scholarly journals Serological and molecular analysis of feline vector-borne anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis using species-specific peptides and PCR

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara C. Hegarty ◽  
Barbara A. Qurollo ◽  
Brittany Thomas ◽  
Karen Park ◽  
Ramaswamy Chandrashekar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Analysis ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Species Specific

scholarly journals Detection of Canine Vector-Borne Filariasis and Their Wolbachia Endosymbionts in French Guiana

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 770 ◽  
Author(s):  
Younes Laidoudi ◽  
Jean-Lou Marié ◽  
Djamel Tahir ◽  
Stéphanie Watier-Grillot ◽  
Oleg Mediannikov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
French Guiana ◽  
Virulent Strain ◽  
Sequencing Analysis ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Cercopithifilaria Bainae ◽  
Canine Heartworm Disease ◽  
Clade C ◽  
Acanthocheilonema Reconditum ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Species Specific

In French Guiana, canine heartworm disease is well known, but the diversity of filarial parasites of dogs remains largely unknown. A total of 98 canine blood samples from Cayenne and Kourou were assessed by a blood wet mount preparation, heartworm antigen test and molecular exploration of filarioid and Wolbachia DNAs, followed by a multiplex species-specific qPCR’s identification and a subsequent sequencing analysis. Thereafter, a phylogeny based on maximum likelihood was carried out to facilitate specific identification. Five dogs were microfilaremic. Heartworm antigens were detected in 15 (15.3%) dogs. Of these, six (6.1%) were considered as occult infections as neither microfilariae nor Dirofilaria immitis DNA were detected. The 11 (11.2%) D. immitis isolates corresponded to a low virulent strain. Six of the D. immitis isolates were positive for Wolbachia endosymbionts of D. immitis belonging to the clade C DNA. Acanthocheilonema reconditum DNA was detected in 3 (3.1%) samples. Of these latter, one was found co-infected with the Brugia sp. genotype and the DNA of the clade D of the Wolbachia endosymbiont of Brugia species. This latter was also detected in two filarioid DNA-free samples. Finally, two samples were positive for Cercopithifilaria bainae genotype, which is distinct from those identified in Europe. The present study highlights the urgent need to implement chemoprophylaxis associated with anti-Wolbachia drugs to control these potential zoonoses.

scholarly journals Rapid ageing and species identification of natural mosquitoes for malaria surveillance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doreen J. Siria ◽  
Roger Sanou ◽  
Joshua Mitton ◽  
Emmanuel P. Mwanga ◽  
Abdoulaye Niang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Malaria Vectors ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Malaria Surveillance ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe malaria parasite, which is transmitted by several Anopheles mosquito species, requires more time to reach its human-transmissible stage than the average lifespan of a mosquito. Monitoring the species-specific age structure of mosquito populations is critical to evaluating the impact of vector control interventions on malaria risk. We developed a rapid, cost-effective surveillance method based on deep learning of mid-infrared spectra of mosquitoes’ cuticle that simultaneously identifies the species and the age of three main malaria vectors, in natural populations. Using over 40,000 ecologically and genetically diverse females, we could speciate and age grade An. gambiae, An. arabiensis, and An. coluzzii with up to 95% accuracy. Further, our model learned the age of new populations with minimal sampling effort and detected the impact of control interventions on simulated mosquito populations, measured as a shift in their age structures. We anticipate our method to be applied to other arthropod vector-borne diseases.

scholarly journals The Genome of the Great Gerbil Reveals Species-Specific Duplication of an MHCII Gene

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 3832-3849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pernille Nilsson ◽  
Monica H Solbakken ◽  
Boris V Schmid ◽  
Russell J S Orr ◽  
Ruichen Lv ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Families ◽  
Meriones Unguiculatus ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Great Gerbil ◽  
Main Host ◽  
Rhombomys Opimus ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
Genome Assemblies

Abstract The great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) is a social rodent living in permanent, complex burrow systems distributed throughout Central Asia, where it serves as the main host of several important vector-borne infectious pathogens including the well-known plague bacterium (Yersinia pestis). Here, we present a continuous annotated genome assembly of the great gerbil, covering over 96% of the estimated 2.47-Gb genome. Taking advantage of the recent genome assemblies of the sand rat (Psammomys obesus) and the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), comparative immunogenomic analyses reveal shared gene losses within TLR gene families (i.e., TLR8, TLR10, and the entire TLR11-subfamily) for Gerbillinae, accompanied with signs of diversifying selection of TLR7 and TLR9. Most notably, we find a great gerbil-specific duplication of the MHCII DRB locus. In silico analyses suggest that the duplicated gene provides high peptide binding affinity for Yersiniae epitopes as well as Leishmania and Leptospira epitopes, putatively leading to increased capability to withstand infections by these pathogens. Our study demonstrates the power of whole-genome sequencing combined with comparative genomic analyses to gain deeper insight into the immunogenomic landscape of the great gerbil and its close relatives.

scholarly journals Molecular Diagnosis, Prevalence and Importance of Zoonotic Vector-Borne Pathogens in Cuban Shelter Dogs—A Preliminary Study

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 901
Author(s):  
Adrian Alberto Díaz-Sánchez ◽  
Belkis Corona-González ◽  
Marina L. Meli ◽  
Lisset Roblejo-Arias ◽  
Osvaldo Fonseca-Rodríguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Rhipicephalus Sanguineus ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽  
Rickettsia Felis ◽  
Low Genetic Diversity ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Shelter Dogs ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Species Specific

