Tuberculosis In Animals Research Articles

Diagnostics of tuberculosis and differentiation of nonspecific tuberculin reactions in animals.

Tuberculosis is a serious disease of humans and animals, caused by bacteria of the Mycobacterium genus. This leads to complications in the life of the sick person, and subsequently to death. The cattle, who have been diagnosed with this bacterium, are usually sent to the slaughter, with the result that their livestock is reduced. Mycobacteriosis is also a disease, after determining which cattle are most often sent to slaughter. Such a reduction in livestock numbers has a negative effect on the economy. Of the 300 samples from the animals, 25 cultures of atypical bacteria responding to tuberculin were isolated. A series of tests – intravenous tuberculin test, ophthalmic test, palpebral test, “ZhAT” test, showed that most of the tuberculosis changes in cattle were found in regional lymph nodes more often than in internal organs. In healthy for tuberculosis cows, at the age of 4–9 years, seasonal nonspecific sensitivity to tuberculin is observed. Implementation of the developed express method of glutaraldehyde test on farms in healthy tuberculosis will speed up the diagnosis of tuberculosis and mycobacteriosis in animals that reacted to tuberculin and will exclude short-term nonspecific sensitization of their organism to tuberculin. The introduction of this methodology can be used to diagnose and clearly differentiate the diagnoses of “tuberculosis” and “mycobacteriosis” in cattle. This will cure part of the livestock and reduce the amount of slaughter.

Tuberculosis in wild and domestic animals

Tuberculosis is not uncommon in wild and domestic animals like human beings. Transmission of this disease from man to animals and vice versa is also very common. Tuberculosis or other Mycobacterial infections in wild animals, zoo animals and domestic animals is being frequently reported all over the world. Specially among warm blooded animals like tigers, foxes, wolf, dogs, cats, elephants, cattle’s, monkey and birds besides, cold blooded animals like fishes, frogs, turtles, snakes etc. Most common tubercular infection is Mycobacterium tuberculosis which is found frequently as pulmonary tuberculosis of man. There are number of Mycobacterial strains which are capable of causing tuberculosis like infection or ulcers or leprosy like Infection. In most of the zoo or domestic animals, tuberculosis is transmitted by the infected human being in their surrounding even in fish, frog and birds, the cause of tuberculosis or tuberculosis like infection is the ablution of infected man, on other hand bovine tuberculosis, and cervical lymphadenitis is caused by consuming milk of infected cattle’s. In wild animals, the infection is spread either by other infected animals or by infected human beings. Now a day this is worldwide spreading problem due to diminishing forests and increasing human interference in their habitat.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in cattle from the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

BackgroundMycobacterium tuberculosis is the main causative agent of tuberculosis (TB) in human and Mycobacterium bovis commonly causes tuberculosis in animals. Transmission of tuberculosis caused by both pathogens can occur from human to animals and vice versa.ResultsIn the current study, M. tuberculosis, as confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers targeting 3 regions of difference (RD4, RD9 and RD12) on the genomes, was isolated from cattle originating from two epidemiologically unrelated farms in the Eastern Cape (E.C) Province of South Africa. Although the isolates were genotyped with variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) typing, no detailed epidemiological investigation was carried out on the respective farms to unequivocally confirm or link humans as sources of TB transmission to cattle, a move that would have embraced the ‘One Health’ concept. In addition, strain comparison with human M. tuberculosis in the database from the E.C Province and other provinces in the country did not reveal any match.ConclusionsThis is the first report of cases of M. tuberculosis infection in cattle in South Africa. The VNTR profiles of the M. tuberculosis strains identified in the current study will form the basis for creating M. tuberculosis VNTR database for animals including cattle for future epidemiological studies. Our findings however, call for urgent reinforcement of collaborative efforts between the veterinary and the public health services of the country.

The relevance of host overcrowding in wildlife epidemiology: A new spatially explicit aggregation index

