Filoviruses as emerging pathogens

Of all the animal virus families that cause disease in man least is known about members of Filoviridae. This family, which contains Marburg and Ebola viruses, is one member of the order Mononegavirales, RNA viruses with a single negative genomic strand. The natural history of the filoviruses is unknown, but they have on occasion caused small but lethal monkey or human epidemics. Each outbreak has been contained by increasing the precautions taken during contact with sick humans or non-human primates. Nevertheless, because of our ignorance of the genetics and natural history of these viruses, their established high pathogenicity for man and other primates, and their potential for causing aerosol infections, they continue to be of considerable concern for biomedical science.     

Cats as a potential source of emerging influenza virus infections

<正>Dear Editor,Historically,the influenza virus has not been regarded as a major pathogen of cats.However,since 2003,natural infections of domestic cats with highly pathogenic H5N1 avian virus causing fatal cases have been reported(Songserm et al.,2006;Yingst et al.,2006;Klopfleisch et al.,2007).Furthermore,infections of this animal with A(H1N1)pdm09 virus,causing respiratory illness with some fatal cases,have also been reported in various parts     

Plant pathogens as a source of diverse enzymes for lignocellulose digestion

The plant cell wall is a major barrier that many plant pathogens must surmount for successful invasion of their plant hosts. Full genome sequencing of a number of plant pathogens has revealed often large, complex, and redundant enzyme systems for degradation of plant cell walls. Recent surveys have noted that plant pathogenic fungi are highly competent producers of lignocellulolytic enzymes, and their enzyme activity patterns reflect host specificity. We propose that plant pathogens may contribute to biofuel production as diverse sources of accessory enzymes for more efficient conversion of lignocellulose into fermentable sugars.     

Flies as a source of enteric pathogens in a rural village in Thailand

The village of Ban Pong in northeastern Thailand was studied from January through December 1981 to determine the importance of flies as a source of enteric pathogens. The number of flies (predominantly Musca domestica) increased in kitchens and animal pens in the hot dry spring, when the incidence of diarrhea was highest in the village. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., non-O1 Vibrio cholerae, and Vibrio fluvalis were isolated from fly pools in yards (69%), animal pens (38%), bathrooms (35%), and kitchens (8%). Enterotoxigenic E. coli was isolated from one fly pool in May and from another in June, when the incidence of such infections was highest in the village. Flies often carry and presumably disseminate enteric pathogens in rural Thailand.     

Flies as a source of enteric pathogens in a rural village in Thailand.

The village of Ban Pong in northeastern Thailand was studied from January through December 1981 to determine the importance of flies as a source of enteric pathogens. The number of flies (predominantly Musca domestica) increased in kitchens and animal pens in the hot dry spring, when the incidence of diarrhea was highest in the village. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., non-O1 Vibrio cholerae, and Vibrio fluvalis were isolated from fly pools in yards (69%), animal pens (38%), bathrooms (35%), and kitchens (8%). Enterotoxigenic E. coli was isolated from one fly pool in May and from another in June, when the incidence of such infections was highest in the village. Flies often carry and presumably disseminate enteric pathogens in rural Thailand.     

Developing insect models for the study of current and emerging human pathogens

The study of human diseases requires the testing of microorganisms in model systems. Although mammals are typically used, we argue the validity of using insects as models in order to examine human diseases, particularly the growing number of opportunistic microorganisms. Insects can be used in large numbers, are easily manipulated, and are not subject to the same ethical concerns as mammalian systems. Insects and mammals have many parallels with respect to microbial pathogenesis, from proteinaceous integuments that require breaching before infection to similarities in their innate immune responses. Reactions of insects to Candida and Pseudomonas spp. infections show good correlation with mouse models, providing precedent-setting examples of the study of human pathogens using insects. Insects as pathogen hosts also warrant study because they may act as reservoirs for emerging human pathogens. Finally, insect models may be used to examine the evolutionary processes involved in the acquisition of virulence factors and host-jumping mechanisms indispensable to emerging pathogens. Insect models may be used in 'niche' investigations where large sample sizes can facilitate rapid, informative screening of opportunistic diseases and provide insights into pathogen evolution, while reducing the cost and ethical concerns associated with mammalian models.     

