Epidemiology and diagnosis of brucellosis in Mongolian bactrian camels

Brucellosis is among the most important zoonoses globally, and particularly in Mongolia. Mainly Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis are transmitted to people from different livestock species and where they cause great economic losses. Camels are susceptible to both Brucella spp., but camel brucellosis has not received proper attention from researchers and authorities. We do not know if camels are primary hosts of Brucella spp. More information on the epidemiology of brucellosis in Mongolian Bactrian camels is needed given their growing economic and livelihood importance for herders and the renewed efforts to eliminate brucellosis from Mongolia through mass livestock vaccination that does not include camels. Despite decreasing camel populations, brucellosis cases in camels increased in the past two decades. Close monitoring of the situation in camels, and a better understanding of the epidemiology became central of assessing progress towards brucellosis elimination

Foot and mouth disease vaccine efficacy in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundSeveral factors, such as diverse serotypes, vaccination methods, weak biosecurity, and animal movements, contribute to recurrent Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) outbreaks in Africa, establishing endemicity. These outbreaks cost over $2 billion annually, prompting a high-priority focus on FMDV vaccination. Despite extensive efforts, vaccine efficacy varies. This study aims to evaluate routine foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccines in Africa via systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Meta-analysis was conducted to assess the efficacy of FMDV vaccination using the meta for package of R.ResultsVaccinated animals have roughly a 69.3% lower chance of FMDV infection compared to unvaccinated animals, as indicated by the pooled results from the random-effects model, which showed a risk ratio (RR) of 0.3073. There was a statistically significant heterogeneity (p < 0.05) across all of the included articles.ConclusionOverall findings suggest that if properly planned and implemented, FMDV vaccination programs and strategies in Africa could help control the spread of the disease throughout the continent and beyond

Risk factors of brucellosis seropositivity in Bactrian camels of Mongolia

Abstract Background More information on brucellosis epidemiology in Bactrian camels is needed due to their growing economic and livelihood importance for herders and renewed efforts in Mongolia to eliminate brucellosis through mass vaccination of ruminants excluding camels. Brucellosis prevalence in camels increased over the past two decades. Random multi-stage cluster surveys were done in the Eastern provinces of Dornod and Sukhbaatar in 2013 and 2014 and in the Southern & Western provinces of Dornogobi, Umnogobi and Khovd in 2014 and 2015. A total of 1822 camels, 1155 cattle, and 3023 small ruminant sera were collected and tested with the Rose Bengal Test. In addition, 195 vaginal swabs and 250 milk samples for bacteriological culture were taken from livestock with history of abortion. Results The overall apparent seroprevalence in camels was 2.3% (95% confidence interval 1.6–3.3). The main risk factor for camel seropositivity was being in an Eastern province when compared to Southern & Western provinces (odds ratio 13.2, 95% CI 5.3–32.4). Camel seroprevalences were stable over the two consecutive survey years, despite introduction of ruminant vaccination: 5.7% (95% CI 3.1–10.2%) and 5.8% (3.3–10.1%) in Eastern provinces and 0.4% (0.2–1.2%) and 0.5% (0.1–2.0%) in Southern & Western provinces. We isolated Brucella abortus from camels and cattle. Camel seropositivity was associated to keeping cattle together with camels. Monitoring of vaccination campaigns showed that coverage in cattle was insufficient because animals could not be adequately restrained. Conclusions The present study reveals that brucellosis is present with important seroprevalence in Mongolian camels and was endemic in Eastern provinces. Camel herd seropositivity was most closely associated to infection in cattle. Longer term monitoring is needed to assess whether camel seroprevalance decreases with ongoing vaccination in Mongolia. This should be coupled with further confirmation on Brucella spp. isolates. To date, only Brucella abortus was isolated, but camels are also susceptible to Brucella melitensis. Clear verbal and written information on disease prevention in livestock and household members is important, particularly for remote camel herders who had only moderate knowledge on brucellosis epidemiology and preventive measures

Rabies Exposure from Infected Horse Bite in an Urban Setting: A Case Study from Mongolia

