High-Resolution Land Use And Land Cover Mapping: Boone, North Carolina

Traditional Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) datasets typically occur on a coarse spatial scale. With the accessibility of more sources of higher spatial resolution imagery, the overall accuracy of these datasets can be enhanced. The increase in spatial resolution often comes at a cost to the spectral information contained within imagery. A two-step object based image analysis (OBIA) technique along with thresholding of spectral bands and a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were used to create a LULC map for the Boone area in North Carolina

Diagnosis of Cryptococcosis: Comparison of Various Methods to Detect Cryptococcus Neoformans

The diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis may be difficult to establish when few organisms are present in the cerebrospinal fluid. For this reason, we determined which of several different visual and cultural methods were the most sensitive for the detection of Cryptococcus neoformans. Gram stain and India ink preparations required that 10 5 organisms per ml be present before these methods were reliably positive; centrifugation increased the sensitivity of these assays 10-fold. Culturing a loopful of the sample required that 10 3 organisms per ml be present to yield growth; centrifugation of the sample enhanced the sensitivity of the culture by 100-fold. Clearly the most sensitive assays, both detecting fewer than 1 organism per ml, were culture of a membrane filter through which the entire sample had been passed and culture of the entire sample in a flask using biphasic medium. Zusammenfassung : Die Diagnose der Crytococcus-meningitis kann Schwierigkeiten bereiten, wenn nur wenige Erreger im Liquor cerebrospinalis vorhanden sind. Aus diesem Grunde wurden Untersuchungen durchgefÜhrt urn festzustellen, welche optische oder kulturelle Methode die hÖchste Nachweisempfindlichkeit fÜr Cryptococcus neoformas besitzt. Die GramfÄrbung und die Aufschwemmung in chinesischer Tube benÖtigen 10 5 Zellen/ml um verlÄßlich positive Befunde zu ergeben. Durch Zentrifugierung des Liquors konnte die Empfindlichkeit auf das 10-fache gesteigert werden. Bei der Abimpfung einer vollen ImpfÖse war es erforderlich, daß das Untersuchungsmaterial mindestens 10 3 Organismen/ml enthielt, damit in der Kultur Wachstum entstand. Mit der Zentrifugierung des Materials wurde die Empfindlichkeit bei dieser Methode auf das 100-fache erhÖht. Als empfindlichste Nachweismethoden erwiesen sich die Membranfiltermethode, bei der die gesamte Probe filtriert und anschließend kultiviert wird, sowie die Kultivierung der gesamten Probe in einer Kulturflasche mit biphasischem NÄhrmedium. Mit beiden Methoden lassen sich weniger als ein Organismus/ml entdecken.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75137/1/j.1439-0507.1983.tb03934.x.pd

Potential distributions of Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis causing anthrax in Africa

Background Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis (Bcbva) is an emergent bacterium closely related to Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax. The latter has a worldwide distribution and usually causes infectious disease in mammals associated with savanna ecosystems. Bcbva was identified in humid tropical forests of Côte d’Ivoire in 2001. Here, we characterize the potential geographic distributions of Bcbva in West Africa and B. anthracis in sub-Saharan Africa using an ecological niche modeling approach. Methodology/Principal findings Georeferenced occurrence data for B. anthracis and Bcbva were obtained from public data repositories and the scientific literature. Combinations of temperature, humidity, vegetation greenness, and soils values served as environmental variables in model calibrations. To predict the potential distribution of suitable environments for each pathogen across the study region, parameter values derived from the median of 10 replicates of the best-performing model for each pathogen were used. We found suitable environments predicted for B. anthracis across areas of confirmed and suspected anthrax activity in sub-Saharan Africa, including an east-west corridor from Ethiopia to Sierra Leone in the Sahel region and multiple areas in eastern, central, and southern Africa. The study area for Bcbva was restricted to West and Central Africa to reflect areas that have likely been accessible to Bcbva by dispersal. Model predicted values indicated potential suitable environments within humid forested environments. Background similarity tests in geographic space indicated statistical support to reject the null hypothesis of similarity when comparing environments associated with B. anthracis to those of Bcbva and when comparing humidity values and soils values individually. We failed to reject the null hypothesis of similarity when comparing environments associated with Bcbva to those of B. anthracis, suggesting that additional investigation is needed to provide a more robust characterization of the Bcbva niche. Conclusions/Significance This study represents the first time that the environmental and geographic distribution of Bcbva has been mapped. We document likely differences in ecological niche—and consequently in geographic distribution—between Bcbva and typical B. anthracis, and areas of possible co-occurrence between the two. We provide information crucial to guiding and improving monitoring efforts focused on these pathogens

