scholarly journals Serological Screening of Influenza A Virus Antibodies in Cats and Dogs Indicates Frequent Infection with Different Subtypes

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shan Zhao ◽  
Nancy Schuurman ◽  
Malte Tieke ◽  
Berit Quist ◽  
Steven Zwinkels ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza A ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Serological Screening ◽  
H1n1 Outbreak

ABSTRACT Influenza A viruses (IAVs) infect humans and a variety of other animal species. Infections with some subtypes of IAV were also reported in domestic cats and dogs. In addition to animal health implications, close contact between companion animals and humans also poses a potential risk of zoonotic IAV infections. In this study, serum samples from different cat and dog cohorts were analyzed for IAV antibodies against seven IAV subtypes, using three distinctive IAV-specific assays differing in IAV subtype-specific discriminatory power and sensitivity. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays against the complete hemagglutinin (HA) ectodomain or the HA1 domain were used, as well as a novel nanoparticle-based, virus-free hemagglutination inhibition assay. Using these three assays, we found cat and dog sera from different cohorts to be positive for antibodies against one or more IAV subtypes and/or strains. Cat and dog serum samples collected after the 2009 pandemic H1N1 outbreak exhibit much higher seropositivity against H1 compared to samples from before 2009. Cat sera, furthermore, displayed higher reactivity for avian IAVs than dog sera. Our findings show the added value of using complementary serological assays, which are based on reactivity with different numbers of HA epitopes, to study IAV antibody responses and for improved serosurveillance of IAV infections. We conclude that infection of cats and dogs with both human and avian IAVs of different subtypes is prevalent. These observations highlight the role of cats and dogs in IAV ecology and indicate the potential of these companion animals to give rise to novel (reassorted) viruses with increased zoonotic potential.

scholarly journals Are Animals a Neglected Transmission Route of SARS-CoV-2?

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Hernández ◽  
David Abad ◽  
José María Eiros ◽  
David Rodríguez-Lázaro
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Epidemiological Surveillance ◽  
Epidemiological Evidence ◽  
Exotic Animals ◽  
Animal Management ◽  
Animal Infection ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
Exotic Animal

Little information on the SARS-CoV-2 virus in animals is available to date. Whereas no one husbandry animal case has been reported to date, which would have significant implications in food safety, companion animals play a role in COVID-19 epidemiology that opens up new questions. There is evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can infect felines, dogs and minks, and there is evidence of human-to-animal infection. Likewise, the S protein nucleotide sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus isolated in domestic animals and humans is identical, and the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 in cats is efficient. Besides, the epidemiological evidence for this current pandemic indicates that the spillover to humans was associated with close contact between man and exotic animals, very probably in Chinese wet markets, thus there is a growing general consensus that the exotic animal markets, should be strictly regulated. The examination of these findings and the particular role of animals in COVID-19 should be carefully analyzed in order to establish preparation and containment measures. Animal management and epidemiological surveillance must be also considered for COVID-19 control, and it can open up new questions regarding COVID-19 epidemiology and the role that animals play in it.

scholarly journals Eco-Epidemiological Evidence of the Transmission of Avian and Human Influenza A Viruses in Wild Pigs in Campeche, Mexico

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 528
Author(s):  
Brenda Aline Maya-Badillo ◽  
Rafael Ojeda-Flores ◽  
Andrea Chaves ◽  
Saul Reveles-Félix ◽  
Guillermo Orta-Pineda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza A ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Fragmented Habitats ◽  
Wild Pigs ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Influenza Transmission ◽  
Human Viruses ◽  
Positive Results

Influenza, a zoonosis caused by various influenza A virus subtypes, affects a wide range of species, including humans. Pig cells express both sialyl-α-2,3-Gal and sialyl-α-2,6-Gal receptors, which make them susceptible to infection by avian and human viruses, respectively. To date, it is not known whether wild pigs in Mexico are affected by influenza virus subtypes, nor whether this would make them a potential risk of influenza transmission to humans. In this work, 61 hogs from two municipalities in Campeche, Mexico, were sampled. Hemagglutination inhibition assays were performed in 61 serum samples, and positive results were found for human H1N1 (11.47%), swine H1N1 (8.19%), and avian H5N2 (1.63%) virus variants. qRT-PCR assays were performed on the nasal swab, tracheal, and lung samples, and 19.67% of all hogs were positive to these assays. An avian H5N2 virus, first reported in 1994, was identified by sequencing. Our results demonstrate that wild pigs are participating in the exposure, transmission, maintenance, and possible diversification of influenza viruses in fragmented habitats, highlighting the synanthropic behavior of this species, which has been poorly studied in Mexico.

