Impact of wet-lab protocols on quality of whole-genome short-read sequences from foodborne microbial pathogens.

For successful elucidation of a food-borne infection chain, the availability of high-quality sequencing data from suspected microbial contaminants is a prerequisite. Commonly, those investigations are a joint effort undertaken by different laboratories and institutes. To analyze the extent of variability introduced by differing wet-lab procedures on the quality of the sequence data we conducted an interlaboratory study, involving four bacterial pathogens, which account for the majority of food-related bacterial infections: spp.

Benchmarking and Validation of a Bioinformatics Workflow for Meat Species Identification Using 16S rDNA Metabarcoding.

DNA-metabarcoding is becoming more widely used for routine authentication of meat-based food and feed products. Several methods validating species identification methods through amplicon sequencing have already been published. These use a variety of barcodes and analysis workflows, however, no methodical comparison of available algorithms and parameter optimization are published hitherto for meat-based products' authenticity.

Identification of Mammalian and Poultry Species in Food and Pet Food Samples Using 16S rDNA Metabarcoding.

The substitution of more appreciated animal species by animal species of lower commercial value is a common type of meat product adulteration. DNA metabarcoding, the combination of DNA barcoding with next-generation sequencing (NGS), plays an increasing role in food authentication. In the present study, we investigated the applicability of a DNA metabarcoding method for routine analysis of mammalian and poultry species in food and pet food products.

characterization and genetic diversity of field strains.

(BA) is a respiratory pathogen of particular importance for turkeys. Specific adherence and damage to the respiratory epithelia are crucial steps of the pathogenesis, but knowledge about the mechanisms and the variety of virulence in field strains is limited. We analysed 17 BA field strains regarding their virulence-associated properties in tracheal organ cultures (TOC) of turkey embryos, and their genetic diversity.

Fast attrition of springtail communities by experimental drought and richness-decomposition relationships across Europe.

Soil fauna play a fundamental role on key ecosystem functions like organic matter decomposition, although how local assemblages are responding to climate change and whether these changes may have consequences to ecosystem functioning is less clear. Previous studies have revealed that a continued environmental stress may result in poorer communities by filtering out the most sensitive species. However, these experiments have rarely been applied to climate change factors combining multiyear and multisite standardized field treatments across climatically contrasting regions, which has limited drawing general conclusions.

Identification of a novel clade of group A rotaviruses in fatally diseased domestic pigeons in Europe.

Rotaviruses are well-known causative agents of enteric disorders in humans and other mammals, but little is known about their virulence and pathogenic role in pigeons and other birds. Starting in summer 2017, a series of outbreaks of an acute disease with high mortalities was reported in domestic pigeons in Germany, Belgium and Denmark. The clinical picture was characterized by diarrhoea, vomiting, hepatic necrosis and sudden fatalities.

First approach validating a scoring system for foot-pad dermatitis in broiler chickens developed for application in practice.

Measuring the severity of foot-pad dermatitis is an accepted tool monitoring the quality of animal husbandry and welfare. Up to now, a variety of scoring schemes have been used, most of them based on visual evaluation. However, a standardisation and validation of scoring systems is beneficial, not only to compare different studies, but to provide objective indicators in poultry welfare.

NS Segment of a 1918 Influenza A Virus-Descendent Enhances Replication of H1N1pdm09 and Virus-Induced Cellular Immune Response in Mammalian and Avian Systems.

The 2009 pandemic influenza A virus (IAV) H1N1 strain (H1N1pdm09) has widely spread and is circulating in humans and swine together with other human and avian IAVs. This fact raises the concern that reassortment between H1N1pdm09 and co-circulating viruses might lead to an increase of H1N1pdm09 pathogenicity in different susceptible host species. Herein, we explored the potential of different NS segments to enhance the replication dynamics, pathogenicity and host range of H1N1pdm09 strain A/Giessen/06/09 (Gi-wt).

