Estado de inmunidad humoral posvacunal de caninos y felinos en un foco de rabia canina de origen silvestre de una región de Colombia

The aim of this study was to determine the post-vaccine response of canines and felines of the municipality of San Sebastián de Mariquita, Colombia, which presented in 2014 a fatal case of canine rabies due to atypical bat variant. A cross-sectional and non-experimental sampling by convenience was carried out on 130 canines and 38 felines from the rural and urban area of ​​the municipality. Blood samples were taken. The anti-rabies antibody titration was done using the ELISA kit (Platelia Rabies II Kit Ad Usum Veterinarium) approved by the OIE for the detection and titration of IgG antibodies against the glycoprotein of the virus. The classification categories (protection status) were established as Protected (> 0.5 IU/ml), Insufficient protection (>0.1 - <0.5 IU/ml) and Unprotected (<0.1 IU/ml). Results showed that 40% (52) of the canines obtained titles corresponding to the protected category, 59% (77) to the insufficient protection category and 1% (1) to the unprotected category. The felines presented a similar percentage distribution among the categories: protected 34% (13), insufficient protection 32% (12) and unprotected 34% (13).El objetivo de la investigación fue determinar la respuesta posvacunal de caninos y felinos del municipio de San Sebastián de Mariquita, Colombia, que presentó en 2014 un caso fatal de rabia canina por variante atípica de murciélago. Se realizó un muestreo por conveniencia, de corte transversal y no experimental a 130 caninos y 38 felinos de la zona rural y urbana del municipio citado. Se tomaron muestras de sangre y para la titulación de anticuerpos antirrábicos se utilizó un kit de ELISA (Platelia Rabies II Kit Ad Usum Veterinarium) aprobado por la OIE para la detección y titulación de anticuerpos Ig G contra la glicoproteína del virus. Las categorías de clasificación (estado de protección) fueron establecidas como Protegido (>0.5 UI/ml), Insuficiente protección (>0.1 - <0.5 UI/ml) y Sin protección (<0.1 IU/ml). El 40% (52) de los caninos obtuvieron títulos correspondientes a la categoría protegidos, 59% (77) insuficiente protección y 1% (1) sin protección. Los felinos presentaron una distribución porcentual similar entre las categorías: protegido 34% (13), insuficiente protección 32% (12) y sin protección 34% (13)

Zero by 2030 and OneHealth: The multidisciplinary challenges of rabies control and elimination

"Rabies, caused by a negative strand RNA-virus belonging to the genus Lyssavirus (family Rhabdoviridae of the order Mononegavirales), remains of global concern [1]. This vaccine-preventable viral zoonotic disease is present in more than 150 countries and territories [2]. Ac- cording to the World Health Organization (WHO), rabies is estimated to cause ~59,000 human deaths annually, with 95% of cases occurring in Africa and Asia [3,4]. However, rabies still occurs in other regions, such as Latin America and the Caribbean [5–8], Central Asia and the Middle East [9,10]. Whilst a number of animals can host the rabies virus, dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans. Dog-mediated rabies has been eliminated from Western Europe, Canada, the United States of America (USA), Japan and some Latin American countries [11]. Nevertheless, the risk of reintroduction and disease among travellers to risk areas is a matter of concern [12–15]. As occurred with many other communicable and non-communicable diseases, the 2020–2022 COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the efforts of control and reemergence of rabies in certain countries [7,16,17]. Post-pandemic challenges to enhance con- trol and prevention are multiple and need urgent actions to achieve the goal in eight years by 2030 [16].

Prevalence of canine heartworm infection in Queensland, Australia: comparison of diagnostic methods and investigation of factors associated with reduction in antigen detection

