Classical swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease in Lao PDR

Approximately 75% of the population of Lao PDR is engaged in agriculture and the vast majority (approximately 90%) of these producers are in the smallholder sector. Livestock are an important contributor to national, agricultural and village economies and are relied on for food security. The pig population has increased over the past 5 years at an annual average increase of 4.7% at the national herd level and up to 20% in some provinces. Cattle and buffalo populations have grown at more modest rates of 1–2% (Figure 1). Disease, including foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and classical swine fever (CSF), is a major constraint to efficient and sustainable livestock production. Up to 80–90% of pigs and 99% of cattle and buffalo are produced in the smallholder sector using low input practices; as such, there is limited private sector input. Disease reporting, diagnosis, control and prevention are addressed by the Lao Government through the National Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DLF) and local agriculture and forestry offices at provincial and district government levels. These activities are supported by international partners such as the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Commonwealth Scientific and Investigation Research Organisation (CSIRO), Japanese International Cooperation Association (JICA), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), European Union (EU) and Office International des Epizooties (OIE). Disease reporting and communication are passive and reports are made from villages through government administrations at district and provincial levels and then to the national level—the DLF and the National Animal Health Centre (NAHC). Communication of FMD-related information at regional and international levels is coordinated by the OIE South-East Asian FMD regional coordination unit (SEAFMD RCU), where reports are submitted monthly. Disease reporting for CSF is less well coordinated and information is provided to the OIE

The concentration of oleocanthal in olive oil waste

The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of oleocanthal in olive pomace waste and compare this to its concentration in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). The concentration of oleocanthal in freshly pressed EVOO and its subsequent waste was analysed at early, mid and late season harvests. Oleocanthal concentrations were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography&ndash;mass spectrometry. In oil, oleocanthal concentration was as follows: 123.24 &plusmn; 6.48 mg kg&macr;&sup1;1 in early harvest, 114.20 &plusmn; 17.42 mg kg&macr;&sup1; in mid harvest and 152.22 &plusmn; 10.54 mg kg&macr;&sup1; in late harvest. Its concentration in waste was determined to be: 128.25 &plusmn; 11.33 mg kg&macr;&sup1; in early harvest, 112.15 &plusmn; 1.51mg kg&macr;&sup1; in mid harvest and 62.35 &plusmn; 8.00 mg kg&macr;&sup1; in late harvest. Overall, olive pomace waste is a valuable source of oleocanthal.<br /

Recruitment, growth and mortality of an Antarctic hexactinellid sponge, Anoxycalyx joubini.

Polar ecosystems are sensitive to climate forcing, and we often lack baselines to evaluate changes. Here we report a nearly 50-year study in which a sudden shift in the population dynamics of an ecologically important, structure-forming hexactinellid sponge, Anoxycalyx joubini was observed. This is the largest Antarctic sponge, with individuals growing over two meters tall. In order to investigate life history characteristics of Antarctic marine invertebrates, artificial substrata were deployed at a number of sites in the southern portion of the Ross Sea between 1967 and 1975. Over a 22-year period, no growth or settlement was recorded for A. joubini on these substrata; however, in 2004 and 2010, A. joubini was observed to have settled and grown to large sizes on some but not all artificial substrata. This single settlement and growth event correlates with a region-wide shift in phytoplankton productivity driven by the calving of a massive iceberg. We also report almost complete mortality of large sponges followed over 40 years. Given our warming global climate, similar system-wide changes are expected in the future

Endemicity of Zoonotic Diseases in Pigs and Humans in Lowland and Upland Lao PDR: Identification of Socio-cultural Risk Factors

