Seasonal prevalence of dengue vector mosquito Aedes aegypti Linn in Jaipur city, Rajasthan, India.

Background & objectives: Vector-borne diseases are a significant issue for public health worldwide, especially in India. In recent years, high number of dengue and chikungunya cases have been reported from Rajasthan state of India, those are principally transmitted by Aedes aegypti. These vectors are extremely intrusive and can thrive in practically any climate. However, vector mosquitos' prevalence in Jaipur district is not properly documented. Therefore, current research was carried out to ascertain the seasonal fluctuations of Aedes aegypti in Jaipur city, Rajasthan, India. Methods: In order to ascertain the seasonal variation, monitoring of Aedes mosquitoes was conducted from August 2021 to July 2022 at nine selected regions in the Jaipur city. The breeding capacity of vectors was evaluated using three vector indices: the House Index, Breteau Index, and Container Index. Results: A total of 2172 out of 6336 breeding sites and 3735 out of 7477 containers were found positive for Aedes species. Three important species of Aedes vectors were collected in which Aedes aegypti was reported as the most prevalent. The highest values for House Index (57.60%) and Container Index (54.95%) were observed in October and the least rate was observed in March. Interpretation & conclusion: This survey was carried out to investigate the seasonal prevalence of dengue vectors and the findings revealed seasonal fluctuations in the indices of Aedes reproducing potential. This calls for precautionary actions to avoid infection rates and epidemic emergence. Therefore, to stop epidemics and eradicate vector-borne infections, the current study recommends close monitoring and further vector management efforts.

Relationship between faecal egg count and health status in Nguni goats reared on semi-arid rangelands.

Gastrointestinal parasitism is a major constraint to goat productivity, particularly in resource-limited production systems. The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between faecal egg count and the health status of different classes of Nguni goats. Body condition score (BCS), packed cell volume (PCV), FAMACHA score, and faecal egg count (FEC) were measured in 120 goats of different classes (weaners, does and bucks) across seasons. The identified gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) were Strongyloides (30 %), Haemonchus contortus (28 %), Trichostrongylus sp. (23 %), Oesophagostomum sp. (17 %) and Ostertagia (2 %), which showed higher prevalence at the hot-wet season compared to other seasons. An interaction (P<0.05) between class and season on BCS was observed. Lower PCV were observed in weaners (24.6 ± 0.79) in the post-rainy season, whereas does 27.4 ± 0.86 and bucks (29.3±1.03) had the highest PCV in the same season. Higher FAMACHA scores were observed in the hot seasons for all goat classes, while lower in the cool-dry season. Linear relationships between FAMACHA scores and FEC were observed in all seasons. The rate of change in FAMACHA score was higher in the post-rainy season (P<0.01) than in other seasons as FEC increased in weaners and does. Bucks had a higher rate of change in FAMACHA in the hot-wet season (P<0.0001) as FEC increased. The rate of BCS decline was higher in the post-rainy season in weaners and does (P<0.01) and bucks (P<0.05) than in other seasons. The decline in PCV was faster during the wet than in the dry seasons. It can be concluded that class and season affected BCS, FAMACHA, and PCV. A linear relationship between FEC and FAMACHA score suggests that FAMACHA could be a good indicator of GIN burden.

Bacteriological and molecular studies of Clostridium perfringens infections in newly born calves.

Clostridium perfringens is considered one of the important causes of calf diarrhea. Two hundred and twenty-seven clinical samples from newly born and dead diarrheic calves were examined bacteriologically and by PCR. Bacterial culture identified C. perfringens in 168 of 227 samples. A total of 144 of these isolates were lecithinase positive, indicating C. perfringens Type A. In addition, 154 isolates were positive by alpha toxin encoding gene-PCR assay. This study showed high agreement between the results of bacteriology and multiplex PCR. The multiplex PCR typed all isolates that were typed as C. perfringens Type A through bacteriologic methods, but ten samples that were lecithinase negative were positive in the multiplex PCR. The study showed the highest occurrence of C. perfringens Type A isolations from calves during the winter and autumn compared with other seasons.

Assessing the Prevalence and Dynamics of Emerging Campylobacterales in Human Stool Samples in Brussels by Filtration Culture.