United against rabies forum:The one health concept at work

Human deaths from rabies are preventable and can be eliminated by applying a systematic One Health approach. However, this ancient disease still threatens the lives of millions of people in up to 150 countries and kills an estimated 59, 000 people every year. Rabies today is largely a disease of poverty, almost always linked to dog bites, with most deaths occurring in neglected communities in Africa and Asia. The disease places an immense economic burden on its victims, a cost that far outweighs the investment needed to control it. A global framework for rabies elimination in humans is set out in Zero by 30: The Global Strategic Plan to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. Despite the existence of proven control strategies and agreement on the path to eliminating human rabies deaths, mortality numbers from rabies remain high, and COVID-19 has set back efforts even further. But COVID-19 has also highlighted the value of a One Health approach to zoonotic disease and pandemic prevention. Rabies control programs offer a practical route to building One Health capacities that can also address other zoonotic threats, including those with pandemic potential. The United Against Rabies Forum aims to accelerate progress on rabies elimination while applying a One Health approach. The Forum promotes cross-sector collaboration among stakeholders and supports countries in their rabies elimination efforts. Increased political engagement and resource mobilization, both internationally and nationally, will be needed to achieve global rabies goals and can also make One Health implementation a reality

Development of core competencies for field veterinary epidemiology training programs

A workforce with the adequate field epidemiology knowledge, skills and abilities is the foundation of a strong and effective animal health system. Field epidemiology training is conducted in several countries to meet the increased global demand for such a workforce. However, core competencies for field veterinary epidemiology have not been identified and agreed upon globally, leading to the development of different training curricula. Having a set of agreed core competencies can harmonize field veterinary epidemiology training. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) initiated a collective, iterative, and participative process to achieve this and organized two expert consultative workshops in 2018 to develop core competencies for field veterinary epidemiology at the frontline and intermediate levels. Based on these expert discussions, 13 competencies were identified for the frontline and intermediate levels. These competencies were organized into three domains: epidemiological surveillance and studies; field investigation, preparedness and response; and One Health, communication, ethics and professionalism. These competencies can be used to facilitate the development of field epidemiology training curricula for veterinarians, adapted to country training needs, or customized for training other close disciplines. The competencies can also be useful for mentors and employers to monitor and evaluate the progress of their mentees, or to guide the selection process during the recruitment of new staff

Lower Richness of Small Wild Mammal Species and Chagas Disease Risk

A new epidemiological scenario involving the oral transmission of Chagas disease, mainly in the Amazon basin, requires innovative control measures. Geospatial analyses of the Trypanosoma cruzi transmission cycle in the wild mammals have been scarce. We applied interpolation and map algebra methods to evaluate mammalian fauna variables related to small wild mammals and the T. cruzi infection pattern in dogs to identify hotspot areas of transmission. We also evaluated the use of dogs as sentinels of epidemiological risk of Chagas disease. Dogs (n = 649) were examined by two parasitological and three distinct serological assays. kDNA amplification was performed in patent infections, although the infection was mainly sub-patent in dogs. The distribution of T. cruzi infection in dogs was not homogeneous, ranging from 11–89% in different localities. The interpolation method and map algebra were employed to test the associations between the lower richness in mammal species and the risk of exposure of dogs to T. cruzi infection. Geospatial analysis indicated that the reduction of the mammal fauna (richness and abundance) was associated with higher parasitemia in small wild mammals and higher exposure of dogs to infection. A Generalized Linear Model (GLM) demonstrated that species richness and positive hemocultures in wild mammals were associated with T. cruzi infection in dogs. Domestic canine infection rates differed significantly between areas with and without Chagas disease outbreaks (Chi-squared test). Geospatial analysis by interpolation and map algebra methods proved to be a powerful tool in the evaluation of areas of T. cruzi transmission. Dog infection was shown to not only be an efficient indicator of reduction of wild mammalian fauna richness but to also act as a signal for the presence of small wild mammals with high parasitemia. The lower richness of small mammal species is discussed as a risk factor for the re-emergence of Chagas disease