18 research outputs found
Presence and Diversity of Different Enteric Viruses in Wild Norway Rats (Rattus norvegicus)
Abstract:
Rodents are common reservoirs for numerous zoonotic pathogens, but knowledge about
diversity of pathogens in rodents is still limited. Here, we investigated the occurrence and genetic
diversity of enteric viruses in 51 Norway rats collected in three different countries in Europe. RNA of
at least one virus was detected in the intestine of 49 of 51 animals. Astrovirus RNA was detected
in 46 animals, mostly of rat astroviruses. Human astrovirus (HAstV-8) RNA was detected in one,
rotavirus group A (RVA) RNA was identified in eleven animals. One RVA RNA could be typed as
rat G3 type. Rat hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA was detected in five animals. Two entire genome
sequences of ratHEV were determined. Human norovirus RNA was detected in four animals
with the genotypes GI.P4-GI.4, GII.P33-GII.1, and GII.P21. In one animal, a replication competent
coxsackievirus A20 strain was detected. Additionally, RNA of an enterovirus species A strain was
detected in the same animal, albeit in a different tissue. The results show a high detection rate and
diversity of enteric viruses in Norway rats in Europe and indicate their significance as vectors for
zoonotic transmission of enteric viruses. The detailed role of Norway rats and transmission pathways
of enteric viruses needs to be investigated in further studies.Peer Reviewe
Common variants at ABCA7, MS4A6A/MS4A4E, EPHA1, CD33 and CD2AP are associated with Alzheimer's disease
We sought to identify new susceptibility loci for Alzheimer's disease through a staged association study (GERAD+) and by testing suggestive loci reported by the Alzheimer's Disease Genetic Consortium (ADGC) in a companion paper. We undertook a combined analysis of four genome-wide association datasets (stage 1) and identified ten newly associated variants with P †1 Ă 10â5. We tested these variants for association in an independent sample (stage 2). Three SNPs at two loci replicated and showed evidence for association in a further sample (stage 3). Meta-analyses of all data provided compelling evidence that ABCA7 (rs3764650, meta P = 4.5 Ă 10â17; including ADGC data, meta P = 5.0 Ă 10â21) and the MS4A gene cluster (rs610932, meta P = 1.8 Ă 10â14; including ADGC data, meta P = 1.2 Ă 10â16) are new Alzheimer's disease susceptibility loci. We also found independent evidence for association for three loci reported by the ADGC, which, when combined, showed genome-wide significance: CD2AP (GERAD+, P = 8.0 Ă 10â4; including ADGC data, meta P = 8.6 Ă 10â9), CD33 (GERAD+, P = 2.2 Ă 10â4; including ADGC data, meta P = 1.6 Ă 10â9) and EPHA1 (GERAD+, P = 3.4 Ă 10â4; including ADGC data, meta P = 6.0 Ă 10â10)
Multiancestry analysis of the HLA locus in Alzheimerâs and Parkinsonâs diseases uncovers a shared adaptive immune response mediated by HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes
Across multiancestry groups, we analyzed Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) associations in over 176,000 individuals with Parkinsonâs disease (PD) and Alzheimerâs disease (AD) versus controls. We demonstrate that the two diseases share the same protective association at the HLA locus. HLA-specific fine-mapping showed that hierarchical protective effects of HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes best accounted for the association, strongest with HLA-DRB1*04:04 and HLA-DRB1*04:07, and intermediary with HLA-DRB1*04:01 and HLA-DRB1*04:03. The same signal was associated with decreased neurofibrillary tangles in postmortem brains and was associated with reduced tau levels in cerebrospinal fluid and to a lower extent with increased AÎČ42. Protective HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes strongly bound the aggregation-prone tau PHF6 sequence, however only when acetylated at a lysine (K311), a common posttranslational modification central to tau aggregation. An HLA-DRB1*04-mediated adaptive immune response decreases PD and AD risks, potentially by acting against tau, offering the possibility of therapeutic avenues
Evaluation of an Automated System for the Counting of Microbial Colonies
