scholarly journals Detection of anti-HEV antibodies and RNA of HEV in pigs from a hyperendemic Italian region with high human seroprevalence

Author(s):  
Camillo Martino ◽  
Elisa Rampacci ◽  
Ilaria Pierini ◽  
Monica Giammarioli ◽  
Valentina Stefanetti ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Pigs are considered the main reservoir of genotypes 3 and 4 of hepatitis E virus (HEV), which is the major cause of acute hepatitis of viral origin in humans worldwide. An increasing number of autochthonous HEV infections have been observed in recent years in industrialized countries, most likely as a result of zoonotic transmission through the consumption of raw or undercooked meat products. Methods Two hundred and thirty-three blood and liver samples were collected at four different local slaughterhouses from domestic pigs bred in Abruzzo, a region of south-central Italy, where there is the highest human seroprevalence to HEV compared with the rest of Italy. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit was used for detecting anti-HEV IgG in the sera, while the presence of HEV RNA was investigated by performing a real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results Between 87.3% and 100% of swine serum samples collected in different slaughterhouses of Abruzzo were positive for anti-HEV antibodies. Conversely, none of the liver samples collected from the same animals were positive for HEV by real-time RT-PCR. Conclusions The hypothesis of foodborne zoonotic transmission from local pigs as responsible for the hyperendemic status of Abruzzo cannot be corroborated. However, the high seroprevalence observed in pigs indicates that HEV is highly circulating in these territories. We propose to further investigate the role of wild fauna and trade in carrier pigs, and the maintenance of HEV virulence in the environment and meat supply chain to shed light on the possible sources of human infection and the degree of occupational risk.

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 494
Author(s):  
Angela Petruccelli ◽  
Tiziana Zottola ◽  
Gianmarco Ferrara ◽  
Valentina Iovane ◽  
Cristina Di Russo ◽  
...  

Background: A retrospective sero-survey for evidence of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in European wild boar (Sus scorfa) was conducted in the Latium region, Italy, on stored serum samples of the period November 2011 to January 2012. Methods: Sera were collected from 168 European wild boars and screened for antibodies to WNV and other Flaviviruses by competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA). All sera positive for Flavivirus antibodies by cELISA were further examined by virus neutralization test (VNT). To test the presence of Flavivirus RNA in samples, an RT-PCR was performed using a pan-Flavivirus primers pair. Results: Thirteen wild boars (7.73%) were seropositive for Flaviviruses. The hemolysis of serum samples limited the interpretation of the VNT for 7 samples, confirming the presence of specific antibody against WNV in a single European wild boar serum sample. The presence of ELISA positive/VNT negative samples suggests the occurrence of non-neutralizing antibodies against WNV or other antigen-related Flaviviruses. No samples resulted positive for Flavivirus by RT-PCR assay. Conclusion: Although a moderately high percentage of animals with specific antibody for WNV has been detected in wild boar in other surveillance studies in Europe, this has not been reported previously in Italy. Together, these data indicate that European wild boar are exposed to WNV and/or other related-Flavivirus in central Italy and confirm the usefulness of wild ungulates, as suitable Flavivirus sentinels.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuan Nur Akmalina Mat Jusoh ◽  
Rafidah Hanim Shueb

The shattering rise in dengue virus infections globally has created a need for an accurate and validated rapid diagnostic test for this virus. Rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) diagnostic detection are useful tools for diagnosis of early dengue infection. We prospectively evaluated the diagnostic performance of nonstructural 1 (NS1) RDT and real-time RT-PCR diagnostic kits in 86 patient serum samples. Thirty-six samples were positive for dengue NS1 antigen while the remaining 50 were negative when tested with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Commercially available RDTs for NS1 detection, RTK ProDetect™, and SD Bioline showed high sensitivity of 94% and 89%, respectively, compared with ELISA. GenoAmp® Trioplex Real-Time RT-PCR and RealStar® Dengue RT-PCR tests presented a comparable kappa agreement with 0.722. The result obtained from GenoAmp® Real-Time RT-PCR Dengue test showed that 14 samples harbored dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1), 8 samples harbored DENV-2, 2 samples harbored DENV-3, and 1 sample harbored DENV-4. 1 sample had a double infection with DENV-1 and DENV-2. The NS1 RDTs and real-time RT-PCR tests were found to be a useful diagnostic for early and rapid diagnosis of acute dengue and an excellent surveillance tool in our battle against dengue.


2020 ◽  
pp. 175717742097679
Author(s):  
Kordo Saeed ◽  
Emanuela Pelosi ◽  
Nitin Mahobia ◽  
Nicola White ◽  
Christopher Labdon ◽  
...  