Rabies is a highly fatal zoonotic disease that causes an estimated 60,000 human deaths each year, many of which occur in Africa and Asia where the disease is likely underreported. Uncontrolled transmission of rabies presents a major threat to public health in countries such as Mongolia, where 26% of the population lives a pastoralist lifestyle characterized by increased interaction with livestock animals. Here, we report a case of rabies exposure in a six-year-old male after being bitten by a horse in both the head region and the leg. At the suspicion of rabies, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was initiated, with the patient receiving four doses of PEP vaccine as well as a single treatment of rabies immunoglobulin. The horse was later confirmed to be rabies-positive through rapid antigen testing and RT-PCR. Human rabies exposure from horses is unusual within Mongolia, given that historically over 70% of human rabies cases within the country are attributed to dogs, wolves, or foxes. This case further emphasizes the need for more routine vaccination of domestic animals within Mongolia. Additionally, animal bites, even from animals not frequently associated with rabies, should be treated as possible rabies exposure events

Evidence for camels (Camelus bactrianus) as the main intermediate host of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato G6/G7 in Mongolia

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), the parasitic disease caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.), is a global public health problem. In Mongolia, despite wide distribution of human CE, not enough information is available on the prevalence and molecular characterization of CE in livestock and its zoonotic linkage with human cases. We investigated the distribution of human CE cases and livestock population using statistical models to get insight into the zoonotic linkage. The incidence of human CE cases increased by a factor of 1.71 for one interquartile range increment in the density of the camel population. No significant association was observed with other livestock species. The samples collected from 96 camels and 15 goats in an endemic region showed a CE prevalence of 19.7% and 6.7%, respectively. All livestock CE were E. granulosus s.l. G6/G7 species of the E. granulosus s.l. complex. The genetic diversity was investigated using the haplotype network based on full cox1 gene analysis of the samples collected from livestock CE and nucleotide sequences previously reported from human CE and wild canids infection in Mongolia. Four haplotypes were identified within the livestock samples, two of which had not been previously reported. A common haplotype was identified among humans, camels, goats, and a wolf, all of which were within the same geographical area. A mixed infection of E. granulosus s.l. G6/G7 with different haplotypes in the intermediate host was identified. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive description of the current epidemiological situation of CE in Mongolia with substantial evidence that camels might be the main intermediate host of E. granulosus s.l. G6/G7 in Mongolia. Moreover, our result presents the first report in the country to provide insight into the prevalence of E. granulosus s.l. G6/G7 in livestock

Discovery and vertical transmission analysis of Dabieshan Tick Virus in Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks from Chengde, China

IntroductionTicks are important blood-sucking ectoparasites that can transmit various pathogens, posing significant threats to the wellbeing of humans and livestock. Dabieshan tick virus (DBTV) was initially discovered in 2015 in Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks from the Dabieshan mountain region in Hubei Province, China. In recent years, DBTV has been discovered in various regions of China, including Shandong, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Hubei, Yunnan, and Guizhou Provinces. However, the researches on tick-borne transmission of DBTV are scarce.MethodsThis study utilized the small RNA sequencing (sRNA-seq) method to identify tick-associated viruses in ticks collected from Chengde in Hebei Province and Yongcheng in Henan Province, leading to the discovery of a new DBTV strain in Hebei. The complete coding genome of DBTV Hebei strain was obtained through RNA-seq and Sanger sequencing. Furthermore, the transmission experiment of DBTV in H. longicornis was examined in laboratory for the first time.ResultsDBTV was detected in newly molted adult H. longicornis ticks collected in Chengde, Hebei Province. Additionally, DBTV was also detected in both unfed nymphs and engorged females of H. longicornis collected from Chengde, with a positive rate of 20% and 56.25%, respectively. The complete coding genome of DBTV (OP682840 and OP716696) were obtained, and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the DBTV Hebei strain clustered with previously reported DBTV strains. Furthermore, this virus was observed in engorged females, eggs, and larvae of the subsequent generation.DiscussionIt is necessary to expand the scope of DBTV investigation, particularly in northern China. This study demonstrated that DBTV can be transmitted from engorged females to larvae of the next generation. Moreover, the detection of DBTV in unfed nymphs and adults (which moulted from engorged nymphs) collected from the filed of Chengde suggests that H. longicornis serves as a potential transmission host and reservoir for DBTV through transstadial and transovarial transmission. However, there remains a lack of research on the isolation and pathogenicity of DBTV, highlighting the need for further studies to mitigate potential harm to the health of animals and humans