ABSTRACT Counting of microbial colonies is a common technique employed in research and diagnostics. To simplify this tedious and time-consuming process, automated systems have been proposed. This study aimed to elucidate the reliability of automated colony counting. We evaluated a commercially available instrument (UVP ColonyDoc-It Imaging Station) in regard to its accuracy and potential time savings. Suspensions of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecium, and Candida albicans (nâ=â20 each) were adjusted to achieve growth of approximately 1,000, 100, 10, and 1 colony per plate, respectively, after overnight incubation on different solid media. Compared with manual counting, each plate was automatically counted by the UVP ColonyDoc-It with and without visual adjustment on a computer display. For all bacterial species and concentrations automatically counted without visual correction, an overall mean difference from manual counts of 59.7%, a proportion of isolates with overestimation/underestimation of colony numbers of 29%/45%, respectively, and only a moderate relationship (R2 = 0.77) with the manual counting were shown. Applying visual correction, the overall mean difference from manual counts was 1.8%, the proportion of isolates with overestimation/underestimation of colony numbers amounted to 2%/42%, respectively, and a strong relationship (R2 = 0.99) with the manual counting was observed. The mean time needed for manual counting compared with automated counting without and with visual correction was 70âs, 30âs, and 104âs, respectively, for bacterial colonies through all concentrations tested. Generally, similar performance regarding accuracy and counting time was observed with C. albicans. In conclusion, fully automatic counting showed low accuracy, especially for plates with very high or very low colony numbers. After visual correction of the automatically generated results, the concordance with manual counts was high; however, there was no advantage in reading time. IMPORTANCE Colony counting is a widely utilized technique in the field of microbiology. The accuracy and convenience of automated colony counters are essential for research and diagnostics. However, there is only sparse evidence on performance and usefulness of such instruments. This study examined the current state of reliability and practicality of the automated colony counting with an advanced modern system. For this, we thoroughly evaluated a commercially available instrument in terms of its accuracy and counting time required. Our findings indicate that fully automatic counting resulted in low accuracy, particularly for plates with very high or very low colony numbers. Visual correction of the automated results on a computer screen improved concordance with manual counts, but there was no benefit in counting time
Bactericidal Activity of Sodium Bituminosulfonate against Staphylococcus aureus
Antibiotic resistance is increasing worldwide making it necessary to search for alternative antimicrobials. Sodium bituminosulfonate is a long-known substance, whose antimicrobial inhibitory activity has recently been re-evaluated. However, to the best of our knowledge, the bactericidal mode of action of this substance has not been systematically characterized. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro bactericidal activity of sodium bituminosulfonate by determining the minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC), as well as the rapidity of bactericidal effect by time-kill curves. Clinical isolates of methicillin-susceptible (MSSA, n = 20) and methicillin-resistant (mecA/mecC-MRSA, n = 20) Staphylococcus aureus were used to determine MBC by a broth microdilution method. Sodium bituminosulfonate (IchthyolÂź light) was tested in double-dilution concentration steps ranging from 0.03 g/L to 256 g/L. For time-kill analysis, two reference and two clinical S. aureus strains were tested with different concentrations of sodium bituminosulfonate (1Ă minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), 2Ă MIC, 4Ă MIC, 16Ă MIC and 256Ă MIC). For MSSA isolates, MBC50, MBC90 and the MBC range were 0.5 g/L, 1.0 g/L and 0.125â1.0 g/L; (MBC/MIC ratio)50, (MBC/MIC ratio)90 and the range of the MBC/MIC ratio were 4, 4 and 1â8, respectively. Among MRSA isolates, MBC50, MBC90 and the MBC range amounted to 0.5 g/L, 1.0 g/L and 0.06â1.0 g/L; (MBC/MIC ratio)50, (MBC/MIC ratio)90 and the range of the MBC/MIC ratio were 2, 4 and 1â8, respectively. Time-kill kinetics revealed a bactericidal effect after 30 min for sodium bituminosulfonate concentrations of 16Ă MIC and 256Ă MIC. The bactericidal activity against MSSA and MRSA was demonstrated for sodium bituminosulfonate. The killing was very rapid with the initial population reduced by 99.9% after only short incubation with concentrations of 16Ă MIC and higher
