COVID-19 as a zoonotic infection

Here we discuss the issues for attributing the new coronavirus infection COVID-19 to zoonoses based on the data on probable origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the possible formation of its reservoir in animals (bats) as well as human susceptibility. Today, the dominant point of view is that the outbreak of COVID-19 arose as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus overcoming the interspecies barrier, acquiring ability to infect and spread in human population. Comparative phylogenetic analysis at the molecular level showed that SARS-CoV-2 is genetically closest to bat coronaviruses, particularly to the RmYN02 and RaTG13 strains isolated from the horseshoe bat, a species considered to be the main host of SARSCoV and MERS-CoV coronaviruses. The ability of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus to infect various wild animal has been revealed. SARS-CoV-2 has been found in minks on farms in the Netherlands with mortality rates ranging from 1.2 to 2.4%. While infecting rhesus monkeys with the SARS-CoV-2, it resulted in productive infection and detected viremia. Cats have been found to be susceptible hosts for the human SARS-CoV-2 virus. A likely explanation for this lies in the high similarity between the human and feline counterpart of the ACE2 receptor. It has been shown that dogs can become infected but transmit no virus to other animals. To date, over the entire period of the pandemic the World Organization for Animal Health provides no information about cases of human infection transmitted from pets. Thus, there is no evidence that animals play a role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 among people during the current period of the pandemic. Human outbreaks are caused by human-to-human virus transmission, and based on the currently available information, the risk of spreading COVID-19 from animals is considered low. More research is needed to understand how COVID-19 can affect animals of a wide variety of species and how big might be the risks of infection transmission from them to humans.

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Probe-Based Real-Time qPCR Assays for a Reliable Differentiation of Capripox Virus Species

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9040765 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 765

Author(s):

Janika Wolff ◽

Martin Beer ◽

Bernd Hoffmann

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Animal Health ◽

Diagnostic Methods ◽

Virus Species ◽

Time Saving ◽

Robust Detection ◽

Highly Sensitive ◽

Reliable Differentiation ◽

World Organization ◽

Real Time Qpcr

Outbreaks of the three capripox virus species, namely lumpy skin disease virus, sheeppox virus, and goatpox virus, severely affect animal health and both national and international economies. Therefore, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) classified them as notifiable diseases. Until now, discrimination of capripox virus species was possible by using different conventional PCR protocols. However, more sophisticated probe-based real-time qPCR systems addressing this issue are, to our knowledge, still missing. In the present study, we developed several duplex qPCR assays consisting of different types of fluorescence-labelled probes that are highly sensitive and show a high analytical specificity. Finally, our assays were combined with already published diagnostic methods to a diagnostic workflow that enables time-saving, reliable, and robust detection, differentiation, and characterization of capripox virus isolates.

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Canons to the Left of Him: Brevard Childs, his Critics, and the Future of Old Testament Theology

Scottish Journal of Theology ◽

10.1017/s0036930600036115 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 1-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Iain Provan

Keyword(s):

Old Testament ◽

18Th Century ◽

Biblical Theology ◽

Point Of View ◽

The Bible ◽

The Difference ◽

Probable Origin ◽

The Individual ◽

The Relationship ◽

The Church

It is well known that the seeds from which the modern discipline of OT theology grew are already found in 17th and 18th century discussion of the relationship between Bible and Church, which tended to drive a wedge between the two, regarding canon in historical rather than theological terms; stressing the difference between what is transient and particular in the Bible and what is universal and of abiding significance; and placing the task of deciding which is which upon the shoulders of the individual reader rather than upon the church. Free investigation of the Bible, unfettered by church tradition and theology, was to be the way ahead. OT theology finds its roots more particularly in the 18th century discussion of the nature of and the relationship between Biblical Theology and Dogmatic Theology, and in particular in Gabler's classic theoreticalstatementof their nature and relationship. The first book which may strictly be called an OT theology appeared in 1796: an historical discussion of the ideas to be found in the OT, with an emphasis on their probable origin and the stages through which Hebrew religious thought had passed, compared and contrasted with the beliefs of other ancient peoples, and evaluated from the point of view of rationalistic religion. Here we find the unreserved acceptance of Gabler's principle that OT theology must in the first instance be a descriptive and historical discipline, freed from dogmatic constraints and resistant to the premature merging of OT and NT — a principle which in the succeeding century was accepted by writers across the whole theological spectrum, including those of orthodox and conservative inclination.