Establishment of a Bordetella avium challenge model in turkeys.

Despite the importance of Bordetella avium (BA) as a respiratory pathogen of young turkeys, no infection model for the evaluation of BA-vaccine efficacy is available. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of route and dose of infection on the establishment of a BA-challenge model. In our first experiment, 28-day-old turkeys were either inoculated oculonasally with 10, 10 or 10 colony forming units (CFU) of BA per bird or exposed to BA by aerosol with 10-10 CFU/m.

New Avian Hepadnavirus in Palaeognathous Bird, Germany.

In 2015, we identified an avian hepatitis B virus associated with hepatitis in a group of captive elegant-crested tinamous (Eudromia elegans) in Germany. The full-length genome of this virus shares <76% sequence identity with other avihepadnaviruses. The virus may therefore be considered a new extant avian hepadnavirus.

Colonization patterns of Enterococcus cecorum in two different broiler production cycles detected with a newly developed quantitative real-time PCR.

Background: Although Enterococcus cecorum (EC) infection is one of the most important bacterial diseases in modern broiler chickens today, many aspects of epidemiology and pathogenesis are still unknown. There is a need for better detection methods for EC than classical cultivation. In the present study, we describe the validation and application of a newly developed quantitative TaqMan real-time PCR (qPCR) assay based on the 16S-rRNA-gene for the detection of EC.

Susceptibility of primary chicken intestinal epithelial cells for low pathogenic avian influenza virus and velogenic viscerotropic Newcastle disease virus.

Avian influenza virus (AIV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) share a high tropism for the avian respiratory epithelium and may cause severe clinical disease associated with high mortality. Both viruses have different pathotypes, which may lead to differences in the severity of the disease. Respiratory epithelial cells were shown to be the primary target cells for infection and replication.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum modifies the pathogenesis of influenza A virus in the avian tracheal epithelium.

Multiple respiratory infections have a significant impact on health and economy. Pathogenesis of co-infecting viruses and bacteria and their interaction with mucosal surfaces are poorly characterized. In this study we established a co-infection model based on pre-incubation of tracheal organ cultures (TOC) with Mycoplasma (M.

Efficient generation of recombinant influenza A viruses employing a new approach to overcome the genetic instability of HA segments.

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are the most relevant and continual source of severe infectious respiratory complications in humans and different animal species, especially poultry. Therefore, an efficient vaccination that elicits protective and neutralizing antibodies against the viral hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) is an important strategy to counter annual epidemics or occasional pandemics. With the help of plasmid-based reverse genetics technology, it is possible that IAV vaccine strains (IVVS) are rapidly generated.

Reassortment of NS segments modifies highly pathogenic avian influenza virus interaction with avian hosts and host cells.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) of subtypes H5 and H7 have caused numerous outbreaks in diverse poultry species and rising numbers of human infections. Both HPAIV subtypes support a growing concern of a pandemic outbreak, specifically via the avian-human link. Natural reassortment of both HPAIV subtypes is a possible event with unpredictable outcome for virulence and host specificity of the progeny virus for avian and mammalian species.

Molecular evidence of very virulent infectious bursal disease viruses in chickens in Ethiopia.

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is an important immunosuppressive pathogen of chickens worldwide. The introduction and evolution of IBDV in most African countries, especially in Ethiopia, remains unclear. We have investigated IBDV isolates obtained from commercial broilers, indigenous chickens, and pullets.

Replication and adaptive mutations of low pathogenic avian influenza viruses in tracheal organ cultures of different avian species.

Transmission of avian influenza viruses (AIV) between different avian species may require genome mutations that allow efficient virus replication in a new species and could increase virulence. To study the role of domestic poultry in the evolution of AIV we compared replication of low pathogenic (LP) AIV of subtypes H9N2, H7N7 and H6N8 in tracheal organ cultures (TOC) and primary embryo fibroblast cultures of chicken, turkey, Pekin duck and homing pigeon. Virus strain-dependent and avian species-related differences between LPAIV were observed in growth kinetics and induction of ciliostasis in TOC.

