Cowpox Virus Outbreak in Banded Mongooses (Mungos mungo) and Jaguarundis (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) with a Time-Delayed Infection to Humans

BACKGROUND:Often described as an extremely rare zoonosis, cowpox virus (CPXV) infections are on the increase in Germany. CPXV is rodent-borne with a broad host range and contains the largest and most complete genome of all poxviruses, including parts with high homology to variola virus (smallpox). So far, most CPXV cases have occurred individually in unvaccinated animals and humans and were caused by genetically distinguishable virus strains. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Generalized CPXV infections in banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) and jaguarundis (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) at a Zoological Garden were observed with a prevalence of the affected animal group of 100% and a mortality of 30%. A subsequent serological investigation of other exotic animal species provided evidence of subclinical cases before the onset of the outbreak. Moreover, a time-delayed human cowpox virus infection caused by the identical virus strain occurred in a different geographical area indicating that handling/feeding food rats might be the common source of infection. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:Reports on the increased zoonotic transmission of orthopoxviruses have renewed interest in understanding interactions between these viruses and their hosts. The list of animals known to be susceptible to CPXV is still growing. Thus, the likely existence of unknown CPXV hosts and their distribution may present a risk for other exotic animals but also for the general public, as was shown in this outbreak. Animal breeders and suppliers of food rats represent potential multipliers and distributors of CPXV, in the context of increasingly pan-European trading. Taking the cessation of vaccination against smallpox into account, this situation contributes to the increased incidence of CPXV infections in man, particularly in younger age groups, with more complicated courses of clinical infections

The organisation of internet-based representation for doctoral students (ProV) in veterinary medicine

Doctoral studies in veterinary medicine represent the so-called "third part" of education in the field of veterinary medicine. During the preparation of a doctoral thesis, a graduate student should acquire skills for performing scientific work on an independent basis. Today, networks exist throughout Europe, including Germany, to support and connect doctoral students in most subject fields. However, specific support for performing a thesis in the field of veterinary medicine is not among these support networks. Therefore, specialized representation for doctoral students named ProV was founded at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, in 2003. As a first step, this specialized representative network aimed to achieve a better flow of information and connection among doctoral students within the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover. Moreover, additional steps to implement this network for use by other veterinary faculties throughout Germany have been undertaken. It is hoped that enhancing organization of doctoral students and easing the flow of information will ultimately contribute to improving the quality of doctoral theses in the field of veterinary medicine.Die Promotionszeit stellt für viele Veterinärmediziner den so genannten dritten Teil der tiermedizinischen Ausbildung dar. Wie in anderen Fachbereichen auch, werden in dieser Phase Fähigkeiten zum vertieften selbstständigen wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten erworben. Deutschland- und europaweit sind bereits fachübergreifende Strukturen vorhanden, die Promovierende während dieser Zeit unterstützen und vernetzen sollen. Die Besonderheiten, die eine tiermedizinische Promotion mit sich bringt, werden dabei allerdings nicht berücksichtigt. An der Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover (TiHo) ist seit 2003 die Promovierendenvertretung ProV aktiv, die neben Informationsveranstaltungen über die Dissertation auch den Kontakt der Promovierenden untereinander fördert. Zudem wurden weitere Schritte unternommen, um ein gesamtdeutsches Netzwerk für Doktoranden im Fach Tiermedizin zu etablieren. Ein weiteres Ziel ist, den Aufbau von Doktorandenvertretungen an den einzelnen tierärztlichen Standorten zu unterstützen. Die Organisation der Promovierenden und die Förderung des Informationsflusses innerhalb dieser Gruppe helfen letztendlich veterinärmedizinische Promotionen effektiver zu gestalten