Background: We report an outbreak of SARS coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among healthcare workers (HCW) in an NHS elective healthcare facility. Methodology: A narrative chronological account of events after declaring an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 among HCWs. As part of the investigations, HCWs were offered testing during the outbreak. These were: (1) screening by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) to detect a current infection; and (2) serum samples to determine seroprevalence. Results: Over 180 HCWs were tested by real-time RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The rate of infection was 15.2% (23.7% for clinical or directly patient-facing HCWs vs. 4.8% in non-clinical non-patient-facing HCWs). Of the infected HCWs, 57% were asymptomatic. Seroprevalence (SARS-CoV-2 IgG) among HCWs was 13%. It was challenging to establish an exact source for the outbreak. The importance of education, training, social distancing and infection prevention practices were emphasised. Additionally, avoidance of unnecessary transfer of patients and minimising cross-site working for staff and early escalation were highlighted. Establishing mass and regular screening for HCWs are also crucial to enabling the best care for patients while maintaining the wellbeing of staff. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first UK outbreak report among HCWs and we hope to have highlighted some key issues and learnings that can be considered by other NHS staff and HCWs globally when dealing with such a task in future.


Author(s):  
Julio César Castillo-Cuenca ◽  
Álvaro Martínez-Moreno ◽  
José Manuel Diaz-Cao ◽  
Angel Entrena-García ◽  
Jorge Fraga ◽  
...  

AbstractA cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and associated risk factors in pigs in the largest pork-producing region in Cuba. Serum samples from 420 pigs, including 210 sows and 210 post-weaning pigs, were tested for antibodies against T. gondii using a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were detected in 56 animals (13.3%, 95% CI: 10.1–16.6). A generalized estimating equations model revealed that the risk factors associated with higher seropositivity in pigs were altitude (higher in farm’s location < 250 m above sea level (masl) versus ≥ 250 masl) and age (higher in sows compared to post-weaning pigs). The results indicated that this protozoan parasite is widely distributed on pig farms in the study area, which is a public health concern since the consumption of raw or undercooked pork meat products containing tissue cysts is considered one of the main routes of T. gondii transmission worldwide. Control measures should be implemented to reduce the risk of exposure to T. gondii in pigs in Cuba.


Plant Disease ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 641-644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manphool S. Fageria ◽  
Mathuresh Singh ◽  
Upeksha Nanayakkara ◽  
Yvan Pelletier ◽  
Xianzhou Nie ◽  
...  

The current-season spread of Potato virus Y (PVY) was investigated in New Brunswick, Canada, in 11 potato fields planted with six different cultivars in 2009 and 2010. In all, 100 plants selected from each field were monitored for current-season PVY infections using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Average PVY incidence in fields increased from 0.6% in 2009 and 2% in 2010 in the leaves to 20.3% in 2009 and 21.9% in 2010 in the tubers at the time of harvest. In individual fields, PVY incidence in tubers reached as high as 37% in 2009 and 39% in 2010 at the time of harvest. Real-time RT-PCR assay detected more samples with PVY from leaves than did ELISA. A higher number of positive samples was also detected with real-time RT-PCR from growing tubers compared with the leaves collected from the same plant at the same sampling time. PVY incidence determined from the growing tubers showed a significant positive correlation with the PVY incidence of tubers after harvest. Preharvest testing provides another option to growers to either top-kill the crop immediately to secure the seed market when the PVY incidence is low or leave the tubers to develop further for table or processing purposes when incidence of PVY is high.


2020 ◽  
Vol 367 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Yan Zhang ◽  
Qian Zhou ◽  
Meng-Jun Tang ◽  
Jun-Hua Pu ◽  
Yan-Feng Fan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Campylobacter is a leading causative pathogen of acute bacterial gastroenteritis among humans. Contaminated chicken products are regarded as major sources of human infection. The flagellar capping protein (FliD), which plays important roles in colonization and adhesion to the mucosal surface of chicken ceca, is conserved among Campylobacter jejuni strains. In this study, the recombinant C. jejuni FliD protein was expressed, purified and used as a coated protein to examine the prevalence of C. jejuni antibodies in chickens. The anti-FliD antibody was prevalent among chicken serum samples taken from different farms in the diverse regions of Jiangsu province by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The Campylobacter antibody was present in culture-negative chickens. No strong dose–response relationships were observed between serum FliD antibody levels and Campylobacter cultural status. These results provide a basis for further evaluating FliD as a vaccine candidate for broiler chickens or for examining host–C. jejuni interactions, with implications for improving food safety.


