What About the Little Ones? Systematic Review of Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes Following Early TBI.

There is increasing empirical focus on the effects of early traumatic brain injuries (TBI; i.e., before the age of six years) on child development, but this literature has never been synthetized comprehensively. This systematic review aimed to document the cognitive, academic, behavioral, socio-affective, and adaptive consequences of early TBI. Four databases (Medline, PsycNET, CINAHL, PubMed) were systematically searched from 1990 to 2019 using key terms pertaining to TBI and early childhood. Of 12, 153 articles identified in the initial search, 43 were included. Children who sustain early TBI are at-risk for a range of difficulties, which are generally worse when injury is sustained at a younger age, injury severity is moderate to severe, and injury mechanisms are non-accidental. Early childhood is a sensitive period for the emergence and development of new skills and behaviors, and brain disruption during this time is not benign. Research, clinical management, intervention, and prevention efforts should be further developed with consideration of the unique characteristics of the early childhood period.

[Investigating postvention best practices : The Delphi method]. / Examen des meilleures pratiques de postvention : méthode Delphi.

BACKGROUND: Postvention aims to implement services adapted to the needs of a population that may be vulnerable after suicide. While a plethora of postvention programs exist, they are generally based less on solid evidence than on the judgment of health professionals. Using the Delphi method, an Australian study obtained a consensus among experts as to which postvention actions are to be engineered in a postvention program. Since no similar study has been carried out for programs in French-speaking countries, it seemed important to reproduce the same type of study and to compare the respective results. The present study is aimed at establishing a French inventory of postvention actions and at achieving a consensus among experts as to the actions to be included in a postvention program. METHODS: A systematic review of the scientific literature (PRISMA method) and the gray literature (documentation on the WEB) made it possible to identify the different actions that have been included in various postvention programs. Using the DELPHI method, experts endeavored to assess their relevance. RESULTS: An inventory of 190 postvention actions was established and they were classified according to a sequential axis (pre-event, at the time of the event, and post-event), according to type of action (environment-centered or people-centered). The experts identified 128 actions to be included in a postvention program. CONCLUSION: Convergence was observed among the experts, as they identified the practices to be encouraged following a suicide. When comparing the results in French-speaking countries to the 548 actions selected in the Australian study, we observe similarities between the two studies regarding types of postvention actions. This study provides an update for health professionals on the most relevant practices to be included in a postvention program.

Nasal virome of dogs with respiratory infection signs include novel taupapillomaviruses.

Using viral metagenomics, we characterized the mammalian virome of nasal swabs from 57 dogs with unexplained signs of respiratory infection showing mostly negative results using the IDEXX Canine Respiratory Disease RealPCR™ Panel. We identified canine parainfluenza virus 5, canine respiratory coronavirus, carnivore bocaparvovirus 3, canine circovirus and canine papillomavirus 9. Novel canine taupapillomaviruses (CPV21-23) were also identified in 3 dogs and their complete genome sequenced showing L1 nucleotide identity ranging from 68.4 to 70.3% to their closest taupapillomavirus relative. Taupapillomavirus were the only mammalian viral nucleic acids detected in two affected dogs, while a third dog was coinfected with low levels of canine parainfluenza 5. A role for these taupapillomavirues in canine respiratory disease remains to be determined.

[Characteristics associated with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder among childhood sexual abuse women]. / Caractéristiques associées à la dépression et aux symptômes de stress post-traumatique chez les femmes victimes d'agression sexuelle durant l'enfance.

BACKGROUND: A significant proportion of childhood sexual abuse victims suffer from psychological sequelae in adulthood. Factors that provide a better understanding for the reasons why some victims develop these sequelae remain under-explored. In this context, the main objective is to examine the specific contribution of the contextual characteristics of childhood sexual abuse, multitype childhood maltreatment and adolescent suicide attempts on the development of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in adulthood among sexually abused women as children. A secondary objective aimed to establish the prevalence of various forms of childhood maltreatment, adult onset post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among those women. METHODS: The sample included 479 women victims of childhood sexual abuse who participated in two separate surveys taken by women in the province of Quebec. RESULTS: More than half of these women reported at least one other form of childhood maltreatment, 30% of them presented post-traumatic disorder and 40% suffered from depression in adulthood. Regression analysis indicates that post-traumatic stress disorder was associated with early onset childhood sexual abuse and intergenerational continuity of sexual victimization, as well as childhood physical maltreatment and negligence. Depression was associated with childhood psychological maltreatment and negligence, a non-supportive response following child sexual abuse related disclosure and suicide attempt in adolescence. CONCLUSION: These results confirm the need to consider the cumulative effects of various childhood adversity factors in the psychosocial assessment of sexually abused women in early life, thus helping to better understand and treat their psychological sequelae.