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Comparative Genomics Analysis between frog Virus 3-like Ranavirus from the First Canadian Reptile Mortality Event and Similar Viruses from Amphibians

10.21203/rs.3.rs-943897/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Oliver Lung ◽

Ayooluwa J. Bolaji ◽

Michelle Nebroski ◽

Mat Fisher ◽

Cody Buchanan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Animal Health ◽

Genome Structure ◽

Leopard Frog ◽

The Novel ◽

Emerging Pathogens ◽

Frog Virus 3 ◽

Frog Virus ◽

Usage Patterns ◽

The Usa ◽

World Organization

Abstract Ranaviruses are emerging pathogens that threaten the biodiversity of wild and captive cold-blooded vertebrates. Reports of ranavirus-induced mortality events are increasing and ranavirus disease is reportable to the World Organization for Animal Health. Previous studies have suggested interclass transmission of ranaviruses and Frog virus 3 (FV3)-like viruses are of particular interest. This study presents the whole-genome assembly of a 106 kb FV3-like genome obtained from the liver tissue of a reptile (wild Chelydra serpentina, common snapping turtle) that died of ranavirus disease in Canada. The FV3-like ON turtle/2018 strain shares the highest genome-wide nucleotide identity (99.71%) with the wild-type FV3 virus detected in the USA from a Northern leopard frog and an FV3-like strain identified from a wood frog in 2017 in Alberta, Canada. The novel genome contains all 26 Iridoviridae core genes, 11 FV3-like genes, and 9 unique truncations, three of which are core Iridoviridae ORFs. Additionally, the two most closely related FV3-like strains from amphibians, were compared to a non-FV3-like amphibian infecting and a fish infecting ranavirus species that showed similar codon usage patterns. G/C-ending codons were the preferred codons for all five strains. Investigation of putative recombination events identified four potential recombination events in the FV3-like ON turtle/2018 genome consistent with this FV3-like reptile infecting strain originating from an amphibian infecting FV3-like ranavirus. Altogether, this study provides insights into the genome structure and the differences in the novel FV3-like genome compared to other ranavirus genomes.

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GENDER ASPECTS OF SUFI PRACTICES IN KAZAKHSTAN AND ABROAD

Adam alemi ◽

10.48010/2021.4/1999-5849.15 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 90 (4) ◽

pp. 142-152

Author(s):

A. Temirbayeva ◽

◽

T. Temirbayev ◽

K. Tyshkhan ◽

R. Kamarova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spiritual Development ◽

Field Research ◽

Point Of View ◽

Muslim Society ◽

Current Period ◽

Participation Of Women ◽

The World ◽

Gender Aspects ◽

Role Of Women

Previously, women have played an important role in the development of Sufism. Sufi tradition recognizes the unity of being, regardless of the gender duality of the world. The recognition of this doctrine contributed to the spiritual development of women in Sufism. Sufi women play an important role in tariqah. The study of the female Sufi experience, as well as the influence that women had on the Sufi worldview and Sufi practice, is not only valuable from a cultural and historical point of view, but also helps to better understand the place and role of women in Muslim society. In this regard, the article is devoted to the role of women in modern Sufi groups in the world and in Kazakhstan. Famous women-Sufis in history, modern female Sufi organizations in the world and participation of women in modern Kazakhstani tariqas will be considered. The aim is to examine Sufi organizations through the prism of female actors. The materials of the article are based on data from open information and academic sources. Also on field research of Sufi groups in Kazakhstan and Turkey from 2016 to the current period.

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Estimation and optimal control of the multi-scale dynamics of the Covid-19

10.1101/2021.03.04.21252880 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

David Jaurès Fotsa-Mbogne ◽

Stéphane Yanick Tchoumi ◽

Yannick Kouakep-Tchaptchie ◽

Vivient Corneille Kamla ◽

Jean-Claude Kamgang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Optimal Control ◽

Human Population ◽

Virus Transmission ◽

Scale Model ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Optimal Control Strategy ◽

Or Efficiency ◽

Human Virus ◽

Multi Scale ◽

Human Density

AbstractThis work aims at a better understanding and the optimal control of the spread of the new severe acute respiratory corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We first propose a multi-scale model giving insights on the virus population dynamics, the transmission process and the infection mechanism. We consider 10 compartments in the human population in order to take into accounts the effects of different specific mitigation policies: susceptible, infected, infectious, quarantined, hospitalized, treated, recovered, non-infectious dead, infectious dead, buried. The population of viruses is also partitioned into 10 compartments corresponding respectively to each of the first nine human population compartments and the free viruses available in the environment. Indeed, we have human to human virus transmission, human to environment virus transmission, environment to human virus transmission and self infection by susceptible individuals. We show the global stability of the disease free equilibrium if a given threshold 𝒯0 is less or equal to 1 and we provide how to compute the basic reproduction number ℛ0. A convergence index 𝒯1 is also defined in order to estimate the speed at which the disease extincts and an upper bound to the time of extinction is given. The existence of the endemic equilibrium is conditional and its description is provided. We evaluate the sensitivity of ℛ0, 𝒯0 and 𝒯1 to control parameters such as the maximal human density allowed per unit of surface, the rate of disinfection both for people and environment, the mobility probability, the wearing mask probability or efficiency, and the human to human contact rate which results from the previous one. Except the maximal human density allowed per unit of surface, all those parameters have significant effects on the qualitative dynamics of the disease. The most significant is the probability of wearing mask followed by the probability of mobility and the disinfection rate. According to a functional cost taking into consideration economic impacts of SARS-CoV-2, we determine and discuss optimal fighting strategies. The study is applied to real available data from Cameroon and an estimation of model parameters is done. After several simulations, social distancing and the disinfection frequency appear as the main elements of the optimal control strategy.

