Persistent infection of pets within a household with three Bartonella species.

We monitored by blood culture and immunofluorescence assay (IFA) bartonella infection in one dog and eight cats in a household to determine the prevalence and persistence of the infection as well as its transmissibility to humans. Ectoparasite control was rigorously exercised. During a 3-year period, Bartonella clarridgeiae was recovered from one cat on two occasions, and B. henselae was isolated from another cat on four occasions. During a 16-month period, B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii was isolated from the dog on 8 of 10 culture attempts. Despite extensive household contact, the pet owner was seronegative to all three species by IFA for Bartonella-specific immunoglobulin G

Soil health and root-influenced biochemical dynamics in conventional and integrated livestock systems in central Iowa

Conventional agricultural cropping systems in the United States Midwest consist of short corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L.) rotations that depend heavily on external inputs like chemical fertilizer and pesticides to maintain high yields. These simplified systems are associated with environmental externalities like soil degradation and water quality impairment. Agricultural systems that increase crop rotation diversity are known to increase yields compared to more simplified rotations, a phenomenon called the ‘rotation effect’. Mechanisms for this effect are not known, but could be linked to soil health changes. This study evaluates soil health in a conventional cropping system and an economically comparable alternative that previously demonstrated significantly greater corn and soybean yields than the conventional system. Using a long-term cropping system, 15 years after its establishment, soils in the corn phase were compared in the following cropping systems: 1) a conventional corn-soybean cropping system receiving mineral nitrogen fertilizer, and 2) a diversified corn-soybean-small grain+alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)-alfalfa rotation receiving composted cattle manure and reduced mineral nitrogen fertilizer. A total of 37 soil health parameters were analyzed throughout the 2017 growing season, including 5 physical, 21 chemical, and 11 biological soil health parameters. Soils were sampled at depths of 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm, and some parameters were collected at three proximities to the corn root (interrow, row, and rhizosphere soil). Specific soil health parameters analyzed were: bulk density, soil hardness, water stable aggregates, plant available water, gravimetric water content, nine plant available nutrients (Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, P, Mg, Mn, and Zn), pH, cation exchange capacity, soil organic C (SOC), total soil N (TN), the ratio of SOC to TN, dissolved organic C, dissolved organic N (DON), dissolved inorganic N as soil nitrate and ammonium, total dissolved N (TDN), soil water nitrate, earthworm and mesofauna abundance, microbial biomass C, microbial biomass N, the ratio of microbial biomass C:N, soil CO2 respiration, and five hydrolytic enzyme activities (β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, acid phosphatase, and leucine aminopeptidase). Compared to the conventional system, the integrated livestock system increased physical soil health by 17.7%, chemical soil health by 22.6%, and biological soil health by 15.6%. Compared to the conventional system, implementation of crop rotation diversity and manuring reduced compaction and enhanced soil water content through the dry summer. The diversified system also increased nutrient storage and availability with greater CEC and pH. The alternative system enhanced the quantity and distribution of dissolved organic nutrients and microbial biomass, and increased earthworm populations, compared to the conventional system. Surprisingly, however, soil respiration was significantly greater in the conventional system compared to the diversified system, and may suggest physiological/metabolic differences in soil communities. The proportion of TDN as DON, in the diversified system was greater than in the conventional system, and effectively reduced the standing soil nitrate pool. Spring nitrate concentration in soil water under the diversified system was significantly less than the conventional system, and suggests reduced nitrate leaching potential when soil is most vulnerable to leaching. This analysis found that improvements in crop yield in the diversified system were not the result of a few increases in select soil health parameters, but likely a combined effect of multiple soil health improvements, relative to the conventional system. This diversified cropping system is an effective alternative to conventional cropping systems, for increasing soil health and reducing negative environmental impact, without compromising farm profitability

