Enzootic Activity of Chlamydia in Farms Located in a Hotspot Area for Zoonosis Emergence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezequiel Andres Vanderhoeven ◽  
Jessica P. Mosmann ◽  
Adrián Díaz ◽  
Cecilia G. Cuffini
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Wild Mammals ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Chlamydial Species ◽  
Zoonotic Risk ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
First Time

Abstract Chlamydias are obligated intracellular Gram-negative bacteria, considered important zoonotic pathogens, broadly present in several bird species and responsible for economic losses in animal production. We analyzed the presence of Chlamydial species with zoonotic risk in farm animals in a highly biodiverse area and with great human circulation, the Argentine, Brazil and Paraguay tri-border area. We surveyed nine farms in an area and nasally swabbed a total of 62 animals. DNA was extracted and specific PCR was performed to identify chlamydial species. We detected Chlamydia spp . in 6.5% (4/62) of the animals tested, positive samples belonged to cattle and none of them showed symptoms of respiratory disease nor had been diagnose with reproductive diseases. Specific nested PCR confirmed two samples belonged to C. pecorum and two to C. psittaci . We report for the first time Chlamydia circulation with zoonotic risk in the region. Surveys in birds and wild mammals could give a better understanding to know what Chlamydial species are circulating in the wild interface. The zoonotic potential should be taking into account as farm workers and the surrounding population could be silent carriers or have respiratory diseases being underdiagnosed, and therefore should be considered in the differential diagnoses.

scholarly journals Low hatching success in the critically endangered kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus) is driven by early embryo mortality not infertility

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
James L. Savage ◽  
Jodie M. S. Crane ◽  
Nicola Hemmings ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Hatching Success ◽  
Wild Population ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Early Embryo ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Underlying Causes ◽  
First Time ◽  
Effective Conservation

AbstractIn many endangered species, reproductive failure is a major barrier to recovery. The critically endangered kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus) exemplifies this challenge: 61% of their eggs fail to hatch, and of these 73% show no sign of development. Undeveloped eggs have previously been attributed to male infertility, but recent studies of non-threatened bird species suggest fertilisation failure is rare in the wild. The underlying causes of fertilisation failure and embryo death differ, so distinguishing between them is essential for effective conservation management. Here we show that the majority (72%, n=124) of undeveloped kākāpō eggs are fertilised, and combine this with conservation programme data on natural copulations, artificial inseminations, and paternity of developed eggs, to generate the most precise estimate to date of fertility in a wild population. We also demonstrate, for the first time in a wild bird, that artificial insemination results in greater numbers of sperm reaching the egg.

scholarly journals Does Traditional Feeding of Outdoor Guard Dogs Provide a Food Resource for Wild Mammals and Birds?

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1198
Author(s):  
Róża Andrzejczak ◽  
Łukasz Dylewski ◽  
Leszek Jerzak ◽  
Branislav Peťko ◽  
Łukasz Myczko
Keyword(s):  
Food Resource ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Wild Mammals ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Food Conditions ◽  
Access To Food

Access to food is crucial in the life of birds and affects reproduction, survival and, consequently, population size. In the case of bird species inhabiting villages, poorer food conditions now exist, mainly because of changes in the lifestyle of rural residents and a reduction in the number of farm animals traditionally housed in backyards. Recent changes have also affected dog populations in villages, and the majority of them are no longer kept outside as guard dogs, but rather inside houses as pets. We investigated how traditional care of dogs impacted rural birds and other animal populations. The study was carried out at the end of winter and early spring in 29 farmsteads in western Poland. Using camera traps, it was found that the food fed to dogs was also taken by seven species of birds and at least three species of mammals. The most numerous species taking dog food was the house sparrow, Passer domesticus, which is declining in Europe. In the case of this species, females were more likely than males to use food given to dogs, with a clear preference for food prepared in the human kitchen. We conclude that the food provided to domestic pets can be an important component of the diet of wild birds and mammals living close to humans.

