The Kidney-Associated Microbiome of Wild-Caught Artibeus spp. in Grenada, West Indies.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Ramos-Nino ME
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8227013 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Determination of miRNA profiles in most prominent mosquitoes will determine the potential targets for mosquito control Some of the most medically important viruses, such as dengue virus, West Nile virus, Zika virus, and yellow fever virus, are transmitted by mosquitoes. These aptly named arboviruses impose a tremendous cost to the health of populations around the world. As a result, much effort has gone into the study of the impact of these viruses in human infections. Comparatively less efforts, however, have been made to study the way these viruses interact with mosquitos themselves. It has long been held that these viruses are introduced into the midgut of mosquitoes upon ingestion of a blood meal before being transmitted within the saliva upon subsequent feeding. This sequence requires that the mosquito be able to defend itself from infection every step along the way-from ingesting bloodmeal to subsequent feeding. The main defense mechanisms employed by the mosquitoes to control viruses is RNA interference (RNAi). Modulation of this facet of the mosquito’s immune system would thereby suggest a practical strategy for vector control. This paper will provide an up to date overview of the mosquito’s immune system along with novel data describing miRNA profiles for Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasiatus in Grenada, West Indies.
2020-04-29 | GSE149518 | GEO
Project description:miRNA profiles on wild caught mosquitoes in Grenada West Indies
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Project description:Ancylostoma ceylanicum hookworms are recognized agents of human infection in the Asia-Pacific region. We investigated prevalence of zoonotic hookworm infections in dogs in Grenada in 2021; 40.8% were infected by hookworms, including Ancylostoma ceylanicum. Surveillance of this parasite in dogs and humans is needed in tropical/subtropical countries in the Americas.
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Project description:Canine soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) cause important zoonoses in the tropics, with varying degrees of intensity of infection in humans and dogs. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors for STHs in community dogs residing in Grenada, West Indies. In May 2021, 232 canine fecal samples were examined for zoonotic helminths by microscopy (following flotation), and genomic DNA from a subset of 211 of these samples were subjected to multiplex qPCR for the detection and specific identification of hookworms, Toxocara spp. and Strongyloides. Microscopic examination revealed that 46.5% (108/232, 95% CI 40–52.9), 9% (21/232, 95% CI 5.35–12.7) and 5.2% (12/232, 95% CI 2.3–8) of the samples contained eggs of Ancylostoma spp., Toxocara spp. and Trichuris vulpis, respectively. Multiplex qPCR revealed that, 42.2% (89/211, 95% CI 35.5–48.8) were positive for at least 1 zoonotic parasite. Of these, 40.8% (86/211, 95% CI 34.1–47.3) of samples tested positive for Ancylostoma spp., 36% (76/211, 95% CI 29.5–42.9) were positive for A. caninum, 13.3% (28/211, 95% CI 9–18.6) for A. ceylanicum, 5.7% for T. canis (12/211, 95% CI 2.97–8.81) and 1% (2/211, 95% CI 0–2.26) for Strongyloides spp. (identified as S. stercoralis and S. papillosus by conventional PCR-based Sanger sequencing). Using a multiple logistic regression model, a low body score and free-roaming behaviour were significant predictors of test-positivity for these parasitic nematodes in dogs (P < 0.05). Further studies of zoonotic STHs in humans should help elucidate the public health relevance of these parasites in Grenada.
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Project description:In Grenada, West Indies, rabies is endemic, and is thought to be maintained in a wildlife host, the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) with occasional spillover into other hosts. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to improve understanding of rabies epidemiology in Grenada and to inform rabies control policy. Mongooses were trapped island-wide between April 2011 and March 2013 and examined for the presence of Rabies virus (RABV) antigen using the direct fluorescent antibody test (dFAT) and PCR, and for serum neutralizing antibodies (SNA) using the fluorescent antibody virus neutralization test (FAVN). An additional cohort of brain samples from clinical rabies suspects submitted between April 2011 and March 2014 were also investigated for the presence of virus. Two of the 171 (1.7%) live-trapped mongooses were RABV positive by FAT and PCR, and 20 (11.7%) had SNAs. Rabies was diagnosed in 31 of the submitted animals with suspicious clinical signs: 16 mongooses, 12 dogs, 2 cats and 1 goat. Our investigation has revealed that rabies infection spread from the northeast to the southwest of Grenada within the study period. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the viruses from Grenada formed a monophyletic clade within the cosmopolitan lineage with a common ancestor predicted to have occurred recently (6-23 years ago), and are distinct from those found in Cuba and Puerto Rico, where mongoose rabies is also endemic. These data suggest that it is likely that this specific strain of RABV was imported from European regions rather than the Americas. These data contribute essential information for any potential rabies control program in Grenada and demonstrate the importance of a sound evidence base for planning interventions.
