Analysis of the Situation on Anthrax in the World in 2022, the Forecast for the Russian Federation for 2023

The paper provides the results of analysis of the epizootiological and epidemiological situation on anthrax in the world in 2022, also, the forecast of incidence rates for the Russian Federation in 2023 is presented. In 2022, two cases of anthrax in farm animals and two cases of cutaneous form of infection in humans were registered in Russia, in the constituent entities of the North Caucasian Federal District: the Republic of Dagestan and the Stavropol Territory. The tense situation on anthrax was reported in the neighboring countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine. Epizootics of infection with the highest number of affected farm and wild animals were recorded in the countries of Africa, Asia, North America and Europe. The incidence of anthrax among people in the far abroad (mainly in Africa and Asia) was mostly associated with consuming the meat of sick and fallen farm animals, contact with infected animals, animal products. The incidence of anthrax in animals and humans in the Russian Federation in 2023 will largely depend on the scale of coverage with specific immunization of susceptible animals and persons at risk of infection and, given the strict implementation of comprehensive surveillance measures, will be limited to the registration of potentially possible single cases of infection

Strain-dependent host transcriptional responses to toxoplasma infection are largely conserved in mammalian and avian hosts

Toxoplasma gondii has a remarkable ability to infect an enormous variety of mammalian and avian species. Given this, it is surprising that three strains (Types I/II/III) account for the majority of isolates from Europe/North America. The selective pressures that have driven the emergence of these particular strains, however, remain enigmatic. We hypothesized that strain selection might be partially driven by adaptation of strains for mammalian versus avian hosts. To test this, we examine in vitro, strain-dependent host responses in fibroblasts of a representative avian host, the chicken (Gallus gallus). Using gene expression profiling of infected chicken embryonic fibroblasts and pathway analysis to assess host response, we show here that chicken cells respond with distinct transcriptional profiles upon infection with Type II versus III strains that are reminiscent of profiles observed in mammalian cells. To identify the parasite drivers of these differences, chicken fibroblasts were infected with individual F1 progeny of a Type II x III cross and host gene expression was assessed for each by microarray. QTL mapping of transcriptional differences suggested, and deletion strains confirmed, that, as in mammalian cells, the polymorphic rhoptry kinase ROP16 is the major driver of strain-specific responses. We originally hypothesized that comparing avian versus mammalian host response might reveal an inversion in parasite strain-dependent phenotypes; specifically, for polymorphic effectors like ROP16, we hypothesized that the allele with most activity in mammalian cells might be less active in avian cells. Instead, we found that activity of ROP16 alleles appears to be conserved across host species; moreover, additional parasite loci that were previously mapped for strain-specific effects on mammalian response showed similar strain-specific effects in chicken cells. These results indicate that if different hosts select for different parasite genotypes, the selection operates downstream of the signaling occurring during the beginning of the host's immune response. © 2011 Ong et al

New Genetic Markers for Molecular Typing of Bacillus anthracis Strains

Objective: Identification of new markers for the molecular typing of Bacillus anthracis. Materials and methods. The genomes of 16 B. anthracis strains from the collection of the Stavropol Research Anti-Plague Institute, 11 B. anthracis strains and 5 strains of Bacillus cereus from GenBank were investigated. The methods of in vitro and in silico analysis of canonical and whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), genome regions with variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) were used for the analysis. Results and discussion. It has been established that there are deletions and (or) SNPs in some of B. anthracis strains of the main genetic lineage B, within the homologous genes of the tri-cistronic operon gerH, which encodes spore germination proteins. gerA genes contain the Bams34 VNTR locus, the sizes of genes in different strains vary due to the different number of tandem repeats and the presence of indels, which suggests the variability of GerA spore germination proteins. In the area of reverse primer annealing, some of them have several SNPs or deletions, which makes impossible PCR amplification of the Bams34 locus. Previously not described VNTR locus, SNPs and indels in sequences of plasmids pXO1 and pXO2, as well as SNP in chromosomal gene of glycerol-3-phosphate transporter were identified. Two pairs of PCR primers for the variable regions of the plasmids were designed. VNTR-locus, SNP and indels in sequences of plasmids pXO1 and pXO2 are suitable genetic markers for the differentiation of typical virulent diplasmid strains belonging to the main genetic lineages of B. anthracis A, B and C. The allele T of SNP within chromosomal glpT gene is specific for one of two strains isolated during the outbreak of anthrax and distinguishes it from all other strains of B. anthracis

Epidemiological and Epizootiological Situation on Anthrax around the World in 2021, the Forecast for 2022 in the Russian Federation

A generalized analysis of the epidemiological and epizootiological situation on anthrax in the world in 2021 is presented. Provided is the forecast for the Russian Federation for 2022. In 2021, two cases of cutaneous form of anthrax were recorded in Russia among population living in the Siberian (the Republic of Tuva) and the North Caucasian (the Republic of Dagestan) Federal Districts. Epizootiological and epidemiological instability due to the infection was manifested in neighboring countries – Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine. Anthrax among farm and wild animals was registered in a number of countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America, and Australia. Human cases were noted mainly in Africa (Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, China) and Asia (India, Indonesia, Iraq), and were caused by the contact and/or alimentary pathways of transmission of the pathogen as a result of forced slaughter of sick and/or butchering of fallen farm animals, consuming meat of sick and fallen cattle. The level of anthrax incidence among farm animals and humans in the Russian Federation in 2022 will be predetermined by the completeness of the implementation of regulated preventive measures, and, provided the strict introduction of comprehensive epizootiological and epidemiological surveillance, will be limited to sporadic cases of infection

