Effects of urbanization on host-pathogen interactions, using Yersinia in house sparrows as a model

Urbanization strongly affects biodiversity, altering natural communities and often leading to a reduced species richness. Yet, despite its increasingly recognized importance, how urbanization impacts on the health of individual animals, wildlife populations and on disease ecology remains poorly understood. To test whether, and how, urbanization-driven ecosystem alterations influence pathogen dynamics and avian health, we use house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and Yersinia spp. (pathogenic for passerines) as a case study. Sparrows are granivorous urban exploiters, whose western European populations have declined over the past decades, especially in highly urbanized areas. We sampled 329 house sparrows originating from 36 populations along an urbanization gradient across Flanders (Belgium), and used isolation combined with 'matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry' (MALDI-TOF MS) and PCR methods for detecting the presence of different Yersinia species. Yersinia spp. were recovered from 57.43% of the sampled house sparrows, of which 4.06%, 53.30% and 69.54% were identified as Y. pseudotuberculosis, Y. enterocolitica and other Yersinia species, respectively. Presence of Yersinia was related to the degree of urbanization, average daily temperatures and the community of granivorous birds present at sparrow capture locations. Body condition of suburban house sparrows was found to be higher compared to urban and rural house sparrows, but no relationships between sparrows' body condition and presence of Yersinia spp. were found. We conclude that two determinants of pathogen infection dynamics, body condition and pathogen occurrence, vary along an urbanization gradient, potentially mediating the impact of urbanization on avian health

Platz dem ergotherapeutischen Paradigma! : durch Digital Storytelling zu einer stabilen Berufsidentität

Darstellung des Themas: Schon seit der Entstehung des Berufes der Ergotherapie besteht die Schwierigkeit das Berufsbild zu definieren. Bereits mehrfach wurde diskutiert, dass eine instabile Berufsidentität weitgehende Konsequenzen mit sich tragen kann und folgernd die Anerkennung des Berufes in der Gesellschaft schwächt. Diese Arbeit befasst sich damit, wie die Methode des Digital Storytelling einen Einfluss auf die Berufsidentität nehmen kann, um dadurch diesem Phänomen entgegenzuwirken. Ziel: Anhand der drei Analyseebenen (Mikro-, Meso- und Makroebene) soll der Einfluss von Digital Storytelling auf die Berufsidentität von Ergotherapeut*innen aufgezeigt werden. Methode: Durch eine systemische Literatursuche in diversen Datenbanken wurden zwei Studien und ein Literaturreview anhand ausgewählter Einschlusskriterien gefunden. Die Ergebnisse dieser Hauptstudien wurden den drei Analyseebenen zugeordnet und die Zusammenhänge zwischen den Ebenen aufgezeigt. Relevante Ergebnisse: Aus den Studien konnte eine Wirkung mittels Digital Storytelling auf allen drei Analyseebenen (Mikro-, Meso- und Makroebene) festgestellt werden. Zudem ist die Berufsidentität abhängig von unterschiedlichen Faktoren der Mikro- und Makroebene und zeigt somit eine dynamische Wechselwirkung auf. Die Methode Digital Storytelling hat das Potential die Berufsidentität von Ergotherapeut*innen positiv zu beeinflussen und die Anerkennung des Berufes in der Gesellschaft zu steigern. Schlussfolgerung: Durch die Erkenntnisse dieser Arbeit werden konkrete Empfehlungen abgegeben werden, inwiefern Digital Storytelling eingesetzt werden kann

Heat survival of Clostridium difficile spores in ground meat during cooking process

Introduction: Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming pathogen considered as a major cause of enteric disease in humans, with faecal-oral route as the primary mode of transmission. However, recent studies have reported the occurrence of C. difficile in ground meats at retail stores, indicating that foods could be an additional source of infection in the community. Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine the resistance of C. difficile spores in contaminated ground meat during cooking process. Methods: Prior to testing, to obtain spores and to enhance heterogeneity, spores of two different strains were produced in two nutritious broths. C. difficile spores were experimentally inoculated in 45 g of ground meat (beef and pork) in order to obtain a final contamination of 4,500 ufc g-1. Six heating temperatures (70, 75, 80, 85, 90 and 95°C) were chosen. Samples were heating in a water bath with an integrated program for time-temperature. One sample without inoculum was used as control with a temperature probe placed inside. Once the desired temperature was research in the core of the sample, the heat treatment was prolonged for 10 min. Subsequently, all the samples were placed on the chilling room (4°C) before analyse. These experiments were conducted in duplicate with a spore enumeration in triplicate. Results: Heating contaminated ground meat at 70, 75 and 80°C for 10 min was not effective for C. difficile spores inhibition. However, 10 min of heat shock at 80°C was the only temperature that significantly reduced the number of countable colonies. Heat treatment at 85°C (or more) inhibits the germination of both of the strains tested. Significance: Ensure that ground meat, like burgers or sausages, is heated to more than 85°C would be an important measure to reduce the risk of C. difficile food transmission.ZooDif

