scholarly journals Cross-Border Investigations on the Prevalence and Transmission Dynamics of Cryptosporidium Species in Dairy Cattle Farms in Western Mainland Europe

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 2394
Author(s):  
Pedro Pinto ◽  
Cláudia A. Ribeiro ◽  
Sumaiya Hoque ◽  
Ourida Hammouma ◽  
Hélène Leruste ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Cryptosporidium Spp ◽  
Faecal Samples ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Parasitic Protist ◽  
Cattle Farms

Cryptosporidium is an apicomplexan parasitic protist, which infects a wide range of hosts, causing cryptosporidiosis disease. In farms, the incidence of this disease is high in animals such as cows, leading to extensive economic loss in the livestock industry. Infected cows may also act as a major reservoir of Cryptosporidium spp., in particular C. parvum, the most common cause of cryptosporidiosis in these animals. This poses a risk to the trading of livestock, to other farms via breeding centres, and to human health. This study is a part of a global project aimed at strategies to tackle cryptosporidiosis. To reach this target, it was essential to determine whether prevalence was dependent on the studied countries or if the issue was borderless. Indeed, C. parvum occurrence was assessed across dairy farms in certain regions of Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. At the same time, the animal-to-animal transmission of the circulating C. parvum subtypes was studied. To accomplish this, we analysed 1084 faecal samples, corresponding to 57 dairy farms from all three countries. To this end, 18S rRNA and gp60 genes fragments were amplified, followed by DNA sequencing, which was subsequently used for detection and subtyping C. parvum. Bioinformatic and phylogenetic methods were integrated to analyse and characterise the obtained DNA sequences. Our results show 25.7%, 24.9% and 20.8% prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands respectively. Overall, 93% of the farms were Cryptosporidium positive. The gp60 subtyping demonstrated a significant number of the C. parvum positives belonged to the IIa allelic family, which has been also identified in humans. Therefore, this study highlights how prevalent C. parvum is in dairy farms and further suggests cattle as a possible carrier of zoonotic C. parvum subtypes, which could pose a threat to human health.

scholarly journals Cross-border Investigations on the Prevalence and Transmission Dynamics of Cryptosporidium Species in Dairy Cattle Farms in Western Mainland Europe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Pinto ◽  
Claudia A Ribeiro ◽  
Sumaiya Hoque ◽  
Ourida Hammouma ◽  
Hélène Leruste ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Cryptosporidium Spp ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Parasitic Protist ◽  
Cattle Farms

Cryptosporidium is comprised an apicomplexan parasitic protist, which infects a wide range of hosts, causing cryptosporidiosis. In cattle farms, the incidence of cryptosporidiosis results in high mortality in calves leading to considerable economic loss in the livestock industry. Infected animals may also act as a major reservoir of Cryptosporidium spp., in particular C. parvum, the most common cause of cryptosporidiosis in calves. This poses a significant risk to other farms via breeding centres, to trading of livestock and to human health. This study, funded by the Interreg-2-seas programme, is a part of a global project aimed at strategies to tackle cryptosporidiosis. To reach this target, it was essential to determine whether prevalence was dependent on the studied countries or if the issue was borderless. Indeed, C. parvum occurrence was assessed across dairy farms in certain regions of Belgium, France and the Netherlands. At the same time, the animal-to-animal transmission of the circulating C. parvum subtypes was studied. To accomplish this, 1084 faecal samples, corresponding to 57 dairy-farms from all three countries, were analysed. Well-established protocols amplifying the 18S rDNA and gp60 genes fragments, followed by DNA sequencing, were used for the detection and subtyping C. parvum; the DNA sequences obtained were further characterised using a combination of bioinformatics and phylogenetics methods. Our results show 25.7%, 24.9% and 20.8% prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in Belgium, France and the Netherlands respectively. Overall, 93% of the farms were Cryptosporidium positive. The gp60 subtyping demonstrated a significant number of the C. parvum positives belonged to the IIa allelic family, which has been also detected in humans. Consequently, this study highlights how widespread is C. parvum in dairy farms and endorses cattle as a major carrier of zoonotic C. parvum subtypes, which subsequently pose a significant threat to human health.

Detection of Campylobacter species in different types of samples from dairy farms

2019 ◽  
Vol 186 (18) ◽  
pp. 605-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Hansson ◽  
Eva Olsson Engvall ◽  
Sevinc Ferrari ◽  
Boel Harbom ◽  
Elina Lahti
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Dairy Herds ◽  
Sample Type ◽  
Sampling Strategies ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Optimal Sample ◽  
Faecal Samples ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Cattle Farms

