Plant pathogens are introduced to new geographical regions ever more frequently as global connectivity increases. Predicting the threat they pose to plant health can be difficult without in‐depth ...knowledge of behaviour, distribution and spread. Here, we evaluate the potential for using biological traits and phylogeny to predict global threats from emerging pathogens.
We use a species‐level trait database and phylogeny for 179 Phytophthora species: oomycete pathogens impacting natural, agricultural, horticultural and forestry settings. We compile host and distribution reports for Phytophthora species across 178 countries and evaluate the power of traits, phylogeny and time since description (reflecting species‐level knowledge) to explain and predict their international transport, maximum latitude and host breadth using Bayesian phylogenetic generalised linear mixed models.
In the best‐performing models, traits, phylogeny and time since description together explained up to 90%, 97% and 87% of variance in number of countries reached, latitudinal limits and host range, respectively. Traits and phylogeny together explained up to 26%, 41% and 34% of variance in the number of countries reached, maximum latitude and host plant families affected, respectively, but time since description had the strongest effect.
Root‐attacking species were reported in more countries, and on more host plant families than foliar‐attacking species. Host generalist pathogens had thicker‐walled resting structures (stress‐tolerant oospores) and faster growth rates at their optima. Cold‐tolerant species are reported in more countries and at higher latitudes, though more accurate interspecific empirical data are needed to confirm this finding.
Policy implications. We evaluate the potential of an evolutionary trait‐based framework to support horizon‐scanning approaches for identifying pathogens with greater potential for global‐scale impacts. Potential future threats from Phytophthora include Phytophthora x heterohybrida, P. lactucae, P. glovera, P. x incrassata, P. amnicola and P. aquimorbida, which are recently described, possibly under‐reported species, with similar traits and/or phylogenetic proximity to other high‐impact species. Priority traits to measure for emerging species may be thermal minima, oospore wall index and growth rate at optimum temperature. Trait‐based horizon‐scanning approaches would benefit from the development of international and cross‐sectoral collaborations to deliver centralised databases incorporating pathogen distributions, traits and phylogeny.
We evaluate the potential of an evolutionary trait‐based framework to support horizon‐scanning approaches for identifying pathogens with greater potential for global‐scale impacts. Potential future threats from Phytophthora include Phytophthora x heterohybrida, P. lactucae, P. glovera, P. x incrassata, P. amnicola and P. aquimorbida, which are recently described, possibly under‐reported species, with similar traits and/or phylogenetic proximity to other high‐impact species. Priority traits to measure for emerging species may be thermal minima, oospore wall index and growth rate at optimum temperature. Trait‐based horizon‐scanning approaches would benefit from the development of international and cross‐sectoral collaborations to deliver centralised databases incorporating pathogen distributions, traits and phylogeny.
Highlights
Animal models are applied to evaluate the biosecurity and biocompatibility of the zinc-ion batteries with the electrolytes of different zinc salts.
Leakage scene simulations and ...histological analysis are employed in investigating the tissue response after battery implantations, in which ZnSO
4
exhibits higher biosecurity.
Sn hetero nucleus is introduced to stabilize the zinc anode, which not only facilitates the planar zinc deposition, but also contributes to higher hydrogen evolution overpotential.
Biocompatible devices are widely employed in modernized lives and medical fields in the forms of wearable and implantable devices, raising higher requirements on the battery biocompatibility, high safety, low cost, and excellent electrochemical performance, which become the evaluation criteria toward developing feasible biocompatible batteries. Herein, through conducting the battery implantation tests and leakage scene simulations on New Zealand rabbits, zinc sulfate electrolyte is proved to exhibit higher biosecurity and turns out to be one of the ideal zinc salts for biocompatible zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). Furthermore, in order to mitigate the notorious dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution in mildly acidic electrolyte as well as improve their operating stability, Sn hetero nucleus is introduced to stabilize the zinc anode, which not only facilitates the planar zinc deposition, but also contributes to higher hydrogen evolution overpotential. Finally, a long lifetime of 1500 h for the symmetrical cell, the specific capacity of 150 mAh g
−1
under 0.5 A g
−1
for the Zn–MnO
2
battery and 212 mAh g
−1
under 5 A g
−1
for the Zn—NH
4
V
4
O
10
battery are obtained. This work may provide unique perspectives on biocompatible ZIBs toward the biosecurity of their cell components.
Biosecurity measures in European beekeeping
Revista científica y técnica - Oficina internacional de epizootias/Scientific and technical review - International Office of Epizootics/Revue scientifique et technique - Office international des épizooties,
01/2020
Journal Article
•This study investigates an equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV1) myeloencephalopathy outbreak.•Primary risk factor for clinical signs was being housed in the middle of the tent.•Primary risk factor for fever ...was male sex.•Risk factors for neurological signs were >9 years; housed in the middle of the tent.•Stable design, position and ventilation played a crucial role in the EHV-outbreak.
A total of 752 horses were involved in the CES Valencia Spring Tour 2021. Due to an equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) outbreak, the competition was cancelled and the site was locked down. The objective of this study was to describe epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, and outcome data of the 160 horses remaining in Valencia. Clinical and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) data were analysed for 60 horses in a retrospective case-control observational study. The risk of developing clinical manifestations was explored using a logistic regression approach. EHV-1 was detected by qPCR, genotyped as A2254 (ORF30) and isolated on cell culture. From the 60 horses, 50 (83.3%) showed fever, 30 horses (50%) showed no further signs and 20 (40%) showed neurological signs, with eight horses (16%) hospitalised, of which two died (3%). Stallions and geldings were six times more likely to develop EHV-1 infection compared to mares. Horses older than 9 years, or housed in the middle of the tent were more likely to develop EHV-1 myeloencephalopathy (EHM). These data show that for EHV-1 infection, the risk factor was male sex. For EHM the risk factors were age > 9-year old and location in the middle of the tent. These data highlight the crucial role of stable design, position, and ventilation in EHV-outbreaks. It also showed that PCR testing of the horses was important to manage the quarantine.
