Fine Structure of a New Human Microsporidian, Encephalitozoon hellem, in Culture

Encephalitozoon hellem is a new human microsporidian isolated from corneal biopsies and conjunctival scrapings of three AIDS patients and cultured in Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Encephalitozoon hellem and Encephalitozoon cuniculi display different protein profiles with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and unique antibody binding patterns with murine antisera against Western blots of each organism. Developmental stages of E. hellem in culture are similar to E. cuniculi. Meronts are 1.3–2.7 μm in diameter, develop within a parasitophorous vacuole adjacent to the vacuolar membrane, divide by binary fission, and contain one or two discrete nuclei. Sporonts measure 2 × 3 μm, separate from the vacuolar membrane, and have a thickened outer membrane. Sporoblasts display a tri-layered wall and possess the earliest recognized polar filaments. Mature spores measure 1 × 1.5 μm and are more electron-dense than other stages. Each spore contains a single nucleus, a polar tubule with four to nine coils, thin electron-dense exospore and thick, electron-lucent endospore. Although E. hellem and E. cuniculi differ biochemically and immunologically, their fine structure and development are indistinguishable.     

Characterization of Pasteurellaceae‐like bacteria isolated from clinically affected psittacine birds

Aims: The aim of the present investigation was to identify and characterize Pasteurella‐like isolates obtained from clinically affected psittacine birds. Methods and Results: A total of 37 isolates from psittacine birds tentatively classified with the family Pasteurellaceae were characterized phenotypically. The genetic relationship was investigated by sequencing of partial rpoB and 16S rRNA genes for selected isolates. The results obtained were compared with the data from 16 reference strains. Nine isolates were identified as Gallibacterium spp., 16 as Volucribacter spp. or Volucribacter‐like, while 11 isolates were classified as taxon 44 of Bisgaard. A single isolate was identified as Pasteurella multocida. Conclusions: Characterization of Pasteurellaceae by traditional methods is often inconclusive because of inconsistent reactions and phenotypic diversity. For the same reason, genotyping is essential to allow proper classification as demonstrated in the present study. Significance and Impact of the Study: Limited information exists on the isolation and significance of Pasteurellaceae associated with clinically affected psittacine birds showing signs of digestive and/or respiratory disorders. The present investigations demonstrated that these organisms are widely distributed among clinically affected birds, but isolation of these taxa cannot be unambiguously correlated with the symptoms observed.     

Co-infection by Cryptococcus neoformans and Mycobacterium aKeikawusvium intracellulare in AIDS

In the observation of various opportunistic pathogens in HIV-positive persons, co-infection by Cryptococcus neoformans together with Mycobacterium avium intracellulare was found if there was a CD4 lymphocyte count as low as 3–20μl. In 1540 HIV-positive patients under treatment at a Berlin hospital (Auguste–Viktoria–Krankenhaus) during 1985–1994, all AIDS-relevant diseases were examined in a multivariate analysis as variables of influence on the manifestation of a systemic Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection. The analysis involved data on 36 cases of cryptococcosis and 202 cases with a typical clinical course in whom MAC had been detected at sterile body sites. As significant and independent factors of influence, the following were identified: C. neoformans infection, wasting syndrome, lower age, low CD4 lymphocyte count and preceding Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PcP) prophylaxis. Cryptococcosis ranged first with an odds ratio of 2.75. The concomitant manifestation of cryptococcosis and systemic MAC infection in six patients is shown. Because both opportunists, C. neoformans and avian mycobacteria, may have their common habitat in droppings of defined species of pet birds, a common source of infection deserves further clinical and epidemiological attention. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

