Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases.
Publisher:
Elsevier Science,
Frequency: Eight no. a year, 2010-
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Start Year:2001 -
ISSN:
1567-1348 (Print)
1567-7257 (Electronic)
1567-1348 (Linking)
1567-7257 (Electronic)
1567-1348 (Linking)
Impact Factor
4.4
2022
| NLM ID: | 101084138 |
| (OCoLC): | 48132747 |
| LCCN: | 2001243317 |
| Classification: | W1 IN406HIS |
Comparative phylogenetic and sequence identity analysis of internal transcribed spacer 2 and cytochrome C oxidase subunit I as DNA barcode markers for the most common equine Strongylidae species. Morphologically, 64 strongylid species have been described in equines. Co-infections are common, with up to 29 species reported in a single horse. Morphological identification of these species is time consuming and requires expert knowledge due to their similar appearance. Therefore, non-invasive identification methods are needed. DNA barcoding offers a rapid and reliable tool for species identification and the discovery of cryptic species for these most common parasitic nematodes of equines. In total, 269 COI and 312 ITS-2 sequences from 27 equine Strongylidae species, including sequences fro...
Epidemiology and genetic diversity of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in Mongolian horses. Equine piroplasmosis is a tick-borne disease caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in horses. Because of its impact on horse industry, control of this disease is crucial for endemic countries. The control of equine piroplasmosis may be influenced by the genotypic diversity of T. equi and B. caballi. Mongolia, a country with a thriving livestock industry, is endemic for T. equi and B. caballi. However, nationwide epidemiological surveys have not been conducted to determine the current status of infections and genetic diversity of these two parasite species. Therefore, the objective of th...
Molecular identification and genetic diversity of equine ocular setariasis in Thailand based on the COI, 12S rDNA, and ITS1 regions. Equine ocular setariasis is mainly caused by Setaria digitata, and the identification of this filarial nematode is based on morphology. However, morphological characterization alone is insufficient for the detection and differentiation of S. digitata from its congeners. In Thailand, the molecular detection of S. digitata is lacking and its genetic diversity is still unknown. This study aimed to phylogenetically characterize equine S. digitata from Thailand based on sequences derived from the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI), the mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal DNA (12S ...
Surveillance of hepatitis E virus in the horse population of Korea: A serological and molecular approach. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen causing hepatitis worldwide. Despite the prevalent evidence of interspecies HEV infection in various animal species, the role of horses in HEV epidemiology remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of HEV infection in 283 blood and 114 fecal samples from 397 horses using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Among the 283 serum samples, 35 were positive for anti-HEV antibodies (12.4%; 95% confidence interval: 8.8-16.8), and four of the five sampling reg...
Molecular characterization of Burkholderia mallei strains isolated from horses in Brazil (2014-2017). Glanders is an infectious zoonosis caused by Burkholderia (B.) mallei that mainly affects equids. The objective of this work was to provide additional knowledge on the diversity of the strains circulating in Brazil. Six Burkholderia mallei isolates obtained during necropsies of glanderous horses between 2014 and 2017 in two different states (Pernambuco and Alagoas) were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-high-resolution melting (PCR-HRM). While four strains (9902 RSC, BM_campo 1, BM_campo 3 and UFAL2) clustered in the L3B2 branch, which already includes the Brazilian 16-2438_BM#8 strain, tw...
First detection of Theileria equi in free-roaming donkeys (Equus africanus asinus) in Sri Lanka. Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in equids, including horses, donkeys, zebras, and mules. It is globally endemic with significant economic impact on the equine industry. Infected animals may serve as carriers, and they may be a source of infection for ticks, thereby posing a great challenge for disease management. Sri Lanka is a tropical country, where infections by various tick-borne parasites are common among livestock animals. However, infections by T. equi and B. caballi remain unstudied in Sri Lanka. Therefore, in the present s...
Very low intraspecific sequence variation in selected nuclear and mitochondrial Parascaris univalens genes. Equines were over decades considered to be infected by two morphologically virtually indistinguishable ascarid species, Parascaris univalens and Parascaris equorum. Reliable species discrimination is only possible using enzyme isoelectric focussing and karyotyping with P. univalens having one and P. equorum two chromosome pairs. However, presumably the complexity of both methods prevented their routine use in nearly all previous studies about prevalence and drug resistance of Parascaris spp. These have barely been performed on the species level although most studies stated presence of one or t...