In Lao People's Democratic Republic pigs are kept in close contact with families. Human risk of infection with pig zoonoses arises from direct contact and consumption of unsafe pig products. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Luang Prabang (north) and Savannakhet (central-south) Provinces. A total of 59 villages, 895 humans and 647 pigs were sampled and serologically tested for zoonotic pathogens including: hepatitis E virus (HEV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and Trichinella spiralis; In addition, human sera were tested for Taenia spp. and cysticercosis. Seroprevalence of zoonotic pathogens in humans was high for HEV (Luang Prabang: 48.6%, Savannakhet: 77.7%) and T. spiralis (Luang Prabang: 59.0%, Savannakhet: 40.5%), and lower for JEV (around 5%), Taenia spp. (around 3%) and cysticercosis (Luang Prabang: 6.1, Savannakhet 1.5%). Multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical clustering of principal components was performed on descriptive data of human hygiene practices, contact with pigs and consumption of pork products. Three clusters were identified: Cluster 1 had low pig contact and good hygiene practices, but had higher risk of T. spiralis. Most people in cluster 2 were involved in pig slaughter (83.7%), handled raw meat or offal (99.4%) and consumed raw pigs' blood (76.4%). Compared to cluster 1, cluster 2 had increased odds of testing seropositive for HEV and JEV. Cluster 3 had the lowest sanitation access and had the highest risk of HEV, cysticercosis and Taenia spp. Farmers which kept their pigs tethered (as opposed to penned) and disposed of manure in water sources had 0.85 (95% CI: 0.18 to 0.91) and 2.39 (95% CI: 1.07 to 5.34) times the odds of having pigs test seropositive for HEV, respectively. The results have been used to identify entry-points for intervention and management strategies to reduce disease exposure in humans and pigs, informing control activities in a cysticercosis hyper-endemic village

Determination of intracellular glutathione and glutathione disulfide using high performance liquid chromatography with acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection

Measurement of glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) is a crucial tool to assess cellular redox state. Herein we report a direct approach to determine intracellular GSH based on a rapid chromatographic separation coupled with acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection, which was extended to GSSG by incorporating thiol blocking and disulfide bond reduction. Importantly, this simple procedure avoids derivatisation of GSH (thus minimising auto-oxidation) and overcomes problems encountered when deriving the concentration of GSSG from &lsquo;total GSH&rsquo;. The linear range and limit of detection for both analytes were 7.5 &times; 10&minus;7 to 1 &times; 10&minus;5 M, and 5 &times; 10&minus;7 M, respectively. GSH and GSSG were determined in cultured muscle cells treated for 24 h with glucose oxidase (0, 15, 30, 100, 250 and 500 mU mL&minus;1), which exposed them to a continuous source of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Both analyte concentrations were greater in myotubes treated with 100 or 250 mU mL&minus;1 glucose oxidase (compared to untreated controls), but were significantly lower in myotubes treated with 500 mU mL&minus;1 (p &lt; 0.05), which was rationalised by considering measurements of H2O2 and cell viability. However, the GSH/GSSG ratio in myotubes treated with 100, 250 and 500 mU mL&minus;1 glucose oxidase exhibited a dose-dependent decrease that reflected the increase in intracellular ROS.<br /

A new arenavirus in a cluster of fatal transplant-associated diseases

Three patients who received visceral-organ transplants from a single donor on the same day died of a febrile illness 4 to 6 weeks after transplantation. Culture, polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) and serologic assays, and oligonucleotide microarray analysis for a wide range of infectious agents were not informative. We evaluated RNA obtained from the liver and kidney transplant recipients. Unbiased high-throughput sequencing was used to identify microbial sequences not found by means of other methods. The specificity of sequences for a new candidate pathogen was confirmed by means of culture and by means of PCR, immunohistochemical, and serologic analyses. High-throughput sequencing yielded 103,632 sequences, of which 14 represented an Old World arenavirus. Additional sequence analysis showed that this new arenavirus was related to lymphocytic choriomeningitis viruses. Specific PCR assays based on a unique sequence confirmed the presence of the virus in the kidneys, liver, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid of the recipients. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed arenavirus antigen in the liver and kidney transplants in the recipients. IgM and IgG antiviral antibodies were detected in the serum of the donor. Seroconversion was evident in serum specimens obtained from one recipient at two time points