NOVEL SIMPLEXVIRUS (SIMPLEXVIRUS DOLICHOTINEALPHA1) ASSOCIATED WITH FATALITY IN FOUR PATAGONIAN MARA (DOLICHOTIS PATAGONUM).

Four of seven Patagonian maras (Dolichotis patagonum) at a zoological institution developed acute neurologic signs that progressed to tetraparesis and death. All affected were young adult females (10 mon-5 yr old) that presented over 11 d. Clinical signs were rapidly progressive and unresponsive to supportive therapies. Two of the four individuals were found deceased 4 d after hospitalization. Two individuals were euthanized due to poor prognosis and decline after 6 and 8 d, respectively. Simultaneously, an additional mara developed mild and self-resolving clinical signs, including a kyphotic gait and paraparesis. On gross examination, there were widespread petechiae and ecchymoses of the skeletal muscle, myocardium, skin, pericardium, urinary bladder mucosa, and spinal cord. On histopathology, all animals had necrotizing myelitis and rhombencephalitis, with intranuclear viral inclusions in three individuals. Electron microscopy confirmed herpesviral replication and assembly complexes in neurons and oligodendrocytes. Consensus PCR performed on spinal cord, brainstem, or cerebellum revealed a novel Simplexvirus most closely related to Simplexvirus leporidalpha 4. The virus was amplified and sequenced and is referred to as Simplexvirus dolichotinealpha1. It is unknown whether this virus is endemic in Patagonian mara or whether it represents an aberrant host species. Clinicians should be aware of this virus and its potential to cause severe, rapidly progressive, life-threatening disease in this species.

Elongated PEO-based nanoparticles bind the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) receptor scavenger receptor class B I (SR-BI).

Targeting cell-surface receptors with nanoparticles (NPs) is a crucial aspect of nanomedicine. Here, we show that soft, flexible, elongated NPs with poly-ethylene-oxide (PEO) exteriors and poly-butadiene (PBD) interiors - PEO-PBD filomicelles - interact directly with the major high-density lipoprotein (HDL) receptor and SARS-CoV-2 uptake factor, SR-BI. Filomicelles have a ~ 6-fold stronger interaction with reconstituted SR-BI than PEO-PBD spheres. HDL, and the lipid transport inhibitor, BLT-1, both block the uptake of filomicelles by macrophages and Idla7 cells, the latter are constitutively expressing SR-BI (Idla7-SR-BI). Co-injections of HDL and filomicelles into wild-type mice reduced filomicelle signal in the liver and increased filomicelle plasma levels. The same was true with SCARB1-/- mice. SR-BI binding is followed by phagocytosis for filomicelle macrophage entry, but only SR-BI is needed for entry into Idla7-SR-BI cells. PEO-PBD spheres did not interact strongly with SR-BI in the above experiments. The results show elongated PEO-based NPs can bind cells via cooperativity among SR-BI receptors on cell surfaces.

Campylobacter taeniopygiae sp. nov., Campylobacter aviculae sp. nov., and Campylobacter estrildidarum sp. nov., Novel Species Isolated from Laboratory-Maintained Zebra Finches.

Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are laboratory animal species commonly used for modeling neurobiology and learning. Historically, using bacterial culture, biochemical analysis, and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing, bacterial isolates from feces of finches housed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology had been presumptively diagnosed as Campylobacter jejuni, which is commonly isolated from both domestic and wild birds. Although the zebra finches were not clinically affected, C. jejuni is a known zoonotic pathogen that causes gastroenteritis in humans worldwide. Human transmission is predominantly foodborne and associated with the consumption of contaminated poultry; however, humans can also become infected from contact with C. jejuni-infected reservoir hosts. Because C. jejuni-infected finches pose a risk to research personnel, a study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence and taxonomic identification of Campylobacter spp. present in the finch colony. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from a total of 26 finch fecal samples collected in 2003, 2010, and 2017. 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing of all isolates determined that they shared 99% identity with either C. jejuni or Campylobacter lari. Sixteen of the isolates were subjected to further biochemical characterization and atpA and rpoB gene sequence analysis. Based on these analyses, three clusters of Campylobacter species were identified. The draft whole-genome sequences were determined for one representative isolate from each cluster. A pan-genomic phylogenetic tree, average nucleotide identity, digital DNA-DNA hybridization, and orthologous gene analyses indicated that each isolate was its own novel species, distinct from C. jejuni and other avian Campylobacter species. We have named these novel species Campylobacter taeniopygiae, Campylobacter aviculae, and Campylobacter estrildidarum, and in each novel species, we identified virulence genes suggesting their pathogenic and zoonotic potential.

Reduced productivity of Culex pipiens and Cx. restuans (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes in parking area catch basins in the northeast Chicago metropolitan area.

From June to September, 2016, 100 catch basins in eight parking areas were monitored weekly for the presence of mosquito pupae in the operational area of the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District (NSMAD) located just north of Chicago, IL, U.S.A. Weekly results from these basins were compared to weekly samples taken from residential street catch basins, the most common type of catch basin treated seasonally by the NSMAD with larvicides. Over the 17 study weeks, residential street basins had a mean rate of productivity (pupae per basin-visit) 12 times that of parking area catch basins. The two parking area sites with the highest mean rate of productivity were associated with county forest preserves. Productivity in both street and parking area basins was positively associated with the presence of three or more deciduous trees within 20 m of basins and if they were located directly adjacent to curbs. Alternatively, productivity was negatively associated with the proportion of impervious surface within 10 m of basins and weekly rainfall. Findings suggest that reduced catch basin larvicide applications may be appropriate in many parking area sites.