Wild At Heart Epub 93

Lead toxicity due to ingestion of spent ammunition is an ongoing cause of mortality in bald eagles. While gross and histologic lesions of lead intoxication have been described in a few individuals of this species, the prevalence of lesions is underreported. A retrospective study of 93 bald eagles with severe lead intoxication was performed to describe the associated lesions and their prevalence and to compare the lesions with blood, liver, kidney, and/or bone lead concentrations. Gross lesions associated with lead toxicity were most frequent within the heart (51/93 birds) and consisted of multifocal myocardial pallor and rounding of the apex. Within the brain, gross lesions included petechiae or hemorrhagic necrosis (13/93 birds). Histologic lesions compatible with lead toxicity occurred within the heart (76/93 birds), brain (59/93 birds), and eyes (24/87 birds). Lead toxicity in bald eagles is characterized by fibrinoid necrosis of small- to medium-caliber arteries, most commonly affecting the heart, brain, and eyes. Gross and histologic lesions are consistent with ischemia caused by a primary vascular injury. A blood lead concentration of greater than 4 ppm and markedly elevated liver lead concentrations were associated with a greater likelihood of lesions in the heart. Severe lead intoxication is frequently associated with lesions that are histologically detectable in bald eagles. The presence of fibrinoid arterial necrosis and parenchymal degeneration, necrosis, and/or hemorrhage within the heart, brain, and/or eyes is suggestive of lead toxicity in bald eagles and warrants evaluation of liver or bone lead concentrations.

wild at heart epub 93

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Rodents including rats are reservoir of several pathogens capable of affecting human health. In this study, faecal and different organ specimens from free-living Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) (N = 18) and faecal samples from laboratory rodents (rats N = 21 and mice N = 20) collected from different geographic areas in Hungary between 2017 and 2020 were investigated by viral metagenomics and conventional RT-PCR methods. The complete genome of three different RNA viruses, rat astrovirus, rat norovirus and rat hepevirus were characterized and analysed in detail. Rat norovirus was detected in faecal (17.6%, 3/17) and kidney (7.1%, 1/14) samples; rat astrovirus in faecal (23.5%, 4/17) and spleen (13.3%, 2/15) samples, and rat hepevirus in 43% to 67% the faecal, liver, kidney, lung, heart, muscle, brain and blood samples from Norway rats, respectively. Rat norovirus was also identifiable in 5% (1/21) of laboratory rats and rat astrovirus in 40% (8/20) of faecal samples from laboratory mice. Co-infections were found in 28% (5/18) wild Norway rats. The highest RNA viral load of astrovirus (1.81 108 copy/g) and norovirus (3.49 107 copy/g) were measured in faecal samples; while the highest RNA viral load of hepevirus (1.16 109 copy/g) was found in liver samples of Norway rats, respectively. This study confirms the wide geographic distribution and high prevalence of astrovirus, norovirus and hepevirus among wild rats in Hungary with confirmation of different organ involvement of as well as the detection of norovirus and astrovirus in laboratory rats and mice, respectively. This finding further strengthens the role of rodents in the spread of viral pathogens especially infecting human.

a, Number (red) of patients without detected driver mutations distributed across the different tumour types studied. b, Estimated sensitivity for detecting somatic point mutations genome-wide across tumour types (total sample size: n = 2,583 patients). Each point represents the estimate for a single patient, layered on violin plots that show the estimated density distribution of sensitivity values for that tumour type (the width proportional is to density). c, SETD2 expression levels across different medulloblastoma subtypes. Points represent individual patients, coloured by whether the gene exhibited focal copy number (CN) loss or a truncating point mutation, or was the wild-type gene. The coloured areas are violin plots showing the estimated density distribution of expression values for that medulloblastoma subtype.

The causative agent of Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi, is transmitted by triatomine vectors. The insect is endemic in the Americas, including the United States, where epidemiological studies are limited, particularly in the Southwestern region. Here, we have determined the prevalence of T. cruzi in triatomines, feral cats and dogs, and wild animals, the infecting parasite genotypes and the mammalian host bloodmeal sources of the triatomines at four different geographical sites in the U.S.-Mexico border, including El Paso County, Texas, and nearby cities in New Mexico. Using qualitative polymerase chain reaction to detect T. cruzi infections, we found 66.4% (n = 225) of triatomines, 45.3% (n = 95) of feral dogs, 39.2% (n = 24) of feral cats, and 71.4% (n = 7) of wild animals positive for T. cruzi. Over 95% of T. cruzi genotypes or discrete typing units (DTUs) identified were TcI and some TcIV. Furthermore, Triatoma rubida was the triatomine species most frequently (98.2%) collected in all samples analyzed. These findings suggest a high prevalence of T. cruzi infections among triatomines, and feral and wild animals in the studied sites. Therefore, our results underscore the urgent need for implementation of a systematic epidemiological surveillance program for T. cruzi infections in insect vectors, and feral and wild animals, and Chagas disease in the human population in the southwestern region of the United States.

Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and one of the major transmission routes is the contaminated feces of blood-feeding triatomine insect vectors, popularly known as kissing bugs. In recent years, this disease has become an important public health concern to the United States and other nonendemic regions of the world. Despite many studies about the prevalence of T. cruzi in triatomines, and domestic, feral and wild animals in central and southern Texas, there have been no studies in west Texas and New Mexico. In this study, we report the presence of triatomines in residences in El Paso County, TX, and surrounding communities in New Mexico (cities of Anthony and Las Cruces), as well as T. cruzi infections in feral and wild animals. Using two molecular techniques to analyze the bloodmeal source in triatomines, we detected 12 different mammalian bloodmeal sources, including human and canine. Finally, parasite genotyping showed that most (95%) of the samples belonged to the genotype TcI, which is prevalent in North America. Our findings indicate that the El Paso County and surrounding communities (>950,000 people) are high risk areas for T. cruzi transmission to humans, feral cats and dogs, and wild animals. Thus, there is an urgent necessity for a public health epidemiological surveillance program for T. cruzi infections in kissing bugs, feral and wild animals, and in the human population in the U.S.-Mexico border region.

Citation: Rodriguez F, Luna BS, Calderon O, Manriquez-Roman C, Amezcua-Winter K, Cedillo J, et al. (2021) Surveillance of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in Triatomine vectors, feral dogs and cats, and wild animals in and around El Paso county, Texas, and New Mexico. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 15(2): e0009147.

While there is increasing evidence of Chagas disease in Texas, epidemiologic assessment studies on this disease have not been conducted in southwest Texas, which includes El Paso, an urban border city with a population of over 830,000 [24]. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the prevalence of T. cruzi in wild triatomines, and peridomestic stray or feral dogs and cats, and wild animals in El Paso and surrounding communities. All T. cruzi positive samples were further characterized to determine the genotype or discrete typing units (DTU) of the parasite, an important genetic marker, as well as the mammalian source of the bloodmeals for triatomines. An understanding of the prevalence, distribution, and genetic profile of T. cruzi in triatomines, and feral and wild animals provided an estimate of the disease risk in both peridomestic and rural settings. Bloodmeal analysis provided critical information on the components of transmission cycles in El Paso area and surrounding areas, as well as transmissibility risks.

Among all of the T. cruzi-infected triatomines, and feral and wild animals, the parasite was successfully genotyped in 95.1% of the samples (195/205; Tables 1, 3 and 4). Of the total 150 T. cruzi-positive triatomines, genotyping revealed that 138 were DTU TcI across all sites, seven from El Paso, 22 from IMRS, 84 from Anthony, and 25 from Las Cruces (Table 1). In addition, two triatomines, one from IMRS and one from Anthony, showed TcIV infection. The genotyping also revealed that seven triatomines had mixed TcI and TcIV (TcI+TcIV) infection (five from Anthony and two from Las Cruces) (Table 1). In the case of feral dogs in El Paso area, TcI was found in 30 animals. TcIV was found in nine canines and only one canine was found to have a mixed TcI+TcIV infection. In felines, TcI was found in two animals and TcIV in one animal (Table 3). Finally, in the wild animals, TcI infection was found in three animals (R. megalotis, U. cinereoargenteus and C. latrans) and two TcI+TcIV mixed infection were found in two animals (P. eremicus and X. spilosoma) (Table 4).

The rates and the observations that T. cruzi infection rates ranged from moderate to high level in domestic and wild animals support an active enzootic/endemic transmission cycle in the El Paso and surrounding communities. The observation that the most collected triatomine specimens were T. rubida, which is considered an efficient vector, and the most observed DTU was TcI, which is causative of the very harmful chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy, indicates a high health risk for these communities that needs to be taken into consideration by the respective health authorities. Additionally, the finding of human, canine and feline bloodmeals in these triatomines suggests the possibility of autochthonous parasite transmission in humans as well as in peridomestic or feral animals in the studied areas. More extensive studies are needed, particularly in the high-populated El Paso County area to better understand the involvement of humans and feral and wild animals in the transmission cycle as well as in the burden of Chagas disease. 2ff7e9595c