Animal Source Of Infection Research Articles

Death by cat bite: Pasteurella multocida: Autopsy findings and review of the literature

Pasteurella multocida, a gram-negative bacillus, is present in the oropharyngeal secretions of livestock, wild animals, and domesticated pets and can cause infection in humans. The most common route of entry has been shown to be via an animal bite, but a significant portion of cases of human infection lack evidence of such a wound. Review of the literature reveals that patients with a history of an animal bite tend to have a less aggressive clinical course than patients without an animal source of infection. We present a case, however, of Pasteurella multocida bacteremia which resulted in the death of an immunocompromised 80-year old woman in which the route of infection was found at autopsy to be a cat bite. This case highlights the importance of educating patients, particularly those with underlying immunocompromised conditions, of the possible lethal complications that can result from animal inflicted wounds and the importance of seeking medical assistance should a bite occur.

ChAdOx1 and MVA based vaccine candidates against MERS-CoV elicit neutralising antibodies and cellular immune responses in mice

The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has infected more than 1900 humans, since 2012. The syndrome ranges from asymptomatic and mild cases to severe pneumonia and death. The virus is believed to be circulating in dromedary camels without notable symptoms since the 1980s. Therefore, dromedary camels are considered the only animal source of infection. Neither antiviral drugs nor vaccines are approved for veterinary or medical use despite active research on this area. Here, we developed four vaccine candidates against MERS-CoV based on ChAdOx1 and MVA viral vectors, two candidates per vector. All vaccines contained the full-length spike gene of MERS-CoV; ChAdOx1 MERS vaccines were produced with or without the leader sequence of the human tissue plasminogen activator gene (tPA) where MVA MERS vaccines were produced with tPA, but either the mH5 or F11 promoter driving expression of the spike gene. All vaccine candidates were evaluated in a mouse model in prime only or prime-boost regimens. ChAdOx1 MERS with tPA induced higher neutralising antibodies than ChAdOx1 MERS without tPA. A single dose of ChAdOx1 MERS with tPA elicited cellular immune responses as well as neutralising antibodies that were boosted to a significantly higher level by MVA MERS. The humoral immunogenicity of a single dose of ChAdOx1 MERS with tPA was equivalent to two doses of MVA MERS (also with tPA). MVA MERS with mH5 or F11 promoter induced similar antibody levels; however, F11 promoter enhanced the cellular immunogenicity of MVA MERS to significantly higher magnitudes. In conclusion, our study showed that MERS-CoV vaccine candidates could be optimized by utilising different viral vectors, various genetic designs of the vectors, or different regimens to increase immunogenicity. ChAdOx1 and MVA vectored vaccines have been safely evaluated in camels and humans and these MERS vaccine candidates should now be tested in camels and in clinical trials.

Characterization of clinically important dermatophytes in North of Iran using PCR-RFLP on ITS region

Dermatophytosis is considered as one of the major public health problems in the world. Accurate identification of the dermatophytes species is important for recognition of the environment and animal sources of infection. In this survey, 1500 clinical specimens taken from outpatients suspected of dermatophytosis and they were examined by direct microscopy and culture. In total, three hundred and twelve dermatophytes were isolates recovered in culture, they were identified using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method based on the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. Tinea pedis was the most common clinical form (32.1%) followed by tinea cruris (24.4%), tinea manuum (16.4%), tinea unguium (8.3%), tinea corporis (7.3%), tinea faciei (6.4%), and tinea capitis (5.1%). Trichophyton interdigitale was the most frequent isolate (38.2%), followed by Trichophyton rubrum (29.8%), Epidermophyton floccosum (16.6%), Trichophyton tonsurans (14.8%) and Microsporum canis (0.6%). The frequency of dermatophytosis was higher in males than in females and in the age-group of 21-30 years. Our finding indicated that the incidence of dermatophytosis caused by anthropophilic dermatophytes in Mazandaran province is increasing. Also, this study provides valuable data for the prevention and control of dermatophytosis in the southern coast of the Caspian Sea.

