A review of zoonotic infection risks associated with the wild meat trade in Malaysia.

The overhunting of wildlife for food and commercial gain presents a major threat to biodiversity in tropical forests and poses health risks to humans from contact with wild animals. Using a recent survey of wildlife offered at wild meat markets in Malaysia as a basis, we review the literature to determine the potential zoonotic infection risks from hunting, butchering and consuming the species offered. We also determine which taxa potentially host the highest number of pathogens and discuss the significant disease risks from traded wildlife, considering how cultural practices influence zoonotic transmission. We identify 51 zoonotic pathogens (16 viruses, 19 bacteria and 16 parasites) potentially hosted by wildlife and describe the human health risks. The Suidae and the Cervidae families potentially host the highest number of pathogens. We conclude that there are substantial gaps in our knowledge of zoonotic pathogens and recommend performing microbial food safety risk assessments to assess the hazards of wild meat consumption. Overall, there may be considerable zoonotic risks to people involved in the hunting, butchering or consumption of wild meat in Southeast Asia, and these should be considered in public health strategies

Detection of Chlamydia psittaci in free-ranging koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus): DNA hybridization and immuno-slot blot analyses

DNA-slot hybridization and immuno-slot blot analyses were compared for the detection of Chlamydia psittact in crude swab material from free-ranging koalas. Immuno-slot blot analysis detected chlamydiae in 43 out of 68 koalas, with the sensitivity of the assay varying from 52 to 73% depending on the site of infection. Gene probe analysis was also used employing a genus-specific probe pCKO-10 isolated from a koala chlamydial gene library (ocular strain) and a plasmid probe pCKU cloned from a urogenital strain. The sensitivity of these two assays was comparable and they were considerably more efficient than the immuno-slot blot method for the detection of chlamydiae. Comparison of these data with a cell-culture method of detection, previously used with the same samples, demonstrated that gene probe analysis detected more positives than observed with cell culture. However, this appears to reflect more on the condition of the swab material rather than the sensitivity of the method

Detection of B Virus Antibody in Monkey Sera Using Glycoprotein D Expressed in Mammalian Cells

The gene encoding glycoprotein D (gD) of the monkey B virus (Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1) was cloned into a mammalian expression vector, pcDNA3.1(−), and the recombinant plasmid DNA was transfected into COS7 cells. The expression of gD in transfected COS7 cells was detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay or radioimmunoprecipitation analysis (RIPA). Although the expressed gD protein was revealed to react well with sera from monkeys naturally infected with B virus by RIPA, some sera showed reduced reactivity when analyzed by the Western blotting (WB) method. Some sera also showed relatively high background when the WB was performed using gD expressed from recombinant plasmid. The mutant gD protein lacking the transmembrane domain (TM) and cytoplasmic tail (CT) was next expressed in COS7 cells. The mutant protein was secreted into culture medium without apparent loss of the antigenicity. Using the secretory form of the gD protein as antigen in dot blot analysis, sera from B virus-infected monkeys were shown to react with the mutant protein without nonspecific reaction. Since the recombinant gD or its derivative lacking TM and CT could be expressed in mammalian cells with proper antigenicity, these antigens appeared to be useful for serological detection of B virus infection in monkeys