Academic literature on the topic 'Ticks microbiology'

ABSTRACT Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochetal agent of Lyme disease, is transmitted by Ixodes ticks. When an infected nymphal tick feeds on a host, the bacteria increase in number within the tick, after which they invade the tick’s salivary glands and infect the host. Antibodies directed against outer surface protein A (OspA) of B. burgdorferi kill spirochetes within feeding ticks and block transmission to the host. In the studies presented here, passive antibody transfer experiments were carried out to determine the OspA antibody titer required to block transmission to the rodent host. OspA antibody levels were determined by using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that measured antibody binding to a protective epitope defined by monoclonal antibody C3.78. The C3.78 OspA antibody titer (>213 μg/ml) required to eradicate spirochetes from feeding ticks was considerably higher than the titer (>6 μg/ml) required to block transmission to the host. Although spirochetes were not eradicated from ticks at lower antibody levels, the antibodies reduced the number of spirochetes within the feeding ticks and interfered with the ability of spirochetes to induceospC and invade the salivary glands of the vector. OspA antibodies may directly interfere with the ability of B. burgdorferi to invade the salivary glands of the vector; alternately, OspA antibodies may lower the density of spirochetes within feeding ticks below a critical threshold required for initiating events linked to transmission.

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) causes the most common tick-borne infection in Europe, with Germany being amongst the countries with the highest incidences in humans. This study aimed at (1) comparing infection rates of B. burgdorferi s.l. in questing Ixodes ricinus ticks from different habitat types in Southern Germany, (2) analysing genospecies distribution by habitat type, and (3) testing tissue and ticks from hosts for B. burgdorferi s.l. Questing ticks from urban, pasture, and natural habitats together with feeding ticks from cattle (pasture) and ticks and tissue samples from wild boars and roe deer (natural site) were tested by PCR and RFLP for species differentiation. B. burgdorferi s.l. was found in 29.8% questing adults and 15% nymphs. Prevalence was lower at the urban sites with occurrence of roe deer than where these were absent. Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. DNA was found in 4.8% ticks from roe deer, 6.3% from wild boar, and 7.8% from cattle. Six genospecies were identified in unfed ticks: Borrelia afzelii (48.6%), Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (16%), Borrelia garinii (13.2%), Borrelia valaisiana (7.5%), Borrelia spielmanii (6.2%), and Borrelia bavariensis (0.9%). This study shows high infection levels and a great diversity of Borrelia in questing ticks. The presence of roe deer seems to reduce B. burgdorferi s.l. infection rates in tick populations.

Since 2010, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has established centers at 16 locations to monitor disease vectors and pathogens. Here, we examined tick populations to understand the geographical and temporal distribution of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) vectors in 2020. From April to November, 63,376 ticks were collected from traps to monitor tick populations, with a trap index of 41.3. Tick incidence varied from April to October, with population peaks observed for nymphs in May, adults in July, and larvae in September. The predominant tick species were Haemaphysalis longicornis, Haemaphysalis spp., H. flava, Ixodes spp., Amblyomma testudinarium, and Ixodes nipponensis. Approximately 50% of the collected ticks were pooled into 2973 groups to detect the rate of SFTSV infection in ticks. The minimum infection rate (MIR) of SFTSV was 0.2%, and Andong had the highest MIR for SFTSV (4.0%). The B3 genotype was the most prevalent (52.2%) followed by B2 (28.6%), B5 (15.9%), B4 (1.6%), and B6 (1.6%). We identified widely distributed tick species and a high degree of diversity in SFTSV strains in ticks from different geographical regions. The results may provide a basis for future epidemiological studies and risk assessments for tick-borne diseases.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the transmission of a human isolate of the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE agent) from infected mice to larval ticks and to examine the population kinetics of the HGE agent in different stages of the tick life cycle. The HGE agent was quantitated by competitive PCR with blood from infected mice and with Ixodes scapularis ticks. The median infectious dose for C3H mice was 104 to 105 organisms when blood from an infected severe combined immunodeficient mouse was used as an inoculum. Uninfected larval ticks began to acquire infection from infected mice within 24 h of attachment, and the number of HGE agent organisms increased in larval ticks during feeding and after detachment of replete ticks. Molted nymphal ticks, infected as larvae, transmitted infection to mice between 40 and 48 h of attachment. Onset of feeding stimulated replication of the HGE agent within nymphal ticks. These studies suggest that replication of the HGE agent during and after feeding in larvae and during feeding in nymphs is a means by which the HGE agent overcomes inefficiencies in acquisition of infection by ticks and in tick-borne transmission to mammalian hosts.

