Experimental Evaluation of Faecal Escherichia coli and Hepatitis E Virus as Biological Indicators of Contacts Between Domestic Pigs and Eurasian Wild Boar.

Domestic pigs and Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) share several important viral and bacterial pathogens. Therefore, direct and indirect contacts between domestic pigs and wild boar present a risk of pathogen spillover and can lead to long-term perpetuation of infection. Biological indicators could be a powerful tool to understand and characterize contacts between wild boar and domestic pigs. Here, faecal Escherichia coli and Hepatitis E virus (HEV) were explored as potential biological indicators under experimental conditions. The data gained in our pilot study suggest that faecal E. coli can be used as biological indicator of contact between wild boar and domestic pig. For HEV, faecal transmission was also confirmed. However, molecular studies on full-genome basis did not reveal markers that would allow tracing of transmission direction. Based on these promising results, future field studies will especially target the practicability of E. coli microbiome molecular typing as surrogate of contacts at the wildlife-livestock interface.

[In vitro studies into the influence of ochratoxin A on the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha by the human monocytic cell line THP-1]. / In vitro-Untersuchungen zum Einfluss von Ochratoxin A auf die Tumornekrosefaktor alpha-Produktion der humanen Monozytenzelllinie THP-1.

The influence of pure OTA and an Aspergillus-ochraceus crude toxin on the intracellular expression and the secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha by the monocytic cell line THP-1 was studied in vitro. After 4 hours exposure, the secretion of TNF alpha was inhibited to 50% by pure OTA in a concentration of 400 ng/ml and by crude toxin in a concentration of 100 ng/ml. The same concentrations of mycotoxins impaired the mitochondrial activity of THP-1 cells only marginally. The intracellular expression of TNF alpha was not disturbed by pure OTA in the concentrations tested, whereas crude toxin showed an inhibitory effect. The possible reasons for these findings are discussed.