MicroRNA biomarkers and host response pathways in severe pulmonary hemorrhagic syndrome due to leptospirosis: A multi-omics study.

Background: Severe pulmonary hemorrhagic syndrome (SPHS) remains a fatal complication of leptospirosis with poorly understood mechanisms and an urgent need for effective biomarkers.

Methods: A nested case-control analysis was conducted using blood specimens from two previous Thai leptospirosis cohorts. Candidate microRNAs were initially discovered through a global profiling of 798 serum microRNAs in five SPHS and seven non-SPHS patients, and then validated using real-time polymerase chain reactions in 168 patients.

Pathogenic Leptospira are widespread in the urban wildlife of southern California.

Leptospirosis, the most widespread zoonotic disease in the world, is broadly understudied in multi-host wildlife systems. Knowledge gaps regarding Leptospira circulation in wildlife, particularly in densely populated areas, contribute to frequent misdiagnoses in humans and domestic animals. We assessed Leptospira prevalence levels and risk factors in five target wildlife species across the greater Los Angeles region: striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), raccoons (Procyon lotor), coyotes (Canis latrans), Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), and fox squirrels (Sciurus niger).

Identification of Disparities in Personalized Cancer Care-A Joint Approach of the German WERA Consortium.

(1) Background: molecular tumor boards (MTBs) are crucial instruments for discussing and allocating targeted therapies to suitable cancer patients based on genetic findings. Currently, limited evidence is available regarding the regional impact and the outreach component of MTBs; (2) Methods: we analyzed MTB patient data from four neighboring Bavarian tertiary care oncology centers in Würzburg, Erlangen, Regensburg, and Augsburg, together constituting the WERA Alliance. Absolute patient numbers and regional distribution across the WERA-wide catchment area were weighted with local population densities; (3) Results: the highest MTB patient numbers were found close to the four cancer centers.

Understanding leptospirosis: application of state-of-the-art molecular typing tools with a One Health lens.

Leptospirosis is an archetypal One Health problem as described in the companion Currents in One Health article in the October 2022 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association by Sykes et al. A thorough understanding of leptospirosis requires a detailed analysis of the elaborate interplay among pathogenic leptospiral strains, host species, and the environment. Such an understanding is required to inform appropriate preventative measures including vaccine design, prophylaxis efforts, educational programs that help to reduce exposure to pathogenic spirochetes, as well as policy development.