A review of zoonotic infection risks associated with the wild meat trade in Malaysia.

The overhunting of wildlife for food and commercial gain presents a major threat to biodiversity in tropical forests and poses health risks to humans from contact with wild animals. Using a recent survey of wildlife offered at wild meat markets in Malaysia as a basis, we review the literature to determine the potential zoonotic infection risks from hunting, butchering and consuming the species offered. We also determine which taxa potentially host the highest number of pathogens and discuss the significant disease risks from traded wildlife, considering how cultural practices influence zoonotic transmission. We identify 51 zoonotic pathogens (16 viruses, 19 bacteria and 16 parasites) potentially hosted by wildlife and describe the human health risks. The Suidae and the Cervidae families potentially host the highest number of pathogens. We conclude that there are substantial gaps in our knowledge of zoonotic pathogens and recommend performing microbial food safety risk assessments to assess the hazards of wild meat consumption. Overall, there may be considerable zoonotic risks to people involved in the hunting, butchering or consumption of wild meat in Southeast Asia, and these should be considered in public health strategies

Transplante lobar experimental em suínos: enxerto proporcional na disparidade entre receptor e doador Experimental lobar transplantation in swine: proportional graft in the discrepancy between donor and recipient

Objetivo - Perante a crítica falta de orgãos disponíveis para transplante, a doação intervivos de lobos ou segmentos pulmonares é possível e necessária no transplante pulmonar pediátrico. Na grande disparidade de tamanho do doador adulto e a criança pequena receptora, o lobo médio ou segmento pulmonar representa um enxerto de restrito leito vascular. Este estudo experimental testa a hipótese de que esse tipo de enxerto pode desenvolver hipertensão pulmonar no animal receptor, ao final do período de crescimento. Métodos - Foi utilizado um modelo de sobrevivência de transplante pulmonar à esquerda em leitões. Constituíram-se três grupos de comparação: I (n = 4) - transplante de lobo superior de doador adulto, enxerto proporcional ao receptor, mas irrigado por apenas dois ramos arteriais; II (n = 5) - transplante de lobo inferior de doador adulto, enxerto desproporcional ao receptor e com amplo leito vascular; III (n = 6) - transplante de pulmão imaturo de leitão doador proporcionado. Os animais transplantados tiveram a função do enxerto pulmonar estudada ao final de 3 meses, quando completaram o período de crescimento. Resultados - A pressão da artéria pulmonar do enxerto do grupo I (51,8 ± 2,1mmHg) foi mais elevada do que no grupo II (40,4 ± 2,5mmHg) e do que no grupo III (34,8 ± 1,5mmHg), atingindo significância estatística (p = 0,0003). Conclusões - O enxerto lobar proporcional ao receptor, mas de leito vascular restrito, teve desempenho hemodinâmico comprometido no animal em crescimento. Esses dados sugerem que a proporcionalidade do enxerto não deve ser prioritária e, antes, ser secundária a um adequado leito vascular do enxerto.<br>Background - The critical donor shortage in pediatric pulmonary transplantation has prompted lobar transplantation from living-related. However, in the case of great size discrepancy between the adult donor and the small child recipient, a pulmonary segment or medium lobe represents grafts with restricted vascular bed. The authors hypothesized that this type of graft may develop pulmonary hypertension in the recipient by the end of the growth period. Methods - This hypothesis was investigated in a porcine survival model of lung transplantation in piglets. There were three groups for comparison purposes: I (n = 4) - transplantation of the upper lobe from an adult donor, graft being proportional to the recipient but irrigated by two arterial rami only; II (n = 5) - transplantation of the lower lobe from an adult donor, graft being oversized to the recipient and having adequate vascular bed; III (n = 6) - transplantation of immature lung, from matched-sized donor. Graft function was studied three months after the transplantation, when the growth period was completed. Results - The pulmonary artery pressure of grafts in group I (51.8 ± 2.1 mmHg) was increased compared to that of group II (40.4 ± 2.5 mmHg) and of group III (34.8 ± 1.5 mmHg), reaching statistical significance (p = 0.0003). Conclusions - The lobar graft proportional to the recipient, with restricted vascular bed, had hampered hemodynamic performance in the growing animal. These results suggest that graft proportionality should be secondary to an adequate vascular bed

In situ structures of the segmented genome and RNA polymerase complex inside a dsRNA virus

Viruses in the Reoviridae, like the triple-shelled human rotavirus and the single-shelled insect cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (CPV), all package a genome of segmented dsRNAs inside the viral capsid and carry out endogenous mRNA synthesis through a transcriptional enzyme complex (TEC). By direct electron-counting cryoEM and asymmetric reconstruction, we have determined the organization of the dsRNA genome inside quiescent CPV (q-CPV) and the in situ atomic structures of TEC within CPV in both quiescent and transcribing (t-CPV) states. We show that the total 10 segmented dsRNAs in CPV are organized with 10 TECs in a specific, non-symmetric manner, with each dsRNA segment attached directly to a TEC. TEC consists of two extensively-interacting subunits: an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) and an NTPase VP4. We find that the bracelet domain of RdRP undergoes significant conformational change when converted from q-CPV to t-CPV, leading to formation of the RNA template entry channel and access to the polymerase active site. An N-terminal helix from each of two subunits of the capsid shell protein (CSP) interacts with VP4 and RdRP. These findings establish the link between sensing of environmental cues by the external proteins and activation of endogenous RNA transcription by the TEC inside the virus