Novel Poxvirus in Proliferative Lesions of Wild Rodents in East Central Texas, USA.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Hodo CL
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6004845 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:Great-tailed grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus) have dramatically expanded into North America over the past century. However, little is known about the blood that parasites they support. Here, for the first time, we document an assemblage of trypanosome, haemosporida, and filarial nematodes co-circulating in invasive great-tailed grackles. Between February and July, 2015, 61 individuals were captured in an urban environment of College Station, Texas. Field microscopy and molecular diagnostics indicate that 52% (24/46) were visually infected with filarioid nematodes, 24% (11/46) with avian trypanosomes, and 73% (n = 44/60) with haemosporida parasites, such as Haemoproteus (Parahaemoproteus) and Plasmodium cathemerium. Overall, 87% of great-tailed grackles were infected with blood parasites. Although 50% of individuals hosted parasites from multiple phylum, no patterns of parasite assembly were observed. Results indicate that great-tailed grackles can support a relatively high level of blood parasitism. However, the consequences for avian health remain to be determined.
| S-EPMC7997132 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Despite their importance as vectors of zoonotic parasites that can impact human and animal health, Culicoides species distribution across different habitat types is largely unknown. Here we document the community composition of Culicoides found in an urban environment including developed and natural sites in east central Texas, a region of high vector diversity due to subtropical climates, and report their infection status with haemoparasites. RESULTS:A total of 251 individual Culicoides were collected from May to June 2016 representing ten Culicoides species, dominated by C. neopulicaris followed by C. crepuscularis. We deposited 63 sequences to GenBank among which 25 were the first deposition representative for six Culicoides species: C. arboricola (n = 1); C. nanus (n = 4); C. debilipalpis (n = 2); C. haematopotus (n = 14); C. edeni (n = 3); and C. hinmani (n = 1). We also record for the first time the presence of C. edeni in Texas, a species previously known to occur in the Bahamas, Florida and South Carolina. The urban environments with natural area (sites 2 and 4) had higher species richness than sites more densely populated or in a parking lot (sites 1 and 3) although a rarefaction analysis suggested at least two of these sites were not sampled sufficiently to characterize species richness. We detected a single C. crepuscularis positive for Onchocercidae gen. sp. DNA and another individual of the same species positive for Haemoproteus sacharovi DNA, yielding a 2.08% prevalence (n = 251) for both parasites in this species. CONCLUSIONS:We extend the knowledge of the Culicoides spp. community in an urban environment of Texas, USA, and contribute to novel sequence data for these species. Additionally, the presence of parasite DNA (Onchocercidae gen. sp. and H. sacharovi) from C. crepuscularis suggests the potential for this species to be a vector of these parasites.
| S-EPMC6335769 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This report describes and characterizes a novel entomobirnavirus, designated Port Bolivar virus (PTBV), that was isolated from a pool of Aedes sollicitans mosquitoes collected in a saltwater marsh in East Texas, USA. Full genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses indicate that PTBV is distinct but genetically related to Drosophila X virus and mosquito X virus, which are assigned to species in the genus Entomobirnavirus, family Birnaviridae. PTBV produced cytopathic effect (CPE) in cultures of mosquito (C6/36) cells, but not in Vero cell cultures. Ultrastructural studies of PTBV in infected C6/36 cells demonstrated unenveloped virus particles about 55 nm in diameter.
| S-EPMC7232177 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The ecology of infectious diseases involves wildlife, yet the wildlife interface is often neglected and understudied. Pathogens related to infectious diseases are often maintained within wildlife populations and can spread to livestock and humans. In this study, we explored the fecal microbiome of coyotes and wild hogs in the Texas panhandle using polymerase chain reactions and 16S sequencing methods. The fecal microbiota of coyotes was dominated by members of the phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. At the genus taxonomic level, Odoribacter, Allobaculum, Coprobacillus, and Alloprevotella were the dominant genera of the core fecal microbiota of coyotes. While for wild hogs, the fecal microbiota was dominated by bacterial members of the phyla Bacteroidetes, Spirochaetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Five genera, Treponema, Prevotella, Alloprevotella, Vampirovibrio, and Sphaerochaeta, constitute the most abundant genera of the core microbiota of wild hogs in this study. Functional profile of the microbiota of coyotes and wild hogs identified 13 and 17 human-related diseases that were statistically associated with the fecal microbiota, respectively (p < 0.05). Our study is a unique investigation of the microbiota using free-living wildlife in the Texas Panhandle and contributes to awareness of the role played by gastrointestinal microbiota of wild canids and hogs in infectious disease reservoir and transmission risk. This report will contribute to the lacking information on coyote and wild hog microbial communities by providing insights into their composition and ecology which may likely be different from those of captive species or domesticated animals. This study will contribute to baseline knowledge for future studies on wildlife gut microbiomes.
| S-EPMC10221396 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Social distancing orders have been enacted worldwide to slow the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, reduce strain on healthcare systems, and prevent deaths. To estimate the impact of the timing and intensity of such measures, we built a mathematical model of COVID-19 transmission that incorporates age-stratified risks and contact patterns and projects numbers of hospitalizations, patients in intensive care units, ventilator needs, and deaths within US cities. Focusing on the Austin metropolitan area of Texas, we found that immediate and extensive social distancing measures were required to ensure that COVID-19 cases did not exceed local hospital capacity by early May 2020. School closures alone hardly changed the epidemic curve. A 2-week delay in implementation was projected to accelerate the timing of peak healthcare needs by 4 weeks and cause a bed shortage in intensive care units. This analysis informed the Stay Home-Work Safe order enacted by Austin on March 24, 2020.
