Diagnostic value of PCR analysis of synovial fluid for the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis in dogs

Lyme borreliosis, also known as Lyme disease, is a chronic multiorgan disease of humans and animals transmitted by ticks of the Ixodidae family and caused by a group of spirochetes Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. Dogs are one of the most susceptible animal species to Lyme disease. Symptoms of the disease in dogs can range from mild lameness and fever to more severe and potentially life-threatening conditions, such as kidney damage and neurological disorders. Due to the variety of clinical manifestations and the lack of a universal diagnostic approach, veterinarians often face difficulties in accurately diagnosing the disease. Therefore, improving the algorithms for diagnosing Lyme borreliosis in dogs remains an urgent issue for practical veterinary medicine. The article describes and analyzes data on two cases of dogs from Kyiv (Ukraine) that presented with musculoskeletal disorders, including lameness, swelling of the knee joints, and tenderness, which raised suspicion of Lyme borreliosis. The diagnostic tests used to confirm the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis included clinical blood test, C-reactive protein test, cerebrospinal fluid cytology, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for IgM and IgG antigens to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, computed tomography and PCR analysis of synovial fluid for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato DNA. As a result, the clinical blood test, C-reactive protein test, and cerebrospinal fluid cytology were not diagnostically important for the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. In both cases, serological tests for antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were not positive. Computed tomography showed the development of an inflammatory process in the knee joints with the formation of osteophytes, enthesophytes, sclerosis of the articular surfaces, and an increase in the volume of synovial bursa. The final diagnosis of Lyme arthritis in both dogs was established by PCR analysis of synovial fluid from the affected joints for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato DNA. This study emphasizes the importance of considering Lyme borreliosis as a potential cause of musculoskeletal disorders in dogs. We also propose an expanded algorithm for the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis in dogs with a pronounced symptom complex of Lyme arthritis using the method of PCR analysis of synovial fluid to detect the DNA of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes

Microbiological and molecular genetic characterization of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius

Coagulase-positive staphylococci are an important infectious agentcausing numerous infections in animals. Staphylococcus aureus andStaphylococcus pseudintermedius share a number of similar cultural andbiochemical characteristics, which makes their differentiation difficult.Since these species have different zoonotic potential, it is advisable todevelop rapid and specific schemes for species differentiation of pathogens.We have studied the cultural and biochemical characteristics ofStaphylococcus spp. isolated from dogs, cats and cows. In total, 103halophilic coccal cultures were isolated from companion animals and45 from cows, of which 55 and 30 cultures were coagulase-positivestaphylococci, respectively. The reactions that can be used to differentiateS. pseudintermedius and S. aureus were studied. Growth inhibition zonesaround the disk with polymyxin B antibiotic for S. pseudintermediuswere statistically higher (p<0.001) than for S. aureus. The determinationof acetone production to differentiate between these pathogens hasless specificity, as 30% of S. pseudintermedius showed a false-positivereaction. The belonging of two isolates to the species Staphylococcuspseudintermedius was confirmed by MALDI-TOF.The virulence of staphylococci is due to the presence of genesthat regulate the synthesis of various pathogenicity factors and causeantibiotic resistance. Molecular genetic methods can detect the presenceof gene specificity and help to assess the risk of a particular strain causinginfection. Using classical and real-time PCR, the mecA gene was detectedin 8 S. aureus strains and 1 S. pseudintermedius strain that showedphenotypic resistance to methicillin. The pathogenicity genes lukF andsiet were present in 100%, and the lukS gene in 90% of the studiedStaphylococcus pseudintermedius.The study highlights a number of aspects of the diagnosis anddifferentiation of coagulase-positive staphylococci. The possibility ofusing the Neonatal FAST well D-ONE microculture system for use inveterinary laboratories was also studied. The data obtained can be usedto develop methodological approaches to the identification of pathogenicstaphylococci using a combination of different methods

Environment as a basis for the design of advertising structures by forming

A few different neighbouring styles of architectural forms are quite frequent in the cities of great historical past. As a result, a designer or architect has to solve the complex problem while designing the objects within such environment, i.e. one has to fit them naturally into the existing site development. Often, form making is found to be hard, due to the fact that the existing architectural forms of totally different stylistic execution coexist in the visual proximity. Presently, placement of the advertising bills in urban environment is both an urgent and debatable issue. On the one hand, advertising providers are keen to present their product bigger and brighter, on the other hand, the overall and eye-catching exhibition stands can be disharmonious with the surrounding architectural ensemble of the city. This situation is relevant for every cultural city

Порушення норм міжнародного гуманітарного права в умовах російської збройної агресії

