Izdvajanje bakterije Escherichia coli O157:H7 i njezin dokaz lančanom reakcijom polimerazom u crijevima filipinskih šišmiša.

It is currently reported that bats in the Philippines harbor bacterial organism (Salmonella spp.) with pathogenic potential. The paper describes the conventional isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the detection of another bacterium, Escherichia coli, from a sample population of 56 apparently healthy bats collected from Laguna and Quezon City, Philippines. Nineteen of the samples were positive for E. coli using the conventional method of isolation, while PCR molecularly detected the bacteria in 15 samples. The presence of hemolysin among the isolates was not observed. The isolates were subjected to E. coli O157:H7 serotype detection using the latex agglutination test and another PCR assay specific for this serotype. The data revealed that none of the isolates was positive for E. coli O157:H7 using serological and molecular diagnostic methods, which indicates that bats from Laguna and Quezon City, Philippines were not carriers of the pathogenic strain, E. coli O157:H7. The study also presents the first local report of conventional isolation and molecular detection of E. coli from Philippine bats.Poznato je da šišmiši na Filipinima mogu biti nositelji potencijalno patogenih bakterija, npr. salmonela. U radu je opisano izdvajanje i dokaz lančanom reakcijom polimerazom bakterije Escherichia coli iz 56 naizgled zdravih šišmiša uhvaćenih na području Laguna i Quezon City na Filipinima. E. coli bila je izdvojena iz 19 uzoraka, dok je lančanom reakcijom polimerazom ona bila dokazana u 15 uzoraka. Izolati nisu tvorili hemolizu, a lateks aglutinacija i specifični PCR rabljeni su za dokaz serovara O157:H7 bakterije E. coli. Nijedan izolat nije pripadao serovaru O157:H7, na osnovi čega se može zaključiti da šišmiši na području Laguna i Quezon City na Filipinima nisu nositelji patogenog soja E. coli O157:H7. Istraživanje je ujedno prvi dokaz o izdvajanju i molekularnoj identifikaciji bakterije E. coli u šišmiša na Filipinima

Bat Coronaviruses and Experimental Infection of Bats, the Philippines

Virus-infected fruit bats showed no signs of clinical infection

A troubled top of the marine food chain: Ecotoxicological relevance and consideration to stranded cetaceans in Philippine waters

Anthropogenic contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltricloethanes (DDTs), heavy metals, and polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are continually being detected in various tissues of marine mammals in other parts of the world. Data correlating pollutant residues with altered reproductive and development states, liver disease, endocrine system damage, and alarming growth in cancer cases are reported for these marine top-level predators. If exposure has already been long-term, this may be more deterrent to a population’s continued success than a single, high-impact event. In the Philippines, there are data reporting the presence of these xenobiotics in almost all environmental media (sediments, soils, waters, mussels, fish, squids, and shrimps). Through the process of biomagnification, cetaceans found stranded in Philippine waters are greatly at risk. Moreover, reports show that these stranded cetaceans are used for human consumption in the country. Given these data, the high frequency of stranding events in the country are currently being maximized in an ecotoxicological, biomarker and histopathological research targeting at least 30 cetaceans found stranded (live and dead) in our waters. Findings of this pioneering study will be used to (1) provide knowledge & understanding of current contamination levels in these cetaceans, which are at the top of the food web, found stranded in Philippine waters, (2) educate our locals of possible human health impacts of cetacean consumption, and (3) present scientific data which will initialize development of ecotoxicological protocols in the Philippines using not just stranded cetaceans but also other marine mammal species or other marine species in general

A troubled top of the marine food chain: Ecotoxicological relevance and consideration to stranded cetaceans in Philippine waters