scholarly journals Spontaneous poisoning by Cestrum intermedium in dairy cattle

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila B. Pohl ◽  
Márcia E. Hammerschmitt ◽  
Franciéli A. Molossi ◽  
Marina P. Lorenzett ◽  
Ronaldo M. Bianchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Caspase 3 ◽  
Hepatic Necrosis ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Coagulative Necrosis ◽  
Central Eastern ◽  
Liver Fragments ◽  
First Time ◽  
Cut Surface

ABSTRACT: Acute hepatotoxicity caused by plants poisoning is responsible for economic losses in farm animals in Brazil. Reports of Cestrum intermedium natural poisoning in cattle are not commonly described in Rio Grande do Sul (RS). This study aimed to document an outbreak of spontaneous C. intermedium poisoning in dairy cattle in the Central-Eastern Mesoregion of RS. Three nine-month-old Holstein and Jersey heifers were affected after they were placed in a small paddock with shortage forage. In this area, specimens of C. intermedium Sendtn with signs of consumption were observed. Morbidity and lethality rates were 100% and clinical courses ranged from 9 to 12 hours. At post mortem examination of the three heifers, there was predominance of acute liver lesions. The liver was moderately enlarged and on the cut surface there was a marked accentuation of the lobular pattern and hemorrhage. Inside the rumen, partially digested C. intermedium Sendtn leaves were observed. The histological aspects of the liver were mostly centrilobular coagulative necrosis and hemorrhage, frequently extended to the midzonal region. The immunohistochemistry technique was performed, in which the polyclonal antibody caspase 3 was used in liver fragments. Moderate to marked immunolabeling was observed in the cytoplasm and nucleus of hepatocytes, predominantly on the periphery of areas of hepatic necrosis indicating cell apoptosis. The diagnosis of C. intermedium Sendtn poisoning in dairy cattle in this study was based on epidemiological, clinical and anatomopathological findings. Since the C. intermedium poisoning is uncommon in dairy cattle, we are describing it for the first time in the Central-Eastern Mesoregion of RS, and represents a differential diagnosis of other acute toxic liver diseases in cattle.

scholarly journals Pathophysiology of Fever and Application of Infrared Thermography (IRT) in the Detection of Sick Domestic Animals: Recent Advances

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2316
Author(s):  
Daniel Mota-Rojas ◽  
Dehua Wang ◽  
Cristiane Gonçalves Titto ◽  
Jocelyn Gómez-Prado ◽  
Verónica Carvajal-de la Fuente ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Temperature ◽  
Infrared Thermography ◽  
Core Body Temperature ◽  
The Body ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Febrile Response ◽  
Temperature Range ◽  
Stable Temperature ◽  
Core Body

Body-temperature elevations are multifactorial in origin and classified as hyperthermia as a rise in temperature due to alterations in the thermoregulation mechanism; the body loses the ability to control or regulate body temperature. In contrast, fever is a controlled state, since the body adjusts its stable temperature range to increase body temperature without losing the thermoregulation capacity. Fever refers to an acute phase response that confers a survival benefit on the body, raising core body temperature during infection or systemic inflammation processes to reduce the survival and proliferation of infectious pathogens by altering temperature, restriction of essential nutrients, and the activation of an immune reaction. However, once the infection resolves, the febrile response must be tightly regulated to avoid excessive tissue damage. During fever, neurological, endocrine, immunological, and metabolic changes occur that cause an increase in the stable temperature range, which allows the core body temperature to be considerably increased to stop the invasion of the offending agent and restrict the damage to the organism. There are different metabolic mechanisms of thermoregulation in the febrile response at the central and peripheral levels and cellular events. In response to cold or heat, the brain triggers thermoregulatory responses to coping with changes in body temperature, including autonomic effectors, such as thermogenesis, vasodilation, sweating, and behavioral mechanisms, that trigger flexible, goal-oriented actions, such as seeking heat or cold, nest building, and postural extension. Infrared thermography (IRT) has proven to be a reliable method for the early detection of pathologies affecting animal health and welfare that represent economic losses for farmers. However, the standardization of protocols for IRT use is still needed. Together with the complete understanding of the physiological and behavioral responses involved in the febrile process, it is possible to have timely solutions to serious problem situations. For this reason, the present review aims to analyze the new findings in pathophysiological mechanisms of the febrile process, the heat-loss mechanisms in an animal with fever, thermoregulation, the adverse effects of fever, and recent scientific findings related to different pathologies in farm animals through the use of IRT.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Variability of the ORF34, ORF68, and MLST Genes in EHV-1 from South Korea