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Application of the Fluorescence Polarization Assay for Detection of Caprine Antibodies to Brucella melitensis in Areas of High Prevalence and Widespread Vaccination

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology ◽

10.1128/cvi.00350-06 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 299-303 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

C. Ramírez-Pfeiffer ◽

K. Nielsen ◽

P. Smith ◽

F. Marín-Ricalde ◽

C. Rodríguez-Padilla ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fluorescence Polarization ◽

Screening Test ◽

Brucella Melitensis ◽

Low Cost ◽

Animal Health ◽

Screening Tests ◽

Confirmatory Test ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Fluorescence Polarization Assay ◽

World Organization

ABSTRACT The screening Rose Bengal test (RBT), the buffered plate agglutination test (BPAT), and the confirmatory complement fixation test (CFT) are currently approved by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) for diagnosis of goat brucellosis. However, RBT (at 3% or 8% cell concentration) is known to be affected by vaccinal antibodies. In the present study, Mexican and Canadian OIE tests were compared with the fluorescence polarization assay (FPA), alone or in combination, using indirect and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays as classification variables for goat sera obtained from an area of high prevalence and widespread vaccination. The relative sensitivities and specificities were, respectively, 99.7% and 32.5% for RBT3, 92.8% and 68.8% for RBT8, 98.4% and 84.8% for Canadian CFT, 83.7% and 65.5% for Mexican CFT, and 78.1% and 89.3% for FPA. The use of FPA as the confirmatory test in combination with other tests significantly increased the final specificities of the screening tests alone; BPAT, RBT3, and RBT8 plus FPA resulted in final specificities of 90%, 91.2%, and 91.3%, respectively, whereas for the combinations RBT3 plus Mexican CFT, RBT8 plus Mexican CFT, and BPAT plus Canadian CFT, specificities were 65.5%, 63.2%, and 91.7%, respectively. We suggest that FPA may be routinely applied as an adaptable screening test for diagnosis of goat brucellosis and as a confirmatory test for screening test series. Some advantages of FPA are that its cutoff can be adjusted to improve its sensitivity or specificity, it is a low-cost and easy-to-perform test of choice when specificity is relevant or when an alternative confirmatory test is not available, and it is not affected by vaccination, thus reducing the number of misdiagnosed and killed goats.

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The role of the mussel Mytilus spp. in the transmission of ostreid herpesvirus-1 microVar

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182017002244 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 145 (8) ◽

pp. 1095-1104 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

A. J. O’ Reilly ◽

C. Laide ◽

A Maloy ◽

S. Hutton ◽

B. Bookelaar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Direct Sequencing ◽

Animal Health ◽

Viral Transmission ◽

Diagnostic Methods ◽

The Pacific ◽

Herpesvirus 1 ◽

World Organization ◽

Ostreid Herpesvirus 1 ◽

The Impact

AbstractThe Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas contributes significantly to global aquaculture; however, C. gigas culture has been affected by ostreid herpesvirus-1 (OsHV-1) and variants. The dynamics of how the virus maintains itself at culture sites is unclear and the role of carriers, reservoirs or hosts is unknown. Both wild and cultured mussels Mytilus spp. (Mytilus edulis, Mytilus galloprovincialis and hybrids) are commonly found at C. gigas culture sites. The objective of this study was to investigate if Mytilus spp. can harbour the virus and if viral transmission can occur between mussels and oysters. Mytilus spp. living at oyster trestles, 400–500 m higher up the shore from the trestles and up to 26 km at non-culture sites were screened for OsHV-1 and variants by all the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) recommended diagnostic methods including polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative PCR (qPCR), histology, in situ hybridization and confirmation using direct sequencing. The particular primers that target OsHV-1 and variants, including OsHV-1 microVar (μVar), were used in the PCR and qPCR. OsHV-1 μVar was detected in wild Mytilus spp. at C. gigas culture sites and more significantly the virus was detected in mussels at non-culture sites. Cohabitation of exposed wild mussels and naïve C. gigas resulted in viral transmission after 14 days, under an elevated temperature regime. These results indicate that mussels can harbour OsHV-1 μVar; however, the impact of OsHV-1 μVar on Mytilus spp. requires further investigation.