Molecular typing of 12 Brucella strains isolated in Guizhou province in 2010-2013

To identify and characterize the Brucella strains from Guizhou province in 2010-2013. A total of 12 strains of Brucella suspicious bacteria were isolated in Guizhou province from 2010 to 2013. Four strains (GZLL3, GZLL4, GZLL11 and SH2) were isolated from goat blood samples and eight strains (SH4, GZZY, GZSQ, GZZA, BR13001, BR13004, BR13005 and BR13006) were isolated from blood samples of patient 12 Brucella suspicious strains were identified and characterized using conventional methods. Brucella genus specific gene BCSP31-based PCR (BCSP31-PCR) was used to identify the genus of Brucella and IS711 insert sequence-based PCR (AMOS-PCR) was applied to identify the species of Brucella strains. Goats and patients originated Brucella strains were comparatively analysed using Pulse-field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE). Both of conventional methods and PCR identified the 12 Brucella suspicious strains as B. melitensis biotype 3. BCSP31-PCR identification results showed that a specific DNA bands (223 bp) were detected in all the 12 strains and positive control samples with no DNA band in negative samples. AMOS-PCR amplified a 731 bp-DNA bands in all the 12 strains, with 731 bp, 498 bp and 275 bp in M5, S2 and A19 strains, respectively, and no DNA band was detected in the negative control samples. PFGE analysis showed that 12 Brucella isolates from patients and goats showed consistent PFGE patterns with the digestion of restriction enzyme Xba I. The epidemic species/type of Brucella in both human and animal in Guizhou province was B. melitensis biotype 3 and goat was the main animal source of infection of brucellosis in Guizhou province.

Fever and rash

Patients with febrile illness and skin rashes need full and immediate attention. In general, these diseases show mild manifestations and good prognosis. However, causalities of some diseases with fever and rash may be life threatening or trivial. So, the differential diagnosis for those patients is extensive. A through history, a careful physical examination and close observation of clinical progress are very helpful and essential to confirming the diagnosis. Histories of recent travel, drug or specific food ingestion, exposure to human or an animal source of infection may be useful to discover the cause. Although laboratory tests can be useful in making the diagnosis, laboratory results usually are not available immediately. Knowledge and experiences of such diseases may be helpful to reduce the differential diagnosis to a few major possibilities. Rashes can be categorized as petechial, maculopapular, vesicular, urticarial and erythematous. Potential causes include infectious pathogens such as virus, bacteria, rickettsiae, spirohetes, connective tissue diseases, allergic diseases and heamto-oncologic diseases. Because the severity of these diseases can vary mild to life threatening, physicians must perform prompt management decisions regarding empirical therapies. In this article, the differential etiological diagnosis of each type rash is reviewed and discussed, and with emphasis on intensive care of life threatening febrile diseases with rashes that are seen in our country.

The epidemiology of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: conclusion of a 15-year investigation in France and review of the world literature

During the 15-year period 1968-1982, a total of 329 patients dying of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) were identified in continental France. Annual mortality rates stabilized at 0.5 to 0.6 cases per million (1.1 to 1.2 cases per million in Paris). Six percent of cases were familial. Although the frequency of CJD was related to population density, no contacts could be established among the great majority of patients. No association with socioeconomic factors, preceding trauma or surgery (excepting one iatrogenic neurosurgical case), or exposure to animal sources of infection was identified. Evidence from this and other epidemiologic studies suggests that CJD is a minimally contagious disease that may be principally acquired in early life from presymptomatic patients, asymptomatic carriers, or chance contamination by environmental sources. It is possible that CJD could also occur sporadically as a noncontagious disease by a mechanism akin to oncogenes in carcinogenesis.

Constrictive pericarditis due to bacterium tularease. Report of a case and review of reported cases of pericarditis occurring with tularemia: Jager, B. V., and Ransmeier, J. C.: Bull. Johns Hopkins Hosp. 72: 166, 1943

A boy of seven years had a single punched-out ulcer of the bulbar conjunctiva and the episclera, with necrotic center. There had been no previous illness resembling tularemia, and no animal source of infection could be traced. The blood serum gave positive agglutination with Bacterium tularense at the end of the first week. The history of the subject is carefully reviewed. Read before the Indiana Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, December 14, 1927.

Atypical Conjunctivitis Tularensis: With Case Report

A boy of seven years had a single punched-out ulcer of the bulbar conjunctiva and the episclera, with necrotic center. There had been no previous illness resembling tularemia, and no animal source of infection could be traced. The blood serum gave positive agglutination with Bacterium tularense at the end of the first week. The history of the subject is carefully reviewed. Read before the Indiana Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, December 14, 1927.