scholarly journals Mycobacterium bovisPersistence in Two Different Captive Wild Animal Populations in Germany: a Longitudinal Molecular Epidemiological Study Revealing Pathogen Transmission by Whole-Genome Sequencing

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Kohl ◽  
Christian Utpatel ◽  
Stefan Niemann ◽  
Irmgard Moser

ABSTRACTBovine tuberculosis (bTB) caused byMycobacterium bovisis a transmissible disease notifiable to the World Organization for Animal Health and to the European Union, with ongoing efforts of surveillance and eradication in every EU member state. In Germany, a country which has been declared officially free from bovine tuberculosis since 1997 by the EU,M. bovisinfections still occur sporadically in cattle and other mammals, including humans. Here, the transmission routes of a bTB outbreak in a wildlife park in Germany affecting different cervid species, bison, lynx, and pot-bellied pigs were followed by employing whole-genome sequencing (WGS) combined with spoligotyping and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit–variable-number tandem-repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing. One singleM. bovisstrain persisted from 2002 to 2015, and transmission between the park and a distantly located captive cervid farm was verified. The spoligotyping patterns remained identical, while MIRU-VNTR typing of 24 loci of the standardized panel and locus 2163a as an additional locus revealed one change at locus 2165 in a strain from a fallow deer and one at locus 2461 in isolates from red deer over the whole time period. WGS analysis confirmed the close relatedness of the isolates, with a maximum of 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected between any two sequenced isolates. In conclusion, our data confirm a longitudinal outbreak ofM. bovisin a German wildlife park and provide the first insights into the dynamics of different genotyping markers inM. bovis.

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Kohl ◽  
Katharina Kranzer ◽  
Sönke Andres ◽  
Thierry Wirth ◽  
Stefan Niemann ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium bovis is the primary cause of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and infects a wide range of domestic animal and wildlife species and humans. In Germany, bTB still emerges sporadically in cattle herds, free-ranging wildlife, diverse captive animal species, and humans. In order to understand the underlying population structure and estimate the population size fluctuation through time, we analyzed 131 M. bovis strains from animals (n = 38) and humans (n = 93) in Germany from 1999 to 2017 by whole-genome sequencing (WGS), mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit–variable-number tandem-repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing, and spoligotyping. Based on WGS data analysis, 122 out of the 131 M. bovis strains were classified into 13 major clades, of which 6 contained strains from both human and animal cases and 7 only strains from human cases. Bayesian analyses suggest that the M. bovis population went through two sharp anticlimaxes, one in the middle of the 18th century and another one in the 1950s. WGS-based cluster analysis grouped 46 strains into 13 clusters ranging in size from 2 to 11 members and involving strains from distinct host types, e.g., only cattle and also mixed hosts. Animal strains of four clusters were obtained over a 9-year span, pointing toward autochthonous persistent bTB infection cycles. As expected, WGS had a higher discriminatory power than spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR typing. In conclusion, our data confirm that WGS and suitable bioinformatics constitute the method of choice to implement prospective molecular epidemiological surveillance of M. bovis. The population of M. bovis in Germany is diverse, with subtle, but existing, interactions between different host groups.


2015 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason C. Kwong ◽  
Karolina Mercoulia ◽  
Takehiro Tomita ◽  
Marion Easton ◽  
Hua Y. Li ◽  
...  

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has emerged as a powerful tool for comparing bacterial isolates in outbreak detection and investigation. Here we demonstrate that WGS performed prospectively for national epidemiologic surveillance ofListeria monocytogeneshas the capacity to be superior to our current approaches using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA), binary typing, and serotyping. Initially 423L. monocytogenesisolates underwent WGS, and comparisons uncovered a diverse genetic population structure derived from three distinct lineages. MLST, binary typing, and serotyping results inferredin silicofrom the WGS data were highly concordant (>99%) with laboratory typing performed in parallel. However, WGS was able to identify distinct nested clusters within groups of isolates that were otherwise indistinguishable using our current typing methods. Routine WGS was then used for prospective epidemiologic surveillance on a further 97L. monocytogenesisolates over a 12-month period, which provided a greater level of discrimination than that of conventional typing for inferring linkage to point source outbreaks. A risk-based alert system based on WGS similarity was used to inform epidemiologists required to act on the data. Our experience shows that WGS can be adopted for prospectiveL. monocytogenessurveillance and investigated for other pathogens relevant to public health.


2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 212-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangyu Deng ◽  
Nikki Shariat ◽  
Elizabeth M. Driebe ◽  
Chandler C. Roe ◽  
Beth Tolar ◽  
...  

