scholarly journals The Causal Relationship between Eating Animals and Viral Epidemics

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (1-6) ◽  
pp. 2-8
Author(s):  
Bhaskara L. Reddy ◽  
Milton H., Jr. Saier
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Causal Relationship ◽  
Plant Virus ◽  
Prion Diseases ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Vegetarian Diet ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Host Organism ◽  
Animal Host ◽  
Relative Ease

For decades it has been known that infectious agents including pathogenic protozoans, bacteria, and viruses, adapted to a particular animal host, can mutate to gain the ability to infect another host, and the mechanisms involved have been studied in great detail. Although an infectious agent in one animal can alter its host range with relative ease, no example of a plant virus changing its host organism to an animal has been documented. One prevalent pathway for the transmission of infectious agents between hosts involves ingestion of the flesh of one organism by another. In this article we document numerous examples of viral and prion diseases transmitted by eating animals. We suggest that the occurrence of cross-species viral epidemics can be substantially reduced by shifting to a more vegetarian diet and enforcing stricter laws that ban the slaughter and trade of wild and endangered species.

scholarly journals INFECTIONS AND FOLLICULAR LYMPHOMA: IS THERE A LINK?

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e2017035
Author(s):  
Francesco Zallio ◽  
Giulia Limberti ◽  
Marco Ladetto
Keyword(s):  
Follicular Lymphoma ◽  
B Cell ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Classical Model ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Gastric Malt Lymphoma ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Non Hodgkin Lymphoma ◽  
Treatment And Prevention

Several infectious agents appear to provide a proliferative signal -- “antigen-drive” – that  could be implicated in the pathogenesis of various type of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL). A classical model of infection-driven lymphoprolipherative disorder is Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric MALT lymphoma, where antibiotic therapy allows eradication of both the infectious agent and the clonal B-cell expansion;  following the footsteps of these example, several retrospective studies have found a correlation with other pathogens and B-cell Lymphomas, adding new important informations about pathogenesis and laying the groundwork for chemotherapy-free treatments.Although no clear association with infectious agents has yet been identified for Follicular Lymphoma (FL), a growing number of biological and clinical observations suggests that interaction with physiological and pathological microbial populations might play a role also in this subtype of lymphoma: in the last years epidemiological studies investigating the association of known risk factors and FL found a potential correlation with viral or bacterial infections; moreover recent findings about the stimulation of FL clones support the importance of microbial exposure to lymphomagenesis and disease progression.In the following review we make an attempt to find tangible evidences in favor of a role of either physiological and pathological exogenous microbial species in the pathogenesis of FL, and try to integrate the findings coming from epidemiological, biological and interventional studies to define future  novel treatment and prevention strategies for FL.

Prions: Protein Aggregation and Infectious Diseases

2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 1105-1152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriano Aguzzi ◽  
Anna Maria Calella
Keyword(s):  
Protein Aggregation ◽  
Prion Diseases ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Normal Function ◽  
Cellular Prion Protein ◽  
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies ◽  
Pathological Features ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathies

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are inevitably lethal neurodegenerative diseases that affect humans and a large variety of animals. The infectious agent responsible for TSEs is the prion, an abnormally folded and aggregated protein that propagates itself by imposing its conformation onto the cellular prion protein (PrPC) of the host. PrPCis necessary for prion replication and for prion-induced neurodegeneration, yet the proximal causes of neuronal injury and death are still poorly understood. Prion toxicity may arise from the interference with the normal function of PrPC, and therefore, understanding the physiological role of PrPCmay help to clarify the mechanism underlying prion diseases. Here we discuss the evolution of the prion concept and how prion-like mechanisms may apply to other protein aggregation diseases. We describe the clinical and the pathological features of the prion diseases in human and animals, the events occurring during neuroinvasion, and the possible scenarios underlying brain damage. Finally, we discuss potential antiprion therapies and current developments in the realm of prion diagnostics.