[French translation and validation of a short version of the Suicide Intervention Response Inventory-2 (SIRI-2-VF)]. / Traduction française et validation d'une version courte du Suicide Intervention Response Inventory-2 (SIRI-2-VF).

OBJECTIVES: Training health professionals about suicidal crisis is one major line of suicide prevention worldwide. France has one of the highest suicide rates in Europe, and although crisis intervention training has been set up since 2001, there presently is no training assessment tool in the French language for health professionals trained in suicide prevention. In the four levels of Kirpatrick's education pyramid, training that takes place in France today solely assesses level one status, that is to say relative to the level of satisfaction of participants (self-report). This study proposes a validated short French version of the Suicide Intervention Response Inventory-2 (SIRI-2) of Neimeyer & Mc Innes. The SIRI-2 questionnaire assesses the ability of first line intervention in dealing with suicidal individuals. METHODS: The translation methodology was inspired from Vallerand's model of cross-cultural back translation. This method is regularly used for translating from the English language to a French version. In order to translate the English version, we used an extensive 7-step methodology implicating several bilingual translators, expert reviewers (psychologists and psychiatrists) and a scientific committee. Participants were 107 students from different French universities and study programs: psychology, medicine and nursing (17 were men; average age was 26.6). Fifteen of these participants answered the SIRI-2-VF on two occasions (separated by a 15-day interval) in order to estimate the temporal stability of the instrument. The scores of the students were compared to six French experts in suicide prevention and with the original expert group who worked on the development of SIRI-2 (n=7). We used Student t Test for construct validity, Cronbach's Alpha for internal consistency and Pearson's correlation coefficient for temporal stability. RESULTS: Following a fidelity comparison of the results of the French experts with those of the American experts, ten items presenting the least good fidelity were suppressed in order to obtain a short version of the SIRI-2 containing 15 questions (SIRI-2-VF). Statistical analyses of the short version (15 questions, SIRI-2-VF) showed good validity (difference between experts and subjects is significant: t=31.5, P<0.001) and reliability (good internal consistency: α=0.850 for positive statements and α=0.830 for negative statements, and a temporal stability: r=0.827, bilateral test, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This tool should improve the range of specific instruments in French suicidology adapted for French culture of suicide intervention. It is the first tool in France that reaches level 2a of Kirkpatrick's pyramid to assess clinical skills after training in suicidology.

[Professional stressors and common mental health disorders: Causal links?] / Stresseurs professionnels et troubles mentaux courants : quels liens de causalité ?