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Comparison of Defined Course Doses (DCDvet) for Blanket and Selective Antimicrobial Dry Cow Therapy on Conventional and Organic Farms

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani9100707 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 707 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Clair Firth ◽

Annemarie Käsbohrer ◽

Christa Egger-Danner ◽

Klemens Fuchs ◽

Beate Pinior ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Animal Health ◽

Dairy Farms ◽

Point Of View ◽

Antimicrobial Use ◽

Organic Farms ◽

Controversial Subject ◽

Dry Cow Therapy ◽

Significant Difference ◽

History Of ◽

The Difference

Antimicrobial use in livestock production is a controversial subject. While antimicrobials should be used as little as possible, it is still necessary, from both an animal health and welfare point of view, to treat infected animals. The study presented here aimed to analyse antimicrobial use on Austrian dairy farms by calculating the number of Defined Course Doses (DCDvet) administered per cow and year for dry cow therapy. Antimicrobial use was analysed by production system and whether farmers stated that they used blanket dry cow therapy (i.e., all cows in the herd were treated) or selective dry cow therapy (i.e., only cows with a positive bacteriological culture or current/recent history of udder disease were treated). A statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) was determined between antimicrobial use for blanket (median DCDvet/cow/year: 0.88) and selective dry cow therapy (median DCDvet/cow/year: 0.41). The difference between antimicrobial use on conventional and organic farms for dry cow therapy as a whole, however, was not statistically significant (p = 0.22) (median DCDvet/cow/year: 0.68 for conventional; 0.53 for organic farms). This analysis demonstrates that selective dry cow therapy leads to a lower overall use of antimicrobials and can assist in a more prudent use of antimicrobials on dairy farms.

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Link of a ubiquitous human coronavirus to dromedary camels

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1604472113 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 113 (35) ◽

pp. 9864-9869 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

Victor M. Corman ◽

Isabella Eckerle ◽

Ziad A. Memish ◽

Anne M. Liljander ◽

Ronald Dijkman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Infection ◽

Interferon Response ◽

Type I ◽

Respiratory Pathogens ◽

Airway Epithelial ◽

Dromedary Camels ◽

Human Hepatoma Cells ◽

Human Virus ◽

Epithelial Cultures ◽

Human Viruses

The four human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are globally endemic respiratory pathogens. The Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus (CoV) is an emerging CoV with a known zoonotic source in dromedary camels. Little is known about the origins of endemic HCoVs. Studying these viruses’ evolutionary history could provide important insight into CoV emergence. In tests of MERS-CoV–infected dromedaries, we found viruses related to an HCoV, known as HCoV-229E, in 5.6% of 1,033 animals. Human- and dromedary-derived viruses are each monophyletic, suggesting ecological isolation. One gene of dromedary viruses exists in two versions in camels, full length and deleted, whereas only the deleted version exists in humans. The deletion increased in size over a succession starting from camelid viruses via old human viruses to contemporary human viruses. Live isolates of dromedary 229E viruses were obtained and studied to assess human infection risks. The viruses used the human entry receptor aminopeptidase N and replicated in human hepatoma cells, suggesting a principal ability to cause human infections. However, inefficient replication in several mucosa-derived cell lines and airway epithelial cultures suggested lack of adaptation to the human host. Dromedary viruses were as sensitive to the human type I interferon response as HCoV-229E. Antibodies in human sera neutralized dromedary-derived viruses, suggesting population immunity against dromedary viruses. Although no current epidemic risk seems to emanate from these viruses, evolutionary inference suggests that the endemic human virus HCoV-229E may constitute a descendant of camelid-associated viruses. HCoV-229E evolution provides a scenario for MERS-CoV emergence.

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Effect of Supplementation with Antioxidants on the Quality of Bovine Milk and Meat Production

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1155/2013/616098 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Cristina Castillo ◽

Víctor Pereira ◽

Ángel Abuelo ◽

Joaquín Hernández

Keyword(s):

Animal Health ◽

Antioxidant Properties ◽

Bovine Milk ◽

Preventive Treatment ◽

Point Of View ◽

Added Value ◽

Meat Production ◽

Antioxidant Supplementation ◽

Transition Cow

From a clinical point of view, oxidative stress (OS) is considered the primary cause of numerous metabolic processes intransition cow.Thus, the addition of antioxidants has been considered a palliative or preventive treatment. But beyond the clinical perspective, antioxidant supplementation provides an added value to the product obtained being either milk or meat. This paper reviews the beneficial aspects that provide antioxidant supplementation on quality of both products and that fit into the new concept that the consumer has a functional and healthy food. Our approach is from a veterinary standpoint, by reviewing the studies conducted to date and the new perspectives that are interesting and need to be studied in the following years. One of the highlights is that sustainable farming, one in which production is combined with animal health, also impacts positively on the quality of the final products, with beneficial antioxidant properties to human health.

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