Infectious animal disease and its control

1985 ◽  
Vol 310 (1144) ◽  
pp. 259-274 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Genetic Constitution ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Local Farm ◽  
Technological Opportunities ◽  
Density Population ◽  
Methods Of Control

The control of infectious diseases in the main food-producing animals is considered and the main factors involved in the epizootiology of disease are presented. The properties of infectious agents and their natural history together with factors that influence the spread and development of disease are summarized. The factors in intensive animal husbandry that affect the occurrence of infectious disease and its control are considered. These include population density, population movement, management, hygiene and genetic constitution of the host. They encourage the appearance of new diseases, changes in the character of established diseases and the development of pathogenicity in infectious agents that were previously of no importance. Intensive animal husbandry has also increased the importance of multifactorial disease, which includes diseases that require more than one infectious agent or one or more infectious agents plus other factors for their cause. The methods of control of infectious disease currently available are described and the success and difficulties of their control on a global, national and local (farm or enterprise) basis are considered. Examples of diseases of global importance where national and world programmes of control and eradication have been of varying success are described. Examples of diseases that are enzootic throughout the world and the procedures used for their control are also described. The technological opportunities for the improvement of the control of infectious disease in the future are discussed. It is considered that developments in molecular biology and immunology will provide improvements in diagnostic tools and will revolutionize the development of animal resistance to disease and the production and use of vaccines.

scholarly journals Hydrogen Peroxide Gas and Ozone Gas Synergistically Inactivate Prion Infectivity on Stainless Steel Wire

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideyuki Hara ◽  
Junji Chida ◽  
Agriani Dini Pasiana ◽  
Keiji Uchiyama ◽  
Yutaka Kikuchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Peroxide ◽  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Prion Diseases ◽  
Steel Wire ◽  
Mouse Bioassay ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Mixed Gas ◽  
Prion Infectivity ◽  
Steel Wires ◽  
Medical Instruments

Abstract Prions are infectious agents causing prion diseases, which include Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD) in humans. Several cases have been reported to be transmitted through medical instruments that were used for preclinical CJD patients, raising public health concerns on iatrogenic transmissions of the disease. Since preclinical CJD patients are currently difficult to identify, medical instruments need to be adequately sterilized not to transmit the disease. In this study, we investigated the sterilizing activity of two oxidizing gases, ozone gas and hydrogen peroxide gas, against prions fixed on stainless steel wires using a mouse bioassay. Mice intracerebrally implanted with prion-contaminated stainless steel wires treated with ozone gas or hydrogen peroxide gas developed prion disease later than those implanted with control prion-contaminated stainless steel wires, indicating that ozone gas and hydrogen peroxide gas could reduce prion infectivity on wires. Incubation times were further elongated in mice implanted with prion-contaminated stainless steel wires treated with ozone and hydrogen peroxide-mixed gas, indicating that ozone-mixed hydrogen peroxide gas inactivates prions on these wires more potently than ozone gas or hydrogen peroxide gas. Taken together, these results suggest that ozone-mixed hydrogen peroxide gas may be useful for prion sterilization of medical instruments.

scholarly journals Residues Surrounding the Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Anchor Attachment Site of PrP Modulate Prion Infection: Insight from the Resistance of Rabbits to Prion Disease

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (13) ◽  
pp. 6678-6686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca M. Nisbet ◽  
Christopher F. Harrison ◽  
Victoria A. Lawson ◽  
Colin L. Masters ◽  
Roberto Cappai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Prion Diseases ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Attachment Site ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Cellular Prion Protein ◽  
Gpi Anchor ◽  
Prion Infection ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Terminal Amino

ABSTRACT Prion diseases are a group of transmissible, invariably fatal neurodegenerative diseases that affect both humans and animals. According to the protein-only hypothesis, the infectious agent is a prion (proteinaceous infectious particle) that is composed primarily of PrPSc, the disease-associated isoform of the cellular prion protein, PrP. PrPSc arises from the conformational change of the normal, glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein, PrPC. The mechanism by which this process occurs, however, remains enigmatic. Rabbits are one of a small number of mammalian species reported to be resistant to prion infection. Sequence analysis of rabbit PrP revealed that its C-terminal amino acids differ from those of PrP from other mammals and may affect the anchoring of rabbit PrP through its GPI anchor. Using a cell culture model, this study investigated the effect of the rabbit PrP-specific C-terminal amino acids on the addition of the GPI anchor to PrPC, PrPC localization, and PrPSc formation. The incorporation of rabbit-specific C-terminal PrP residues into mouse PrP did not affect the addition of a GPI anchor or the localization of PrP. However, these residues did inhibit PrPSc formation, suggesting that these rabbit-specific residues interfere with a C-terminal PrPSc interaction site.