Comparison and molecular characterization of animal and human Clostridium difficile strains

The main objective of this study was to characterize and compare animal and human C. difficile strains with respect to the PCR-ribotype and the antibiotic resistance. Multilocus sequence typing analysis (MLST) was performed in order to study clonal relationships of the isolates

Dementie en een verstandelijke beperking:De verhoogde kwetsbaarheid van de doelgroep vraagt om extra opmerkzaamheid

Een tijdige diagnose dementie is essentieel voor het bieden van passende zorg en ondersteuning. Het programma (H)erken jij dementie werkte van 2018 tot 2022 aan het verbeteren van het signaleren en vaststellen van (mogelijke) dementie bij mensen met een verstandelijke beperking. In een reeks van vier artikelen delen wij een aantal belangrijke inzichten en enkele relevante initiatieven. We beginnen met een introductie

Clinical Impact of MALDI-TOF MS Identification and Rapid Susceptibility Testing on Adequate Antimicrobial Treatment in Sepsis with Positive Blood Cultures.

Shortening the turn-around time (TAT) of positive blood culture (BC) identification (ID) and susceptibility results is essential to optimize antimicrobial treatment in patients with sepsis. We aimed to evaluate the impact on antimicrobial prescription of a modified workflow of positive BCs providing ID and partial susceptibility results for Enterobacteriaceae (EB), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus on the day of BC positivity detection. This study was divided into a pre-intervention period (P0) with a standard BC workflow followed by 2 intervention periods (P1, P2) with an identical modified workflow. ID was performed with MALDI-TOF MS from blood, on early or on overnight subcultures. According to ID results, rapid phenotypic assays were realized to detect third generation cephalosporin resistant EB/P. aeruginosa or methicillin resistant S. aureus. Results were transmitted to the antimicrobial stewardship team for patient's treatment revision. Times to ID, to susceptibility results and to optimal antimicrobial treatment (OAT) were compared across the three study periods. Overall, 134, 112 and 154 positive BC episodes in P0, P1 and P2 respectively were included in the analysis. Mean time to ID (28.3 hours in P0) was reduced by 65.3% in P1 (10.2 hours) and 61.8% in P2 (10.8 hours). Mean time to complete susceptibility results was reduced by 27.5% in P1 and 27% in P2, with results obtained after 32.4 and 32.6 hours compared to 44.7 hours in P0. Rapid tests allowed partial susceptibility results to be obtained after a mean time of 11.8 hours in P1 and 11.7 hours in P2. Mean time to OAT was decreased to 21.6 hours in P1 and to 17.9 hours in P2 compared to 36.1 hours in P0. Reducing TAT of positive BC with MALDI-TOF MS ID and rapid susceptibility testing accelerated prescription of targeted antimicrobial treatment thereby potentially improving the patients' clinical outcome

Low prevalence of human enteropathogenic Yersinia spp. in brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) in Flanders

Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) have been identified as potential carriers of Yersinia enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis, the etiological agents of yersiniosis, the third most reported bacterial zoonosis in Europe. Enteropathogenic Yersinia spp. are most often isolated from rats during yersiniosis cases in animals and humans, and from rats inhabiting farms and slaughterhouses. Information is however lacking regarding the extent to which rats act as carriers of these Yersinia spp.. In 2013, 1088 brown rats across Flanders, Belgium, were tested for the presence of Yersinia species by isolation method. Identification was performed using MALDI-TOF MS, PCR on chromosomal-and plasmid-borne virulence genes, biotyping and serotyping. Yersinia spp. were isolated from 38.4% of the rats. Of these, 53.4% were designated Y. enterocolitica, 0.7% Y. pseudotuberculosis and 49.0% other Yersinia species. Two Y. enterocolitica possessing the virF-, ail- and ystA-gene were isolated. Additionally, the ystB-gene was identified in 94.1% of the other Y. enterocolitica isolates, suggestive for biotype 1A. Three of these latter isolates simultaneously possessed the ail-virulence gene. Significantly more Y. enterocolitica were isolated during winter and spring compared to summer. Based on our findings we can conclude that brown rats are frequent carriers for various Yersinia spp., including Y. pseudotuberculosis and (human pathogenic) Y. enterocolitica which are more often isolated during winter and spring