Mycobacteriosis in wild birds: the potential risk of disseminating a little-known infectious disease

Avian mycobacteriosis is important for animal and human health; wild birds play an important role in mycobacterial species’ ecology and movement. This review was aimed at reporting the role of birds in the spread of avian mycobacteriosis in human and animal populations at risk and thus a systematic review was made of PubMed, Science Direct, Scielo and Scirus databases. Mycobacteria are classified into the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and non-tuberculous mycobacteria; the Mycobacterium avium complex represents the most important part of the latter because it is primarily responsible for mycobacterial infection in wild birds and is a potential pathogen for mammals, especially for immunocompromised patients. The clinical signs in birds are variable as it is a chronic and debilitating disease, involving emaciated carcasses, white nodules in different organs and microscopically it presents granulomatosous multifocal inflammation. Diagnosis begins by suspicion based on clinical signs and finishes with microbiological confirmation. New diagnostic techniques include testing with DNA-RNA probes. No effective treatment is currently available and chemoprophylaxis on suspicion of infection is not recommended at the start; these factors increase the potential risk of mycobacteriosis becoming one of the most frequently documented zoonotic diseases which is difficult to treat in birds and humans. Recent concern regarding mycobacterial infection lies in the increased frequency of these opportunistic infections occurring in immunocompromised individuals and these infections’ potential impact on bird conservation, this being increased by greater contact between humans and wild and captive birds

El acuerdo entre Noruega y Colombia para proteger los bosques tropicales y reducir el calentamiento global: ¿éxito o fracaso?

The Norwegian government has made an agreement with Juan Manuel Santos, the former Colombian president, to give Colombia USD $48 million yearly in order to reduce deforestation. This forms part of a greater support effort by Norway to countries in the South to halt climate change, through the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) instituted after the Paris Agreement in 2015. The way in which efforts to reduce deforestation have been implemented has, however, been met with criticism. For instance, Colombia ratified the Paris Agreement to reach zero net deforestation by -2020. Nonetheless, in 2016, deforestation in the Amazon rainforest increased by 44$48 millones anuales para reducir la deforestación. Este acuerdo forma parte de un esfuerzo mayor de Noruega para apoyar a los países del sur que busca detener el cambio climático, a través de la Iniciativa Internacional de Clima y Bosques de Noruega (NICFI, por sus siglas en inglés: Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative) instituida después del Acuerdo de París en 2015. La manera en que se han implementado los esfuerzos para reducir la deforestación ha sido recibida con críticas. Por ejemplo, Colombia ratificó el Acuerdo de París para llegar a deforestación neta cero en 2020. No obstante, en 2016 la deforestación en la selva amazónica aumentó en un 44%. Mientras Noruega, a través de esta inversión en el bosque, parece ser un país preocupado por el clima, también continúa realizando extracción de petróleo. Noruega, por lo tanto, exhibe estándares dobles ya que apunta a mantener su posición como un importante productor de extracción de petróleo y gas en alta mar, al tiempo que impulsa el problema del cambio climático a los países del sur. De esta manera, Noruega parece cumplir con los requisitos del Acuerdo de París para la reducción de las emisiones de CO2. Este artículo examina los éxitos y fracasos de los esfuerzos noruegos de protección de los bosques tropicales en el caso de Colombia, evaluando la gobernanza de las políticas de deforestación desde la perspectiva de la criminología verde del sur, e incorporando una crítica a los medios neocolonialistas de protección ambiental establecidos por el norte

The Norway–Colombia Agreement to Protect Rainforest and Reduce Global Warming: Success or Failure?