Species distribution and population abundance are keystone patterns in ecology, and currently also in epidemiology. The aggregation of individuals in the population is closely related to distribution and abundance, but they are not totally equivalent patterns. Despite the great efforts made in recent decades to harmonise the sampling protocols used to collect distribution and abundance data, studies regarding the development and testing of aggregation indices are scarce, even when individuals’ aggregation is quite relevant and necessary for the design of effective wildlife management policies. One of the most popular aggregation indices is the overcrowding index (m*), which quantifies the number of individuals per group, and does not, therefore, take into account how the individuals and groups are distributed in a given territorial unit. In this study, we describe and assess a new spatially explicit aggregation index (SAI) in which the distribution of individuals within the group and the groups in the territorial units are included in the formulation. A comparative evaluation of the proposed index was carried out in relation to m*, including a specific assessment of the biological meaning of these indices by relating aggregation indices with pathogen prevalence in a multi-host epidemiological scenario. Our results showed that SAI – but not m* – responded to changes in the aggregation level of individuals in the population in both theoretical scenarios and with real data obtained from a case study. Spatial information is, therefore, required to quantify individuals’ aggregation and the processes that are associated with it. This is particularly relevant when our understanding of processes needs to be addressed on a fine local scale, as is the case when working in epidemiology. Our results reinforce this idea, since the capacity of SAI to explain the prevalence of animal tuberculosis at a community level was significantly higher than that observed for m*, the latter being to a great extent based in the abundance of individuals in the area. We concluded that SAI has a great potential for wildlife monitoring in general and for epidemiological studies in particular and may, together with abundance data, provide practical information to evaluate wildlife management actions and define effective policies for diseases control.

Animal tuberculosis maintenance at low abundance of suitable wildlife reservoir hosts: A case study in northern Spain

Animal tuberculosis (TB), which is caused by infection with members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC), is a typical multi-host infection that flourishes at the livestock-wildlife interface. TB epidemiology is well characterized in the Mediterranean woodland habitats and Atlantic regions of southwestern Europe. However, much less is known about huge regions that do not form part of the two abovementioned settings, which have a low abundance of wild reservoirs. We hypothesized that MTC would be maintained in multi- rather than single-host communities in which wildlife would make a relatively low contribution to the maintenance of TB. Between 2011 and 2015, 7729 Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) and 1729 wild ruminants were sampled for culture during hunting events on unfenced sites. In addition, 1058 wild ungulates were sampled on 23 fenced hunting estates. Infection prevalence data were modeled along with official data on cattle and goat TB, on livestock distribution and management, and on wild boar abundance. The mean individual MTC infection prevalence was 4.28% in wild boar, while the cattle skin test reactor percent was 0.17%. The prevalence of MTC infection in wild ungulates (mostly wild boar) from the fenced hunting estates was 11.6%. Modeling revealed that the main driver of TB in cattle was their management (beef; communal pastures). However, wild boar abundance, the prevalence of MTC infection in wild boar and the presence of fenced hunting estates also contributed to explaining cattle TB. The model used for goat TB identified communal pastures as a risk factor. The model for the prevalence of MTC infection in wild boar included wild boar abundance and communal pastures. We conclude that the MTC maintenance host community is most likely of a multi-host nature. While cattle and communal pastures pose the main risk regarding TB, it is also necessary to consider increasing wild boar densities and specific risks owing to fenced wildlife. We infer several management implications regarding wildlife management, the wildlife sampling strategy and laboratory testing, the peculiarities of fenced hunting estates, and the wildlife-livestock interface.

Field evaluation of the efficacy of Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine against tuberculosis in goats

BackgroundControl of animal tuberculosis (TB) through vaccination has emerged as a long-term strategy to complement test and slaughter control strategy. A pilot trial under field conditions was conducted in a goat herd with high TB prevalence to assess the efficacy of the Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine.ResultsTwenty-three goat kids vaccinated with BCG and other 22 unvaccinated control kids were euthanized at 18 months post-vaccination. Gross pathological and histopathological examination of target tissues was performed for detection of tuberculous lesions and assessment of vaccine efficacy. Mycobacterial culture and DNA detection were used to confirm Mycobacterium caprae infection. Vaccination significantly reduced the number of animals with TB lesions compared to unvaccinated controls (35% and 77%, respectively; P < 0.01). This reduction was even higher if only extra-pulmonary infection was considered (17% and 68%, respectively; P < 0.001).ConclusionsThis trial demonstrates that BCG vaccination of goats can significantly reduce the TB lesion rates in high disease exposure conditions, indicating that vaccination could contribute to the control of TB in domestic goats.

Assessment of BCG and inactivated Mycobacterium bovis vaccines in an experimental tuberculosis infection model in sheep.

