The fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola is the etiologic agent of snake fungal disease. Recent findings date US occurrence at least as far back as 1945. We analyzed 22 free-ranging snakes with gross ...lesions consistent with snake fungal disease from museum collections from Europe. We found 5 positive samples, the oldest collected in 1959.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Fox-derived Sarcoptes scabiei mites caused an outbreak of mange on a farm in Switzerland in 2018. Pruritic skin lesions suggestive of S. scabiei mite infestation developed in 4 humans who had direct ...contact with affected farm animals but not foxes. Sarcoptic mange is continuously spreading; such outbreaks affecting humans could start occurring more frequently.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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•Crayfish exoskeleton microbiomes were significantly affected by the environment.•Exoskeleton microbiomes of native and invasive crayfish shared a large proportion of ...taxa.•Composition and abundance of microbial taxa were species-specific.•Low loads of A. astaci and S. parasitica pathogens were detected on both crayfish species.
Host-associated microbial communities are an important determinant of individual fitness and have recently been highlighted as one of the factors influencing the success of invasive species. Invasive hosts introduce their microbes into the new environment, and then both the host and its associated microbes enter into a series of interactions with the native macroscopic and microscopic biota. As these processes are largely unexplored, we aimed to compare the exoskeletal microbial communities of co-occurring and phylogenetically related crayfish: the native narrow-clawed crayfish Pontastacus leptodactylus and the invasive signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus from the recently invaded Korana River, Croatia. The results of high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing showed that the exoskeletal microbiome of both species is very diverse, significantly influenced by the local environment and dominated by low abundance bacterial families from the phylum Proteobacteria. Furthermore, the exoskeletal microbiomes of the crayfish species differed significantly in the composition and abundance of Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs), suggesting that they are to some extent shaped by species-specific intrinsic factors, despite sharing a common habitat. However, over 95% of the bacterial genera associated with the exoskeleton were detected in the exoskeleton samples of both native and invasive crayfish. We paid particular attention to two known crayfish pathogens, Aphanomyces astaci and Saprolegnia parasitica, and find that both species carry low amounts of both pathogens. On the side, we find that a non-standard ddPCR protocol outperforms standard qPCR test for A. astaci under low concentration conditions. Taken together, our results indicate the possibility of bidirectional mixing and homogenisation of exoskeleton microbiome. As such, they can serve as a baseline in future detangling of the processes that act together to shape the microbiomes of co-occuring native and invasive congeners during biological invasions.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The fungus
Ophiodimyces ophiodiicola
is the etiologic agent of snake fungal disease. Recent findings date US occurrence at least as far back as 1945. We analyzed 22 free-ranging snakes with gross ...lesions consistent with snake fungal disease from museum collections from Europe. We found 5 positive samples, the oldest collected in 1959.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Postmortem examination and immunohistochemical and bacteriologic analyses on a free-ranging European red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) revealed a systemic infection with Francisella tularensis. Genome ...sequencing and single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis were consistent with F. tularensis subs. holarctica clade B.45. Tularemia has not previously been reported in this species.
Objective
To localize vagal branches within the surgical field of laryngoplasty and identify potentially hazardous surgical steps.
Study design
Observational cadaveric study.
Sample population
Five ...equine head–neck specimens and four entire equine cadavers.
Methods
Dissection of the pharyngeal region from a surgical perspective. Neuronal structures were considered at risk if touched or if the distance to instruments was less than 5 mm.
Results
The branches of the pharyngeal plexus (PP) supplying the cricopharyngeal muscle (PPcr), the thyropharyngeal muscle (PPth), and the esophagus (PPes) were identified in the surgical field in nine of nine, five of nine, and one of nine specimens, respectively. The internal branch of the cranial laryngeal nerve (ibCLN) was identified within the carotid sheath in six of nine specimens. The external branch of the cranial laryngeal nerve (ebCLN) was identified close to the septum of the caudal constrictors in nine of nine specimens.
The blade of the tissue retractor compressed the ibCLN in six of six, the ebCLN in four of six, the PPcr in six of six, the PPth in two of three, and the PPes in two of two specimens in which the respective nerves were identified after further dissection. Surgical exploration of the dorsolateral aspect of the pharynx and the incision of the septum of the caudal constrictors harmed the ebCLN in nine of nine, PPcr in seven of nine, and PPth in four of eight specimens.
Conclusion
Several vagal branches were located in the surgical field and must be considered at risk because of their location.
Clinical significance
Use of the tissue retractor, dissection over the pharynx, and dissection of the septum of the caudal constrictors involve a risk to damage vagal branches.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Listeria monocytogenes is an ubiquitous environmental saprophytic bacterium causing listeriosis in domestic animals, humans, and occasionally wildlife. In animals, this foodborne zoonotic disease ...mainly occurs in ruminants and it is rare in carnivores. Seven red foxes (
) and one Eurasian lynx (
) were diagnosed with listeriosis between 2010 and 2021 at the Institute for Fish and Wildlife Health, Bern, Switzerland. Necropsy and histopathology revealed meningitis (six of seven red foxes), hepatitis (six of seven red foxes), pneumonia (five of seven red foxes), splenitis (two of seven red foxes) and splenomegaly (the Eurasian lynx, two of seven red foxes).
