Molecular epidemiology of infectious bursal disease virus in Zambia

Nucleotide sequences of the VP2 hypervariable region (VP2-HVR) of 10 infectious bursal disease viruses detected in indigenous and exotic chickens in Zambia from 2004 to 2005 were determined. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the viruses diverged into two genotypes and belonged to the African very virulent types (VV1 and VV2). In the phylogenetic tree, strains in one genotype clustered in a distinct group and were closely related to some strains isolated in western Africa (VV1), with nucleotide similarities of 95.7%– 96.5%. Strains in the other genotype were clustered within the eastern African VV type (VV2), with nucleotide similarities of 97.3%– 98.5%. Both genotypes were distributed in the southern parts of Zambia and had a unique conserved amino acid substitution at 300 (E→A) in addition to the putative virulence marker at positions 222(A), 242(I), 256(I), 294(I) and 299(S). These findings represent the first documentation of the existence of the African VV-IBDV variants in both indigenous and exotic chickens in Zambia

Epidemiology of Chlamydophila caviae-like Chlamydia Isolated from Urethra and Uterine Cervix

In 2000, chlamydial strains OK133 and OK135 were isolated from 2 female patients with cervicitis. These strains were unresponsive to commercially available PCR and LCR test kits for the diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis infection, and their phenotypic characteristics were very similar. The OK135 nucleotide sequence in MOMP-VD2 gene closely resembled that of Chlamydophila caviae GPIC. A similar strain was isolated in 2003 from a male patient OKM2 with urethritis, from which the strain SC10-6 was cloned by the plaque purification method. The nucleotide sequence of the entire MOMP gene of SC10-6 was exactly the same as that of OK135. Thus, the strains OK135 and SC10-6, together with OK133, have been called C. caviae-like Chlamydia. We designed primers for nested PCR assay, the product of which showed a single-band 311-bp fragment, to detect C. caviae-like Chlamydia. Of swab specimens obtained from 202 patients from 2003 to 2006 (119 male and 83 female patients), 18 specimens (8.9%) from 14 male and 4 female patients were positive, suggesting that C. caviae-like Chlamydia infection is rather common. Thus far, it has not been determined whether C. caviae-like Chlamydia is pathogenic for humans.</p

Synthesis and Platelet-Activating Factor (PAF)-Antagonistic Activities of Trisubstituted Piperazine Derivatives

2- or 3-Substituted 1-(2,3-dimethoxy-6,7-dihydro-5H-benzocyclobepten-8- ylcarbonyl)-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyl)- and 4-(3,4,5- trimethoxybenzyl)piperazines (2a - s, 3a, b) were prepared and evaluated for antagonistic activities against platelet-activating factor (PAF)-induced platelet aggregation and blood pressure reduction. The 2-methoxymethyl derivative (2f) showed the most potent activities in this series. The enantiomers (R)-(+)-2f and (S)-(-)-2f were synthesized from carbobenzoxy-O- benzyl-L- and D-serine in several steps. In the binding experiment. (S)-(-)- 2f showed thirty times greater affinity than the R isomer for the PAF receptor

Antibiogram bakterije Escherichia coli i enterokoka izdvojenih iz goveđega izmeta na području Kafue u Zambiji