Non-primate hepacivirus transmission and prevalence: Novel findings of virus circulation in horses and dogs in Morocco. Non-primate hepacivirus (NPHV) is a homolog of hepatitis C virus and has been isolated from dogs and horses. Data on NPHV prevalence and distribution are not complete, and there is a particular lack of reports from the African continent. The present study represents the first investigation of NPHV prevalence in horses and dogs in North Africa. Blood was collected from 172 horses and 36 dogs at different locations in Morocco, and screened for NPHV RNA using nested PCR targeting 5'UTR and NS3 regions and analyzed for anti-NPHV NS3 antibody using a Gaussia luciferase immunoprecipitation system-to...
Virulent African horse sickness virus serotype 4 interferes with the innate immune response in horse peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro. African horse sickness (AHS) is caused by African horse sickness virus (AHSV), a double stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus of the genus Orbivirus, family Reoviridae. For the development of new generation AHS vaccines or antiviral treatments, it is crucial to understand the host immune response against the virus and the immune evasion strategies the virus employs. To achieve this, the current study used transcriptome analysis of RNA sequences to characterize and compare the innate immune responses activated during the attenuated AHSV serotype 4 (attAHSV4) (in vivo) and the virulent AHSV4 (virAHSV4) (in...
Effects of srtA variation on phagocytosis resistance and immune response of Streptococcus equi. Strangles, which is caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi), is one of the most prevalent equine infectious diseases with worldwide distribution and leads to serious economic loss in the horse industry. Sortase A (srtA) is a transpeptidase that anchors multiple virulence-associated surface proteins to the cell surface of S. equi. srtA plays a major role in S. equi infection and colonization of the host cell. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of srtA mutation on the phagocytic activity and immunogenicity of S. equi. The point-mutated recombinant sortases, includi...
Detection of genotype 1 bovine leukemia virus from a C.schultzei pool: Do Culicoides spp. have a role on the transmission of bovine leukemia virus? Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is known as the etiological agent of Enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL), which is the most common neoplastic disease of cattle. While the major route of virus transmission is believed to be iatrogenic, BLV proviral DNA has been identified in biological materials, including nasal secretions, saliva, milk, colostrum, and semen, and in several insect species, including horses flies. However, insects' role in the natural transmission of BLV has not been clearly demonstrated. This study assessed the possible role of midges - Culicoides spp. - in BLV transmission. BLVs were g...
Molecular investigation of allelic variants of EqCXCL16 gene in equine arteritis virus infected stallions of selected horse breeds in Poland. Susceptibility to long-term persistent infection with Equine Arteritis Virus (EAV) in stallions is related with EqCXCL16 gene alleles of the host. In our study EqCXCL16 gene alleles were determined for 63 EAV shedders and 126 non-shedders of various horse breeds. In total, 60 (31.7%) out of 189 tested stallions were identified as carriers of susceptible variants of EqCXCL16 by real time PCR and Sanger sequencing. The presence of susceptible genotype was related to horse breed with the highest percentage in Wielkopolska breed, Polish coldblood and Silesian breed horses. Strong correlation betwe...
Identification of risk factors associated with antimicrobial resistance in equine fecal Escherichia coli isolates. Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global problem that will need a multinational collaborative effort to overcome this serious challenge. The aim of the study is to investigate the potential risk factors associated with the prevalence and distribution of antimicrobial-resistance genes (ARGs) of Escherichia coli isolates obtained from equine fecal samples. One hundred and eighteen horses from different geographical locations and management systems were enrolled in the study and a questionnaire containing information about each individual horse was designed and filled. The enrolled horses bel...
Molecular characterization in the toll-like receptor 9 gene of Cape Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra zebra) from three populations. Toll-like receptors (TLR) are a family of proteins that signal activation of the innate immune response through the recognition of a variety of pathogen molecular compounds. Here, we characterized the complete TLR9 gene in Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra) from three populations in South Africa and compared sequences to a variety of horse and donkey breeds. Overall, we identified six single nucleotide polymorpHisms (SNPs). A single SNP (G586S) was non-synonymous, whereas the remaining SNPs were synonymous. The G586S alteration was detected in Cape mountain zebra populations with varying ...