Anthropogenic contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltricloethanes (DDTs), heavy metals, and polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are continually being detected in various tissues of marine mammals in other parts of the world. Data correlating pollutant residues with altered reproductive and development states, liver disease, endocrine system damage, and alarming growth in cancer cases are reported for these marine top-level predators. If exposure has already been long-term, this may be more deterrent to a population’s continued success than a single, high-impact event. In the Philippines, there are data reporting the presence of these xenobiotics in almost all environmental media (sediments, soils, waters, mussels, fish, squids, and shrimps). Through the process of biomagnification, cetaceans found stranded in Philippine waters are greatly at risk. Moreover, reports show that these stranded cetaceans are used for human consumption in the country. Given these data, the high frequency of stranding events in the country are currently being maximized in an ecotoxicological, biomarker and histopathological research targeting at least 30 cetaceans found stranded (live and dead) in our waters. Findings of this pioneering study will be used to (1) provide knowledge & understanding of current contamination levels in these cetaceans, which are at the top of the food web, found stranded in Philippine waters, (2) educate our locals of possible human health impacts of cetacean consumption, and (3) present scientific data which will initialize development of ecotoxicological protocols in the Philippines using not just stranded cetaceans but also other marine mammal species or other marine species in general

Acanthamoebaspecies isolated from Philippine freshwater systems: epidemiological and molecular aspects

Free-living amoeba (FLA) research in the Philippines is still in its infancy but has, by far, demonstrated the presence of potentially pathogenic species.Acanthamoebamay cause sight-threatening and central nervous system infections to humans, yet its epidemiologic distribution from local environmental sources is yet to be defined. The present study aimed to provide a baseline epidemiologic distribution ofAcanthamoebaspp. in freshwater systems in the Philippines and establish potential pathogenicity of isolates through thermo-tolerance assay. A total of 63 water samples were collected from 13 freshwater systems all over the Philippine archipelago. The low-volume (50 ml) water samples were processed and cultured on non-nutrient agar lawned withEscherichia coliand observed for amoebic growth using light microscopy. Amoebic culture demonstrated 14.28% (9/63) positivity while further molecular testing of culture-positive plates usingAcanthamoeba-specific primers demonstrated 100% (9/9) confirmation ofAcanthamoebaspecies. Genotyping ofAcanthamoebaisolates revealed T1, T3, T4, T5, T7, T11, and T15 genotypes. Thermo-tolerance assay demonstrated that T5 and T7 genotypes were potentially pathogenic strains. The evidence of environmental distribution ofAcanthamoebaspp. in the freshwater systems in the Philippines and thermo-tolerance profile of isolates are significant aspects of amoeba study in public health and calls for initiatives in the dissemination of relevant information and the expansion of knowledge, awareness, and policies on pathogenic waterborne amoeba to mitigate, prevent, detect, and report cases of human infections

Well water sources simultaneous contamination with Cryptosporidium and Acanthamoeba in East-Southeast Asia and Acanthamoeba spp. in biofilms in the Philippines

Cryptosporidium is the leading agent of waterborne parasitic protozoan outbreaks and is the second leading cause of infant mortality due to diarrhoea worldwide. Acanthamoeba spp. causes Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) and a life threatening condition known as granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE). The present study aimed to assess the water quality of an indigenous and a rural community for waterborne parasitic protozoan contamination. Aquatic samples (n = 22) were processed by filtration of 500 mL portion through a 1.2 mu m pore size glass microfiber filter and eluted for light microscopy, culture in non-nutrient agar, and PCR analysis. Overall, 36% (8/22) of the investigated aquatic samples were positive for either Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts (13%; 3/22) or Acanthamoeba spp., (36%; 8/ 22) or both (13%; 3/22). Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were detected in 27% (3/11) of wet season samples only while Acanthamoeba spp. were detected in 18% (2/11) and 55% (6/11) of wet and dry season samples, respectively. Subsequently, molecular detection for Acanthamoeba species identified A. lenticulata and A. hatchetti with 98-99% BLAST similarity. This is the first report on the simultaneous contamination of Cryptosporidium and Acanthamoeba in well water sources in East-Southeast Asia, the first detection of Acanthamoeba spp. in biofilms in the Philippines, and the longest viability demonstrated for A. lenticulata in two-year-old water samples stored at room temperature