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Project description:BackgroundCanine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) is a naturally occurring neoplasia affecting dogs worldwide. Previous CTVT studies in Grenada were limited to case records of dogs with neoplastic conditions at a veterinary diagnostic laboratory.ObjectivesThe present retrospective study aimed to determine the occurrence and risk factors of CTVT in a wider population of owned dogs presented to a university-affiliated veterinary hospital between 2008 and 2018.MethodsData on the age, breed, gender, and gonadectomy status were retrieved from an electronic database and analyzed using logistic regression.ResultsOf the 7180 dogs presented during the period, 102 dogs (1.4%) were diagnosed with CTVT. A higher predisposition was observed in Grenadian pothounds (odds ratio [OR] = 22.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 10.3-50.4; p < 0.001) and mixed-breed dogs (OR = 9.2, 95% CI 4.1-20.7; p < 0.001) in comparison to the purebreds. Neutered dogs (OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.4-3.3; p < 0.001) were at an increased risk of CTVT than intact dogs. Age and gender were not identified as significant risk factors.ConclusionsThe percentage of dogs with CTVT in this study represents a crude estimate of the CTVT prevalence in the owned dog population in Grenada. Further studies including both owned and free-roaming dogs are required for a more accurate estimation of the CTVT prevalence in the region. Our results indicate that breed and gonadectomy status are significant risk factors for the occurrence of CTVT in Grenada.
| S-EPMC9122414 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The mosquitoes Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) (Diptera: Culicidae) and Culex quinquefasciatus Say, 1823 (Diptera: Culicidae) are two major vectors of arthropod-borne pathogens in Grenada, West Indies. As conventional vector control methods present many challenges, alternatives are urgently needed. Manipulation of mosquito microbiota is emerging as a field for the development of vector control strategies. Critical to this vector control approach is knowledge of the microbiota of these mosquitoes and finding candidate microorganisms that are common to the vectors with properties that could be used in microbiota modification studies. Results showed that bacteria genera including Asaia, Escherichia, Pantoea, Pseudomonas, and Serratia are common to both major arboviral vectors in Grenada and have previously been shown to be good candidates for transgenetic studies. Also, for the first time, the presence of Grenada mosquito rhabdovirus 1 is reported in C. quinquefasciatus.
| S-EPMC7153883 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The aim of the study was to detect and genetically characterize Arcobacter butzleri in pet red-footed tortoises suspected for Campylobacter spp., using molecular techniques. A written consent from tortoise owners was obtained, after explaining the advantages of the research to tortoise owners of Grenada. Fecal samples were collected from 114 tortoises from five parishes of the country and cultured for Campylobacter spp. using selective culture techniques. A. butzleri was isolated from 4.39% of pet tortoises. Total thirteen isolates were obtained; all identified as A. butzleri by a universal and a species-specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing. Genetic characterization of these isolates was performed based on Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR (ERIC-PCR) that generated eight different genetic fingerprints with a discriminatory power of 0.91. Campylobacter species were not detected molecularly in any of the culture-positive samples. This is the first report of infection of pet tortoises in Grenada, West Indies with A. butzleri. This study emphasizes on the risk of zoonotic transmission of A. butzleri by exotic pets, which is a serious concern for public health.
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Project description:Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) is strongly associated with fibropapillomatosis, a neoplastic disease of sea turtles that can result in debilitation and mortality. The objectives of this study were to examine green (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtles in Grenada, West Indies, for fibropapillomatosis and to utilize ChHV5-specific PCR, degenerate herpesvirus PCR, and serology to non-invasively evaluate the prevalence of ChHV5 infection and exposure. One-hundred and sixty-seven turtles examined from 2017 to 2019 demonstrated no external fibropapilloma-like lesions and no amplification of ChHV5 DNA from whole blood or skin biopsies. An ELISA performed on serum detected ChHV5-specific IgY in 18/52 (34.6%) of green turtles tested. In 2020, an adult, female green turtle presented for necropsy from the inshore waters of Grenada with severe emaciation and cutaneous fibropapillomas. Multiple tumors tested positive for ChHV5 by qPCR, providing the first confirmed case of ChHV5-associated fibropapillomatosis in Grenada. These results indicate that active ChHV5 infection is rare, although viral exposure in green sea turtles is relatively high. The impact of fibropapillomatosis in Grenada is suggested to be low at the present time and further studies comparing host genetics and immunologic factors, as well as examination into extrinsic factors that may influence disease, are warranted.
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Project description:Bats can harbor zoonotic pathogens, but their status as reservoir hosts for Leptospira bacteria is unclear. During 2015-2017, kidneys from 47 of 173 bats captured in Grenada, West Indies, tested PCR-positive for Leptospira. Sequence analysis of the Leptospira rpoB gene from 31 of the positive samples showed 87-91% similarity to known Leptospira species. Pairwise and phylogenetic analysis of sequences indicate that bats from Grenada harbor as many as eight undescribed Leptospira genotypes that are most similar to known pathogenic Leptospira, including known zoonotic serovars. Warthin-Starry staining revealed leptospiral organisms colonizing the renal tubules in 70% of the PCR-positive bats examined. Mild inflammatory lesions in liver and kidney observed in some bats were not significantly correlated with renal Leptospira PCR-positivity. Our findings suggest that Grenada bats are asymptomatically infected with novel and diverse Leptospira genotypes phylogenetically related to known pathogenic strains, supporting the hypothesis that bats may be reservoirs for zoonotic Leptospira.
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