广西西大明山冠斑犀鸟的繁殖生物学

作者于2014和2015年在广西西南部的西大明山自治区级自然保护区研究冠斑犀鸟(Anthracoceros albirostris)的繁殖生物学特征,以直接观察法或红外相机共观察5巢犀鸟,2014年2巢,2015年3巢。研究显示,西大明山的冠斑犀鸟在每年4月下旬至5月下旬开始营巢繁殖,雌鸟进入巢洞并在雄鸟协助下自封在其内,期间与幼鸟完全依靠雄鸟喂食。雄鸟带回巢的食物中,数量上有超过80%是果实。雌鸟在封巢期间完成换羽,并和幼鸟在7月中旬至8月中旬破巢而出,封巢时间为89 d和93 d(n=2),繁殖成功率为100%(n=4),平均出巢幼鸟为(2.3±0.5)只(2或3只,n=4)。营巢树与人工林/林下作物的平均距离为87 m(0～210 m,n=3),其中,两棵生长在当地人经常使用的山路旁。营巢树种分别为南酸枣(Choerospondias axillaris)及金叶树(Chrysophyllum lanceolatum),营巢树平均胸径为73.7 cm(72.0～75.0 cm,n=3),巢洞高度为7.8 m和9.0 m(n=2)。其中两棵营巢树在2014年和2015年的繁殖季均被重...     

鹭科鸟类群落的空间生态位和种间关系

本文应用空间生态位理论,分析了浙江太公山常绿落叶针阔混交林鹭类繁殖季节的群落结构。鹭类群落由池鹭Ａｒｄｅｏｌａｂａｃｈｕｓ、白鹭Ｅｇｒｅｔａｇａｒｚｅｔａ、夜鹭Ｎｙｃｔｉｃｏｒａｘｎｙｃｔｉｃｏｒａｘ、牛背鹭Ｂｕｂｕｌｃｓｉｂｉｓ组成。根据鹭类的水平分布、垂直分布、栖位分布的生态位宽度值,采用Ｓｃｈｏｅｎｅｒ（１９６８）生态位重叠、Ｃｏｄｙ（１９７４）“总和α”的方法制作了群落矩阵表和树杈状图。讨论了鹭类群落对空间的利用及种间的相互作用。     

Adaptations for avian frugivory: assimilation efficiency and gut transit time of Manacus vitellinus and Pipra mentalis

Summary I examined the digestive physiology of two avian frugivores, the golden-collared manakin, Manacus vitellinus, and the red-capped manakin, Pipra mentalis, to discover how these birds extract energy from fruit. Using 14 species of fruit in the natural diet of manakins, I examined the assimilation of nutrients from fruit pulp, fruit passage rates, seed passage rates, and gut morphology. Fruits in the manakins' diets had high water content (average, 84%) and low nutrient concentrations (3 kJ/g wet pulp; 17 kJ/g dry pulp; 1% nitrogen/g dry pulp). Manacus and Pipra did not differ in the average assimilation of energy in fruit pulp (63%), although it varied from 37 to 84% depending on fruit species. Assimilation of total nonstructural carbohydrates in the fruit pulp was very high (86–98%) in both species. Gut evacuation was rapid; maximum transit time of a labeled fruit was 30 min. Seeds passed through the gut faster (Manacus: 15 min; Pipra: 12 min) than the accompanying fruit epidermis (both spp: 22 min). Manakins regurgitated large seeds (>5 mm diameter) in 7 to 9 min. Rapid gut passage time, high assimilation of nonstructural carbohydrates, and the selective regurgitation and rapid elimination of bulky seeds enable manakins to process a large volume of food per day. By increasing rates of fruit intake and gut passage, manakins can effectively increase total nutrient uptake. These adaptations of manakins are requisite for harvesting sufficient nutrients from fruit, due to its low nutrient density, high water content, and bulky seeds.     

宠物鸟·疫病·公共卫生

宠物鸟种类多,来源地广,检验检疫预防措施缺乏,致使宠物鸟疫病不断传播,并造成人类的感染,已经威胁到公共卫生。宠物鸟疫病中以新城疫、禽流感、鹦鹉热最为常见,而且与人类关系密切,具有重要的公共卫生学意义。本文从宠物鸟在疫病流行传播中的意义、疫病的宿主感染谱、疫病的流行特征以及疫病的公共卫生学意义对新城疫、禽流感、鹦鹉热三种疫病进行了综述。表明宠物鸟疫病的感染率比较高,且严重危害人类健康。加强对宠物鸟疫病的检验检疫及预防,很好的防控宠物鸟类疫病具有非常重要的意义。     