Thermophilic C. jejuni/coli is reported to be the first bacterial cause of gastroenteritis worldwide and the most common zoonosis in Europe. Although non-jejuni/coli Campylobacter sp. are increasingly suspected to be responsible for diarrhoea or to be involved in inflammatory bowel disease, they remain poorly isolated due to their fastidious and non-thermophilic nature. Additionally, they are not targeted by commercial syndromic PCR assays. In this study, we present routine diagnostic results over 6 years (2017-2019 and 2021-2023) of Campylobacter sp. and related species, obtained by optimised culture from 51,065 stools by both 0.65 µm pore filtration on antibiotic-free agar, incubated in an H2-enriched atmosphere at 37 °C (also known as the Cape Town protocol), and the use of selective inhibitory Butzler medium incubated at 42 °C. This allowed the isolation of 16 Campylobacter species, 2 Aliarcobacter species, and 2 Helicobacter species, providing a completely different view of the epidemiology of Campylobacterales, in which C. jejuni/coli represents only 30.0% of all isolates, while C. concisus represents 44.4%. C. ureolyticus, representing only 5.5% of all Campylobacterales pre-COVID-19, represented 20.6% of all strains post-COVID-19 (218% increase; p < 0.05). At the same time, the proportions of C. jejuni, C. coli, and C. concisus decreased by 37, 53, and 28%, respectively (p < 0.05).

Distribution Patterns of Pathogens Causing Lower Respiratory Tract Infection Based on Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing.

Purpose: Lower Respiratory Tract Infection (LRTI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this study, the distribution patterns of causative pathogens in LRTI were evaluated within a city-level hospital by combining conventional microbiological tests (CMT) with metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). Patients and Methods: This retrospective cohort study involved 160 patients suspected of having LRTI in a single center. Specimens, including bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), blood, tissue, sputum, and pus were utilized to identify pathogens. The seasonal prevalence of pathogens and co-pathogens involved in multiple infections was analyzed. Results: A total of 137 patients with 156 samples were included in this study. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Corynebacterium striatum, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida, and human herpesvirus were the top prevalent pathogens. We observed seasonal dynamic variation in the top prevalent bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and herpesvirus (Epstein-Barr virus and Human herpesvirus-7). The majority of patients had single bacterial infections, followed by instances of bacterial-viral co-infections, as well as mixed infections involving bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Notably, the spectrum of co-infecting pathogens was broader among the elderly population, and positive Spearman correlations were observed among these co-infecting pathogens. Conclusion: Co-infections were prevalent among patients with LRTI, and the pathogens displayed distinct seasonal distribution patterns. The findings underscored the significance of comprehending pathogen distribution and epidemic patterns, which can serve as a basis for early etiological identification.

Prevalence of biofilm forming Salmonella in different seafood contact surfaces of fishing boats, fish landing centres, fish markets and seafood processing plants.

The prevalence of biofilm forming Salmonella on different seafood contact surfaces was investigated. Out of 384 swab samples, 16.14 % and 1 % were confirmed biochemically and molecularly as Salmonella respectively. One out of four isolates was from the boat deck, and three were from the seafood processing plant. Salmonella was more prevalent in January, June, and September months. Different assays investigated the biofilm forming ability of isolates. Two out of four isolates have shown strong biofilms, and the others were moderate biofilm formers by microtitre plate assay. In the CRA assay, three isolates showed 'rdar' morphotype, and one showed 'bdar' morphotype. All isolates were positive for gcpA gene (~1700 bp), a critical gene found in Salmonella biofilms. The microbial load of Salmonella biofilms on different contact surfaces were determined, stainless steel and HDPE were found prone to biofilms. With this, a suitable mechanism shall be formulated to control the biofilms of Salmonella.

Seasonal Prevalence of the Invasive Longhorn Beetle Aromia bungii in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.

A thorough understanding of the seasonal prevalence of invasive pests in newly invaded regions is key for establishing an appropriate and localized control plan for their successful eradication. In this study, we investigated the seasonal prevalence of the invasive longhorn beetle Aromia bungii (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. We determined the number of adult beetles sighted on host trees more than once a week from late May or early June to late August for 3 years at three study sites (one site from 2019-2021 and two sites from 2020-2021). The appearance period of A. bungii adults spanned over 2 months (June-August), and peak sighting in the field occurred in late June; the adults were more abundant in the early phase of their seasonal prevalence (around the peak dates) and almost disappeared by August. The number of adult beetles emerging from A. bungii-infested trees at one study site was surveyed daily in 2021. This survey showed a short-span adult emergence period: Approximately 1 month from the first emergence day, supporting the idea of the concentration of adult abundance in the early phase. These results will help to establish a timely pest-control plan for A. bungii in Osaka Prefecture.

