Publications by authors named "Betson M"

A 2-y-old, intact male roan antelope () was submitted for routine postmortem investigation after a prolonged history of diarrhea and weight loss. The abomasal mucosa was diffusely thickened and corrugated. Abomasal gland hyperplasia was associated with abundant apical organisms consistent with spp.

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Background: Parasitic neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) or 'infectious diseases of poverty' continue to affect the poorest communities in the world, including in the Philippines. Socio-economic conditions contribute to persisting endemicity of these infectious diseases. As such, examining these underlying factors may help identify gaps in implementation of control programs.

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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) evolution and onward transmission of resistance genes is impacted by interrelated biological and social drivers, with evidence and impacts observed across human, animal and environmental One Health domains. Systems-based research examining how food production impacts on AMR in complex agrifood systems is lacking, with little written on management approaches in the UK that might prevent and respond to this challenge. One approach is the creation of a transdisciplinary network to enhance capacity, capability and collaboration between agrifood-focused disciplines and stakeholders.

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Background: Tsetse flies (Glossina sp.) are vectors of Trypanosoma brucei subspecies that cause human African trypanosomiasis (HAT). Capturing and screening tsetse is critical for HAT surveillance.

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The zoonotic parasite is a global cause of gastrointestinal disease in humans and ruminants. Sequence analysis of the highly polymorphic gene enabled the classification of isolates into multiple groups (e.g.

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Background: The giant roundworm Ascaris is an intestinal nematode, causing ascariasis by infecting humans and pigs worldwide. Recent estimates suggest that Ascaris infects over half a billion people, with chronic infections leading to reduced growth and cognitive ability. Ascariasis affects innumerable pigs worldwide and is known to reduce production yields via decreased growth and condemnation of livers.

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  • Dicrocoelium lancet flukes significantly affect livestock production, and co-infections with multiple species are common, but research methods for studying these complexes are limited.
  • This study applied a new metabarcoding deep amplicon sequencing technique to investigate four Dicrocoelium species in sheep and goats, confirming their co-existence and differentiation at the molecular level.
  • The analysis identified that 98% of the flukes were D. dendriticum, indicating a predominance of this species in specific regions of Pakistan, along with insights into genetic relationships among the Dicrocoelium species.
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  • - Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati are roundworm parasites that can infect humans and lead to severe health issues, including blindness and brain disorders; humans can get infected through environmental eggs or eating undercooked meat from infected animals.
  • - In a study in England, tissue samples were taken from 155 food-producing animals and tested for Toxocara larvae and antibodies; no larvae were found, but 27.7% of tissue exudate samples tested positive for anti-Toxocara antibodies, indicating common exposure among these animals.
  • - Pigs showed the highest prevalence of antibodies (61.1%), suggesting they are more likely to be exposed to Toxocara, which raises concerns about
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Animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) is a significant food security and economic burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Current AAT empirical and immunodiagnostic surveillance tools suffer from poor sensitivity and specificity, with blood sampling requiring animal restraint and trained personnel. Faecal sampling could increase sampling accessibility, scale, and species range.

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Gastrointestinal parasites are among the most economically important pathogens of small ruminants causing serious economic losses and animal welfare problems for the livestock industry worldwide. The emergence of anthelmintic resistant H. contortus in small ruminants is a serious problem because it undermines effective helminth control and results in reduced productivity.

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Ascariasis is the most prevalent zoonotic helminthic disease worldwide, and is responsible for nutritional deficiencies, particularly hindering the physical and neurological development of children. The appearance of anthelmintic resistance in Ascaris is a risk for the target of eliminating ascariasis as a public health problem by 2030 set by the World Health Organisation. The development of a vaccine could be key to achieving this target.

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Background: Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati are intestinal parasites of dogs, cats and foxes, with infected animals shedding eggs of the parasite in their faeces. If humans accidentally ingest embryonated Toxocara spp. eggs from the environment, severe clinical consequences, including blindness and brain damage, can occur.

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  • A study investigates a zoonotic parasite affecting both human and animal health, identifying infected meat as a significant source of human infections particularly in Europe.
  • The research utilized a systematic review of 226 publications and applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate regional seroprevalence in various animal species, showing significant variation based on species, regions, and rearing conditions.
  • Findings revealed that seroprevalence was highest in Eastern Europe and lowest in Northern Europe, with outdoor-kept sheep showing the highest infection rate, emphasizing the need for better data and source attribution to address human infection risks.
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Background: Despite considerable recent reductions in antimicrobial use, the UK gamebird industry continues to struggle with production diseases during the rearing season, necessitating significant antibiotic use. This observational study investigated the presence of genes conferring resistance to β-lactam antibiotics within industry-reared pheasants and red-legged partridges in the UK.