| S-EPMC7510701 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The frequency of dogs becoming ill or dying from accidental exposure to cyanotoxins, produced by cyanobacteria, is increasing throughout the United States. In January and February of 2021, two dogs died and five dogs became ill after swimming in Lake Travis, central Texas, USA; one deceased dog (C1) was subjected to pathological testing. Algal materials, sediment samples, zebra mussel viscera, periphyton from shells, as well as fluids and tissues from the digestive tract of C1 were investigated for the following cyanotoxins: anatoxin-a, homoanatoxin-a, dihydroanatoxin-a (dhATX), cylindrospermopsin, saxitoxin, and microcystins. Necropsy results of C1 indicated neurotoxicosis with significant levels of dhATX in the duodenum tissues (10.51 ng/g dry weight (DW)), jejunum tissue (6.076 ng/g DW), and stomach contents (974.88 ng/g DW). Algae collected near the site of C1's death contained levels of dhATX, ranging from 13 to 33 µg/g. By comparison, dhATX was detected at much lower concentrations in sediment samples (310.23 ng/g DW) and the periphyton on zebra mussel shells (38.45 ng/g DW). While dhATX was suspected in the deaths of canines from an event in Texas in 2019, this is the first report linking dhATX neurotoxicosis through pathological findings in Texas and potentially in the United States.
| S-EPMC10467149 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Pegivirus (family Flaviviridae) is a genus of small enveloped RNA viruses that mainly causes blood infections in various mammals including human. Herein, we carried out an extensive survey of pegiviruses from a wide range of wild animals mainly sampled in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. Three novel pegiviruses, namely Passer montanus pegivirus, Leucosticte brandti pegivirus and Montifringilla taczanowskii pegivirus, were identified from different wild birds, and one new rodent pegivirus, namely Phaiomys leucurus pegivirus, was identified from Blyth's vole. Interestingly, the pegiviruses of non-mammalian origin discovered in this study substantially broaden the host range of Pegivirus to avian species. Co-evolutionary analysis showed virus-host co-divergence over long evolutionary timescales, and indicated that pegiviruses largely followed a virus-host co-divergence relationship. Overall, this work extends the biodiversity of the Pegivirus genus to those infecting wild birds and hence revises the host range and evolutionary history of genus Pegivirus.
| S-EPMC9170927 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Sarcocystis calchasi is a recently described apicomplexan parasite that causes encephalitis in avian hosts. We diagnosed one White-winged Dove ( Zenaida asiatica ) and two Eurasian Collared Doves ( Streptopelia decaocto ) in Texas, US, with a history of neurologic signs with protozoal encephalitis. On histologic examination, all three doves had moderate to severe meningoencephalitis characterized by large numbers of plasma cells, lymphocytes, and macrophages with gliosis and astrocytosis. Brain sections from two doves also contained numerous Mott cells. Protozoal schizonts with rosettes or clusters of individual merozoites consistent with Sarcocystis spp. were seen within areas of inflammation. Sarcocysts were also identified in the skeletal muscle of one dove. The PCR and sequencing of brain and skeletal muscle from two doves revealed 99% identity with S. calchasi. The presence of S. calchasi in fatal cases of encephalitis in doves in Texas suggests that the geographic and host ranges of S. calchasi are broader than previously reported.
| S-EPMC4889117 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The present study quantified element concentrations and evaluated the removal efficiencies of the Lufkin Wastewater Treatment Plant (LWWTP): a public municipal wastewater treatment plant in East Texas. Macroelements (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Al, Fe, Se, Zn, P, and S) and microelements (Ni, Pb, Mn, Cr, Mo, Cu, Co, V, As, B, Ba) were detected using ICP-OES and ICP-MS. In addition, the anion concentrations (Br-, NO3-, NO2-, PO43-, F-, Cl-, and SO42-) and their percent removal from the LWWTP were assessed by using ion chromatography. Whereas macroelements in the influent were above the maximum ceiling limits, the total metal concentrations in the effluent were found below the USEPA (below μg/L) guidelines. In general, the removal efficiencies for metals in LWWTP were ≥ 94%. The removal efficiencies of the anions were > 100% (Br-), 16.42% (Cl-), 78.89% (F-), 182.59% (NO3-), > 100% (NO2-), 51.81% (PO43-), and 67.01% (SO42-). In addition, Pierson correlation coefficients between the anions and cations, and implications for usage and suggested improvements of the treatment plants are proposed.
| S-EPMC9579637 | biostudies-literature
Project description:During the 2012 West Nile virus outbreak in Texas, USA, 1,868 cases were reported. Male patients, persons >65 years of age, and minorities were at highest risk for neuroinvasive disease. Fifty-three percent of counties reported a case; 48% of case-patients resided in 4 counties around Dallas/Fort Worth. The economic cost was >$47.6 million.
| S-EPMC3837649 | biostudies-literature