Multiple viral infections in Agaricus bisporus - characterisation of 18 unique RNA viruses and 8 ORFans identified by deep sequencing

Thirty unique non-host RNAs were sequenced in the cultivated fungus, Agaricus bisporus, comprising 18 viruses each encoding an RdRp domain with an additional 8 ORFans (non-host RNAs with no similarity to known sequences). Two viruses were multipartite with component RNAs showing correlative abundances and common 3′ motifs. The viruses, all positive sense single-stranded, were classified into diverse orders/families. Multiple infections of Agaricus may represent a diverse, dynamic and interactive viral ecosystem with sequence variability ranging over 2 orders of magnitude and evidence of recombination, horizontal gene transfer and variable fragment numbers. Large numbers of viral RNAs were detected in multiple Agaricus samples; up to 24 in samples symptomatic for disease and 8–17 in asymptomatic samples, suggesting adaptive strategies for co-existence. The viral composition of growing cultures was dynamic, with evidence of gains and losses depending on the environment and included new hypothetical viruses when compared with the current transcriptome and EST databases. As the non-cellular transmission of mycoviruses is rare, the founding infections may be ancient, preserved in wild Agaricus populations, which act as reservoirs for subsequent cell-to-cell infection when host populations are expanded massively through fungiculture

Cutaneous lesions of the nose

Skin diseases on the nose are seen in a variety of medical disciplines. Dermatologists, otorhinolaryngologists, general practitioners and general plastic and dermatologic surgeons are regularly consulted regarding cutaneous lesions on the nose. This article is the second part of a review series dealing with cutaneous lesions on the head and face, which are frequently seen in daily practice by a dermatologic surgeon. In this review, we focus on those skin diseases on the nose where surgery or laser therapy is considered a possible treatment option or that can be surgically evaluated

Groundwater: medicine by the glassful?

Knowledge of the healing properties of some groundwater sources has been passed down through the generations. A complex array of hydrogeological environments yields a rich and diverse range of chemical compositions, and cures for a variety of ailments were available from some spring waters. Many were sourced with associated religious overtones. It is likely that exposure to clean cold water alleviates the symptoms of leprosy and probable also that it relieves rheumatic pain. However, the only demonstrable medicinal properties of groundwater are its purging effects wherever MgSO4 or Epsom salts prevailed. Clean and potable groundwater is certainly a key to human health and some of the minerals dissolved within it are essential to the human body, although many of these minerals become toxic if present in excess. The modern fashion for bottled groundwater, often perceived to be associated with health-giving and medicinal properties, for the most part, merely offer a safe form of drinking water. The curative and medicinal properties of groundwater have been recognized, correctly or otherwise, for several thousands of years. The founding of the English city of Bath, with its well-known spa waters, goes back to 863 BC when the young Prince Bladud contracted leprosy and was banished from his father’s royal court (Bowman 1998). He was set to work as a swine herdsman, but soon his pigs also caught the disease. But one day, when the pigs had been wallowing in a warm mud spring by the river, one by one they emerged from the mud with clear signs of healing. On seeing this, Bladud did likewise and he too emerged cleansed with greatly improved health. The Prince was able to return to his royal duties, later becoming the mythical God-King, father to King Lear, but, more importantly, making the link between groundwater and medicine. Many years later, Robert the Bruce would enjoy the same cure, this time at a spring emerging from Devonian sandstone at Scotlandwell in Fife (Robins et al. 2004); this was a story that was repeated throughout Europe and the Americas for hundreds of years. The story of Bath encapsulates the belief that groundwater is a healing agent. Several centuries after Prince Bladud’s experience, the Romans came upon the springs at Bath and, with their usual enthusiasm for hot springs, developed the site into the famous Roman baths that survive today. The baths prospered for four centuries before they fell into disrepair with the collapse of the Roman Empire. Interest was renewed from the late seventeenth century, when Bath became a fashionable resort tha

Preventing infectious diseases in long-term travelers to rural Africa

[Extract] The traveler to, or expatriate residing in, rural areas of developing countries for prolonged periods is at greater risk of illness than the short-term traveler.1 This is a result of increased and more intense exposure to pathogens and their vectors or reservoirs, poorly developed infrastructure for water supply and sewerage disposal, limited environmental hygiene, extreme climates, potentially greater risk-taking behavior, and limited availability of medical facilities. Risk may be reduced by appropriate counseling, and vaccination and prophylactic medication based on the best available epidemiological data. This paper aims to provide travelers and practitioners with guidelines for reducing the risk of acquiring important infectious diseases associated with long-term travel or placement in rural Africa, a topic that is generally neglected.2 The diseases discussed were chosen on the basis of their frequency or potential severity and include yellow fever, malaria, tick-borne infections, food and waterborne disease, schitosomiasis, rabies, and tuberculosis