Novel picornavirus in turkey poults with hepatitis, California, USA

To identify a candidate etiologic agent for turkey viral hepatitis, we analyzed samples from diseased turkey poults from 8 commercial flocks in California, USA, that were collected during 2008–2010. High-throughput pyrosequencing of RNA from livers of poults with turkey viral hepatitis (TVH) revealed picornavirus sequences. Subsequent cloning of the ≈9-kb genome showed an organization similar to that of picornaviruses with conservation of motifs within the P1, P2, and P3 genome regions, but also unique features, including a 1.2-kb sequence of unknown function at the junction of P1 and P2 regions. Real-time PCR confirmed viral RNA in liver, bile, intestine, serum, and cloacal swab specimens from diseased poults. Analysis of liver by in situ hybridization with viral probes and immunohistochemical testing of serum demonstrated viral nucleic acid and protein in livers of diseased poults. Molecular, anatomic, and immunologic evidence suggests that TVH is caused by a novel picornavirus, tentatively named turkey hepatitis virus

Novel Borna Virus in Psittacine Birds with Proventricular Dilatation Disease

Pyrosequencing of cDNA from brains of parrots with proventricular dilatation disease (PDD), an unexplained fatal inflammatory central, autonomic, and peripheral nervous system disease, showed 2 strains of a novel Borna virus. Real-time PCR confirmed virus presence in brain, proventriculus, and adrenal gland of 3 birds with PDD but not in 4 unaffected birds

Indices de desempeño de robots manipuladores: una revisión del estado del arte

Los índices de desempeño son importantes herramientas para la planificación de movimientos y el diseño de robots manipuladores. En este trabajo se presenta una colección de algunos de los índices de desempeño que mayor interés han generado en la comunidad dedicada a la robótica. Se presentan índices de desempeño cinetostático, dinámico, de lìmites articulares, e índices definidos sobre el espacio de trabajo. Además, se realiza una revisión sobre las estrategias que se han propuesto para solventar los problemas que aparecen cuando las unidades de los elementos de la matriz Jacobiana no son homogéneas. Al final de este trabajo, proponemos una serie índices de desempeño globales que pueden resultar útiles en el diseño de robots manipuladores

A staged strategy for pathogen surveillance and discovery

Recent advances in molecular diagnostics have revolutionized microbiology by facilitating rapid, sensitive pathogen surveillance and differential diagnosis of infectious diseases. Implementation of these technologies can enable intervention when the prognosis is optimal for limiting replication, dissemination, transmission, morbidity and mortality. It may also reveal unappreciated links between infection and chronic diseases. Although new pathogens continue to emerge, we have likely collected much of the "low hanging fruit" (microbes readily associated with diseases). An important task now is to understand those disorders that reflect the interaction of microbes with other environmental factors (toxins, other stressors) and susceptibility genes in a developmental context. Here I will review the strengths and limitations of various assay platforms, describe the challenges associated with proving causation, and delineate a staged strategy for pathogen discovery focused in emerging infectious disease "hot spots," "hot hosts," and prospective birth cohorts

Molecular characterization of severe and mild cases of Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 strain from Argentina

While worldwide pandemic influenza A(H1N1) pdm case fatality rate (CFR) was 0.4%, Argentina's was 4.5%. A total of 34 strains from mild and severe cases were analyzed. A full genome sequencing was carried out on 26 of these, and a partial sequencing on the remaining eight. We observed no evidence that the high CFR can be attributed to direct virus changes. No evidence of re-assortment, mutations associated with resistance to antiviral drugs, or genetic drift that might contribute to virulence was observed. Although the mutation D225G associated with severity in the latest reports from the Ukraine and Norway is not observed among the Argentine strains, an amino acid change in the area (S206T) surrounding the HA receptor binding domain was observed, the same previously established worldwide

Characterization of novel canine bocaviruses and their association with respiratory disease

We report the first identification, genetic characterization and disease association studies of several novel species of canine bocaviruses (CBoV). Evolutionary analysis confirmed that CBoV are genetically distinct from the only other known canine bocavirus, minute virus of canines, with which they share less than 63, 62 and 64 % protein identity in NS, NP and VP genes, respectively. Comparative genetic analysis of 37 VP gene variants found in diseased and healthy animals showed that these novel viruses are genetically highly diverse and are common in canine respiratory infections that have remained undetected until now. Interestingly, we observed that a CBoV genotype with a unique deletion in the VP2 gene was significantly more prevalent in animals with respiratory diseases compared with healthy animals

Lack of Evidence for an Association between Iridovirus and Colony Collapse Disorder

Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is characterized by the unexplained losses of large numbers of adult worker bees (Apis mellifera) from apparently healthy colonies. Although infections, toxins, and other stressors have been associated with the onset of CCD, the pathogenesis of this disorder remains obscure. Recently, a proteomics study implicated a double-stranded DNA virus, invertebrate iridescent virus (Family Iridoviridae) along with a microsporidium (Nosema sp.) as the cause of CCD. We tested the validity of this relationship using two independent methods: (i) we surveyed healthy and CCD colonies from the United States and Israel for the presence of members of the Iridovirus genus and (ii) we reanalyzed metagenomics data previously generated from RNA pools of CCD colonies for the presence of Iridovirus-like sequences. Neither analysis revealed any evidence to suggest the presence of an Iridovirus in healthy or CCD colonies

