Joint disorder; a contributory cause to reproductive failure in beef bulls?

The lame sire, unsound for breeding, can cause substantial economic loss due to reduced pregnancies in the beef-producing herd

Humanised transgenic mice are resistant to chronic wasting disease prions from Norwegian reindeer and moose

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion disease affecting cervids. In 2016 the first cases of CWD were reported in Europe in Norwegian wild reindeer and moose. The origin and zoonotic potential of these new prion isolates remain unknown. In this study to investigate zoonotic potential we inoculated brain tissue from CWD-infected Norwegian reindeer and moose into transgenic mice overexpressing human prion protein. After prolonged post-inoculation survival periods no evidence for prion transmission was seen suggesting that the zoonotic potential of these isolates is low

Multi-source analysis reveals latitudinal and altitudinal shifts in range of Ixodes ricinus at its northern distribution limit

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is increasing evidence for a latitudinal and altitudinal shift in the distribution range of <it>Ixodes ricinus</it>. The reported incidence of tick-borne disease in humans is on the rise in many European countries and has raised political concern and attracted media attention. It is disputed which factors are responsible for these trends, though many ascribe shifts in distribution range to climate changes. Any possible climate effect would be most easily noticeable close to the tick's geographical distribution limits. In Norway- being the northern limit of this species in Europe- no documentation of changes in range has been published. The objectives of this study were to describe the distribution of <it>I. ricinus </it>in Norway and to evaluate if any range shifts have occurred relative to historical descriptions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Multiple data sources - such as tick-sighting reports from veterinarians, hunters, and the general public - and surveillance of human and animal tick-borne diseases were compared to describe the present distribution of <it>I. ricinus </it>in Norway. Correlation between data sources and visual comparison of maps revealed spatial consistency. In order to identify the main spatial pattern of tick abundance, a principal component analysis (PCA) was used to obtain a weighted mean of four data sources. The weighted mean explained 67% of the variation of the data sources covering Norway's 430 municipalities and was used to depict the present distribution of <it>I. ricinus</it>. To evaluate if any geographical range shift has occurred in recent decades, the present distribution was compared to historical data from 1943 and 1983.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Tick-borne disease and/or observations of <it>I. ricinus </it>was reported in municipalities up to an altitude of 583 metres above sea level (MASL) and is now present in coastal municipalities north to approximately 69°N.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>I. ricinus </it>is currently found further north and at higher altitudes than described in historical records. The approach used in this study, a multi-source analysis, proved useful to assess alterations in tick distribution.</p

Adaptation of mammalian host-pathogen interactions in a changing arctic environment

Many arctic mammals are adapted to live year-round in extreme environments with low winter temperatures and great seasonal variations in key variables (e.g. sunlight, food, temperature, moisture). The interaction between hosts and pathogens in high northern latitudes is not very well understood with respect to intra-annual cycles (seasons). The annual cycles of interacting pathogen and host biology is regulated in part by highly synchronized temperature and photoperiod changes during seasonal transitions (e.g., freezeup and breakup). With a warming climate, only one of these key biological cues will undergo drastic changes, while the other will remain fixed. This uncoupling can theoretically have drastic consequences on host-pathogen interactions. These poorly understood cues together with a changing climate by itself will challenge host populations that are adapted to pathogens under the historic and current climate regime. We will review adaptations of both host and pathogens to the extreme conditions at high latitudes and explore some potential consequences of rapid changes in the Arctic

Climate Change Promotes the Emergence of Serious Disease Outbreaks of Filarioid Nematodes

Filarioid parasites represent major health hazards with important medical, veterinary, and economic implications, and considerable potential to affect the everyday lives of tens of millions of people globally (World Health Organization, 2007). Scenarios for climate change vary latitudinally and regionally and involve direct and indirect linkages for increasing temperature and the dissemination, amplification, and invasiveness of vector-borne parasites. High latitude regions are especially influenced by global climate change and thus may be prone to altered associations and dynamics for complex host-pathogen assemblages and emergence of disease with cascading effects on ecosystem structure. Although the potential for substantial ecological perturbation has been identified, few empirical observations have emanated from systems across the Holarctic. Coincidental with decades of warming, and anomalies of high temperature and humidity in the sub-Arctic region of Fennoscandia, the mosquito-borne filarioid nematode Setaria tundra is now associated with emerging epidemic disease resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality for reindeer and moose. We describe a host-parasite system that involves reindeer, arthropods, and nematodes, which may contribute as a factor to ongoing declines documented for this ungulate species across northern ecosystems. We demonstrate that mean summer temperatures exceeding 14°C drive the emergence of disease due to S. tundra. An association between climate and emergence of filarioid parasites is a challenge to ecosystem services with direct effects on public health, sustainability of free-ranging and domestic ungulates, and ultimately food security for subsistence cultures at high latitudes

Gene Expression, Function and Ischemia Tolerance in Male and Female Rat Hearts After Sub-Toxic Levels of Angiotensin II

To examine the response to chronic high-dose angiotensin II (Ang II) and a proposed milder response in female hearts with respect to gene expression and ischemic injury. Female and male litter–matched rats were treated with 400 ng kg−1 min−1 Ang II for 14 days. Hearts were isolated, subjected to 30-min ischemia and 30-min reperfusion in combination with functional monitoring and thereafter harvested for gene expression, WB and histology. Ang II-treated hearts showed signs of non-hypertrophic remodeling and had significantly higher end diastolic pressure after reperfusion, but no significant gender difference was detected. Ang II increased expression of genes related to heart function (ANF, β-MCH, Ankrd-1, PKC-α, PKC-δ TNF-α); fibrosis (Col I-α1, Col III-α1, Fn-1, Timp1) and apoptosis (P53, Casp-3) without changing heart weight but with 68% increase in collagen content. High (sub-toxic) dose of Ang II resulted in marked heart remodeling and diastolic dysfunction after ischemia without significant myocyte hypertrophy or ventricular chamber dilatation. Although there were some gender-dependent differences in gene expression, female gender did not protect against the overall response