Background/AimsAnimal tuberculosis (TB) is a complex animal health problem that causes disruption to trade and significant economic losses. TB involves a multi-host system where sheep, traditionally considered a rare host of this infection, have been recently included. The aims of this study were to develop an experimental TB infection model in sheep with a Mycobacterium caprae field strain isolated from a tuberculous diseased ewe, and to use this to evaluate the safety and efficacy of two vaccines against TB in sheep, the live-attenuated M. bovis BCG vaccine (Danish strain) and a heat-inactivated M. bovis (HIMB) vaccine.MethodsEighteen 2 month-old lambs were experimentally challenged with M. caprae by the endotracheal route (1.5 × 103 CFU). They were separated per treatment group into parenterally vaccinated with a live BCG Danish strain vaccine (n = 6), orally vaccinated with a suspension of HIMB (n = 6) and unvaccinated controls (n = 6). Clinical, immunological, pathological and bacteriological parameters of infection were measured.ResultsAll lambs were successfully infected and developed gross TB lesions in the respiratory system. The BCG vaccine conferred considerable protection against experimental TB in lambs, as measured by a reduction of the gross lesion volumes and bacterial load. However, HIMB vaccinated animals did not show protection.ConclusionsThis study proposes a reliable new experimental model for a better understanding of tuberculosis in sheep. BCG vaccination offers an effective prospect for controlling the disease. Moreover alternative doses and/or routes of administration should be considered to evaluate the efficacy of the HIMB vaccine candidate.

Tuberculosis in Animals and Humans: Evolution of Diagnostics and Therapy

Tuberculosis in Animals and Humans: Evolution of Diagnostics and Therapy

Animal Models for Tuberculosis in Translational and Precision Medicine.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a health threat to the global population. Anti-TB drugs and vaccines are key approaches for TB prevention and control. TB animal models are basic tools for developing biomarkers of diagnosis, drugs for therapy, vaccines for prevention and researching pathogenic mechanisms for identification of targets; thus, they serve as the cornerstone of comparative medicine, translational medicine, and precision medicine. In this review, we discuss the current use of TB animal models and their problems, as well as offering perspectives on the future of these models.

Evaluation of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis SO2 vaccine using a natural tuberculosis infection model in goats

The development of new vaccines against animal tuberculosis (TB) is a priority for improving the control and eradication of this disease, particularly in those species not subjected to compulsory eradication programmes. In this study, the protection conferred by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis SO2 experimental vaccine was evaluated using a natural infection model in goats. Twenty-six goats were distributed in three groups: (1) 10 goats served as a control group; (2) six goats were subcutaneously vaccinated with BCG; and (3) 10 goats were subcutaneously vaccinated with SO2. Four months after vaccination, all groups were merged with goats infected with Mycobacterium bovis or Mycobacterium caprae, and tested over a 40 week period using a tuberculin intradermal test and an interferon-γ assay for mycobacterial reactivity. The severity of lesions was determined at post-mortem examination and the bacterial load in tissues were evaluated by culture. The two vaccinated groups had significantly lower lesion and bacterial culture scores than the control group (P<0.05); at the end of the study, the SO2 vaccinated goats had the lowest lesion and culture scores. These results suggest that the SO2 vaccine provides some protection against TB infection acquired from natural exposure.

An assessment of caprine tuberculosis prevalence in Lubumbashi slaughterhouse, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Caprine tuberculosis is a major health problem for goats and a major zoonosis of veterinary public health interest. In order to prepare a response to and control of caprine tuberculosis, to evaluate the potential risks to public health, and to assess the prevalence of the disease in Katanga province, Democratic Republic of Congo, 656 goats that were slaughtered at the Kabasele abattoir of Mzee Laurent-Desire Kabila Market in Lubumbashi were subjected to rigorous veterinary inspection during June to August 2012. All goat specimens came from the Kasumbalesa, Kasenga, and Kipushi areas of Katanga province. Consequently, suspected organs presenting signs of tuberculosis were collected and examined using Ziehl-Neelsen stains for diagnosis. Through this investigative inspection in the province, we found an overall prevalence of caprine tuberculosis of 1.68%. Although females showed higher prevalence of caprine tuberculosis (1.07%) compared to males (0.61%), and adults showed higher prevalence (1.22%) than juveniles (0.45%), these comparisons were not statically significant. However, lung and intestine infection by tuberculosis showed significantly higher prevalence of positive cases (1.21 and 0.46%, respectively) (p < 0.05). Goats from Kasumbalesa had the highest prevalence of caprine tuberculosis (1.22%) compared to goats from Kipushi (0.31%) and Kasenga (0.18%). These findings show the risk of caprine tuberculosis in the province for the first time, and we therefore recommend the implementation of strict animal biosecurity and tuberculosis controlling protocols.