Background: The prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis infection in dogs is increasing globally and spreading into new areas. Prevalence of dirofilariosis in the state of Queensland, Australia, was as high as 90% before the introduction of macrocyclic lactones. Limited research on prevalence of D. immitis infection in dogs in Queensland has been reported in the last 30 years. Antigen testing is the most common method for detection of dirofilariosis but its accuracy is reduced by antigen getting trapped (blocked antigen) in immune complexes (ICs). The objectives of this research were to determine the prevalence of D. immitis infection in dogs from two geographical areas (Brisbane and Townsville) in Queensland, to determine the extent to which blocked antigen affects the validity of antigen testing, and to explore whether this was associated with microfilaraemia, location, age or sex. Methods: Blood samples from Brisbane (sub-tropical climate) and Townsville (tropical climate) shelter dogs were evaluated for the presence of D. immitis antigen before (conventional antigen testing, CAT) and after dissociation of ICs by heat treatment (antigen testing after heat treatment, ATHT), using a commercially available test. Microfilariae were detected using modified Knott’s test (MKT). Test proportions were compared with McNemar’s test and the association between antigen test-discordant results (positive for antigen after dissociation of ICs) and microfilaraemia, location, sex and age was modelled using logistic regression. Results: Dirofilaria immitis prevalence in dogs from Townsville (22% by CAT, 32.1% by ATHT and 16.7% by MKT) was significantly higher than in dogs from Brisbane (1.1% by CAT and MKT and 1.7% by ATHT) (P<0.001). Dissociation of ICs allowed detection of significantly more D. immitis infected dogs than either conventional antigen testing or microfilariae detection, or the combined antigen and microfilariae detection (P<0.001). The odds of dogs being positive for antigen after dissociation of ICs were significantly higher for microfilaraemic, 3–4-year-old female dogs from Townsville. Conclusions: The high prevalence of infection with D. immitis in dogs from Townsville poses a health risk for local susceptible host species, including humans. Dissociation of ICs increases antigen detection and should be considered in dogs suspected of D. immitis infection but negative on routine testing

Low level of the immune response against rabies virus in dogs and cats, a cross-sectional study in sheltered animals, Santander, Colombia

ABSTRACT: Rabies is an incurable and fatal progressive viral encephalomyelitis that causes approximately 61,000 deaths a year globally mainly by dog bites, which show the importance of anti-rabies vaccination in dogs to achieve elimination of the disease. In Colombia, multiple cases of human rabies transmitted by dogs and cats have been reported since 1999, showing an increased significance of cats in the transmission of rabies, mainly in rabies of wild origin. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the development of neutralizing antibodies in dogs and cats during the mass vaccination campaign of the second half of 2015 in the city of Bucaramanga. For this purpose, a descriptive cross-sectional study with convenience sampling was conducted in 382 dogs and cats (295 dogs, 87 cats), and an evaluation of the humoral immune response of the animals was performed by quantitative ELISA. The prevalence of optimal neutralizing antibodies (>0.5 IU/ml) was only 32.76% (95% CI=28.05-37.46%) in the entire population studied and most of the animals did not have an adequate response to the vaccination, or seroconversion was not detected on them (65.45-95% confidence interval, CI=60.68-70.21%). Significant difference was found between the neutralizing antibody titers in cats and dogs, with a higher neutralizing response in cats. In conclusion, although mass vaccination campaigns for dogs and cats are the most important measure to interrupt virus circulation among the animals, achievement of a good neutralizing immune response in the animals is useful to demonstrate that vaccination has been successful, allowing the maintenance of the required minimum levels of population immunity. These results will allow the implementation of corrective measures in Bucaramanga to achieve better seroconversion rates. Other cities are expected to implement similar seroconversion assessments to verify the quality of effective anti-rabies vaccination in animal populations

Maritime expressions:a corpus based exploration of maritime metaphors

This study uses a purpose-built corpus to explore the linguistic legacy of Britain’s maritime history found in the form of hundreds of specialised ‘Maritime Expressions’ (MEs), such as TAKEN ABACK, ANCHOR and ALOOF, that permeate modern English. Selecting just those expressions commencing with ’A’, it analyses 61 MEs in detail and describes the processes by which these technical expressions, from a highly specialised occupational discourse community, have made their way into modern English. The Maritime Text Corpus (MTC) comprises 8.8 million words, encompassing a range of text types and registers, selected to provide a cross-section of ‘maritime’ writing. It is analysed using WordSmith analytical software (Scott, 2010), with the 100 million-word British National Corpus (BNC) as a reference corpus. Using the MTC, a list of keywords of specific salience within the maritime discourse has been compiled and, using frequency data, concordances and collocations, these MEs are described in detail and their use and form in the MTC and the BNC is compared. The study examines the transformation from ME to figurative use in the general discourse, in terms of form and metaphoricity. MEs are classified according to their metaphorical strength and their transference from maritime usage into new registers and domains such as those of business, politics, sports and reportage etc. A revised model of metaphoricity is developed and a new category of figurative expression, the ‘resonator’, is proposed. Additionally, developing the work of Lakov and Johnson, Kovesces and others on Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), a number of Maritime Conceptual Metaphors are identified and their cultural significance is discussed