Transovarial passage of relapsing fever spirochetes (Borrelia species) by infected female argasid ticks to their progeny is a widespread phenomenon. Yet this form of vertical inheritance has been considered rare for the North American tick Ornithodoros hermsi infected with Borrelia hermsii. A laboratory colony of O. hermsi was established from a single infected female and two infected males that produced a population of ticks with a high prevalence of transovarial transmission based on infection assays of single and pooled ticks feeding on mice and immunofluorescence microscopy of eggs and larvae. Thirty-eight of forty-five (84.4%) larval cohorts (groups of larvae originating from the same egg clutch) transmitted B. hermsii to mice over four and a half years, and one hundred and three single and one hundred and fifty-three pooled nymphal and adult ticks transmitted spirochetes during two hundred and fourteen of two hundred and fifty-six (83.6%) feedings on mice over seven and a half years. The perpetuation of B. hermsii for many years by infected ticks only (without acquisition of spirochetes from vertebrate hosts) demonstrates the reservoir competence of O. hermsi. B. hermsii produced the variable tick protein in eggs and unfed larvae infected by transovarial transmission, leading to speculation of the possible steps in the evolution of borreliae from a tick-borne symbiont to a tick-transmitted parasite of vertebrates.

We have previously reported that the pCS20 PCR detection assay forCowdria ruminantium, the causative agent of heartwater disease of ruminants, is more sensitive than xenodiagnosis and the pCS20 DNA probe for the detection of infection in the vectorAmblyomma ticks. Here, we further assessed the reliability of the PCR assay and applied it to field ticks. The assay detected DNA of 37 isolates of C. ruminantium originating from sites throughout the distribution of heartwater and had a specificity of 98% when infected ticks were processed concurrently with uninfected ticks. The assay did not detect DNA of Ehrlichia chaffeensis, which is closely related to C. ruminantium. PCR sensitivity varied with tick infection intensity and was high (97 to 88%) with ticks bearing 107 to 104 organisms but dropped to 61 and 28%, respectively, with ticks bearing 103 and 102 organisms. The assay also detected C. ruminantium in collections of Amblyomma hebraeum andAmblyomma variegatum field ticks from 17 heartwater-endemic sites in four southern African countries. Attempts at tick transmission of infection to small ruminants failed with four of these collections. The pCS20 PCR assay is presently the most characterized and reliable test for C. ruminantium in ticks and thus is highly useful for field and laboratory epidemiological investigations of heartwater.

Members of the genus Spiroplasma are Gram-positive bacteria without cell walls. Some Spiroplasma species can cause disease in arthropods such as bees, whereas others provide their host with resistance to pathogens. Ticks also harbour Spiroplasma, but their role has not been elucidated yet. Here, the infection status and genetic diversity of Spiroplasma in ticks were investigated using samples collected from different geographic regions in Japan. A total of 712 ticks were tested for Spiroplasma infection by PCR targeting 16S rDNA, and Spiroplasma species were genetically characterized based on 16S rDNA, ITS, dnaA, and rpoB gene sequences. A total of 109 samples originating from eight tick species were positive for Spiroplasma infection, with infection rates ranging from 0% to 84% depending on the species. A linear mixed model indicated that tick species was the primary factor associated with Spiroplasma infection. Moreover, certain Spiroplasma alleles that are highly adapted to specific tick species may explain the high infection rates in Ixodes ovatus and Haemaphysalis kitaokai. A comparison of the alleles obtained suggests that horizontal transmission between tick species may not be a frequent event. These findings provide clues to understand the transmission cycle of Spiroplasma species in wild tick populations and their roles in host ticks.