The detection of viruses is of interest for a number of fields including biomedicine, environmental science, and biosecurity. Of particular interest are methods that do not require expensive ...equipment or trained personnel, especially if the results can be read by the naked eye. A new “double imprinting” method was developed whereby a virus‐bioimprinted hydrogel is further micromolded into a diffraction grating sensor by using imprint‐lithography techniques to give a “Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Gel Laser Diffraction Sensor” (MIP‐GLaDiS). A simple laser transmission apparatus was used to measure diffraction, and the system can read by the naked eye to detect the Apple Stem Pitting Virus (ASPV) at concentrations as low as 10 ng mL−1, thus setting the limit of detection of these hydrogels as low as other antigen‐binding methods such as ELISA or fluorescence‐tag systems.
Eye see it: A strategy for the naked‐eye detection of target compounds by using shrink‐responsive hydrogels is presented. A “double imprinting” method was used, in which a virus‐bioimprinted hydrogel is further micromolded into a diffraction‐grating sensor by using imprint‐lithography techniques. The bioimprinting was performed with an impure extract, which eliminates the need for a pure template.
The aim of the this study was to determine the level of adoption of a range of standard biosecurity practices in beef cattle farmers in Soppeng Regency, South Sulawesi. Data were collected from 45 ...beef cattle farmers through observation and in-depth interview by using questionnaire. There was 26 questions which consisted of biosecurity practices: sanitation, isolation and traffic control. Data were analyzed descriptively using mean and percentage. The results showed that a level of partial adoption of biosecurity had been achieved by the beef cattle farmers. The implication is that beef cattle farmers could be motivated to enhance their level of biosecurity practices.
Sturgeon farming requires special attention. In addition to a relatively long rearing, climate change has resulted in increasingly high temperatures favorable to the emergence of pathogens. The ...control of water quality is essential especially the first years of life of the fish to prevent a mimivirus (AcIV-E) and a mycobacterium (Mycobacterium liflandii). These crises can lead to significant mortality (up to 70%) and have only been documented in hatchery populations where mortality can reach as high as 100 %. Mycobacterium liflandii, fatally affects young generations of Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) mainly in year N + 1 with mortalities reaching 30 % when river temperatures rise above 21 °C (summer period). The retention of these pathogenic microorganisms and of total flora by ultrafiltration was evaluated at a semi-industrial scale. The first part focuses on the specific removal of mimivirus, total flora and mycobacteria and the second part aims to evaluate over the long term (5 months) the hydraulic performances of the ultrafiltration process. Although the temperature (maximum 21 °C) was not sufficient for the mycobacteria to be detected, a good retention of mimiviruses (up to 4.7 log removal) and total flora was observed throughout the study. A more stable water quality was obtained after ultrafiltration and this work confirms the potential great interest of ultrafiltration for the biosecurity of fish production.
•Ultrafiltration enables up to 4.7 log removal rate of mimivirus AcIV-E in water.•Ultrafiltration retains total flora from 2 to 5 log removal rate in water.•Ultrafiltration provides a more stable quality of water for sturgeon rearing.•Ultrafiltration hydraulic performances were stable over 5 months of operation.
With an ever-increasing global population, and negligible concurrent increase in available land for agriculture, effective plant protection regulations are important in safeguarding the bio-security ...and world’s future. The essential efforts should be emphasized on minimizing the crop losses (10–30%) due to ravages of insect pests, diseases, weeds, nematodes, vertebrate pests, etc. Enforcement of plant quarantine regulations and prevention of entry of exotic pests are playing a crucial role in safeguarding Indian agriculture. Sugarcane is an economically important crop of India. Quarantine regulations play a significant role to restrict the entry of sugarcane pests/diseases of quarantine significance from other countries. Despite having a very robust plant quarantine regulations in India, few challenging issues still need to be addressed and revised in order to ensure desired level of bio-security in sugarcane cultivation. Besides monitoring the diseases and insect pests already listed in Schedules IV and V of the PQ order 2003, it is equally imperative to continuously monitor the current global scenario for emergence of new pests and diseases of economic importance which may pose a threat to sugarcane cultivation in India. Also, there is a need to regulate interstate sugarcane seed movement within India in order to restrict the pest movement through introduction of domestic quarantine under the Destructive Insects & Pests Act (1914). In this article, up-to-date strengths and challenges of plant quarantine regulations in India are discussed with special reference to sugarcane.
Recent studies have indicated that bats are hosts to diverse filoviruses. Currently, no pan-filovirus molecular assays are available that have been evaluated for the detection of all mammalian ...filoviruses. In this study, a two-step pan-filovirus SYBR Green real-time PCR assay targeting the nucleoprotein gene was developed for filovirus surveillance in bats. Synthetic constructs were designed as representatives of nine filovirus species and used to evaluate the assay. This assay detected all synthetic constructs included with an analytical sensitivity of 3–31.7 copies/reaction and was evaluated against the field collected samples. The assay’s performance was similar to a previously published probe based assay for detecting Ebola- and Marburgvirus. The developed pan-filovirus SYBR Green assay will allow for more affordable and sensitive detection of mammalian filoviruses in bat samples.
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