Household outbreak of sporotrichosis: towards the One Health approach.

Although sporotrichosis requires a broad approach for control, few reports have described the relationship between the index case and secondary contacts. In the present work, we report an outbreak involving a woman, a dog, and two cats from the same household environment, including the clinical and epidemiological aspects and outcomes, and discuss the importance of a One Health approach to face this neglected disease. The joint efforts of professionals such as veterinarians and physicians are essential for early diagnosis and surveillance, which contributes to the rapid identification and control of zoonotic sporotrichosis outbreaks.

Household outbreak of sporotrichosis: towards the One Health approach

ABSTRACT Although sporotrichosis requires a broad approach for control, few reports have described the relationship between the index case and secondary contacts. In the present work, we report an outbreak involving a woman, a dog, and two cats from the same household environment, including the clinical and epidemiological aspects and outcomes, and discuss the importance of a One Health approach to face this neglected disease. The joint efforts of professionals such as veterinarians and physicians are essential for early diagnosis and surveillance, which contributes to the rapid identification and control of zoonotic sporotrichosis outbreaks.

Spatial association between sporotrichosis in cats and in human during a Brazilian epidemics.

Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous granulomatous disease caused by the fungus Sporothrix spp. In Brazil, S. brasiliensis is reported in regions of outbreaks and epidemics in the zoonotic form of the disease where cats play an important role in the transmission of the disease to humans. Therefore, it is important to assess how the presence of infected cats impacts the risk for sporotrichosis in humans. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial association of sporotrichosis in cats and in humans from Belo Horizonte, a Brazilian city where an epidemics of sporotrichosis occurs since the first human case register in 2015, through an inhomogeneous Poisson process model. Feline and human cases of sporotrichosis recorded between January 2016 and June 2019 were georeferenced by address and spatial point patterns were generated. Feline case intensity and human demographic density were calculated using a kernel smoothed estimate. The distance to the nearest feline case was also compute. Model parameters were estimated by Maximum Likelihood Estimate. The model validation was performed by the evaluation of partial residual, leverage and influence measure. There were 343 cases of cats and 135 human cases of sporotrichosis. The average incidence of human sporotrichosis in the period was 1.343 per 100 thousand inhabitants, which is relatively low in relation to the population, but higher than that observed in other regions in zoonotic outbreak of the disease. The southern region of the municipality has a higher intensity of feline cases. According to the fitted model, the risk for human sporotrichosis is greater when at distances very close to a feline case, with a virtually stable effect for distances greater than 1 km. Regarding the intensity of feline cases there is a gradual increase in risk as the intensity of cases increases. From the leverage analysis it was observed that the model was particularly sensitive to the occurrence of human cases in the south and east regions, places with extreme values ​​of covariates. Poisson point process model seems to be a reasonable approach in spatial epidemiology when multiple sources of infection are involved, and there is a low incidence of the disease as long as it is reasonable to assume independence between cases. Interventions for disease prevention and control in humans are suggested to encompass disease control in cats and the search for feline cases, focused on diagnosis and control, close to reported human cases.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum direct detection and exposure evidence in equines from two breeding farms from Minas Gerais State, Brazil / Detecção direta e evidência da exposição a Anaplasma phagocytophilum em equinos de dois haras em Minas Gerais, Brasil

Equine granulocytic anaplasmosis is caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum, a gram negative, obligatory intracellular bacterium, member of Anaplasmataceae family, included in the Rickettsiales order. Little is known about the disease, transmission dynamics, genetic diversity and prevalence in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. This work aimed to do a serosurvey using indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA) test and evaluation of buffy coat smears, and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as diagnostic methods, to determine the disease situation in horses from two manga-larga marchador breeding farms located in the municipalities of Ataléia e São Vicente de Minas, in Minas Gerais state. It was found that 76% (131/172) of the animals were considered reactive for IFA test, and the total of 12.8% was positive at buffy coat smears analysis. At PCR analysis, it was found 1.94% of the samples positive to the infection. Those samples were sequenced and showed 96% of similarity to A. phagocytophilum from a Ixodes ricinus tick. There is a high frequency of animals with the evidence of contact to A. phagocytophilum on the two evaluated properties in this study, which was proved by positiveness in PCR analysis. New researches must be carried out to better understand the epidemiologic and clinical dynamic of the disease in the state of Minas Gerais.(AU)