Anthelmintic resistance and prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes infecting sheep in Limpopo Province, South Africa.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Previous studies recorded the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in Limpopo Province. However, the studies did not address the seasonal patterns of infection and did not cover all districts of Limpopo Province, namely; Capricorn, Sekhukhune, Waterberg, Mopani, and Vhembe. It is, therefore, important to provide up to date information on the prevalence and seasonal occurrence data of GIN in all districts of Limpopo province. The present study was conducted to determine the occurrence of anthelmintic resistance (AR) and document the prevalence of GIN infecting sheep in five districts of Limpopo Province, South Africa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty animals in each district were used for fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) to determine AR against ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg), levamisole (LEV) (5 mg/kg), and albendazole (7.5 mg/kg). Egg hatch test (EHT) was used to determine AR against thiabendazole (TBZ) and micro-agar larval development test (MALDT) was used for both TBZ and LEV. Naturally, infected sheep (n=780) were sampled for prevalence across five districts of Limpopo. FAMACHA© eye-color score estimations were also performed for each study animal. RESULTS: FECRT showed occurrence of AR in most of the districts and a few with suspected resistance. EHT results showed AR development against TBZ for all districts, while the MALDT showed no AR against LEV in all districts, but detected AR against TBZ in Sekhukhune, Capricorn, and Waterberg. Haemonchus contortus was the most resistant species. A high nematode prevalence (88-100%) and 1210-1861 eggs per gram (EPG) was observed in all districts during the hot wet season, decreasing to 75-80% (453-1202 EPG) during the cold dry season. The sheep revealed a FAMACHA© mean score of 3, indicating mild anemia during the hot wet season except for Vhembe district that revealed a FAMACHA© mean score of 4 during the hot wet season, indicating anemia. CONCLUSION: AR recorded in Limpopo Province may be due to under-dosing caused by lack of weighing equipment and high treatment frequencies due to lack of proper training on anthelmintic use. The detection of AR in Limpopo is an important finding because it will help in outlining effective management systems against GIN.

Seasonal prevalence, risk factors, and One Health intervention for prevention of intestinal parasitic infection in underprivileged communities on the Thai-Myanmar border.

BACKGROUND: Tha Song Yang District, located on the Thai-Myanmar border, contributes to the second highest cases of amoebic dysentery due to intestinal parasitic infections (IPI). However, there were limited disease prevalence data, specific surveillance systems, and interventions available. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the epidemiological features of the IPIs and apply the One Health (OH) approach to solve IPI-related problems. METHODS: Prevalence of asymptomatic infections in human and animals, yearly symptomatic cases, and associated risk factors were investigated. The OH intervention included improving the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of the community, microscopic diagnosis training, and stakeholder engagement for IPI prevention designs. RESULTS: The prevalence of asymptomatic cases was much higher than that of the symptomatic cases. Infective stages of the intestinal parasites were discovered in animal stool and water samples, indicating possible transmission routes. One year after the intervention, there were significant declines in asymptomatic IPIs and symptomatic cases of amoebic dysentery. Significant improvements in KAP and awareness regarding water and manure-waste management of the community were observed. CONCLUSION: We reported the successful application of the OH intervention in reducing the IPI prevalence and mitigating disease-related risks. The intervention might be applied to address other infectious diseases in the future.

Seasonal prevalence of blood parasitic diseases in crossbred cattle of Mysore and its surrounding districts of Karnataka.

