Thelazia callipaeda ocular infection in two dogs in Belgium

Eyeworms were retrieved from the left eyes of two dogs presented for unilateral ocular discharge in Belgium. Morphological and molecular identification were performed and the parasites were identified as Thelazia callipaeda. The history suggested that the infection had been acquired in South-Western France and Southern Italy where the disease has been observed regularly for the last 6 and 12 years, respectively. In these two regions, the disease is considered endemic and spreading. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first complete case report of canine thelaziosis in Belgium. The risk of introduction of the parasite in Northern Europe and particularly in Belgium is discussed

US findings of melamine-related renal disorders in Hong Kong children

Background: The melamine-tainted milk incident has caused renal disorders in more than 290,000 children from mainland China since the start of the outbreak in 2008. Since then, more than 27,000 children in Hong Kong have undergone renal US screening. Objective: To present and discuss the US features of melamine-related renal abnormalities in Hong Kong children. Materials and methods: Between September 2008 and February 2009, 3,835 children attended the Department of Radiology of Princess Margaret Hospital for renal US examination. CT or plain abdominal radiography was performed in those with inconclusive findings. The US findings of detected melamine-related renal disorders were analysed. Results: Echogenic foci in the kidneys were found in 22 children (0.6%). These were located in the renal pelvicalyceal system (in 12 children) and in the renal medulla (in 10 children). The echogenic foci measured 0.1-0.7 cm, with 6 children showing posterior acoustic shadowing, 14 showing comet-tail artefacts, and 2 showing echogenic dots. Conclusion: The incidence of renal disorders amongst Hong Kong children exposed to melamine was lower than in their mainland China counterparts. The renal stones detected were also relatively small, with most demonstrating comet-tail artefacts instead of posterior acoustic shadowing. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

X-ray structures of H5 avian and H9 swine influenza virus hemagglutinins bound to avian and human receptor analogs

The three-dimensional structures of avian H5 and swine H9 influenza hemagglutinins (HAs) from viruses closely related to those that caused outbreaks of human disease in Hong Kong in 1997 and 1999 were determined bound to avian and human cell receptor analogs. Emerging influenza pandemics have been accompanied by the evolution of receptor-binding specificity from the preference of avian viruses for sialic acid receptors in α2,3 linkage to the preference of human viruses for α2,6 linkages. The four new structures show that HA binding sites specific for human receptors appear to be wider than those preferring avian receptors and how avian and human receptors are distinguished by atomic contacts at the glycosidic linkage. α2,3-Linked sialosides bind the avian HA in a trans conformation to form an α2,3 linkage-specific motif, made by the glycosidic oxygen and 4-OH of the penultimate galactose, that is complementary to the hydrogen-bonding capacity of Gln-226, an avian-specific residue. α2,6-Linked sialosides bind in a cis conformation, exposing the glycosidic oxygen to solution and nonpolar atoms of the receptor to Leu-226, a human-specific residue. The new structures are compared with previously reported crystal structures of HA/sialoside complexes of the H3 subtype that caused the 1968 Hong Kong Influenza virus pandemic and analyzed in relation to HA sequences of all 15 subtypes and to receptor affinity data to make clearer how receptor-binding sites of HAs from avian viruses evolve as the virus adapts to humans