У статті розглядаються питання недієвості норм міжнародного гуманітарного права під час сучасних збройних конфліктів, зміст окремих норм Женевських конвенцій з метою вдосконалення міжнародно-правового регулювання статусу жертв збройних конфліктів. Проведено аналіз міжнародно-правових актів, національних актів, прийнятих в Україні після введення воєнного стану в Україні, які спрямовані на вдосконалення статусу постраждалих від збройного конфлікту. Пропонується прийняти конвенційні норми міжнародного гуманітарного права в частині регулювання обмінів військовополоненими. Аналізуються існуючі визначення, які позначають окремі вразливі категорії цивільного населення під час збройного конфлікту, у взаємозв’язку з дефініцією «непрямі жертви збройного конфлікту». Пропозиції щодо створення координаційного органу, який би опікувався питаннями «непрямих жертв збройного конфлікту», розробки дієвого механізму компенсації за знищене або пошкоджене майно під час збройної агресії та визначення правового статусу осіб, які позбавлені або мають часткове обмеження особистої свободи внаслідок збройної агресії проти України. Робиться висновок, що норми міжнародного гуманітарного права потребують оновлення та доопрацювання задля забезпечення їх дотримання та виконання усіма суб’єктами міжнародного права у майбутньому, з урахуванням сучасних методів та способів ведення війни та змінам, що відбуваються у світовому та європейському безпековому середовищі. Наразі у міжнародному та національному законодавстві відсутнє чітке визначення - кого слід вважати осібами, постраждалими від збройної агресії. Відповідно до цього, потребують перегляду і конвенційні норми міжнародного гуманітарного права щодо обміну військовополоненими. Потребують удосконалення існуючі механізми забезпечення дотримання цих норм з метою зменшення страждань некомбатантів – осіб, що не приймають безпосередньої участі у збройному конфлікті

Serological screening of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi in stray and pet dogs populations in Ukraine

This study describes for the first time in Ukraine the results of serological screening for antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) in the population of pet and stray dogs. The study was conducted in the city of Bila Tserkva, Kyiv region, in 2021 and 2022. A total of 351 serum samples were examined, of which 168 were collected from pet dogs and 183 from stray dogs. The study included the use of serological methods, including immunochromatographic analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Line blot is a simplified form of Western Blot. The results of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that 14 positive samples from stray dogs had specific antibodies to B. burgdorferi s.l. In addition, 10 questionable serum samples were received, all from stray dogs. Further testing of the questionable samples using a Line blot assay showed that five of them contained antibodies to highly specific surface proteins of B. burgdorferi s.l., in particular to p100, VlsE and p18, confirming the presence of a natural infection. The remaining five samples were negative, indicating nonspecific immunoassay reactions. In contrast, the results of immunochromatographic analysis did not reveal any positive serum samples, which casts doubt on the possibility of using this method as a rapid screening tool for seroprevalence studies and requires further investigation. In summary, the study showed that the seroprevalence of Lyme borreliosis among the studied population of stray dogs remained stable between 2021 and 2022, with rates of 10.2% and 10.7%, respectively, without a statistically significant difference (p=0.9164). In contrast, the studied population of pet dogs was consistently seronegative for B. burgdorferi s.l. in both years. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in seroprevalence between the stray and pet dog populations studied (p<0.00001). The stability of the seroprevalence of Lyme borreliosis in the population of stray dogs indicates the constant presence and persistence of this zoonosis in the study region. This emphasizes the need to implement long-term surveillance to better understand the dynamics of the disease and the possibility of using dogs, especially stray dogs, as a «marker» species for predicting the risks associated with the spread of Lyme borreliosis. Continuous surveillance is crucial for the development of evidence-based strategies to combat vector-borne diseases within the framework of the One Health concept

Problems of Cooperation between Credit Institutions and Insurance Companies for Managing the Loan Consumers’ Matters, Affected by Flood in the Territory of Khabarovsk Region

Developed by the Rospotrebnadzor Administration in the Khabarovsk Territory was the algorithm for establishing cooperation between bank institutions, insurance companies, and other organizations on the basis of debt restructuring and payment adjourning. Compiled was the handbook for loan borrowers as regards their rights fixed in the current normative regulations. Displayed was the information on the preventive procedures for consumer financial and insurance protection that were being carried out by the Rospotrebnadzor Administration in cooperation with other agencies and services, allowing for relief of social tensions on the part of the population affected by flood

Identification of inhibitors targeting the energy-coupling factor (ECF) transporters

The energy-coupling factor (ECF) transporters are a family of transmembrane proteins involved in the uptake of vitamins in a wide range of bacteria. Inhibition of the activity of these proteins could reduce the viability of pathogens that depend on vitamin uptake. The central role of vitamin transport in the metabolism of bacteria and absence from humans make the ECF transporters an attractive target for inhibition with selective chemical probes. Here, we report on the identification of a promising class of inhibitors of the ECF transporters. We used coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations on Lactobacillus delbrueckii ECF-FolT2 and ECF-PanT to profile the binding mode and mechanism of inhibition of this novel chemotype. The results corroborate the postulated mechanism of transport and pave the way for further drug-discovery efforts.</p