfer varies among mammalian species, but in this review, we focused our attention on dogs and cats. Furthermore, there are components of colostrum which, although their presence is not absolutely necessary, play an important role in nutrition. These components have received considerable interest because of their presumed safety and potential nutritional and therapeutic effects both in humans and animals; however, unfortunately, there are few recent studies in companion animals. Here, we have gathered the published articles that describe studies involving different species of animals, emphasizing companion animals. In particular, the purpose of this narrative of the nutritional and functional proprieties of queens’ and bitches’ colostrum.

Prevalence of Leptospira antibodies in wild boars (Sus scrofa) from Northern Portugal: risk factor analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 143 (10) ◽  
pp. 2126-2130 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. VALE-GONÇALVES ◽  
J. A. CABRAL ◽  
M. C. FARIA ◽  
M. NUNES-PEREIRA ◽  
A. S. FARIA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wild Boar ◽  
Sus Scrofa ◽  
One Health ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Agglutination Test ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Worldwide Distribution ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Northern Portugal ◽  
Antibodies Detection

SUMMARYLeptospirosis is a zoonosis of worldwide distribution, caused by infection with pathogenic spirochaetes of the genus Leptospira. The wild boar (Sus scrofa), an important hunting species in Europe, seems to play a significant role in the epidemiological cycle of leptospirosis. A total of 101 serum samples from wild boar hunted in Northern Portugal were analysed for leptospiral antibodies detection by microscopic agglutination test. Sera were collected during hunting seasons (2011–2013) and tested with 17 different pathogenic serovars of Leptospira. Antibodies against nine serovars were detected in 66 (65·4%) of these sera. Serovars Tarassovi and Altodouro exhibited the highest seroreactivity rates (23·8% and 16·8%, respectively), followed by Autumnalis (7·9%) and Bratislava (6·9%). Age and district of origin were found to be risk factors for the presence of leptospiral antibodies in contrast to gender. From a One Health perspective, this study revealed that wild boar should be considered as a potential source of leptospirosis dissemination for humans and animal species (domestic and wild) in shared environments, particularly in the Trás-os-Montes region.

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