Prevalence and Characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus in Connecticut Swine and Swine Farmers

This study explores the characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in swine and their human handlers in a convenience sample of 35 farms in Connecticut. Husbandry practices are clearly different from better‐known concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) with less intensive rearing conditions. Nasal samples were collected from 263 pigs and nine humans on 35 farms during the 2010 rearing season. Samples were analysed using established microbiology methods, and resulting methicillin‐sensitive (MSSA) and resistant (MRSA) isolates were typed by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and spa typing. PCR was used to detect the presence of the Panton‐Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) gene, a cytotoxin usually associated with CA‐MRSA infection. A farm assessment form and questionnaire were used to obtain the information about husbandry practices and human exposure risk, respectively. Staphylococcus aureus colonized swine and humans were found in 51% (18/35) of the farms sampled at a rate of 30% (85/259) and 22% (2/9), respectively. Eight pigs and two humans were MRSA positive on five farms. MRSA in swine was related to healthcare‐associated (HA), community‐associated (CA) or livestock‐associated (LA) MRSA strains, whereas humans were colonized with HA‐MRSA. On the basis of spa typing, there was evidence of human–animal transmission thereby signifying humanosis/reverse zoonoses. The PVL gene was found in 88% (7/8) of MRSA swine isolates, the first time this gene has been seen in colonized pigs sampled on US farm. MSSA isolates belonged to six spa types: t337 (41%), t034 (12%), t334 (12%), t4529 (12%), t8760 (18%) and t1166 (6%) including LA strains. This is the first time spa type t8760 has been reported and the only MSSA with the PVL gene. In summary, MRSA including LA strains (LA‐MRSA) can be found on small farms with different husbandry practices from CAFOs, suggesting that preventive measures for zoonotic MRSA infection should address a range of animal production.     

A veterinary perspective on methicillin-resistant staphylococci

Objective – To familiarize the reader with the epidemiology, diagnosis, and infectious and zoonotic potential of methicillin-resistant staphylococci.
Data sources – Original research publications, scientific reviews and abstracts, case reports, and conference proceedings.
Human Data Synthesis – Staphylococcus aureus is a common human commensal organism; acquisition of genes encoding an altered penicillin-binding protein confers resistance to β-lactam antimicrobial drugs. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) are often resistant to non–β-lactam antimicrobial drugs as well. Originally described as an important cause of nosocomial infection, MRSA colonization and infection are now often identified in humans outside healthcare settings. Like other S. aureus , MRSA may be present without clinical illness. However, when they do cause infection the consequences can be extremely serious.
Veterinary Data Synthesis – The major domestic animal species, including pets and livestock, may become contaminated, colonized, or infected with methicillin-resistant staphylococci, including MRSA. Dogs and cats are more likely to be colonized/infected with Staphylococcus pseudintermedius than S. aureus , but this pathogen can acquire genes encoding methicillin resistance (ie, MRSP). Diagnosis of MRSA or MRSP has implications not only for treatment of infected animals, but for potential zoonotic transmission.
Conclusions – MRSA infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in humans. Animals may be contaminated, colonized, or infected with MRSA, with implications for the animal's health and as a potential reservoir for human infection. Staphylococci other than S. aureus may also acquire genes for methicillin resistance, and these species can also result in animal and occasionally human morbidity or mortality.     

宠物害虫的危害与药剂防治

近年来,城市居民饲养宠物的越来越多,由此带来人畜共患寄生虫和人畜共患病也越来越多。综合概述了宠物的主要寄生虫以及由宠物带来的可能传染给人的人畜共患病及其主要的防治措施。     

Characterizing multiple linkages between individual diseases,crop health syndromes,germplasm deployment,and rice production situations in India

Five groups of crop health syndromes, four production situations, and three patterns of germplasm deployment were identified and characterized from a data set consisting of information from 129 Indian districts, which were surveyed in 2005 as part of the Production-Oriented Surveys conducted by the Directorate of Rice Research of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. ANOVAs and MANOVAs indicated that these groupings from hierarchical cluster analyses correspond to clearly different levels of disease and animal pest injuries (crop health syndromes): of crop rotation, crop management, agricultural resources, and inputs (production situations); and of deployment of traditional, high yielding, or hybrid plant material (patterns of germplasm deployment). Correspondence analysis and discriminant analyses further indicated that crop health syndromes, and their change, are strongly associated with production situations, and patterns of germplasm deployment. A few specific hypotheses were tested, indicating that false smut is statistically associated with the involvement of hybrid rice in patterns of germplasm deployment. This highlights the need for research on the biology and the epidemiology of this disease in order to develop suitable management tools. Importantly, this work shows that national surveys, such as the Production-Oriented Surveys conducted by the Directorate of Rice Research, generate extremely valuable information to guide research and development through the characterization of production environments, contexts, and crop health responses, in times of unprecedented agricultural change. This work concurs with earlier results obtained at the field level, and thus opens important methodological questions regarding the up- and down-scaling of information between different scales (e.g., field, district). We propose that our ability to predict emerging diseases and crop health syndromes in the face of global and climate change will necessarily entail our ability to link different scales, where a range of different processes, biological and socio-economic, take place.     

施马伦堡病，一种新发现的病毒病

2011年底,一种新病毒在德国发病奶牛中被发现,暂命名为施马伦堡病毒。该病毒也出现在荷兰绵羊群中,主要导致羔羊先天性畸形。至目前,已向OIE通报该病的国家有荷兰、德国、比利时、英国、法国、意大利和卢森堡。为使国内读者对本病有一个较全面了解,本文参照农业部兽医局《一二三类动物疫病释义》体例,将目前已经掌握的相关知识,包括最新疫情情况进行了梳理,并从科学不确定角度提出了一些预警防范性措施和建议。     

血液传播的人猪共患病研究现状

概述了血液传播的人猪共患病包括一些虫媒病毒病、细菌病、寄生虫病和其他传染病的传播途径研究进展,这些人兽共患病中有些是外来人兽共患病,有些是自然疫源性疾病,有些是常见的旅行相关的细菌性疾病.这些病原微生物可通过伤口或昆虫叮咬等方式经血液传播疾病,通过对已研究的经血液传播的人猪共患病传播特点进行总结,为器官移植、动物疫病模...     

Marine Mammal Zoonoses: A Review of Disease Manifestations

Marine mammals evoke strong public affection as well as considerable scientific interest. However, the resultant close contact with marine wildlife poses human health risks, including traumatic injury and zoonotic disease transmission. The majority of zoonotic marine mammal diseases result in localized skin infections in man that resolve spontaneously or with appropriate medical therapy. However, other marine mammal zoonoses, if left untreated, induce life‐threatening systemic diseases that could pose public health risks. As the number of zoonotic diseases rises, the diagnosis of and treatment for these emerging pathogens pose special challenges requiring the expertise of physicians, veterinarians and wildlife biologists. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the bacterial, viral and fungal marine mammal zoonotic diseases that we hope will be utilized by public health professionals, physicians, veterinarians and wildlife biologists to better understand, diagnose and prevent marine mammal zoonotic diseases.