IJID One Health最新文献

Objectives

Wild animals kept in enclosures are exposed to an increased risk of infection with Soil-transmitted Helminth (STH) due to high animal densities and the resulting heavy contamination of the enclosures. As regular fecal examinations are necessary to monitor and maintain health, a rapid test was developed to detect STH in wildlife.

Method

The rapid test consists of two polyclonal antibodies directed against the nematode SUMO-Protein (C- & N-term). For this study, 102 fecal samples from wild boar, fallow deer, red deer and dogs were examined. The fecal samples were defined by using the sedimentation technique and then used to evaluate the developed rapid test.

Results

The sensitivity of the rapid test was 95.38 % with a specificity of 81.08 % and a accuracy of 90.2 %.

Conclusions

At this time, there is no commercial rapid test for the detection of STH. This rapid test can enable fast disease monitoring to make a decision in the field to save animals health. In addition, this rapid tests for the detection of parasites in wildlife can be crucial in the context of One Health to prevent the spread of disease within a system through monitoring, to preserve biodiversity and to improve global health security.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Fungal contamination of formalin-fixed cadavers raises potential health concerns. We aimed to systematically search published literature to explore the fungi that commonly contaminate formalin-fixed cadavers to estimate the size of the problem and all dynamics involved. Our search retrieved 20,273 citations and we retained eight descriptive cross-sectional studies that met our selection criteria, published between 2002 and 2022. The results indicate that, worldwide, there is a significant problem of fungal contamination in formalin-preserved cadavers. The majority of contaminated cadavers were human cadavers and only one citation studied animal cadavers. The formalin concentrations used in the tanks were 5–14 %. Studies mostly used swabs to collect samples and tested them using fungal culture. The fungi isolated included Aspergillus spp, Penicillium spp, Trichophyton spp, Epidermophyton spp, Cryptococcus spp, Candida spp, Fusarium spp., Purpureocellium spp, Chrysonilia spp, Trichoderma spp, Microsporum spp, and Cladosporium spp. The most suspected sources of contamination were air, water, and the bodies. Aspergillus, Trichophyton, and Penicillium species were the most common fungal contaminants isolated. Fungal contamination of cadavers can lead to financial loss and dangerous health outcomes for exposed individuals. The effective concentration of formalin remains unknown. Students/technicians should use personal protective equipment, such as face masks and gloves, while handling cadavers.

Objectives

Tick-borne infections frequently impact the visual system; however, their symptoms are commonly misinterpreted as issues related to functional vision disorders, balance, movement, and cognition. Visual symptoms may include blurred vision, double vision, photosensitivity, perception of distorted space, visual strain, headaches during near vision activities, difficulties with balance, dizziness, reduced ability to bring the eyes together (convergence), inability to maintain focus, and inability to tolerate movement in peripheral vision.

Case report

This case report highlights a patient who presented with learning difficulties and behavioral issues. After a comprehensive neuro-optometric evaluation, specific ocular findings were observed, prompting suspicion of tick-borne disease. Subsequent comprehensive blood work for Lyme and associated diseases confirmed a diagnosis of tick-borne infection.

Conclusion

Early detection and diagnosis of tick-borne infections pose significant challenges. Often referred to as “the great mimicker,” these infections frequently result in misdiagnosis or redirection during the medical pursuit of a definitive diagnosis. Failure to diagnose and treat promptly during the acute phase may lead to chronic neurologic progression of the undiagnosed disease.

Here, we report the investigation, molecular confirmation, and response to the first outbreak of Rift Valley fever (RVF) among humans throughout the country in Rwanda in 2022. RVF is a mosquito-borne zoonotic arbovirus that is mainly prevalent in Africa. However, severely limited information is available about the disease among humans in the country. We confirmed 173 human cases of RVF, including 22 deaths, using molecular tools (polymerase chain reaction). Male patients were three times more frequently infected than females and most of the case were reported from the eastern borders of the country. The high case fatality rate (13 %) suggests delay in the detection and the provision of supportive case management; it could also be attributed to the possibility that the local population is naïve to the virus. This urges the implementation of a transdisciplinary One Health strategy for the preparedness, prevention, surveillance, and control of arboviruses and their vectors to protect humans and animals in the country. To successfully do this, additional evidence is needed to inform policy, national strategy, and guide the implementation of effective intervention. Therefore, we recommend further entomologic studies and genomics analysis to identify the competent vectors and characterize the virus and its dynamics in the region.

