Australia as a global sink for the genetic diversity of avian influenza A virus.

Most of our understanding of the ecology and evolution of avian influenza A virus (AIV) in wild birds is derived from studies conducted in the northern hemisphere on waterfowl, with a substantial bias towards dabbling ducks. However, relevant environmental conditions and patterns of avian migration and reproduction are substantially different in the southern hemisphere. Through the sequencing and analysis of 333 unique AIV genomes collected from wild birds collected over 15 years we show that Australia is a global sink for AIV diversity and not integrally linked with the Eurasian gene pool.

The Ecology and Evolution of Japanese Encephalitis Virus.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus mainly spread by mosquitoes that currently has a geographic distribution across most of Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. Infection with JEV can cause Japanese encephalitis (JE), a severe disease with a high mortality rate, which also results in ongoing sequalae in many survivors. The natural reservoir of JEV is ardeid wading birds, such as egrets and herons, but pigs commonly play an important role as an amplifying host during outbreaks in human populations.

The Concurrent Detection of Chelonid Alphaherpesvirus 5 and Papillomavirus 1 in Tumoured and Non-Tumoured Green Turtles.

Characterised by benign tumours, fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a debilitating disease that predominantly afflicts the endangered green turtle (). A growing body of histological and molecular evidence has associated FP tumours with Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5). However, a recent study which detected both ChHV5 and papillomavirus 1 (CmPV1) DNA in FP tumour tissues has challenged this hypothesis.

Diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the Middle Fly District of Western Province, Papua New Guinea: microbead-based spoligotyping using DNA from Ziehl-Neelsen-stained microscopy preparations.

Tuberculosis remains the world's leading cause of death from an infectious agent, and is a serious health problem in Papua New Guinea (PNG) with an estimated 36,000 new cases each year. This study describes the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis among tuberculosis patients in the Balimo/Bamu region in the Middle Fly District of Western Province in PNG, and investigates rifampicin resistance-associated mutations. Archived Ziehl-Neelsen-stained sputum smears were used to conduct microbead-based spoligotyping and assess genotypic resistance.

Molecular Evidence of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in the Balimo Region of Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has a high burden of tuberculosis (TB), including drug-resistant TB (DR-TB). DR-TB has been identified in patients in Western Province, although there has been limited study outside the provincial capital of Daru. This study focuses on the Balimo region of Western Province, aiming to identify the proportion of DR-TB, and characterise (MTB) drug resistance-associated gene mutations.

Closing the gap: mixed stock analysis of three foraging populations of green turtles () on the Great Barrier Reef.

A solid understanding of the spatial ecology of green turtles () is fundamental to their effective conservation. Yet this species, like many marine migratory species, is challenging to monitor and manage because they utilise a variety of habitats that span wide spatio-temporal scales. To further elucidate the connectivity between green turtle rookeries and foraging populations, we sequenced the mtDNA control region of 278 turtles across three foraging sites from the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) spanning more than 330 km: Cockle Bay, Green Island and Low Isles.

Discovery of an Australian Chelonia mydas papillomavirus via green turtle primary cell culture and qPCR.

The number of reptilian viruses detected are continuously increasing due to improvements and developments of new diagnostic techniques. In this case we used primary cell culture and qPCR to describe the first Australian Chelonia mydas papillomavirus. Commercial chelonian cell lines are limited to one cell line from a terrestrial turtle (Terrapene Carolina).

Molecular diagnosis of suspected tuberculosis from archived smear slides from the Balimo region, Papua New Guinea.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious health problem in Papua New Guinea (PNG) with an estimated 30000 new cases and 3800 deaths each year. In the Balimo region of the Western Province, diagnosis relies on clinical manifestations and on the microscopic detection of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in sputum smears, a technique with limited sensitivity.

Methods: A molecular diagnosis assay targeting DNA extracted from archived sputum smear slides collected from the Balimo region (2012-2014) was conducted, without the need for a viable culture.

Molecular characterization of Trichuris serrata.

Trichuris serrata, a whipworm of cats, can cause inflammation in the cecum and upper portion of the large intestine. It is unknown if the virulence and pathology of T. serrata differ from Trichuris campanula, the other species in cats.

