Bartonella vinsonii sub. arupensis infection in animals of veterinary importance, ticks and biopsy samples

Testing for vector-borne pathogens in livestock is largely reliant upon blood and tissue. The role of biopsy samples remains poorly explored for detecting tick-borne bacteria in animals. In a 2-year survey, animals of veterinary importance from farms throughout the Northern part of Greece were routinely checked for the presence of biopsy samples. Where detected, either a portion or biopsy was collected together with whole blood samples and any ticks at the site of the biopsy sample. Molecular testing was carried out by real-time PCR targeting the ITS gene of Bartonella species. A total 68 samples [28 blood samples, 28 biopsy samples and 12 ticks (9 Rhipicephalus bursa and 3 R. turanicus)] were collected from goats (64 samples) and bovine (4 samples). Eight (11.8%) of the 68 samples were positive for Bartonella species. Of the biopsy sample and whole blood samples, four (14.3%) of each type were positive for Bartonella species. None of the ticks was tested positive for Bartonella species. All pairs of positive biopsy samples/whole blood samples originated from the same animals. Positive samples were identified as B. vinsonii sub. arupensis. Although many more samples from a much wider spectrum of animal species is required before concluding upon the merit of biopsy samples on the study of tick-borne diseases, the significance of our finding warrants further study, both for clinical consequences in small ruminants and for those humans farming infected animals

Canine tick-borne pathogens in Cyprus and a unique canine case of multiple co-infections

Canine tick-borne pathogens such as Ehrlichia canis and Hepatozoon canis are widespread in the Mediterranean basin but have never been reported or investigated in Cyprus. We describe herein the presence of canine tick-borne pathogens in three dogs with clinical signs compatible with vector-borne diseases from Paphos area of Cyprus. Molecular and phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of E. canis, Anaplasma platys, H. canis, Babesia vogeli and Mycoplasma haemocanis in Cyprus. One dog co-infected with E. canis, H. canis, B. vogeli and M. haemocanis is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of this multiple co-infection in dogs. The tick-borne pathogens reported in the current study should be considered in the differential diagnoses in dogs exposed to ticks in Cyprus

Evaluation and prioritization of biological risk in Ready-To-Eat (RTE) meat products through mathematical modelling

[SPA] La producción moderna de alimentos ha reducido el coste y ha aumentado la variedad de alimentos disponibles, pero esta centralización del suministro de alimentos presenta una oportunidad para que los patógenos y toxinas transmitidos por los alimentos infecten y envenenen a un gran número de consumidores. El modelado es una herramienta clave para garantizar la seguridad de los alimentos producidos a partir de materias primas para el consumidor final. La hipótesis inicial es que es posible mejorar la seguridad de los productos cárnicos listos para comer (LPC) mediante la evaluación/priorización de riesgos biológicos. La clasificación de riesgos de los riesgos para la salud de los alimentos y la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional se reconoce generalmente como el punto de partida para el establecimiento de prioridades basadas en el riesgo y la asignación de recursos, ya que permite a los encargados de formular políticas asignar sus recursos al problema de salud pública más importante. El resultado de esta tesis será una herramienta sólida de gestión de la inocuidad de los alimentos que puede ser implementada por todos los interesados, como las agencias de protección al consumidor (EFSA, ECDC) y la industria. [ENG] Modern food production has reduced the cost and increased the variety of food available, but this centralisation of the food supply presents an opportunity for foodborne pathogens and toxins to infect and poison large numbers of consumers. Modelling is a key tool to ensure the safety of food produced from raw material to the final consumer. The starting hypothesis is that it is possible to improve the safety of Ready To Eat (RTE) meat products by evaluation / prioritization of biological risks. Risk ranking of feed/food safety and nutritional related health risks is generally recognised as the starting point for risk-based priority setting and resource allocation, as it permits policymakers to allocate their resources on the most significant public health problem. The outcome of the thesis will be a robust tool for food safety management that can be implemented by all stakeholders, such as agencies related to consumer protection (EFSA, ECDC) and industry.Leonidas Georgalis is grateful to the MINECO for awarding him a pre−doctoral grant, through Project AGL2017-86840-C2-1-R. To EFSA for awarding him an EU FORA fellowship, 2019-2020

Presence of Leishmania and Brucella Species in the Golden Jackal Canis aureus in Serbia

