Autochthonous Chagas disease in the southern United States: A case report of suspected residential and military exposures
Summary
Chagas disease is a parasitic infection that can result in a progressive dilated cardiomyopathy. Here, we present the epidemiologic details of a suspected locally acquired transmission case originating from the southern United States. This is the first published report of Chagas disease in a young, healthy United States veteran with repeat triatomine exposures in Arizona. Military personnel and Arizona residents should be aware of their Chagas disease transmission risks. (Source: Zoonoses and Public Health)
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - April 18, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: N. Harris, L. Woc ‐Colburn, S. M. Gunter, R. Gorchakov, K. O. Murray, S. Rossmann, M. N. Garcia Tags: SHORT COMMUNICATION Source Type: research
Identification of Brucella spp. in feral swine (Sus scrofa) at abattoirs in Texas, USA
Summary
Various tissues, nasal swabs, urine and blood samples were collected from 376 feral swine at two federally inspected abattoirs in Texas during six separate sampling periods in 2015. Samples were tested for Brucella spp. by culture and serology. Brucella spp. were cultured from 13.0% of feral swine, and antibodies were detected in 9.8%. Only 32.7% of culture‐positive feral swine were also antibody positive, and 43.2% of antibody‐positive feral swine were culture positive. Approximately, the same number of males (14.0%) and females (12.1%) were culture positive, and slightly more males (10.5%) than females (8.7%)...
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - April 11, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: K. Pedersen, N. E. Bauer, S. Olsen, A. M. Arenas ‐Gamboa, A. C. Henry, T. D. Sibley, T. Gidlewski Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Hepatitis E virus in wild rabbits and European brown hares in Germany
This study provides evidence that European brown hares and wild rabbits from Germany can be infected with HEV. The different prevalences indicate that wild rabbits are a potential reservoir for HEV in Germany, whereas European brown hares seem to be only of minor importance for the epidemiology of HEV. (Source: Zoonoses and Public Health)
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - March 28, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: F. Hammerschmidt, K. Schwaiger, L. D ähnert, A. Vina‐Rodriguez, D. Höper, M. Gareis, M. H. Groschup, M. Eiden Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Novel coronaviruses, astroviruses, adenoviruses and circoviruses in insectivorous bats from northern China
In this study, a total of 145 insectivorous bats representing six species were collected from northern China and screened with degenerate primers for viruses belonging to six families, including coronaviruses, astroviruses, hantaviruses, paramyxoviruses, adenoviruses and circoviruses. Our study found that four of the viruses screened for were positive and the overall detection rates for astroviruses, coronaviruses, adenoviruses and circoviruses in bats were 21.4%, 15.9%, 20% and 37.2%, respectively. In addition, we found that bats in northern China harboured a diversity of novel viruses. Common Serotine (Eptesicus serotinu...
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - March 1, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: H. ‐J. Han, H.‐L. Wen, L. Zhao, J.‐W. Liu, L.‐M. Luo, C.‐M. Zhou, X.‐R. Qin, Y.‐L. Zhu, M.‐M. Liu, R. Qi, W.‐Q. Li, H. Yu, X.‐J. Yu Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Knowledge, perceptions and attitude of a community living around a colony of straw ‐coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) in Ghana after Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa
Summary
A large population of straw‐coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) colonizes a prime area in the city of Accra where several public amenities are located. Although the colony is positive to several zoonotic viruses including the Ebola virus, there is limited information on the social dimensions of the existence of the bats. As a step towards effective response to health risk and conservation of the bats, this study assessed the knowledge and attitude of the community living around the bats and determined their level of environmental and public health consciousness. The community generally lacks interest in bat bush...
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - March 1, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: F. Gbogbo, M. O. Kyei Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Faecal Campylobacter shedding among dogs in animal shelters across Texas
Summary
Epidemiologic studies on faecal Campylobacter shedding among dogs in the United States have been limited, despite evidence that the incidence of human campylobacteriosis has increased over the last decade. Our objectives were to estimate the prevalence of faecal Campylobacter shedding among shelter dogs in Texas, to estimate the specific prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli shedding, and to identify risk factors for Campylobacter‐positive status. Using a cross‐sectional study design, we collected faecal samples from dogs in six animal shelters across Texas between May and December, 2014. Qu...
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - March 1, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: A. M. Leahy, K. J. Cummings, L. D. Rodriguez ‐Rivera, S. A. Hamer, S. D. Lawhon Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
More bark than bite: Comparative studies are needed to determine the importance of canine zoonoses in Aboriginal communities. A critical review of published research
The objective of this review was to identify and critique over forty years of peer‐reviewed literature concerned with the transmission of canine zoonoses to Aboriginal people and determine the zoonotic organisms documented in dogs in Australian Aboriginal communities. A systematic literature search of public health, medical and veterinary databases identified 19 articles suitable for critical appraisal. Thirteen articles documented the occurrence of recognized zoonotic organisms in dogs in Aboriginal communities, including Toxocara canis, Dirofilaria immitis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Rickettsia felis, Sarcoptes scabie...
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - March 1, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: F. Smout, L. Schrieber, R. Speare, L. F. Skerratt Tags: REVIEW ARTICLE Source Type: research
Seroprevalence of Bartonella species, Coxiella burnetii and Toxoplasma gondii among patients with hematological malignancies: A pilot study in Romania
Summary
Patients receiving immunosuppressive cancer treatments in settings where there is a high degree of human–animal interaction may be at increased risk for opportunistic zoonotic infections or reactivation of latent infections. We sought to determine the seroprevalence of selected zoonotic pathogens among patients diagnosed with haematologic malignancies and undergoing chemotherapeutic treatments in Romania, where much of the general population lives and/or works in contact with livestock. A convenience sample of 51 patients with haematologic cancer undergoing chemotherapy at a referral clinic in Cluj‐Napoca, Roma...
