Isolation and characterization of mammalian orthoreovirus from bats in the United States.

Mammalian orthoreovirus (MRV) infects many mammalian species including humans, bats, and domestic animals. To determine the prevalence of MRV in bats in the United States, we screened more than 900 bats of different species collected during 2015-2019 by a real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assay; 4.4% bats tested MRV-positive and 13 MRVs were isolated. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis revealed that these isolates belonged to four different strains/genotypes of viruses in Serotypes 1 or 2, which contain genes similar to those of MRVs detected in humans, bats, bovine, and deer. Further characterization showed that these four MRV strains replicated efficiently on human, canine, monkey, ferret, and swine cell lines. The 40/Bat/USA/2018 strain belonging to the Serotype 1 demonstrated the ability to infect and transmit in pigs without prior adaptation. Taken together, this is evidence for different genotypes and serotypes of MRVs circulating in US bats, which can be a mixing vessel of MRVs that may spread to other species, including humans, resulting in cross-species infections.

Harnessing biotechnology for penicillin production: Opportunities and environmental considerations.

Since the discovery of antibiotics, penicillin has remained the top choice in clinical medicine. With continuous advancements in biotechnology, penicillin production has become cost-effective and efficient. Genetic engineering techniques have been employed to enhance biosynthetic pathways, leading to the production of new penicillin derivatives with improved properties and increased efficacy against antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Advances in bioreactor design, media formulation, and process optimization have contributed to higher yields, reduced production costs, and increased penicillin accessibility. While biotechnological advances have clearly benefited the global production of this life-saving drug, they have also created challenges in terms of waste management. Production fermentation broths from industries contain residual antibiotics, by-products, and other contaminants that pose direct environmental threats, while increased global consumption intensifies the risk of antimicrobial resistance in both the environment and living organisms. The current geographical and spatial distribution of antibiotic and penicillin consumption dramatically reveals a worldwide threat. These challenges are being addressed through the development of novel waste management techniques. Efforts are aimed at both upstream and downstream processing of antibiotic and penicillin production to minimize costs and improve yield efficiency while lowering the overall environmental impact. Yield optimization using artificial intelligence (AI), along with biological and chemical treatment of waste, is also being explored to reduce adverse impacts. The implementation of strict regulatory frameworks and guidelines is also essential to ensure proper management and disposal of penicillin production waste. This review is novel because it explores the key remaining challenges in antibiotic development, the scope of machine learning tools such as Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) in modern biotechnology-driven production, improved waste management for antibiotics, discovering alternative path to reducing antibiotic use in agriculture through alternative meat production, addressing current practices, and offering effective recommendations.

Rabies control in Bangladesh and prediction of human rabies cases by 2030: a One Health approach.

Background: Bangladesh is making progress toward achieving zero dog-mediated rabies deaths by 2030, a global goal set in 2015. Methods: Drawing from multiple datasets, including patient immunisation record books and mass dog vaccination (MDV) databases, we conducted a comprehensive analysis between 2011 and 2023 to understand the effectiveness of rabies control programmes and predict human rabies cases in Bangladesh by 2030 using time-series forecasting models. We also compared rabies virus sequences from GenBank in Bangladesh and other South Asian countries. Findings: The estimated dog population in Bangladesh was determined to be 1,668,140, with an average dog population density of 12.83 dogs/km2 (95% CI 11.14-14.53) and a human-to-dog ratio of 86.70 (95% CI 76.60-96.80). The MDV campaign has led to the vaccination of an average of 21,295 dogs (95% CI 18,654-23,935) per district annually out of an estimated 26,065 dogs (95% CI 22,898-29,230). A declining trend in predicted and observed human rabies cases has been identified, suggesting that Bangladesh is poised to make substantial progress towards achieving the 'Zero by 30' goal, provided the current trajectory continues. The phylogenetic analysis shows that rabies viruses in Bangladesh belong to the Arctic-like-1 group, which differs from those in Bhutan despite sharing a common ancestor. Interpretation: Bangladesh's One Health approach demonstrated that an increase in MDV and anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) resulted in a decline in the relative risk of human rabies cases, indicating that eliminating dog-mediated human rabies could be achievable. Funding: The study was supported by the Communicable Disease Control (CDC) Division of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.