scholarly journals Canine Brucellosis: An Update

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renato L. Santos ◽  
Tayse D. Souza ◽  
Juliana P. S. Mol ◽  
Camila Eckstein ◽  
Tatiane A. Paíxão
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
Zoonotic Risk ◽  
Laboratory Workers ◽  
Canine Brucellosis ◽  
Specific Symptoms

Canine brucellosis is an infectious and zoonotic disease caused by Brucella canis, which has been reported worldwide, and is a major public health concern due to close contact between dogs and humans. In dogs, canine brucellosis manifests with abortion outbreaks, reproductive failure, enlargement of lymph nodes, and occasionally affects the osteoarticular system, although the occurrence of asymptomatic infections in dogs are not uncommon. In humans, the disease is associated with a febrile syndrome, commonly with non-specific symptoms including splenomegaly, fatigue, and weakness. Infection of dogs occurs mostly by the oronasal route when in contact with contaminated tissues such as aborted fetuses, semen, urine, and vaginal secretions. In humans, contact with contaminated fluids from infected dogs is an important source of infection, and it is an occupational risk for veterinarians, breeders, laboratory workers, among other professionals who deal with infected animals or biological samples. The diagnosis in dogs is largely based on serologic methods. However, serologic diagnosis of canine brucellosis remains very challenging due to the low accuracy of available tests. Molecular diagnostic methods have been increasingly used in the past few years. Treatment of infected dogs is associated with a high frequency of relapse, and should be employed only in selected cases. Currently there are no commercially available vaccines for prevention of canine brucellosis. Therefore, development of novel and improved diagnostic methods as well as the development of efficacious and safe vaccination protocols are needed for an effective control of canine brucellosis and its associated zoonotic risk.

scholarly journals Fungal Genomics in Respiratory Medicine: What, How and When?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelie P. Brackin ◽  
Sam J. Hemmings ◽  
Matthew C. Fisher ◽  
Johanna Rhodes
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic ◽  
Immunocompromised Patients ◽  
Fungal Genomics ◽  
Risk Of Mortality

AbstractRespiratory infections caused by fungal pathogens present a growing global health concern and are a major cause of death in immunocompromised patients. Worryingly, coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) resulting in acute respiratory distress syndrome has been shown to predispose some patients to airborne fungal co-infections. These include secondary pulmonary aspergillosis and mucormycosis. Aspergillosis is most commonly caused by the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus and primarily treated using the triazole drug group, however in recent years, this fungus has been rapidly gaining resistance against these antifungals. This is of serious clinical concern as multi-azole resistant forms of aspergillosis have a higher risk of mortality when compared against azole-susceptible infections. With the increasing numbers of COVID-19 and other classes of immunocompromised patients, early diagnosis of fungal infections is critical to ensuring patient survival. However, time-limited diagnosis is difficult to achieve with current culture-based methods. Advances within fungal genomics have enabled molecular diagnostic methods to become a fast, reproducible, and cost-effective alternative for diagnosis of respiratory fungal pathogens and detection of antifungal resistance. Here, we describe what techniques are currently available within molecular diagnostics, how they work and when they have been used.

scholarly journals Detection of Maedi-Visna Virus from Sheep Bronchoalveolar Lavage by Nested PCR Evaluation of Different Primers Pairs

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Rebeca Cavalcante Marinho ◽  
Gabrielle Rosemblit Martins ◽  
Kelma Costa de Souza ◽  
Rosivaldo Quirino Bezerra Júnior ◽  
Maria Fátima da Silva Teixeira
Keyword(s):  
Bronchoalveolar Lavage ◽  
Nested Pcr ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic ◽  
Detection Capability ◽  
Visna Virus ◽  
Efficient Detection ◽  
Geographic Regions ◽  
Maedi Visna Virus