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - March 1, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: C. J. Messinger, E. S. Gurzau, E. B. Breitschwerdt, C. I. Tomuleasa, S. J. Trufan, M. M. Flonta, R. G. Maggi, I. B. Neagoe, P. M. Rabinowitz Tags: SHORT COMMUNICATION Source Type: research
Barriers to innovation in human rabies prophylaxis and treatment: A causal analysis of insights from key opinion leaders and literature
This study identifies barriers that were not previously described in this specific context, for example the competition for funding between medical and veterinary approaches. The results stress the existence of barriers beyond the limited return on investment and thereby explain why innovation in human rabies medication is lagging behind NTDs with a lower burden of disease. A re‐orientation on the full spectrum of barriers that hinder innovation in rabies prophylaxis and treatment is necessary to meet unmet societal and medical needs. (Source: Zoonoses and Public Health)
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - February 28, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: L. H. M. Burgwal, A. M. G. Neevel, C. A. C. M. Pittens, A. D. M. E. Osterhaus, C. E. Rupprecht, E. Claassen Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Inferring source attribution from a multiyear multisource data set of Salmonella in Minnesota
Summary
Salmonella enterica is a global health concern because of its widespread association with foodborne illness. Bayesian models have been developed to attribute the burden of human salmonellosis to specific sources with the ultimate objective of prioritizing intervention strategies. Important considerations of source attribution models include the evaluation of the quality of input data, assessment of whether attribution results logically reflect the data trends and identification of patterns within the data that might explain the detailed contribution of different sources to the disease burden. Here, more than 12,000...
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - February 28, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: C. Ahlstrom, P. Muellner, S. E. F. Spencer, S. Hong, A. Saupe, A. Rovira, C. Hedberg, A. Perez, U. Muellner, J. Alvarez Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Rural habitat as risk factor for hepatitis E virus seroconversion in HIV ‐infected patients: A prospective longitudinal study
Summary
Our objective was to determine the incidence and clinical manifestations of acute hepatitis E virus (HEV) in HIV‐infected patients. A prospective longitudinal study including HIV‐infected HEV‐seronegative patients was conducted; HEV seroconversion (to IgG and/or IgM) was the main outcome variable. All patients were tested for HEV antibodies every 3–6 months. For patients who developed HEV seroconversion, a data collection protocol was followed to identify associated clinical manifestations and analytical alterations. A total of 627 patients (89.9%) were followed during a median of 11.96 months (IQR: 8.52...
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - February 25, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: A. Rivero ‐Juarez, F. Cuenca‐Lopez, A. Martinez‐Peinado, A. Camacho, L. M. Real, M. Frias, A. Gordon, S. Cantisán, J. Torre‐Cisneros, J. A. Pineda, A. Rivero Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Pigeons from Public Parks in Costa Rica
In conclusion, the urban inhabiting pigeons tested are currently carrying antimicrobial resistance genes, potentially acting as reservoirs of resistant bacteria and vectors to humans. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study carried out on direct detection of resistance genes in the digestive metagenomes of pigeons. (Source: Zoonoses and Public Health)
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - February 24, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: K. Blanco ‐Peña, F. Esperón, A. M. Torres‐Mejía, A. Torre, E. Cruz, M. Jiménez‐Soto Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
A geographic study of West Nile virus in humans, dead corvids and mosquitoes in Ontario using spatial scan statistics with a survival time application
Summary
Surveillance of West Nile virus (WNv) in Ontario has included passive reporting of human cases and testing of trapped mosquitoes and dead birds found by the public. The dead bird surveillance programme was limited to testing within a public health unit (PHU) until a small number of birds test positive. These dead corvid and mosquito surveillance programmes have not been compared for their ability to provide early warning in geographic areas where human cases occur each year. Spatial scan statistics were applied to time‐to‐event survival data based on first cases of WNv in found dead corvids, mosquitoes and huma...
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - February 21, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: A. L. Thomas ‐Bachli, D. L. Pearl, O. Berke, E. J. Parmley, I. K. Barker Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Prevalence of AmpC ‐ and Extended‐Spectrum β‐Lactamase‐Harbouring Enterobacteriaceae in Faecal Flora of a Healthy Domestic Canine Population
Summary
In order to estimate the prevalence of AmpC‐ and ESBL β‐lactamase‐producing Enterobacteriaceae in the faecal flora of a healthy domestic canine population, faecal samples were obtained from healthy dogs receiving routine parasitology screening at the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center, between January 2013 and April 2013. Samples were screened for the presence of AmpC and ESBL β‐lactamase phenotypes, and the clinically important genotypes, blaCMY and blaCTX‐M, were confirmed via conventional PCR. Minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined for isolates and plasmids were characterized....
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - February 19, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: D. A. Mathys, D. F. Mollenkopf, C. A. Bremer, J. B. Daniels, T. E. Wittum Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Kyasanur forest disease virus breaking the endemic barrier: An investigation into ecological effects on disease emergence and future outlook
Summary
Kyasanur Forest disease (KFD) is found in a limited range of India, but is epidemiologically understudied. The seasonal patterns of KFD are well known; however, the significant concern is on the extent to which changes in epidemiology happen especially under the influence of ecological destructions and by the eventual effects of resulting climate change. Presently, a southward and northward spread of the Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV) along the Western Ghats has been reported in the adjoining states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Maharashtra. In this review, we investigate the cascade of factors that might ha...
Source: Zoonoses and Public Health - February 19, 2017 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: K. Ajesh, B. K. Nagaraja, K. Sreejith Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
