A serological and molecular study on Francisella tularensis in rodents from Hamadan province,Western Iran

Introduction and purposeTularemia is a zoonotic disease, the most important hosts of which are rodents. Endemic regions and reservoirs of F. tularensis are not well-researched areas in Iran. The present study aimed to study F. tularensis infection in the rodent populations of western Iran.Materials and methodsSamples were collected in different areas of Kabudar Ahang County in Hamadan province (west of Iran) from 2014 to 2017. Tularemia serological and molecular tests were conducted using the tube agglutination test and Real-time PCR method tracking the ISFtu2 gene. Positive serum samples were evaluated for cross-reactivity with brucellosis.ResultsA total of 433 rodents, collected from 33 localities, were included in the study. The most abundant species belonged to the Persian jird (Meriones persicus; 75.5%), and Libyan jird (Meriones libycus; 10.1%). Among the studied samples, three (0.74 %) were seropositive and five (1.15%) were PCR positive. Seropositive samples were two M. persicus and one M. libycus, and PCR positive rodents were four M. persicus and one M. vinogradovi. Tularemia seropositive samples showed no cross-reactivity with brucellosis.ConclusionGiven the presence of infection in rodents with tularemia agent in the studied area, it is crucial to elucidate the risks of rodent exposure to tularemia for physicians, health personnel and the general population.     

家蚕微粒子病血清学检验技术的研究 Ⅲ—N.b碳素凝集反应用于原种母蛾检微

对700个母蛾用N.b碳素凝集反应法进行检微,碳检检出率为95.45%,对检的镜检检出率为22.72%.碳、镜检检出率的比值是4.2倍(即碳检有微数>镜检有微数);碳检发生的阳性反应样品,再用显微镜复检有微吻合率达100%,准确性大,误判率为零.检出微孢灵敏度高,最高N.b浓度是7.5×10~6个/ml,最低N.b浓度是2.5×10~3个/ml,可视为碳检700个母蛾批的检微浓度范围,以上数据证实用N.b致敏碳素检查母蛾微孢是可行的.     

海晏县牦牛布氏杆菌病的血清学检测

采用试管凝集反应对海晏县的牦牛进行了布氏杆菌病的血清学检测,共检测177份血清样品,结果检出阳性血清9份,阳性率为5．08％。     

大豆蛋白与大豆肽对淀粉糊性能的影响

[目的]研究添加大豆肽和大豆蛋白对淀粉糊化、凝沉过程中物理性质的影响。[方法]研究淀粉糊化和凝沉过程中大豆肽和大豆蛋白对淀粉糊黏度、抗剪切性能和凝沉性的影响。[结果]添加1.00%大蛋白使淀粉糊最高黏度升高30.72%,而添加1.00%的大豆肽使其最高黏度下降26.63%。添加1.00%的大豆肽使崩解值上升55.10%,而添加1.00%大豆蛋白使其崩解值升高77.78%。添加1.00%的大豆肽使回生值上升16.32%,而添加1.00%的大豆肽使其回生值下降82.28%。[结论]大豆蛋白使淀粉糊的最高黏度上升,大豆肽使淀粉糊的最高黏度下降;二者均使淀粉糊的抗剪切能力降低;大豆蛋白有助于淀粉凝胶的形成,大豆肽极强地阻碍了淀粉凝胶的形成。     

Dog erythrocyte antigens 1.1, 1.2, 3, 4, 7, and Dal blood typing and cross‐matching by gel column technique

