Mycoplasmosis in free-ranging desert tortoises in Utah and Arizona.

Upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) has been associated with major losses of free-ranging desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) in the southwestern United States. This prompted a clinical examination of 63 free-ranging desert tortoises for signs of URTD and sampling for Mycoplasma agassizii, the causative agent of URTD. Tortoises were sampled from three sites in the eastern Mojave Desert (1992-93), and from three sites in the Sonoran Desert (1992-94). Plasma samples were tested for antibodies to M. agassizii using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Nasal aspirate samples from 12 Sonoran tortoises were tested using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test directed at the 16S rRNA gene of M. agassizii. Nasal aspirate samples from all tortoises were cultured for M. agassizii. In the Mojave Desert, nine tortoises had clinical signs of URTD and eight were seropositive for M. agassizii. In the Sonoran Desert, there were no clinical signs of URTD, but two tortoises were seropositive, and two tortoises had positive PCR results.

Health promotion 'on steroids': the value of an experiential approach to promote rapid HIV testing in NSW, Australia.

In 2012, there was a sharp increase in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) notifications in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, following a 10-year period of relative stability. This increase, among other factors, triggered the development of a new HIV strategy that included renewed efforts to increase testing to improve early diagnosis, enable early treatment and reduce the risk of onward transmission. This article describes the activities conducted by NSW Health and partner organisations during November 2013 in the week before World AIDS Day (phase one (P1)) and HIV testing week in July 2014 (phase 2 (P2)). A model of pop-up HIV testing, new to Australia, was used to take testing to those most at risk of infection, and was promoted through social media and experiential techniques. During P1, an average of seven tests per hour were conducted at the pop-up service, compared with four tests per hour at a fast-track screening service in a nearby sexual health clinic. During HIV testing week, the campaign hashtag was mentioned an average of 56 times per day, following a baseline of six mentions per day one week before. The estimated total social media reach was 549,769 people via 459 posts. The pop-up testing model proved popular, and the use of social media and experiential techniques has extended the reach of the 'test more' messages. Further research is required to determine causality between specific HIV messaging and experiential techniques and testing rates.