Sample-to-answer microfluidic device towards the point-of-need detection of enterotoxin genes in ruminant milk.

Milk is commonly screened both for indicators of animal disease and health, but also for foodborne hazards. Included in these analyses is the detection of , that can produce an enterotoxin, causing staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP), which often leads to sudden onset of significant gastrointestinal symptoms in humans. Epidemiological data on SFP are limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Diversity and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Mycobacterium avium complex clinical isolates in Thailand based on whole genome comparative analysis.

The Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is a group of closely related nontuberculous mycobacteria that can cause various diseases in humans. In this study, genome sequencing, comprehensive genomic analysis, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 66 MAC clinical isolates from King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand were carried out. Whole-genome average nucleotide identity (ANI) revealed the MAC species distribution, comprising 54 (81.

Genomic characterization and virulence gene profiling of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae isolated from widespread muskox mortalities in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

Background: Muskoxen are important ecosystem components and provide food, economic opportunities, and cultural well-being for Indigenous communities in the Canadian Arctic. Between 2010 and 2021, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was isolated from carcasses of muskoxen, caribou, a seal, and an Arctic fox during multiple large scale mortality events in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. A single strain ('Arctic clone') of E.

Advances in Host Depletion and Pathogen Enrichment Methods for Rapid Sequencing-Based Diagnosis of Bloodstream Infection.

Bloodstream infection is a major cause of morbidity and death worldwide. Timely and appropriate treatment can reduce mortality among critically ill patients. Current diagnostic methods are too slow to inform precise antibiotic choice, leading to the prescription of empirical antibiotics, which may fail to cover the resistance profile of the pathogen, risking poor patient outcomes.

sp. nov., associated with mortalities among endangered seabirds.

Infectious diseases threaten endangered species, particularly in small isolated populations. Seabird populations on the remote Amsterdam Island in the Indian Ocean have been in decline for the past three decades, with avian cholera caused by proposed as the primary driver. However, species have also been sporadically detected from albatrosses on Amsterdam Island and may be contributing to some of the observed mortality.

Genomic epidemiology of clinical ESBL-producing in a German hospital suggests infections are primarily community- and regionally-acquired.

Clinical isolates that produce extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) have been increasingly reported at a global scale. However, comprehensive data on the molecular epidemiology of ESBL-producing strains are limited and few studies have been conducted in non-outbreak situations.We used whole-genome sequencing to describe the population structure of 294 ESBL-producing and isolates that were recovered from a German community hospital throughout a 1 year sampling period in a non-outbreak situation.

How GBS Got Its Hump: Genomic Analysis of Group B from Camels Identifies Host Restriction as well as Mobile Genetic Elements Shared across Hosts and Pathogens.

Group B (GBS) literature largely focuses on humans and neonatal disease, but GBS also affects numerous animals, with significant impacts on health and productivity. Spill-over events occur between humans and animals and may be followed by amplification and evolutionary adaptation in the new niche, including changes in the core or accessory genome content. Here, we describe GBS from one-humped camels (), a relatively poorly studied GBS host of increasing importance for food security in arid regions.

Participatory mapping identifies risk areas and environmental predictors of endemic anthrax in rural Africa.

Disease mapping reveals geographical variability in incidence, which can help to prioritise control efforts. However, in areas where this is most needed, resources to generate the required data are often lacking. Participatory mapping, which makes use of indigenous knowledge, is a potential approach to identify risk areas for endemic diseases in low- and middle-income countries.

Target-enrichment sequencing yields valuable genomic data for challenging-to-culture bacteria of public health importance.

Genomic data contribute invaluable information to the epidemiological investigation of pathogens of public health importance. However, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of bacteria typically relies on culture, which represents a major hurdle for generating such data for a wide range of species for which culture is challenging. In this study, we assessed the use of culture-free target-enrichment sequencing as a method for generating genomic data for two bacterial species: (1) which causes anthrax in both people and animals and whose culture requires high-level containment facilities; and (2) , a fastidious emerging human respiratory pathogen.

Population genomics of from an anthrax hyperendemic area reveals transmission processes across spatial scales and unexpected within-host diversity.

Genomic sequencing has revolutionized our understanding of bacterial disease epidemiology, but remains underutilized for zoonotic pathogens in remote endemic settings. Anthrax, caused by the spore-forming bacterium , remains a threat to human and animal health and rural livelihoods in low- and middle-income countries. While the global genomic diversity of has been well-characterized, there is limited information on how its populations are genetically structured at the scale at which transmission occurs, critical for understanding the pathogen's evolution and transmission dynamics.

The fall and rise of group B in dairy cattle: reintroduction due to human-to-cattle host jumps?