A retrospective investigation was performed to evaluate whole-genome sequencing as a benchmark for comparing molecular subtyping methods forSalmonella entericaserotype Enteritidis and survey the population structure of commonly encounteredS. entericaserotype Enteritidis outbreak isolates in the United States. A total of 52S. entericaserotype Enteritidis isolates representing 16 major outbreaks and three sporadic cases collected between 2001 and 2012 were sequenced and subjected to subtyping by four different methods: (i) whole-genome single-nucleotide-polymorphism typing (WGST), (ii) multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA), (iii) clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats combined with multi-virulence-locus sequence typing (CRISPR-MVLST), and (iv) pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). WGST resolved all outbreak clusters and provided useful robust phylogenetic inference results with high epidemiological correlation. While both MLVA and CRISPR-MVLST yielded higher discriminatory power than PFGE, MLVA outperformed the other methods in delineating outbreak clusters whereas CRISPR-MVLST showed the potential to trace major lineages and ecological origins ofS. entericaserotype Enteritidis. Our results suggested that whole-genome sequencing makes a viable platform for the evaluation and benchmarking of molecular subtyping methods.


2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen N. Kersh ◽  
Cau D. Pham ◽  
John R. Papp ◽  
Robert Myers ◽  
Richard Steece ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT U.S. gonorrhea rates are rising, and antibiotic-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae (AR-Ng) is an urgent public health threat. Since implementation of nucleic acid amplification tests for N. gonorrhoeae identification, the capacity for culturing N. gonorrhoeae in the United States has declined, along with the ability to perform culture-based antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Yet AST is critical for detecting and monitoring AR-Ng. In 2016, the CDC established the Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network (AR Lab Network) to shore up the national capacity for detecting several resistance threats including N. gonorrhoeae. AR-Ng testing, a subactivity of the CDC’s AR Lab Network, is performed in a tiered network of approximately 35 local laboratories, four regional laboratories (state public health laboratories in Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington), and the CDC’s national reference laboratory. Local laboratories receive specimens from approximately 60 clinics associated with the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), enhanced GISP (eGISP), and the program Strengthening the U.S. Response to Resistant Gonorrhea (SURRG). They isolate and ship up to 20,000 isolates to regional laboratories for culture-based agar dilution AST with seven antibiotics and for whole-genome sequencing of up to 5,000 isolates. The CDC further examines concerning isolates and monitors genetic AR markers. During 2017 and 2018, the network tested 8,214 and 8,628 N. gonorrhoeae isolates, respectively, and the CDC received 531 and 646 concerning isolates and 605 and 3,159 sequences, respectively. In summary, the AR Lab Network supported the laboratory capacity for N. gonorrhoeae AST and associated genetic marker detection, expanding preexisting notification and analysis systems for resistance detection. Continued, robust AST and genomic capacity can help inform national public health monitoring and intervention.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1585
Author(s):  
Ana C. Reis ◽  
Liliana C. M. Salvador ◽  
Suelee Robbe-Austerman ◽  
Rogério Tenreiro ◽  
Ana Botelho ◽  
...  

Classical molecular analyses of Mycobacterium bovis based on spoligotyping and Variable Number Tandem Repeat (MIRU-VNTR) brought the first insights into the epidemiology of animal tuberculosis (TB) in Portugal, showing high genotypic diversity of circulating strains that mostly cluster within the European 2 clonal complex. Previous surveillance provided valuable information on the prevalence and spatial occurrence of TB and highlighted prevalent genotypes in areas where livestock and wild ungulates are sympatric. However, links at the wildlife–livestock interfaces were established mainly via classical genotype associations. Here, we apply whole genome sequencing (WGS) to cattle, red deer and wild boar isolates to reconstruct the M. bovis population structure in a multi-host, multi-region disease system and to explore links at a fine genomic scale between M. bovis from wildlife hosts and cattle. Whole genome sequences of 44 representative M. bovis isolates, obtained between 2003 and 2015 from three TB hotspots, were compared through single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variant calling analyses. Consistent with previous results combining classical genotyping with Bayesian population admixture modelling, SNP-based phylogenies support the branching of this M. bovis population into five genetic clades, three with apparent geographic specificities, as well as the establishment of an SNP catalogue specific to each clade, which may be explored in the future as phylogenetic markers. The core genome alignment of SNPs was integrated within a spatiotemporal metadata framework to further structure this M. bovis population by host species and TB hotspots, providing a baseline for network analyses in different epidemiological and disease control contexts. WGS of M. bovis isolates from Portugal is reported for the first time in this pilot study, refining the spatiotemporal context of TB at the wildlife–livestock interface and providing further support to the key role of red deer and wild boar on disease maintenance. The SNP diversity observed within this dataset supports the natural circulation of M. bovis for a long time period, as well as multiple introduction events of the pathogen in this Iberian multi-host system.


2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 1144-1148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan McRobb ◽  
Derek S. Sarovich ◽  
Erin P. Price ◽  
Mirjam Kaestli ◽  
Mark Mayo ◽  
...  