Recommended from our members
Molecular Epidemiology of Methicillin-Susceptible and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Wild, Captive and Laboratory Rats: Effect of Habitat on the Nasal S. aureus Population
Rats are a reservoir of human- and livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, the composition of the natural S. aureus population in wild and laboratory rats is largely unknown. Here, 144 nasal S. aureus isolates from free-living wild rats, captive wild rats and laboratory rats were genotyped and profiled for antibiotic resistances and human-specific virulence genes. The nasal S. aureus carriage rate was higher among wild rats (23.4%) than laboratory rats (12.3%). Free-living wild rats were primarily colonized with isolates of clonal complex (CC) 49 and CC130 and maintained these strains even in husbandry. Moreover, upon livestock contact, CC398 isolates were acquired. In contrast, laboratory rats were colonized with many different S. aureus lineagesâmany of which are commonly found in humans. Five captive wild rats were colonized with CC398-MRSA. Moreover, a single CC30-MRSA and two CC130-MRSA were detected in free-living or captive wild rats. Rat-derived S. aureus isolates rarely harbored the phage-carried immune evasion gene cluster or superantigen genes, suggesting long-term adaptation to their host. Taken together, our study revealed a natural S. aureus population in wild rats, as well as a colonization pressure on wild and laboratory rats by exposure to livestock- and human-associated S. aureus, respectively.Peer Reviewe
Pet Rats as the Likely Reservoir for Human SeoulOrthohantavirus Infection.
Seoul orthohantavirus (SEOV) is a rat-associated zoonotic pathogen with an almost worldwide distribution. In 2019, the first autochthonous human case of SEOV-induced hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome was reported in Germany, and a pet rat was identified as the source of the zoonotic infection. To further investigate the SEOV reservoir, additional rats from the patient and another owner, all of which were purchased from the same vendor, were tested. SEOV RNA and anti-SEOV antibodies were found in both of the patient's rats and in two of the three rats belonging to the other owner. The complete coding sequences of the small (S), medium (M), and large (L) segments obtained from one rat per owner exhibited a high sequence similarity to SEOV strains of breeder rat or human origin from the Netherlands, France, the USA, and Great Britain. Serological screening of 490 rats from breeding facilities and 563 wild rats from Germany (2007-2020) as well as 594 wild rats from the Netherlands (2013-2021) revealed 1 and 6 seropositive individuals, respectively. However, SEOV RNA was not detected in any of these animals. Increased surveillance of pet, breeder, and wild rats is needed to identify the origin of the SEOV strain in Europe and to develop measures to prevent transmission to the human population
Pet Rats as the Likely Reservoir for Human SeoulOrthohantavirus Infection
Seoul orthohantavirus (SEOV) is a rat-associated zoonotic pathogen with an almost worldwide distribution. In 2019, the first autochthonous human case of SEOV-induced hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome was reported in Germany, and a pet rat was identified as the source of the zoonotic infection. To further investigate the SEOV reservoir, additional rats from the patient and another owner, all of which were purchased from the same vendor, were tested. SEOV RNA and anti-SEOV antibodies were found in both of the patientâs rats and in two of the three rats belonging to the other owner. The complete coding sequences of the small (S), medium (M), and large (L) segments obtained from one rat per owner exhibited a high sequence similarity to SEOV strains of breeder rat or human origin from the Netherlands, France, the USA, and Great Britain. Serological screening of 490 rats from breeding facilities and 563 wild rats from Germany (2007â2020) as well as 594 wild rats from the Netherlands (2013â2021) revealed 1 and 6 seropositive individuals, respectively. However, SEOV RNA was not detected in any of these animals. Increased surveillance of pet, breeder, and wild rats is needed to identify the origin of the SEOV strain in Europe and to develop measures to prevent transmission to the human population