The golden jackal Canis aureus occurs in south-eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Africa. In Serbia, jackals neared extinction; however, during the last 30 years, the species started to spread quickly and to increase in number. Few studies in the past have revealed their potential role as carriers of zoonotic diseases. Animal samples were collected over a three-year period (01/2010-02/2013) from 12 sites all over Serbia. Of the tissue samples collected, spleen was chosen as the tissue to proceed; all samples were tested for Leishmania species and Brucella species by real-time PCR. Of the 216 samples collected, 15 (6.9%) were positive for Leishmania species, while four (1.9%) were positive for B. canis. The potential epidemiologic role of the golden jackal in carrying and dispersing zoonotic diseases in Serbia should be taken under consideration when applying surveillance monitoring schemes

Electrochemical Antigenic Sensor for the Diagnosis of Chronic Q Fever

In this work, we report the development of an impedimetric biosensor for the direct, quick, and easy diagnosis of chronic Q fever. The biosensor is based on highly sensitive antigens that can selectively recognize antibodies against Coxiella burnetii. The biosensor is based on the immobilization of antigens onto a gold electrode using the EDC/NHS immobilization methodology. The detection is performed by impedance spectroscopy that monitors specific frequencies which provide the maximum sensitivity for the biosensor. Q fever antibodies that are present in the sera of patients interact selectively with the biosensor antigens, thereby altering the impedance of the biosensor surfaceand generating a large impedance change within a few seconds. The biosensor allows for the specific serological detection of chronic Q fever, while the developed system can also be modified for the detection of other biomarkers, such as the ones against acute Q fever

Different model hypotheses are needed to account for qualitative variability in the response of two strains of Salmonella spp. under dynamic conditions

In this article, the thermal inactivation of two Salmonella strains (Salmonella Enteritidis CECT4300 and Salmonella Senftenberg CECT4565) was studied under both isothermal and dynamic conditions. We observed large differences between these two strains, with S. Senftenberg being much more resistant than S. Enteritidis. Under isothermal conditions, S. Senftenberg had non-linear survivor curves, whereas the response of S. Enteritidis was log-linear. Therefore, weibullian inactivation models were used to describe the response of S. Senftenberg, with the Mafart model being the more suitable one. For S. Enteritidis, the Bigelow (log-linear) inactivation model was successful at describing the isothermal response. Under dynamic conditions, a combination of the Peleg and Mafart models (secondary model of Mafart; t* of Peleg) fitted to the isothermal data could predict the response of S. Senftenberg to the dynamic treatments tested (heating rates between 0.5 and 10 °C/min). This was not the case for S. Enteritidis, where the model predictions based on isothermal data underestimated the microbial concentrations. Therefore, a dynamic model that considers stress acclimation to one of the dynamic profiles was fitted, using the remaining profiles as validation. In light of this, besides its quantitative impact, variability between strains of bacterial species can also cause qualitative differences in microbial inactivation. This is demonstrated by S. Enteritidis being able to develop stress acclimation where S. Senftenbenberg could not. This has important implications for the development of microbial inactivation models to support process design, as every industrial treatment is dynamic. Consequently, it is crucial to consider different model hypotheses, and how they affect the model predictions both under isothermal and dynamic conditions.The financial support of this research was provided by the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Spain, through Project PID2020-116318RB-C32 and by FEDER funds. Dr. Alberto Garre was supported by a Maria Zambrano scholarship

Serological survey of Chlamydia abortus in Greek dairy sheep flocks

Chlamydiosis due to Chlamydia abortus is one of the most common causes of abortion in small ruminant flocks worldwide. Although the causative agent is zoonotic, chlamydiosis is not a reportable disease. There is lack of recent data concerning sheep chlamydiosis in Greece.In the current study, a serological investigation for Chlamydia abortus was conducted. Blood samples from 26 randomly selected sheep flocks not vaccinated against chlamydiosis were collected. From each flock, 15 to 20 blood samples were taken from adult female sheep. In total 464 blood samples were examined. One hundred and six samples were positive (22.8%), while 24 samples (5.24%) were doubtful.  Moreover, at farm level, in 18 out of the total number of 26 farms, at least one positive animal was detected (69.2%).Chlamydiosis is considered a highly likely cause of sheep abortion in Greece. Therefore, vaccination of the sheep flocks is strongly recommended for the prevention and control of the disease.