| 1. |
- Cronhjort, Samuel, et al.
(författare)
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The Tick-Borne Diseases STING study : Real-time PCR analysis of three emerging tick-borne pathogens in ticks that have bitten humans in different regions of Sweden and the Aland islands, Finland
- 2019
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Ingår i: Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2000-8686 .- 2000-8686. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A milder climate has during the last decade contributed to an increased density and spreading of ixodid ticks, thus enhancing their role as emerging vectors for pathogenic microorganisms in northern Europe. It remains unclear if they contribute to the occurrence of infections caused by the bacteria Bartonella spp., Francisella tularensis subspecies holarctica and the parasite Toxoplasma gondii in Sweden and on the Åland islands, Finland. In this study, we want to improve understanding of the tick-borne transmission of these pathogens. Volunteers were recruited at primary healthcare centers. Ticks and blood samples were acquired from participants recruited in 2008 and 2009. Health questionnaires were completed, and medical records were acquired where applicable. Feeding time was estimated and screening of pathogens in the ticks was performed through real-time PCR. Ticks (n = 1849) were of mixed developmental stages: 76 larvae, 1295 nymphs, 426 adults and 52 undetermined. All analyzed ticks were considered negative for these pathogens since the CT-values were all below the detection limit for Bartonella spp. (1663 ticks), Francisella spp. (1849 ticks) and Toxoplasma gondii (1813 ticks). We assume that infections with these pathogens are caused by other transmission pathways within these regions of Sweden and the Åland islands, Finland.
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| 2. |
- Esson, Carol, et al.
(författare)
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Health and zoonotic Infections of snow leopards Panthera unica in the South Gobi desert of Mongolia.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2000-8686 .- 2000-8686. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Snow leopards, Panthera uncia, are a threatened apex predator, scattered across the mountains of Central and South Asia. Disease threats to wild snow leopards have not been investigated.Methods and Results: Between 2008 and 2015, twenty snow leopards in the South Gobi desert of Mongolia were captured and immobilised for health screening and radio-collaring. Blood samples and external parasites were collected for pathogen analyses using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), microscopic agglutination test (MAT), and next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques. The animals showed no clinical signs of disease, however, serum antibodies to significant zoonotic pathogens were detected. These pathogens included, Coxiella burnetii, (25% prevalence), Leptospira spp., (20%), and Toxoplasma gondii (20%). Ticks collected from snow leopards contained potentially zoonotic bacteria from the genera Bacillus, Bacteroides, Campylobacter, Coxiella, Rickettsia, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus.Conclusions: The zoonotic pathogens identified in this study, in the short-term did not appear to cause illness in the snow leopards, but have caused illness in other wild felids. Therefore, surveillance for pathogens should be implemented to monitor for potential longer- term disease impacts on this snow leopard population.
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| 3. |
- Johansson Wensman, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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Bornaviruses in naturally infected Psittacus erithacus in Portugal: insights of molecular epidemiology and ecology
- 2019
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Ingår i: Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2000-8686. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The genus Orthobornavirus comprises non-segmented, negative-stranded RNA viruses able to infect humans, mammals, reptiles and various birds. Parrot bornavirus 1 to 8(PaBV-1 to 8) causes neurological and/or gastrointestinal syndromes and death on psittacines. We aimed to identify and to produce epidemiologic knowledge about the etiologic agent associated with a death of two female Psittacus erithacus(grey parrot). Methods and Results: Both parrots were submitted for a complete standardised necropsy. Tissue samples were analysed by PCR. The findings in necropsy were compatible with bornavirus infection. Analysis revealed PaBV-4 related with genotypes detected in captive and in wild birds. The N and X proteins of PaBV-4 were more related to avian bornaviruses, while phosphoprotein was more related to variegated squirrel bornavirus 1 (VSBV-1). Within the P gene/phosphoprotein a highly conserved region between and within bornavirus species was found. Conclusions: Portugal is on the routes of the intensive world trade of psittacines. Broad screening studies are required to help understanding the role of wild birds in the emergence and spread of pathogenic bornaviruses. PaBV-4 phosphoprotein is closer to VSBV-1 associated with lethalencephalitis in humans than with some of the avian bornaviruses. The highly conserved P gene/phosphoprotein region is a good target for molecular diagnostics screenings.