Background: Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV) are characterized by a high degree of genetic variability related to your replication process, resulting in several strains in different geographic regions. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is very successful in the detection of proviral DNA of SRLV, however, due to the high variability of the lentivirus genome, the efficiency and sensibility of PCR depends mainly on the specificity of the primers designed and the choice of the amplified target viral region. The aim of this study was to compare detection of Maedi Visna Virus (MVV) from bronco alveolar lavage samples of sheep by Nested PCR using primers for the gag and LTR genes.Materials, Methods & Results: Samples of sheep bronchoalveolar lavage (n = 58) from slaughterhouse in the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza were previously tested by nested PCR using primers for region gag. Thereafter, these samples were tested by nested PCR with primers designed for the LTR region. Both tests were conducted using thermocycler (Biocycler®) under the following conditions: initial denaturation at 94°C for 5 min, followed by 35 cycles of denaturation at 94°C for 1 min, annealing of primers at 56°C for 1 min and extension of DNA at 72°C for 45 s with a final extension at 72 for 7 min. The first and second round were performed under the same conditions. Every amplification was performed using a positive control MVV-K1514 and water RNA/DNA free with a negative control. After the amplification, the PCR products were separated by agarose gel electrophoresis at 1% stained with ethidium bromide in TBE buffer. The tests revelead only 1 sample (P1) was detected exclusively for the primer of gag gene, while 8 samples were positive only for the test performed with primers of the LTR region, 5 samples were positive for both sets of primers tested and 30 samples were negative for all tests. The test with the LTR gene demonstrated 37.93% (22/58) positives of Maedi Visna in the samples studied.Discussion: In recent years, with advances in molecular biology techniques, some PCR protocols have been developed for the diagnosis of SRLV. However, these viruses exhibit a high instability and mutation rate becomes very difficult to use the same primers in different geographic regions. In this study, comparing the MVV detection capability by nested PCR with differents primer sets was possible to demonstrate that primers LTR gene were more efficient in detecting positive animals when compared with the primers designed for the gag region. In all tests, only the animal (P1) was positive for the nested PCR performed with the primers for the gag gene, not being detected by the LTR gene. Some studies suggest success in the detection of MVV using primers for the gag gene. However, for more efficient detection of MVV in sheep samples, many studies have shown that the choice of primers for the LTR region is more accurate, since these primers have better MVV detection capability even when it has a large range of circulating virus strains. it is known that the genetic diversity of SRLV generate difficulties in carrying out molecular tests, since the molecular diagnostic tests depend on factors such as the percentage of identity of nucleotides of the viral populations circulating in the herds and the sequences used for testing. In this study it is possible to conclude that the effective control of lentiviruses diagnostic methods should be chosen properly in order to be applied in disease control programs.

SARS-COV2 virus and Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 977-982
Author(s):  
Mohamed J. Saadh ◽  
Bashar Haj Rashid M ◽  
Roa’a Matar ◽  
Sajeda Riyad Aldibs ◽  
Hala Sbaih ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Antiviral Agents ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Fatal Disease ◽  
Mild Disease ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

SARS-COV2 virus causes Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and represents the causative agent of a potentially fatal disease that is of great global public health concern. The novel coronavirus (2019) was discovered in 2019 in Wuhan, the market of the wet animal, China with viral pneumonia cases and is life-threatening. Today, WHO announces COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. COVID-19 is likely to be zoonotic. It is transmitted from bats as intermediary animals to human. Also, the virus is transmitted from human to human who is in close contact with others. The computerized tomographic chest scan is usually abnormal even in those with no symptoms or mild disease. Treatment is nearly supportive; the role of antiviral agents is yet to be established. The SARS-COV2 virus spreads faster than its two ancestors, the SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), but has lower fatality. In this article, we aimed to summarize the transmission, symptoms, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine to control the spread of this fatal disease.

scholarly journals Enteric Fever Diagnosis: Current Challenges and Future Directions

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 410
Author(s):  
Durga P. Neupane ◽  
Hari P. Dulal ◽  
Jeongmin Song
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Enteric Fever ◽  
Asymptomatic Carrier ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Clinical Presentations ◽  
Global Spread ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Pros And Cons