Viroids in Australian Citrus: Relationship to Exocortis, Cachexia and Citrus Dwarfing

1991 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 559 ◽  
Author(s):  
MR Gillings ◽  
P Broadbent ◽  
BI Gollnow
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Causal Relationship ◽  
Electrophoretic Analysis ◽  
Causal Agent ◽  
Lower Molecular Weight ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Trifoliate Orange ◽  
Stunt Viroid ◽  
Hop Stunt Viroid ◽  
Tree Performance

Viroids are the smallest infectious agents known, being unencapsidated RNAs of 240-380 bases. Citrus exocortis viroid (CEV) causes poor tree performance, especially when infected scions are grafted to trifoliate orange or citrange rootstocks. To eliminate infected budwood trees, various methods were used to detect CEV, including field inspections, bud inoculation of Etrog citron indicators (in which CEV causes severe epinasty) and hybridisation with CEV cDNA. A large number of trees with exocortis- like symptoms such as dwarfing and/or bud union abnormalities produced only mild epinasty when grafted on Etrog citron and did not hybridise to the CEV probe. Upon purification and electrophoretic analysis, the presence of viroids other than CEV was demonstrated. Screening of over 1800 trees resulted in the detection of four groups of viroids as determined by RNA homology and length in nucleotides. CEV was the only member of the first group and was the largest viroid detected, with 371 bases. CEV almost invariably occurred with other viroids of lower molecular weight. The second group, CV I, contained two viroids, of 325 and 332 bases, which were not homologous to CEV or hop stunt viroid (HSVd). Group CV II contained three viroids, of 297, 299 and 302 bases, all of which were homologous to HSVd. The CV III group contained two viroids, of 290 and 295 bases, which were not homologous to CEV or HSVd. The CV II and CV III groups were strongly associated with various field symptoms, including the disease cachexia (CV IIb), and dwarfing of trees on trifoliate orange rootstock. To confirm any causal relationship between individual viroids and field symptoms, viroids representative of each group were purified and used to inoculate Etrog citron. Tissue from these citrons was used to inoculate young field trees with viroids, singly and in combination. Parson's Special mandarin inoculated with CV IIb showed symptoms of cachexia after 2 years, confirming CV IIb as a causal agent of this disease. It will probably be 5 years before the effect of other inoculations can be assessed.

Hospitalization after prostate biopsy in Iceland: Results from a nationwide study.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 113-113
Author(s):  
Birgitta Ólafsdóttir ◽  
Rafn Hilmarsson ◽  
Jon Orn Fridriksson ◽  
Sigurdur Gudmundsson ◽  
Sigurdur Gudjonsson
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Prostate Biopsy ◽  
Transrectal Ultrasound ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Primary Outcome Measure ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Prostate Biopsies ◽  
Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance

113 Background: The best method to confirm prostate cancer diagnosis is by performing a transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy. This procedure does not come without risks as international reports suggest that frequency of hospitalization after biopsy are increasing. This study aimed to estimate incidence and risk factors for hospitalization after prostate biopsy in Iceland. Methods: Every patient in Iceland who had undergone a prostate biopsy during the years 2013-2017 was included in the study. Primary outcome measure was hospitalization within fifteen days from the biopsy. We also studied the type of infectious agents and resistance to ciprofloxacin or trimethoprim. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors for hospitalization. Results: Of 2076 men who had prostate biopsies 59 (2.8%) were hospitalized within fifteen days. Of these men 45 (76.3%) were hospitalized because of infection, 6 (10.2%) were hospitalized because of bleeding and 8 (13.5%) were hospitalized for other reasons. Risk factor for hospitalization was higher age (OR 1.06 p < 0.001). An antibiotic prescription within 6 months of biopsy was a protecting factor (OR 0.57 p = 0.04). E.coli was the most common infectious agent (73.3%). Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus dysgalactiae where other agents. Of those admitted to hospital with infection 57.1% of the agents were resistant to ciprofloxacin and 54% to trimethoprim. 31.4% of the infectious agents were resistant to both antibiotics. Conclusions: Despite the invasive nature of the procedure and increasing bacterial antibiotic resistance the rate of hospitalization was relatively low (2.8%). Antibiotic resistance to ciprofloxacin or trimethoprim might prompt a change in common prophylactic practice and a need for new clinical practice guidelines in Iceland.