A anaplasmose granulocítica equina é causada por uma bactéria gram-negativa, intracelular obrigatória, membro da família Anaplasmataceae, incluída na ordem Rickettsiales e denominada de Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Pouco se sabe sobre a doença, sua dinâmica de transmissão, diversidade genética e prevalência em Minas Gerais, Brasil. Este trabalho teve por objetivo realizar o levantamento sorológico utilizando a reação de imunofluorescência indireta, avaliação direta de capa leucocitária e nested reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) como métodos diagnósticos, a fim de avaliar a situação da doença em dois haras de criação de cavalos manga-larga marchador localizados nas cidades de Ataléia e São Vicente de Minas, no estado de Minas Gerais. Foi encontrada prevalência de 76% (131/172) de animais reativos para a reação de imunofluorescência indireta, quando todos os animais das duas propriedades e das duas coletas foram agrupados, e 12,8% dos animais foram positivos na avaliação da capa leucocitária. A reação de imunofluorescência indireta detectou 1,94% das amostras como positivas para o agente. Essas amostras foram submetidas ao sequenciamento de nucleotídeos, e foi observada similaridade de 96% com A. phagocytophilum proveniente de carrapatos Ixodes ricinus. Existe alta prevalência de animais positivos para a infecção por A. phagocytophilum, o que foi provado pela positividade dos animais à PCR. Novas pesquisas devem ser conduzidas a fim de entender a dinâmica epidemiológica e clínica da doença no estado de Minas Gerais.(AU)

Evaluating the effectiveness of an inactivated vaccine from Anaplasma marginale derived from tick cell culture.

The protective efficacy of an inactivated vaccine from Anaplasma marginale that was cultured in tick cells (IDE8) for use against bovine anaplasmosis was evaluated. Five calves (Group 1) were inoculated subcutaneously, at 21-day intervals, with three doses of vaccine containing 3 × 10(9) A. marginale initial bodies. Five control calves received saline solution alone (Group 2). Thirty-two days after the final inoculation, all the calves were challenged with approximately 3 × 10(5) erythrocytes infected with A. marginale high-virulence isolate (UFMG2). The Group 1 calves seroconverted 14 days after the second dose of vaccine. After the challenge, all the animals showed patent rickettsemia. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the Group 1 and 2 calves during the incubation period, patency period or convalescence period. All the animals required treatment to prevent death. The results suggest that the inactivated vaccine from A. marginale produced in IDE8 induced seroconversion in calves, but was not effective for preventing anaplasmosis induced by the UFMG2 isolate under the conditions of this experiment.

Evaluating the effectiveness of an inactivated vaccine from Anaplasma marginale derived from tick cell culture / Avaliação da eficácia de uma vacina inativada de Anaplasma marginale derivada de cultura de células de carrapato

The protective efficacy of an inactivated vaccine from Anaplasma marginale that was cultured in tick cells (IDE8) for use against bovine anaplasmosis was evaluated. Five calves (Group 1) were inoculated subcutaneously, at 21-day intervals, with three doses of vaccine containing 3 × 10(9) A. marginale initial bodies. Five control calves received saline solution alone (Group 2). Thirty-two days after the final inoculation, all the calves were challenged with approximately 3 × 10(5) erythrocytes infected with A. marginale high-virulence isolate (UFMG2). The Group 1 calves seroconverted 14 days after the second dose of vaccine. After the challenge, all the animals showed patent rickettsemia. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the Group 1 and 2 calves during the incubation period, patency period or convalescence period. All the animals required treatment to prevent death. The results suggest that the inactivated vaccine from A. marginale produced in IDE8 induced seroconversion in calves, but was not effective for preventing anaplasmosis induced by the UFMG2 isolate under the conditions of this experiment.

Foi avaliada a eficácia de uma vacina protetora para Anaplasma marginale cultivada em células de carrapato (IDE8) para uso contra a anaplasmose bovina. Cinco bezerros (Grupo 1) foram inoculados por via subcutânea com três doses, intervalados de 21 dias, de vacina contendo 3 × 10(9) corpúsculos iniciais de A. marginale inicial. Cinco bezerros do grupo controle receberam apenas solução salina (Grupo 2). Trinta e dois dias após a inoculação final, todos os bezerros foram desafiados com aproximadamente 3 × 10(5) eritrócitos infectados com isolado de A. marginale alta virulência (UFMG2). Os bezerros do Grupo 1 soroconverteram-se 14 dias após a segunda dose da vacina. Após o desafio, todos os animais mostraram riquestsemia patente. Não houve diferença significativa (p > 0,05) entre bezerros do Grupo 1 e 2 em período de incubação, período de patência, ou período de convalescença. Todos os animais necessitaram de tratamento para prevenir a morte. Os resultados sugerem que uma vacina inativada de A. marginale, produzida em IDE8, induz soroconversão em bezerros, mas não é eficaz na prevenção de anaplasmose induzida pelo isolado UFMG2 nas condições deste experimento.