Breeding in the monsoon: semi-annual reproduction in the Seychelles warbler ( Acrocephalus sechellensis )

Despite the absence of pronounced changes in day length, there is considerable climatological seasonality in the tropics. Its expression can be complex like in the monsoon climate of the Indian Ocean Islands. The land mass distribution on both sides of the equator leads to seasonal changes in prevailing wind direction and seasonal patterns in food supply, which are distinct between different coasts. Here we assess that territory quality of the Seychelles warbler, endemic to the small island of Cousin peaks during the South East monsoon (April to September) in most of the island. The Southeastern wind-exposed side is exceptional by being generally poor and having slightly increased food supply in the opposite season (NW monsoon; October to March). In response, the warblers in most territories breed primarily during the SE season, while on the SE shores they tend to breed in both seasons. The result is a semi-annual periodicity in breeding. Individual pairs can breed in 6 months intervals. In the poorer territories on the SE shore most of them indeed do this, while in the richer central habitats most pairs restrict themselves to the best (SE) season. The frequency of breeding thereby increases with territory quality in the SE season, and decreases with quality in the NW season. Withholding from breeding in the NW season despite the high food supply may have long-term advantages for the birds occupying the richer habitat. Such flexible adjustment of seasonality to local circumstances requires not only an immediate response mechanism but also access to accurate information about time of year. The subtle sensitivity of tropical songbirds to photoperiod, demonstrated so convincingly by Eberhard Gwinner (Biological rhythms, Hokkaido University Press, Sapporo, pp19–40, 2005), may well have profound adaptive meaning in taking temporally optimized reproductive decisions in response to both food and time of year.

H5N1高致病性禽流感病毒的危害及生态问题

高致病性禽流感(HPAI)H5N1病毒亚型已对人类健康、养殖业发展、野生鸟类及生态环境带来极大危害,引起国内外广泛关注。研究发现,禽流感病毒通过发生重组或者突变,可产生感染人类或其他生物的新病毒亚型,或产生更高的致病性,而人类亦具有丰富的与H5N1结合的受体。对候鸟迁徙停歇地禽流感调查表明,湿地、湖泊可能是HPAI病毒存活、散播的疫源地,病毒可随着鸟类的迁徙到处传播。因此,野生鸟类及其赖以生存的主要湿地环境处于感染HPAI的风险之中。     

Strengthened insectivory in a temperate fragmented forest

Habitat fragmentation modifies ecological patterns and processes through changes in species richness and abundance. In the coastal Maulino forest, central Chile, both species richness and abundance of insectivorous birds increases in forest fragments compared to continuous forest. Through a field experiment, we examined larvae predation in fragmented forests. Higher richness and abundance of birds foraging at forest fragments translated into more insect larvae preyed upon in forest fragments than in continuous forest. The assessed level of insectivory in forest fragments agrees with lower herbivory levels in forest fragments. This pattern strongly suggests the strengthening of food interactions web in forest fragments of coastal Maulino forest.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequence analysis of the fusion protein and hemagglutinin-neuraminidase protein genes among Newcastle disease virus isolates. Phylogenetic relationships among the Paramyxovirinae based on attachment glycoprotein sequences

Highly virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolates are List A pathogens for commercial poultry, and reports of their isolation among member nations must be made to the Office of International Epizootes (OIE). The virus is classified as a member of the order Mononegavirales in the family Paramyxoviridae of the subfamily Paramyxovirinae. Two interactive surface glycoproteins, the fusion (F) and hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) proteins, play essential roles in NDV attachment and fusion of cells during infection. Antibodies to the F or HN proteins are capable of virus neutralization; however, no full-length sequences are available for these genes from recently obtained virulent isolates. Therefore, nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequences of the F and HN protein genes from 16 NDV isolates representing highly virulent viruses from worldwide sources were obtained for comparison to older virulent isolates and vaccine strains. The F protein amino acid sequence was relatively conserved among isolates maintaining potential glycosylation sites and C residues for disulfide bonds. A dibasic amino acid motif was present at the cleavage site among more virulent isolates, while the low virulence viruses did not have this sequence. However, a Eurasian collared dove virus had a K114Q substitution at the F cleavage site unique among NDV isolates. The HN protein among NDV isolates maintained predicted catalytic and active site residues necessary for neuraminidase activity and hemagglutination. Length of the HN for the Eurasian collared dove isolate and a previously reported heat resistant virulent isolate were longer relative to other more recent virulent isolates. Phylogenetically NDV isolates separated into four groups with more recent virulent isolates forming a diverse branch, while all the avian paramyxoviruses formed their own clade distinct from other members of the Paramyxoviridae.     