was isolated from either lung, spleen, liver, or kidney of all animals. Serotyping detected
serotype 1/2a in five red foxes and the Eurasian lynx and serotype 4b in two red foxes. Six red foxes were positive for canine distemper virus (CDV) by polymerase chain reaction, whereas the Eurasian lynx and one red fox were negative. One red fox that was positive for CDV and listeriosis was also diagnosed with salmonellosis. The identified
serotypes are among the three most frequently isolated serotypes (1/2a, 1/2b, and 4b) from food or the food production environment and those that cause most listeriosis cases in humans and animals. Coinfection with CDV in six red foxes questions the role of CDV as potential predisposing factor for septicemic listeriosis. The detection of listeriosis in the regionally endangered Eurasian lynx and in carnivores highly abundant in urban settings, such as red foxes, reinforces the importance of wildlife health surveillance in a One Health context and adds the Eurasian lynx to the list of carnivores susceptible to the disease. Further investigations are required to assess the prevalence and epidemiology of
in free-ranging carnivores and its interaction with CDV.
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•First presentation of the spatiotemporal distribution of crayfish plague cases in Switzerland.•54 confirmed crayfish plague cases between 1980 and 2020.•Earliest detection of A. ...astaci DNA through qPCR in a sample of 1991.•Re-evaluation of archived samples increased the positive rate by 16.3%.
The oomycete Aphanomyces astaci is the causative agent of crayfish plague, a disease threatening susceptible freshwater crayfish species in Europe.
To detect its spatiotemporal occurrence in Switzerland, we reviewed (1) the literature regarding occurrence of crayfish plague and North American crayfish carrier species and (2) the necropsy report archive of the Institute for Fish and Wildlife Health (FIWI) from 1968 to 2020. In the past, crayfish plague was diagnosed through several methods: conventional PCR, culture, and histology. When available, we re-evaluated archived Bouin’s or formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples collected during necropsies (1991–2020) with a recently published quantitative PCR.
Literature research revealed putative reports of crayfish plague in Switzerland between the 1870s and 1910s and the first occurrence of three North American crayfish species between the late 1970s and 1990s.
Finally, 54 (28.1%) cases were classified as positive and 9 (4.7%) cases as suspicious. The total number of positive cases increased by 14 (14.7%) after re-evaluation of samples. The earliest diagnosis of crayfish plague was performed in 1980 and the earliest biomolecular confirmation of A. astaci DNA dated 1991. Between 1980–1990, 1991–2000 and 2001–2010 crayfish plague spread from one to two and finally three catchment basins, respectively.
Similar to other European countries, crayfish plague has occurred in Switzerland in two waves: the first at the end of the 19th and the second at the end of the 20th century in association with the first occurrence of North American crayfish species. The spread from one catchment basin to another suggests a human-mediated pathogen dispersal.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Abstract Two Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) profiles were correlated to poor self-regulation, Deficient Emotional Self-Regulation (DESR) (elevation between 1 and 2 Standard Deviations (SD) in ...Anxiety/Depression, Aggression, Attention subscales), and Dysregulation Profile (DP) (elevation of 2 Standard Deviations or more). We explored youths with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) whether these profiles are associated with specific clinical features. The sample included 57 patients with DESR profile and 41 with DP profile, ages 9 to 15 years, all assigned to a non-pharmacological Multimodal Treatment Program. No differences resulted between groups in demographic features, diagnosis ratio, and comorbidities with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Bipolar Disorder (BD), and Anxiety Disorder. The DP group was associated with higher scores in Withdrawn, Social Problem, Thought, Rule Breaking, and Somatic CBCL subscales, and higher scores in Narcissism and Impulsivity (but not Callous–Unemotional (CU)), according to the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD). After treatment, patients with DESR improved their personality traits (Narcissistic and Callous–Unemotional, but not Impulsivity), while changes in CBCL scales were modest. Patients with DP improved scales of Attention, Aggression, Anxiety–Depression, Rule Breaking, Withdrawal, Social Problem and Thought, while personality features did not change. These results suggest diagnostic implications of CBCL profiles, and indications for targeted treatment strategies.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
•We reviewed relations between endogenous/exogenous cortisol and human brain function.•Studies reported inconsistent findings, due to heterogeneity in methods and analyses.•Associations between ...cortisol and amygdala activity were most consistently found.
To arrive at a coherent understanding of the relation between glucocorticoids and the human brain, we systematically reviewed the literature for studies examining the associations between endogenous or exogenous cortisol and human brain function. Higher levels of endogenous cortisol during psychological stress were related to increased activity in the middle temporal gyrus and perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), decreased activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and altered function (i.e., mixed findings, increased or decreased) in the amygdala, hippocampus and inferior frontal gyrus. Moreover, endogenous cortisol response to psychological stress was related to increased activity in the inferior temporal gyrus and altered function in the amygdala during emotional tasks that followed psychological stress. Exogenous cortisol administration was related to increased activity in the postcentral gyrus, superior frontal gyrus and ACC, and altered function in the amygdala and hippocampus during conditioning, emotional and reward-processing tasks after cortisol administration. These findings were in line with those from animal studies on amygdala activity during and after stress.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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