Seroepidemiology of melioidosis in children from a remote region of Papua New Guinea.

Background: The Balimo region in Papua New Guinea has previously been identified as melioidosis-endemic with a predilection for children. Where health resources are scarce, seroepidemiology can be used to assess exposure to Burkholderia pseudomallei and therefore risk of acquiring melioidosis.

Methods: Logistic regression was used to determine associations between indirect haemagglutination assay (IHA) seroreactivity with environmental and demographic/cultural factors to aid in determining risk factors associated with exposure to B.

Epidemiology of avian influenza in wild aquatic birds in a biosecurity hotspot, North Queensland, Australia.

Migratory birds may introduce highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza from Southeast Asia into Australia via North Queensland, a key stopover along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, with severe consequences for trade and human health. A 3-year repeated cross sectional study on the epidemiology of avian influenza in Australian nomadic wild aquatic birds was conducted in this potential biosecurity hotspot using molecular and serological techniques. Avian influenza virus subtypes H6 and H9 were commonly present in the studied population.

Risk factors for H7 and H9 infection in commercial poultry farm workers in provinces within Pakistan.

A cross sectional survey was conducted involving 354 farm poultry workers on 85 randomly selected commercial poultry farms in high density poultry farm areas in Pakistan to estimate the sero-prevalence of H5, H7 and H9 and to identify the potential risk factors for infection with the avian influenza virus. A haemagglutination inhibition test titre at 1:160 dilution was considered positive, based on WHO guidelines. The estimated sero-prevalence was 0% for H5, 21.

Molecular epidemiology of influenza A (H5N1) viruses, Bangladesh, 2007-2011.

To investigate the origins, evolution and patterns of spread of HPAI H5N1 outbreaks in Bangladesh, we performed a phylogenetic reconstruction analysis using Bayesian methods. The analysis was conducted using 81 hemagglutinin (HA) gene sequences from the H5N1 viruses isolated in Bangladesh from 2007 to 2011, together with 264 publicly available HA sequences of clade 2.2, 2.

A door-to-door prevalence study of feline immunodeficiency virus in an Australian suburb.

A door-to-door survey was conducted within the limits of the suburb of Douglas in northern Queensland, Australia, to determine the prevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection in the overall population of domestic cats. Previous FIV prevalence studies have relied on convenience sampling strategies, leaving out an important group of pet cats that do not receive regular veterinary attention. Saliva was selected for testing because collection was non-invasive and was likely to achieve a high rate of participation.

Biogeography of Burkholderia pseudomallei in the Torres Strait Islands of Northern Australia.

It has been hypothesized that biogeographical boundaries are a feature of Burkholderia pseudomallei ecology, and they impact the epidemiology of melioidosis on a global scale. This study examined the relatedness of B. pseudomallei sourced from islands in the Torres Strait of Northern Australia to determine if the geography of isolated island communities is a determinant of the organisms' dispersal.

A case study of the evaluation of a public health intervention.

Large public health interventions to control infectious disease outbreaks are common, but rigorous evaluation to improve the quality and effectiveness of these is rarely undertaken. Following a large community-based clinic to prevent a hepatitis A outbreak, a multifaceted and multidisciplinary evaluation was conducted involving consumers, health professionals and industry partners. The results of this evaluation were used to produce practical operational guidelines for the planning and conduct of future interventions.

Antigenic and genetic typing of Whataroa viruses in Australia.

We recently characterized three novel alphaviruses isolated from mosquitoes captured in New South Wales, Australia. Initial cross-neutralization studies revealed antigenic similarity to the Sindbis virus (SINV)-like Whataroa virus (WHAV), heretofore found only in New Zealand. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that the WHAV-like viruses shared >99% nucleotide sequence similarity with each other, and 96-97% similarity with prototype WHAV.

Evidence for non-ribosomal peptide synthetase production of cereulide (the emetic toxin) in Bacillus cereus.

Little is known about the process whereby the emetic toxin (or cereulide) of Bacillus cereus is produced. Two cereulide-producing strains of B. cereus were cloned and sequenced following polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification with primers that were specific for conserved regions of non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) genes.