Background: Testing for canine blood types other than dog erythrocyte antigen 1.1 (DEA 1.1) is controversial and complicated by reagent availability and methodology. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to use available gel column technology to develop an extended blood‐typing method using polyclonal reagents for DEA 1.1, 1.2, 3, 4, 7, and Dal and to assess the use of gel columns for cross‐matching. Methods: Dogs (43–75) were typed for DEA 1.1, 1.2, 3, 4, 7, and Dal. Methods included tube agglutination (Tube) using polyclonal reagents, a commercially available DEA 1.1 gel column test kit (Standard‐Gel) using monoclonal reagent, and multiple gel columns (Extended‐Gel) using polyclonal reagents. Blood from 10 recipient and 15 donor dogs was typed as described above and cross‐matched using the gel column technique. Results: Of 43 dogs typed for DEA 1.1, 23, 25, and 20 dogs were positive using Standard‐Gel, Extended‐Gel, and Tube, respectively. Typing for DEA 1.2 was not achievable with Extended‐Gel. For 75 dogs typed for DEA 3, 4, and 7, concordance of Extended‐Gel with Tube was 94.7%, 100%, and 84%, respectively. Dal, determined only by Extended‐Gel, was positive for all dogs. Post‐transfusion major cross‐matches were incompatible in 10 of 14 pairings, but none were associated with demonstrable blood type incompatibilities. Conclusions: Gel column methodology can be adapted for use with polyclonal reagents for detecting DEA 1.1, 3, 4, 7, and Dal. Agglutination reactions are similar between Extended‐Gel and Tube, but are more easily interpreted with Extended‐Gel. When using gel columns for cross‐matching, incompatible blood cross‐matches can be detected following sensitization by transfusion, although in this study incompatibilities associated with any tested DEA or Dal antigens were not found.     

虎红平板凝集试验与试管凝集试验检测奶牛布鲁菌病的比较

布鲁菌病主要采用凝集试验来检测,本试验用虎红平板凝集试验和试管凝集试验对江苏海安、江都、无锡和兴化地区的660头奶牛的血清样品进行平行检测,虎红平板凝集试验的阳性检出率为9.7%,试验管凝集试验的阳性检出率为5.5%;与后者相比,虎红平板凝集试验的敏感性为100%,特异性为95.3%,符合率为95.6%。这些数据表明,江苏地区某些奶牛场存在布鲁菌感染,虎红平板凝集试验可以用于布鲁菌病初步检测。     

Diagnosis of brucellosis by serology

Serological diagnosis of brucellosis began more than 100 years ago with a simple agglutination test. It was realized that this type of test was susceptible to false positive reactions resulting from, for instance, exposure to cross reacting microorganisms. It was also realized that this test format was inexpensive, simple and could be rapid, although results were subjectively scored. Therefore, a number of modifications were developed along with other types of tests. This served two purposes: one was to establish a rapid screening test with high sensitivity and perhaps less specificity and a confirmatory test, usually more complicated but also more specific, to be used on sera that reacted positively in screening tests. This led to another problem: if a panel of tests were performed and they did not all agree, which interpretation was correct? This problem was further compounded by the extensive use of a vaccine which gave rise to an antibody response similar to that resulting from field infection. This led to the development of an assay that could distinguish vaccinal antibody, starting with precipitin tests. These tests did not perform well, giving rise to the development of primary binding assays. These assays, including the competitive enzyme immunoassay and the fluorescence polarization assay are at the apex of current development, providing high sensitivity and specificity as well as speed and mobility in the case of the fluorescence polarization assay.     

Prevalence of agglutinating antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona in raccoons, Procyon lotor, from the United States.

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is the most important protozoal disease of horses in North America and it is caused by Sarcocystis neurona. Natural cases of encephalitis due to S. neurona have been reported in raccoons, Procyon lotor. We examined 99 raccoons for agglutinating antibodies to S. neurona using the S. neurona agglutination test (SAT) employing formalin-fixed merozoites as antigen. Raccoons originated in Florida (N=24, collected in 1996), New Jersey (N=25, collected in 1993), Pennsylvania (N=25, collected in 1999), and Massachusetts (N=25, collected in 1993 and 1994). We found that 58 (58.6%) of the 99 raccoons were positive for antibodies to S. neurona using the SAT; 44 of 99 raccoons (44%) had titers of ≥1:500. This prevalence is similar to the reported seroprevalence of 33–60% for S. neurona antibodies in horses from the United States using the Western blot test.