Babesia bovis is a widely-spread tick-borne hemoparasite of cattle with major economic and animal welfare consequences. Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus is a one-host tick which transmits bovine babesiosis in the Middle East and Africa. Laboratory rearing of ixodid ticks is essential for the investigation on ticks or tick-borne diseases. Establishing a tick colony in the laboratory usually originates from ticks harvested in the field, which may be naturally infected with various pathogens. This especially applies to carriage of B. bovis as it is highly prevalent in endemic areas and is transmitted transovarially in ticks. Here, we describe the use of diminazene aceturate (Berenil) in order to establish laboratory colonies of Babesia-free R. annulatus, from ticks collected in the field. Ticks collected in the field were kept until oviposition and hatched larvae were introduced to naïve calves, which led to infection of the calves with B. bovis. Calves were then treated with diminazene aceturate several times until the engorged ticks dropped. The eggs and larvae collected from these ticks were parasite-free, as demonstrated both by infection of splenectomized calves and by PCR. This suggested protocol is a useful tool to create parasite-free tick colony and may, theoretically, also be beneficial to reduce parasite circulation in the field, although not recommended, as resistance to diamenizene aceturate might develop.

ABSTRACT Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks were fed on either OspC-immunized mice or normal, nonimmunized mice. After 72 h, the ticks were detached, followed by dissection and subsequent culturing in Barbour-Stoenner-Kelley II medium of the salivary glands from each tick to determine the presence of borreliae. Forty percent (10 of 25) of salivary glands from ticks that had fed on nonimmunized mice were culture positive, while only 7.4% (2 of 27) of salivary glands from ticks that had fed on OspC-immunized mice were culture positive, thus indicating a much reduced borrelial migration from the midgut when the bloodmeal contained anti-OspC antibodies. Fluorescent antibody staining of the corresponding midguts from ticks that had fed on the OspC-immunized mice showed that borreliae were present but did not produce OspC. In contrast, borreliae in midguts from ticks that had fed on normal mice demonstrated substantial ospC expression. This study provides evidence that, during tick feeding on an OspC-immunized host, transmission of borreliae from the tick is prevented; it also suggests that OspC functions in a tick-to-host transmission mechanism.

ABSTRACT To determine whether prior exposure to Nearctic Ixodesvector ticks protects native reservoir mice from tick-borne infection by Lyme disease spirochetes, we compared their infectivities for white-footed mice and laboratory mice that had been repeatedly infested by noninfected deer ticks. Nymphal ticks readily engorged on tick-exposed laboratory mice, but their feeding success on white-footed mice progressively declined. Tick-borne spirochetes readily infected previously tick-infested mice. Thus, prior infestation by Nearctic ticks does not protect sympatric reservoir mice or Palearctic laboratory mice from infection by sympatric tick-borne spirochetes.