Lymphoid Tissue and Pathological Influences of Toxicants

Toxicologic pathology plays a crucial role in the identification and interpretation of substance-induced health effects. Histology of lymphoid organs is quite sensitive, although it does not flag every model immunotoxic substance. Subtle interferences of toxic compounds, like transmembrane signaling and cell activation, are often not detectable by conventional histology. The immune system by its very dynamic nature manifests a bandwidth in its morphological picture, hence the 'normal' state can be quite variable. Interspecies- and interstrain-dependent differences in the histophysiology of lymphoid organs should be taken into account, as well as the functional and morphological changes in lymphoid organs during life. Increased susceptibility to immunotoxicants may occur during periods of marked histophysiological changes in lymphoid organs. The high sensitivity at perinatal age for a number of immunotoxicants has received specific attention in immunotoxicity testing. In the interpretation of effects, it should be noted that particular components of lymphoid organs may be decreased in number (suppressed-involuted) or increased (stimulated-expanded), but that does not necessarily reflect the overall effects on the immune system.The chapter addresses the histology of lymphoid organs, including tertiary lymphoid structures. Toxicant-induced pathologies are presented and associated mechanisms of toxicity are discussed

Influence of modified atmosphere and vacuum packaging with and without nanosilver-coated films on different quality parameters of pork

Pork is often marketed in packages with high oxygen atmosphere (MAP) or vacuum to improve shelf life and appearance. As silver ions have antibacterial effects, food contact films coated with silver might improve the shelf life of meat. In the present study, pork was wrapped in commercially available films, coated with nanosilver particles, and stored in the two packaging variants MAP and vacuum for 12 days. During storage, samples were analyzed on days 1 (before packaging), 4, 8 and 12 for microbiological contamination, meat quality (e.g., pH, color), and for the percentages of the myoglobin (Mb) redox forms. In addition, the effects of the film were examined after inoculation of the meat with high quantities of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cells before vacuum storage for 8 days. MAP storage resulted in higher lightness (L*) values, lower liquid loss and higher Mb oxidation compared to vacuum. Microbiological spoilage was partly affected by the pac kaging variants with reducing effects of the MAP. The nanosilver-coating only affects the Mb redox form percentages of the pork cutlets and on day 4 the L* values, whereas microbiological parameters were not influenced. As the nanosilver coating had no influence on the total viable bacteria counts as well as Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae and MRSA counts, an advantage of the nanosilver coating on the shelf life could be excluded

Effect of a nano-silver coating on the quality of fresh turkey meat during storage after modified atmosphere or vacuum packaging

Nano-silver is used in consumer products due to its antibacterial properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a nano-silver-coated film on the quality of turkey meat during vacuum-sealed and modified atmosphere packaging up to 12 days of storage. In the first part of the experiment, turkey breasts were packaged using either vacuum packaging or modified atmosphere packages (MAPs) and contained films with or without a nano-silver coating (control film). Parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, color (lightness L*, redness a*), myoglobin redox forms, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), biogenic amines (BAs), total viable bacterial counts, Pseudomonas species counts, and Enterobacteriaceae species counts were evaluated on storage days 4, 8, and 12. In the second part of the study, the antimicrobial effect of a nano-silver-coated film on turkey breast was evaluated after inoculation with Escherichia coli (E. coli). Turkey meat packaged with the nano-silver film exhibited lower a* values on days 1 (3.15 +/- 0.62), 4 (3.90 +/- 0.68), and 8 (4.27 +/- 0.76) compared to the packaged meat with the control film (3.41 +/- 0.73, 4.35 +/- 0.94, 4.85 +/- 0.89, respectively), indicating special optical properties of nanoparticles. Concerning the BAs, silver packaged meat showed higher values of tyramine on day 12 (1274 +/- 392 ng/g meat) and cadaverine on day 4 (1224 +/- 435 ng/g meat) compared to the normal packaged products (647 +/- 576 and 508 +/- 314 ng/g meat, respectively). MAP meat revealed higher L* and TBARS values and lower microbial counts than the vacuum packaged products on all days. The MAP meat also showed lower a* results on days 4 and 8 and higher metmyoglobin (metMb) values on days 8 and 12 compared to the vacuum products. In the inoculation study, the microbial counts of the turkey meat were comparable between the two film types. The study showed that the nano-silver coating did not exhibit any advantageous effects on the quality and microbiological parameters of the turkey meat