Effect of High Temperature Exposure and Laboratory Processing Techniques on the Diagnostic Performance of Dry Swabs for the Detection of African Swine Fever Virus.

One of the key surveillance strategies for the early detection of an African swine fever (ASF) incursion into a country is the sampling of wild or feral pig populations. In Australia, the remote northern regions are considered a risk pathway for ASF incursion due to the combination of high numbers of feral pigs and their close proximity to countries where ASF is present. These regions primarily consist of isolated arid rangelands with high average environmental temperatures.

Detection of Clade 2.3.4.4b Avian Influenza A(H5N8) Virus in Cambodia, 2021.

In late 2021, highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N8) clade 2.3.4.

Analysis of acidified feed components containing African swine fever virus.

Mitigation of African swine fever (ASF) virus in contaminated feed materials would assist control activities. Various finely-ground pig feed ingredients (5 cereals, 4 plant proteins, 2 animal proteins, 1 oil, 1 compound) were sprayed and mixed thoroughly with a buffered formic acid formulation (0, 1 or 2% vol/vol) to produce a consistent and durable level of formate (1% or 2%) with consistent acidification of cereal ingredients to less than pH 4. No such acidification was noted in other ingredients.

In vitro characterisation of SARS-CoV-2 and susceptibility of domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo).

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emerging virus that has caused significant human morbidity and mortality since its detection in late 2019. With the rapid emergence has come an unprecedented programme of vaccine development with at least 300 candidates under development. Ferrets have proven to be an appropriate animal model for testing safety and efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines due to quantifiable virus shedding in nasal washes and oral swabs.

Correction: ADAMTS5 Is a Critical Regulator of Virus-Specific T Cell Immunity.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.

Influenza A Virus Infection Induces Viral and Cellular Defective Ribosomal Products Encoded by Alternative Reading Frames.

The importance of antiviral CD8 T cell recognition of alternative reading frame (ARF)-derived peptides is uncertain. In this study, we describe an epitope (NS1-ARF2) present in a predicted 14-residue peptide encoded by the +1 register of NS1 mRNA in the influenza A virus (IAV). NS1-ARF2 elicits a robust, highly functional CD8 T cell response in IAV-infected BALB/c mice.

A Review of DNA Vaccines Against Influenza.

The challenges of effective vaccination against influenza are gaining more mainstream attention, as recent influenza seasons have reported low efficacy in annual vaccination programs worldwide. Combined with the potential emergence of novel influenza viruses resulting in a pandemic, the need for effective alternatives to egg-produced conventional vaccines has been made increasingly clear. DNA vaccines against influenza have been in development since the 1990s, but the initial excitement over success in murine model trials has been tempered by comparatively poor performance in larger animal models.

Isolation of a divergent strain of Rickettsia japonica from Dew's Australian bat Argasid ticks (Argas (Carios) dewae) in Victoria, Australia.

A divergent strain of Rickettsia japonica was isolated from a Dew's Australian bat argasid tick, Argas (Carios) dewae, collected in southern Victoria, Australia and a full-genome analysis along with sequencing of 5 core gene fragments was undertaken. This isolate was designated Rickettsia japonica str. argasii (ATCC VR-1665, CSUR R179).

Enhanced immunogenicity following miR-155 incorporation into the influenza A virus genome.

Influenza A vaccine efficacy in the elderly is generally poor and so identification of novel molecular adjuvants to improve immunogenicity is important to reduce the overall burden of disease. Short non-coding RNAs, known as microRNAs (miRNAs) are known to regulate gene expression and have the potential to influence immune responses. One such miRNA, miR-155, has been shown to modulate T and B cell development and function.

ADAMTS5 Is a Critical Regulator of Virus-Specific T Cell Immunity.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides physical scaffolding for cellular constituents and initiates biochemical and biomechanical cues that are required for physiological activity of living tissues. The ECM enzyme ADAMTS5, a member of the ADAMTS (A Disintegrin-like and Metalloproteinase with Thrombospondin-1 motifs) protein family, cleaves large proteoglycans such as aggrecan, leading to the destruction of cartilage and osteoarthritis. However, its contribution to viral pathogenesis and immunity is currently undefined.

Sebia Capillarys 2 versus the Helena Biosciences V8 capillary electrophoresis analyser for carbohydrate-deficient transferrin measurement: comparison and analytical evaluation.

This study compares two automated capillary electrophoresis (CE) systems, the Capillarys 2 (Sebia, Surrey, UK) and V8 (Helena Biosciences, Tyne and Wear, UK) for the measurement of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT). Analytical imprecision was calculated for both platforms using internal quality control material from Sebia and Helena Biosciences, while a patient comparison was performed on 150 patient samples with CDT% levels ranging from 0.3% to 23.

miRNA modulation of SOCS1 using an influenza A virus delivery system.