昆虫的微孢子虫病

介绍了昆虫微孢子虫病的病理学、传播途径、寄主特异性、病害管理以及利用昆虫微孢子虫作为生物杀虫剂的应用等方面的研究进展 ,以期为益虫微孢子虫病害的防治和昆虫微孢子虫杀虫剂的研制提参考。     

东洞庭湖地区野禽驯养繁殖基地的禽流感病毒调查

为了解东洞庭湖地区野禽驯养繁殖基地禽流感病毒感染状况,2011年11月至2013年10月,调查4家野禽驯养繁殖基地的养殖情况,同时采集环境标本(包括新鲜粪便标本和水标本)。利用PCR和病毒分离方法对标本进行检测。部分标本进行了核酸检测,禽流感病毒(AIV)阳性率为36.62%,2012年3月份阳性率最高(47.83%)。粪便标本、水标本的AIV阳性率分别为40.45%、30.19%,二者无统计学差异。共分离到28株AIV病毒,亚型包括H10、H4、H5和N7、N8,集中于11~12月的标本,主要来源于君山区野禽驯养繁殖基地的雁类和野鸭的新鲜粪便标本。野禽驯养基地的环境标本中存在AIV病毒,以A(H10N7)为主,建议对其进行定期监测。     

Diversity of Neotropical migratory landbird species assemblages in forest fragments and man-made vegetation in Los Tuxtlas,Mexico

We investigated the presence of Neotropical migratory landbirds in a 90-km² landscape in the region of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico. Using the fixed-radius count point procedure, migratory landbirds were surveyed in 21 forest fragments and in four replicates of shaded (coffee, cacao and mixed) and unshaded (citrus and allspice) plantations, live fences, non-arboreal crops (corn and jalapeño chili pepper) and pastures. The surveys resulted in the count of 4732 birds representing 72 species. While forest fragments accounted for 65% of the total species count, 73% of the birds were counted in the arboreal man-made habitats. Pastures contributed to 10% of the species and to 1% of the individuals counted. Live fences were particularly rich in individuals, accounting for 28% of the birds counted. Rarefaction analysis showed that forest fragments were the sites richest in species, followed by shaded and unshaded plantations and by live fences. Pastures were the habitats poorest in species, followed by non-arboreal crops. Species richness of Neotropical migratory landbirds was associated to vertical and horizontal diversity of vegetation in the habitats investigated. Shaded and unshaded plantations as well as live fences were more similar to forest fragments in species assemblages than non-arboreal crops and pastures. We discuss the conservation value of arboreal agricultural habitat and of live fences in conjunction with forest fragments as temporary habitats for Neotropical migratory landbirds that stop over or winter in Los Tuxtlas.     

Bats and zoonotic viruses: can we confidently link bats with emerging deadly viruses?

An increasingly asked question is ''can we confidently link bats with emerging viruses?''. No, or not yet, is the qualified answer based on the evidence available. Although more than 200 viruses - some of them deadly zoonotic viruses - have been isolated from or otherwise detected in bats, the supposed connections between bats, bat viruses and human diseases have been raised more on speculation than on evidence supporting their direct or indirect roles in the epidemiology of diseases (except for rabies). However, we are convinced that the evidence points in that direction and that at some point it will be proved that bats are competent hosts for at least a few zoonotic viruses. In this review, we cover aspects of bat biology, ecology and evolution that might be relevant in medical investigations and we provide a historical synthesis of some disease outbreaks causally linked to bats. We provide evolutionary-based hypotheses to tentatively explain the viral transmission route through mammalian intermediate hosts and to explain the geographic concentration of most outbreaks, but both are no more than speculations that still require formal assessment.