The Lyme disease causing spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato is transmitted by ticks within the genus Ixodes. These ticks are liberal host seekers and parasitise mammals, birds and reptiles. Prior to this study, the distribution of I. ricinus ticks and Lyme disease was thought to be restricted to the southern half of Sweden. On the island Norrbyskär, located in the Bothnian Gulf, there were reports of a high incidence of tick infestation on humans. To investigate the occurrence of B. burgdorferi s.l. in these ticks and to characterise presumptive isolates at the molecular level we sampled a number of I. ricinus ticks. Three different isolates were obtained from two different ticks, NBS16 from a nymph and NBS23a and NBS23b from an adult female tick. The seabird associated tick I. uriae is circumpolar distributed in both hemispheres. On the island Bonden, which house one of the largest seabird colonies in the Baltic Sea, I. uriae were collected and surveyed for spirochaetes. One isolate of B. burgdorferi s.l. was obtained. This B. burgdorferi s.l. isolate is identical to the Lyme disease Borrelia strain NBS16 isolated from Norrbyskär. To investigate the role of seabirds in the epidemiology of B. burgdorferi s.l., I. uriae were collected from seabird colonies in the southern and northern hemispheres. Borrelia DNA was extracted from the ticks and from cultured spirochaetes. Sequence analysis of the flagellin gene revealed that the DNA obtained was from B. garinii, regardless of the geographical origin of the sample. Identical fla gene fragments in ticks collected in both hemispheres indicate a transhemispheric exchange of B. garinii. A marine ecological niche and epidemiological route for Lyme disease Borrelia are proposed. The prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l. infected ticks on migrating passerine birds was studied. A total of 22, 998 birds were caught and examined for ticks. The presence of spirochaetes in the 967 collected ticks was determined by DNA amplification by PCR on all ticks. To determine which B. burgdorferi s.l. species were present, classification was performed by DNA amplification using species-specific 16S rDNA primers and by DNA sequencing. Flagellin gene sequences of all species of B. burgdorferi s.l. previously recorded in Europe were found. B. garinii was the most prevalent. These data support the notion that passerine birds are at least partly responsible for the distribution of Lyme disease Borrelia spirochaetes in Europe. To elucidate the distribution of B. burgdorferi s.l. in subarctic regions, strains isolated from I. ricinus and I. uriae ticks found on islands in the northern Atlantic and Baltic Sea were characterised molecularly. All isolates were verified as B. garinii by 16S-rRNA gene analysis and immunoblotting using monoclonal antibodies specific for the outer surface proteins A and C. Three ribotypes (RT's) of B. garinii were found. The I. ricinus associated RT1 is phenotypically the most heterogeneous. RT2 is restricted to the islands in the northern Baltic Sea, whereas RT3 was also recovered from ticks found on islands in the North Atlantic. The heterogeneity of the B. garinii population in the Baltic Sea might be influenced by two geographically opposite directions, North Atlantic (RT3) and Euroasia (RT1).
digitalisering@umu.se

This work presents an evaluation of the applicability of gene reporter technology to monitor Escherichia coli stress in industrial conditions with special interest in recombinant protein production. Different reporter plasmids containing promoter sequences of genes of the heatshock response were utilized to monitor chaperone expression upon different sources of stress such as exposure to chemicals, temperature and anaerobic growth. Activation of the heat shock response was monitored by \(\beta\)-galactosidase activity from the reporter plasmid pQF50groE. Cultures responded to heat-shock, anaerobiosis and \(\beta\)-mercaptoethanol by increasing the expression of \(\sigma\)\(^{32}\)-related genes. The performance of fluorescence reporters containing varieties of GFP was measured by fluorimetry and flow cytometry. Low copy number plasmids were demonstrated to be better suited than medium-high copy plasmids to report stress in industrial conditions. Reporter plasmids containing the promoters of the chaperones DnaK and GroES were utilized to measure E. coli stress in reducing environments and during recombinant protein production. It was demonstrated that the production strategy caused an impact in the host physiology which determined the outcome of the process. Flow cytometry showed excellent potential to obtain reliable measurements providing data of reporter activity cell death and cell morphology.

