Publications by authors named "Hassine T"

Article Synopsis
  • Bluetongue virus (BTV) causes bluetongue disease in ruminants and is transmitted mainly by biting midges.
  • Recent discoveries have identified several atypical BTV serotypes that are generally asymptomatic and don't reproduce well in their insect carriers.
  • This report highlights the detection of two atypical BTV strains in Gafsa, Tunisia: the recurring BTV-Y TUN2022 and a new strain called BTV-W TUN2022.
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  • Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a viral disease affecting ruminants, transmitted by midges, and recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health since 2008.
  • In 2021, a major outbreak of EHDV serotype 8 occurred in Tunisia, leading to reports of the virus spreading to Italy, Spain, Portugal, and France, marking its first presence outside Australia since 1982.
  • The study analyzed the outbreak's epidemiology in Tunisia, identifying eco-climatic factors that influenced infection patterns and suggesting that developed risk maps could aid in controlling and preventing future outbreaks in the region.
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Introduction: Since 1999, Tunisia has experienced multiple occurrences of Bluetongue (BT) outbreaks, leading to numerous reported cases of infection and mortality in flocks. The re-emergence of the disease in 2020 caused substantial economic losses in cattle, attributed to the incursion of serotype BTV-4.

Methods: To evaluate the economic impact of the recent BT episode, we conducted a retrospective study on outbreaks that occurred in Tunisia between August and November 2020, focusing on the impact at the owner's level and its effects on both small ruminants and cattle.

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Nowadays, 3D PLA-printed parts are widely used in many applications, essentially using the fused filament fabrication technique. While the influence of printing parameters on quasi-static mechanical characterization has been extensively considered within the literature, there are limited accounts of this effect on fatigue performance. The two main aims of this research are first to investigate the effects of the infill density percentage on the fatigue life of dog-bone samples under rotating bending cycling loads, and second to model the fatigue life using Wöhler and Basquin models.

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  • - EHDV-8, a virus that affects livestock, was first identified in Europe in late 2022, and this study examined its effects on cattle, sheep, and goats after experimental infection.
  • - Infected calves mostly showed symptoms such as fever and lesions, with RNA levels peaking at 7 days post infection and remaining stable for the study's duration, while some sheep exhibited fever and consistent RNAemia, but goats showed no RNA presence.
  • - All species developed an immune response, with calves showing the strongest, indicating that sheep could also be significant in spreading EHDV-8, which is essential information for developing disease control strategies in livestock.
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Article Synopsis
  • Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is caused by the EHD virus (EHDV), which has multiple serotypes, with a new strain called EHDV-8 emerging in Tunisia in late 2021.
  • The study identified EHDV-8 in deer carcasses in Tunisia during 2021 and 2022 and explored potential insect vectors responsible for its transmission, particularly near Tozeur, where it was confirmed in cattle.
  • Genetic analysis revealed that the EHDV-8 sequences from deer and the collected insect vectors were highly similar, indicating close correspondence and confirming the presence of the virus in both species.
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We describe the detection of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) serotype 8 in cattle farms in Sardinia and Sicily in October-November 2022. The virus has a direct origin in North Africa; its genome is identical (>99.9% nucleotide sequence identity) to EHDV serotype 8 strains detected in Tunisia in 2021.

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Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a -borne viral disease caused by the epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) associated with clinical manifestations in domestic and wild ruminants, primarily white-tailed deer () and cattle (). In late September 2021, EHDV was reported in cattle farms in central/western Tunisia. It rapidly spread throughout the country with more than 200 confirmed outbreaks.

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Background: Tunisia has experienced several West Nile virus (WNV) outbreaks since 1997. Yet, there is limited information on the spatial distribution of the main WNV mosquito vector Culex pipiens suitability at the national level.

Objectives: In the present study, our aim was to predict and evaluate the potential and current distribution of Cx.