Enteric fever is a life-threatening systemic febrile disease caused by Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi and Paratyphi (S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi). Unfortunately, the burden of the disease remains high primarily due to the global spread of various drug-resistant Salmonella strains despite continuous advancement in the field. An accurate diagnosis is critical for effective control of the disease. However, enteric fever diagnosis based on clinical presentations is challenging due to overlapping symptoms with other febrile illnesses that are also prevalent in endemic areas. Current laboratory tests display suboptimal sensitivity and specificity, and no diagnostic methods are available for identifying asymptomatic carriers. Several research programs have employed systemic approaches to identify more specific biomarkers for early detection and asymptomatic carrier detection. This review discusses the pros and cons of currently available diagnostic tests for enteric fever, the advancement of research toward improved diagnostic tests, and the challenges of discovering new ideal biomarkers and tests.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibodies Seroprevalence and Sera Neutralizing Activity in MEXICO: A National Cross-Sectional Study during 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 850
Author(s):  
José Esteban Muñoz-Medina ◽  
Concepción Grajales-Muñiz ◽  
Angel Gustavo Salas-Lais ◽  
Larissa Fernandes-Matano ◽  
Constantino López-Macías ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Neutralizing Activity

Until recently, the incidence of COVID-19 was primarily estimated using molecular diagnostic methods. However, the number of cases is vastly underreported using these methods. Seroprevalence studies estimate cumulative infection incidences and allow monitoring of transmission dynamics, and the presence of neutralizing antibodies in the population. In February 2020, the Mexican Social Security Institute began conducting anonymous unrelated sampling of residual sera from specimens across the country, excluding patients with fever within the previous two weeks and/or patients with an acute respiratory infection. Sampling was carried out weekly and began 17 days before Mexico’s first officially confirmed case. The 24,273 sera obtained were analyzed by chemiluminescent-linked immunosorbent assay (CLIA) IgG S1/S2 and, later, positive cases using this technique were also analyzed to determine the rate of neutralization using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We identified 40 CLIA IgG positive cases before the first official report of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Mexico. The national seroprevalence was 3.5% in February and 33.5% in December. Neutralizing activity among IgG positives patients during overall study period was 86.1%. The extent of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in Mexico is 21 times higher than that reported by molecular techniques. Although the general population is still far from achieving herd immunity, epidemiological indicators should be re-estimated based on serological studies of this type.

scholarly journals High Frequency of Cryptosporidium hominis Infecting Infants Points to A Potential Anthroponotic Transmission in Maputo, Mozambique

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 293
Author(s):  
Idalécia Cossa-Moiane ◽  
Hermínio Cossa ◽  
Adilson Fernando Loforte Bauhofer ◽  
Jorfélia Chilaúle ◽  
Esperança Lourenço Guimarães ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cryptosporidium Hominis ◽  
Cryptosporidium Spp ◽  
Pcr Rflp ◽  
Maputo City ◽  
Stool Samples ◽  
Polymerase Chain

Cryptosporidium is one of the most important causes of diarrhea in children less than 2 years of age. In this study, we report the frequency, risk factors and species of Cryptosporidium detected by molecular diagnostic methods in children admitted to two public hospitals in Maputo City, Mozambique. We studied 319 patients under the age of five years who were admitted due to diarrhea between April 2015 and February 2016. Single stool samples were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts, microscopically by using a Modified Ziehl–Neelsen (mZN) staining method and by using Polymerase Chain Reaction and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique using 18S ribosomal RNA gene as a target. Overall, 57.7% (184/319) were males, the median age (Interquartile range, IQR) was 11.0 (7–15) months. Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were detected in 11.0% (35/319) by microscopy and in 35.4% (68/192) using PCR-RFLP. The most affected age group were children older than two years, [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 5.861; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.532–22.417; p-value < 0.05]. Children with illiterate caregivers had higher risk of infection (aOR: 1.688; 95% CI: 1.001–2.845; p-value < 0.05). An anthroponotic species C. hominis was found in 93.0% (27/29) of samples. Our findings demonstrated that cryptosporidiosis in children with diarrhea might be caused by anthroponomic transmission.