Flaviviruses are important emerging and re-emerging arthropod-borne pathogens that cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans. It consists of globally distributed human pathogens such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), West Nile virus (WNV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), yellow fever virus (YFV), dengue virus (DENV), and Zika virus (ZIKV). Depending on type, flaviviruses can cause a variety of symptoms ranging from haemorrhage to neurological disorders. Virus infection is detected by host pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), and through downstream signalling it leads to the production of interferons (IFNs). These IFNs then act in an autocrine or paracrine manner on the cells to induce various IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs), which have antiviral roles. However, the amount of IFN produced depends on the nature of the PRRs used by host cells to detect a particular virus. Although there are many PRRs present in the host cells, their relative contribution in different cell types and against a specific virus may vary. In the first study, we determined the importance of IPS-1 signalling in immunity and pathogenicity of tick-borne flaviviruses. This is an adaptor protein for cytoplasmic RIG-I-like receptors. Using IPS-1-deficient mice, we showed its importance against TBEV and Langat virus (LGTV) infection (the LGTV model virus belongs to the TBEV serogroup). Absence of IPS-1 leads to uncontrolled virus replication in the central nervous system (CNS), but it has only a minor role in shaping the humoral immune response at the periphery. LGTV-infected IPS-1-deficient mice showed apoptosis, activation of microglia and astrocytes, an elevated proinflammatory response, and recruitment of immune cells to the CNS. Interestingly, we also found that IFN-b upregulation after viral infection was dependent on IPS-1 in the olfactory bulb of the brain.  Thus, our results suggest that local immune microenvironment of distinct brain regions is critical for determination of virus permissiveness. Interferons can upregulate several ISGs. Viperin is one such ISG that has a broad-spectrum antiviral action against many viruses. However, the importance of cell type and the significance of viperin in controlling many flavivirus infections in vivo is not known. Using viperin-deficient mice, we found that viperin was necessary for restriction of LGTV replication in the olfactory bulb and cerebrum, but not in the cerebellum. This finding was also confirmed with primary neurons derived from these brain regions. Furthermore, we could also show the particular importance of viperin in cortical neurons against TBEV, WNV, and ZIKV infection. The results suggested that a single ISG can shape the susceptibility and immune response to a flavivirus in different regions of the brain. Although viperin is such an important ISG against flaviviruses, the exact molecular mechanism of action is not known. To understand the mechanism, we performed co-immunoprecipitation screening to identify TBEV proteins that could interact with viperin. While viperin interacted with the prM, E, NS2A, NS2B, and NS3 proteins of TBEV, its interaction with NS3 led to its degradation through the proteosomal pathway. Furthermore, viperin could reduce the stability of other viperin-binding TBEV proteins in an NS3-dependent manner. We screened for viperin activity regarding interaction with NS3 proteins of other flaviviruses. Viperin interacted with NS3 of JEV, ZIKV, and YFV, but selectively degraded NS3 proteins of TBEV and ZIKV, and this activity correlated with its antiviral activity against these viruses. The last study was based on in vivo characterization of the newly isolated MucAr HB 171/11 strain of TBEV which caused unusual gastrointestinal and constitutional symptoms. This strain was compared with another strain, Torö-2003, of the same European subtype of TBEV but isolated from the different focus. Here we found unique differences in their neuroinvasiveness and neurovirulence, and in the immune response to these two strains. In summary, my work shed some light on the interplay between tick-borne flavivirus and the innate immune system. I have shown two examples of CNS region-specific differences in innate immune response regarding both in IFN induction pathways and antiviral effectors. Furthermore, we have investigated the in vivo pathogenesis of a strain of TBEV that caused unusual gastrointestinal and constitutional symptoms.