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Article Synopsis
  • Bluetongue (BT) is a significant viral disease affecting ruminants, recently causing outbreaks in Tunisia during fall 2020, particularly in sheep and cattle.
  • Major eco-climatic factors analyzed include day and night land surface temperatures, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and rainfall, with results indicating specific thresholds for these variables that correspond to increased BT cases.
  • The study emphasizes the need for an effective early warning surveillance program in high-risk areas, leveraging these identified eco-climatic risk factors to better predict BT outbreaks.
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Human rabies is a significant public health concern in Tunisia. However, the spatiotemporal spread pattern of rabies in dogs, the major reservoir and vector, and its determinants are poorly understood. We collected geographic locations and timeline of reported animal rabies cases in the region of CapBon (study area), for the years 2015-2019 and integrated them in Geographical Information System (GIS) approach to explore the spatio-temporal pattern of dog rabies.

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Purpose: NiTi wires are considered as the most appropriate wires to be used during the initial phase of orthodontic treatment. This work presents a numerical method to simulate the coupling between the orthodontic appliance and bone remodeling, which are the two mechanisms responsible for the orthodontic tooth movement.

Methods: The superelastic behavior of a NiTi wire was integrated in a three-dimensional simulation model to reproduce the long-term bone remodeling coupled with tooth alignment using the finite element method.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Three flocks of sentinel chickens were monitored in different regions (Sejnene, Moknine, Tozeur) from September 2016 to January 2017 to check for WNV antibodies and viral RNA.
  • * The study found a WNV positive rate of 10.7% in Sejnene and 9.8% in Tozeur, with two chickens testing positive for the virus; this shows the use of poultry is effective for monitoring WNV transmission.
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West Nile virus (WNV) is an arthropod borne virus of public health importance. The virus is a member of the genus Flavivirus and belongs to the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) antigenic complex under the Flaviviridae family. The WNV is continuously spreading across Tunisia especially in the coastal and Southern area of the country.

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A total of 118 sera were collected during 2016 from two groups of dromedaries from Kebili and Medenine governorates in the south of Tunisia. The aim of this study was to provide the first serological investigation of four emerging vector-borne diseases in two groups of dromedaries in Tunisia. Sera were tested by ELISA and serum neutralisation test to identify West Nile virus (WNV), bluetongue virus (BTV), epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV).

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Article Synopsis
  • West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne illness posing health risks in the Mediterranean and Balkan regions, necessitating constant monitoring and preventative measures.
  • Spatial analysis methods using environmental and climatic data have been employed to identify and predict areas at high risk for WNV transmission, highlighting the importance of mapping ecological suitability.
  • Key factors influencing WNV transmission include altitude, vegetation indices, and temperature variations, with peak suitable conditions occurring primarily in Tunisia, Libya, and parts of Southern Europe during summer and autumn months.
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West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-transmitted Flavivirus belonging to the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of the Flaviviridae family. It is transmitted primarily by the bite of infected mosquitoes, particularly Culex spp. and Aedes/Ochlerotatus spp.

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In the last fifteen years, West Nile Virus (WNV) has dramatically expanded its geographic range and is now considered the most widespread arbovirus in the world. In Tunisia, West Nile Fever (WNF) outbreaks were reported in humans in 1997, 2003 and 2012. Usutu Virus (USUV), which is a 'new' emerging Flavivirus antigenically close to WNV, has never been reported in Tunisia.

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Eco-climatic conditions are often associated with the occurrence of West Nile Disease (WND) cases. Among the complex set of biotic and abiotic factors influencing the emergence and spread of this vector-borne disease, two main variables have been considered to have a great influence on the probability of West Nile Virus (WNV) introduction and circulation in Tunisia: the presence of susceptible bird populations and the existence of geographical areas where the environmental and climatic conditions are more favourable to mosquito multiplications. The aim of this study was to identify and classify the climatic and environmental variables possibly associated with the occurrence of WNVhuman cases in Tunisia.

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Two outbreaks of West Nile Fever (FWN) were observed in the Sahel of Tunisia in 1997 and 2003. Several cases of meningitis and meningoencephalitis have been described in humans during these two outbreaks. However, no animal or clinical findings or seroconversion have been detected despite a high seroprevalence in human beings found around the affected areas.

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