Domestic Cat Hepadnavirus: Molecular Epidemiology and Phylogeny in Cats in Hong Kong

Domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH) is an emerging virus related to the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The pathogenic potential of DCH in cats remains to be established. The molecular prevalence of DCH varies widely in the regions investigated so far. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, load, and risk factors for DCH detection among cats in Hong Kong, and to generate molecular and epidemiological data on the DCH strains circulating in cats in Hong Kong. DCH DNA was detected using DCH-specific qPCR in 57/513 (11.1%) residual diagnostic blood samples from owned cats. The median viral load was 8.85 × 103 copies/mL of whole blood (range for the 5th to the 95th percentile, 3.33 × 103 to 2.2 × 105 copies per mL). Two outliers had higher viral loads of 1.88 × 107 copies/mL and 4.90 × 109 copies/mL. DCH was detected in cats from 3 months to 19 years of age. Sex, age, neuter status, breed, or elevated serum alanine aminotransferase were not statistically associated with DCH DNA detection. On phylogenetic analysis based on 12 complete genome sequences, the Hong Kong DCH viruses clustered in Genotype A with viruses from Australia and Asia (clade A1), distinct from viruses from Europe (clade A2). Sequence analysis found that DCH has similar epsilon and direct repeat regions to human HBV, suggesting a conserved method of replication. Based on our findings, the DCH strains circulating in Hong Kong are a continuum of the Asiatic strains

Virucidal activity in vitro of mouthwashes against a feline coronavirus type II

Transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can occur through saliva and aerosol droplets deriving from the upper aerodigestive tract during coughing, sneezing, talking, and even during oral inspection or dental procedures. The aim of this study was to assess in vitro virucidal activity of commercial and experimental mouthwashes against a feline coronavirus (FCoV) strain. Commercial and experimental (commercial-based products with addition of either sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or thymus vulgaris essential oil (TEO) at different concentrations) mouthwashes were placed in contact with FCoV for different time intervals, that is, 30 s (T30), 60 s (T60), and 180 s (T180); subsequently, the virus was titrated on Crandell Reese Feline Kidney cells. An SDS-based commercial mouthwash reduced the viral load by 5 log10 tissue culture infectious dose (TCID)(50)/50 mu l at T30 while a cetylpyridinium (CPC)-based commercial mouthwash was able to reduce the viral titer of 4.75 log10 at T60. Furthermore, five experimental mouthwashes supplemented with SDS reduced the viral titer by 4.75-5 log10 according to a dose- (up to 4 mM) and time-dependent fashion

Epidemic intelligence data of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, European Region, 2012 to 2022: a new opportunity for risk mapping of neglected diseases

Background: The Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system, jointly developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and various part-ners, is a web-based platform that facilitate the moni-toring of information on public health threats in near real-time from thousands of online sources. Aims: To assess the capacity of the EIOS system to strengthen data collection for neglected diseases of public health importance, and to evaluate the use of EIOS data for improving the understanding of the geographic extents of diseases and their level of risk. Methods: A Bayesian additive regression trees (BART) model was implemented to map the risk of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) occurrence in 52 countries and territories within the European Region between January 2012 and March 2022 using data on CCHF occurrence retrieved from the EIOS system. Results: The model found a positive association between all temperature-related variables and the probability of CCHF occurrence, with an increased risk in warmer and drier areas. The highest risk of CCHF was found in the Mediterranean basin and in areas bordering the Black Sea. There was a general decreasing risk trend from south to north across the entire European Region. Conclusion: The study highlights that the information gathered by public health intelligence can be used to build a disease risk map. Internet-based sources could aid in the assessment of new or changing risks and planning effective actions in target areas

Epstein–Barr Virus in Salivary Samples from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients with Oral Lesions

In order to investigate the possible role of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its associated oral lesions, a pilot case–control study was performed. A total of 31 patients (18 females and 13 males) were enrolled in the study and divided into two groups: group A included 16 patients with diagnosis of SLE and group B included 15 healthy individuals. Salivary swab samples were collected and subjected to molecular screening by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) for the detection of EBV DNA. EBV DNA was significantly detected in 8/16 (50%) SLE patients and in 5/7 (71.4%) subjects with SLE-associated oral lesions. Since EBV is one of the most common viruses in the human population, it is difficult to understand if it is the causative agent of SLE or, vice versa, if SLE is able to trigger the reactivation of EBV. This study highlights a significant association between the presence of EBV and both SLE and SLE-related oral lesions and provides rationale for further investigation into the role of EBV in SLE pathogenesi