According to the World Health Organization, depression has become the leading cause of disability in the world, contributing significantly to the burden of health issues especially in the industrialized countries. This is a major public health problem, with potential impact on work climates, productivity at work and the continued existence of the organizations. Some recent studies have examined potential links between professional factors and common mental health disorders, but none have demonstrated a direct causal link. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we explored possible links between work-related stressors and common mental health disorders, with the objective of determining priority mental health prevention axes. METHOD: The study used a life trajectory method. We compared professional stressors and difficulties present in other spheres of life in the last five years between two groups: a group of 29 participants with common mental health disorders during the last five years (depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance use disorders, pathological gambling), and a group of 29 participants who have not experienced a mental health disorder in the last five years. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with the participants using a life course analysis method. Each participant was interviewed during two or three meetings of two to three hour duration. Questions regarding difficulties in different spheres of life and mental health were asked. More precisely, data were collected with regards to the presence or absence of mental health disorders in the last five years and the nature of mental health disorders and difficulties. Moreover, we collected data pertaining to the most important positive and negative events in different spheres of life that were present in the last five years, including family life, romantic relationships, social life, academic difficulties, losses and separations, episodes of personal difficulties, financial difficulties as well as protective factors. Regarding professional difficulties present in the last five years, data were collected on different kinds of adversities such as difficulties in finding a job, periods of unemployment, frequent job changes, difficult working conditions, discrimination, difficult working relationships with colleagues and with employers, moral harassment and family-work conflicts. RESULTS: Participants with common mental health disorders are more concerned about having general professional difficulties at work and about having difficult working relationships with employers. However, difficulties related to other spheres of life do not differentiate the two groups. CONCLUSION: It is possible that the work environment is linked to common mental health disorders. In particular, having general professional stressors at the work place and having difficult relationships with employers can impact the occurrence of common mental health disorders. Inversely, these stressors at work can be the consequence of a common mental health disorder. Complementary studies are of interest. Professional stressors can constitute an essential part in the occurrence of common mental health disorders. Thus, the workplace seems a priority environment for deploying effective mental health prevention strategies. Moreover, this can be a strategy for organizations to improve the work climate and to increase productivity.

[Suicide among the French National Police forces: Implication of life events and life trajectories]. / Suicide dans la Police nationale française : trajectoires de vie et facteurs associés.

OBJECTIVES: Research indicates that suicide rates are high among members of law enforcement. Our objectives were: (1) to determine life events implicated in suicide mortality among French law enforcement; and (2) to describe the different life trajectories of police officers who deceased by suicide. METHODS: All suicides of police officers which occurred during 2008 (n=49) were explored using the psychological autopsy method. Key informants were: a supervisor, a colleague and a member of the family or a close friend. Each of them were interviewed by trained psychologists using standardized questionnaires exploring: sociodemographic characteristics, life events, social integration and support, health service use, mental health with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview short form (CIDI-SF), occupational stress with the Spielberger Inventory, impulsiveness with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale and aggressiveness with the Brown-Goodwin Lifetime Aggression Scale. Information was then summarized in a timetable life trajectory of all life areas. All cases were finally appraised by at least two experts in order to identify the determinants of the suicide and to determine psychiatric diagnoses. For each period of time, a burdensomeness score was determined, from 6 (no adversity) to 1 (adversities in each sphere of life). RESULTS: Of the 49 cases of suicide, two were excluded and 39 were investigated and appraised (response rate: 39/47=83%). Eighty-two percent of the suicide cases were men and the mean age at death was 35years. In more than half of the cases, police officers used their service weapon to commit suicide. All deceased police officers were suffering from mental health symptoms (primarily depression). Of them, two thirds had used healthcare for this distress. The main other cause of suicide was problems in the married life (70% of the cases). Four distinct types of life trajectories of adversities could be identified by a qualitative analysis. DISCUSSION: It is the first time such a study was performed in France, and results are concordant with those of the literature. This study showed that all deceased police officers were suffering from mental disorders and that there was not one single profile of life trajectory: screening and support of police officers in distress need to be prioritized. Moreover, results suggested that the availability of the service weapon during off-duty periods should be reconsidered. This study helped the Home ministry to elaborate and improve strategies to prevent suicide among police officers.

Age-dependent relationships among diet, body condition, and Echinococcus multilocularis infection in urban coyotes.

Urban coyotes (Canis latrans) in North America increasingly exhibit a high prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis, a cestode of recent and rising public health concern that uses rodents as intermediate hosts and canids as definitive hosts. However, little is known about the factors that drive the high urban prevalence of this parasite. We hypothesized that the diet of urban coyotes may contribute to their higher E. multilocularis infection prevalence via either (a) greater exposure to the parasite from increased rodent consumption or (b) increased susceptibility to infection due to the negative health effects of consuming anthropogenic food. We tested these hypotheses by comparing the presence and intensity of E. multilocularis infection to physiological data (age, sex, body condition, and spleen mass), short-term diet (stomach contents), and long-term diet (δ13C and δ15N stable isotopes) in 112 coyote carcasses collected for reasons other than this study from Edmonton, Alberta and the surrounding area. Overall, the best predictor of infection status in this population was young age, where the likelihood of infection decreased with age in rural coyotes but not urban ones. Neither short- nor long-term measures of diet could predict infection across our entire sample, but we found support for our initial hypotheses in young, urban coyotes: both rodent and anthropogenic food consumption effectively predicted E. multilocularis infection in this population. The effects of these predictors were more variable in rural coyotes and older coyotes. We suggest that limiting coyote access to areas in which anthropogenic food and rodent habitat overlap (e.g., compost piles or garbage sites) may effectively reduce the risk of infection, deposition, and transmission of this emerging zoonotic parasite in urban areas.