Melioidosis, a disease of public health importance in Southeast Asia and northern Australia, is caused by the Gram-negative soil bacillusBurkholderia pseudomallei. Melioidosis is typically acquired through environmental exposure, and case clusters are rare, even in regions where the disease is endemic.B. pseudomalleiis classed as a tier 1 select agent by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; from a biodefense perspective, source attribution is vital in an outbreak scenario to rule out a deliberate release. Two cases of melioidosis within a 3-month period at a residence in rural northern Australia prompted an investigation to determine the source of exposure.B. pseudomalleiisolates from the property's groundwater supply matched the multilocus sequence type of the clinical isolates. Whole-genome sequencing confirmed the water supply as the probable source of infection in both cases, with the clinical isolates differing from the likely infecting environmental strain by just one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) each. For the first time, we report a phylogenetic analysis of genomewide insertion/deletion (indel) data, an approach conventionally viewed as problematic due to high mutation rates and homoplasy. Our whole-genome indel analysis was concordant with the SNP phylogeny, and these two combined data sets provided greater resolution and a better fit with our epidemiological chronology of events. Collectively, this investigation represents a highly accurate account of source attribution in a melioidosis outbreak and gives further insight into a frequently overlooked reservoir ofB. pseudomallei. Our methods and findings have important implications for outbreak source tracing of this bacterium and other highly recombinogenic pathogens.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Crispell ◽  
Ruth N. Zadoks ◽  
Simon R. Harris ◽  
Brent Paterson ◽  
Desmond M. Collins ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mariah Taylor ◽  

Two RNA virus families that pose a threat to human and animal health are Hantaviridae and Coronaviridae. These RNA viruses which originate in wildlife continue and will continue to cause disease, and hence, it is critical that scientific research define the mechanisms as to how these viruses spillover and adapt to new hosts to become endemic. One gap in our ability to define these mechanisms is the lack of whole genome sequences for many of these viruses. To address this specific gap, I developed a versatile amplicon-based whole-genome sequencing (WGS) approach to identify viral genomes of hantaviruses and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) within reservoir and spillover hosts. In my research studies, I used the amplicon-based WGS approach to define the genetic plasticity of viral RNA within pathogenic and nonpathogenic hantavirus species. The standing genetic variation of Andes orthohantavirus and Prospect Hill orthohantavirus was mapped out and amino acid changes occurring outside of functional domains were identified within the nucleocapsid and glycoprotein. I observed several amino acid changes in functional domains of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, as well as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the 3’ non-coding region (NCR) of the S-segment. To identify whether virus adaptation would occur within the S- and L-segments we attempted to adapt hantaviruses in vitro in a spillover host model through passaging experiments. In early passages we identified few mutations in the M-segment with the majority being identified in the S-segment 3’ NCR and the L-segment. This work suggests that hantavirus adaptation occurs in the S- and L-segments although the effect of these mutants on pathology is yet to be determined. While sequencing laboratory isolates is easily accomplished, sequencing low concentrations of virus within the reservoir is a formidable task. I further translated our amplicon-based WGS approach into a pan-oligonucleotide amplicon-based WGS approach to sequence hantavirus vRNA and mRNA from reservoir and spillover hosts in Ukraine. This approach successfully identified a novel Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) strain in Ukraine and using Bayesian phylogenetics we found this strain to be associated with the PUUV Latvian lineage. Early during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, I applied the knowledge gained in the hantavirus WGS efforts to sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 from nasopharyngeal swabs collected in April 2020. The genetic diversity of 45 SARS-CoV-2 isolates was evaluated with the methods I developed. We identified D614G, a notable mutation known for increasing transmission, in over 90% of our isolates. Two major lineages distinguish SARS-CoV-2 variants worldwide, lineages A and B. While most of our isolates were found within B lineage, we also identified one isolate within lineage A. We performed in vitro work which confirmed A lineage isolates as having poor replication in the trachea as compared to the nasal cavity. Five of these isolates presented a unique array of mutations which were assessed in the keratin 18 human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (K18-hACE2) mouse model for its response immunologically and pathogenically. We identified a distinction of pathogenesis between the A and B lineages with emphysema being common amongst A lineage isolates. Additionally, we discovered a small cohort of likely SNPs that defined the late induction of eosinophils during infection. In summary, this work will further define the dynamics of genetic variation and plasticity within virus populations that cause disease outbreaks and will allow a deeper understanding of the virus-host relationship.


2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tse H. Koh ◽  
Nurdyana Binte Abdul Rahman ◽  
Jeanette W. P. Teo ◽  
My-Van La ◽  
Balamurugan Periaswamy ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Whole-genome sequencing was performed on 16 isolates of the carbapenemase-producing Enterobacter cloacae complex to determine the flanking regions of bla IMI-type genes. Phylogenetic analysis of multilocus sequence typing (MLST) targets separated the isolates into 4 clusters. The bla IMI-type genes were all found on Xer-dependent integrative mobile elements (IMEX). The IMEX elements of 5 isolates were similar to those described in Canada, while the remainder were novel. Five isolates had IMEX elements lacking a resolvase and recombinase.


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