Approaching ancient disease from a One Health perspective: Interdisciplinary review for the investigation of zoonotic brucellosis

Today, brucellosis is the most common global bacterial zoonosis, bringing with it a range of significant health and economic consequences, yet it is rarely identified from the archaeological record. Detection and understanding of past zoonoses could be improved by triangulating evidence and proxies generated through different approaches. The complex socio‐ecological systems that support zoonoses involve humans, animals, and pathogens interacting within specific environmental and cultural contexts, and as such there is a diversity of potential datasets that can be targeted. To capture this, in this paper we consider how to approach the study of zoonotic brucellosis in the past from a One Health perspective, one which explicitly acknowledges the health link between people, animals and environments (both physical and cultural). One Health research is explicitly interdisciplinary and conceptually moves away from an anthropocentric approach, allowing the component parts to be considered in holistic and integrated ways to deliver more comprehensive understanding. To this end, in this paper we review the methods, selected evidence and potential for past brucellosis identification and understanding, focussing on osteological markers in humans and animals, historical, biomolecular and epidemiological approaches. We also present an agenda and potential for future research

Brucellosis seroprevalence in captive scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) in the United Arab Emirates and associated risk factors

Background: The scimitar‐horned oryx (Oryx dammah) (SHO) is a large African antelope that became extinct in the wild just over two decades ago. Conservation of the species is of prime importance, but it might face pathogen stressors. Methods and principal findings: Brucella melitensis biovar 1 was previously confirmed in a high‐density captive population of SHO held in Abu‐Dhabi emirate. The infection reached 67.0 % (95 % CI: 64.0–70.0) individual seroprevalence (n = 959) during testing performed between January 2013 and January 2015. A model based on a multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the seroprevalence ranged from 51.2 (95 % CI: 39.6–62.7) to 86.9 % (95 % CI: 82.4–91.4) between six different enclosures, and probability of being seropositive was 1.83 (95 % CI: 1.32–2.55) higher in females than in males, 3.09 (95 % CI: 1.66–5.91) and 9.35 (95 % CI: 4.66–19.44) higher in subadults and adults than in juveniles, respectively. The three serological tests used in this study (Rose Bengal Test, lateral flow assay and in‐house i‐ELISA) had a perfect or near‐perfect agreement (Cohen’s Kappa coefficient >=0.97). Recurrent high seroprevalence in time and congruence of results from three different serological tests point toward a persistent B. melitensis infection in a high‐density captive SHO population. Conclusion and significance: Testing strategy (Bengal Test, lateral flow assay or in‐house i‐ELISA) has no effect on the estimation of the brucellosis seroprevalence in SHO permitting the selection of a practical test. We call for an evidence‐based control program, and Brucella vaccine efficacy and innocuity studies in this endangered species.Louis Lignereux, Anne-Lise Chaber, Quentin Nemery, Jacques Godfroid, Claude Saegerma

Note on the Siphonaptera of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah: description of Nosopsyllus (Gerbillophilus) jabeljaisensis n. sp. (Siphonaptera, Ceratophyllidae, Ceratophyllinae)

peer reviewedTwenty two fleas collected during Acomys dimidiatus et Gerbillus dasyurus trapping in the montains of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates were identified as belonging to two species. A new taxon is descrided in the genus Nosopsyllus © 2016 Société entomologique de France

Médecine et médecins à Toulouse au siècle des Lumières

Appuyé sur un vaste corpus de recherches récentes, Médecine et médecins à Toulouse au siècle des Lumières présente un tableau inédit de l’essentiel des activités médicales de la capitale languedocienne à une époque charnière de cette discipline : – les anciennes théories sont toujours en vigueur mais de plus en plus de spécialistes s’interrogent sur leur validité ; – en dépit de multiples tentatives, personne n’est encore en mesure de proposer une alternative globale, suffisamment solide pour recueillir le consensus du monde savant. Dans ce contexte de tâtonnements, l’université conserve de l’attractivité mais a du mal à s’imposer face à sa rivale montpelliéraine. La création de l’Académie des sciences est un stimulant pour les expériences prometteuses en chirurgie, obstétrique ou électrothérapie, dans lesquelles s’illustrent quelques novateurs de talent. Mais la santé n’intéresse pas que les hommes de l’art. Les capitouls en font un axe fort de leur politique municipale. Ils se préoccupent de l’hygiène publique, veillent à préserver la population des épidémies et administrent les établissements hospitaliers qui tendent à se spécialiser dans les soins aux plus démunis. La médecine du temps des Lumières, si elle n’est pas encore une authentique « médecine des Lumières » a cependant posé des jalons décisifs qui ont préparé la révolution médicale du siècle suivant. À côté de celle de Paris ou de Montpellier, la participation de Toulouse à ce moment de progrès et de maturation scientifiques trouve enfin, grâce à cet ouvrage collectif qui associe praticiens et historiens, la place qu’elle mérite

A cross‐sectional survey of risk factors for the presence of Coxiella burnetii in Australian commercial dairy goat farms

The largest Australian farm-based outbreak of Q fever originated from a dairy goat herd. We surveyed commercial dairy goat farms across Australia by testing bulk tank milk (BTM) samples using a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and two quantitative polymerase chain reactions (PCRs). Of the 66 commercial dairy goat herds on record, managers from 61 herds were contacted and 49 provided BTM samples. Five of the surveyed herds were positive on at least one of the diagnostic tests, thus herd-level apparent prevalence was 10% (95% confidence interval [CI] 4 to 22). True prevalence was estimated to be 3% (95% credible interval: 0 to 18). Herd managers completed a questionnaire on herd management, biosecurity and hygiene practices and risk factors were investigated using multivariable logistic regression. Herds with >900 milking does (the upper quartile) were more likely to be Coxiella burnetii positive (odds ratio = 6.75; 95% CI 1.65 to 27.7) compared with farms with ≤900 milking does. The odds of BTM positivity increased by a factor of 2.53 (95% CI 1.51 to 4.22) for each order of magnitude increase in the number of goats per acre. C. burnetii was not detected in samples from the majority of the Australian dairy goat herds suggesting there is an opportunity to protect the industry and contain this disease with strengthened biosecurity practices. Intensification appeared associated with an increased risk of positivity. Further investigation is required to discriminate the practices associated with an increased risk of introduction to disease-free herds, from practices associated with maintenance of C. burnetii infection in infected dairy goat herds