Methods: DNA was extracted from 60 pooled caecal samples collected from gamebirds at routine postmortem examinations during the rearing season.

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Background: The flagellated parasite Giardia duodenalis is a major and global cause of diarrhoeal disease. Eight genetically very distinct groups, known as assemblages A to H, have been recognized in the G. duodenalis species complex, two of which (assemblages A and B) infect humans and other mammalian hosts.

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Background: Human, animal, and environmental health are increasingly threatened by the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. Inappropriate use of antibiotic treatments commonly contributes to this threat, but it is also becoming apparent that multiple, interconnected environmental factors can play a significant role. Thus, a One Health approach is required for a comprehensive understanding of the environmental dimensions of antibiotic resistance and inform science-based decisions and actions.

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Purpose: Dicrocoeliosis can be an important cause of production loss in ruminants due to the cost of liver condemnation at slaughter. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of Dicrocoelium infection and to predict the ecological niches and climatic variables that support dicrocoeliosis in the Himalayan ranges of Pakistan.

Methods And Results: Dicrocoelium was detected in 33 of 381 liver samples and 238 of 6060 blood samples taken from sheep and goat herds in the area.

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Ascariasis is the most prevalent helminthic disease affecting both humans and pigs and is caused by the roundworms and . While preventive chemotherapy continues to be the most common control method, recent reports of anthelminthic resistance highlight the need for development of a vaccine against ascariasis. The aim of this study was to use a reverse vaccinology approach to identify potential vaccine candidates for .

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  • * Genetic analysis identified specific mutations (129G, 253S, and 262S) in the cytochrome b locus that are associated with buparvaquone resistance in various T. annulata isolates from buffalo and cattle, indicating a positive selection pressure.
  • * The research suggests that animal migration between farms plays a significant role in the spread of drug resistance, highlighting the need for strategies to manage and prolong the effectiveness of buparvaquone in affected regions.
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Ascaris species are soil-transmitted helminths that infect humans and livestock mainly in low and middle-income countries. Benzimidazole (BZ) class drugs have predominated for many years in the treatment of Ascaris infections, but persistent use of BZs has already led to widespread resistance in other nematodes, and treatment failure is emerging for Ascaris. Benzimidazoles act by binding to β-tubulin proteins and destabilising microtubules.

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  • Trichuriasis, caused by the whipworm Trichuris trichiura, is a neglected tropical disease that affects around 500 million people, mainly in areas with poor sanitation where fecal-oral transmission is common.
  • Researchers conducted a population genomics study using whole-genome sequencing of whipworm samples from various locations, including ancient samples dating back up to 1,000 years.
  • The findings indicate a genetic structure among whipworm populations, with the highest genetic variation in Uganda, suggesting an African origin and highlighting potential zoonotic reservoirs, which could help improve genomic epidemiology efforts against this disease.*
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and are zoonotic roundworm parasites of dogs, cats and foxes. These definitive hosts pass eggs in their faeces, which contaminate the environment and can subsequently be ingested via soil or contaminated vegetables. In humans, infection with can have serious health implications.

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is a major foodborne pathogen capable of infecting all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Although oocyst-associated toxoplasmosis outbreaks have been documented, the relevance of the environmental transmission route remains poorly investigated. Thus, we carried out an extensive systematic review on oocyst contamination of soil, water, fresh produce, and mollusk bivalves, following the PRISMA guidelines.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have developed strategies to control trypanosomiasis in humans and livestock in endemic areas. These require a better understanding of the distribution of different Trypanosoma species and improved predictions of where they might appear in the future, based on accurate diagnosis and robust surveillance systems. Here, we describe a metabarcoding deep amplicon sequencing method to identify and determine the Trypanosoma species in co-infecting communities.

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Background: A large number of studies have assessed risk factors for infection with soil-transmitted helminths (STH), but few have investigated the interactions between the different parasites or compared these between host species across hosts. Here, we assessed the associations between Ascaris, Trichuris, hookworm, strongyle and Toxocara infections in the Philippines in human and animal hosts.

Methods: Faecal samples were collected from humans and animals (dogs, cats and pigs) in 252 households from four villages in southern Philippines and intestinal helminth infections were assessed by microscopy.

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