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| 4. |
- Johansson Wensman, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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Seroprevalence of Pestivirus in Eurasian tundra reindeer in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Russian Federation.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2000-8686. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reindeer herding is of great importance for the indigenous people of the Fennoscandia peninsula and northern Russia. There are also free-ranging feral populations of reindeer in Finland, Iceland, Norway and Russian Federation. The genus Pestivirus contains several viral species that infect ungulates and often show capacity to transmit between different host species. Sera from 520 Eurasian tundra reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Russian Federation were analysed and the prevalence of pestivirus-specific antibodies was determined. Seropositivity proportion was 48.5% for Sweden and 41.2% for Norway, but only 1.6% forIceland and 2.5% for Finland. All Russian reindeer investigated were seronegative. Pan-pestivirus RT-PCR of seronegative animals (n = 156) from seropositive herds confirmed their negative status. These results indicate unexpectedly non-uniform circulation of an as yet uncharacterised pestivirusin Eurasian reindeer populations. The high seroprevalence in some regions warrants further studies of pestivirus infection dynamics, effects on reindeer health and population dynamics.
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| 5. |
- Kagera, Irene, et al.
(författare)
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Status of aflatoxin contamination in cow milk produced in smallholder dairy farms in urban and peri-urban areas of Nairobi County : a case study of Kasarani sub county, Kenya.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2000-8686 .- 2000-8686. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Milk consumption in Kenya supersedes other countries in East Africa. However, milk contamination with aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is common, but the magnitude of this exposure and the health risks are poorly understood and need to be monitored routinely. This study aimed at assessing the awareness, knowledge and practices of urban and peri-urban farmers about aflatoxins and determining the levels of aflatoxin contamination in on-farm milk in a selected area within Nairobi County. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess aflatoxin contamination levels of milk in Kasarani sub-county. A total of 84 milk samples were collected from small-holder dairy farms and analyzed for AFM1 using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Results and Discussion: Ninety nine percent of the samples (83/84) analysed were contaminated with AFM1. The mean aflatoxin level was 84 ng/kg with 64% of the samples exceeding the EU legal limit of 50 ng/kg. Whereas 80% of the farmers were aware of aflatoxin, there was no correlation between farmers' knowledge and gender with AFM1 prevalence. Conclusion: This study concludes that AFM1 is a frequent contaminant in milk and there is need to enhance farmers awareness on mitigation.
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| 6. |
- Kuboka, Maureen M, et al.
(författare)
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Occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in raw milk traded in peri-urban Nairobi, and the effect of boiling and fermentation.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2000-8686 .- 2000-8686. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Dairy production in Kenya is important and dominated by small-holder farmers who market their produce through small-scale traders in the informal sector. Method: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of aflatoxin (AFM1) in informally marketed milk in peri-urban Nairobi, Kenya, and to assess knowledge of milk traders on aflatoxins using questionnaires. A total of 96 samples were analyzed for AFM1 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, boiling and fermentation experiments were carried out in the laboratory. Results: All samples had AFM1 above the limit of detection (5 ng/kg) (mean of 290.3 ± 663.4 ng/kg). Two-thirds of the samples had AFM1 levels above 50 ng/kg and 7.5% of the samples exceeded 500 ng/kg. Most of the traders had low (69.8%) or medium (30.2%) knowledge. Educated (p = 0.01) and female traders (p= 0.04) were more knowledgeable. Experimentally, fermenting milk to lala (a traditional fermented drink) and yogurt significantly reduced AFM1 levels (p< 0.01) (71.8% reduction in lala after incubation at room temperature for 15 h, and 73.6% reduction in yogurt after incubation at 45ºC for 4h). Boiling had no effect. Conclusion: The study concluded that the prevalence of raw milk with AFM1 was high, while knowledge was low. Fermentation reduced the AFM1 levels.
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| 7. |
- Naguib, Mahmoud M., et al.
(författare)
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Avian influenza viruses at the wild–domestic bird interface in Egypt
- 2019
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Ingår i: Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 2000-8686 .- 2000-8686. ; 9:1, s. 1-9
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wild birds of the orders Anseriformes (mainly ducks, geese and swans) and Charadriiformes (mainly gulls, terns and waders) constitute the natural reservoir for low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses. In Egypt, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 and LPAI H9N2 viruses are endemic in domestic poultry, forming a threat to animal and human health and raising questions about the routes of introduction and mechanisms of persistence. Recently, HPAI H5N8 virus was also introduced into Egyptian domestic birds. Here we review the literature on the role of wild birds in the introduction and endemicity of avian influenza viruses in Egypt. Dabbling ducks in Egypt harbor an extensive LPAI virus diversity and may constitute the route of introduction for HPAI H5N1 and HPAI H5N8 viruses into Egypt through migration, however their role in the endemicity of HPAI H5N1, LPAI H9N2 and potentially other avian influenza virus (AIV) strains–by means of reassortment of viral genes–is less clear. Strengthened surveillance programs, in both domestic and wild birds, that include all LPAI virus subtypes and full genome sequencing are needed to better assess the wild–domestic bird interface and form a basis for evidence-based measures to limit and prevent AIV transmission between wild and domestic birds. © 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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| 8. |
- Nguyen-Tien, Thang, et al.