The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of zoonotic vector-borne pathogens, including Anaplasma platys, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Ehrlichia canis and Rickettsia spp. in shelter dogs from Cuba. Blood samples were collected from 100 shelter dogs and examined by molecular methods. Overall, 85 (85%; 95% CI: 77.88–92.12) dogs tested positive for at least one vector-borne pathogen using species-specific qPCR assays. Among the positive samples, E. canis was the most prevalent 62% (95% CI: 52.32–71.68), followed by A. platys 40% (95% CI: 30.23–49.77) and Rickettsia felis 27% (95% CI: 18.15–35.85), whereas 36% (95% CI: 26.43–45.57) showed co-infections. All samples were negative for A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi s.l. The presence of 248 Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks collected from the dogs was not statistically associated with the occurrence of infections. Thrombocytopenia was the most frequent haematological alteration found in PCR-positive dogs; it was statistically associated with the presence of E. canis, as well as co-infections (p < 0.05). The phylogenetic analyses of A. platys and E. canis based on 16S rRNA, groEL and gltA genes showed a low genetic diversity between Cuban strains. The present study demonstrates the high prevalence of vector-borne pathogens with zoonotic potential in shelter dogs from Cuba.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Procedures for the Collection, Processing, and Analysis of Biomolecules from Low-Biomass Surfaces

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (9) ◽  
pp. 2943-2953 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Kwan ◽  
M. Cooper ◽  
M. T. La Duc ◽  
P. Vaishampayan ◽  
C. Stam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Analysis ◽  
Distinct Species ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Sample Collection ◽  
Sampling Device ◽  
Small Surface ◽  
Cellular Density ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Species Specific

ABSTRACTTo comprehensively assess microbial diversity and abundance via molecular-analysis-based methods, procedures for sample collection, processing, and analysis were evaluated in depth. A model microbial community (MMC) of known composition, representative of a typical low-biomass surface sample, was used to examine the effects of variables in sampling matrices, target cell density/molecule concentration, and cryogenic storage on the overall efficacy of the sampling regimen. The MMC used in this study comprised 11 distinct species of bacterial, archaeal, and fungal lineages associated with either spacecraft or clean-room surfaces. A known cellular density of MMC was deposited onto stainless steel coupons, and after drying, a variety of sampling devices were used to recover cells and biomolecules. The biomolecules and cells/spores recovered from each collection device were assessed by cultivable and microscopic enumeration, and quantitative and species-specific PCR assays. rRNA gene-based quantitative PCR analysis showed that cotton swabs were superior to nylon-flocked swabs for sampling of small surface areas, and for larger surfaces, biological sampling kits significantly outperformed polyester wipes. Species-specific PCR revealed differential recovery of certain species dependent upon the sampling device employed. The results of this study empower current and future molecular-analysis-based microbial sampling and processing methodologies.

scholarly journals Plasmodium caprae infection is negatively correlated with infection of Theileria ovis and Anaplasma ovis in goats

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Hakimi ◽  
Ali Sarani ◽  
Mika Takeda ◽  
Osamu Kaneko ◽  
Masahito Asada
Keyword(s):  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Anaplasma Ovis ◽  
Diagnostic Pcr ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Theileria Lestoquardi ◽  
Single Host ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
First Time

AbstractTheileria, Babesia, and Anaplasma are tick-borne pathogens affecting livestock industries worldwide. In this study, we surveyed the presence of Babesia ovis, Theileria ovis, Theileria lestoquardi, Anaplasma ovis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Anaplasma marginale in 200 goats from 3 different districts in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran. Species-specific diagnostic PCR and sequence analysis revealed that 1.5%, 12.5%, and 80% of samples were positive for T. lestoquardi, T. ovis, and A. ovis, respectively. Co-infections of goats with up to 3 pathogens were seen in 22% of the samples. We observed a positive correlation between A. ovis and T. ovis infection. In addition, by analyzing the data with respect to Plasmodium caprae infection in these goats, a negative correlation was found between P. caprae and A. ovis and between P. caprae and T. ovis. This study contributes to understanding the epidemiology of vector-borne pathogens and their interplay in goats.ImportanceTick-borne pathogens include economically important pathogens restricting livestock farming worldwide. In endemic areas livestock are exposed to different tick species carrying various pathogens which could result in co-infection with several tick-borne pathogens in a single host. The co-infection and interaction among pathogens are important in determining the outcome of disease. Little is known about pathogen interactions in the vector and the host. In this study, we show for the first time that co-infection of P. caprae, a mosquito transmitted pathogen, with T. ovis and A. ovis. Analysis of goat blood samples revealed a positive correlation between A. ovis and T. ovis. Moreover, a negative correlation was seen between P. caprae, a mosquito transmitted pathogen, and the tick-borne pathogens T. ovis or A. ovis.

Electron Microscopy in the Study of Natural Phytoplankton Assemblages

1985 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 620-623
Author(s):  
Linda Sicko-Goad
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Aquatic Environment ◽  
Size Range ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Phytoplankton Assemblages ◽  
Phytoplankton Productivity ◽  
Ecosystem Effects ◽  
Time Of Year ◽  
Species Specific

Although the use of electron microscopy and its varied methodologies is not usually associated with ecological studies, the types of species specific information that can be generated by these techniques are often quite useful in predicting long-term ecosystem effects. The utility of these techniques is especially apparent when one considers both the size range of particles found in the aquatic environment and the complexity of the phytoplankton assemblages.The size range and character of organisms found in the aquatic environment are dependent upon a variety of physical parameters that include sampling depth, location, and time of year. In the winter months, all the Laurentian Great Lakes are uniformly mixed and homothermous in the range of 1.1 to 1.7°C. During this time phytoplankton productivity is quite low.

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