Flavivirus finns spridda över hela världen och orsakar miljontals infektioner varje år. Några av de medicinsk mest viktiga flavivirusen är fästingburen encefalit virus (TBEV), West Nile virus (WNV), Japansk encefalit virus (JEV), gula febern (YFV) och Zika virus (ZIKV). Dessa virus kan orsaka olika komplikationer till exempel blödarfeber och hjärninflammation. Vid en infektion så upptäcker värdcellen virusinfektionen med hjälp av speciella receptorer, så kallade PRRs. Dessa finns i alla celler och känner igen viruskomponenter som normalt inte finns i en oinfekterad cell. När PRRs detekterar en virusinfektion svarar cellen med att tillverka ett signal protein interferon (IFN). IFN skickas ut ur cellen och hämmar virusinfektioner genom att sätta igång ett försvarsprogram i andra celler bestående av hundratals försvarsproteiner som kan motverka virusinfektionen. Vilka PRRs som behövs för att detektera ett virus är olika vid olika virusinfektioner. I första studien fann vi att IPS-1 är av yttersta vikt för skydda mot fästingburna flavivirus. IPS-1 är ett så kallat adapter protein som behövs för att två PRRs, RIG-I och MDA-5, ska kunna förmedla signaler som leder till IFN tillverkning. Med hjälp av möss som saknar IPS-1 fann vi att IPS-1 behövs för att tillverka IFN protein och skydda mot fästingburna flavivirus. IPS-1 var särskilt viktigt för interferon produktion inom luktloben i hjärnan. Därför kunde vi dra slutsatsen att immunresponsen regleras olika inom olika delar av hjärnan. Ett försvarsprotein som visat sig vara särskilt viktig vid virusinfektion är viperin. Viperin har visat sig kunna hämma en rad olika virus men den specifika rollen av viperin in vivo vid flavivirus infektion var inte fullt känd. Vi fann att viperin behövs för att hämma LGTV i lukloben och storhjärnan men inte i lillhjärnan. Vi kunde bekräfta detta med hjälp av primära nervceller isolerade från dessa hjärnregioner. Vi fann även att viperin var av yttersta vikt för att kontrollera TBEV, WNV och ZIKV infektion i nervceller från hjärnbarken (del av storhjärnan). Därför kunde vi dra slutsatsen att ett enskilt försvarsprotein kan avgöra mottagligheten mot flavivirus inom olika hjärnregioner. Trots att viperin är så viktig för att skydda mot flavivirus så vet vi inte hur viperin åstadkommer detta. Därför ville vi undersöka hur viperin kan förmedla sin antivirala effekt. Vi fann att viperin kan binda till flera TBEV proteiner, men att viperin specifikt kan bryta ner ett virusprotein som heter NS3. NS3 är väldigt viktigt för att flavivirus ska kunna etablera en infektion och kunna föröka sig. Eftersom vi visste att viperin kan hämma andra flavivirus ville vi veta om viperin även förstör NS3 från JEV, ZIKV och YFV. Vi upptäckte att viperin kunde binda till NS3 hos alla dessa flavivirus men att viperin specifikt förstörde TBEV och ZIKV NS3, intressant nog så kunde viperin endast hämma dessa virus infektioner men inte JEV och YFV. I den sista studien ville vi karaktärisera en ny TBEV stam som bara orsakar magoch tarmbesvär men inga neurologiska symptom. TBEV har aldrig tidigare visat sig kunna orsaka detta och därför ville vi undersöka saken vidare. Vi fann att denna TBEV stam skiljde sig mot en närbesläktad stam genom att orsaka en starkare immunrespons men mildare sjukdomsförlopp. Sammanfattningsvis har jag undersökt samspelet mellan fästingburna flavivirus och det medfödda immunförsvaret. Jag har även visat att immunresponsen regleras olika inom olika hjärnregioner, både beträffande IFN inducering och antivirala proteiner. Vidare har jag hittat mekanismen för hur viperin proteinet hämmar TBEV och ZIKV, vilket var genom att förstöra NS3. Dessutom har jag karaktäriserat sjukdomsförloppet hos möss efter infektion med en ovanlig TBEV stam som orsakar mag och tarm besvär.

