Onset of foraging and lifespan of Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera) infected with different levels of Nosema ceranae spores in Neotropical Mexico

International audienceAbstractNosema ceranae is a microsporidium pathogen widely spread around the world. Negative effects on foraging behavior and longevity of EHB colonies have been associated with this pathogen as well as possible population losses, but its effects have not been studied in tropical adapted honey bees. We studied the interaction between this pathogen and Africanized honey bees (AHB) in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico where N. ceranae has only been detected since 2008. Non-infected and artificially infected workers with two different spore concentrations were introduced in observation hives to evaluate the onset and duration of foraging and longevity. The results showed precocious foraging, a reduction of the duration of foraging and a decrease in the longevity of infected bees compared with non-infected ones. However, the results indicate that although negative effects can be caused by N. ceranae in AHB, these were of a moderate magnitude compared with similar reports on EHB in temperate areas. Further research is necessary to evaluate the long-term effect of N. ceranae on AHBs in relation to colony dynamics to better understand the absence of significant colony losses associated with this pathogen in tropical and subtropical Mexico

Municipal mortality due to thyroid cancer in Spain

BACKGROUND: Thyroid cancer is a tumor with a low but growing incidence in Spain. This study sought to depict its spatial municipal mortality pattern, using the classic model proposed by Besag, York and Mollié. METHODS: It was possible to compile and ascertain the posterior distribution of relative risk on the basis of a single Bayesian spatial model covering all of Spain's 8077 municipal areas. Maps were plotted depicting standardized mortality ratios, smoothed relative risk (RR) estimates, and the posterior probability that RR > 1. RESULTS: From 1989 to 1998 a total of 2,538 thyroid cancer deaths were registered in 1,041 municipalities. The highest relative risks were mostly situated in the Canary Islands, the province of Lugo, the east of La Coruña (Corunna) and western areas of Asturias and Orense. CONCLUSION: The observed mortality pattern coincides with areas in Spain where goiter has been declared endemic. The higher frequency in these same areas of undifferentiated, more aggressive carcinomas could be reflected in the mortality figures. Other unknown genetic or environmental factors could also play a role in the etiology of this tumor

Linfadenitis por Mycobacterium incluyendo pacientes infectados por el Virus de Inmunodefi ciencia Humana Mycobacterium lymphadenitis including patients infected with Human Inmunodefi cient Virus

El género Mycobacterium provoca infecciones pulmonares y extrapulmonares, de estas últimas predomina la infección ganglionar. Mientras Mycobacterium tuberculosis es el agente causal más importante, en las últimas décadas aumenta la incidencia de otras especies micobacterianas que se han hecho prevalentes en los pacientes positivos al virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH +) tanto en países desarrollados como en vías de desarrollo.Durante el período enero 2007 hasta diciembre 2009 se procesó en nuestro laboratorio 6540 muestras, 210 muestras fueron obtenidas por biopsia ganglionar, precisamente este constituyó nuestro universo de estudio, 190 (90.4%) muestras se obtuvieron por exéresis quirúrgica, 20 (9.5%) por punción espirativa;17 procedían de pacientes VIH– (8.1%) y 193 procedentes de pacientes VIH+(91.9%). En solo 16 muestras (7.6%) el cultivo BAAR fue positivo; 4 procedentes de pacientes VIH– (25%) y 12 VIH+(75%). La clasificación e identificación micobacteriana demostró la presencia de Mycobacterium tuberculosis en 13 de los casos (81.25%), mientras Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare fue aislado en 3 (18.7%).En los pacientes inmunodeprimidos con linfadenopatía incluidos los pacientes VIH/sida, es muy importante la búsqueda activa de la presencia de BAAR como coinfección oportunista, donde Mycobacterium tuberculosis se mantiene como el agente infeccioso más frecuente, sin embargo la posibilidad de que otras especies micobacterianas también estén presentes no se debe descartar.Nuestro objetivo en este estudio como Laboratorio Nacional de Referencia de TB- Micobacterias fue lograr la caracterización etiológica de linfadenopatías en pacientes en que se sospechaba clínicamente la participación del género Mycobacterium.Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the most important etiological agent producing pulmonary as well as extrapulmonary infection.During these last decades, the increase in the incidence of infection due to other mycobacteria species is evident.Lymphadenopathy is the most frequent extrapulmonary presentation form of Mycobacterium Genera infection among HIV positive patients either in developed or underdeveloped countries.The aim of this work is to analyze the results obtained during January 2007 - December 2009 in our laboratory.Two hundred ten tissue samples were studied; 190 (90.4%) samples were lymph node biopsied tissues and 20 (9.5%) samples were obtained by fine needle aspiration; 17 were from HIV - patients (8.1%) and 193 from HIV + (91.9%). A total of 16 (7.6%) samples produced a positive culture for BAAR, 4 VIH- (25%) and 12 VIH+ (75%). Classification and identification for mycobacteria confirmed Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 13 of the cases (81.25%), and Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare in three patients (18.7%). The present study once again confirms that BAAR culture has more sensitivity and specificity than histopathologhic studies have.Lymphadenopathy in immunosuppressed patients should by studied for the presence of an BAAR coinfection where M.tuberculosis is still the agent most frequently found, nevertheless, other species of Mycobacteria may be causing infection and should be searched for. Our objective as National Reference Laboratory of Tuberculosis and Mycobacterial was to obtain the etiological characterization of Mycobacterium lymphadenopathy in clinically suspect patients