The Norwegian government has made an agreement with Juan Manuel Santos, former Colombian president, to give Colombia US$48 million yearly to reduce deforestation. This forms part of a greater effort by Norway to aid countries in the South to halt climate change, through the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative, instituted after the Paris Agreement in 2015. The ways efforts to reduce deforestation have been implemented have been criticised. While Norway, through this investment, appears to be a climate-concerned country, it continues with oil extraction activities. Thus, Norway exhibits double standards and shifts the problem of climate change to the countries in the South. This article examines the successes and failures of the Norwegian rainforest protection efforts in the case of Colombia, assessing the governance of the deforestation policies from the perspective of green Southern criminology and incorporating a critique of the neo-colonialist means of environmental protection established by the North

Prevalencia de Fluorosis Dental en Niños del Corregimiento de Minca (magdalena)

La fluorosis dental es un defecto en la formación del esmalte por altas concentraciones de flúor a lo largo de los periodos de desarrollo del diente. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la prevalencia de la fluorosis dental y severidad en la comunidad rural de Minca (Magdalena) y la asociación con factores de riesgo. 119 niños entre 6 y 13 años (45 niños y 63 niñas) fueron analizados. Cada niño fue clínicamente evaluado con el índice de fluorosis de Deán recomendado por la OMS (1997). La prevalencia de fluorosis dental general que se encontró fue de 57.14% en nuestra población objeto de estudio. La fluorosis dental incrementa con la frecuencia del cepillado y la ingesta de fluoruros P < 0.005, mientras el género y edad no fueron estadísticamente significativos. La prevalencia demuestra que la fluorosis dental es un problema de salud pública en este asentamiento rural y acciones deben ser emprendidas para el control de esta enfermedad

Electrocardiographic parameters in captive, clinically healthy, Amazona ochrocephala

ABSTRACT Objective. To stablish the electrocardiographic parameters of individuals of the species Amazona ochrocephala, from the Unidad de Rescate y Rehabilitacion de Animales Silvestres at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Materials and methods. The electrocardiographic examination was performed under inhaled anesthesia with isoflurane. Leads I, II, III, aVL, aVR and aVF were measured. Results. Electrocardiographic parameters obtained in Lead II. P wave Duration: 0.015-0.044 s, P wave amplitude: 0.031 to 0.6 mv, R wave duration: 0.015-0.022 s, amplitude R: 0.034-0.038 mv, S wave Duration: 0.019- 0.042 s, amplitude S: 0.194-0.815 mv, T wave Duration: 0.025-0.064 s, T-wave amplitude: 0.010 to 0.5 mv, PQ Duration: 0.021-0.076 s, QRS Duration: 0.036-0.068 s, QT Duration: 0.070-0.015 s, RR Duration: 0.104-0.324 s, EEM: -111° to -80°, FC: 240-600 ppm. Conclusions. The results showed different values for amplitude and duration of the P, R and T waves in comparison to those obtained in other studies. However, they were similar for heart rate, MEA and duration of the PQ/R, QT and QRS segments

Primate TNF Promoters Reveal Markers of Phylogeny and Evolution of Innate Immunity

Background. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a critical cytokine in the immune response whose transcriptional activation is controlled by a proximal promoter region that is highly conserved in mammals and, in particular, primates. Specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) upstream of the proximal human TNF promoter have been identified, which are markers of human ancestry. Methodology/Principal findings. Using a comparative genomics approach we show that certain fixed genetic differences in the TNF promoter serve as markers of primate speciation. We also demonstrate that distinct alleles of most human TNF promoter SNPs are identical to fixed nucleotides in primate TNF promoters. Furthermore, we identify fixed genetic differences within the proximal TNF promoters of Asian apes that do not occur in African ape or human TNF promoters. Strikingly, protein-DNA binding assays and gene reporter assays comparing these Asian ape TNF promoters to African ape and human TNF promoters demonstrate that, unlike the fixed differences that we define that are associated with primate phylogeny, these Asian ape-specific fixed differences impair transcription factor binding at an Sp1 site and decrease TNF transcription induced by bacterial stimulation of macrophages. Conclusions/significance. Here, we have presented the broadest interspecies comparison of a regulatory region of an innate immune response gene to date. We have characterized nucleotide positions in Asian ape TNF promoters that underlie functional changes in cell type- and stimulus-specific activation of the TNF gene. We have also identified ancestral TNF promoter nucleotide states in the primate lineage that correspond to human SNP alleles. These findings may reflect evolution of Asian and African apes under a distinct set of infectious disease pressures involving the innate immune response and TNF