The present study report the seasonal prevalence of blood parasitic diseases in cross bred cattle in Mysore and its surrounding districts of Karnataka such as Mandya, Chamaraj Nagar and Kodagu. The study was undertaken for a period of 2 years from August 2013 to July 2015. A total of 1655 blood samples were collected from clinically suspected cattle for blood parasitic diseases with clinical symptoms of anorexia, high fever, anaemia, salivation, enlargement of superficial lymphnodes, haemoglobinuria and sudden drop in milk yield. The blood samples were examined by giemsa's staining technique. Of the 1655 blood samples screened, 673 (40.22%) blood samples were found positive for blood parasites. Amid 673 positive samples, 609 (90.49%), 19 (2.82%) and 45 (6.68%) were found positive for Theileria annulata, Babesia bigemina and Anaplasma marginale respectively. The season wise prevalence revealed that, the highest prevalence was observed in summer months (March-June) (43.17%) followed by rainy (July-October) (39.53%) and winter season (November-February) (39.35%). Further, the month wise prevalence showed highest in August (77.64%) (Rainy month) followed by November (38.23%) and January (35.93%). During August-2013 to July 2014 and between August-2014 and July 2015, the highest was found in the month of May (85%) followed by July (70%) and April (69.81%). Theileriosis was most prevalent in summer (92.73%) followed by rainy (90.95%) and winter season (87.61%). Babesiosis was most prevalent in winter season (5.04%) followed by rainy (1.8%) and summer season (1.7%) whereas, Anaplasmosis was most prevalent in rainy season (7.23%) followed by winter (6.88%) and summer season (5.55%) during two years of study period.

Seasonal prevalence, body condition score and risk factors of bovine fasciolosis in South Africa.

Fasciolosis is an important zoonotic disease that is responsible for a significant loss in food resource and animal productivity. The objectives of this study were to determine the seasonal prevalence and risk factors associated with Fasciola infection in cattle. The results were obtained by coprology, antemortem and post-mortem survey of three abattoirs (HTPA1, n = 500, HTPA2, n = 400, and LTPA, n = 220). The seasonal prevalence of Fasciola infection was 10.4%, 12.8% and 10.9%, during summer, 11.2%, 10.8% and 8.6%, during autumn, 9.8%, 6.5% and 5.9% during winter and 8.2%, 7.8% and 5.9%, during spring in the three abattoirs HTPA1, HTPA and LTPA respectively. There was a significant association (p < 0.05) between the intensity of infection and body condition score (BCS) of cattle at each abattoir. Factors such as age [HTPA1 (OR = 3.6, CI = 1.2, 10.2), and LTPA (OR = 3.8, CI= 2.4, 6.1)], sex [LTPA (OR = 4.2, CI= 2.5, 7.0)], breed [HTPA2 (OR = 2.3, CI = 1.3, 4.1) and LTPA (OR = 2.5, CI= 1.3, 5.0)] and BCS had significant (p < 0.01-0.001) influence on the prevalence of fasciolosis. In conclusion, the infection with Fasciola spp was higher in the summer than in the winter; a positive association was established between the prevalence of fasciolosis and poor body condition in study animals. This study, therefore, suggests that fasciolosis could be causing substantial production losses, mainly due to cattle weight loss and liver condemnation.

Seasonal fluctuations in prevalence of dog intestinal parasites in public squares of Mar del Plata city, Argentina and its risk for humans / Estacionalidad en la prevalencia de parásitos intestinales caninos en plazas públicas de Mar del Plata, Argentina, y su riesgo para la salud humana

The aim of this work is to analyze whether there is a seasonal prevalence of parasites in dog feces from public squares in Mar del Plata city, Argentina, and to evaluate the climatic conditions that promote the development of parasites and allow the transmission to people. The study was performed in 21 squares from June 2001 to May 2002. Samples were processed by the Willis technique. Differences in prevalence of parasites were examined for significance by the Chisquare test. Climatic data were obtained from the Library of the National Meteorological Service of Argentina. Total parasitic prevalence was higher in winter than in summer. The prevalence of Ancylostoma spp. was higher in the summer-autumn period. For Toxocara canis, the prevalence was higher in winter whereas for Trichuris vulpis, it was higher in winter, spring and summer. This work shows high prevalence of total parasites throughout the year. For Ancylostoma spp., summer and autumn might be the seasons with higher sanitary risk. On the other hand, T. canis could present the higher risk to people in winter and, T. vulpis, would be transmitted throughout the whole year. The seasonal variation in prevalence of dog parasites results in continuous exposure to people visiting the squares, not only Mar del Plata residents but also tourists from other regions of Argentina and the world, with at least one species of parasite with sanitary risk.

