Metabarcoding reveals low prevalence of microsporidian infections in castor bean tick (Ixodes ricinus)

Background Microsporidia is a large group of eukaryotic obligate intracellular spore-forming parasites, of which 17 species can cause microsporidiosis in humans. Most human-infecting microsporidians belong to the genera Enterocytozoon and Encephalitozoon. To date, only five microsporidian species, including Encephalitozoon-like, have been found in hard ticks (Ixodidae) using microscopic methods, but no sequence data are available for them. Furthermore, no widespread screening for microsporidian-infected ticks based on DNA analysis has been carried out to date. Thus, in this study, we applied a recently developed DNA metabarcoding method for efficient microsporidian DNA identification to assess the role of ticks as potential vectors of microsporidian species causing diseases in humans. Methods In total, 1070 (493 juvenile and 577 adult) unfed host-seeking Ixodes ricinus ticks collected at urban parks in the city of Poznan, Poland, and 94 engorged tick females fed on dogs and cats were screened for microsporidian DNA. Microsporidians were detected by PCR amplification and sequencing of the hypervariable V5 region of 18S rRNA gene (18S profiling) using the microsporidian-specific primer set. Tick species were identified morphologically and confirmed by amplification and sequencing of the shortened fragment of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (mini-COI). Results All collected ticks were unambiguously assigned to I. ricinus. Potentially zoonotic Encephalitozoon intestinalis was identified in three fed ticks (3.2%) collected from three different dogs. In eight unfed host-seeking ticks (0.8%), including three males (1.1%), two females (0.7%) and three nymphs (0.7%), the new microsporidian sequence representing a species belonging to the genus Endoreticulatus was identified. Conclusions The lack of zoonotic microsporidians in host-seeking ticks suggests that I. ricinus is not involved in transmission of human-infecting microsporidians. Moreover, a very low occurrence of the other microsporidian species in both fed and host-seeking ticks implies that mechanisms exist to defend ticks against infection with these parasites. Graphical abstract

Global Status of Bufavirus, Cosavirus, and Saffold Virus in Gastroenteritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Bufavirus (BuV), Human Cosavirus (HCoSV), and Saffold (SAFV) virus are three newly discovered viruses and have been suggested as possible causes of gastroenteritis (GE) in some studies. The aim of the present study was to estimate the overall prevalence of viruses and their association with GE.Methods: A comprehensive systematic search was conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google scholar between 2007 and 2021 to find studies on the prevalence of BuV, HCoSV, and SAFV viruses.Result: Meta-analysis of the 46 included studies showed the low prevalence of BuV (1.%, 95% CI 0.6–1.5%), HCoSV (0.8%, 95% CI 0.4–1.5%), and SAFV (1.9%, 95% CI 1.1–3.1%) worldwide. Also, no significant association between these viruses and GE was observed. BuV was isolated from patients with GE in Africa, while SAFV was more common in Europe. BuV1 and BuV2 have the same prevalence between the three identified genotypes of BuV. HCoSV-C was the most prevalent genotype of HCoSV, and SAFV2 was the commonest genotype of SAFV. All of these viruses were more prevalent in children older than 5 years of age.Conclusion: This was the first meta-analysis on the prevalence and association of BuV, HCoSV, and SAFV with GE. While no significant association was found between infection with these viruses and GE, we suggest more studies, especially with case-control design and from different geographical regions in order to enhance our knowledge of these viruses.

Veterinary drug therapies used for undesirable behaviours in UK dogs under primary veterinary care

Undesirable behaviours (UBs) in dogs are common and important issues with serious potential welfare consequences for both the dogs and their owners. This study aimed to investigate the usage of drug therapy for UBs in dogs and assess demographic risk factors for drug-prescribed UBs within the dog population under primary-care veterinary care in the UK in 2013. Dogs receiving drug therapy for UB were identified through the retrospective analysis of anonymised electronic patient records in VetCompass™. Risk factor analysis used multivariable logistic regression modelling. The study population comprised 103,597 dogs under veterinary care in the UK during 2013. There were 413 drug-prescribed UBs recorded among 404 dogs. The prevalence of dogs with at least one UB event treated with a drug in 2013 was 0.4%. Multivariable modelling identified 3 breeds with increased odds of drug-prescribed UB compared with crossbred dogs: Toy Poodle (OR 2.75), Tibetan Terrier (OR 2.68) and Shih-tzu (OR 1.95). Increasing age was associated with increased odds of drug-prescribed UB, with dogs ≥ 12 years showing 3.1 times the odds compared with dogs < 3 years. Neutered males (OR 1.82) and entire males (OR 1.50) had increased odds compared with entire females. The relatively low prevalence of dogs with at least one UB event that was treated with a drug in 2013 could suggest that opportunities for useful psychopharmaceutical intervention in UBs may be being missed in first opinion veterinary practice. While bodyweight was not a significant factor, the 3 individual breeds at higher odds of an UB treated with a behaviour modifying drug all have a relatively low average bodyweight. The current results also support previous research of a male predisposition to UBs and it is possible that this higher risk resulted in the increased likelihood of being prescribed a behaviour modifying drug, regardless of neuter status.

