Detection and diagnosis of Panulirus argus virus 1 in captive spiny lobsters using qPCR in conjunction with histopathology and transmission electron microscopy.

Panulirus argus virus 1 (PaV1) is the first and only naturally occurring pathogenic virus described in the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus. PaV1 infection in decapod species that commonly co-occur with P. argus, including the spotted spiny lobster Panulirus guttatus, has not been previously described. In 2016, 14 Caribbean and 5 spotted spiny lobsters were collected near Summerland Key, Florida, to supplement the resident population of the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans, Louisiana. After 5 months in quarantine, Caribbean and spotted spiny lobsters began to exhibit clinical signs of lethargy and dying in the molt. Initial histologic evaluation revealed intranuclear inclusion bodies in circulating hemocytes in the spongy connective tissue of the epidermis, suggesting a viral infection. Samples of hepatopancreas and hemolymph from deceased Caribbean and spotted spiny lobsters tested negative for white spot syndrome virus and positive for PaV1 using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Intranuclear, eosinophilic to amphophilic, Cowdry type A inclusion bodies observed primarily within fixed phagocytes and circulating hemocytes in the hepatopancreas of freshly euthanized Caribbean spiny lobsters were consistent with PaV1 infection. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that hemocytes associated with hepatopancreatic tubules contained viral inclusions with location, size, and morphology consistent with previously described PaV1 infection. These findings highlight the significance of using molecular diagnostics in conjunction with histopathology and electron microscopy in the investigation and diagnosis of PaV1 in spiny lobsters. Further study is required to investigate the relationship of PaV1-associated mortality events and microscopic lesions in the spotted spiny lobster.

Streptococcus dysgalactiae: A Pathogen of Feral Populations of Silver Carp from a Fish Kill Event.

In August 2018, a series of large fish kills involving only Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix occurred on the Mississippi River in northern Louisiana. Clinical signs observed in moribund animals included erratic swimming behavior, such as spiraling and spinning at the surface. A moribund specimen was captured by dip net near the surface at Lake Providence Landing in East Carroll Parish, northern Louisiana, and was submitted for analysis. An aseptic necropsy was performed, and diagnostic procedures, including bacteriology, parasitology, histopathology, virology, and electron microscopy, revealed that a gram-positive coccus was the primary pathogen. Pure cultures of the organism were obtained from the brain, and it was the predominant colony type isolated from the spleen, kidney, and liver. Bacterial sepsis caused by the gram-positive coccus and involving multiple organ systems was diagnosed histologically. Bacterial colonization and necrotic lesions were seen in the spleen, liver, kidney, heart, eye, and brain. Numerous cocci were observed dividing intracellularly in phagocytic cells of the kidney and brain by transmission electron microscopy. The organism was identified as Streptococcus dysgalactiae ssp. dysgalactiae by conventional biochemical methods and subsequently by the API 20 Strep system. The identity of the pathogen was later confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Multilocus sequence analysis clustered this isolate along with two other S. dysgalactiae isolates from fish in a divergent phyletic group that was separate from other S. dysgalactiae ssp. dysgalactiae isolates from terrestrial animals, implying a possible novel clade that is pathogenic for fish.

Dental Blogs, Podcasts, and Associated Social Media: Descriptive Mapping and Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Studies of social media in both medicine and dentistry have largely focused on the value of social media for marketing to and communicating with patients and for clinical education. There is limited evidence of how dental clinicians contribute to and use social media to disseminate and access information relevant to clinical care. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to inventory and assess the entry, growth, sources, and content of clinically relevant social media in dentistry. METHODS: We developed an inventory of blogs, podcasts, videos, and associated social media disseminating clinical information to dentists. We assessed hosts' media activity in terms of their combinations of modalities, entry and exit dates, frequency of posting, types of content posted, and size of audience. RESULTS: Our study showed that clinically relevant information is posted by dentists and hygienists on social media. Clinically relevant information was provided in 89 blogs and podcasts, and topic analysis showed motives for blogging by host type: 55% (49 hosts) were practicing dentists or hygienists, followed by consultants (27 hosts, 30%), media including publishers and discussion board hosts (8 hosts, 9%), and professional organizations and corporations. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated the participation of and potential for practicing dentists and hygienists to use social media to share clinical and other information with practicing colleagues. There is a clear audience for these social media sites, suggesting a changing mode of information diffusion in dentistry. This study was a first effort to fill the gap in understanding the nature and potential role of social media in clinical dentistry.