Understanding the recent colonization history of a plant pathogenic fungus using population genetic tools and Approximate Bayesian Computation.

Understanding the processes by which new diseases are introduced in previously healthy areas is of major interest in elaborating prevention and management policies, as well as in understanding the dynamics of pathogen diversity at large spatial scale. In this study, we aimed to decipher the dispersal processes that have led to the emergence of the plant pathogenic fungus Microcyclus ulei, which is responsible for the South American Leaf Blight (SALB). This fungus has devastated rubber tree plantations across Latin America since the beginning of the twentieth century. As only imprecise historical information is available, the study of population evolutionary history based on population genetics appeared most appropriate. The distribution of genetic diversity in a continental sampling of four countries (Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala and French Guiana) was studied using a set of 16 microsatellite markers developed specifically for this purpose. A very strong genetic structure was found (F(st)=0.70), demonstrating that there has been no regular gene flow between Latin American M. ulei populations. Strong bottlenecks probably occurred at the foundation of each population. The most likely scenario of colonization identified by the Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) method implemented in DIYABC suggested two independent sources from the Amazonian endemic area. The Brazilian, Ecuadorian and Guatemalan populations might stem from serial introductions through human-mediated movement of infected plant material from an unsampled source population, whereas the French Guiana population seems to have arisen from an independent colonization event through spore dispersal.

Generational differences in factors influencing physicians to choose a work location.

INTRODUCTION: Canadian medical schools have increased enrolment and recruited more rural students in an effort to address general and rural physician shortages. The success of this approach depends on the recruitment of these newly trained physicians to under-serviced areas. Studies from North America suggest that the career expectations and practice patterns of younger, more recently graduated physicians differ from those of their older counterparts. This study explored the factors that influenced the work location choices of physicians of differing generations, who trained at universities in Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador, two Canadian provinces with large rural populations and no community larger than 235 000 population. METHODS: Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with physicians who graduated from either the Memorial University of Newfoundland or the University of Saskatchewan. Generation definitions were based on the graduation year. Early-career physicians graduated between 1995 and 1999; mid-career physician graduated between 1985 and 1989; late-career physicians graduated between 1975 and 1979; and end-career physicians graduated between 1965 and 1969. Each physician was asked questions about the number and nature of work location changes over the course of their careers and the factors related to their decision to choose each location. Interview transcripts and notes were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Although the study focus was on generational differences, similarities and differences between universities, sexes and specialties (family physicians/GPs vs specialists) were also examined. Recruitment to the provinces was focused on as a whole, because the largest communities in the provinces are small compared with most urban communities. RESULTS: Forty-eight physicians were interviewed, five to nine physicians who graduated in each decade and from each university. The desire to be near family and friends was cited as the primary consideration when choosing a work location, regardless of generation. Likewise, residency training location, the ability to use their skills and knowledge fully, and the quality of recruitment efforts were important considerations in choosing a work location for all physicians. For some, remuneration was very influential in their work location decision; however, many physicians who chose to remain in their smaller 'home' provinces noted the lower cost of living in these provinces. Physicians who graduated in the 1980s and 1990s placed greater emphasis on work-life balance and spouse's employment opportunities than their older generation counterparts. In contrast, physicians who graduated in the 1960s and 1070s highlighted the medical need of the community, and the desire for adventure and to see new places as important. CONCLUSIONS: While many factors for choosing a work location appear to be stable over generations, a number of generational differences were found. Younger physicians placed greater emphasis on work-life balance and spouse's employment than older generation physicians. These differences may have important implications for small population regions which may not be able to support physician-spouse pairs or certain subspecialties. Although economic factors have largely been the focus of recruitment and retention initiatives in these provinces, the findings highlight the importance of addressing the needs and expectations of younger generation physicians in order to attract these physicians.