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The National School Nutrition Program is the oldest program in the country directed at food and nutrition safety. Its aims are to offer nutritional food as a supplement to students of public and philanthropic schools. Studying school nutrition transcends the investigation as a purely social program, given that it reaches the fields of public health, nutrition and food, using a wide variety of approaches. Thus, it is characterized by a multidisciplinary study, where the disciplines work side by side in distinct aspects of a single problem. Aim: This study aims to assess hygiene practices during the preparation of meat-based meals in public schools in the city of Natal, Brazil. Methods: A list was applied at 27 schools to identify the procedures of good food preparation practices. In addition, cooking and meal distribution temperature were measured and a microbiological analysis of the final preparation and of the water used in preparing it was performed. For microbiological analyses of the food, we analyzed coliforms at 45?C, coliforms at 35?C and Enterococcus, and for the water, we analyzed thermotolerant coliforms and total coliforms, using the methods recommended by APHA, 1995. Results: Most of the schools did not meet the required standards in all the variables related to good food preparation practices, except for the time spent preparing the meat, in which 89% were within the norm. Cooking temperature of the meals was within the standard; however, the temperature at distribution and the time spent dispensing the meals were inadequate. Of the 27 schools, 22 (81.5%) showed the presence of coliforms at 35? C in at least one meal sample and 18 (66.7%) had values above the recommended limit for coliforms at 45?C. The presence of E. coli was identified in 6.1% of the samples analyzed. The presence of Enterococcus was not found at any of the schools. With respect to the water, the North district of the city was the only one that did not meet the standards for the two indicators evaluated. The contamination found was not associated with the hygiene or food storage problems observed. Conclusions: The results show that the hygiene-sanitary conditions of meat-based public school meals were unsatisfactory, demonstrating the need for improvements in the production process to preserve the health of the student population. Multidisciplinarity: Researchers from the areas of food microbiology, nutrition, public health and statistics took part in this study, a decisive factor for characterizing the research as multidisciplinary
O Programa Nacional de Alimenta??o Escolar ? o programa voltado ? seguran?a alimentar e nutricional mais antigo do pa?s e tem por objetivo oferecer alimentos, de qualidade, em car?ter suplementar aos estudantes de escolas p?blicas e filantr?picas. Estudar a alimenta??o escolar transcende a investiga??o enquanto programa social, atingindo os campos da sa?de p?blica, nutri??o e alimentos, nas suas mais variadas abordagens. Assim, caracteriza-se por um estudo de car?ter multidisciplinar, onde as disciplinas trabalham lado a lado em distintos aspectos de um ?nico problema. Objetivo: O presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar as pr?ticas de higiene durante a produ??o de prepara??es ? base de carne em escolas p?blicas municipais na cidade de Natal/RN. M?todos: Foram avaliadas 27 escolas, onde foi aplicada uma lista de verifica??o a fim de identificar os procedimentos de Boas Pr?ticas de Fabrica??o, e ainda, foi medida a temperatura de coc??o e distribui??o das prepara??es e realizada an?lise microbiol?gica da prepara??o pronta e da ?gua utilizada no preparo das mesmas. Para as an?lises microbiol?gicas do alimento, foram analisados coliformes ? 45?C, coliformes ? 35?C e Enterococcus, e para a ?gua, foram analisados coliformes termotolerantes e coliformes totais, atrav?s dos m?todos preconizados pela APHA, 1995. Resultados: A maioria das escolas estudadas apresentou n?o conformidades em todas as vari?veis analisadas quanto ?s Boas Pr?ticas de Fabrica??o, com exce??o do tempo de pr?-preparo das carnes, no qual 89% estavam dentro do padr?o. A temperatura de coc??o das prepara??es encontrou-se dentro do padr?o, entretanto a temperatura e o tempo de distribui??o apresentaram-se inadequados. Das 27 escolas, 22 (81,5%) apresentaram pelo menos uma amostra da prepara??o pronta com presen?a de coliformes ? 35?C, e 18 (66,7%) apresentaram valores acima do padr?o para coliformes ? 45?C. Foi identificada a presen?a de E. coli em 6,1% das amostras analisadas. N?o foi encontrada a presen?a de Enterococcus em nenhuma escola. Com rela??o ? ?gua, a regi?o Norte foi a ?nica com evid?ncias estat?sticas de estar fora do padr?o para os dois indicadores avaliados. A contamina??o encontrada n?o apresentou associa??o com as n?o conformidades referentes ? higiene peri?dica e a conserva??o dos reservat?rios. Conclus?es: Os resultados encontrados mostram que as condi??es higi?nico-sanit?rias das prepara??es ? base de carne servidas na alimenta??o escolar apresentaram-se insatisfat?rias, evidenciando a necessidade de melhoria do processo de produ??o, visando ?s condi??es de sa?de da popula??o estudantil assistida. Multidisciplinaridade: Este estudo teve a participa??o de pesquisadores das ?reas de microbiologia de alimentos, nutri??o, sa?de p?blica e estat?stica, fator decisivo para caracterizar a pesquisa como multidisciplinar

