Epidemiology of Campylobacter Jejuni.

A study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni in various avian species and humans. Cloacal swabs derived from birds submitted to the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory for necropsy examination during the period February 1987 through July 1988 were routinely cultured for C. jejuni using Butzler\u27s selective medium. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from 10.1% of the cases examined. The isolation rate was 25.2% in Galliformes, 12.9% in Anseriformes, 8.3% in Columbiformes, 7.7% in Falconiformes, and 0.6% in Psittaciformes. None of the other orders of birds examined yielded C. jejuni. Prevalence data demonstrated that Galliformes are important reservoirs of C. jejuni infection for humans and that Psittacines do not represent any significant risk to human contacts. Prevalence of C. jejuni in diarrheic patients was studied during a one-year period, from August 1987 through July 1988. Of a total 1423 fecal samples cultured, 38 yielded C. jejuni giving an isolation rate of 2.7%. This is comparable to the 2.6% prevalence rate obtained in a similar study in Texas. Prevalence rate for Salmonella spp. during the same study was 2.0%. Seasonal fluctuation in prevalence of C. jejuni in humans was demonstrated, with a peak in Summer and a smaller increase in Winter. A high incidence was observed in children under 5 years, and in adults aged 21 to 25 and 31 to 40 years. The Penner serotyping system was able to classify 91.1% of the isolates obtained from human patients and 96.7% from avian species. Fourteen of the 16 serotypes considered in the present study were identified among the isolates. Eight of the serotypes were common to both avian species and humans indicating the potential for zoonotic transmission of C. jejuni infection from birds. Serotype Penner 1 was isolated only from avian species indicating the low risk this serotype poses for humans while serotype Penner 10 was isolated mainly from humans suggesting that this serotype is transmitted by direct contact or acquired from non-avian species. Two serotypes (Penner 5 and 10) showed consistent production of enterotoxins. Toxin was produced by 75% of human and 85% of avian isolates demonstrating the considerable potential for human infection with toxigenic strains of C. jejuni

Reproductive outcomes in women and men using complementary and alternative medicine treatment and not receiving artificial reproductive technology: a systematic review

Funder: Medical Research Council (GB)Funder: British Heart Foundation; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000274Funder: Homerton College, University of Cambridge; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100008420Funder: University of CambridgeAbstract: Purpose: Infertility is a global problem, but only a minority of couples access assisted reproductive technologies due to financial and sociocultural barriers. Complementary and alternative medicine are seen as another option. We aimed to determine the impact of complementary and alternative medicine on conception, miscarriage and live birth rates in couples not receiving assisted reproductive technology treatments. Methods: The electronic databases EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science and the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database were systematically searched before March 24th 2020. Reference lists of eligible studies were searched for relevant studies. Eligible studies included trials and observational studies that assessed a complementary or alternative medicine and conception, miscarriage or live births in men or women not undergoing fertility treatment. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers using a pre-designed data collection form. The study protocol was published in the PROSPERO database (CRD42018086980). Results: Twenty randomized controlled trials were identified, including 2748 individuals. Most studies did not demonstrate any effect of a complementary or alternative medicine on pregnancy, live birth or miscarriage rates. Limited evidence was found for a positive effect of herbal therapies taken by women on conception rates. There was substantial diversity in quality across the studies. Conclusion: There is limited evidence of the effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine on improving the chances of conception and live births, or increasing miscarriage risk. Owing to the generally sub-optimal quality and heterogeneous nature of the evidence, rigorous studies are needed to determine the impact of complementary and alternative medicine on fertility

Reproductive outcomes in women and men using complementary and alternative medicine treatment and not receiving artificial reproductive technology: a systematic review

Funder: Medical Research Council (GB)Funder: British Heart Foundation; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000274Funder: Homerton College, University of Cambridge; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100008420Funder: University of CambridgeAbstract: Purpose: Infertility is a global problem, but only a minority of couples access assisted reproductive technologies due to financial and sociocultural barriers. Complementary and alternative medicine are seen as another option. We aimed to determine the impact of complementary and alternative medicine on conception, miscarriage and live birth rates in couples not receiving assisted reproductive technology treatments. Methods: The electronic databases EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science and the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database were systematically searched before March 24th 2020. Reference lists of eligible studies were searched for relevant studies. Eligible studies included trials and observational studies that assessed a complementary or alternative medicine and conception, miscarriage or live births in men or women not undergoing fertility treatment. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers using a pre-designed data collection form. The study protocol was published in the PROSPERO database (CRD42018086980). Results: Twenty randomized controlled trials were identified, including 2748 individuals. Most studies did not demonstrate any effect of a complementary or alternative medicine on pregnancy, live birth or miscarriage rates. Limited evidence was found for a positive effect of herbal therapies taken by women on conception rates. There was substantial diversity in quality across the studies. Conclusion: There is limited evidence of the effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine on improving the chances of conception and live births, or increasing miscarriage risk. Owing to the generally sub-optimal quality and heterogeneous nature of the evidence, rigorous studies are needed to determine the impact of complementary and alternative medicine on fertility

Isolation and Characterization of Campylobacter jejuni subsp. jejuni from Macaroni Penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) in the Subantarctic Region

On Bird Island, South Georgia, albatrosses (n = 140), penguins (n = 100), and fur seals (n = 206) were sampled for Campylobacter jejuni. C. jejuni subsp. jejuni was recovered from three macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus). These isolates, the first reported for the subantarctic region, showed low genetic diversity and high similarity to Northern Hemisphere C. jejuni isolates, possibly suggesting recent introduction to the area

Survival of Clinical and Poultry-Derived Isolates of Campylobacter jejuni at a Low Temperature (4°C)

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans, and contamination of poultry has been implicated in illness. The bacteria are fastidious in terms of their temperature requirements, being unable to grow below ca. 31°C, but have been found to be physiologically active at lower temperatures and to tolerate exposure to low temperatures in a strain-dependent manner. In this study, 19 field isolates of C. jejuni (10 of clinical and 9 of poultry origin) were studied for their ability to tolerate prolonged exposure to low temperature (4°C). Although substantial variability was found among different strains, clinical isolates tended to be significantly more likely to remain viable following cold exposure than poultry-derived strains. In contrast, the relative degree of tolerance of the bacteria to freezing at −20°C and freeze-thawing was strain specific but independent of strain source (poultry versus clinical) and degree of cold (4°C) tolerance