Assessing the potential for infections of Echinococcus multilocularis in dogs in a hotspot of human alveolar echinococcosis infections in North America.

Echinococcus multilocularis is a zoonotic tapeworm, whose metacestode larval stage is the etiological agent for alveolar echinococcosis in humans and is a parasite of emerging concern according to the World Health Organization which is difficult to diagnose and has a case mortality rate of >90% when left untreated. Echinococcus multilocularis requires two mammalian hosts to complete its lifecycle: wild and domestic canids as definitive hosts, and small mammals (mostly rodents) as intermediate ones. Because of their close relations with humans, domestic dogs have been indicated as a mean of infection to people. Human alveolar echinococcosis has historically been rare in North America, however, since 2013, at least seventeen diagnoses have been confirmed in Alberta, Canada. Because of this unprecedented series of cases, assessing the frequency of infections in dogs in Alberta is key to estimate risk for dog owners and animal health professionals. This study was carried out in Edmonton to determine the frequency of E. multilocularis infection in domestic dogs and potential risk factors. Fecal samples and corresponding behavior risk surveys were collected from 775 dogs in seven urban off-leash parks within Edmonton city limits during the summer of 2020. A quantitative PCR fecal test was used to diagnose E. multilocularis infection. We found a single case of E. multilocularis infection (1/775) and determined that the overall true prevalence was 0.2% (95% CrI: 0.0-0.7%) corrected for detection sensitivity and specificity. Overall, these findings confirm the presence of E. multilocularis infection in domestic dogs in Edmonton although further work is required to fully understand the risk factors that may contribute to infection and potential transmission to humans.

Effect of season and geographic location in the United States on detection of potential enteric pathogens or toxin genes in horses ≥6-mo-old.

We investigated the effects of season and geographic location on detection of nucleic acids of potential enteric pathogens (PEPs) or their toxins (PEP-Ts) in feces of horses ≥6-mo-old in the United States. Results of 3,343 equine diarrhea PCR panels submitted to Idexx Laboratories for horses >6-mo-old were reviewed. Submission months were grouped into 4 seasons, and states were grouped into 4 geographic regions. Logistic regression was performed to assess effects of season and region on detection rates of PEPs and PEP-Ts. Agresti-Coull CIs were determined. Detection rate of Salmonella enterica was higher in the South in summer compared to all other regions, and was also higher in the South in fall compared to the Midwest and Northeast. The Neorickettsia risticii detection rate was lower during summer in the West and higher in fall in the Midwest. Detection of Cryptosporidium spp. was lower during spring, summer, and winter in the West. Differences were not identified for detection rates of Clostridioides difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Lawsonia intracellularis, Rhodococcus equi, equine rotavirus, and equine coronavirus. Overall, our data support seasonal and regional differences in detection rates of S. enterica, N. risticii, and Cryptosporidium spp. in horses ≥6-mo-old in the United States.

Process evaluation of an intervention to improve HIV treatment outcomes among children and adolescents.

SETTING: Children and adolescents with HIV encounter challenges in initiation and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). A community-based support intervention of structured home visits, aimed at improving initiation, adherence and treatment, was delivered by community health workers (CHWs) to children and adolescents newly diagnosed with HIV. OBJECTIVES: To 1) describe intervention delivery, 2) explore CHW, caregiver and adolescents' perceptions of the intervention, 3) identify barriers and facilitators to implementation, and 4) ascertain treatment outcomes at 12 months' post-HIV diagnosis. DESIGN: We drew upon: 1) semi-structured interviews (n = 22) with 5 adolescents, 11 caregivers and 6 CHWs, 2) 28 CHW field manuals, and 3) quantitative data for study participants (demographic information and HIV clinical outcomes). RESULTS: Forty-one children received at least a part of the intervention. Of those whose viral load was tested, 26 (n = 32, 81.3%) were virally suppressed. Interviewees felt that the intervention supported ART adherence and strengthened mental health. Facilitators to intervention delivery were convenience and rapport between CHWs and families. Stigma, challenges in locating participants and inadequate resources for CHWs were barriers. CONCLUSION: This intervention was helpful in supporting HIV treatment adherence among adolescents and children. Facilitators and barriers may be useful in developing future interventions.