Linfadenitis por Mycobacterium incluyendo pacientes infectados por el Virus de Inmunodefi ciencia Humana Mycobacterium lymphadenitis including patients infected with Human Inmunodefi cient Virus

El género Mycobacterium provoca infecciones pulmonares y extrapulmonares, de estas últimas predomina la infección ganglionar. Mientras Mycobacterium tuberculosis es el agente causal más importante, en las últimas décadas aumenta la incidencia de otras especies micobacterianas que se han hecho prevalentes en los pacientes positivos al virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH +) tanto en países desarrollados como en vías de desarrollo.Durante el período enero 2007 hasta diciembre 2009 se procesó en nuestro laboratorio 6540 muestras, 210 muestras fueron obtenidas por biopsia ganglionar, precisamente este constituyó nuestro universo de estudio, 190 (90.4%) muestras se obtuvieron por exéresis quirúrgica, 20 (9.5%) por punción espirativa;17 procedían de pacientes VIH– (8.1%) y 193 procedentes de pacientes VIH+(91.9%). En solo 16 muestras (7.6%) el cultivo BAAR fue positivo; 4 procedentes de pacientes VIH– (25%) y 12 VIH+(75%). La clasificación e identificación micobacteriana demostró la presencia de Mycobacterium tuberculosis en 13 de los casos (81.25%), mientras Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare fue aislado en 3 (18.7%).En los pacientes inmunodeprimidos con linfadenopatía incluidos los pacientes VIH/sida, es muy importante la búsqueda activa de la presencia de BAAR como coinfección oportunista, donde Mycobacterium tuberculosis se mantiene como el agente infeccioso más frecuente, sin embargo la posibilidad de que otras especies micobacterianas también estén presentes no se debe descartar.Nuestro objetivo en este estudio como Laboratorio Nacional de Referencia de TB- Micobacterias fue lograr la caracterización etiológica de linfadenopatías en pacientes en que se sospechaba clínicamente la participación del género Mycobacterium.Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the most important etiological agent producing pulmonary as well as extrapulmonary infection.During these last decades, the increase in the incidence of infection due to other mycobacteria species is evident.Lymphadenopathy is the most frequent extrapulmonary presentation form of Mycobacterium Genera infection among HIV positive patients either in developed or underdeveloped countries.The aim of this work is to analyze the results obtained during January 2007 - December 2009 in our laboratory.Two hundred ten tissue samples were studied; 190 (90.4%) samples were lymph node biopsied tissues and 20 (9.5%) samples were obtained by fine needle aspiration; 17 were from HIV - patients (8.1%) and 193 from HIV + (91.9%). A total of 16 (7.6%) samples produced a positive culture for BAAR, 4 VIH- (25%) and 12 VIH+ (75%). Classification and identification for mycobacteria confirmed Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 13 of the cases (81.25%), and Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare in three patients (18.7%). The present study once again confirms that BAAR culture has more sensitivity and specificity than histopathologhic studies have.Lymphadenopathy in immunosuppressed patients should by studied for the presence of an BAAR coinfection where M.tuberculosis is still the agent most frequently found, nevertheless, other species of Mycobacteria may be causing infection and should be searched for. Our objective as National Reference Laboratory of Tuberculosis and Mycobacterial was to obtain the etiological characterization of Mycobacterium lymphadenopathy in clinically suspect patients