Prion Dissemination through the Environment and Medical Practices: Facts and Risks for Human Health

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Pritzkow ◽  
Damian Gorski ◽  
Frank Ramirez ◽  
Claudio Soto
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽  
Prion Diseases ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Misfolded Protein ◽  
Medical Practices

Prion diseases are a group of fatal, infectious neurodegenerative disorders affecting various species of mammals, including humans. The infectious agent in these diseases, termed prion, is composed exclusively of a misfolded protein that can spread and multiply in the absence of genetic materials.

Survey of beef bulls in Brazil to assess their role as source of infectious agents related to cow infertility

2021 ◽  
pp. 104063872110506
Author(s):  
Silvia D. Carli ◽  
Maria E. Dias ◽  
Maria E. R. J. da Silva ◽  
Gabriela M. Breyer ◽  
Franciele M. Siqueira
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Etiologic Agent ◽  
Single Infection ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Etiologic Agents ◽  
Fetus Subsp ◽  
Cattle Herds ◽  
Cattle Farms ◽  
Calving Intervals

Poor reproductive performance in beef cattle caused by infectious agents results in major financial losses as a result of reduced pregnancy rates and extended calving intervals. Bulls can be subclinical chronic carriers of bacterial and protozoal agents involved in cow infertility, such as Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis, Ureaplasma diversum, Mycoplasma bovigenitalium, Mycoplasma bovis, and Tritrichomonas foetus. Bulls harbor these microorganisms in their preputial crypts and transmit the agents to cows during natural mating. To obtain an overview of the etiologic agents in the preputial mucus of bulls, we aimed to identify, by PCR assay, C. fetus subsp. venerealis, M. bovis, U. diversum, M. bovigenitalium, and T. foetus in Brazilian bulls from farms with high infertility rates. We collected preputial mucus from 210 bulls on 18 beef cattle farms in Brazil between 2019 and 2020. We found at least one of the infectious agents that we were studying in bulls on 16 of the 18 beef cattle farms tested. We detected at least one infectious agent from 159 of 210 (76%) bulls tested, namely C. fetus subsp. venerealis, M. bovis, U. diversum, M. bovigenitalium, and T. foetus in 87 (55%), 84 (53%), 45 (28%), 28 (18%), and 1 (0.6%) animal, respectively. We found 95 bulls (60%) positive for only 1 etiologic agent (single infection) and 64 bulls (40%) carried multiple agents. Our results demonstrate the occurrence of bacterial and protozoal infectious agents that may be related to infertility in Brazilian beef cattle herds.

Observations on two infectious agents found within the rootlets of the parasitic barnacle, Sacculina carcini

2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.D. Russell ◽  
G. Walker ◽  
R. Woollen
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Carcinus Maenas ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Shore Crab ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Sacculina Carcini ◽  
The Common ◽  
Respective Host

Two types of infectious agent within rootlet cells of the parasitic barnacle, Sacculina carcini have been recognized by transmission electron microscopy. The rootlets were dissected from the common shore crab, Carcinus maenas, collected from two locales—Plymouth and Pwllheli. Yeast cells were identified within cells of S. carcini rootlets from crabs collected at both locations and an iridovirus was also found, but only in rootlets from Plymouth crabs. These infectious agents were never found co-occurring in the rootlets from Plymouth crabs. Both agents, when present in rootlets, were also present in the respective host crab tissues. It is therefore concluded that S. carcini rootlets are susceptible to invasion from natural infectious agents of the host crab.

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