CONTEXTE: Les enfants et les adolescents séropositifs rencontrent des difficultés dans l'initiation et l'adhésion à la thérapie antirétrovirale (TAR). Des agents de santé communautaires (CHW) ont mis en place une intervention de soutien communautaire sous forme de visites structurées à domicile visant à améliorer l'initiation, l'adhésion et le traitement, auprès d'enfants et d'adolescents nouvellement diagnostiqués séropositifs. OBJECTIFS: 1) Décrire la mise en œuvre de l'intervention, 2) explorer les perceptions de l'intervention par les CHW, les soignants et les adolescents, 3) identifier les obstacles et les facilitateurs de la mise en œuvre, et 4) vérifier les résultats du traitement 12 mois après le diagnostic du VIH. METHODES: Nous nous sommes appuyés sur 1) des entretiens semi-structurés (n = 22) avec 5 adolescents, 11 soignants et 6 CHW, 2) 28 manuels de terrain des CHW, et 3) des données quantitatives sur les participants à l'étude (informations démographiques et résultats cliniques du VIH). RÉSULTATS: Quarante et un enfants ont reçu au moins une partie de l'intervention. Parmi ceux dont la charge virale a été testée, 26 (n = 32 ; 81,3%) étaient sous suppression virale. Les personnes interrogées ont estimé que l'intervention soutenait l'adhésion au TAR et renforçait la santé mentale. Les facilitateurs de la mise en œuvre de l'intervention étaient la commodité et les rapports entre les CHW et les familles. La stigmatisation, les difficultés à trouver des participants et les ressources inadéquates pour les CHW étaient des obstacles. CONCLUSION: Cette intervention a été utile pour soutenir l'adhésion au traitement du VIH chez les adolescents et les enfants. Les facilitateurs et les obstacles peuvent être utiles pour développer de futures interventions.

The PARENT model: a pathway approach for understanding parents' role after early childhood mild traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI or "concussion") is a highly prevalent health condition in children, and those under the age of 6 years have the highest rate of Emergency Department presentation for suspected head injuries. The outcome of mTBI is determined by a range of child (injury, biological, functional) and environmental (socio-economic status, parent, family) factors. The aim of this work is to present evidence supporting the central role of parental and familial factors in pediatric mTBI recovery, and to illustrate ways in which parental factors can especially influence the outcome of early mTBI, defined as injuries sustained by infants, toddlers and preschoolers. METHOD: The manuscript first presents a topical review of empirical studies providing evidence that family functioning and parental factors such as their mental or affective state, parenting style, and the quality of their interactions with their child, are affected by and determine the course of recovery after pediatric mTBI. Then, a pathway approach and conceptual model are proposed to illustrate probable scenarios associated with how parents detect and react to their child's post-concussive symptoms and changes in behavior after early mTBI. CONCLUSION: The "Perception, Attribution, and Response after Early Non-inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury" (PARENT) model suggests that parental roles and factors are especially influential in the context of early brain injuries, and that parents' ability to perceive, attribute and respond to the symptoms experienced by their child in a well-adjusted and adaptive manner critically sets the direction and rhythm of the early mTBI recovery process.

Frequency of respiratory pathogens and SARS-CoV-2 in canine and feline samples submitted for respiratory testing in early 2020.

OBJECTIVES: The emergence of the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has necessitated evaluation of the potential for SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs and cats. Using a large data set, we evaluated the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens in samples submitted for respiratory testing from mid-February to mid-April 2020. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A SARS-CoV-2 real-time PCR was developed and validated. A subset of canine and feline samples submitted for respiratory pathogen panel testing to reference laboratories in Asia, Europe, and North America were also tested for SARS-CoV-2. The frequency of respiratory pathogens was compared for the February-April period of 2020 and 2019. RESULTS: Samples from 4616 patients were included in the study and 44% of canine and 69% of feline samples were PCR positive with Mycoplasma cynos and Bordetella bronchiseptica and Mycoplasma felis and feline calicivirus, respectively. No SARS-CoV-2 infections were identified. Positive results for respiratory samples were similar between years. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The data in this study suggest that during the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in early 2020, respiratory diseases in tested pet cats and dogs were caused by common veterinary pathogens and that SARS-CoV-2 infections in dogs and cats are rare.

