A serological and bacteriological survey of brucellosis in wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Belgium

Brucellosis is frequently reported among wild boar populations in Europe. The aim of the study was to assess the epidemiological situation in Belgium, regarding the steady increase of wild boar populations over the last decades. Several serological tests were used and compared with culture and IS711 polymerase chain reaction (PCR), to determine the most suitable combination of diagnostic tools for conducting a successful prevalence study in wildlif

Characterization and long-term persistence of immune response following two doses of an AS03A-adjuvanted H1N1 influenza vaccine in healthy Japanese adults

Backgroun

Non-neutralizing antibody responses following A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza vaccination with or without AS03 adjuvant system

BACKGROUND: Non-neutralizing antibodies inducing complement-dependent lysis (CDL) and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity may contribute to protection against influenza infection. We investigated CDL and ADCC responses in healthy adults randomized to receive either non-adjuvanted or AS03-adjuvanted monovalent A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine (containing 15 microg/3.75 mug of hemagglutinin, respectively) on a 2-dose schedule 21 days apart. METHODS: We conducted an exploratory analysis of a subset of 106 subjects having no prior history of A(H1N1)pdm09 infection or seasonal influenza vaccination enrolled in a previously reported study (NCT00985673). Antibody responses against the homologous A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) vaccine strain and a related A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1) seasonal influenza strain were analyzed up to Day 42. RESULTS: Baseline seropositivity determined with hemagglutination inhibition (HI), CDL and ADCC antibody titers against viral strains was high; A/California/7/2009 (HI [40.4-48.1%]; CDL [34.6-36.0%]; ADCC [92.1-92.3%]); A/Brisbane/59/2007 (HI [73.1-88.9%]; CDL [38.0-42.0%]; ADCC [86.8-97.0%]). CDL seropositivity increased following vaccination with both adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted formulations (A/California/7/2009 [95.9-100%]; A/Brisbane/59/2007 [75.5-79.6%]). At Day 21, increases in CDL and ADCC antibody geometric mean titers against both strains were observed for both formulations. After 2 doses of AS03-adjuvanted vaccine, vaccine responses of 95.8% ( \u3e /=9-fold increase from baseline in CDL titers) and 34.3% ( \u3e /=16-fold increase from baseline in ADCC titers) were seen against A/California/7/2009; and 22.4% and 42.9%, respectively, against A/Brisbane/59/2007. Vaccine responses after 2 doses of the non-adjuvanted vaccine were broadly similar. CONCLUSIONS: Broadly comparable non-neutralizing immune responses were observed following vaccination with non-adjuvanted and AS03-adjuvanted A(H1N1)pdm09 formulations; including activity against a related vaccine strain

MLVA-16 typing of 295 marine mammal Brucella isolates from different animal and geographic origins identifies 7 major groups within Brucella ceti and Brucella pinnipedialis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Since 1994, <it>Brucella </it>strains have been isolated from a wide range of marine mammals. They are currently recognized as two new <it>Brucella </it>species, <it>B. pinnipedialis </it>for the pinniped isolates and <it>B. ceti </it>for the cetacean isolates in agreement with host preference and specific phenotypic and molecular markers. In order to investigate the genetic relationships within the marine mammal <it>Brucella </it>isolates and with reference to terrestrial mammal <it>Brucella </it>isolates, we applied in this study the Multiple Loci VNTR (Variable Number of Tandem Repeats) Analysis (MLVA) approach. A previously published assay comprising 16 loci (MLVA-16) that has been shown to be highly relevant and efficient for typing and clustering <it>Brucella </it>strains from animal and human origin was used.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>294 marine mammal <it>Brucella </it>strains collected in European waters from 173 animals and a human isolate from New Zealand presumably from marine origin were investigated by MLVA-16. Marine mammal <it>Brucella </it>isolates were shown to be different from the recognized terrestrial mammal <it>Brucella </it>species and biovars and corresponded to 3 major related groups, one specific of the <it>B. ceti </it>strains, one of the <it>B. pinnipedialis </it>strains and the last composed of the human isolate. In the <it>B. ceti </it>group, 3 subclusters were identified, distinguishing a cluster of dolphin, minke whale and porpoise isolates and two clusters mostly composed of dolphin isolates. These results were in accordance with published analyses using other phenotypic or molecular approaches, or different panels of VNTR loci. The <it>B. pinnipedialis </it>group could be similarly subdivided in 3 subclusters, one composed exclusively of isolates from hooded seals (<it>Cystophora cristata</it>) and the two others comprising other seal species isolates.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The clustering analysis of a large collection of marine mammal <it>Brucella </it>isolates from European waters significantly strengthens the current view of the population structure of these two species, and their relative position with respect to the rest of the <it>Brucella </it>genus. MLVA-16 is confirmed as being a rapid, highly discriminatory and reproducible method to classify <it>Brucella </it>strains including the marine mammal isolates. The <it>Brucella2009 </it>MLVA-16 genotyping database available at <url>http://mlva.u-psud.fr/</url> is providing a detailed coverage of all 9 currently recognized <it>Brucella </it>species.</p

Micronutrient fortification of food and its impact on woman and child health: A systematic review

Background: Vitamins and minerals are essential for growth and metabolism. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 2 billion people are deficient in key vitamins and minerals. Groups most vulnerable to these micronutrient deficiencies are pregnant and lactating women and young children, given their increased demands. Food fortification is one of the strategies that has been used safely and effectively to prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies.Methods: A comprehensive search was done to identify all available evidence for the impact of fortification interventions. Studies were included if food was fortified with a single, dual or multiple micronutrients and impact of fortification was analyzed on the health outcomes and relevant biochemical indicators of women and children. We performed a meta-analysis of outcomes using Review Manager Software version 5.1.Results: Our systematic review identified 201 studies that we reviewed for outcomes of relevance. Fortification for children showed significant impacts on increasing serum micronutrient concentrations. Hematologic markers also improved, including hemoglobin concentrations, which showed a significant rise when food was fortified with vitamin A, iron and multiple micronutrients. Fortification with zinc had no significant adverse impact on hemoglobin levels. Multiple micronutrient fortification showed non-significant impacts on height for age, weight for age and weight for height Z-scores, although they showed positive trends. The results for fortification in women showed that calcium and vitamin D fortification had significant impacts in the post-menopausal age group. Iron fortification led to a significant increase in serum ferritin and hemoglobin levels in women of reproductive age and pregnant women. Folate fortification significantly reduced the incidence of congenital abnormalities like neural tube defects without increasing the incidence of twinning. The number of studies pooled for zinc and multiple micronutrients for women were few, though the evidence suggested benefit. There was a dearth of evidence for the impact of fortification strategies on morbidity and mortality outcomes in women and children.Conclusion: Fortification is potentially an effective strategy but evidence from the developing world is scarce. Programs need to assess the direct impact of fortification on morbidity and mortality