Large Country Screening to Discover all Domestic Animal Herds Affected by Selected Zoonoses

Abstract Effective country-wide preventive, control and eradication programmes require full knowledge of specific epizootiological situation. A description is given of a three-year international programme aimed at control of animal glanders, tuberculosis and brucellosis that was carried out simultaneously in all 16 Mongolian provinces by expeditions of veterinary staff of five countries. The objective was to discover all domestic animal herds affected by these infections transmissible to humans and to initiate particular control programmes. A total of 37, 608, 253 specific tests were carried out. Ratios of the investigations to population average (I/P) were as follows: tests for glanders in horses 2.43 and in camels 0.53; tests for brucellosis in cattle 1.42, in camels 0.69, in sheep 1.53, and in goats 1.37; tests for tuberculosis in cattle 1.53. The following results of testing were obtained: for glanders, from 5,046,070 allergic tests in horses 241,157 were positive, i.e. 4.78 %; from 332,684 allergic tests in camels 380 were positive, i.e. 0.11 %; from 126,960 serological tests in horses 24,760 were positive, i.e. 19.50 %. Results of serological testing for brucellosis, from 2,892,658 tests in cattle 192,601 were positive, i.e. 6.66 %, from 432,919 tests in camels 9,987 were positive, i.e. 2.31 %, from 19,533,637 tests in sheep 320,709 were positive, i.e. 1.64 % and from 5,834,450 tests in goats 136,222 were positive, i.e. 2.33 %. From 677,402 allergic tests for tuberculosis in cattle in two provinces 427 were positive, i.e. 0.06 %. This programme required an estimated 120,000 expedition person-working days and about twice as many assisting person-working days. Apart from local effects during these expeditions, the results created a basis for national long-term follow-up and preventive, control and eradication measures for these diseases.

Ante-mortem and post-mortem tuberculosis diagnostics in three European Bison from the enclosure in Bukowiec in the Bieszczady National Park in Poland

The ante-mortem diagnostics of tuberculosis in wildlife constitutes a major problem due to the difficulties in collecting samples for examination. Therefore, tuberculosis in free-living animals is usually diagnosed post mortem. Ante-mortem examinations for bovine tuberculosis (BTB) were conducted in three European bison living in an acclimatisation enclosure in Bukowiec in the Bieszczady National Park in Poland. The reason for performing these examinations was the documented contact between the aforementioned animals and tuberculous European bison from a free-living herd present in the area. The three European bison were pharmacologically immobilised. Next, their blood samples were collected for immunological studies (interferon-gamma release assays), complete blood count and blood biochemistry tests. Moreover, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from the lower respiratory tract, two nasal cavity swabs and one throat swab were taken from each animal. Tuberculin testing was also performed. The findings of all these examinations indicated the possible infection of the European bison with the tubercle bacillus. Ultimately, the decision was taken to euthanize the animals.

Regulation of Immunity to Tuberculosis.

Immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis requires a balance between adaptive immune responses to constrain bacterial replication and the prevention of potentially damaging immune activation. Regulatory T (Treg) cells express the transcription factor Foxp3+ and constitute an essential counterbalance of inflammatory Th1 responses and are required to maintain immune homeostasis. The first reports describing the presence of Foxp3-expressing CD4+ Treg cells in tuberculosis (TB) emerged in 2006. Different Treg cell subsets, most likely specialized for different tissues and microenvironments, have been shown to expand in both human TB and animal models of TB. Recently, additional functional roles for Treg cells have been demonstrated during different stages and spectrums of TB disease. Foxp3+ regulatory cells can quickly expand during early infection and impede the onset of cellular immunity and persist during chronic TB infection. Increased frequencies of Treg cells have been associated with a detrimental outcome of active TB, and may be dependent on the M. tuberculosis strain, animal model, local environment, and the stage of infection. Some investigations also suggest that Treg cells are required together with effector T cell responses to obtain reduced pathology and sterilizing immunity. In this review, we will first provide an overview of the regulatory cells and mechanisms that control immune homeostasis. Then, we will review what is known about the phenotype and function of Treg cells from studies in human TB and experimental animal models of TB. We will discuss the potential role of Treg cells in the progression of TB disease and the relevance of this knowledge for future efforts to prevent, modulate, and treat TB.

Differential Cytokine Gene Expression in Granulomas from Lungs and Lymph Nodes of Cattle Experimentally Infected with Aerosolized Mycobacterium bovis.