Astrovirus Outbreak in an Animal Shelter Associated With Feline Vomiting.

An outbreak of cat vomiting was observed in an animal shelter. Testing for known enteric feline pathogens did not identify a causative agent. Viral metagenomics on four mini pools of feces from cases and controls housed in the same area revealed the presence of feline astrovirus in all pools. Also found with fewer reads in one pool each were rotavirus I, carnivore bocaparvovirus 3, norovirus (NoV) GVI, and a novel dependovirus. The genome of the highly prevalent astrovirus was sequenced and classified into mamastrovirus species two, also known as feline astrovirus. Real-time RT-PCR on longitudinally acquired fecal samples from 11 sick cases showed 10 (91%) to be shedding astrovirus for as long as 19 days. Affected cats were sick for an average of 9.8 days, with a median of 2.5 days (range = 1-31 days). Unaffected control cats housed in the same areas during the outbreak showed five out of nine (56%) to also be shedding astrovirus. Feline fecal samples collected from the same animal shelter ~1 year before (n = 8) and after (n = 10) showed none to be shedding astrovirus, indicating that this virus was temporarily associated with the vomiting outbreak and is not part of the commensal virome for cats in this shelter. Together with the absence of highly prevalent known pathogens, our results support a role for feline astrovirus infection, as well as significant asymptomatic shedding, in an outbreak of contagious feline vomiting.

Induction of nitric oxide synthase protects against malaria in mice exposed to irradiated Plasmodium berghei infected mosquitoes: involvement of interferon gamma and CD8+ T cells.

Exposure of BALB/c mice to mosquitoes infected with irradiated Plasmodium berghei confers protective immunity against subsequent sporozoite challenge. Immunized mice challenged with viable sporozoites develop parasitemia when treated orally with substrate inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). This suggests that the production of nitric oxide (NO) prevents the development of exoerythrocytic stages of malaria in liver. Liver tissue from immunized mice expressed maximal levels of mRNA for inducible NOS (iNOS) between 12 and 24 h after challenge with sporozoites. Intraperitoneal injection of neutralizing monoclonal antibody against interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) or in vivo depletion of CD8+ T cells, but not CD4+ T cells, at the time of challenge blocked expression of iNOS mRNA and ablated protection in immunized mice. These results show that both CD8+ T cells and IFN-gamma are important components in the regulation of iNOS in liver which contributes to the protective response of mice immunized with irradiated malaria sporozoites. IFN-gamma, likely provided by malaria-specific CD8+ T cells, induces liver cells, hepatocytes and/or Kupffer cells, to produce NO for the destruction of infected hepatocytes or the parasite within these cells.

Virome of a Feline Outbreak of Diarrhea and Vomiting Includes Bocaviruses and a Novel Chapparvovirus.

An unexplained outbreak of feline diarrhea and vomiting, negative for common enteric viral and bacterial pathogens, was subjected to viral metagenomics and PCR. We characterized from fecal samples the genome of a novel chapparvovirus we named fechavirus that was shed by 8/17 affected cats and identified three different feline bocaviruses shed by 9/17 cats. Also detected were nucleic acids from attenuated vaccine viruses, members of the normal feline virome, viruses found in only one or two cases, and viruses likely derived from ingested food products. Epidemiological investigation of disease signs, time of onset, and transfers of affected cats between three facilities support a possible role for this new chapparvovirus in a highly contagious feline diarrhea and vomiting disease.

Lyon-IARC Polyomavirus DNA in Feces of Diarrheic Cats.

A viral metagenomic analysis of feces from an unexplained outbreak of feline diarrhea revealed the presence of Lyon-IARC polyomavirus (LIPyV) DNA. LIPyV, whose genome was originally sequenced from swabs of human skin, was fecally shed by three out of five diarrheic cats.