Antimicrobial resistance to a panel of ten agents was determined by the disc diffusion technique for 83 Escherichia coli isolates, 29 Enterococcus faecium isolates and 62 Enterococcus faecalis isolates from faecal samples of apparently healthy pastoral cattle in the wildlife/livestock interface areas. Of all the E. coli isolates, 8% were diarrhoeagenic E. coli strains, 6% were enteropathogenic E. coli strains and 2% were enterotoxigenic E. coli strains. A high frequency of E. coli resistance to penicillin, erythromycin, cotrimoxazole and nitrofurantoin was observed. Enterococci showed the highest percentage of resistance to gentamycin, amoxycillin, ampicillin and tetracycline. None of the E. coli strains and Enterococci strains was resistant to tetracycline and vancomycin respectively. The results of this study underscore the presence of an animal reservoir of antibiotic resistant microorganisms that have the potential to enter the food chain.Osjetljivost 83 izolata vrste Escherichia coli, 29 izolata vrste Enterococcus faecium i 62 izolata vrste Enterococcus faecalis izdvojenih iz uzoraka izmeta klinički zdravih goveda u području dodira domaćih i divljih životinja, određena je difuzijskim postupkom prema deset antimikrobnih pripravaka. Od ukupno izdvojenih, 8% sojeva bakterije E. coli bilo je dijarejogeno, 6% enteropatogeno i 2% enterotoksigeno. Ustanovljena je česta otpornost vrste E. coli prema penicilinu, eritromicinu, kotrimoksazolu i nitrofurantoinu. Enterokoki su u najvećem postotku bili otporni prema gentamicinu, amoksicilinu, ampicilinu i tetraciklinu. Nijedan od izolata E. coli nije bio otporan prema tetraciklinu, a nijedan od enterokoka nije bio otporan prema vankomicinu. Rezultati istraživanja upućuju na postojanje životinjskoga rezervoara bakterija otpornih na antibiotike za koje postoji mogućnost da se prenesu u ljudski prehrambeni lanac

Antibiogram bakterije Escherichia coli i enterokoka izdvojenih iz goveđega izmeta na području Kafue u Zambiji

Antimicrobial resistance to a panel of ten agents was determined by the disc diffusion technique for 83 Escherichia coli isolates, 29 Enterococcus faecium isolates and 62 Enterococcus faecalis isolates from faecal samples of apparently healthy pastoral cattle in the wildlife/livestock interface areas. Of all the E. coli isolates, 8% were diarrhoeagenic E. coli strains, 6% were enteropathogenic E. coli strains and 2% were enterotoxigenic E. coli strains. A high frequency of E. coli resistance to penicillin, erythromycin, cotrimoxazole and nitrofurantoin was observed. Enterococci showed the highest percentage of resistance to gentamycin, amoxycillin, ampicillin and tetracycline. None of the E. coli strains and Enterococci strains was resistant to tetracycline and vancomycin respectively. The results of this study underscore the presence of an animal reservoir of antibiotic resistant microorganisms that have the potential to enter the food chain.Osjetljivost 83 izolata vrste Escherichia coli, 29 izolata vrste Enterococcus faecium i 62 izolata vrste Enterococcus faecalis izdvojenih iz uzoraka izmeta klinički zdravih goveda u području dodira domaćih i divljih životinja, određena je difuzijskim postupkom prema deset antimikrobnih pripravaka. Od ukupno izdvojenih, 8% sojeva bakterije E. coli bilo je dijarejogeno, 6% enteropatogeno i 2% enterotoksigeno. Ustanovljena je česta otpornost vrste E. coli prema penicilinu, eritromicinu, kotrimoksazolu i nitrofurantoinu. Enterokoki su u najvećem postotku bili otporni prema gentamicinu, amoksicilinu, ampicilinu i tetraciklinu. Nijedan od izolata E. coli nije bio otporan prema tetraciklinu, a nijedan od enterokoka nije bio otporan prema vankomicinu. Rezultati istraživanja upućuju na postojanje životinjskoga rezervoara bakterija otpornih na antibiotike za koje postoji mogućnost da se prenesu u ljudski prehrambeni lanac

Rapid Detection of Salmonella on Commercial Carcasses by Using Isothermal and Chimeric Primer- Initiated Amplification of Nucleic Acids (ICAN)-Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) in Zambia

KEY WORDS: S a l m o n e l l a, isothermal and chimeric primer, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Zambia ABSTRACT S a l m o n e l l a infections in human population belong to the most important foodborne zoonoses in the world. Therefore, studies on rapid methods for detection of S a l m o n e l l a in animal-derived foods and ready-to-eatfoods are needed. We describe a 2-step method using isothermal and chimeric Inter