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 425
Author(s):  
Hyung-Woo Kang ◽  
Eun-Yong Lee ◽  
Kyoung-Ki Lee ◽  
Mi-Kyeong Ko ◽  
Ji-Young Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleotide Sequence ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Equine Herpesvirus ◽  
Equine Herpesvirus 1 ◽  
Mlst Analysis ◽  
Herpesvirus 1 ◽  
First Time ◽  
Group 1

Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is an important pathogen in horses. It affects horses worldwide and causes substantial economic losses. In this study, for the first time, we characterized EHV-1 isolates from South Korea at the molecular level. We then aimed to determine the genetic divergences of these isolates by comparing them to sequences in databases. In total, 338 horse samples were collected, and 12 EHV-1 were isolated. We performed ORF30, ORF33, ORF68, and ORF34 genetic analysis and carried out multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) of 12 isolated EHV-1. All isolated viruses were confirmed as non-neuropathogenic type, showing N752 of ORF30 and highly conserved ORF33 (99.7–100%). Isolates were unclassified using ORF68 analysis because of a 118 bp deletion in nucleotide sequence 701–818. Seven EHV-1 isolates (16Q4, 19R166-1, 19R166-6, 19/10/15-2, 19/10/15-4, 19/10/18-2, 19/10/22-1) belonged to group 1, clade 10, based on ORF34 and MLST analysis. The remaining 5 EHV-1 isolates (15Q25-1, 15D59, 16Q5, 16Q40, 18D99) belonged to group 7, clade 6, based on ORF34 and MLST analysis.

scholarly journals Feather mites (Acari, Astigmata) associated with birds in an Atlantic Forest fragment in Northeastern Brazil

2015 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 726-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
HM Silva ◽  
FA Hernandes ◽  
M Pichorim
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
Neotropical Region ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Visual Examination ◽  
Feather Mites ◽  
First Time

AbstractThe present study reports associations between feather mites (Astigmata) and birds in an Atlantic Forest fragment in Rio Grande do Norte state, in Brazil. In the laboratory, mites were collected through visual examination of freshly killed birds. Overall, 172 individuals from 38 bird species were examined, between October 2011 and July 2012. The prevalence of feather mites was 80.8%, corresponding to 139 infested individuals distributed into 30 species and 15 families of hosts. Fifteen feather mite taxa could be identified to the species level, sixteen to the genus level and three to the subfamily level, distributed into the families Analgidae, Proctophyllodidae, Psoroptoididae, Pteronyssidae, Xolalgidae, Trouessartiidae, Falculiferidae and Gabuciniidae. Hitherto unknown associations between feather mites and birds were recorded for eleven taxa identified to the species level, and nine taxa were recorded for the first time in Brazil. The number of new geographic records, as well as the hitherto unknown mite-host associations, supports the high estimates of diversity for feather mites of Brazil and show the need for research to increase knowledge of plumicole mites in the Neotropical region.

scholarly journals First record of Ornithodoros faccinii (Acari: Argasidae) on toads of genus Rhinella (Anura: Bufonidae) in Brazil