Different distribution of Cryptosporidium species between horses and donkeys. Few studies have been conducted on the distribution of Cryptosporidium species and subtypes in equine animals. In this study, 878 stool specimens were collected during 2015-2019 from 551 donkeys and 327 horses in Shandong, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia, China and screened for Cryptosporidium spp. by PCR analysis of the small subunit rRNA gene. The Cryptosporidium species presented were identified by sequence analysis of the PCR products and subtyped by sequence analysis of the 60 kDa glycoprotein gene. The infection rates of Cryptosporidium spp. in horses and donkeys were 3.1% (10/327) and 14...
Genomic characterization of orthobunyavirus of veterinary importance in America. During 2013, in Argentina, three new isolates of serogroup Bunyamwera virus (genus Orthobunyavirus, family Peribunyaviridae) were recovered from two horses with encephalitis, and from an aborted equine fetus. In the present study, we report the complete genome sequence, genetic characterization, and phylogenetic analysis of three new strains isolated in Argentina to clarifying their relationship within the Bunyamwera serogroup virus and to investigate the evolutionary history of viruses with segmented genomes.
Evolution and diversity of the EMA families of the divergent equid parasites, Theileria equi and T. haneyi. The equine parasite Theilera equi continues to curtail global equine commerce due primarily to its ability to persist indefinitely in the immunocompetent horse. Details regarding the parasite life cycle, pathogenesis and mechanism of persistence remain unclear. The recently discovered T. haneyi is also capable of persistence in the horse, creating a potential reservoir for additional infections. These two divergent parasites share a unique gene family that expresses surface merozoite antigens, or equi merozoite antigens (EMAs). The EMA family was maintained in number and size in both parasites...
Epidemiological investigation and analysis of the NS5B gene and protein variability of non-primate hepacivirus in several horse cohorts in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Among the hepacivirus species recently described, the non-primate hepacivirus/hepacivirus A found in horses and donkeys is closely related to the human hepatitis C virus (HCV). Therefore, the equine is an attractive surrogate large animal model for the study of HCV therapy, pathogenesis and prophylaxis. Despite global efforts, epidemiological and genetic studies have not elucidated the risk factors, virus distribution or genetic variability of the hepacivirus A, which are also important issues for the equine welfare. Little information about this background scenery is available in Brazil. The ...
First molecular characterisation of a Brazilian Burkholderia mallei strain isolated from a mule in 2016. We present the first molecular characterisation based on MLVA and SNP analysis of a strain of Burkholderia mallei isolated from a mule found dead in Brazil in 2016.
From discovery to spread: The evolution and phylogeny of Getah virus. Getah virus (GETV) was first isolated in Malaysia in 1955. Since then, epidemics in horses and pigs caused by GETV have resulted in huge economic losses. At present, GETV has spread across Eurasia and Southeast Asia, including mainland China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and Russia. Data show that the Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) of GETV existed about 145years ago (95% HPD: 75-244) and gradually evolved into four distinct evolutionary populations: Groups I-IV. The MRCA of GETVs in Group III, which includes all GETVs isolated from mosquitoes, pigs, horses, and other animals since the 1960s (fr...
First identification and phylogenetic analysis of equine hepacivirus in Korea. Non-primate hepacivirus (NPHV) corresponds a group of isolates recently characterized in horses and dogs that present similar genomic organization and are closely related to hepatitis C virus. Since canine hapacivirus, NPHV identified in dogs, was first discovered in dogs in the United States, equine hepacivirus (EqHV, NPHV identified in horses) has been identified in horses in several countries. However, no epidemiological studies have investigated EqHV in horses in Korea. In this study, a total of 74 (n=74) serum samples collected from horses in four regions of Korea were tested for EqHV RNA...
NetF-producing Clostridium perfringens: Clonality and plasmid pathogenicity loci analysis. Clostridium perfringens is an important cause of foal necrotizing enteritis and canine acute hemorrhagic diarrhea. A major virulence determinant of the strains associated with these diseases appears to be a beta-sheet pore-forming toxin, NetF, encoded within a pathogenicity locus (NetF locus) on a large tcp-conjugative plasmid. Strains producing NetF also produce the putative toxin NetE, encoded within the same pathogenicity locus, as well as CPE enterotoxin and CPB2 on a second plasmid, and sometimes the putative toxin NetG within a pathogenicity locus (NetG locus) on another separate large c...