Novel Parvovirus Related to Primate Bufaviruses in Dogs

A novel protoparvovirus species, related genetically to human bufaviruses, was identified in dogs with respiratory signs. The canine bufavirus was distantly related to the well-known canine protoparvovirus, canine parvovirus type 2, sharing low amino acid identities in the nonstructural protein 1 (40.6%) and in the capsid protein 1 (33.4%). By screening collections of fecal, nasal, and oropharyngeal samples obtained from juvenile dogs (<1 year of age), canine bufavirus DNA appeared as a common component of canine virome. The virus was common in the stool samples of dogs with or without enteric disease and in the nasal and oropharyngeal swab samples of dogs with respiratory signs. However, the virus was not detected in nasal and oropharyngeal swab samples from animals without clinical signs

Prevalence of Pathogens Related to Bovine Respiratory Disease Before and After Transportation in Beef Steers: Preliminary Results

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a serious health and economic problem in the beef industry, which is often associated with transportation and caused by different pathogens. The prevalence of bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1), bovine adenovirus (BAdV), bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), bovine coronavirus (BCoV), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine parainfluenza virus (BPiV), Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica, Histophilus somni, Mycoplasma bovis, in the nasal microbiota of beef steers before and after the same long-distance journey from France to southern Italy was documented. Fifty-six Limousine animals of three different shipments, travelling on three different days from February to April, were included. Prior to shipment (T0) and four days after arrival (T1), two DNS/animal were collected and tested by Real Time quantitative PCR (qPCR). Univariate logistic regression was carried out, considering time and day as fixed factors and the outcome of qPCR for each pathogen as a dependent categorical dichotomous variable (positive/negative, 1/0). The fact that the number of H. somni positive animals were found to be higher in the third shipment than the first and second one, indicating that this pathogen was already present before loading, is relevant. The prevalence of BCoV, BRSV, M. haemolytica, M. bovis, P. multocida was higher at T1 than T0, suggesting that other factors, such as stress and the epidemiological status of the arrival farm, played a role. The tested animals were not treated before and after transport, and our results are in agreement with the current literature, supporting the hypothesis that the prevalence of pathogens related to BRD would increase after travelling, with an increased risk of pathogens shedding

PREVALENCE AND PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF BARTONELLA HENSELAE AND BARTONELLA CLARRIDGEIAE IN WESTERN SICILY

Cats from western Sicily were tested for Bartonella spp. by blood culture and PCR assays. B. henselae (18%) and B. clarridgeiae (3%) were detected in cats highly flea infested (P value= 0,031). 15% of the samples were identified as B..henselae belonging to genogroup II, whereas 3% was characterised as genogroup I, mainly associated with CSD in humans. Finally, we report the circulation of bacteria belonging to genus Bartonella in feline population of western Sicily, with high risk of infection to humans

First serological evidence of Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in transhumant bovines in Italy

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by the arbovirus Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV; family Nairoviridae). Given the public health impact, CCHF is considered a priority disease for the European Union. This study describes the first detection of anti-CCHFV antibodies in transhumant bovines in Italy. Sera from 794 cattle collected across Basilicata region (Southern Italy) were screened using a commercial ELISA kit. The animal-level and herd-level seroprevalences detected were 1.89% [95%CI: 1.12-3.1] and 29.63% [95%CI: 15.68-48.65], respectively. Results of the χ2 test for trend show that the exposure to CCHFV was significantly associated with increasing age, with the odds 5 times higher in 11-22-year old cattle than 1-4-year old cattle. The detection of antibodies against CCHFV in indigenous cattle indicates that the infection occurred in the study area and may warrant further consideration. Additionally, no significant spatial clustering of CCHF infection was detected, supporting the hypothesis that the disease is widespread in the region. Further studies at larger scale are needed to identify the areas at higher risk of zoonotic infection. A One Health approach should be implemented to better understand the disease risk and dynamics in the country, which effectively address the related public health threat.Open Access Funding provided by Universita degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro with in the CRUI-CARE Agreement.Peer reviewe