Prevalence and Postpartum Screening Practice for Type 2 Diabetes following GDM in King Abdulaziz Medical City: A 3-Years Retrospective Cohort Study

Aim: GDM patients were associated to develop T2DM but mostly failed to undergo screening after delivery. This study aims to examine the practice of T2DM screening and prevalence of developing T2DM among women who had GDM in King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Saudi Arabia. Methods: Retrospective study involving 642 pregnant women with GDM. Medical records on screenings conducted, delivery mode, GDM and diabetes family history were collected and investigated. Statistical analysis was conducted. Frequencies and percentages were used for categorical variables while means and SD for continuous. Chi-square and t-test were used to establish relationship of categorical and comparing two group means, respectively. Results: Patients were 98.8% Saudi nationals, mean weight, height, parity and number of pregnancies were 76.96 kg, 2.74 m, 3.37 and 1.35, respectively. Majority were obese (56.9%), SVD (56.4%) mode of delivery and good lifestyle (91.4%) as management practice. OGTT was used for screening T2DM with 0 hr fasting and 2-hrs after consuming 75g of glucose, physician ordered 6 weeks after delivery. Only 20% had screening for T2DM and 3.9% developed postpartum diabetes with high number of women not returning for ordered OGTT screening (65.6%). Significant predictors identified were parity and mode of delivery for development of T2DM, while only mode of delivery for both screening for T2DM and management of GDM.Conclusion: Low prevalence of developing T2DM but high number of women failed to follow the ordered OGTT screening. Effort on the implementation of OGTT screening for T2DM needs improvement.

Seizure Prediction With HIVE-CODAs: The Hierarchical Vote Collective of Domain Adaptation Methods

Epileptic seizure prediction is one of the most used therapeutic adjuvant strategies for drug-resistant epilepsy. Conventional methods are usually trained and tested on the same patient due to the interindividual variability. However, the challenging problem of the domain shift between different subjects remains unsolved, resulting in low prevalence of clinical application. In this study, a generic model based on the domain adaptation (DA) technique is proposed to alleviate such problems. Ensemble learning is employed by developing a hierarchical vote collective of seven DA modules over multi-modality data, such that the predictive performance is improved by training multiple models. Moreover, to increase the feasibility of its implementation, this study mimics the data distribution of clinical sampling and tests the model under this simulated realistic condition. Based on the performance of seven subnetworks, the applicability of each DA algorithm for seizure prediction is evaluated, which is the first study that provides the assessment. Experimental results on both intracranial and scalp EEG databases demonstrate that this method can reduce the domain gap effectively compared with previous studies.

Features of diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic pancreatitis with primary hyperparathyroidism

Aim: To identify a connection between acute and chronic pancreatitis and primary hyperparathyroidism on the base of clinical cases. To consider the features of the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic pancreatitis with primary hyperparathyroidism.Materials and methods: Over the past 10 years, there have been observed 3 cases of pancreatitis with primary hyperparathyroidism. Two patients were diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis, one patient was diagnosed with acute destructive pancreatitis. Patients were undergoing surgery, parathyroidectomy was performed.Results: Primary hyperparathyroidism is rarely associated with the occurrence of acute or chronic pancreatitis, but hypercalcemia plays an important role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Pancreatitis usually occurs in the late stage of hyperparathyroidism, which explains the low prevalence of this association in developed countries, where primary hyperparathyroidism is diagnosed at an early stage of the disease.Conclusion: These clinical cases of radical surgical treatment of parathyroid adenoma associated with severe concomitant pathology testifies to the effectiveness of the surgical method in some cases. It is necessary to take into account severe concomitant pathology and diagnose and correct it in time.

Health-Related Communication and Rare Diseases

Rare diseases are often characterized as diseases with low prevalence in population that stem from genetic disorders or environment conditions. As a result of its low prevalence and lack of knowledge of its causes, symptoms, and/or treatment, patients' access to healthcare, and their quality of life may be affected. A key challenge is also the physician-patient interaction that differs from traditional medical care settings by demanding physicians' experience in dealing, for example, with psychological problems associated with the diagnosis process. Information and Communication Technologies can facilitate the interaction between the sources of information and patients, overcoming geographical distances. This chapter discusses the role of Information and Communication to extract health data in rare diseases and reinforce physician-patient interactions. It argues that Information and Communication are crucial to meet patients' needs, drivers, and decision-making that tend to occur during the patient's journey (pre-diagnosis, diagnosis, and post-diagnosis).