Assessing the Potential Role of Cats (Felis catus) as Generators of Relevant SARS-CoV-2 Lineages during the Pandemic.

Several questions regarding the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 remain poorly elucidated. One of these questions is the possible evolutionary impact of SARS-CoV-2 after the infection in domestic animals. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential role of cats as generators of relevant SARS-CoV-2 lineages during the pandemic. A total of 105 full-length genome viral sequences obtained from naturally infected cats during the pandemic were evaluated by distinct evolutionary algorithms. Analyses were enhanced, including a set of highly related SARS-CoV-2 sequences recovered from human populations. Our results showed the apparent high susceptibility of cats to the infection SARS-CoV-2 compared with other animal species. Evolutionary analyses indicated that the phylogenomic characteristics displayed by cat populations were influenced by the dominance of specific SARS-CoV-2 genetic groups affecting human populations. However, disparate dN/dS rates at some genes between populations recovered from cats and humans suggested that infection in these two species may suggest a different evolutionary constraint for SARS-CoV-2. Interestingly, the branch selection analysis showed evidence of the potential role of natural selection in the emergence of five distinct cat lineages during the pandemic. Although these lineages were apparently irrelevant to public health during the pandemic, our results suggested that additional studies are needed to understand the role of other animal species in the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic.

Immune protection induced by E2 recombinant glycoprotein of bovine viral diarrhea virus in a murine model.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is considered the most important viral pathogen in ruminants worldwide due to the broad range of clinical manifestations displayed by infected animals. Therefore, infection with BVDV leads to severe economic losses in several countries' beef and dairy industries. Vaccination prevents reproductive failure and gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders caused by BVDV infection. However, considering their limitations, conventional vaccines such as live, attenuated, and killed viruses have been applied. Hence, different studies have described subunit vaccines as an effective and safe alternative for BVDV protection. Therefore, in this study, the ectodomain of E2 (E2e) glycoprotein from NADL BVDV strain was expressed in mammalian cells and used in two vaccine formulations to evaluate immunogenicity and protection against BVDV conferred in a murine model. Formulations consisted of solo E2e glycoprotein and E2e glycoprotein emulsified in adjuvant ISA 61 VG. Five groups of 6 mice of 6-to-8-week-old were immunized thrice on days 1, 15, and 30 by intraperitoneal injection with the mentioned formulations and controls. To evaluate the conferred protection against BVDV, mice were challenged six weeks after the third immunization. In addition, the humoral immune response was evaluated after vaccination and challenge. Mice groups inoculated with solo E2e and the E2e + ISA 61 VG displayed neutralizing titers; however, the E2 antibody titers in the E2e + ISA 61 VG group were significantly higher than the mice group immunized with the solo E2e glycoprotein. In addition, immunization using E2e + ISA 61 VG prevents animals from developing severe lesions in surveyed tissues. Moreover, this group acquired protection against the BVDV challenge, evidenced by a significant reduction of positive staining for BVDV antigen in the lungs, liver, and brain between the experimental groups. Our findings demonstrated that using E2e + ISA 61 VG induces greater BVDV protection by an early humoral response and reduced histopathological lesions and BVDV antigen detection in affected organs, indicating that E2e + ISA 61 VG subunit formulation can be considered as a putative vaccine candidate against BVDV. The efficacy and safety of this vaccine candidate in cattle requires further investigation.

Burnout Syndrome in Selectable Athletes for the Brazilian Handball Team-Children Category.

To investigate the presence of burnout syndrome in child athlete tryouts for the Brazilian Handball Team, before and after the National Development and Technical Improvement Camp is of great interest. A correlational study, with longitudinal design of the before-and-after type, carried out with 64 male athletes in the children's category, immersed in the National Camp for Development and Improvement of Handball Technique, in the municipality of São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil, in December 2018. To evaluate burnout syndrome, we used the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ). There was a statistically significant increase of the mean scores for burnout and dimensions (Physical and Emotional Exhaustion = 1.5 to 1.6; p-value < 0.001; Reduced Sense of Accomplishment = 2.7 to 2.9; p-value < 0.001; Sports Devaluation = 1.4 to 1.6; p-value < 0.001; and General Burnout = 1.9 to 2.0; p-value < 0.001). The athletes selected for the national team had lower mean scores for general burnout and dimensions (Physical and Emotional Exhaustion = 1.5; Reduced Sense of Accomplishment = 2.7; Sports Devaluation = 1.5; General Burnout = 1.9). The National Camp for Development and Technical Improvement can have a negative impact on the mental health of athletes. This event is important to select the competitors with greater ability to face the pressure and adversities present in the sport environment.