Heart and Skeletal Muscle Inflammation of Farmed Salmon Is Associated with Infection with a Novel Reovirus

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) mariculture has been associated with epidemics of infectious diseases that threaten not only local production, but also wild fish coming into close proximity to marine pens and fish escaping from them. Heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) is a frequently fatal disease of farmed Atlantic salmon. First recognized in one farm in Norway in 1999[1], HSMI was subsequently implicated in outbreaks in other farms in Norway and the United Kingdom[2]. Although pathology and disease transmission studies indicated an infectious basis, efforts to identify an agent were unsuccessful. Here we provide evidence that HSMI is associated with infection with piscine reovirus (PRV). PRV is a novel reovirus identified by unbiased high throughput DNA sequencing and a bioinformatics program focused on nucleotide frequency as well as sequence alignment and motif analyses. Formal implication of PRV in HSMI will require isolation in cell culture and fulfillment of Koch's postulates, or prevention or modification of disease through use of specific drugs or vaccines. Nonetheless, as our data indicate that a causal relationship is plausible, measures must be taken to control PRV not only because it threatens domestic salmon production but also due to the potential for transmission to wild salmon populations

Caracterización molecular de cepas de influenza A (H1N1) 2009 de casos leves y graves de la Argentina

Fil: Cisterna, Daniel. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: Campos, Ana. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: Pontoriero, Andrea. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: Alonio, Virginia. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: Molina, Viviana. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: Palacios, Gustavo. Columbia University. Center for Infection and Immunity; Estados Unidos.Fil: Solovyov, Alexander. Columbia University. Center for Infection and Immunity; Estados Unidos.Fil: Hui, Jeffrey. Columbia University. Center for Infection and Immunity; Estados Unidos.Fil: Savji, Nazir. Columbia University. Center for Infection and Immunity; Estados Unidos.Fil: Bussetti, Ana Valeria. Columbia University. Center for Infection and Immunity; Estados Unidos.Fil: Jabado, Omar J. Columbia University. Center for Infection and Immunity; Estados Unidos.Fil: Street, Craig. Columbia University. Center for Infection and Immunity; Estados Unidos.Fil: Hirschberg, David L. Columbia University. Center for Infection and Immunity; Estados Unidos.Fil: Rabadan, Raul. Columbia University. Department of Biomedical Informatics; Estados UnidosFil: Hutchison, Stephen. 454 Life Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Egholm, Michael. 454 Life Sciences; Estados Unidos.Fil: Lipkin, W. Ian. Columbia University. Center for Infection and Immunity; Estados Unidos.Fil: Baumeister, Elsa. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; ArgentinaWhile worldwide pandemic influenza A(H1N1) pdm case fatality rate (CFR) was 0.4%, Argentina’s was 4.5%. A total of 34 strains from mild and severe cases were analyzed. A full genome sequencing was carried out on 26 of these, and a partial sequencing on the remaining eight. We observed no evidence that the high CFR can be attributed to direct virus changes. No evidence of re-assortment, mutations associated with resistance to antiviral drugs, or genetic drift that might contribute to virulence was observed. Although the mutation D225G associated with severity in the latest reports from the Ukraine and Norway is not observed among the Argentine strains, an amino acid change in the area (S206T) surrounding the HA receptor binding domain was observed, the same previously established worldwide. (ES) Mientras que la tasa de letalidad (CFR) para (H1N1)pdm en todo el mundo era del 0.4%, en la Argentina la mortalidad observada fue de 4.5%. La secuenciación del genoma completo de 26 cepas de virus argentinos de influenza A (H1N1)pdm de casos leves y graves y de 8 cepas secuenciadas parcialmente no mostró evidencia de que la elevada tasa de letalidad se pueda atribuir directamente a cambios en el virus. No se encontraron hallazgos de recombinación, de mutaciones asociadas con la resistencia a los medicamentos antivirales ni de variaciones genéticas que puedan contribuir a la virulencia observada. Si bien la mutación D225G asociada con la gravedad, comunicada en informes procedentes de Ucrania y Noruega, no se ha encontrado en las cepas argentinas estudiadas, se ha observado un cambio aminoacídico en la región (S206T) en torno al dominio del sitio de unión al receptor en la HA, el mismo hallado en cepas distribuidas alrededor del mundo

Identification of GBV-D, a Novel GB-like Flavivirus from Old World Frugivorous Bats (Pteropus giganteus) in Bangladesh

Bats are reservoirs for a wide range of zoonotic agents including lyssa-, henipah-, SARS-like corona-, Marburg-, Ebola-, and astroviruses. In an effort to survey for the presence of other infectious agents, known and unknown, we screened sera from 16 Pteropus giganteus bats from Faridpur, Bangladesh, using high-throughput pyrosequencing. Sequence analyses indicated the presence of a previously undescribed virus that has approximately 50% identity at the amino acid level to GB virus A and C (GBV-A and -C). Viral nucleic acid was present in 5 of 98 sera (5%) from a single colony of free-ranging bats. Infection was not associated with evidence of hepatitis or hepatic dysfunction. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that this first GBV-like flavivirus reported in bats constitutes a distinct species within the Flaviviridae family and is ancestral to the GBV-A and -C virus clades