Bartonella Spp. in Pets and Effect on Human Health

Pets represent a large reservoir for human infection

Ehrlichia ewingii Infection in White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Two closely related zoonotic ehrlichiae, Ehrlichia chaffeensis and E. ewingii, are transmitted by Amblyomma americanum, the lone star tick. Because white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are critical hosts for all mobile stages of A. americanum and are important vertebrate reservoirs of E. chaffeensis, we investigated whether deer may be infected with E. ewingii, a cause of granulocytotropic ehrlichiosis in humans and dogs. To test for E. ewingii infection, we used polymerase chain reaction and inoculation of fawns with whole blood from wild deer. Of 110 deer tested from 20 locations in 8 U.S. states, 6 (5.5%) were positive for E. ewingii. In addition, natural E. ewingii infection was confirmed through infection of captive fawns. These findings expand the geographic distribution of E. ewingii, along with risk for human infection, to include areas of Kentucky, Georgia, and South Carolina. These data suggest that white-tailed deer may be an important reservoir for E. ewingii

Exotic Small Mammals as Potential Reservoirs of Zoonotic Bartonella spp.

To evaluate the risk for emerging human infections caused by zoonotic Bartonella spp. from exotic small mammals, we investigated the prevalence of Bartonella spp. in 546 small mammals (28 species) that had been imported into Japan as pets from Asia, North America, Europe, and the Middle and Near East. We obtained 407 Bartonella isolates and characterized them by molecular phylogenetic analysis of the citrate synthase gene, gltA. The animals examined carried 4 zoonotic Bartonella spp. that cause human endocarditis and neuroretinitis and 6 novel Bartonella spp. at a high prevalence (26.0%, 142/546). We conclude that exotic small mammals potentially serve as reservoirs of several zoonotic Bartonella spp

In vitro susceptibilities of Leptospira spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi isolates to amoxicillin, tilmicosin, and enrofloxacin

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted with 6 different spirochetal strains (4 strains of Leptospira spp. and 2 strains of Borrelia burgdorferi) against 3 antimicrobial agents, commonly used in equine and bovine practice. The ranges of MIC and MBC of amoxicillin against Leptospira spp. were 0.05-6.25 µg/ml and 6.25-25.0 µg/ml, respectively. And the ranges of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of amoxicillin against B. burgdorferi were 0.05-0.39 µg/ml and 0.20-0.78 µg/ml, respectively. The ranges of MIC and MBC of enrofloxacin against Leptospira spp. were 0.05-0.39 µg/ml and 0.05-0.39 µg/ml, respectively. Two strains of B. burgdorferi were resistant to enrofloxacin at the highest concentration tested for MBC (≥100 µg/ml). Therefore, the potential role of tilmicosin in the treatment of leptospirosis and borreliosis should be further evaluated in animal models to understand whether the in vivo studies will confirm in vitro results. All spirochetal isolates were inhibited (MIC) and were killed (MBC) by tilmicosin at concentrations below the limit of testing (≤0.01 µg/ml)

Bartonella henselae in Ixodes ricinus Ticks (Acari: Ixodida) Removed from Humans, Belluno Province, Italy

The potential role of ticks as vectors of Bartonella species has recently been suggested. In this study, we investigated the presence of Bartonella species in 271 ticks removed from humans in Belluno Province, Italy. By using primers derived from the 60-kDa heat shock protein gene sequences, Bartonella DNA was amplified and sequenced from four Ixodes ricinus ticks (1.48%). To confirm this finding, we performed amplification and partial sequencing of the pap31 protein and the cell division protein FtsZ encoding genes. This process allowed us to definitively identify B. henselae (genotype Houston-1) DNA in the four ticks. Detection of B. henselae in these ticks might represent a highly sensitive form of xenodiagnosis. B. henselae is the first human-infecting Bartonella identified from Ixodes ricinus, a common European tick and the vector of various tickborne pathogens. The role of ticks in the transmission of bartonellosis should be further investigated

Genetic Diversity of Bartonella henselae in Human Infection Detected with Multispacer Typing

This techniqueis a suitable tool for evaluating the genetic diversity of B. henselae human isolates