Detection of Novel Reassortant Influenza A (H3N2) and H1N1 2009 Pandemic Viruses in Swine in Hanoi,Vietnam

From May to September 2013, monthly samples were collected from swine in a Vietnamese slaughterhouse for influenza virus isolation and serological testing. A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses and a novel H3N2 originating from reassortment between A(H1N1)pdm09 and novel viruses of the North American triple reassortant lineage were isolated. Serological results showed low seroprevalence for the novel H3N2 virus and higher seroprevalence for A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses. In addition, serology suggested that other swine influenza viruses are also circulating in Vietnamese swine.     

Prevalence of Type VI Secretion System in Spanish Campylobacter jejuni Isolates

Infections from Campylobacter jejuni pose a serious public health problem and are now considered the leading cause of foodborne bacterial gastroenteritis throughout the world. Sequencing of C. jejuni genomes has previously allowed a number of loci to be identified, which encode virulence factors that aid survival and pathogenicity. Recently, a Type VI secretion system (T6SS) consisting of 13 conserved genes was described in C. jejuni strains and recognised to promote pathogenicity and adaptation to the environment. In this study, we determined the presence of this T6SS in 63 Spanish C. jejuni isolates from the food chain and urban effluents using whole‐genome sequencing. Our findings demonstrated that nine (14%) strains harboured the 13 ORFs found in prototype strain C. jejuni 108. Further studies will be necessary to determine the prevalence and importance of T6SS‐positive C. jejuni strains.     

Neotropical Bats from Costa Rica harbour Diverse Coronaviruses

Bats are hosts of diverse coronaviruses (CoVs) known to potentially cross the host–species barrier. For analysing coronavirus diversity in a bat species‐rich country, a total of 421 anal swabs/faecal samples from Costa Rican bats were screened for CoV RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene sequences by a pancoronavirus PCR. Six families, 24 genera and 41 species of bats were analysed. The detection rate for CoV was 1%. Individuals (n = 4) from four different species of frugivorous (Artibeus jamaicensis, Carollia perspicillata and Carollia castanea) and nectivorous (Glossophaga soricina) bats were positive for coronavirus‐derived nucleic acids. Analysis of 440 nt. RdRp sequences allocated all Costa Rican bat CoVs to the α‐CoV group. Several CoVs sequences clustered near previously described CoVs from the same species of bat, but were phylogenetically distant from the human CoV sequences identified to date, suggesting no recent spillover events. The Glossophaga soricina CoV sequence is sufficiently dissimilar (26% homology to the closest known bat CoVs) to represent a unique coronavirus not clustering near other CoVs found in the same bat species so far, implying an even higher CoV diversity than previously suspected.     

Pharmacokinetics of doxycycline after a single intravenous,oral or intramuscular dose in Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata)

1. The pharmacokinetics of doxycycline in ducks were investigated after a single intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM) or oral (PO) dose at 20 mg/kg body weight.

2. The concentrations of doxycycline in plasma samples were assayed using a high performance liquid chromatography method, and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using a non-compartmental model.

3. After IV administration, doxycycline had a mean (±SD) distribution volume (V_z) of 1761.9 ± 328.5 ml/kg and was slowly eliminated with a terminal half-life (t_1/2λz) of 21.21±1.47 h and a total body clearance (Cl) of 57.51 ± 9.50 ml/h/kg. Following PO and IM administration, doxycycline was relatively slowly absorbed – the peak concentrations (C_max) were 17.57 ± 4.66 μg/ml at 2 h and 25.01 ± 4.18 μg/ml at 1.5 h, respectively. The absolute bioavailabilities (F) of doxycycline after PO and IM administration were 39.13% and 70.71%, respectively.

4. The plasma profile of doxycycline exhibited favourable pharmacokinetics characteristics in Muscovy ducks, such as wide distribution, relatively slow absorption and slow elimination, though oral bioavailability was low.