CCR2 and CXCR3 agonistic chemokines are differently expressed and regulated in human alveolar epithelial cells type II

The attraction of leukocytes from circulation to inflamed lungs depends on the activation of both the leukocytes and the resident cells within the lung. In this study we determined gene expression and secretion patterns for monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) and T-cell specific CXCR3 agonistic chemokines (Mig/CXCL9, IP-10/CXCL10, and I-TAC/CXCL11) in TNF-α-, IFN-γ-, and IL-1β-stimulated human alveolar epithelial cells type II (AEC-II). AEC-II constitutively expressed high level of CCL2 mRNA in vitro and in situ , and released CCL2 protein in vitro . Treatment of AEC-II with proinflammatory cytokines up-regulated both CCL2 mRNA expression and release of immunoreactive CCL2, whereas IFN-γ had no effect on CCL2 release. In contrast, CXCR3 agonistic chemokines were not detected in freshly isolated AEC-II or in non-stimulated epithelial like cell line A549. IFN-γ, alone or in combination with IL-1β and TNF-α resulted in an increase in CXCL10, CXCL11, and CXCL9 mRNA expression and generation of CXCL10 protein by AEC-II or A549 cells. CXCL10 gene expression and secretion were induced in dose-dependent manner after cytokine-stimulation of AEC-II with an order of potency IFN-γ>>IL-1β ≥ TNF-α. Additionally, we localized the CCL2 and CXCL10 mRNAs in human lung tissue explants by in situ hybridization, and demonstrated the selective effects of cytokines and dexamethasone on CCL2 and CXCL10 expression. These data suggest that the regulation of the CCL2 and CXCL10 expression exhibit significant differences in their mechanisms, and also demonstrate that the alveolar epithelium contributes to the cytokine milieu of the lung, with the ability to respond to locally generated cytokines and to produce potent mediators of the local inflammatory response

Pulmonary Vaccination as a Novel Treatment for Lung Fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is an untreatable, uniformly fatal disease of unclear etiology that is the result of unremitting chronic inflammation. Recent studies have implicated bone marrow derived fibrocytes and M2 macrophages as playing key roles in propagating fibrosis. While the disease process is characterized by the accumulation of lymphocytes in the lung parenchyma and alveolar space, their role remains unclear. In this report we definitively demonstrate the ability of T cells to regulate lung inflammation leading to fibrosis. Specifically we demonstrate the ability of intranasal vaccinia vaccination to inhibit M2 macrophage generation and fibrocyte recruitment and hence the accumulation of collagen and death due to pulmonary failure. Mechanistically, we demonstrate the ability of lung Th1 cells to prevent fibrosis as vaccinia failed to prevent disease in Rag−/− mice or in mice in which the T cells lacked IFN-γ. Furthermore, vaccination 3 months prior to the initiation of fibrosis was able to mitigate the disease. Our findings clearly demonstrate the role of T cells in regulating pulmonary fibrosis as well as suggest that vaccinia-induced immunotherapy in the lung may prove to be a novel treatment approach to this otherwise fatal disease

Profiling Early Lung Immune Responses in the Mouse Model of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by the intracellular bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and kills more than 1.5 million people every year worldwide. Immunity to TB is associated with the accumulation of IFNγ-producing T helper cell type 1 (Th1) in the lungs, activation of M.tuberculosis-infected macrophages and control of bacterial growth. However, very little is known regarding the early immune responses that mediate accumulation of activated Th1 cells in the M.tuberculosis-infected lungs. To define the induction of early immune mediators in the M.tuberculosis-infected lung, we performed mRNA profiling studies and characterized immune cells in M.tuberculosis-infected lungs at early stages of infection in the mouse model. Our data show that induction of mRNAs involved in the recognition of pathogens, expression of inflammatory cytokines, activation of APCs and generation of Th1 responses occurs between day 15 and day 21 post infection. The induction of these mRNAs coincides with cellular accumulation of Th1 cells and activation of myeloid cells in M.tuberculosis-infected lungs. Strikingly, we show the induction of mRNAs associated with Gr1+ cells, namely neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes, takes place on day 12 and coincides with cellular accumulation of Gr1+ cells in M.tuberculosis-infected lungs. Interestingly, in vivo depletion of Gr1+ neutrophils between days 10–15 results in decreased accumulation of Th1 cells on day 21 in M.tuberculosis-infected lungs without impacting overall protective outcomes. These data suggest that the recruitment of Gr1+ neutrophils is an early event that leads to production of chemokines that regulate the accumulation of Th1 cells in the M.tuberculosis-infected lungs

Epidemiological Situation on Anthrax in 2018, the Forecast for 2019

Analysis of the anthrax incidence in the Russian Federation over the period of 2009–2018 showed that the infections among the population were recorded in 14 regions of 6 Federal Districts. 23 anthrax outbreaks among people were revealed, where 90 people got sick with 3 lethal outcomes. In comparison to the previous ten-year period (1999–2008), the number of cases of the disease was reduced by 1.6 times. Three cases of cutaneous anthrax were registered in two constituent entities of the Russian Federation in 2018 – the Republic of Dagestan (1) and the Republic of Tyva (2). Outbreaks of infection among livestock animals and people were recorded in such neighboring states as Georgia, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine. Epizootiological and epidemiological instability as regards anthrax was observed in several countries of Asia and Africa. Human infection occurred as a result of contact with sick and dead animals in the process of slaughter and cutting of carcasses, consuming infected meat. Anthrax morbidity rates among animals and people in the Russian Federation in 2019 will depend on the comprehensiveness of implementation of the plans for anthrax prevention, and in case those plans will be realized at the maximum scale incidence will be limited to single cases