Variation in Seroprevalence of Antibodies against Mycoplasma Gallisepticum and Avipoxvirus in Nine Species of Birds with Differential Access to Feeders

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily R. Vana ◽  
Elizabeth R. Wrobel ◽  
Travis E. Wilcoxen
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Mycoplasma Gallisepticum ◽  
House Finches ◽  
Single Location ◽  
Bird Feeders ◽  
Feeding Activities ◽  
Avian Pox ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Pathogen Exposure

Congregation of individuals at high densities is known to increase disease transmission and bird-feeding activities are specifically aimed at attracting many birds to a single location. We surveyed nine potential host species for evidence of infection by each Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and Avipoxvirus, or avian pox. We also examined differences in pathogen exposure at sites with bird feeders and sites without bird feeders. Finally, we compared prevalence of birds with antibodies against MG and avian pox to those that showed physical signs of infection. To test for pathogen exposure, we used indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. We found species-specific disease dynamics, as House Finches Haemorhous mexicanus had a significantly greater likelihood of having antibodies against MG than any other species. Birds at sites with feeders were more likely to have antibodies against MG. Birds at sites with feeders were no more likely to have antibodies against avian pox, but seroprevalence of avian pox did differ significantly among species. Overall, our findings suggest differential exposure and immune responses to each pathogen among species and that feeders increase the exposure of individuals to MG but not to avian pox, offering valuable new insights into the role of bird feeding activities in disease transmission among birds.

scholarly journals Feeder density enhances house finch disease transmission in experimental epidemics

2018 ◽  
Vol 373 (1745) ◽  
pp. 20170090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahnzi C. Moyers ◽  
James S. Adelman ◽  
Damien R. Farine ◽  
Courtney A. Thomason ◽  
Dana M. Hawley
Keyword(s):  
Radio Frequency Identification ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Pathogen Transmission ◽  
House Finch ◽  
Resource Subsidies ◽  
House Finches ◽  
Bird Feeders ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Radio Frequency Identification Devices

Anthropogenic food provisioning of wildlife can alter the frequency of contacts among hosts and between hosts and environmental sources of pathogens. Despite the popularity of garden bird feeding, few studies have addressed how feeders influence host contact rates and disease dynamics. We experimentally manipulated feeder density in replicate aviaries containing captive, pathogen-naive, groups of house finches ( Haemorhous mexicanus ) and continuously tracked behaviours at feeders using radio-frequency identification devices. We then inoculated one bird per group with Mycoplasma gallisepticum (Mg), a common bacterial pathogen for which feeders are fomites of transmission, and assessed effects of feeder density on house finch behaviour and pathogen transmission. We found that pathogen transmission was significantly higher in groups with the highest density of bird feeders, despite a significantly lower rate of intraspecific aggressive interactions relative to the low feeder density groups. Conversely, among naive group members that never showed signs of disease, we saw significantly higher concentrations of Mg-specific antibodies in low feeder density groups, suggesting that birds in low feeder density treatments had exposure to subclinical doses of Mg. We discuss ways in which the density of garden bird feeders could play an important role in mediating the intensity of Mg epidemics. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Anthropogenic resource subsidies and host–parasite dynamics in wildlife'.

scholarly journals Deposition of pathogenic Mycoplasma gallisepticum onto bird feeders: host pathology is more important than temperature-driven increases in food intake

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 20130594 ◽  
Author(s):  
James S. Adelman ◽  
Amanda W. Carter ◽  
William A. Hopkins ◽  
Dana M. Hawley
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Mycoplasma Gallisepticum ◽  
Pathogen Transmission ◽  
Disease Dynamics ◽  
Transmission Potential ◽  
Thermoneutral Zone ◽  
Bird Feeders

Although ambient temperature has diverse effects on disease dynamics, few studies have examined how temperature alters pathogen transmission by changing host physiology or behaviour. Here, we test whether reducing ambient temperature alters host foraging, pathology and the potential for fomite transmission of the bacterial pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), which causes seasonal outbreaks of severe conjunctivitis in house finches ( Haemorhous mexicanus ). We housed finches at temperatures within or below the thermoneutral zone to manipulate food intake by altering energetic requirements of thermoregulation. We predicted that pathogen deposition on bird feeders would increase with temperature-driven increases in food intake and with conjunctival pathology. As expected, housing birds below the thermoneutral zone increased food consumption. Despite this difference, pathogen deposition on feeders did not vary across temperature treatments. However, pathogen deposition increased with conjunctival pathology, independently of temperature and pathogen load, suggesting that MG could enhance its transmission by increasing virulence. Our results suggest that in this system, host physiological responses are more important for transmission potential than temperature-dependent alterations in feeding. Understanding such behavioural and physiological contributions to disease transmission is critical to linking individual responses to climate with population-level disease dynamics.

scholarly journals Feeder use predicts both acquisition and transmission of a contagious pathogen in a North American songbird

