Immunological and pathological adverse effects of avian influenza virus subtype H9N2 infection in aflatoxicated-broiler chickens

ΔΕΝ ΔΙΑΤΙΘΕΤΑΙ ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗAflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a metabolic product of the Aspergillus spp. of molds, which grow on several feedstuffs stored in hot moist conditions. It is one of the immunosuppressive agents that might influence the pathogenesisof avian influenza virus (AIV) subtype H9N2 in broilers, which can exacerbate the disease outcomes. The immunological, biochemical and pathological adverse health effects of an interaction between low levels of dietary aflatoxins (AFs) and H9N2 infection in broiler chickens were investigated. One hundred and eighty of unvaccinated 1-day-old COBB chicks were, therefore, raised for 35 days in the following treatment groups: control, AFs, AFs+H9N2, and H9N2. AFs in the basal diet was added at 200 ppb starting from the first day of age, while H9N2 virus was intra-nasally installed at a dose of 100 μl of 106 EID50/bird of allantois fluid at 23rd day. Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses were evaluated. Evidence of H9N2-AIV viral shedding was also detected. It has been observed that concurrent exposure of AFs and H9N2 virus negatively affected chicken performance traits i.e. lowered feed intake and body weights with exaggerated respiratory and digestive disturbances, and 20% mortality rate. Ten days’ post H9N2 infection, significant (p≤ 0.05) increment in serum transaminases (AST and ALT) and falling in cell-mediated immunity i.e. total leukocyte count, lymphocyte transformation activity and macrophage phagocytic activity were detected. Additionally, AFs+H9N2 significantly (p≤ 0.05) lowered H9N2-HI titers (5.5 Log2) than H9N2 alone (6.3 Log2). Pathologically, aflatoxicated chickens showed hydropic degeneration, hepatocytic vacuolation and necrosis of liver tissues with nephrosis and urates deposition in ureters, as well as bursal and thymic lesions, which were potent in H9N2–inoculated chickens. AFs exposure increased the incidence and titer of H9N2 viral shedding. It could be concluded that dietary contamination with AFs even at very low levels has explanatory effect in H9N2–inoculated broilers, and vice versa

Tracking development assistance for health and for COVID-19 : a review of development assistance, government, out-of-pocket, and other private spending on health for 204 countries and territories, 1990-2050

Background The rapid spread of COVID-19 renewed the focus on how health systems across the globe are financed, especially during public health emergencies. Development assistance is an important source of health financing in many low-income countries, yet little is known about how much of this funding was disbursed for COVID-19. We aimed to put development assistance for health for COVID-19 in the context of broader trends in global health financing, and to estimate total health spending from 1995 to 2050 and development assistance for COVID-19 in 2020. Methods We estimated domestic health spending and development assistance for health to generate total health-sector spending estimates for 204 countries and territories. We leveraged data from the WHO Global Health Expenditure Database to produce estimates of domestic health spending. To generate estimates for development assistance for health, we relied on project-level disbursement data from the major international development agencies' online databases and annual financial statements and reports for information on income sources. To adjust our estimates for 2020 to include disbursements related to COVID-19, we extracted project data on commitments and disbursements from a broader set of databases (because not all of the data sources used to estimate the historical series extend to 2020), including the UN Office of Humanitarian Assistance Financial Tracking Service and the International Aid Transparency Initiative. We reported all the historic and future spending estimates in inflation-adjusted 2020 US$, 2020 US$ per capita, purchasing-power parity-adjusted US$per capita, and as a proportion of gross domestic product. We used various models to generate future health spending to 2050. Findings In 2019, health spending globally reached$8. 8 trillion (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 8.7-8.8) or $1132 (1119-1143) per person. Spending on health varied within and across income groups and geographical regions. Of this total,$40.4 billion (0.5%, 95% UI 0.5-0.5) was development assistance for health provided to low-income and middle-income countries, which made up 24.6% (UI 24.0-25.1) of total spending in low-income countries. We estimate that $54.8 billion in development assistance for health was disbursed in 2020. Of this,$13.7 billion was targeted toward the COVID-19 health response. $12.3 billion was newly committed and$1.4 billion was repurposed from existing health projects. $3.1 billion (22.4$2.4 billion (17.9%) was for supply chain and logistics. Only $714.4 million (7.7$1519 (1448-1591) per person in 2050, although spending across countries is expected to remain varied. Interpretation Global health spending is expected to continue to grow, but remain unequally distributed between countries. We estimate that development organisations substantially increased the amount of development assistance for health provided in 2020. Continued efforts are needed to raise sufficient resources to mitigate the pandemic for the most vulnerable, and to help curtail the pandemic for all. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

Mapping geographical inequalities in childhood diarrhoeal morbidity and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries, 2000–17 : analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Across low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), one in ten deaths in children younger than 5 years is attributable to diarrhoea. The substantial between-country variation in both diarrhoea incidence and mortality is attributable to interventions that protect children, prevent infection, and treat disease. Identifying subnational regions with the highest burden and mapping associated risk factors can aid in reducing preventable childhood diarrhoea. Methods We used Bayesian model-based geostatistics and a geolocated dataset comprising 15 072 746 children younger than 5 years from 466 surveys in 94 LMICs, in combination with findings of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017, to estimate posterior distributions of diarrhoea prevalence, incidence, and mortality from 2000 to 2017. From these data, we estimated the burden of diarrhoea at varying subnational levels (termed units) by spatially aggregating draws, and we investigated the drivers of subnational patterns by creating aggregated risk factor estimates. Findings The greatest declines in diarrhoeal mortality were seen in south and southeast Asia and South America, where 54·0% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 38·1–65·8), 17·4% (7·7–28·4), and 59·5% (34·2–86·9) of units, respectively, recorded decreases in deaths from diarrhoea greater than 10%. Although children in much of Africa remain at high risk of death due to diarrhoea, regions with the most deaths were outside Africa, with the highest mortality units located in Pakistan. Indonesia showed the greatest within-country geographical inequality; some regions had mortality rates nearly four times the average country rate. Reductions in mortality were correlated to improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) or reductions in child growth failure (CGF). Similarly, most high-risk areas had poor WASH, high CGF, or low oral rehydration therapy coverage. Interpretation By co-analysing geospatial trends in diarrhoeal burden and its key risk factors, we could assess candidate drivers of subnational death reduction. Further, by doing a counterfactual analysis of the remaining disease burden using key risk factors, we identified potential intervention strategies for vulnerable populations. In view of the demands for limited resources in LMICs, accurately quantifying the burden of diarrhoea and its drivers is important for precision public health

Search for single production of scalar leptoquarks in proton-proton collisions at root s=8 TeV

Correction DOI:10.1103/PhysRevD.95.039906Peer reviewe