The hallmark lesion of tuberculosis in humans and animals is the granuloma. The granuloma represents a distinct host cellular immune response composed of epithelioid macrophages, lymphocytes, and multinucleated giant cells, often surrounding a caseous necrotic core. Within the granuloma, host-pathogen interactions determine disease outcome. Factors within the granulomas such as cytokines and chemokines drive cell recruitment, activity, function and ultimately the success or failure of the host’s ability to control infection. Hence, an understanding of the granuloma-level cytokine response is necessary to understand tuberculosis pathogenesis. In-situ cytokine expression patterns were measured using a novel in situ hybridization assay, known as RNAScope® in granulomas of the lungs, tracheobronchial lymph nodes and caudal mediastinal lymph nodes of cattle experimentally infected with Mycobacterium bovis via aerosol exposure. In spite of microscopic morphological similarities, significant differences were seen between late stage granulomas of the lung compared to those of the tracheobronchial lymph nodes for IL-17A, IFN-γ, TGF-β, IL10 and IL-22 but not for TNF-α. Additionally, significant differences were noted between granulomas from two different thoracic lymph nodes that both receive afferent lymphatics from the lungs (i.e., tracheobronchial and caudal mediastinal lymph nodes) for TNF-α, IL-17A, IFN-γ, TGF-β and IL-10 but not for IL-22. These findings show that granuloma morphology alone is not a reliable indicator of granuloma function as granulomas of similar morphologies can have disparate cytokine expression patterns. Moreover, anatomically distinct lymph nodes (tracheobronchial vs caudal mediastinal) differ in cytokine expression patterns even when both receive afferent lymphatics from a lung containing tuberculoid granulomas. These findings show that selection of tissue and anatomic location are critical factors in assessing host immune response to M. bovis and should be considered carefully.

Analysis of 15 years of the National Program for the Control and Eradication of Animal Brucellosis and Tuberculosis, Brazil

In 2001, Brazil launched the National Program for Control and Eradication of Animal Brucellosis and Tuberculosis (PNCEBT). After 15 years, After 15 years, it can be checked that there was mistakes and successes in driving the program, but it is undeniable that in this period, a series of structuring actions was initiated. In addition, a large volume of high-quality epidemiological data were produced, which will allow the country to move forward more rationally and safely in combating these two diseases. Today, Brazil have a sufficient contingent of veterinarians to develop the accreditation of farms and vaccination against brucellosis in all States; all batches of vaccines against brucellosis produced by private laboratories are controlled by an official laboratory; the brucellosis vaccination program is well established in most States and it has produced a decrease in prevalence in Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rondônia and Minas Gerais; there are two ongoing eradication experiences: of brucellosis in Santa Catarina and of tuberculosis in Mato Grosso; nowadays there is a culture to combat brucellosis and tuberculosis in the Brazilian Official Veterinary Services. The epidemiological situation of bovine brucellosis and tuberculosis is well known in the major part of the country. However, progress has been limited by the difficulty in engaging the beef and dairy productive chains as true partners in the process.

Epidemiological status of bovine tuberculosis in the Federal District of Brazil

Considering the implementation of the National Program for the Control and Eradication of Animal Brucellosis and Tuberculosis (PNCEBT) in 2001, and the need to determine the epidemiological status of animal tuberculosis for future evaluation of the effectiveness of the measures laid down, the objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and identify risk factors of bovine tuberculosis in the Federal District (DF) of Brazil, as well as to provide an input for the strategic management of PNCEBT. Field testing and data collection was carried out from February to December 2003. The DF was considered a single epidemiological region owing to the small number of existing farms, and the absence of significant differences between the region’s farming enterprises, which would justify the stratification of the regional sample. A total of 278 farms were randomly sampled from the local registry database of bovine farms with reproductive activity, in which 2,019 adult cows were tuberculin tested. Only one sampled animal had a positive result, using the comparative cervical tuberculin test, resulting in a bovine tuberculosis prevalence of 0.05% [95% CI: 0.0-0.4%]. The herd-level prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in the DF was estimated as 0.36% [95% CI: 0-2.0%]. The analysis of risk factors was impaired by the results obtained, as the number of cases did not allow for this kind of analysis. Cattle farming in the DF is predominantly aimed at dairy production; however, it is characterized by the presence of small low milk yield herds, which may not favor the introduction and persistency of infection of Mycobacterium bovis. Health authorities from the DF perform surveillance for bovine tuberculosis and maintain the need for tests for the movement of bovines for breeding and those animals destined for any form of animal gathering, especially auctions. Therefore, it is likely that the DF has good conditions for successfully implementing the PNCEBT.

In silico region of difference (RD) analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex from sequence reads using RD-Analyzer.