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus in Cattle From Mexico: Current Status.

Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) is an infectious disease, globally-distributed, caused by bovine Pestiviruses, endemic of cattle and other ruminant populations. BVD leads to significant economic losses to the cattle industry due to the wide range of clinical manifestations, including respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases and reproductive disorders. Within the Pestivirus genus of the family Flaviviridae three viral species are associated with BVD; Pestivirus A (Bovine viral diarrhea virus 1, BVDV-1), Pestivirus B (Bovine viral diarrhea virus 2, BVDV-2), and Pestivirus H (HoBi-like pestivirus, atypical ruminant pestivirus). These species are subdivided into subgenotypes based on phylogenetic analysis. The extensive genetic diversity of BVDV has been reported for several countries, where the incidence and genetic variation are more developed in Europe than in the Americas. The first report of BVDV in Mexico was in 1975; this study revealed seropositivity of 75% in cows with a clinical history of infertility, abortions, and respiratory disease. Other studies have demonstrated the presence of antibodies against BVDV with a seroprevalence ranging from 7.4 to 100%. Recently, endemic BVDV strains affecting cattle populations started to be analyzed, providing evidence of the BVDV diversity in several states of the country, revealing that at least four subgenotypes (BVDV-1a, 1b, 1c, and 2a) are circulating in animal populations in Mexico. Little information regarding BVD epidemiological current status in Mexico is available. This review summarizes available information regarding the prevalence and genetic diversity viruses associated with BVD in cattle from Mexico.

Detection and genotyping of bovine viral diarrhea virus found contaminating commercial veterinary vaccines, cell lines, and fetal bovine serum lots originating in Mexico.

In this communication, we report the presence of RNA of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) as a contaminant of different biological products used in Mexico for veterinary vaccine production. For this purpose, six batches of monovalent vaccines, eight cell line batches used for vaccine production, and 10 fetal bovine serum lots (FBS) commercially available in Mexico from different suppliers were tested by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Viral RNA was detected in 62.5% of the samples analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of the subgenotypes BVDV-1a, 1b, and BVDV-2a in the tested samples. Collectively, these findings indicate that contamination by BVDV RNA occurs in commercial vaccines and reagents used in research and production of biological products. The ramifications of this contamination are discussed.

Genetic diversity of bovine viral diarrhea virus in cattle from Mexico.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infects cattle populations worldwide, causing significant economic losses though its impact on animal health. Previous studies have reported the prevalence of BVDV species and subgenotypes in cattle from the United States and Canada. We investigated the genetic diversity of BVDV strains detected in bovine serum samples from 6 different Mexican regions. Sixty-two BVDV isolates from Mexico were genetically typed based on comparison of sequences from the 5' untranslated region (5'-UTR) of the viral genome. Phylogenetic reconstruction indicated that 60 of the samples belonged to the BVDV-1 genotype and 2 to the BVDV-2 genotype. Comparison of partial 5'-UTR sequences clustered 49 samples within BVDV-1c, 8 samples within BVDV-1a, 3 samples within BVDV-1b, and 2 samples clustered with the BVDV-2a subgenotypes. Our study, combined with information previously published on BVDV field strain diversity in the United States and Canada, benefits the development of effective detection assays, vaccines, and control programs for North America.

Omp31 plays an important role on outer membrane properties and intracellular survival of Brucella melitensis in murine macrophages and HeLa cells.

Brucellosis is an infectious disease that affects practically all species of mammals, including human, and is a major zoonosis worldwide. Brucella spp. are facultative intracellular pathogens that have the ability to survive and multiply in phagocytic and nonphagocytic cells such as trophoblast and epithelial cells. Among the six recognized species of the genus Brucella, Brucella melitensis is the main etiological agent involved in goat brucellosis and is also the most pathogenic for human. It causes significant losses in livestock production as a result of abortions, metritis, infertility, and birth of weak animals. Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are exposed on the bacterial surface and are in contact with cells and effectors of the host immune response, whereby they could be important virulence factors of Brucella species. To evaluate this hypothesis, the gene encoding for the major outer membrane protein Omp31 was amplified, cloned into pUC18 plasmid, and inactivated by inserting a kanamycin cassette, rendering pLVM31 plasmid which was transformed into B. melitensis wild-type strain to obtain LVM31 mutant strain. The Outer membrane (OM) properties of the mutant strain were compared with B. melitensis Bm133 wild-type and B. melitensis Rev1 vaccine strains, in assessing its susceptibility to polymyxin B, sodium deoxycholate, and nonimmune serum. The mutant strain was assessed in vitro with survival assays in murine macrophages J774.A1 and HeLa cells. Our results demonstrate that LVM31 mutant is more susceptible to polymyxin B, sodium deoxycholate, and nonimmune serum than control strains; moreover, Omp31 mutation caused a decrease in the internalization and a significant decrease in the intracellular survival compared with the reference strains in both cell lines. These results allow us to conclude that Omp31 is important for maintaining OM integrity, but also it is necessary for bacterial internalization, establishment and development of an optimal replication niche, and essential for survival and intracellular multiplication.

