Characterising Eastern Grey Kangaroos () as Hosts of .

Macropods are often implicated as the main native Australian reservoir hosts of (Q fever); however, the maintenance and transmission capacity of these species are poorly understood. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to describe the epidemiology of in a high-density population of eastern grey kangaroos () in a peri-urban coastal nature reserve in New South Wales, Australia. Blood, faeces and swabs were collected from forty kangaroos as part of a population health assessment.

Tissue distribution of Coxiella burnetii and antibody responses in macropods co-grazing with livestock in Queensland, Australia.

Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is a zoonotic bacteria of global public health significance. The organism has a complex, diverse, and relatively poorly understood animal reservoir but there is increasing evidence that macropods play some part in the epidemiology of Q fever in Australia. The aim of this cross-sectional survey was to estimate the animal- and tissue-level prevalence of coxiellosis amongst eastern grey (Macropus giganteus) and red (Osphranter rufus) kangaroos co-grazing with domestic cattle in a Q fever endemic area in Queensland.

Gaps and inconsistencies in the current knowledge and implementation of biosafety and biosecurity practices for rickettsial pathogens.

Introduction: Rickettsia spp. and Orientia spp. are the causes of neglected infections that can lead to severe febrile and systemic illnesses in humans.

Synthetic Particulate Subunit Vaccines for the Prevention of Q Fever.

Coxiella burnetti is an intracellular bacterium that causes Q fever, a disease of worldwide importance. Q-VAX , the approved human Q fever vaccine, is a whole cell vaccine associated with safety concerns. Here a safe particulate subunit vaccine candidate is developed that is ambient-temperature stable and can be cost-effectively manufactured.

The presence of Rickettsia felis in communities in the central highlands of Vietnam.

Rickettsia felis is an emerging flea-borne spotted fever pathogen that causes febrile illness in humans. In Vietnam, R. felis was detected in hospitalized patients, but there is no information on its presence in the Vietnamese community.

Q fever immunology: the quest for a safe and effective vaccine.

Q fever is an infectious zoonotic disease, caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Transmission occurs from livestock to humans through inhalation of a survival form of the bacterium, the Small Cell Variant, often via handling of animal parturition products. Q fever manifests as an acute self-limiting febrile illness or as a chronic disease with complications such as vasculitis and endocarditis.

Molecular detection of Rickettsia sp. genotype RF2125 from household dogs in the central highlands of Vietnam.

Rickettsia felis, a zoonotic vector-borne bacteria, is reported globally in humans, animals, and its invertebrate hosts. This study was designed to detect antibodies against R. felis and the DNA of R.

A Novel Marine Mammal -Genome Sequencing Identifies a New Genotype with Potential Virulence.

The obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen has been identified in a few species of marine mammals, some of which are showing population declines. It has been hypothesized that in marine mammals is a distinct genotype that varies significantly from the typical terrestrial genotypes. It appears to lack an IS1111.

Unravelling the Diversity of Microorganisms in Ticks from Australian Wildlife.

Ticks and tick-borne pathogens pose a significant threat to the health and welfare of humans and animals. Our knowledge about pathogens carried by ticks of Australian wildlife is limited. This study aimed to characterise ticks and tick-borne microorganisms from a range of wildlife species across six sites in Victoria, Australia.

Pacific Gulls () as Potential Vectors of in an Australian Fur Seal Breeding Colony.

Recently, has been described as a novel pathogen potentially contributing to decreased pup production in Australian fur seals (AusFS, ). Pacific gulls (PGs, ) are known to scavenge AusFS placental material during the fur seal breeding season. It is hypothesized that PGs may act as vectors for this pathogen.

The Troublesome Ticks Research Protocol: Developing a Comprehensive, Multidiscipline Research Plan for Investigating Human Tick-Associated Disease in Australia.

In Australia, there is a paucity of data about the extent and impact of zoonotic tick-related illnesses. Even less is understood about a multifaceted illness referred to as Debilitating Symptom Complexes Attributed to Ticks (DSCATT). Here, we describe a research plan for investigating the aetiology, pathophysiology, and clinical outcomes of human tick-associated disease in Australia.

An O-Specific Polysaccharide/Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine Induces Protection in Guinea Pigs against Virulent Challenge with .

Q fever is caused by the bacterium and is spread to humans from infected animals especially goats, sheep and cattle, predominantly when giving birth. There is an effective human vaccine (Q-VAX) against Q fever, and although Q fever is a worldwide problem, the vaccine is only used in Australia due to difficulties associated with its use and the risk of adverse reactions. The desire to protect humans, particularly farmers and abattoir workers, from Q fever prompted the development of a new safe and effective human vaccine without all the difficulties associated with the current vaccine.

Investigation of in Patients Suspected of Having Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever.

is the causative agent of Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF). Misdiagnosis of MSF may occur with febrile syndromes associated with rash and thrombocytopenia, such as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of among serum samples obtained from 260 suspected CCHF patients with features of MSF in Iran (2018-2020).

The incidence of infection in rural South India.

Scrub typhus is a common bacterial infection in Asia caused by . This serological cohort study estimated the incidence of infection in a rural population in South India. Participants were enrolled through systematic sampling in 46 villages at baseline, and revisited the following year.

Comparison of the Serion IgM ELISA and Microscopic Agglutination Test for diagnosis of Leptospira spp. infections in sera from different geographical origins and estimation of Leptospira seroprevalence in the Wiwa indigenous population from Colombia.

Leptospirosis is among the most important zoonotic diseases in (sub-)tropical countries. The research objective was to evaluate the accuracy of the Serion IgM ELISA EST125M against the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT = imperfect reference test); to assess its ability to diagnose acute leptospirosis infections and to detect previous exposure to leptospires in an endemic setting. In addition, to estimate the overall Leptospira spp.

Validation of an Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay and Commercial Q Fever Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Use in Macropods.

Kangaroos are considered to be an important reservoir of Q fever in Australia, although there is limited knowledge on the true prevalence and distribution of coxiellosis in Australian macropod populations. Serological tests serve as useful surveillance tools, but formal test validation is needed to be able to estimate true seroprevalence rates, and few tests have been validated to screen wildlife species for Q fever. In this study, we modified and optimized a phase-specific indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for the detection of IgG antibodies against Coxiella burnetii in macropod sera.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection by microRNA profiling of the upper respiratory tract.

Host biomarkers are increasingly being considered as tools for improved COVID-19 detection and prognosis. We recently profiled circulating host-encoded microRNA (miRNAs) during SARS-CoV-2 infection, revealing a signature that classified COVID-19 cases with 99.9% accuracy.

Serological Evidence of Exposure to Spotted Fever Group and Typhus Group Rickettsiae in Australian Wildlife Rehabilitators.

Rickettsioses are arthropod-borne zoonotic diseases, several of which occur in Australia. This study aimed to assess the exposure levels and risk factors for spp. among Australian wildlife rehabilitators (AWRs) using serology, PCR and a questionnaire.