Zoonotic Poxviruses Associated with Companion Animals

Understanding the zoonotic risk posed by poxviruses in companion animals is important for protecting both human and animal health. The outbreak of monkeypox in the United States, as well as current reports of cowpox in Europe, point to the fact that companion animals are increasingly serving as sources of poxvirus transmission to people. In addition, the trend among hobbyists to keep livestock (such as goats) in urban and semi-urban areas has contributed to increased parapoxvirus exposures among people not traditionally considered at high risk. Despite the historic notoriety of poxviruses and the diseases they cause, poxvirus infections are often missed. Delays in diagnosing poxvirus-associated infections in companion animals can lead to inadvertent human exposures. Delays in confirming human infections can result in inappropriate treatment or prolonged recovery. Early recognition of poxvirus-associated infections and application of appropriate preventive measures can reduce the spread of virus between companion animals and their owners. This review will discuss the epidemiology and clinical features associated with the zoonotic poxvirus infections most commonly associated with companion animals

Zoonotic Poxviruses Associated with Companion Animals

Understanding the zoonotic risk posed by poxviruses in companion animals is important for protecting both human and animal health. The outbreak of monkeypox in the United States, as well as current reports of cowpox in Europe, point to the fact that companion animals are increasingly serving as sources of poxvirus transmission to people. In addition, the trend among hobbyists to keep livestock (such as goats) in urban and semi-urban areas has contributed to increased parapoxvirus exposures among people not traditionally considered at high risk. Despite the historic notoriety of poxviruses and the diseases they cause, poxvirus infections are often missed. Delays in diagnosing poxvirus-associated infections in companion animals can lead to inadvertent human exposures. Delays in confirming human infections can result in inappropriate treatment or prolonged recovery. Early recognition of poxvirus-associated infections and application of appropriate preventive measures can reduce the spread of virus between companion animals and their owners. This review will discuss the epidemiology and clinical features associated with the zoonotic poxvirus infections most commonly associated with companion animals

Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Outbreaks in the United States, 2010–2017

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) cause illnesses ranging from mild diarrhea to ischemic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS); serogroup O157 is the most common cause. We describe the epidemiology and transmission routes for U.S. STEC outbreaks during 2010–2017. Health departments reported 466 STEC outbreaks affecting 4769 persons; 459 outbreaks had a serogroup identified (330 O157, 124 non-O157, 5 both). Among these, 361 (77%) had a known transmission route: 200 foodborne (44% of O157 outbreaks, 41% of non-O157 outbreaks), 87 person-to-person (16%, 24%), 49 animal contact (11%, 9%), 20 water (4%, 5%), and 5 environmental contamination (2%, 0%). The most common food category implicated was vegetable row crops. The distribution of O157 and non-O157 outbreaks varied by age, sex, and severity. A significantly higher percentage of STEC O157 than non-O157 outbreaks were transmitted by beef (p = 0.02). STEC O157 outbreaks also had significantly higher rates of hospitalization and HUS (p < 0.001)

Rabies in Captive Deer, Pennsylvania, USA, 2007–2010

Since January 2007, a total of 11 rabid deer from 4 deer farms have been identified in 2 neighboring Pennsylvania counties. Vaccination of deer against rabies, decreasing wildlife animal contact with deer, and education of deer farmers may prevent further cases of rabies in captive deer and exposures to humans

Interobserver agreement for the ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT criteria for a UIP pattern on CT.

OBJECTIVES: To establish the level of observer variation for the current ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT criteria for a diagnosis of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) on CT among a large group of thoracic radiologists of varying levels of experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 112 observers (96 of whom were thoracic radiologists) categorised CTs of 150 consecutive patients with fibrotic lung disease using the ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT CT criteria for a UIP pattern (3 categories--UIP, possibly UIP and inconsistent with UIP). The presence of honeycombing, traction bronchiectasis and emphysema was also scored using a 3-point scale (definitely present, possibly present, absent). Observer agreement for the UIP categorisation and for the 3 CT patterns in the entAUe observer group and in subgroups stratified by observer experience, were evaluated. RESULTS: Interobserver agreement across the diagnosis category scores among the 112 observers was moderate, ranging from 0.48 (IQR 0.18) for general radiologists to 0.52 (IQR 0.20) for thoracic radiologists of 10-20 years' experience. A binary score for UIP versus possible or inconsistent with UIP was examined. Observer agreement for this binary score was only moderate. No significant differences in agreement levels were identified when the CTs were stratified according to multidisciplinary team (MDT) diagnosis or patient age or when observers were categorised according to experience. Observer agreement for each of honeycombing, traction bronchiectasis and emphysema were 0.59+/-0.12, 0.42+/-0.15 and 0.43+/-0.18, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Interobserver agreement for the current ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT CT criteria for UIP is only moderate among thoracic radiologists, AUrespective of theAU experience, and did not vary with patient age or the MDT diagnosis