Difficulties associated with efficient delivery and targeting of miRNAs to cells is hampering the real world application of miRNA technology. This study utilized an influenza A-based delivery system to express miR-155 in order to knockdown SOCS1 mRNA. Using qPCR and dual luciferase technology we show that miR-155 delivery resulted in a significant increase in cellular miR-155 which facilitated a downregulation of SOCS1 gene expression and a functional increase in IL-6 and IFN-β cytokines.

Diversity of the 47-kD HtrA nucleic acid and translated amino acid sequences from 17 recent human isolates of Orientia.

Orientia tsutsugamushi, the etiologic agent of potentially fatal scrub typhus, is characterized by a high antigenic diversity, which complicates the development of a broadly protective vaccine. Efficacy studies in murine and nonhuman primate models demonstrated the DNA vaccine candidate pKarp47, based upon the O. tsutsugamushi Karp 47-kD HtrA protein gene, to be a successful immunoprophylactic against scrub typhus.

Promotion of Hendra virus replication by microRNA 146a.

Hendra virus is a highly pathogenic zoonotic paramyxovirus in the genus Henipavirus. Thirty-nine outbreaks of Hendra virus have been reported since its initial identification in Queensland, Australia, resulting in seven human infections and four fatalities. Little is known about cellular host factors impacting Hendra virus replication.

First probable Australian cases of human infection with Rickettsia felis (cat-flea typhus).

Human infection with Rickettsia felis has been reported in most parts of the world, and R. felis has recently been confirmed in cat fleas in Western Australia. The clinical presentations of R.

Microbial ecology of autothermal thermophilic aerobic digester (ATAD) systems for treating waste activated sludge.

Despite their widespread use, our understanding of the microbial ecology of the autothermal thermophilic aerobic digesters (ATAD) used to dispose of sludge from wastewater treatment plants is poor. Applying both culture-dependent and molecular methods to two ATAD systems in Victoria, Australia treating different wastewaters revealed that their communities were highly specialized. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiling suggested differences in their population compositions and both changed over time.

Isolation of a novel Orientia species (O. chuto sp. nov.) from a patient infected in Dubai.

In July 2006, an Australian tourist returning from Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), developed acute scrub typhus. Her signs and symptoms included fever, myalgia, headache, rash, and eschar. Orientia tsutsugamushi serology demonstrated a 4-fold rise in antibody titers in paired serum collections (1:512 to 1:8,192), with the sera reacting strongest against the Gilliam strain antigen.

Serological prevalence study of exposure of cats and dogs in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia to spotted fever group rickettsiae.

A sero-epidemiological study of cats and dogs in the Launceston area of Tasmania, Australia was undertaken to determine the prevalence of antibodies to spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae. Results showed that 59% of cats and 57% of dogs were positive for antibodies, but there was no correlation between the animal's health and seropositivity at the time of testing, suggesting that rickettsial exposure is unrelated to ill-health in these two species of domestic animals.

Novel rickettsia in ticks, Tasmania, Australia.

A novel rickettsia was detected in Ixodes tasmani ticks collected from Tasmanian devils. A total of 55% were positive for the citrate synthase gene by quantitative PCR. According to current criteria for rickettsia speciation, this new rickettsia qualifies as Candidatus Rickettsia tasmanensis, named after the location of its detection.

The in situ physiology of "Nostocoida limicola" II, a filamentous bacterial morphotype in bulking activated sludge, using fluorescence in situ hybridization and microautoradiography.

The in situ physiology of the actinobacterial bulking and foaming filamentous bacterium "Nostocoida limicola" II was studied by fluorescence in situ hybridization/microautoradiography. Substrate assimilation patterns of pure cultures of this bacterium were different to those seen in activated sludge biomass samples. There was no evidence to suggest that "N.

Randomised trial of compliance with screening for colorectal cancer.

A randomised trial of compliance with screening for colorectal cancer by means of the haemoccult test was conducted in Farnborough and Basingstoke districts. In each of the 14 participating practices (41 general practitioners) 25 852 men and women aged between 40 and 70 years were randomly allocated by household to one of six groups. The group determined the method of invitation to screening: a letter and the test were sent to the patient, or a letter with an appointment to attend the surgery was sent, or during a routine consultation the general practitioner invited patients to participate, and some patients received an educational booklet about bowel disorders and screening.

An evaluation of nephelometry and complement-based tests for the detection of circulating immune complexes.

Sera from 20 normal adult control subjects and 28 patients suffering from various diseases which may be associated with an immune complex disorder were investigated, using three different techniques for detection of circulating immune complexes (CICs). The sera from the patients were assigned expected positive or negative ratings by the clinicians according to clinical and laboratory criteria. This information as well as the diagnoses was withheld until the results of immune complex determinations were available.