Studies on Animals Closely Associated with Some New Zealand Marine Shellfish

<p>Between March 1973 and September 1974, 858 Perna canaliculus (Gmelin), 150 Mytilus edulis aoteanus Powell, 237 Crassostrea qlomerata (Gould) and 153 Ostrea lutaria Hutton, were surveyed for parasites. From these four commercially important shellfish species, a total of two sporozoans, three species of trematode sporocyst, and a copepod were found. A second copepod and pea-crabs were found associated with certain of the shellfish, but the nature of this association is uncertain. During the examination of each shellfish the ratio of the meat volume to internal shell volume was measured. This provided a condition factor for the shellfish, and gave an indication of the effect of the parasite on the meat weight of the bivalve. Perna canaliculus was collected from Ahipara, Wellington Harbour, and the Marlborough Sounds. Spores of a gregarine, Nematopsis sp., were abundant in the Ahipara mussels, common in Wellington and rare in the Sounds. The fellodistomid trematode sporocyst known as Cercaria haswelli Dollfus was found in mussels from all three locations. Laboratory infection experiments established that the cercaria from this sporocyst develops into the trematode Terqestia aqnostomi (manter). Gravid specimens of this trematode were obtained for the first time, from the mullet Aldrichetta forsteri Cuvier & Valanciennes. Two specimens of the bucephalid sporocyst described by Haswell (1903) were recovered and re-described. The copepods pseudomyicola spinosus Raffaele & Monticelli and Lichomolgus.n sp. were associated with the mussels, but their status is uncertain. The post-planktonic stages of the pea-crab Pinnotheres novaezelandiae Filhol are described for the first time, and the seasonal abundance, effect of depth on abundance, and the effect of the crab on the host's condition are described. Differences between the zoea of apparently identical female crabs from different host species are noted and the significance of these is discussed. Because of the difference between the zoea of crabs from P. canaliculus and Atrina zelandica Gray, only the crabs from the former host are refered to as P. novaezelandiae. The pea-crabs found in A. zelandica, C. glomerata, and M. edulis aoteanus, have not been assigned to a species. Mytilus edulis aoteanus is host to Tergestia aqnostomi sporocysts, Pseudomyicola spinosus, and Pinnotheres sp. Crassostrea glomerata was collected from the Bay of Islands. Only one parasite, the copepod Pseudomyicola spinosus, was found in this host. A pea-crab Pinnotheres sp. is occasionally found associated with the oyster. A disease of this oyster, a symptom of which is the formation of necrotic pustules in the adductor mussel, could not be traced to any parasite. This disease is discussed in an appendix. Ostra lutaria was obtained from Wellington Harbour, the Marlborough Sounds, and Foveaux Strait. Sporozoan cysts were found to occur in 10% of the oysters from Foveaux Strait, but were not observed to adversly affect the oyster. The sporocysts of the trematode Bucephalus longicornutus (Manter) occur in the areas sampled. Pseudomyicola spinosus lnfests the oyster in Wellington and in the Sounds, but not in Foveaux Strait. It was concluded that there were no serious pathogens likely to infect the shellfish farms growing these species, and that there was little farmers could do at present to reduce the effect on the host of the symbionts already present in the shellfish beds. A checklist and bibliography of all the parasites infecting New Zealand marine molluscs is included is an appendix.</p>