BackgroundLivestock, domestic pets and wildlife can be intestinal carriers of thermotolerant Campylobacter species. These reservoirs can in turn contaminate the environment and food products, thus creating pathways to campylobacteriosis in human beings. The purposes of this study were to investigate sampling strategies applied for surveillance of Campylobacter on dairy cattle farms and to identify the presence and species of Campylobacter in different age groups.MethodsBoot sock and faecal samples were collected from five dairy herds from three age groups—cows, heifers and calves younger than 12 months—and from milk filters.ResultsCampylobacter species were isolated in 152 of 250 samples, of which 93 isolates were identified as C jejuni, 51 as C hyointestinalis, two as C lari and one as C coli, whereas five isolates could not be identified to species level. Campylobacter species were isolated from 86 of 110 faecal samples, 60 of 97 sock samples and six of 43 milk filter samples.ConclusionFaecal samples were the optimal sample type for detection of Campylobacter on dairy farms. However, taking multiple types of samples could be recommended in order to optimise the recovery rate and variety of Campylobacter species detected when investigating the presence of Campylobacter on dairy farms.

scholarly journals Applicability of Honey on Silkworms (Bombyx mori) and Quality Improvement of Its Biomaterials

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 4613
Author(s):  
Gabriela-Maria Baci ◽  
Alexandra-Antonia Cucu ◽  
Adela Ramona Moise ◽  
Daniel Severus Dezmirean
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Bombyx Mori ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Recombinant Proteins ◽  
Therapeutic Agent ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Medical Field ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ancient Times

Since ancient times, honey has been considered one of the most illustrious and esteemed natural products. Honey plays two key roles; specifically, it is an appreciated nutritional product, and also exhibits a wide range of beneficial properties for human health as a therapeutic agent. Furthermore, it has been shown that honey has valuable effects on the biological and physiological features of mulberry silkworms (Bombyx mori). Bombyx mori exhibits importance not only for the economy, but it also serves as an important biotechnological bioreactor for the production of recombinant proteins that have a great impact in the medical field and beyond. It also represents an important model organism for life sciences. In view of the fact that silk fibroin serves as a natural biopolymer that displays high biocompatibility with human organisms and due to honey’s various and remarkable properties for human health, the two elements are currently used together in order to develop ideal biomaterials for a wide range of purposes. In this review, by discussing the applicability of honey on Bombyx mori and beyond, the importance of honey for life sciences and related fields is spotlighted.

scholarly journals Impacts of Microcystins on Morphological and Physiological Parameters of Agricultural Plants: A Review

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 639
Author(s):  
Alexandre Campos ◽  
El Mahdi Redouane ◽  
Marisa Freitas ◽  
Samuel Amaral ◽  
Tomé Azevedo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Physiological Parameters ◽  
World Health ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Regulatory Limits ◽  
Agricultural Plants ◽  
The Impact

Cyanobacteria are a group of photosynthetic prokaryotes that pose a great concern in the aquatic environments related to contamination and poisoning of wild life and humans. Some species of cyanobacteria produce potent toxins such as microcystins (MCs), which are extremely aggressive to several organisms, including animals and humans. In order to protect human health and prevent human exposure to this type of organisms and toxins, regulatory limits for MCs in drinking water have been established in most countries. In this regard, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed 1 µg MCs /L as the highest acceptable concentration in drinking water. However, regulatory limits were not defined in waters used in other applications/activities, constituting a potential threat to the environment and to human health. Indeed, water contaminated with MCs or other cyanotoxins is recurrently used in agriculture and for crop and food production. Several deleterious effects of MCs including a decrease in growth, tissue necrosis, inhibition of photosynthesis and metabolic changes have been reported in plants leading to the impairment of crop productivity and economic loss. Studies have also revealed significant accumulation of MCs in edible tissues and plant organs, which raise concerns related to food safety. This work aims to systematize and analyze the information generated by previous scientific studies, namely on the phytotoxicity and the impact of MCs especially on growth, photosynthesis and productivity of agricultural plants. Morphological and physiological parameters of agronomic interest are overviewed in detail in this work, with the aim to evaluate the putative impact of MCs under field conditions. Finally, concentration-dependent effects are highlighted, as these can assist in future guidelines for irrigation waters and establish regulatory limits for MCs.

scholarly journals Molecular Characterisation of Cryptosporidium spp. in Mozambican Children Younger than 5 Years Enrolled in a Matched Case-Control Study on the Aetiology of Diarrhoeal Disease

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 452
Author(s):  
Augusto Messa, Jr. ◽  
Pamela C. Köster ◽  
Marcelino Garrine ◽  
Tacilta Nhampossa ◽  
Sérgio Massora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diarrhoeal Disease ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Domestic Animal ◽  
Cryptosporidium Species ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Species Determination ◽  
Cryptosporidium Spp ◽  
Faecal Samples ◽  
Matched Case

Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of childhood diarrhoea and associated physical and cognitive impairment in low-resource settings. Cryptosporidium-positive faecal samples (n = 190) from children aged ≤ 5 years enrolled in the Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS) in Mozambique detected by ELISA (11.5%, 430/3754) were successfully PCR-amplified and sequenced at the gp60 or ssu rRNA loci for species determination and genotyping. Three Cryptosporidium species including C. hominis (72.6%, 138/190), C. parvum (22.6%, 43/190), and C. meleagridis (4.2%, 8/190) were detected. Children ≤ 23 months were more exposed to Cryptosporidium spp. infections than older children. Both C. hominis and C. parvum were more prevalent among children with diarrhoeal disease compared to those children without it (47.6% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.007 and 23.7% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.014, respectively). A high intra-species genetic variability was observed within C. hominis (subtype families Ia, Ib, Id, Ie, and If) and C. parvum (subtype families IIb, IIc, IIe, and IIi) but not within C. meleagridis (subtype family IIIb). No association between Cryptosporidium species/genotypes and child’s age was demonstrated. The predominance of C. hominis and C. parvum IIc suggests that most of the Cryptosporidium infections were anthroponotically transmitted, although zoonotic transmission events also occurred at an unknown rate. The role of livestock, poultry, and other domestic animal species as sources of environmental contamination and human cryptosporidiosis should be investigated in further molecular epidemiological studies in Mozambique.

scholarly journals Cryptosporidium myocastoris n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporidiidae), the Species Adapted to the Nutria (Myocastor coypus)

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 813
Author(s):  
Jana Ježková ◽  
Zlata Limpouchová ◽  
Jitka Prediger ◽  
Nikola Holubová ◽  
Bohumil Sak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Prepatent Period ◽  
Cryptosporidium Species ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Myocastor Coypus ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Molecular Analyses ◽  
Cryptosporidium Spp ◽  
Faecal Samples

Cryptosporidium spp., common parasites of vertebrates, remain poorly studied in wildlife. This study describes the novel Cryptosporidium species adapted to nutrias (Myocastor coypus). A total of 150 faecal samples of feral nutria were collected from locations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and examined for Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts and specific DNA at the SSU, actin, HSP70, and gp60 loci. Molecular analyses revealed the presence of C. parvum (n = 1), C. ubiquitum subtype family XIId (n = 5) and Cryptosporidium myocastoris n. sp. XXIIa (n = 2), and XXIIb (n = 3). Only nutrias positive for C. myocastoris shed microscopically detectable oocysts, which measured 4.8–5.2 × 4.7–5.0 µm, and oocysts were infectious for experimentally infected nutrias with a prepatent period of 5–6 days, although not for mice, gerbils, or chickens. The infection was localised in jejunum and ileum without observable macroscopic changes. The microvilli adjacent to attached stages responded by elongating. Clinical signs were not observed in naturally or experimentally infected nutrias. Phylogenetic analyses at SSU, actin, and HSP70 loci demonstrated that C. myocastoris n. sp. is distinct from other valid Cryptosporidium species.

scholarly journals A New Statistic for Detecting Genetic Differentiation

Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 155 (4) ◽  
pp. 2011-2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard R Hudson
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Genetic Data ◽  
Island Model ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Infinite Sites Model ◽  
Parameter Values

Abstract A new statistic for detecting genetic differentiation of subpopulations is described. The statistic can be calculated when genetic data are collected on individuals sampled from two or more localities. It is assumed that haplotypic data are obtained, either in the form of DNA sequences or data on many tightly linked markers. Using a symmetric island model, and assuming an infinite-sites model of mutation, it is found that the new statistic is as powerful or more powerful than previously proposed statistics for a wide range of parameter values.

Parasites in Antarctic krill guts inferred from DNA sequences

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison C. Cleary ◽  
Maria C. Casas ◽  
Edward G. Durbin ◽  
Jaime Gómez-Gutiérrez
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Antarctic Krill ◽  
Euphausia Superba ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
The West ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Wide Range

AbstractThe keystone role of Antarctic krill,Euphausia superbaDana, in Southern Ocean ecosystems, means it is essential to understand the factors controlling their abundance and secondary production. One such factor that remains poorly known is the role of parasites. A recent study of krill diet using DNA analysis of gut contents provided a snapshot of the parasites present within 170E. superbaguts in a small area along the West Antarctic Peninsula. These parasites includedMetschnikowiaspp. fungi,Haptoglossasp. peronosporomycetes,LankesteriaandParalecudinaspp. apicomplexa,Stegophorussp. nematodes, andPseudocolliniaspp. ciliates. Of these parasites,Metschnikowiaspp. fungi andPseudocolliniaspp. ciliates had previously been observed inE. superba, as had other genera of apicomplexans, though notLankesteriaandParalecudina.In contrast, nematodes had previously only been observed in eggs ofE. superba, and there are no literature reports of peronosporomycetes in euphausiids.Pseudocolliniaspp., parasitoids which obligately kill their host, were the most frequently observed infection, with a prevalence of 12%. The wide range of observed parasites and the relatively high frequency of infections suggest parasites may play a more important role than previously acknowledged inE. superbaecology and population dynamics.

Faecal samples reveal the diet of breeding adult Sandwich terns Thalasseus sandvicensis in Belgium and the southern part of the Netherlands

2017 ◽  
Vol 127 ◽  
pp. 182-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Courtens ◽  
H. Verstraete ◽  
N. Vanermen ◽  
M. Van de walle ◽  
E.W.M. Stienen
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Faecal Samples
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