RESUMO
An outbreak of food poisoning (emetic syndrome) occurred in three kindergartens (A, B and C) in Berlin, Germany, on 3 December 2007 after an excursion during which food was served. We conducted a retrospective cohort study among the kindergarten children and personnel who participated in the trip. The overall attack rate among the 155 participants was 30%. It was 31% among the 137 children (aged two to six years) and 17% among adults (n=18). The consumption of rice pudding was significantly associated with disease. Among those who ate rice pudding, the attack rate was 36%, compared with 0% for non-eaters (relative risk: infinite, p<0.001, aetiological fraction: 100%), but differed significantly between kindergartens A (43%), B (61%) and C (3%), probably because groups were served from different pots. Bacillus cereus sensu stricto was identified from one vomit sample. The clinical and epidemiological characteristics suggest that B. cereus emetic toxin (cereulide) was the causative agent, although it could not be proven in the single vomit isolate. Inadequate food handling most probably led to the outbreak. Single-portion ready-to-eat rice pudding was recommended for subsequent excursions and no further cases of food poisoning occurred.
Assuntos
Bacillus cereus/isolamento & purificação , Surtos de Doenças , Doenças Transmitidas por Alimentos/epidemiologia , Instituições Acadêmicas , Vômito/epidemiologia , Dor Abdominal/diagnóstico , Dor Abdominal/epidemiologia , Dor Abdominal/etiologia , Adulto , Berlim/epidemiologia , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Estudos de Coortes , Feminino , Doenças Transmitidas por Alimentos/diagnóstico , Doenças Transmitidas por Alimentos/etiologia , Humanos , Masculino , Oryza/intoxicação , Estudos Retrospectivos , Síndrome , Vômito/diagnóstico , Vômito/etiologiaRESUMO
Canine distemper virus (CDV) infects a broad range of carnivores. To assess whether wild carnivores may play a role in the epidemiology of CDV in domestic dogs in Germany, the seroprevalence of CDV was determined. In sera from red foxes (30 of 591 (5%)) and stone martens (2 of 10 (20%)) antiviral antibodies were detected using a neutralization assay, whereas sera of raccoons, two mink, one pine marten and one raccoon dog were negative. In foxes, there was a significantly higher prevalence in urban and suburban compared to rural regions. When testing lung and spleen tissue samples (fox, badger, stone marten, polecat, raccoon dog) 13 of 253 (5.1%) foxes, 2 of 13 (15.4%) stone martens and 2 of 6 (33%) badgers were virus positive using RT-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial sequences of the F gene revealed a distinct relatedness to canine CDV isolates. Together, the data support the concept of transmission of CDV between domestic dogs and wild carnivores.
Assuntos
Carnívoros , Vírus da Cinomose Canina/isolamento & purificação , Cinomose/transmissão , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Animais Selvagens , Anticorpos Monoclonais , Anticorpos Antivirais/sangue , Sequência de Bases , Primers do DNA/química , DNA Viral/química , Cinomose/epidemiologia , Cinomose/virologia , Vírus da Cinomose Canina/classificação , Vírus da Cinomose Canina/patogenicidade , Cães , Raposas , Alemanha/epidemiologia , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Testes de Neutralização/veterinária , Filogenia , RNA Viral/química , RNA Viral/isolamento & purificação , Guaxinins , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa/veterinária , Alinhamento de Sequência , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Homologia de Sequência de Aminoácidos , Homologia de Sequência do Ácido Nucleico , Estudos SoroepidemiológicosAssuntos
Toxinas Botulínicas/efeitos adversos , Botulismo/diagnóstico , Mel/microbiologia , Animais , Toxinas Botulínicas/biossíntese , Botulismo/etiologia , Clostridium botulinum/isolamento & purificação , Clostridium botulinum/metabolismo , Microbiologia de Alimentos , Mel/efeitos adversos , Humanos , Lactente , Camundongos , Esporos Bacterianos/isolamento & purificaçãoRESUMO
This report gives an account of a Q-fever infection in flocks of sheep, taking into consideration the epidemiological aspects. In the inner organs, and particularly in the central nervous system of affected animals, rickettsial as well as chlamydial agents were directly demonstrated by immunofluorescence and specific staining methods, as well as by isolation via cell culture. Serological examination showed antibodies against both agents in sheep from flocks where the outbreak occurred.
