Paratuberculosis in European wild rabbits from the Iberian Peninsula

Of the non-ruminant wildlife species known to harbor Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP), the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is thought to pose the greatest risk of transmission to cattle. We analyzed 80 hunter-harvested wild rabbits from a core study area in southern Spain, and sera from 157 wild rabbits sampled opportunistically on seven additional sites. Gross lesions compatible with paratuberculosis were observed in two of 80 necropsied rabbits. Histopathology revealed focal to diffuse multibacillary MAP-compatible lesions in 8 of 10 rabbits examined. Presence of MAP was confirmed in one rabbit with gross lesions by positive amplification curves for both IS900 and ISMAP02. However, no isolate was obtained from 47 samples by culture. We adapted an indirect ELISA for the detection of MAP antibodies. At the established cut-off of 0.5, 6 of 237 wild rabbit sera (2.5%) yielded a positive ELISA result. Antibodies were detected in rabbits from 3 of 8 sampling sites. Considering the increasing relevance of MAP infection for animal health, these results open a challenging field for future research.     

An outbreak of chlamydiosis in captive blue-fronted Amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva) in Brazil.

Fifty-eight blue-fronted Amazon parrot (Amazona aestiva) nestlings, recovered from the illegal trade, became ill at a wildlife rehabilitation center in S?o Paulo State, Brazil. Clinical signs observed were nonspecific, and the mortality rate was 96.5% despite initial treatment with norfloxacin. Postmortem examinations were performed on 10 birds. Liver and spleen smears showed structures suggestive of Chlamydophila psittaci in four cases. Diagnosis was confirmed by seminested polymerase chain reaction on tissue samples. Other birds from the same location showed no clinical signs of the disease, although high complement fixation titers to C. psittaci were found in 10 adult psittacines. All birds in the facility were treated with doxycycline. The two surviving nestlings did not recover after two doxycycline treatments and were euthanatized. The high mortality rate observed in this outbreak was attributed to poor conditions of husbandry and delays in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. After diagnosis, improved control measures for chlamydiosis were instituted.     

The Potential Geographic Range of Pyrenophora semeniperda

ABSTRACT There is no evidence that Pyrenophora semeniperda, the causal agent of leaf spotting in many annual and perennial grasses, currently occurs in Europe or Asia. However, there is potential phytosanitary concern that the importation of infected commodities could result in the introduction of this fungus into Eurasia, putting crops at risk and possibly resulting in economic losses. To assist in assessing the risk of geographic range extension of P. semeniperda, an analysis was undertaken to estimate the potential global distribution of this species, based on climatic suitability. Geographic distribution data for P. semeniperda in part of its current range were used to fit parameter values in a CLIMEX pest risk assessment model, and the remaining distribution data were used to validate the model. The CLIMEX model correctly predicts that virtually all locations where P. semeniperda has been found are climatically suitable. Only five locations worldwide where the fungus was recorded present are predicted as being unsuitable. These "outliers" may have been transient populations occurring during a favorable season and then dying out. Exploratory adjustments of the model to accommodate these records created unsatisfactory distortions in the projected climatic suitability surfaces, extending the suitable climatic zone beyond well-established traditional range boundaries. We are therefore confident that the model is credibly predicting the potential distribution of P. semeniperda worldwide. The CLIMEX model suggests that P. semeniperda could potentially extend its range throughout Europe and temperate regions of Asia, Africa, and South America. Our heavy reliance upon geographic data to build this CLIMEX model departs from most previous published examples in plant pathology, which have depended primarily upon experimentally derived physiological data to estimate model parameters. The use of geographic data to infer climate parameters is popular in CLIMEX models of weeds and arthropod pests and can provide decision-makers with early risk assessments of potential pathogen invasions, particularly where the pathogens have long, or difficult-to-study, lifecycles.     

Empathy for pain involves the affective but not sensory components of pain

Our ability to have an experience of another's pain is characteristic of empathy. Using functional imaging, we assessed brain activity while volunteers experienced a painful stimulus and compared it to that elicited when they observed a signal indicating that their loved one--present in the same room--was receiving a similar pain stimulus. Bilateral anterior insula (AI), rostral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), brainstem, and cerebellum were activated when subjects received pain and also by a signal that a loved one experienced pain. AI and ACC activation correlated with individual empathy scores. Activity in the posterior insula/secondary somatosensory cortex, the sensorimotor cortex (SI/MI), and the caudal ACC was specific to receiving pain. Thus, a neural response in AI and rostral ACC, activated in common for "self" and "other" conditions, suggests that the neural substrate for empathic experience does not involve the entire "pain matrix." We conclude that only that part of the pain network associated with its affective qualities, but not its sensory qualities, mediates empathy.     

A fungal elicitor enhances the resistance of tomato fruit to Fusarium oxysporum infection by activating the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway

Fungi infection in fruits is an important factor in postharvest losses. The effect of a treatment with a fungal elicitor on the response of tomato fruit to Fusarium oxysporum infection and changes in the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway was studied. Fungal elicitor retarded for 3 days the development of the Fusarium rot development in tomato, at concentration of 2 g?l ^?1 (B2-F treatment). This treatment also induced a 3.11- and 6.03-fold increase of caffeic and chlorogenic acids, respectively, as compared with the control. Furthermore, the flavonoids naringenin-7-O-glucoside, rutin and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, showed a greater abundance in tomato under the B2-F treatment after 6 days at 20°C. It is concluded that the fungal elicitor reduced the development of Fusarium rot by inducing the biosynthesis of metabolites from the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway which forms part of the defense response in tomato fruit.     

The power of hyphenated chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry in public health laboratories

Laboratories devoted to the public health field have to face the analysis of a large number of organic contaminants/residues in many different types of samples. Analytical techniques applied in this field are normally focused on quantification of a limited number of analytes. At present, most of these techniques are based on gas chromatography (GC) or liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Using these techniques only analyte-specific information is acquired, and many other compounds that might be present in the samples would be ignored. In this paper, we explore the potential of time-of-flight (TOF) MS hyphenated to GC or LC to provide additional information, highly useful in this field. Thus, all positives reported by standard reference targeted LC-MS/MS methods were unequivocally confirmed by LC-QTOF MS. Only 61% of positives reported by targeted GC-MS/MS could be confirmed by GC-TOF MS, which was due to its lower sensitivity as nonconfirmations corresponded to analytes that were present at very low concentrations. In addition, the use of TOF MS allowed searching for additional compounds in large-scope screening methodologies. In this way, different contaminants/residues not included in either LC or GC tandem MS analyses were detected. This was the case of the insecticide thiacloprid, the plant growth regulator paclobutrazol, the fungicide prochloraz, or the UV filter benzophenone, among others. Finally, elucidation of unknowns was another of the possibilities offered by TOF MS thanks to the accurate-mass full-acquisition data available when using this technique.