Group B (GBS; ) is a major neonatal and opportunistic bacterial pathogen of humans and an important cause of mastitis in dairy cattle with significant impacts on food security. Following the introduction of mastitis control programmes in the 1950s, GBS was nearly eradicated from the dairy industry in northern Europe, followed by re-emergence in the 21st century. Here, we sought to explain this re-emergence based on short and long read sequencing of historical (1953–1978; =44) and contemporary (1997–2012; =76) bovine GBS isolates.

Genomic analysis of group B Streptococcus from milk demonstrates the need for improved biosecurity: a cross-sectional study of pastoralist camels in Kenya.

Background: Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, (GBS)) is the leading cause of mastitis (inflammation of the mammary gland) among dairy camels in Sub-Saharan Africa, with negative implications for milk production and quality and animal welfare. Camel milk is often consumed raw and presence of GBS in milk may pose a public health threat. Little is known about the population structure or virulence factors of camel GBS.

Development and Application of a Prophage Integrase Typing Scheme for Group B .

Group B (GBS) is a gram-positive pathogen mainly affecting humans, cattle, and fishes. Mobile genetic elements play an important role in the evolution of GBS, its adaptation to host species and niches, and its pathogenicity. In particular, lysogenic prophages have been associated with a high virulence of certain strains and with their ability to cause invasive infections in humans.

Practical and effective diagnosis of animal anthrax in endemic low-resource settings.

Anthrax threatens human and animal health, and people's livelihoods in many rural communities in Africa and Asia. In these areas, anthrax surveillance is challenged by a lack of tools for on-site detection. Furthermore, cultural practices and infrastructure may affect sample availability and quality.

Spp.: Past, Present, and Future Directions in Vaccine Research.

spp. comprise a group of small Gram-positive bacteria that can infect a variety of hosts including mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and insects. Among the eight species that have been described to date, only plays a major role in farmed livestock where it is the causative agent of erysipelas.

Genomic and Immunogenic Protein Diversity of Isolated From Pigs in Great Britain: Implications for Vaccine Protection.

Erysipelas, caused by the bacterium , is re-emerging in swine and poultry production systems worldwide. While the global genomic diversity of this species has been characterized, how much of this genomic and functional diversity is maintained at smaller scales is unclear. Specifically, while several key immunogenic surface proteins have been identified for , little is known about their presence among field strains and their divergence from vaccines, which could result in vaccine failure.

An unusual case of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae prosthetic joint infection from the Canadian Arctic: whole genome sequencing unable to identify a zoonotic source.

Background: Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a zoonotic pathogen that causes erysipeloid and is most frequently associated with exposure to domestic swine. Infection of native and prosthetic joints is a rarely reported manifestation.

Case Presentation: We describe a case of E.

One Health Research in Northern Tanzania - Challenges and Progress.

East Africa has one of the world's fastest growing human populations-many of whom are dependent on livestock-as well as some of the world's largest wildlife populations. Humans, livestock, and wildlife often interact closely, intimately linking human, animal, and environmental health. The concept of One Health captures this interconnectedness, including the social structures and beliefs driving interactions between species and their environments.

Bacterial Genomics Reveal the Complex Epidemiology of an Emerging Pathogen in Arctic and Boreal Ungulates.

Northern ecosystems are currently experiencing unprecedented ecological change, largely driven by a rapidly changing climate. Pathogen range expansion, and emergence and altered patterns of infectious disease, are increasingly reported in wildlife at high latitudes. Understanding the causes and consequences of shifting pathogen diversity and host-pathogen interactions in these ecosystems is important for wildlife conservation, and for indigenous populations that depend on wildlife.

Genomic analysis of the multi-host pathogen Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae reveals extensive recombination as well as the existence of three generalist clades with wide geographic distribution.

Background: Knowledge about how bacterial populations are structured is an important prerequisite for studying their ecology and evolutionary history and facilitates inquiry into host specificity, pathogenicity, geographic dispersal and molecular epidemiology. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is an opportunistic pathogen that is currently reemerging in both the swine and poultry industries globally. This bacterium sporadically causes mortalities in captive marine mammals, and has recently been implicated in large-scale wildlife die-offs.

A high-morbidity outbreak of Johne's disease in game-ranched elk.

Following an outbreak of Johne's disease on an elk farm in northern Alberta, Canada, fecal culture, fecal polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests were performed on individual animals. The magnitude of the outbreak is described and the challenges associated with poor test agreement, as well as herd management options, are discussed.

Characterizing rabies epidemiology in remote Inuit communities in Québec, Canada: a "One Health" approach.

Rabies is endemic throughout arctic areas including the region of Nunavik, situated north of the 55th parallel of Québec, Canada, and raises public health concerns. The aim of this paper is to provide a descriptive overview of the temporal and regional distributions of three important components of arctic rabies in Nunavik from 1999 to 2012, following a "One Health" approach: animal rabies tests and confirmed cases, dog vaccination, and human consultations for potential rabies exposures. Forty-four cases of rabies, involving mainly arctic and red foxes, were confirmed in animals during this period.