The Dissemination of a Single Strain, -t2873, as the Predominant Cause of Bovine Mastitis in Israeli Dairy Farms.

is one of the most important pathogens causing intramammary infection (IMI) in dairy herds. The goals of this study were (1) to describe the prevalence of in Israeli dairy farms; (2) to characterize the -based clonal structure of mastitis-related isolates; (3) to analyze the transmission network of a large outbreak within a single farm and (4) to characterize the virulence factors of the outbreak strain. The prevalence and the molecular survey were performed on all Israeli IMI-related isolates, 9.

From six to zero per cent subsp. milk ELISA positivity in three years - probably induced by .

This research communication reports the results of a study aimed at investigating the effects of introducing Mycobacterium vaccae on paratuberculosis carriage in a dairy herd. M. vaccae is a non-pathogenic member of the Mycobacteriaceae, with immunomodulatory and immunotherapeutic capabilities, acting by stimulating the cellular immune system, important in protection against paratuberculosis.

Genomics-based epidemiology of bovine Mycoplasma bovis strains in Israel.

Background: Mycoplasma bovis is an important etiologic agent of bovine mycoplasmosis affecting cattle production and animal welfare. In the past in Israel, M. bovis has been most frequently associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and was rarely isolated from mastitis.

Importance of Resolving Fungal Nomenclature: the Case of Multiple Pathogenic Species in the Genus.

Cryptococcosis is a major fungal disease caused by members of the and species complexes. After more than 15 years of molecular genetic and phenotypic studies and much debate, a proposal for a taxonomic revision was made. The two varieties within were raised to species level, and the same was done for five genotypes within .

Recognition of seven species in the Cryptococcus gattii/Cryptococcus neoformans species complex.

Phylogenetic analysis of 11 genetic loci and results from many genotyping studies revealed significant genetic diversity with the pathogenic Cryptococcus gattii/Cryptococcus neoformans species complex. Genealogical concordance, coalescence-based, and species tree approaches supported the presence of distinct and concordant lineages within the complex. Consequently, we propose to recognize the current C.

Redescription of Clinostomum phalacrocoracis metacercariae (Digenea: Clinostomidae) in cichlids from Lake Kinneret, Israel.

Clinostomidae are digeneans characterized by a complex taxonomic history, continuously under revision based on both morphological and molecular analysis. Among the 14 species considered valid so far Clinostomum phalacrocoracis has been well described only at the adult stage, whereas the morphology of the metacercarial stage has been reported only once. During a parasitological survey carried out on 262 wild cichlids sampled from Lake Kinneret (Israel) metacercariae referable to C.

The fatal fungal outbreak on Vancouver Island is characterized by enhanced intracellular parasitism driven by mitochondrial regulation.

In 1999, the population of Vancouver Island, Canada, began to experience an outbreak of a fatal fungal disease caused by a highly virulent lineage of Cryptococcus gattii. This organism has recently spread to the Canadian mainland and Pacific Northwest, but the molecular cause of the outbreak remains unknown. Here we show that the Vancouver Island outbreak (VIO) isolates have dramatically increased their ability to replicate within macrophages of the mammalian immune system in comparison with other C.

Induction of interleukin-1beta, tumour necrosis factor-alpha and apoptosis in mouse organs by amphotericin B is neutralized by conjugation with arabinogalactan.

Objectives: To investigate the possibilities that: (i) organ toxicity of amphotericin B-deoxycholate (AMB-DOC) is related to induction of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and apoptosis in target organs; and (ii) the reduced toxicity resulting from the conjugation of AMB with water-soluble arabinogalactan (AMB-AG), is related to modulation of these parameters.

Methods: Organ expression of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in mouse organ biological fluids and in situ by immunohistochemistry. Tissue damage was evaluated histologically, and apoptosis was demonstrated by terminal dUTP nick end-labelling (TUNEL) staining.

Distribution of amphotericin B-arabinogalactan conjugate in mouse tissue and its therapeutic efficacy against murine aspergillosis.

The pharmacokinetic characteristics and tissue distribution of a novel water-soluble, nontoxic amphotericin B-arabinogalactan (AMB-AG) conjugate exhibited distinct differences from those of micellar and liposomal amphotericin B formulations. These differences included extended persistence of drug in the body and its accumulation in the lungs; thus, the AMB-AG conjugate was highly effective in treating systemic murine aspergillosis.