Infection of differentiated porcine airway epithelial cells by influenza virus: differential susceptibility to infection by porcine and avian viruses.

Background: Swine are important hosts for influenza A viruses playing a crucial role in the epidemiology and interspecies transmission of these viruses. Respiratory epithelial cells are the primary target cells for influenza viruses.

Methodology/principal Findings: To analyze the infection of porcine airway epithelial cells by influenza viruses, we established precision-cut lung slices as a culture system for differentiated respiratory epithelial cells.

Randomized and double-blinded pilot clinical study of the safety and anti-diabetic efficacy of the Rauvolfia-Citrus tea, as used in Nigerian traditional medicine.

Aim Of The Study: The aim of this randomized and double blinded pilot clinical trial was to investigate the anti-diabetic efficacy of the Rauvolfia-Citrus (RC) tea in humans. We have earlier shown that a combination of calorie-restriction and chronic administration of the RC tea to the genetic diabetic (BKS-db) mice resulted in the normalization of blood sugar, reduction in lipid accumulated in the mice eyes and prevention of the degeneration of the otherwise brittle BKS-db pancreas. The tea is made by boiling foliage of Rauvolfia vomitoria and fruits of Citrus aurantium and is used to treat diabetes in Nigerian folk medicine.

Evaluating differences in linkage disequilibrium between populations.

We propose two methods to evaluate the statistical significance of differences in linkage disequilibrium (LD) between populations, where LD is measured by the standardised parameter D'. The first method is based on bootstrapping individuals within populations in order to test LD differences for each pair of loci. Using this approach we propose a solution to the problem of testing multiple locus-pairs by means of a single test for the number of pairs that exhibit significant LD differences among populations.

Trichuris suis ova therapy for allergic rhinitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background: Parasitic helminth infections can protect against allergic airway inflammation in experimental models and have been associated with a reduced risk of atopy and a reduced course of asthma in some observational studies. Although no clinical evidence exists to support the use of helminth therapy for allergic disease, the helminth Trichuris suis has demonstrated efficacy in treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Objective: To determine efficacy of helminth therapy for allergic rhinitis.

Plasma organochlorine concentrations and bone ultrasound measurements: a cross-sectional study in peri-and postmenopausal Inuit women from Greenland.

Background: Inuit women are highly exposed through their traditional seafood based diet to organochlorine compounds, some of them displaying endocrine disrupting properties. We hypothesized that this exposure might be related to bone characteristics that are altered in osteoporosis, because hormone deficiency is a known risk factor for the disease.

Methods: We measured quantitative ultrasound parameters (QUS) at the right calcaneum of 153 peri- and postmenopausal Inuit women (49-64 year old) from Nuuk, Greenland, and investigated the relation between these parameters and plasma organochlorine concentrations.

[Fatal cases of poisoning in eastern Denmark during a five-year period (1998-2002)].

Introduction: The goal of this investigation was to determine the pattern of fatal poisonings in eastern Denmark from 1998 to 2002 and compare it with similar investigations from 1979 to 1996.

Materials And Methods: The material included 2,996 autopsies from eastern Denmark in which extensive forensic chemical investigations were performed.

Results: Of the 2,996 autopsies, 694 cases were drug addicts, in whom 497 fatal overdoses were detected, while in the remaining 2,302 cases of nonaddicts, 443 fatal poisonings were determined.

An uncertainty budget for the measurement of ethanol in blood by headspace gas chromatography.

An uncertainty budget was constructed for the measurement of ethanol in blood by headspace gas chromatography. The uncertainty budget, covering the analytical range of ethanol concentrations up to 3.00 g/kg, included analytical uncertainty components, traceability uncertainty components, and effects caused by interindividual variation in blood water content.