scholarly journals Occurrence of Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in the Domestic Cat Population of Germany

Vaccines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 772
Author(s):  
Anna Michelitsch ◽  
Donata Hoffmann ◽  
Kerstin Wernike ◽  
Martin Beer
Keyword(s):  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Cross Reactivity ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Domestic Cat ◽  
Domestic Cats ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Transmission Cycle

Domestic cats (Felis catus) are popular companion animals that live in close contact with their human owners. Therefore, the risk of a trans-species spreading event between domestic cats and humans is ever-present. Shortly after the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its rapid spread around the world, the role of domestic cats in the transmission cycle was questioned. In the present study, the first large-scale survey of antibody occurrence in the domestic cat population in Germany was conducted, in order to assess the incidence of naturally occurring human to cat transmission of SARS-CoV-2. A total of 920 serum samples, which were collected from April to September of 2020, were screened by an indirect multispecies ELISA. Positive samples were verified using an indirect immunofluorescence test (iIFT) and additionally tested for neutralizing antibodies. Furthermore, serum samples were screened for antibodies against feline coronavirus (FCoV), in order to rule out cross-reactivity in the described test systems. Overall, 0.69% (6/920) of serum samples were found to be positive for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 by ELISA and iIFT. Two of these reactive sera also displayed neutralizing antibodies. No cross-reactivity with FCoV-specific antibodies was observed. The finding of SARS-CoV-2 antibody-positive serum samples in the domestic cat population of Germany, during a period when the incidence of human infection in the country was still rather low, indicates that human-to-cat transmission of SARS-CoV-2 happens, but there is no indication of SARS-CoV-2 circulation in cats.

scholarly journals The Role of Bcl-xL Protein Research in Veterinary Oncology

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 2511
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Pawlak ◽  
Marta Henklewska
Keyword(s):  
B Cell ◽  
Cell Lymphoma ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
B Cell Lymphoma ◽  
Medicine Research ◽  
Cancer Pathogenesis ◽  
Current State ◽  
Protein Research

Due to their significant impact on human and animal health, cancer diseases are an area of considerable concern for both human and veterinary medicine. Research on the cancer pathogenesis in companion animals, such as dogs, allows not only for improving canine cancer treatment, but also for translating the results into human oncology. Disruption of apoptosis in tumor-transformed cells is a well-known mechanism leading to the development of cancer. One of the main factors involved in this process are proteins belonging to the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family, and the imbalance between pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic members of this family contributes to the development of cancer. Studies on the function of these proteins, including B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL), have also been intensively conducted in companion animals. The Bcl-xL gene was sequenced and found to share over 99% homology with the human protein. Research showed that the Bcl-2 family plays the same role in human and canine cells, and data from studies in dogs are fully translatable to other species, including humans. The role of this protein family in cancer development was also confirmed. The article presents the current state of knowledge on the importance of the Bcl-xL protein in veterinary oncology.

scholarly journals Evidence of Sharing ofKlebsiella pneumoniaeStrains between Healthy Companion Animals and Cohabiting Humans

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cátia Marques ◽  
Adriana Belas ◽  
Catarina Aboim ◽  
Patrícia Cavaco-Silva ◽  
Graça Trigueiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Susceptibility ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Sequence Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Healthy Humans ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
Healthy Participants