Studies on Animals Closely Associated with Some New Zealand Marine Shellfish

<p>Between March 1973 and September 1974, 858 Perna canaliculus (Gmelin), 150 Mytilus edulis aoteanus Powell, 237 Crassostrea qlomerata (Gould) and 153 Ostrea lutaria Hutton, were surveyed for parasites. From these four commercially important shellfish species, a total of two sporozoans, three species of trematode sporocyst, and a copepod were found. A second copepod and pea-crabs were found associated with certain of the shellfish, but the nature of this association is uncertain. During the examination of each shellfish the ratio of the meat volume to internal shell volume was measured. This provided a condition factor for the shellfish, and gave an indication of the effect of the parasite on the meat weight of the bivalve. Perna canaliculus was collected from Ahipara, Wellington Harbour, and the Marlborough Sounds. Spores of a gregarine, Nematopsis sp., were abundant in the Ahipara mussels, common in Wellington and rare in the Sounds. The fellodistomid trematode sporocyst known as Cercaria haswelli Dollfus was found in mussels from all three locations. Laboratory infection experiments established that the cercaria from this sporocyst develops into the trematode Terqestia aqnostomi (manter). Gravid specimens of this trematode were obtained for the first time, from the mullet Aldrichetta forsteri Cuvier & Valanciennes. Two specimens of the bucephalid sporocyst described by Haswell (1903) were recovered and re-described. The copepods pseudomyicola spinosus Raffaele & Monticelli and Lichomolgus.n sp. were associated with the mussels, but their status is uncertain. The post-planktonic stages of the pea-crab Pinnotheres novaezelandiae Filhol are described for the first time, and the seasonal abundance, effect of depth on abundance, and the effect of the crab on the host's condition are described. Differences between the zoea of apparently identical female crabs from different host species are noted and the significance of these is discussed. Because of the difference between the zoea of crabs from P. canaliculus and Atrina zelandica Gray, only the crabs from the former host are refered to as P. novaezelandiae. The pea-crabs found in A. zelandica, C. glomerata, and M. edulis aoteanus, have not been assigned to a species. Mytilus edulis aoteanus is host to Tergestia aqnostomi sporocysts, Pseudomyicola spinosus, and Pinnotheres sp. Crassostrea glomerata was collected from the Bay of Islands. Only one parasite, the copepod Pseudomyicola spinosus, was found in this host. A pea-crab Pinnotheres sp. is occasionally found associated with the oyster. A disease of this oyster, a symptom of which is the formation of necrotic pustules in the adductor mussel, could not be traced to any parasite. This disease is discussed in an appendix. Ostra lutaria was obtained from Wellington Harbour, the Marlborough Sounds, and Foveaux Strait. Sporozoan cysts were found to occur in 10% of the oysters from Foveaux Strait, but were not observed to adversly affect the oyster. The sporocysts of the trematode Bucephalus longicornutus (Manter) occur in the areas sampled. Pseudomyicola spinosus lnfests the oyster in Wellington and in the Sounds, but not in Foveaux Strait. It was concluded that there were no serious pathogens likely to infect the shellfish farms growing these species, and that there was little farmers could do at present to reduce the effect on the host of the symbionts already present in the shellfish beds. A checklist and bibliography of all the parasites infecting New Zealand marine molluscs is included is an appendix.</p>

Is it possible to estimate the need for surgical management in patients with a tubo-ovarian abscess at admission? A retrospective long-term analysis

Background This study aimed to determine the possible prognostic factors correlated with the treatment modalities of tubo-ovarian abscesses (TOAs) and thus to assess whether the need for surgery was predictable at the time of initial admission. Materials and methods Between January 2012 and December 2019, patients who were hospitalized with a TOA in our clinic were retrospectively recruited. The age of the patients, clinical and sonographic presentation, pelvic inflammatory risk factors, antibiotic therapy, applied surgical treatment, laboratory infection parameters, and length of hospital stay were recorded. Results The records of 115 patients hospitalized with a prediagnosis of TOA were reviewed for the current study. After hospitalization, TOA was ruled out in 19 patients, and data regarding 96 patients was included for analysis. Twenty-eight (29.2%) patients underwent surgical treatment due to failed antibiotic therapy. Sixty-eight (70.8%) were successfully treated with parenteral antibiotics. Medical treatment failure and need for surgery were more common in patients with a large abscess (volume, > 40 cm3, or diameter, > 5 cm). The group treated by surgical intervention was statistically older than the patients receiving medical treatment (p < 0.05). Conclusions Although the treatment in TOA may vary according to clinical, sonographic, and laboratory findings; age of patients, the abscess size, and volume were seen as the major factors affecting medical treatment failure. Moreover, TOA treatment should be planned on a more individual basis.

An Emerging Innovative UV Disinfection Technology (Part II): Virucide Activity on SARS-CoV-2

The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has become a global health burden. Surface sanitation is one of the key points to reduce the risk of transmission both in healthcare and other public spaces. UVC light is already used in hospital and laboratory infection control, and some recent studies have shown its effectiveness on SARS-CoV-2. An innovative UV chip technology, described in Part I of this study, has recently appeared able to overcome the limits of old lamps and is proposed as a valid alternative to LEDs. This study was designed to test the virucidal activity on SARS-CoV-2 of a device based on the new UV chip technology. Via an initial concentration of virus suspension of 107.2 TCID50/mL, the tests revealed a viral charge reduction of more than 99.9% after 3 min; the maximum detectable attenuation value of Log10 = 5.7 was measured at 10 min of UV exposure.