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1815) ◽  
pp. 20151429 ◽  
Author(s):  
James S. Adelman ◽  
Sahnzi C. Moyers ◽  
Damien R. Farine ◽  
Dana M. Hawley
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Disease Management ◽  
Feeding Behaviour ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Study Finding ◽  
Mycoplasma Gallisepticum ◽  
Individual Heterogeneity ◽  
House Finches ◽  
Behavioural Characteristics ◽  
Bird Feeders

Individual heterogeneity can influence the dynamics of infectious diseases in wildlife and humans alike. Thus, recent work has sought to identify behavioural characteristics that contribute disproportionately to individual variation in pathogen acquisition (super-receiving) or transmission (super-spreading). However, it remains unknown whether the same behaviours enhance both acquisition and transmission, a scenario likely to result in explosive epidemics. Here, we examined this possibility in an ecologically relevant host–pathogen system: house finches and their bacterial pathogen, Mycoplasma gallisepticum , which causes severe conjunctivitis. We examined behaviours likely to influence disease acquisition (feeder use, aggression, social network affiliations) in an observational field study, finding that the time an individual spends on bird feeders best predicted the risk of conjunctivitis. To test whether this behaviour also influences the likelihood of transmitting M. gallisepticum , we experimentally inoculated individuals based on feeding behaviour and tracked epidemics within captive flocks. As predicted, transmission was fastest when birds that spent the most time on feeders initiated the epidemic. Our results suggest that the same behaviour underlies both pathogen acquisition and transmission in this system and potentially others. Identifying individuals that exhibit such behaviours is critical for disease management.

scholarly journals Dietary Modulation of Bacteriophages as an Additional Player in Inflammation and Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2036
Author(s):  
Luigi Marongiu ◽  
Markus Burkard ◽  
Sascha Venturelli ◽  
Heike Allgayer
Keyword(s):  
Structural Damage ◽  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Anticancer Properties ◽  
Specific Phage ◽  
Microbial Network ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel ◽  
Species Specific

Natural compounds such as essential oils and tea have been used successfully in naturopathy and folk medicine for hundreds of years. Current research is unveiling the molecular role of their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Nevertheless, the effect of these compounds on bacteriophages is still poorly understood. The application of bacteriophages against bacteria has gained a particular interest in recent years due to, e.g., the constant rise of antimicrobial resistance to antibiotics, or an increasing awareness of different types of microbiota and their potential contribution to gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammatory and malignant conditions. Thus, a better knowledge of how dietary products can affect bacteriophages and, in turn, the whole gut microbiome can help maintain healthy homeostasis, reducing the risk of developing diseases such as diverse types of gastroenteritis, inflammatory bowel disease, or even cancer. The present review summarizes the effect of dietary compounds on the physiology of bacteriophages. In a majority of works, the substance class of polyphenols showed a particular activity against bacteriophages, and the primary mechanism of action involved structural damage of the capsid, inhibiting bacteriophage activity and infectivity. Some further dietary compounds such as caffeine, salt or oregano have been shown to induce or suppress prophages, whereas others, such as the natural sweeter stevia, promoted species-specific phage responses. A better understanding of how dietary compounds could selectively, and specifically, modulate the activity of individual phages opens the possibility to reorganize the microbial network as an additional strategy to support in the combat, or in prevention, of gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammation and cancer.

scholarly journals Species-Specific Regulation of TRPM2 by PI(4,5)P2 via the Membrane Interfacial Cavity

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 4637
Author(s):  
Daniel Barth ◽  
Andreas Lückhoff ◽  
Frank J. P. Kühn
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Hek 293 ◽  
Complete Inactivation ◽  
293 Cells ◽  
Activation Mechanisms ◽  
Specific Regulation ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Inside Out ◽  
Positively Charged

The human apoptosis channel TRPM2 is stimulated by intracellular ADR-ribose and calcium. Recent studies show pronounced species-specific activation mechanisms. Our aim was to analyse the functional effect of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2), commonly referred to as PIP2, on different TRPM2 orthologues. Moreover, we wished to identify the interaction site between TRPM2 and PIP2. We demonstrate a crucial role of PIP2, in the activation of TRPM2 orthologues of man, zebrafish, and sea anemone. Utilizing inside-out patch clamp recordings of HEK-293 cells transfected with TRPM2, differential effects of PIP2 that were dependent on the species variant became apparent. While depletion of PIP2 via polylysine uniformly caused complete inactivation of TRPM2, restoration of channel activity by artificial PIP2 differed widely. Human TRPM2 was the least sensitive species variant, making it the most susceptible one for regulation by changes in intramembranous PIP2 content. Furthermore, mutations of highly conserved positively charged amino acid residues in the membrane interfacial cavity reduced the PIP2 sensitivity in all three TRPM2 orthologues to varying degrees. We conclude that the membrane interfacial cavity acts as a uniform PIP2 binding site of TRPM2, facilitating channel activation in the presence of ADPR and Ca2+ in a species-specific manner.

scholarly journals How does globalization affect COVID-19 responses?

