Registros de mamíferos presentes en el Área Marina Costera Protegida de Múltiples Usos Lafken Mapu Lahual, sur de Chile

The Lafken Mapu Lahual Coastal Marine Protected Area of Multiple Uses (Lafken Mapu Lahual), Osorno coast, southern Chile, is one of the first protected areas created in Chile during 2006, but only in 2019 its Management Plan was presented. This study provides information on its marine mammal species to be used in future biodiversity monitoring plans. The sighted mammals were recorded and counted through 18 navigation tracks and one observation point in the 2014-2015 austral breeding season. Five species were recorded systematically (one whale species, two dolphin species, one marine otter species and a one sea lion species). Two of them (Lontra felina and Balaenoptera musculus) are classified by the IUCN in the conservation category corresponding to Endangered. Laken Mapu Lahual is an important area for the species of whales that use it for their migratory route to the south of Chile.

Tracing the Indian Population Ancestry by cis-linked Mutations in HBB Gene

BackgroundHuman left their genetic footprints during the time of migration throughout the different countries all over the world. Human evolution was studied through various markers. India is a country of rich heritage and cultural diversity. The modern Indian population is derived from two ancestral groups, viz.-Ancestral North Indians (ANI) and Ancestral South Indians (ASI).AimFinding out the migratory route of the modern Indian population by studying ‘cis’ acting mutations of human beta-globin (HBB) genes.Subjects and methodsA total of 120 thalassemia subjects were enrolled. DNA sequencing was done for mutation detection in the HBB gene. Some previous literature reviews were gone through for tracing mutations, all over the world and in the Indian subcontinent.ResultsNine thalassemia patients were found where HBB:c.92G>C and HBB:c.-92C>G mutations co-exist together in ‘cis’ condition. Only one patient had HBB:c.51delC and HBB:c.33C>A. The pedigree analysis confirmed the presence of these mutations in ‘cis’ condition and vertical transmission from one generation to the next. Literature reviews also reassure the co-existence of these mutations from different countries.ConclusionThe co-existence of these ‘cis’ acting mutations helps to point out the possible migratory route of ANI population after venturing out of Africa.

Integrative transnational analysis to dissect tuberculosis transmission events along the migratory route from Africa to Europe

Background Growing international migration has increased the complexity of tuberculosis transmission patterns. Italy’s decision to close its borders in 2018 made of Spain the new European porte entrée for migration from the Horn of Africa (HA). In one of the first rescues of migrants from this region at the end of 2018, tuberculosis was diagnosed in eight subjects, mainly unaccompanied minors. Methods Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from these recently arrived migrants were analysed by Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive-Unit/Variable-Number of Tandem Repeat (MIRU-VNTR) and subsequent whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis. Data were compared with those from collections from other European countries receiving migrants from the HA and a strain-specific PCR was applied for a fast searching of common strains. Infections in a cellular model were performed to assess strain virulence. Results MIRU-VNTR analysis allowed identifying an epidemiological cluster involving three of the eight cases from Somalia (0 single-nucleotide polymorphisms between isolates, HA cluster). Following detailed interviews revealed that two of these cases had shared the same migratory route in most of the trip and had spent a long time at a detention camp in Libya. To confirm potential en route transmission for the three cases, we searched the same strain in collections from other European countries receiving migrants from the HA. MIRU-VNTR, WGS and a strain-specific PCR for the HA strain were applied. The same strain was identified in 12 cases from Eritrea diagnosed soon after their arrival in 2018 to the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy. Intracellular replication rate of the strain did not reveal abnormal virulence. Conclusions Our study suggests a potential en route transmission of a pan-susceptible strain, which caused at least 15 tuberculosis cases in Somalian and Eritrean migrants diagnosed in four different European countries.

Migration patterns of Atlantic halibut captured in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence as assessed with pop-up satellite archival and Floy tags

This study provides evidence of two subpopulations of Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. The migrations of 20 Atlantic halibut captured in the coastal waters of Prince Edward Island, Canada, were evaluated using pop-up satellite archival tags (PSAT). Geolocation data showed that Atlantic halibut migrated north to the Laurentian Channel via distinct eastern or western routes. Floy tagging and recapture (recapture of 18.4%) showed that less than 7.0% of Atlantic halibut exhibited dispersive behaviour outside of their annual migratory route. Overwintering occurred on the slope and in the deepest waters of the Laurentian Channel. Atlantic halibut in the deepest waters of the Laurentian Channel exhibited rapid, ∼100 m rises, presumed to be associated with spawning from January to March. The eastern and western migratory cohorts exhibited this behaviour ∼350 km apart, suggesting reproductive isolation as the basis of subpopulations. The results of this study indicate a need to reconsider the management of Gulf of St. Lawrence Atlantic halibut as one continuous population.