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hermes Ribeiro Luz ◽  
Bruna Barboza Bezerra ◽  
Walter Flausino ◽  
Arlei Marcili ◽  
Sebastián Muñoz-Leal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Tick Species ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
First Record ◽  
Molecular Approach ◽  
Phylogenetic Relatedness ◽  
Mitochondrial Sequence ◽  
First Time

Abstract Although a group of soft ticks (Argasidae) associated with amphibians was recently discovered in Brazilian rainforests, parasitism by these ticks on cold-blooded animals remains less common than on mammal and bird species. In this study, we identified ticks that were collected from toads that had been caught in December 2016 and January 2017, at Itinguçú waterfall (22°54’05” S; 43°53’30” W) in the municipality of Itaguaí, state of Rio de Janeiro. Tick specimens were identified using a morphological and molecular approach. In total, twelve larvae of Ornithodoros ticks were collected from three individuals of Rhinella ornata and were identified as Ornithodoros faccinii. Our results include a longer 16S rRNA mitochondrial sequence for O. faccinii that supports its phylogenetic relatedness to Ornithodoros saraivai, and we report this tick species parasitizing Rhinella toads for the first time in Brazil.

scholarly journals First comprehensive proteome analysis of lysine crotonylation in Streptococcus agalactiae, a pathogen causing meningoencephalitis in teleosts

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinjin Chen ◽  
Bolin Fan ◽  
Chenlong Fan ◽  
Zhongliang Wang ◽  
Eakapol Wangkahart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Streptococcus Agalactiae ◽  
Proteome Analysis ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
Sensing System ◽  
Affinity Enrichment ◽  
Single Organism ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Zoonotic Risk ◽  
Quorum Sensing System ◽  
First Time

Abstract Backgroud Streptococcus agalactiae is a common colonizer of the rectovaginal tract and lead to infectious diseases of neonatal and non-pregnant adults, which also causes infectious disease in fish and a zoonotic risk as well. Lysine crotonylation (Kcr) is a kind of histone post-translational modifications discovered in 2011. In yeast and mammals, Kcr function as potential enhancers and promote gene expression. However, lysine crotonylation in S. agalactiae has not been studied yet. Methods In this study, the crotonylation profiling of fish pathogen, S. agalactiae was investigated by combining affinity enrichment with LC MS/MS. The Kcr modification of several selected proteins were further validated by Western blotting. Results In the present study, we conducted the proteome-wide profiling of Kcr in S. agalactiae and identified 241 Kcr sites from 675 screened proteins for the first time. Bioinformatics analysis showed that 164 sequences were matched to a total of six definitively conserved motifs, and many of them were significantly enriched in metabolic processes, cellular process, and single-organism processes. Moreover, four crotonylation modified proteins were predicted as virulence factors or to being part of the quorum sensing system PTMs on bacteria. The data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD026445. Conclusions These data provide a promising starting point for further functional research of crotonylation in bacterial virulence in S. agalactiae.

scholarly journals Learning a non-neutral conditioned stimulus: place preference in the crab Neohelice granulata

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martín Klappenbach ◽  
Candela Medina ◽  
Ramiro Freudenthal
Keyword(s):  
Conditioned Stimulus ◽  
Food Pellet ◽  
Place Preference ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Neohelice Granulata ◽  
Preference Task ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
First Time

AbstractIn the wild, being able to recognize and remember specific locations related to food sources and the associated attributes of landmarks is a cognitive trait important for survival. In the present work we show that the crab Neohelice granulata can be trained to associate a specific environment with an appetitive reward in a conditioned place preference task. After a single training trial, when the crabs were presented with a food pellet in the target quadrant of the training arena, they were able to form a long-term memory related to the event. This memory was evident at least 24 h after training and was protein-synthesis dependent. Importantly, the target area of the arena proved to be a non-neutral environment, given that animals initially avoided the target quadrant. In the present work we introduce for the first time an associative one-trial memory paradigm including a conditioned stimulus with a clear valence performed in a crustacean.

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