Notalgia Paresthetica and Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndrome 2A: A Case Report.

Notalgia paresthetica is characterized by a hyperpigmented macular pruritic skin lesion most commonly localized unilaterally in the middle and upper back region. This condition has been reported in association with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2A (MEN 2A) in several families; it rarely affects children and it may serve as an early marker of MEN 2A. We report a 9-year-old girl diagnosed with MEN 2A and notalgia paresthetica.

Phylogeographic characteristics of vesicular stomatitis New Jersey viruses circulating in Mexico from 2005 to 2011 and their relationship to epidemics in the United States.

We analyzed the phylogenetic and time-space relationships (phylodynamics) of 181 isolates of vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSNJV) causing disease in Mexico and the United States (US) from 2005 through 2012. We detail the emergence of a genetic lineage in southern Mexico causing outbreaks in central Mexico spreading into northern Mexico and eventually into the US. That emerging lineage showed higher nucleotide sequence identity (99.5%) than that observed for multiple lineages circulating concurrently in southern Mexico (96.8%). Additionally, we identified 58 isolates from Mexico that, unlike previous isolates from Mexico, grouped with northern Central America clade II viruses. This study provides the first direct evidence for the emergence and northward migration of a specific VSNJV genetic lineage from endemic areas in Mexico causing VS outbreaks in the US. In addition we document the emergence of a Central American VSNJV genetic lineage moving northward and causing outbreaks in central Mexico.

Comparación de las constantes fisiológicas sanguíneas de los ratones CD1, heterocigótico et/+ y desnudo et/et / Comparison of blood physiologic values from CD1, heterocygotic et/+ and naked et/et mice

En este estudio se analizaron los valores sanguíneos normales de una mutante de ratones desnudos conocidos como et/et, se compararon con ratones CD 1, cepa de la cual surgió y con los heterocigóticos et/+. Los conteos leucocitarios y diferenciales mostraron que las poblaciones de leucocitos totales, linfocitos, monocitos y eosinófilos fueron significativamente mayores en los ratones et/et que en los CD 1 (P < 0.05); en los ratones desnudos, 89 por ciento presentó hipersegmentación de neutrófilos, mientras que sólo 10 por ciento de los heterocigóticos lo manifestó y no se observó en los ratones CD 1. En la población de linfocitos T totales CD3+ y en los CD8+ resultaron superiores los valores de los ratones et/et a los CD 1 (P < 0.05) y sin diferencia respecto a los et/+. Los valores en el hematocrito fueron mayores en los ratones et/et respecto de los CD 1(P < 0.05). En la cuantificación de proteínas plasmáticas, los ratones et/et presentaron menor densidad que los ratones CD 1. La fracción alfaglobulina del suero mostró diferencias en los ratones et/et, donde los machos presentan una concentración significativamente mayor (P < 0.05) a las hembras (8.94 por ciento ñ 1.81 vs 3.49 por ciento ñ 0.69). En el estudio del número de células linfoides en bazo, se observaron diferencias significativas en los ratones et/et que presentaron 43 células/50 m l, contra 97.5 en los ratones CD 1, mientras que los et/+ presentaron un valor intermedio sin significancia estadística. Con el análisis de resultados se concluye que los ratones et/et presentan dentro de sus características genéticas, una leucocitosis circulante con linfocitosis, monocitosis, eosinofilia y una linfopenia en bazo, así como la hipersegmentación de neutrófilos; lo anterior probablemente esté asociado a la hipersecreción adrenal que han descrito otros autores en los ratones et/et.

Are the nitrites and nitrates responsible for the carcinoma in the operated stomach?

