Comparison of the effects of UV-A radiation on Leptospira interrogan serovar Bataviae, Canicola and Pomona

Motivated by the lack of related studies and an insufficient understanding of the response of pathogenic spirochetes, including leptospira to ultraviolet-A (UV-A) (or other stresses), we comparatively studied the effects of UV-A radiation on the Leptospira interrogans serovar Bataviae,Canicola and Pomona. The main purpose of this work was to investigate the effects of UV-A irradiation—both short term (immediate) and long term (post-irradiation)—on leptospires at different UV-A dosages, controlled by the duration of exposure time. It was observed that survival fractionslinearly decrease from 100 to about 70, 60 and 50% for serovar Pomona, Bataviae and Canicola, respectively. This indicates that, for different serovars, UV-A irradiation has a quantitatively different effects on growth. Short term effects suggest that Pomona may be more resistant to UV-A than the other serovars. Long term effects show that, when compared with the control group, the treated groups of bacteria re-grow when the exposure time is equal or lesser than 6 h (~ 2 - 6), while the groupsexposed for 12 h or longer experienced little change or a slight decrease. This may indicate that UV-A radiation is able to inhibit the growth of bacteria, but does not prevent self-defense from taking place. UV-A radiation’s effect on antigenic components was also investigated. The immunoblotting method was used and the results are supported by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results. Possible explanations for these results are discussed

Multiple traces of monkeypox detected in non-sewered wastewater with sparse sampling from a densely populated metropolitan area in Asia

The monkeypox virus is excreted in the feces of infected individuals. Therefore, there is an interest in using viral load detection in wastewater for sentinel early surveillance at a community level and as a complementary approach to syndromic surveillance. We collected wastewater from 63 sewered and non-sewered locations in Bangkok city center between May and August 2022. Monkeypox viral DNA copy numbers were quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and confirmed positive by Sanger sequencing. Monkeypox viral DNA was first detected in wastewater from the second week of June 2022, with a mean copy number of 16.4 copies/ml (n = 3). From the first week of July, the number of viral DNA copies increased to a mean copy number of 45.92 copies/ml. Positive samples were Sanger sequenced and confirmed the presence of the monkeypox virus. Our study is the first to detect monkeypox viral DNA in wastewater from various locations within Thailand. Results suggest that this could be a complementary source for detecting viral DNA and predicting upcoming outbreaks

A remotely sensed flooding indicator associated with cattle and buffalo leptospirosis cases in Thailand 2011–2013

Abstract Background Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease worldwide, caused by spirochetes bacteria of the genus Leptospira. In Thailand, cattle and buffalo used in agriculture are in close contact with human beings. During flooding, bacteria can quickly spread throughout an environment, increasing the risk of leptospirosis infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of several environmental factors with cattle and buffalo leptospirosis cases in Thailand, with a focus on flooding. Method A total of 3571 urine samples were collected from cattle and buffalo in 107 districts by field veterinarians from January 2011 to February 2013. All samples were examined for the presence of leptospirosis infection by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Environmental data, including rainfall, percentage of flooded area (estimated by remote sensing), average elevation, and human and livestock population density were used to build a generalized linear mixed model. Results A total of 311 out of 3571 (8.43%) urine samples tested positive by the LAMP technique. Positive samples were recorded in 51 out of 107 districts (47.66%). Results showed a significant association between the percentage of the area flooded at district level and leptospirosis infection in cattle and buffalo (p = 0.023). Using this data, a map with a predicted risk of leptospirosis can be developed to help forecast leptospirosis cases in the field. Conclusions Our model allows the identification of areas and periods when the risk of leptospirosis infection is higher in cattle and buffalo, mainly due to a seasonal flooding. The increased risk of leptospirosis infection can also be higher in humans too. These areas and periods should be targeted for leptospirosis surveillance and control in both humans and animals