Phylogenetic analysis of the species Theilovirus: emerging murine and human pathogens

The Cardiovirus genus of the family Picornaviridae includes two distinct species, Encephalomyocarditis virus and Theilovirus. We now report the complete nucleotide sequences of three Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) strains (TO Yale, TOB15, and Vie 415HTR) and of Vilyuisk human encephalomyelitis virus (VHEV). This information, together with the recently reported sequences of divergent theiloviruses (Theiler's-like rat virus [TRV] and Saffold viruses 1 and 2 [SAFV-1 and SAFV-2]), enables an updated phylogenetic analysis as well as a reexamination of several gene products important in the pathogenesis of this emerging group of viruses. In the light of the known neurotropism of TMEV and the new human SAFV-1 and SAFV-2, the resulting data suggest the existence of theiloviruses that cause human central nervous system infections. Our phylogenetic analyses point to the classification of presently known theiloviruses into five types: TMEV, VHEV, TRV, SAFV-1, and SAFV-2.     

Stem-cell-derived trophoblast organoids model human placental development and susceptibility to emerging pathogens

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Population biology of emerging and re-emerging pathogens

Emerging and re-emerging pathogens present a huge challenge to human and veterinary medicine. Emergence is most commonly associated with ecological change, and specific risk factors are related to the type of pathogen, route of transmission and host range. The biological determinants of host range remain poorly understood but most pathogens can infect multiple hosts, and three-quarters of emerging human pathogens are zoonotic. Surveillance is a key defence against emerging pathogens but will often need to be integrated across human, domestic animal and wildlife populations.     

Varicose veins as a source of adult human endothelial cells

Endothelial cells can be harvested from segments of adult human saphenous vein in a varicose condition removed from patients having single or bilateral vein ligation and stripping. The cells are harvested by scraping with a scalpel, seeded on to gelatin coated or Primaria flasks and are passaged by removal with a rubber policeman. The cells cultured in this manner are maintained in a growth medium that is not supplemented with growth factors. The cells grow with a cobblestone monolayer morphology, possess angiotensin converting enzyme activity and react with antibodies to Factor VIII antigen. The cells fluoresce brightly after reaction with monoclonal antibodies specific for human endothelial cells. Thus, stripped varicose vein segments provide a readily available source of endothelial cells.     

Soil Invertebrates as Bioindicators of Human Disturbance

The aim of this paper is to try to face up to the increasing demand for soil bioindicators to determine the state of health of the environment. Terrestrial ecosystems are contaminated by a wide range of pollutants originating from different sources and having very different distributions. Animals, plants, and, more generally, ecological community patterns seem to be able to register qualitative and quantitative environmental changes due to anthropogenic activities. A clear and accurate definitive generalization of the response of invertebrate populations to direct and indirect environmental stresses is very difficult; many variables can interact, such as the particular invertebrate species and/or the developmental stage exposed to the stress, the particular environmental stress due to different pollutants, and the environmental physical factors as well, sometimes intervening in complex patterns.     

Epidemiology of emerging/re-emerging antimicrobial-resistant bacterial pathogens

The rapid global expansion of bacteria resistant to antimicrobials is the most important development over the past year in emerging bacterial diseases. The critical events are the emergence of Staphylococcus aureus with decreased sensitivity to vancomycin, worldwide resistance to penicillin in Streptococcus pneumoniae, and the remorseless progression of multiply-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Most startling was the isolation from a human in Madagascar of a plague bacillus possessing a plasmid readily transferable to Escherichia coli, which confers multiple antibiotic resistance. The hospital environment continues to see the transmission of resistant organisms, notably vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Finally, as food markets become more open around the world, food-borne outbreaks of E. coli O157 and cholera demonstrate how difficult it can be to establish effective health and safety barriers.     

Archaea as emerging organisms in complex human microbiomes

In this work, we review the state of knowledge of Archaea associated with the human microbiome. These prokaryotes, initially discovered in extreme environments, were named Archaea because these environments were thought to be the most primitive on Earth. Further research revealed that this terminology is misleading because these organisms were later found in various non-extreme environments, including the human host. Further examination of the human microbiome has enabled the isolation of three archaeal species, Methanobrevibacter smithii, Methanosphaera stadtmanae and Methanobrevibacter oralis, which are associated with oral, intestinal and vaginal mucosae in humans. Moreover, molecular studies including metagenomic analyses detected DNA sequences indicative of the presence of additional methanogenic and non-methanogenic Archaea in the human intestinal tract. All three culturable Archaea are strict anaerobes, although their potential role in human diseases remains to be established. Future research aims to detect and culture additional human mucosa-associated Archaea and to look for their presence in additional human tissues, to establish their role in human infections involving complex flora.