A serological and bacteriological survey of brucellosis in wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Belgium

Brucellosis is frequently reported among wild boar populations in Europe. The aim of the study was to assess the epidemiological situation in Belgium, regarding the steady increase of wild boar populations over the last decades. Several serological tests were used and compared with culture and IS711 polymerase chain reaction (PCR), to determine the most suitable combination of diagnostic tools for conducting a successful prevalence study in wildlif

Mycoplasma bovis shares insertion sequences with Mycoplasma agalactiae and Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC: Evolutionary and developmental aspects

Three new insertion elements, ISMbov1, ISMbov2 and ISMbov3, which are closely related to ISMag1 (Mycoplasma agalactiae), ISMmy1 and IS1634 (both Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC), respectively, have been discovered in Mycoplasma bovis, an important pathogen of cattle. Southern blotting showed that the genome of M. bovis harbours 6-12 copies of ISMbov1, 11-15 copies of ISMbov2 and 4-10 copies of ISMbov3, depending on the strain. A fourth insertion element, the IS30-like element, is present in 4-8 copies. This high number of IS elements in M. bovis, which represent a substantial part of its genome, and their relatedness with IS elements of both M. agalactiae and M. mycoides subsp. mycoides SC suggest the occurrence of two evolutionary events: (i) a divergent evolution into M. agalactiae and M. bovis upon infection of different hosts; (ii) a horizontal transfer of IS elements during co-infection with M. mycoides subsp. mycoides SC and M. bovis of a same bovine hos

Post-mortem tissue biopsies obtained at minimally invasive autopsy: An RNA-quality analysis

Introduction: Bereaved relatives often refuse to give consent for post-mortem investigation of deceased cancer patients, mainly because of the mutilation due to conventional au

Isolation and characterisation of a ruminant alphaherpesvirus closely related to bovine herpesvirus 1 in a free-ranging red deer

BACKGROUND: The genus Varicellovirus of the Herpesviridae subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae includes a cluster of viruses antigenically and genetically related to bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1): namely bovine herpesvirus 5 (BoHV-5), bubaline herpesvirus 1 (BuHV-1), caprine herpesvirus 1 (CpHV-1), cervid herpesviruses 1 (CvHV-1) and 2 (CvHV-2) and elk herpesvirus 1 (ElkHV-1). Considering the serological relationship between these ruminant alphaherpesviruses, several surveys have studied the occurrence of BoHV-1 related virus infection in wild and domestic ruminant species. In this way, a recent investigation has indicated, in Belgium, a high increase in the serological prevalence of BoHV-1 related virus infection in free-ranging red deer population. In this context, it has been decided to investigate the presence of an alphaherpesvirus spreading in the Belgian free-ranging red deer population. RESULTS: The current study reports the first isolation in a free-ranging red deer of a BoHV-1 closely related virus. The isolate was antigenically, genomically and genetically characterised by comparison with several ruminant alphaherpesvirus. Immunofluorescence assays revealed the isolate was antigenically distinct from bovine and caprine alphaherpesviruses. Similarly, BamHI and BstEII restriction analyses demonstrated the genomic difference between the isolate and the other ruminant alphaherpesviruses. Next, the sequencing of selected parts of UL27 and US8 genes showed a high degree of homologies between each BoHV-1 related ruminant alphaherpesvirus and the isolate. Besides the close relationship between all ruminant alphaherpesviruses, the phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolate clustered with CvHV-1. CONCLUSION: The first isolation of a virus closely related to BoHV-1 in a free-ranging red deer is reported. Data demonstrate that a CvHV-1 strain, named Anlier, circulates in wild red deer in continental Europe. Anlier strain show consistent differences with the virus isolated from Scottish farmed red deer. All together, these results improve our understanding of ruminant alphaherpesviruses

Riesgos de la introducción de la Enfermedad Hemorrágica Epizoótica en las poblaciones de cérvidos salvajes de España