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to characterize the fecal colonization and sharing ofKlebsiella pneumoniaestrains between companion animals and humans living in close contact. Fecal samples were collected from 50 healthy participants (24 humans, 18 dogs, and 8 cats) belonging to 18 households. Samples were plated onto MacConkey agar (MCK) plates with and without cefotaxime or meropenem supplementation. Up to fiveK. pneumoniaecolonies per participant were compared by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) after XbaI restriction.K. pneumoniaestrains with unique pulse types from each participant were characterized for antimicrobial susceptibility, virulence genes, and multilocus sequence type (MLST). FecalK. pneumoniaepulse types were compared to those of clinicalK. pneumoniaestrains from animal and human patients with urinary tract infections (n = 104).K. pneumoniaecolonization was detected in nonsupplemented MCK in around 38% of dogs (n = 7) and humans (n = 9).K. pneumoniaestrains isolated from dogs belonged to sequence type 17 (ST17), ST188, ST252, ST281, ST423, ST1093, ST1241, ST3398, and ST3399. None of theK. pneumoniaestrains were multidrug resistant or hypervirulent. Two households included multiple colonized participants. Notably, two colonized dogs within household 15 (H15) shared a strain each (ST252 and ST1241) with one coliving human. One dog from H16 shared one PFGE-undistinguishableK. pneumoniaeST17 strain with two humans from different households; however, the antimicrobial susceptibility phenotypes of these three strains differed. Two main virulence genotypes were detected, namelyfimH-1 mrkD ycfM entB kfuandfimH-1 mrkD ycfM entB kpn. These results highlight the potential role of dogs as a reservoir ofK. pneumoniaeto humans and vice versa. Furthermore, to our best knowledge, this is the first report of healthy humans and dogs sharingK. pneumoniaestrains that were undistinguishable by PFGE/MLST.

scholarly journals The enigma of the apparent disappearance of Eurasian highly pathogenic H5 clade 2.3.4.4 influenza A viruses in North American waterfowl

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (32) ◽  
pp. 9033-9038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Krauss ◽  
David E. Stallknecht ◽  
Richard D. Slemons ◽  
Andrew S. Bowman ◽  
Rebecca L. Poulson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Wild Bird ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Highly Pathogenic

One of the major unresolved questions in influenza A virus (IAV) ecology is exemplified by the apparent disappearance of highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1, H5N2, and H5N8 (H5Nx) viruses containing the Eurasian hemagglutinin 2.3.4.4 clade from wild bird populations in North America. The introduction of Eurasian lineage HP H5 clade 2.3.4.4 H5N8 IAV and subsequent reassortment with low-pathogenic H?N2 and H?N1 North American wild bird-origin IAVs in late 2014 resulted in widespread HP H5Nx IAV infections and outbreaks in poultry and wild birds across two-thirds of North America starting in November 2014 and continuing through June 2015. Although the stamping out strategies adopted by the poultry industry and animal health authorities in Canada and the United States—which included culling, quarantining, increased biosecurity, and abstention from vaccine use—were successful in eradicating the HP H5Nx viruses from poultry, these activities do not explain the apparent disappearance of these viruses from migratory waterfowl. Here we examine current and historical aquatic bird IAV surveillance and outbreaks of HP H5Nx in poultry in the United States and Canada, providing additional evidence of unresolved mechanisms that restrict the emergence and perpetuation of HP avian influenza viruses in these natural reservoirs.

scholarly journals Kinetics, Longevity, and Cross-Reactivity of Antineuraminidase Antibody after Natural Infection with Influenza A Viruses

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Don Changsom ◽  
Li Jiang ◽  
Hatairat Lerdsamran ◽  
Sopon Iamsirithaworn ◽  
Rungrueng Kitphati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza A ◽  
Reverse Genetics ◽  
H1n1 Virus ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Seroconversion Rate ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Cross Reactivity ◽  
Plasma Samples ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Serum Samples