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la variación estacional de la prevalencia de los parásitos presentes en las heces caninas halladas en plazas públicas de la ciudad de Mar del Plata y evaluar aquellas condiciones climáticas que promueven su desarrollo y permiten su transmisión a la gente. El estudio se realizó en 21 plazas desde junio de 2001 hasta mayo de 2002. Las muestras fueron procesadas con la técnica de Willis. Se utilizó el test de c² para comparar la prevalencia de los diferentes parásitos. Los datos climáticos fueron obtenidos en la biblioteca del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional. La prevalencia total de parásitos fue considerablemente más alta en invierno que en verano. Ancylostoma spp. fue la especie prevalente en el período otoño-verano. La incidencia de Toxocara canis fue más alta en invierno que en el resto de las estaciones, y la de Trichuris vulpis fue alta en invierno, primavera y verano. Este trabajo muestra alta prevalencia de parásitos totales a lo largo de todo el año en las plazas públicas de Mar del Plata. Para Ancylostoma spp. verano y otoño podrían ser las estaciones con riesgo sanitario más alto para la gente. Por otra parte, T. canis podría presentar mayor riesgo para la gente en invierno y T. vulpis sería transmitido durante todo el año. La variación estacional en la prevalencia de los distintos parásitos caninos, con al menos una especie con riesgo sanitario, hace que la exposición para la gente que visita las plazas sea continua e involucre no sólo a la gente que vive en Mar del Plata sino también turistas de otras regiones de Argentina y el mundo.

The Annual and Seasonal Changes in the Prevalence of Rotaviral Infection from: 1993 to 1998

PURPOSE: Rotavirus infection is a leading cause of severe gastroenteritis among infants and young children worldwide. In temperate regions, institutional outbreaks of the disease occur mainly in cold dry weather, whereas in tropical settings its seasonal course is less well defined. We studied the annual changes in the seasonal prevalence of rotavirus infection for 5 years. METHODS: The study was conducted on 502 patients who lived in Taejon city and its vicinity. They were diagnosed with rotavirus gastroenteritis by stool latex coagulation method in Eulji Medical College Hospital from July 1993 to June 1998. RESULTS: During the 5-years period, 502 fecal specimens were positive by rotavirus latex coagulation method. The peak of the infection occurred in 1994 (July 1994-June 1995), 152 cases (30.3%) from July 1994 to June 1995 and the next peak occurred in 111 cases (22.1%) from July 1993 to June 1994. The seasonal peaks of the infection occurred in December 1993 (17.1%) and January 1994 (21.1%) and in March 1996 (23.4%) and March 1997 (22.5%). CONCLUSOIN: We observed that the seasonal peak in rotavirus infection changed over a 5-year period. The timing of rotavirus activity peaked during December-January(1993 and 1994), Februray-March (1996), and March-April (1997).

Influence of Climate Factors and PM10 on Rotaviral Infection: A Seasonal Variation Study / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

PURPOSE: Recently, while the authors were experiencing that the epidemic period of rotaviral infection happened more in the early spring, we tried to find out how the outbreaks of rotaviral infection are changing in detail depending on the weather condition since it has something to do with the climate factors and PM10. METHODS: Fourteen hundreds seventy nine patients who were proved to be positive to rotavirus were chosen among children less than 5 years old from January 1995 to June 2003. Among various climate factors, monthly average temperature, humidity, rainfall and PM10 were selected. RESULTS: Rotaviral infection was most active in 2002 as 309 (20.9%) patients. It has been the spring that is the most active period of rotaviral infection since 2000. The temperature (RR=0.9423, CI= 0.933424~0.951163), rainfall (RR=1.0024, CI=1.001523~1.003228) and PM10 (RR=1.0123, CI= 1.009385~1.015248) were significantly associated with the monthly distribution of rotaviral infection. CONCLUSION: Through this study we determined that the epidemic period of rotaviral infection is changed to spring, which is different from the usual seasonal periods such as late fall or winter as reported in previous articles. As increased PM10 which could give serious influence to the human body, and changing pattern of climate factors such as monthly average temperature and rainfall have something to do with the rotaviral infection, we suppose that further study concerning this result is required in the aspects of epidemiology, biology and atmospheric science.