Mitochondrial DNA diversity in the acanthocephalan Prosthenorchis elegans in Colombia based on cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene sequence

Prosthenorchis elegans is a member of the Phylum Acanthocephala and is an important parasite affecting New World Primates in the wild in South America and in captivity around the world. It is of significant management concern due to its pathogenicity and mode of transmission through intermediate hosts. Current diagnosis of P. elegans is based on the detection of eggs by coprological examination. However, this technique lacks both specificity and sensitivity, since eggs of most members of the genus are morphologically indistinguishable and shed intermittently, making differential diagnosis difficult, and coprological examinations are often negative in animals severely infected at death. We examined sequence variation in 633 bp of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequence in 37 isolates of P. elegans from New World monkeys (Saguinus leucopus and Cebus albifrons) in Colombia held in rescue centers and from the wild. Intraspecific divergence ranged from 0.0 to 1.6% and was comparable with corresponding values within other species of acanthocephalans. Furthermore, comparisons of patterns of sequence divergence within the Acanthocephala suggest that Prosthenorchis represents a separate genus within the Oligacanthorhynchida. Six distinct haplotypes were identified within P. elegans which grouped into one of two well-supported mtDNA haplogroups. No association between haplogroup/haplotype, holding facility and species was found. This information will help pave the way to the development of molecular-based diagnostic tools for the detection of P. elegans as well as furthering research into the life cycle, intermediate hosts and epidemiological aspects of the species

REVISIÓN DE ESTOMATITIS ULCERATIVA EN OFIDIOS A REVIEW OF ULCERATIVE STOMATITIS IN SNAKES

La estomatitis en ofidios es una condición de frecuente diagnóstico en la clínica de animales silvestres. Se relaciona principalmente con eventos estresantes como deficiencias medioambientales, nutricionales o una enfermedad subyacente, las cuales terminan favoreciendo el crecimiento de gérmenes patógenos y, de esta forma, llevan a la muerte del animal. Los signos clínicos pueden pasar inadvertidos por un tiempo variable, por lo que se recomienda hacer revisiones periódicas a los ofidios en cautiverio. Debido a que es una entidad multifactorial, uno o varios agentes etiológicos se implican como causales y perpetuantes de la condición, por lo que es de gran importancia someter las muestras colectadas a análisis específicos, para así poder identificarlos y garantizar un mayor éxito en el momento de instaurar un tratamiento. En casos avanzados el pronóstico casi siempre es malo debido a la posibilidad de una diseminación hematógena, con sus efectos secundarios como neumonía y osteomielitis, o por continuidad, causando gastroenteritis. Por ello, la principal herramienta de combate frente a la entidad es minimizar la exposición de los ofidios a factores predisponentes o estresantes, que sin lugar a dudas ponen en peligro la vida del animal.<br>Infectious stomatitis in ophidians is a frequent clinical condition in the management of wild animals in captivity. It is mainly associated with stress, environmental and nutritional deficiencies or with other diseases that increases the risk of growing pathogenic organisms, causing the death of the animal. Clinical signs could not be easy to detect and therefore it is recommended to carry out periodic monitoring of snakes in captivity. Due to the multi-factorial condition, one or several etiologic agents can cause or perpetuate the disease, being very important the continuous collection of mouth smear to perform specific analysis such as cultures and antibiograms, in order to guarantee a successful identification and treatment. In advanced cases, the prognosis is usually poor due to septicemia and secondary effects such as pneumonia and osteomielitis or gastroenteritis by single continuity through the digestive tract and; therefore the main resource against this disease is to minimize the exposition of the snake to predisposing factors or stress that could threaten their life