La Enfermedad Hemorrágica Epizoótica (EHD) es una enfermedad vírica infecciosa no-contagiosa transmitida por la picadura de los insectos del género Culicoides y que afecta principalmente a los cérvidos y a los bóvidos. Este virus pertenece al género Orbivirus e incluye siete serotipos distribuidos a nivel mundial entre las latitudes 35S y 49N, de los cuales el EHDV-1, EHDV-2 y EHDV-6 son los más virulentos; provocando altas morbilidades y mortalidades en los cérvidos entre finales de verano y principios de otoño. La clínica que suelen presentar estos animales corresponde con la de un síndrome hemorrágico que afecta a las mucosas de los órganos, dando como lesiones principales hemorragias, erosiones, úlceras y necrosis de los tejidos. Cómo medidas diagnósticas, la OIE recomienda el aislamiento vírico en cultivo celular, la reacción en cadena de la polimerasa con transcripción inversa en tiempo real y el enzimoinmunoanálisis por competición para el diagnóstico individual, mientras que la prueba de la neutralización del virus se recomienda a nivel poblacional. El único tratamiento posible va dirigido a paliar los síntomas y las lesiones antes mencionadas. Tras el análisis de los factores predisponentes que hacen de España un lugar adecuado para el desarrollo de la enfermedad, y de las posibles vías de entrada por las que el EHDV puede llegar hasta nuestras fronteras, se concluye que el riesgo de introducción de la EHD existe y que puede ser elevado en función de la vía y de la época del año. Por ello la lucha contra la EHD debe centrarse en la toma de medidas preventivas que eviten la exposición de los hospedadores al virus y, en caso de alerta, en la puesta en marcha de investigaciones clínicas, serológicas, epidemiológicas y entomológicas en las áreas de protección y vigilancia establecidas en torno a los focos sospechosos

Non-invasive or minimally invasive autopsy compared to conventional autopsy of suspected natural deaths in adults: a systematic review

Objectives: Autopsies are used for healthcare quality control and improving medical knowledge. Because autopsy rates are declining worldwide, various non-invasive or minimally invasive autopsy methods are now being developed. To investigate whether these might replace the invasive autopsies conventionally performed in naturally deceased adults, we systematically reviewed original prospective validation studies. Materials and methods: We searched six databases. Two reviewers independently selected articles and extracted data. Methods and patient groups were too heterogeneous for meaningful meta-analysis of outcomes. Results: Sixteen of 1538 articles met our inclusion criteria. Eight studies used a blinded comparison; ten included less than 30 appropriate cases. Thirteen studies used radiological imaging (seven dealt solely with non-invasive procedures), two thoracoscopy and laparoscopy, and one sampling without imaging. Combining CT and MR was the best non-invasive method (agreement for cause of death: 70 %, 95%CI: 62.6; 76.4), but minimally invasive methods surpassed non-invasive methods. The highest sensitivity for cause of death (90.9 %, 95%CI: 74.5; 97.6, suspected duplicates excluded) was achieved in recent studies combining CT, CT-angiography and biopsies. Conclusion: Minimally invasive autopsies including biopsies performed best. To establish a feasible alternative to conventional autopsy and to increase consent to post-mortem investigations, further research in larger study groups is needed. Key points: • Health care quality control benefits from clinical feedback provided by (alternative) autopsies. • So far, sixteen studies investigated alternative autopsy methods for naturally deceased adults. • Thirteen studies used radiological imaging modalities, eight tissue biopsies, and three CT-angiography. • Combined CT, CT-angiography and biopsies were most sensitive diagnosing cause of death

Evaluation of seven commercial African swine fever virus detection kits and three Taq polymerases on 300 well-characterized field samples

peer reviewedAfrican swine fever virus (ASFV) is a complex double stranded DNA virus, responsible for a highly infectious and fatal disease in pigs and boars and for important deterioration of animal welfare. Over the last decade, the disease spread to several European and Asian countries causing unprecedented dramatic economic losses in pig industry. In the absence of a vaccine, affected countries rely on trustful diagnostic tests and adapted testing policies to set up control programs to fight against the disease. In this study, we evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of seven commercially available ASFV real-time PCR detection kits and three Taq polymerases on 300 well-characterized wild boar samples collected in Belgium during the 2018–2019 outbreak. This study confirms that all commercial kits and two Taq polymerases are suitable for ASFV detection in diagnostic laboratories. Furthermore, the use of endogenous controls is emphasized when testing field samples harvested on carcasses in an advanced stage of decomposition, in order to avoid false negative results. © 2020 Elsevier B.V