2006 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 1335-1340
Author(s):  
Amir Abdulmawjood ◽  
Holger Schnenbrcher ◽  
Michael BÜlte

Abstract A collaborative trial was conducted to evaluate a real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for detection of central nervous system (CNS) tissues in meat products (e.g., sausages). The method is based on the detection of ruminant glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA by applying real-time RT-PCR. The assay was evaluated through a multicenter trial involving 12 participating laboratories that received coded cDNA obtained from 3 different types of sausages. The participants used 5 different real-time detection systems. The results obtained in this validation revealed that this real-time RT-PCR assay performed well in the different laboratories with a detection limit of at least 0.1% CNS in those test materials that contained strongly heat-treated samples (sausages cooked at 120C) and the medium heat-treated samples (sausages cooked at 80C). The detection limit of liver sausages was determined to be 0.2% of CNS. Neither the samples with no CNS additive nor the bovine DNA and the negative control containing 100% swine brain gave any positive signals. The presented results indicate that the real-time RT-PCR assay was just as reproducible between laboratories, as repeatable within a laboratory, could reliably be used for detection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy risk material in meat and meat products, and signify that it may be used with confidence in any laboratory.


2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
B. A. Jarullah, J. Aed Gati, and A. Saleh

The current study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of BVD virus in Basrah and Nassirya city by using ELISA and RT-PCR. Two hundreds and eighty two samples of non vaccinated cattle sera samples collected from two regions of Iraq (188 samples from Nassirya city and 92 samples from Basrah city). Samples tested by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) antigen capture. Positive results were 20 samples ( 8 sample in Thi-Qar and 12 positive samples from Basrah). All samples submitted to indirect ELISA(IDEXX HerdCheck ELISA )for detect BVDV antibodies .Genotyping of all 20 positive samples to antigen detection were tested by Real time PCR, using Cador BVDV ½ kit, after extraction of virus RNA by QIAamp mini kit. The results revealed that there were 20 positive sample according to direct ELISA(Ag detection), while 66 sample were positive to indirect ELISA, as well as, the result of RT-PCR showed that there were two sample positive to BVDV type-1 (one sample form each city).Key words: BVDV, Genotype, ELISA, Iraq, Real time PCR.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-88
Author(s):  
Hadi Susilo

Sausage is a meat product processed that is popular food especially in Pandeglang, Banten Province. The importance of halal certificates or the existence of the MUI (Indonesian Ulama Council) halal logo for processed meat products makes Muslim people confident to consume them. The aim this research was to identify pig DNA contamination in sausage products in six  districts in Pandeglang without the MUI halal labels using RT-PCR (Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction). RT PCR that can calculate to pig to fill these sample free from pig contamination. This research was divided into two stage, the first stage is extracted or carried out DNA and the second stage is RT PCR analysis. The results of the DNA purity test on sausage samples had DNA purity values ​​of 1.84-1.9 (A260 / A280) and resulted in sample concentrations ranging from 37.8 to 102.5 ng / µl.  The only amplification on the FAM curve was in the positive control pig.  the Cq value ranges from 30 - 31.29. The results of RT PCR on sausage samples in the district area in Pandeglang Banten did not detect the presence of pig DNA.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-86
Author(s):  
Wasila Rahman ◽  
Md Rahimgir ◽  
Arif Ahmed Khan ◽  
Maj Suman Khisa ◽  
Rahima Akter ◽  
...  

Introduction: The most common contemporary strategy to diagnose chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection consists of initial screening with an HCV enzyme immunoassay (EIA) antibody test followed by supplemental testing of positive screening tests with a quantitative HCV RNA assay to confirm the positive EIA and to determine whether they have active or resolved hepatitis C infection. Objectives: To detect and quantify HCV-RNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) among anti-HCV positive patients and to identify the socio demographic factors among these patients. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive type of cross-sectional study which was conducted in Combined Military Hospital and Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Dhaka cantonment. A total of 108 anti-HCV positive patients by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), who were clinically suspected and advised for anti-HCV test, were selected randomly for the study and subjected to do HCV-RNA analysis during the period of October 2016 to September 2017. Results: Out of 108 anti-HCV positive patients by ELISA, HCV-RNA was detected in 72 (66.7%) cases with mean value of HCV RNA quantification was 2013323.95±2695207.41 (IU/ ml). Majority of anti-HCV positive patients (29.6%) belonged to 51-60 years age group with male predominance (58.33%). It was observed that 43.52% patients came from middle income group family, 31.48% came from poor and 25.0% came from high income group family. Risk factor for HCV infected population was found maximum in dialysis patients (47.37%), followed by blood transfusion (13.89%), Injecting drug User (IDUs) (12.04%), surgery & intervention (9.26%) and sexual transmission (1.85%). Mean alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was found 67.30±44.99 U/L among HCV-RNA detected patients (p< 0.05). Conclusion: The quantification of HCV RNA by RT-PCR will be helpful to rationalize the treatment, enhance antiviral responses and mitigate mortalities of HCV infected patients. Journal of Armed Forces Medical College Bangladesh Vol.15 (1) 2019: 84-86


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