The carcinogenesis of the operated stomach has been attributed to several etiologies: bilio-pancreatic reflux, achlorhydria, hypochlorydria, atrophic gastritis, atypical bacteria, food and environmental factors, nitrites, nitrates, N-nitroso compounds, the two different types of epitelium in the suture line and other. Seventy two male WISTAR rats (300-380 g) were employed, divided into 2 groups and observed during 8 months, drinking water only or aqueous solution of potassium nitrite plus potassium nitrate (30 mg/kg/day). Each group was subdivided into other 4 groups with 9 animals, submitted to gastrotomy (GT) (control group), gastrojejunostomy plus truncal vagotomy (GJ + TV), BILLROTH II gastrectomy plus truncal vagotomy (BII + TV) and Roux-en-Y gastrectomy plus truncal vagotomy (RY + TV). After the observation period, the animals were sacrificed and performed histopathological studies of the operated stomachs. The results showed that the animals that ingested nitrite + nitrate solutions presented significative findings of cystic gladular hyperplasia (41,5 per cent), dysplasia (19,6 per cent) and carcinoma (5,6 per cent). Carcinomas were found in the animals submitted to GJ + TV and BII + TV. The authors concluded that the ingestion of nitrite and nitrate causes important modifications into the mucosa of the gastric stump, however more studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms of carcinogenesis in the operated stomach.

Esquistossomose mansônica em camundongos experimentales subnutridos / Schistosomiasis mansoni in experimentally malnourished mice

Realizou-se estudo sobre o desenvolvimento da esquistossomose mansônica em camundongos submetidos à dieta hipoprotéica. Foram constituídos 4 grupos de Mus musculus "Swiss" da seguinte forma: 1) näo infectados, normoprotéicos; 2) infectados, normoprotéicos; 3) näo infectados, hipoprotéicos e 4) infectados, hipoprotéicos. Os animais foram sacrificados com 60 dias de infecçäo, aos 90 dias de idade. Verificou-se que os esquistossomos sofreram os efeitos da subnutriçäo do hospedeiro, principalmente os vermes machos, que além de terem seu desenvolvimento prejudicado, tiveram seu número reduzido aproximadamente pela metade. O número de granulomas foi menor nos roedores subnutridos e o tamanho da lesäo foi reduzido. Houve acentuada leucopenia nos animais submetidos à dieta hipoprotéica, principalmente nos infectados subnutridos. A linfopenia e eosinopenia acentuadas sugeriram que o sistema imunológico do hospedeiro foi afetado pela subnutriçäo. A taxa de mortalidade foi muito mais elevada nos animais infectados submetidos à dieta hipoprotéica. Concluiu-se que os camundongos subnutridos resistiram menos à infecçäo esquistossomótica apesar de terem apresentado menor número de lesöes granulomatosas

Estudo anatomopatológico de órgäos de Holochilus brasiliensis leucogaster (Rodentia, Cricetidae) naturalmente infectado por Shistosoma mansoni / Natural infection with Shistosoma mansoni in Holachilus brasiliensis leucoga

Os autores estudaram oogramas e alteraçöes anatomopatológicas de órgäos de Holochilus brasiliensis leucogaster, naturalmente infectados por Schistosoma mansoni. Os oogramas de segmentos dos intestinos delgado e grosso mostraram que, nos animais cuja parasitose era mais antiga, o número de ovos e cascas tendia a ser maior do que aqueles com infecçäo adquirida mais recentemente. A maturaçäo dos ovos parece ocorrer normalmente. As lesöes anatomopatológicas muito se aproximam daquelas verificadas no homem. Ressaltam-se aquelas verificadas no pânceas exócrino com presença de granulomas esquistossomóticos em diversas fases evolutivas e reduçào do número de ácinos, além da presença de processos regressivos comprometendo estas estruturas. É sugerido que H. B. leucogaster apresenta equilibrada relaçäo hospedeiro-parasita.

Esquistossomose mansonica: I Evolucao do quadro patologico: analise parasitologica, hematologica e histopatologica / Schistosomiasi mansoni: I. Evolution of the patologic picture; parasitologic, hematologic and hsitopatologic analysisisis

Com o objetivo de acompanhar a evolucao da infeccao bissexual primaria de camundongos por S. mansoni, foram infectados camundongos Swiss com 100 cercarias da linhagem mineira (BH) de Schistosoma mansoni. A evolucao da infeccao foi acompanhada por um periodo de 8 semanas. Foi verificada uma relacao entre o numero de granulomas hepaticos e o numero de vermes totais. O ganho de peso corporal, o peso do baco e a percentagem do peso do figado em relacao ao peso corporal foram diferentes quando comparados os animais infectados e controles. O quadro leucocitario dos camundongos infectados apresentou alteracoes no numero de leucocitos totais, neutrofilos e linfocitos. Os exames histologicos do baço e do fígado revelaram alteraçöes nestes órgäos de acordo com a fase de infecçäo