(författare)
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Urban transmission of mosquito-borne flaviviruses - a review of the risk for humans in Vietnam.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2000-8686 .- 2000-8686. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vietnam is a tropical country where mosquito-borne diseases are common. This review explores the transmission of mosquito-borne flaviviruses in urban areas of Vietnam. It concludes that urban transmission has mainly been studied for Dengue virus, and so far, much less for Japanese encephalitis virus. Dengue is the most common flavivirus in Vietnam. Due to fast urbanization and favorable climatic conditions, the viral transmission concentrates mainly to large cities with high population density including Ha Noi, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh. Human cases of Japanese encephalitis have been controlled by an expanded immunization program. However, this virus is still circulating throughout the country, also in cities due to the pig rearing practices in urban and peri-urban areas. Zika virus is an additional major concern because it has long circulated in the Northern area and is now increasingly diagnosed in urban areas of the Central, Central Highlands and Southern regions using the same mosquito vectors as Dengue virus. There was alarge outbreak of Zika disease from 2016 to early 2017, with most infections observed in Ho Chi Minh city, the largest town in Vietnam. Other flaviviruses circulate in Vietnam but have not been investigated in terms of urban transmission.
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| 9. |
- Shome, Rajeswari, et al.
(författare)
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Seroprevalence of hemorrhagic septicemia in dairy cows in Assam, India.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2000-8686 .- 2000-8686. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hemorrhagic septicemia (HS) is a highly fatal disease caused by Pasteurella multocida that often cause outbreaks in buffalo and cattle in India, and thus is a major cause of production losses. It is one of the livestock diseases with the highest mortality, and despite available vaccines, outbreaks still occur. To assess the seroprevalence in the state of Assam, Northeast India, 346 serum samples from cows from 224 randomly selected households, from both urban and rural areas of three districts, were tested with a commercial ELISA. In total 88 cows were seropositive (25.4%), and indigenous cattle were significantly more seropositive (33.5%) compared to the crossbred cattle (18.5%) (p = 0.002). Herd prevalence was 35.7%, and more rural farms (47.4%) were positive compared to the urban farms (23.6%) (p < 0.001). No other risk factors were identified in this study. Only one farm had vaccinated against HS, but there were no seropositive animals detected in that herd. This study shows that HS is highly prevalent in Assam. Considering the importance of dairy production in India, and the dependence of the rural Assam population on farming and livestock keeping, more extensive vaccination campaigns would be important.
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| 10. |
- Söderlund, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Prevalence and genomic characteristics of zoonotic gastro-intestinal pathogens and ESBL/pAmpC producing Enterobacteriaceae among Swedish corvid birds
- 2019
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Ingår i: Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2000-8686 .- 2000-8686. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Wild birds pose a potential threat to animal and human health by spreading infectious diseases. In the present study, we studied the occurrence of bacterial zoonotic pathogens as well as enterobacteria with transferrable antimicrobial resistance genes among Swedish corvids.Materials and methods: Intestines from 66 jackdaws, crows, rooks and magpies from the vicinity of livestock farms at 14 locations in 7 counties were analysed by direct culture or PCR screening followed by culture. Isolates were investigated by whole-genome sequencing.Results and discussion: Campylobacter jejuni were detected in 82% and Yersinia in 3% of the birds. ESBL-producing E. coli were found in one sample (2%) and carried bla CTX-M-55. No Enterobacteriaceae with transferable carbapenem resistance were identified. No Salmonella or E. coli O157:H7 were found, but PCR analysis for enterohaemorrhagic E. coli virulence genes revealed 35% positive samples for intimin, 9% for verotoxin 1 and 17% for verotoxin 2. C. jejuni isolates from corvids were compared to previously published isolates from Swedish sources by multi-locus sequence typing based on genome sequences. All corvid C. jejuni isolates formed a cluster, intermingled with human and chicken isolates. Our results indicate that C. jejuni is ubiquitous among Swedish corvid birds, with sporadic transmission to poultry and humans.
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