Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Suspected clinical toxoplasmosis in a 12-week-old puppy in Singapore

Abstract Background Toxoplasma gondii is traditionally known as a parasite of felids, with possible infection in intermediate hosts such as dogs and humans, and thus a disease of public health significance. Published data on the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in dogs and cats in Singapore is scanty, and this paper documents a suspect clinical case of toxoplasmosis in a free-roaming puppy trapped from an offshore island of Singapore. Case presentation A 12-week-old puppy presented with hindlimb weakness and sarcopenia, with rapidly progressing ascending paralysis and respiratory distress, one week after trapping. Toxoplasmosis was suspected after indirect fluorescence antibody testing (IFAT) revealed anti-T. gondii antibodies. The puppy responded quickly to clindamycin treatment and was discharged from hospital after 10 days. Conclusion While rare and undocumented, veterinary clinicians in Singapore are advised to also include toxoplasmosis infection as a differential diagnosis in dogs presenting with similar clinical signs. This is especially so for dogs which have access to the outdoors

Establishing environmental DNA and RNA protocols for the simultaneous detection of fish viruses from seawater

Abstract Aquatic viruses are major threats to global aquacultural productivity. While conventional diagnostic methods for disease investigation are laborious, time‐consuming, and often involve the sacrifice of animals, environmental DNA and RNA (eDNA/eRNA) tools have the potential in being non‐invasive alternatives for the effective and early detection of various pathogens simultaneously. In this study, three seawater filtration methods—Sterivex syringe filtration, centrifugal ultrafiltration, and vacuum pump filtration with iron flocculation—were assessed for the recovery rates in co‐detecting fish virus eDNA/eRNA from natural seawater that was spiked with fish red seabream iridovirus (RSIV, DNA virus) and nervous necrosis virus (NNV, RNA virus). The centrifugal ultrafiltration method was the most effective for the capture of small‐sized viruses like NNV with a recovery rate of 63.23%, while the method of vacuum pump filtration with iron flocculation and chloroform disintegration of filter membranes had the highest RSIV recovery rate of 32.61%. We also optimized both automated and manual nucleic acid extraction methods and found comparable eDNA/eRNA extraction efficiencies. Our findings from the systematic comparison of seawater filtration and extraction methods suggest that each seawater filtration/nucleic acid extraction method can cater to different aquatic animal virus surveillance and disease investigation scenarios. These highlight the potential of virus eDNA/eRNA approaches for advancing the field of disease ecology and safeguarding aquatic animal health

Melioidosis in Singapore: Clinical, Veterinary, and Environmental Perspectives

Melioidosis is a notifiable infectious disease registered with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA), Singapore. From a clinical perspective, increased awareness of the disease has led to early detection and treatment initiation, thus resulting in decreasing mortality rates in recent years. However, the disease still poses a threat to local pet, zoo and farm animals, where early diagnosis is a challenge. The lack of routine environmental surveillance studies also makes prevention of the disease in animals difficult. To date, there have been no reports that provide a complete picture of how the disease impacts the local human and animal populations in Singapore. Information on the distribution of Burkholderia pseudomallei in the environment is also lacking. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of both published and unpublished clinical, veterinary and environmental studies on melioidosis in Singapore to achieve better awareness and management of the disease