Laboratory Infection of Novel Akhmeta Virus in CAST/EiJ Mice

Akhmeta virus is a zoonotic Orthopoxvirus first identified in 2013 in the country of Georgia. Subsequent ecological investigations in Georgia have found evidence that this virus is widespread in its geographic distribution within the country and in its host-range, with rodents likely involved in its circulation in the wild. Yet, little is known about the pathogenicity of this virus in rodents. We conducted the first laboratory infection of Akhmeta virus in CAST/EiJ Mus musculus to further characterize this novel virus. We found a dose-dependent effect on mortality and weight loss (p < 0.05). Anti-orthopoxvirus antibodies were detected in the second- and third-highest dose groups (5 × 104 pfu and 3 × 102 pfu) at euthanasia by day 10, and day 14 post-infection, respectively. Anti-orthopoxvirus antibodies were not detected in the highest dose group (3 × 106 pfu), which were euthanized at day 7 post-infection and had high viral load in tissues, suggesting they succumbed to disease prior to mounting an effective immune response. In order of highest burden, viable virus was detected in the nostril, lung, tail, liver and spleen. All individuals tested in the highest dose groups were DNAemic. Akhmeta virus was highly pathogenic in CAST/EiJ Mus musculus, causing 100% mortality when ≥3 × 102 pfu was administered.

Experimental infection of bumblebees with honeybee-associated viruses: no direct fitness costs but potential future threats to novel wild bee hosts

Pathogen spillover represents an important cause of biodiversity decline. For wild bee species such as bumblebees, many of which are in decline, correlational data point towards viral spillover from managed honeybees as a potential cause. Yet, impacts of these viruses on wild bees are rarely evaluated. Here, in a series of highly controlled laboratory infection assays with well-characterized viral inocula, we show that three viral types isolated from honeybees (deformed wing virus genotype A, deformed wing virus genotype B and black queen cell virus) readily replicate within hosts of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris . Impacts of these honeybee-derived viruses - either injected or fed - on the mortality of B. terrestris workers were, however, negligible and probably dependent on host condition. Our results highlight the potential threat of viral spillover from honeybees to novel wild bee species, though they also underscore the importance of additional studies on this and other wild bee species under field-realistic conditions to evaluate whether pathogen spillover has a negative impact on wild bee individuals and population fitness.

Analisis Antimullerian Hormon (AMH) di Dalam Serum pada Berbagai Kategori Indeks Masa Tubuh

Obesity-related to the result of decreased reproduction. Obese women are more prone to abnormal anovulation and uterine bleeding, endometrial hyperplasia/cancer, infertility, miscarriage, and pregnancy complications, compared to women of normal weight. This study aims to determine the levels of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in the serum at various BMI (body mass index), also to determine the relationship and correlation between obesity and AMH levels in serum. The population in the study were women aged 20 years to 40 years with less BMI, Normal BMI and Obesity BMI. The study subjects were women between the ages of 20 to 40 years with a BMI less than 17-19.9, obesity BMI = 25 and normal BMI 20-25 as controls. Height measurement, weight weighing, and BMI calculation carried out according to the standard and subject to approval. Taking blood samples for the examination of AMH levels carried out by the RSKI laboratory (Infection Special Hospital) Airlangga University. The results of the data processed with SPSS 25 with the Shapiro-Wilk normality test and Mann Whitney statistical analysis for different tests and Spearman analysis for the correlation test. The results of the study found homogeneous samples, there were no significant differences between the AMH levels of the less and obese groups with, p = 0.832 (p> 0.05). AMH levels in BMI were less (0.459 � 0.112 ng / mL) than obesity BMI (0.432 � 0.058 ng / mL), so it was concluded that AMH levels did not correlate with less BMI with obesity BMI, with a correlation value (r) = -0.105 (p = 0.643; p> 0.05). The results of this study concluded that body mass index not related and does not correlate with the levels of anti-Mullerian hormone in the serum.

Complete Genome Sequences of Spondweni Viruses Isolated between 1958 and 1960

Here, we report the complete genome sequences of 14 Spondweni viruses isolated in South Africa and Mozambique between 1958 and 1960. The sequences comprise 13 mosquito isolates and 1 human isolate following a documented laboratory infection.