Molecular epidemiology of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis isolated from horses in California. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar Equi is an important pathogen of horses. It is increasing in frequency in the United States, and is responsible for various clinical forms of infection, including external abscesses, internal abscesses of the abdominal or thoracic cavities, and ulcerative lymphangitis. The host/pathogen factors dictating the form or severity of infection are currently unknown. Our recent investigations have shown that genotyping C. pseudotuberculosis isolates using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR is useful for understanding the evolutionary g...
Common occurrence of Cryptosporidium hominis in horses and donkeys. Extensive genetic variation is observed within the genus Cryptosporidium and the distribution of Cryptosporidium species/genotypes in humans and animals appears to vary by geography and host species. To better understand the genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium spp. in horses and donkeys, we characterized five horse-derived and 82 donkey-derived Cryptosporidium isolates from five provinces or autonomous regions (Sichuan, Gansu, Henan, Inner Mongolia and Shandong) in China at the species/genotype and subtype levels. Three Cryptosporidium species/genotypes were identified based on the analysis o...
Molecular studies on European equine isolates of Leptospira interrogans serovars Bratislava and Muenchen. Strains of Leptospira interrogans belonging to two very closely related serovars – Bratislava and Muenchen – are known to cause widespread infection of the horse population in many parts of the world. Conventional serological typing of isolates has been unable to differentiate between wildlife, pig, dog and possibly horse maintained isolates and therefore has been unable to provide further insight into their diversity and the relationship between them. Twenty-one such European isolates of serovar Bratislava and Muenchen were examined by restriction endonuclease analysis and multiple-locus ...
The horse pinworm (Oxyuris equi) in archaeology during the Holocene: Review of past records and new data. This paper focuses on the horse pinworm, Oxyuris equi, in archaeology during the Holocene period, and presents an overview of past published occurrences, early mentions in texts, and new data from our paleoparasitology research. This original compilation shows that the most ancient record of the horse pinworm dates to ca. 2500 years before present (ybp) in Central Asia and to ca. 2020 ybp in Western Europe. It also shows that the parasite is not detected on the American continent until contemporary periods. The role of European migrations from 1492 (Christopher Columbus) is discussed to explai...
Intra-host viral variability in children clinically infected with H1N1 (2009) pandemic influenza. Recent in-depth genetic analyses of influenza A virus samples have revealed patterns of intra-host viral genetic variability in a variety of relevant systems. These have included laboratory infected poultry, horses, pigs, chicken eggs and swine respiratory cells, as well as naturally infected poultry and horses. In humans, next generation sequencing techniques have enabled the study of genetic variability at specific positions of the viral genome. The present study investigated how 454 pyrosequencing could help unravel intra-host genetic diversity patterns on the full-length viral hæmagglutin...
Diversity of interferon inducible Mx gene in horses and association of variations with susceptibility vis-à-vis resistance against equine influenza infection. Equine influenza (EI) is primarily an infection of the upper respiratory tract and is one of the major infectious respiratory diseases of economic importance in equines. Re-emergence of the disease, species jumping by H3N8 virus in canines and possible threat of human pandemic due to the unpredictable nature of the virus have necessitated research on devising strategies for preventing the disease. The myxovirus resistance protein (Mx) has been reported to confer resistance to Orthomyxo virus infection by modifying cellular functions needed along the viral replication pathway. Polymorphisms and...
Tabanids: neglected subjects of research, but important vectors of disease agents! Tabanids are nuisance pests for people and livestock because of their painful and irritating bite, persistent biting behavior, and blood ingestion. About 4400 tabanid species have been described; they are seasonally present in all kinds of landscapes, latitudes, and altitudes. High populations have a significant economic impact on outdoor activities, tourism, and livestock production. Tabanids are also vectors of animal disease agents, including viruses, bacteria and parasites. However, tabanids have received little attention in comparison with other hematophagous Diptera. Here, we highlight t...
Molecular characterization of the Babesia caballi rap-1 gene and epidemiological survey in horses in Israel. Equine piroplasmosis imposes great concerns for the equine industry regarding international horse movement, and therefore requires reliable diagnostic tools. Recent studies from South Africa and Jordan, including a preliminary study in Israel, reported extremely low seroprevalence to Babesia caballi (B. caballi) (0-1%) using the acceptable rhoptry-associated protein-1 (RAP-1) cELISA. In accordance with the study from South Africa demonstrating a significant heterogeneity in the rap-1 gene sequence of South African B. caballi isolates, the objectives of this study were to phylogenetically chara...