Assuntos
Surtos de Doenças/veterinária , Febre Q/veterinária , Doenças dos Ovinos/diagnóstico , Animais , Berlim/epidemiologia , Chlamydia/isolamento & purificação , Coxiella burnetii/isolamento & purificação , Feminino , Gravidez , Febre Q/diagnóstico , Febre Q/epidemiologia , Rickettsia/isolamento & purificação , Ovinos , Doenças dos Ovinos/epidemiologiaRESUMO
A male Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) died at the Berlin zoological gardens in August 1998 of systemic infection with the novel endotheliotropic elephant herpesvirus (ElHV-1). This virus causes a fatal haemorrhagic disease in Asian elephants, the so-called endothelial inclusion body disease, as reported from North American zoological gardens. In the present work, ElHV-1 was visualized ultrastructurally in affected organ material. Furthermore, a gene block comprising the complete glycoprotein B (gB) and DNA polymerase (DPOL) genes as well as two partial genes was amplified by PCR-based genome walking and sequenced. The gene content and arrangement were similar to those of members of the Betaherpesvirinae. However, phylogenetic analysis with gB and DPOL consistently revealed a very distant relationship to the betaherpesviruses. Therefore, ElHV-1 may be a member of a new genus or even a new herpesvirus subfamily. The sequence information generated was used to set up a nested-PCR assay for diagnosis of suspected cases of endothelial inclusion body disease. Furthermore, it will aid in the development of antibody-based detection methods and of vaccination strategies against this fatal herpesvirus infection in the endangered Asian elephant.
Assuntos
Elefantes/virologia , Infecções por Herpesviridae/veterinária , Herpesviridae/genética , Animais , Sequência de Bases , DNA Viral , DNA Polimerase Dirigida por DNA/classificação , DNA Polimerase Dirigida por DNA/genética , Endotélio/citologia , Endotélio/virologia , Europa (Continente) , Genes Virais , Glicoproteínas/classificação , Glicoproteínas/genética , Hemorragia/patologia , Hemorragia/veterinária , Hemorragia/virologia , Herpesviridae/classificação , Herpesviridae/isolamento & purificação , Herpesviridae/ultraestrutura , Infecções por Herpesviridae/patologia , Infecções por Herpesviridae/virologia , Humanos , Corpos de Inclusão Viral/patologia , Corpos de Inclusão Viral/ultraestrutura , Masculino , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Fases de Leitura Aberta , Filogenia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/métodos , Proteínas do Envelope Viral/classificação , Proteínas do Envelope Viral/genéticaRESUMO
Herpesvirus infections which take a fatal turn on African elephants as well as on Asian elephants seem to occur increasingly not only in the USA but also in European stocks. The endotheliotropic herpesvirus causes a rapidly progressing and severe disease which makes any therapeutical effort unsuccessful and finally results in death of the animal, especially in young Asian elephants. As all attempts to culture the virus failed up to now, molecular biological procedures have to be used more often for diagnostical purpose together with the common methods of pathology, virology, and electronmicroscopical evaluation. This is a report on the case of 'KIBA', an eleven year old male elephant at the Zoological Garden Berlin, infected with the endotheliotropic elephants herpesvirus. 'KIBA' was born at the Zoo in Houston, Texas, and raised within his herd. Upon arriving in Berlin in November 1997 he adapted to the new premises and climate and new social circumstances without any problems. In June 1998 he already serviced three females of his new herd several times. In August 1998 he died after passing a peracute progression of the disease after residenting in Berlin for only 9 months. The dissection of the animal revealed some evidence on an agent damaging the endothelium. Major signs indicating this agent were bleedings in several serous membranes, mucosa and on the the right atrium, as well as other parts of the myocardium. Furthermore there have been ulcerations at various localisations of the whole digestive tract. Slightly basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies have been found histologically in endothelial cells of different organ samples. An examination of altered organ-material by electronmicroscopy made some herpesvirus-like particles visible. A virological investigation first revealed evidence of giant cell formations with solitary basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies in different cell cultures, however, without any distinct cytopathogenic effect. Supported by molecular biological procedures the infection of 'KIBA' could be verified as the elephants herpesvirus. By means of PCR and subsequent sequence analysis a DNA-sequence typical for the elephants herpesvirus could be obtained which showed an identity of 97% with the terminase sequence of the elephant herpesvirus described by American authors. The deduced amino acid-sequences were 100% identical. To the terminase of the human cytomegalovirus, the elephant sequence had an identity of 53% (similarity: 74%). Based on the cooperation of ILAT, Institute of Veterinary-Pathology/Free University Berlin, Robert-Koch-Institut Berlin, and Zoological Garden Berlin, the cause of 'KIBA's' death could be discovered immediately. Possible implications of this case especially on breeding and keeping elephants are discussed briefly.