BackgroundWhole-genome sequencing is increasingly used in clinical diagnosis of tuberculosis and study of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC). MTC consists of several genetically homogenous mycobacteria species which can cause tuberculosis in humans and animals. Regions of difference (RDs) are commonly regarded as gold standard genetic markers for MTC classification.ResultsWe develop RD-Analyzer, a tool that can accurately infer the species and lineage of MTC isolates from sequence reads based on the presence and absence of a set of 31 RDs. Applied on a publicly available diverse set of 377 sequenced MTC isolates from known major species and lineages, RD-Analyzer achieved an accuracy of 98.14 % (370/377) in species prediction and a concordance of 98.47 % (257/261) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineage prediction compared to predictions based on single nucleotide polymorphism markers. By comparing respective sequencing read depths on each genomic position between isolates of different sublineages, we were able to identify the known RD markers in different sublineages of Lineage 4 and provide support for six potential delineating markers having high sensitivities and specificities for sublineage prediction. An extended version of RD-Analyzer was thus developed to allow user-defined RDs for lineage prediction.ConclusionsRD-Analyzer is a useful and accurate tool for species, lineage and sublineage prediction using known RDs of MTC from sequence reads and is extendable to accepting user-defined RDs for analysis. RD-Analyzer is written in Python and is freely available at https://github.com/xiaeryu/RD-Analyzer.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3213-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A subunit vaccine based on rH-NS induces protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection by inducing the Th1 immune response and activating macrophages.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a Gram-positive pathogen which causes tuberculosis in both animals and humans. All tested rH-NS formulations induced a specific Th1 response, as indicated by increased production of interferon γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin 2 (IL-2) by lymphocytes in the spleen of mice which were immunized with rH-NS alone or with rH-NS and the adjuvant cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP). Serum from mice immunized with rH-NS with or without adjuvant also had higher levels of IL-12p40 and TNF-α, compared with those from control mice immunized with phosphate-buffered saline. Both vaccines increased protective efficacy in mice which were challenged with Mtb H37Rv, as measured by reduced relative CFU counts in the lungs. We found that rH-NS induced the production of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-12p40, which relied on the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases by stimulating the rapid phosphorylation of ERK1/2, p38, and JNK, and on the activation of transcription factor NF-κB in macrophages. Additionally, we also found that rH-NS could interact with TLR2 but not TLR4 in pull-down assays. The rH-NS-induced cytokine production from TLR2-silenced RAW264.7 cells was lower than that from BALB/c macrophages. Prolonged exposure (>24 h) of RAW264.7 cells to rH-NS resulted in a significant enhancement in IFN-γ-induced MHC II expression, which was not found in shTLR2-treated RAW264.7 cells. These results suggest that rH-NS is a TLR2 agonist which induces the production of cytokines by macrophages and up-regulates macrophage function.

Seroprevalence and risk factors for bovine brucellosis in Minas Gerais State, Brazil

This cross-sectional study was conducted in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil in 2011 to estimate the seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis (Brucella abortus) in properties and cattle, and to identify potential infection risk factors for herds with cows of reproductive age. The state was divided into seven regions: 1. Noroeste, Norte and Nordeste; 2. Leste; 3. Central; 4. Zona da Mata; 5. Sul and Sudoeste; 6. Alto Paranaiba; and 7. Triângulo Mineiro. Random, two-stage sampling was performed of both properties and cattle from each property. Blood samples were collected from 18,990 cows of reproductive age from 2,185 properties. The serologic tests used for the detection of anti-B. abortus antibodies included the buffered, acidified plate antigen test, as a screening test, with the 2-mercaptoethanol reduction, test as a confirmatory test, as recommended by the Programa Nacional de Controle e Erradicacao da Brucelose e Tuberculose Animal - PNCEBT (National Program for the Control and Eradication of Animal Brucellosis and Tuberculosis). The seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis on the surveyed properties and in cattle were 3.59% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.76 4.42%) and 0.81% (95% CI: 0.05-1.10%), respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified the total number of cows in the property as a risk factor for the presence of anti-B. abortus antibodies, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.93 (95% CI: 1.12 - 3.34) for herds with 30 to 210 cows and 7.81 (95% CI: 3.72-16.38) for those with more than 210 cows, relative to the risk in herds with less than 30 cows, the base category. While these results demonstrate a significant reduction in the prevalence of properties with bovine brucellosis, the disease is still present in Minas Gerais, with properties with higher numbers of cows at higher risk for infection.