ABSTRACT The kinetics, longevity, and breadth of antibodies to influenza virus neuraminidase (NA) in archival, sequential serum/plasma samples from influenza A virus (IAV) H5N1 infection survivors and from patients infected with the 2009 pandemic IAV (H1N1) virus were determined using an enzyme-linked lectin-based assay. The reverse-genetics-derived H4N1 viruses harboring a hemagglutinin (HA) segment from A/duck/Shan Tou/461/2000 (H4N9) and an NA segment derived from either IAV H5N1 clade 1, IAV H5N1 clade 2.3.4, the 2009 pandemic IAV (H1N1) (H1N1pdm), or A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (H1N1) virus were used as the test antigens. These serum/plasma samples were also investigated by microneutralization (MN) and/or hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays. Neuraminidase-inhibiting (NI) antibodies against N1 NA of both homologous and heterologous viruses were observed in H5N1 survivors and H1N1pdm patients. H5N1 survivors who were never exposed to H1N1pdm virus developed NI antibodies to H1N1pdm NA. Seroconversion of NI antibodies was observed in 65% of the H1N1pdm patients at day 7 after disease onset, but an increase in titer was not observed in serum samples obtained late in infection. On the other hand, an increase in seroconversion rate with the HI assay was observed in the follow-up series of sera obtained on days 7, 14, 28, and 90 after infection. The study also showed that NI antibodies are broadly reactive, while MN and HI antibodies are more strain specific.

scholarly journals Wild Birds in Live Birds Markets: Potential Reservoirs of Enzootic Avian Influenza Viruses and Antimicrobial Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Northern Egypt

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nehal M. Nabil ◽  
Ahmed M. Erfan ◽  
Maram M. Tawakol ◽  
Naglaa M. Haggag ◽  
Mahmoud M. Naguib ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza A ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Wild Birds ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Northern Coast ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Ha Gene ◽  
Live Bird

Wild migratory birds are often implicated in the introduction, maintenance, and global dissemination of different pathogens, such as influenza A viruses (IAV) and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria. Trapping of migratory birds during their resting periods at the northern coast of Egypt is a common and ancient practice performed mainly for selling in live bird markets (LBM). In the present study, samples were collected from 148 wild birds, representing 14 species, which were being offered for sale in LBM. All birds were tested for the presence of AIV and enterobacteriaceae. Ten samples collected from Northern Shoveler birds (Spatula clypeata) were positive for IAV and PCR sub-typing and pan HA/NA sequencing assays detected H5N8, H9N2, and H6N2 viruses in four, four, and one birds, respectively. Sequencing of the full haemagglutinin (HA) gene revealed a high similarity with currently circulating IAV in Egypt. From all the birds, E. coli was recovered from 37.2% and Salmonella from 20.2%, with 66–96% and 23–43% isolates being resistant to at least one of seven selected critically important antimicrobials (CIA), respectively. The presence of enzootic IAV and the wide prevalence of AMR enterobacteriaceae in wild birds highlight the potential role of LBM in the spread of different pathogens from and to wild birds. Continued surveillance of both AIV and antimicrobial-resistant enterobacteriaceae in wild birds’ habitats is urgently needed.

scholarly journals Method comparison of targeted influenza A virus typing and whole-genome sequencing from respiratory specimens of companion animals

2020 ◽  
pp. 104063872093387
Author(s):  
Patrick K. Mitchell ◽  
Brittany D. Cronk ◽  
Ian E. H. Voorhees ◽  
Derek Rothenheber ◽  
Renee R. Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Whole Genome Sequencing ◽  
Genome Sequencing ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
The United States ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Respiratory Specimens

Epidemics of H3N8 and H3N2 influenza A viruses (IAVs) in dogs, along with recognition of spillover infections from IAV strains typically found in humans or other animals, have emphasized the importance of efficient laboratory testing. Given the lack of active IAV surveillance or immunization requirements for dogs, cats, or horses imported into the United States, serotype prediction and whole-genome sequencing of positive specimens detected at veterinary diagnostic laboratories are also needed. The conserved sequences at the ends of the viral genome segments facilitate universal amplification of all segments of viral genomes directly from respiratory specimens. Although several methods for genomic analysis have been reported, no optimization focusing on companion animal strains has been described, to our knowledge. We compared 2 sets of published universal amplification primers using 26 IAV-positive specimens from dogs, horses, and a cat. Libraries prepared from the resulting amplicons were sequenced using Illumina chemistry, and reference-based assemblies were generated from the data produced by both methods. Although both methods produced high-quality data, coverage profiles and base calling differed between the 2 methods. The sequence data were also used to identify the subtype of the IAV strains sequenced and then compared to standard PCR assays for neuraminidase types N2 and N8.

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