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve J. Bickley ◽  
Ho Fai Chan ◽  
Ahmed Skali ◽  
David Stadelmann ◽  
Benno Torgler
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
State Capacity ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Government Effectiveness ◽  
Policy Responses ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
High Government

Abstract Background The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vast differences in approaches to the control and containment of coronavirus across the world and has demonstrated the varied success of such approaches in minimizing the transmission of coronavirus. While previous studies have demonstrated high predictive power of incorporating air travel data and governmental policy responses in global disease transmission modelling, factors influencing the decision to implement travel and border restriction policies have attracted relatively less attention. This paper examines the role of globalization on the pace of adoption of international travel-related non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the coronavirus pandemic. This study aims to offer advice on how to improve the global planning, preparation, and coordination of actions and policy responses during future infectious disease outbreaks with empirical evidence. Methods and data We analyzed data on international travel restrictions in response to COVID-19 of 185 countries from January to October 2020. We applied time-to-event analysis to examine the relationship between globalization and the timing of travel restrictions implementation. Results The results of our survival analysis suggest that, in general, more globalized countries, accounting for the country-specific timing of the virus outbreak and other factors, are more likely to adopt international travel restrictions policies. However, countries with high government effectiveness and globalization were more cautious in implementing travel restrictions, particularly if through formal political and trade policy integration. This finding is supported by a placebo analysis of domestic NPIs, where such a relationship is absent. Additionally, we find that globalized countries with high state capacity are more likely to have higher numbers of confirmed cases by the time a first restriction policy measure was taken. Conclusions The findings highlight the dynamic relationship between globalization and protectionism when governments respond to significant global events such as a public health crisis. We suggest that the observed caution of policy implementation by countries with high government efficiency and globalization is a by-product of commitment to existing trade agreements, a greater desire to ‘learn from others’ and also perhaps of ‘confidence’ in a government’s ability to deal with a pandemic through its health system and state capacity. Our results suggest further research is warranted to explore whether global infectious disease forecasting could be improved by including the globalization index and in particular, the de jure economic and political, and de facto social dimensions of globalization, while accounting for the mediating role of government effectiveness. By acting as proxies for a countries’ likelihood and speed of implementation for international travel restriction policies, such measures may predict the likely time delays in disease emergence and transmission across national borders.

scholarly journals Sialic Acids as Receptors for Pathogens

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 831
Author(s):  
Patrycja Burzyńska ◽  
Łukasz F. Sobala ◽  
Krzysztof Mikołajczyk ◽  
Marlena Jodłowska ◽  
Ewa Jaśkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Malaria Parasite ◽  
Sialic Acids ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Disease Vectors ◽  
Animal Disease ◽  
Parasite Plasmodium ◽  
Parasite Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Infection Biology ◽  
Species Specific

Carbohydrates have long been known to mediate intracellular interactions, whether within one organism or between different organisms. Sialic acids (Sias) are carbohydrates that usually occupy the terminal positions in longer carbohydrate chains, which makes them common recognition targets mediating these interactions. In this review, we summarize the knowledge about animal disease-causing agents such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa (including the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum) in which Sias play a role in infection biology. While Sias may promote binding of, e.g., influenza viruses and SV40, they act as decoys for betacoronaviruses. The presence of two common forms of Sias, Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc, is species-specific, and in humans, the enzyme converting Neu5Ac to Neu5Gc (CMAH, CMP-Neu5Ac hydroxylase) is lost, most likely due to adaptation to pathogen regimes; we discuss the research about the influence of malaria on this trait. In addition, we present data suggesting the CMAH gene was probably present in the ancestor of animals, shedding light on its glycobiology. We predict that a better understanding of the role of Sias in disease vectors would lead to more effective clinical interventions.

The role of pathogen genomics in assessing disease transmission

BMJ ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 350 (may11 1) ◽  
pp. h1314-h1314 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Sintchenko ◽  
E. C. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission

scholarly journals An Exon-Based Comparative Variant Analysis Pipeline to Study the Scale and Role of Frameshift and Nonsense Mutation in the Human-Chimpanzee Divergence

2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
GongXin Yu
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Cell Lineage ◽  
Nonsense Mutations ◽  
Less Is More ◽  
Sequencing Errors ◽  
Evolutionary Force ◽  
Variant Analysis ◽  
Species Specific

Chimpanzees and humans are closely related but differ in many deadly human diseases and other characteristics in physiology, anatomy, and pathology. In spite of decades of extensive research, crucial questions about the molecular mechanisms behind the differences are yet to be understood. Here I reportExonVar, a novel computational pipeline forExon-based human-chimpanzee comparativeVariant analysis. The objective is to comparatively analyze mutations specifically those that caused the frameshift and nonsense mutations and to assess their scale and potential impacts on human-chimpanzee divergence. Genomewide analysis of human and chimpanzee exons withExonVaridentified a number of species-specific, exon-disrupting mutations in chimpanzees but much fewer in humans. Many were found on genes involved in important biological processes such as T cell lineage development, the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, and antigen induced cell death. A “less-is-more” model was previously established to illustrate the role of the gene inactivation and disruptions during human evolution. Here this analysis suggested a different model where the chimpanzee-specific exon-disrupting mutations may act as additional evolutionary force that drove the human-chimpanzee divergence. Finally, the analysis revealed a number of sequencing errors in the chimpanzee and human genome sequences and further illustrated that they could be corrected without resequencing.

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