Unusual cryptosporidiosis cases in Swedish patients: extended molecular characterization ofCryptosporidium viatorumandCryptosporidiumchipmunk genotype I

Parasitology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 140 (14) ◽  
pp. 1735-1740 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARIANNE LEBBAD ◽  
JESSICA BESER ◽  
MONA INSULANDER ◽  
LILLEMOR KARLSSON ◽  
JENS G. MATTSSON ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Characterization ◽  
Cryptosporidium Parvum ◽  
Geographical Variation ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic ◽  
Cryptosporidium Hominis ◽  
Genotype I ◽  
Protein Locus

SUMMARYMost human cases of cryptosporidiosis are caused byCryptosporidium parvumorCryptosporidium hominis, but the use of molecular diagnostic methods has revealed that several other less common species or genotypes can also be involved. Here, we describe two unusual causes of cryptosporidiosis, one being the recently described speciesCryptosporidium viatorumand the otherCryptosporidiumchipmunk genotype I. Two Swedish patients who were infected withC. viatorumhad travelled to Kenya and Guatemala, respectively, and two others had been infected withCryptosporidiumchipmunk genotype I in Sweden. None of these four patients were immunocompromised, and all four showed classical symptoms of cryptosporidiosis. We performed extensive molecular characterization, including analysis of four loci. The twoC. viatorumisolates were found to differ slightly at the 70-kDa heat shock protein locus, which may indicate a local geographical variation in this species that has previously been described exclusively on the Indian subcontinent.

DIAGNÓSTICO PRECOCE DE HANSENÍASE E AÇÕES ESTRATÉGICAS PARA A SUA DETECÇÃO

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-73
Author(s):  
Inês Stafin ◽  
Virgílio Ribeiro Guedes ◽  
Seyna Ueno Rabelo Mendes
Keyword(s):  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Strategic Actions ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Grade Ii

RESUMO Introdução: O diagnóstico da hanseníase ainda causa grande impacto social, tanto por ser frequentemente tardio e evoluir com sequelas, quanto pelos estigmas que a envolvem. O Brasil persiste como uma área endêmica e possui o segundo lugar em número de casos da doença no mundo. Já o Tocantins é um dos estados com maior endemicidade no país, com um aumento importante no número de diagnósticos em menores de 15 anos e no número de pessoas diagnosticadas com incapacidade grau II. Metodologia: Trata-se de uma revisão de literatura do tipo narrativa, realizada por meio de publicações sobre as ações estratégicas para o diagnóstico precoce de hanseníase, entre o período de 2012 a 2017. Desenvolvimento: A situação atual da hanseníase demonstra a persistência da transmissão, a carência de ações para o seu controle efetivo, a sub detecção e um diagnóstico tardio dessa patologia. O presente artigo aborda as principais ações estratégicas para a realização do diagnóstico precoce da hanseníase, bem como os métodos diagnósticos importantes, proporcionando um maior auxílio aos profissionais de saúde da atenção primária. Considerações finais: Para que se amplie o diagnóstico precoce de forma adequada é essencial a busca e avaliação dos contatos, a qualificação adequada dos profissionais de saúde, a educação em saúde da população e a participação ativa dos gestores.   Palavras-chave: Hanseníase; diagnóstico precoce; estratégias; atenção primária. ABSTRACT Introduction: The diagnosis of leprosy still causes great social impact, both because it is often late and evolves with sequelae, and because of the stigmas that surround it. Brazil persists as an endemic area and has the second largest number of cases of the disease in the world. The state of Tocantins represents one of the areas with high endemicity in the country, with a significant increase in the number of diagnoses in children under 15 years and in the number of people diagnosed with disability grade II. Methodology: This is a literature review of the narrative type, carried out through publications on strategic actions for the early diagnosis of leprosy, between the period of 2012 to 2017. Development: The current situation of leprosy shows the persistence of transmission, lack of actions for effective control, sub detection and a late diagnosis of this pathology. This article discusses the main strategic actions for the early diagnosis of leprosy, as well as the important diagnostic methods, providing greater assistance to primary health care professionals. Final considerations: In order to increase the early diagnosis in an adequate way, it is essential the search and evaluation of contacts, the adequate qualification of health professionals, the health education of the population and the participation of managers. Keywords: Leprosy; early diagnosis; strategies; primary care.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document