Rift valley fever (RVF) is an endemic viral zoonosis in Uganda that causes sporadic outbreaks. In May 2021, a 19-year-old woman from Kasaana Village, Kiruhura District, Western Uganda was diagnosed with RVF. In addition, five case patients identified from the same village were immunoglobulin (Ig) M–seropositive for RVF virus (RVFV), all with a history of contact with livestock. We interviewed farmers in Kasaana Village to find out whether their livestock had recently experienced any sign of RVF (livestock abortions and neonatal mortality). We conducted a veterinary records review at the regional animal diagnostic laboratory and a case search for livestock that had a recent history of abortion or neonatal mortality. Among 162 livestock (94 cattle and 68 goats) from four farms reporting one or more abortions during March-June 2021, 57 (33 cattle and 24 goats) were randomly selected for testing for RVFV using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Verbal reports from farmers and veterinary records review revealed increases in livestock abortions and neonatal mortality during March-May 2021, before the human cases occurred. Serological testing indicated that eight (14%) livestock, including three (9%) cattle and five (21%) goats, were IgM-seropositive for RVFV. The presence of anti-RVFV IgM antibodies in sera suggested current infection in livestock, corroborating livestock abortions within the same period. Hence, human RVFV infections likely resulted from contact with infected animal products. The recurring pattern of livestock abortions observed before human RVFV infections in Uganda indicates a gap in the zoonotic disease surveillance system, through which reports on such events should trigger rapid response to detect disease, control spread among animals, and prevent spillover to humans. An expanded One Health approach on collaboration and information sharing on such events could facilitate RVF risk reduction in humans in Uganda.

Objectives

Whole-genome sequencing has revolutionized the field of infectious disease surveillance, enabling near real-time detection of pathogens and tracking how infections may spread. Our study aimed to characterize genomic applications to cross-domain zoonotic pathogen transmission at the human-animal and/or human-environment interfaces.

Methods

We performed a scoping review of studies that have applied genomic epidemiology to zoonotic disease transmission across One Health domains (human, animal, and environment). We identified 114 records published between 2005 and 2022 which reported multi-domain genomic data of zoonotic pathogens integrated into phylogenetic models.

Results

Most studies investigated bacterial pathogens, highlighting key knowledge gaps for other zoonotic agents, particularly arboviruses. Sampling and sequencing efforts varied greatly across domains: the median number and range of pathogen genomes analyzed were highest for humans (23; 1–29,586) and lowest for the environment domain (13; 1–956). Genomics was used to track zoonotic disease outbreaks and cross-domain transmission, to improve pathogen surveillance, and to disentangle evolutionary dynamics driving lineage diversification and virulence.

Conclusions

Our study highlights current practices and knowledge gaps to guide future study designs and genomic applications to multi-domain and cross-species transmission of zoonoses, with the potential to identify key infection sources and inform interventions for local and global health security.

Rabies, a zoonotic disease caused by lyssaviruses, poses a severe and escalating threat in the Far Western Region of Nepal. The recent outbreak of rabies in the Kailali and Kanchanpur districts of Sudurpaschim province has reached unprecedented levels, with a 92.30 % positivity rate in suspected samples. Within a year, there have been 84 confirmed outbreaks, with 32 in Kailali and 50 in Kanchanpur, highlighting the seriousness of the situation in these districts. This outbreak has also affected various animal species, including pigs, marking the first case in Nepal, and also caused the death of a young boy due to rabies. Given the historically low number of rabies cases in the province, the current situation is highly alarming and necessitates immediate government intervention. The challenges faced include the absence of a comprehensive national rabies control policy, limited resources, and inadequate awareness in rural areas. To effectively address this crisis, urgent action is required, which entails a multidisciplinary approach, collaboration between government and non-governmental organizations, prioritization of rural areas, improvement of health infrastructure, and strengthened surveillance.