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Streptococcus agalactiae, also referred as group B streptococci (GBS) are commensals microorganisms adapted to asymptomatic colonization of the mammalians gut and genitourinary tract. Initially, this specie was recognized as a major etiologic agent for bovine mastitis but has becoming a leading cause of invasive infections in human neonates. The reasons behind the prompt and persistent emergence of GBS neonatal disease have not been completely elucidated, once human and bovine GBS populations are assumed be distinct and unrelated by divergence on their own physiological characters. Aiming to contribute for the characterization of the two S. agalactiae sub-populations that are in a proximal coexistence in the Rio de Janeiro state, this study evaluated phenotypic and genotypic diversity aspects of regional groups of GBS. The first made up of 50 isolates obtained from human specimens whilst the other group was constituted of 36 isolates from milk of dairy cows presenting clinical or sub clinical mastitis. Phenotypic characterization was based on physiological and serological tests, antimicrobial susceptibility assays were carried out by the disk standard procedure and microdilution method. The genetic aspect was assessed by PCR for detection of genes associated with resistance to tetracycline. According to the results of physiologic tests, β-hemolysis was a faculty shared by about 28% of bovine isolates and 100% of human isolates. GBS bovine isolates also shows different profile of sensitivity to bacitracin, only 33% of them were susceptive to the antibiotic, regardless of the whole human isolates set had demonstrated a 100% susceptive pattern to this substance. A 100% sensitivity percentual to penicillin was shared by all isolates assayed in this study corroborating the general procedure for antibiotic therapy of GBS infection. Otherwise, and in an overall view, bovine isolates showed higher resistance rates to a set of antibiotics, including cephoxitin, erytromicin, clyndamicin, sulphamethoxazole, azithromycin and ciprofloxacin than in their human counterparts. In a similar sense, it was observed in this study that 13,9% of the animal GBS isolates expressed cMLSB and 2,8 % M phenotypes. The M phenotype was expressed in 6% of the human related isolates as the unique MLSB parameter. Genetical assays performed detected 13,8% (5/36) and 14% (7/50) for tet (M), and 30,5% (11/36) and 10% (5/50) for de tet (O), respectively, in bovine and human isolates. These genes are implicated in tetracycline resistance by ribosome protection mechanism through enzymatic structural modification.
Os Streptococcus agalactiae, tamb?m designados como estreptococos do grupo B (EGB), s?o microrganismos comensais adaptados para fazer a coloniza??o assintom?tica do tubo digestivo, e do trato geniturin?rio de mam?feros. Inicialmente, reconhecida como um dos mais importantes agentes etiol?gicos da mastite bovina, esta esp?cie foi tamb?m implicada como uma das principais causas de infec??es invasivas em rec?m-nascidos humanos. As raz?es para a r?pida e consistente evolu??o do EGB como importante agente causal de infec??es neonatais ainda n?o foram completamente elucidadas, uma vez que as subpopula??es de EGB nos isolados de humanos e bovinos s?o independentes e distintas com base no reconhecimento da diversidade de suas caracter?sticas fisiol?gicas. Com o objetivo de contribuir para a caracteriza??o das duas subpopula??es de S. agalactiae que coexistem no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, este estudo avaliou aspectos da diversidade gen?tica e fenot?pica de dois grupos de EGB regionais, sendo o primeiro composto por 50 isolados obtidos a partir de esp?cimes cl?nicos humanos, e o segundo constitu?do por 36 isolados a partir de leite de vacas leiteiras com ind?cios de mastite cl?nica ou subcl?nica. A caracteriza??o fenot?pica dos isolados foi baseada em testes sorol?gicos e fisiol?gicos, testes de suscetibilidade antimicrobiana realizados com t?cnica padronizada para utiliza??o de disco de difus?o e pelo m?todo de microdilui??o. O aspecto gen?tico foi avaliado pela aplica??o de PCR para detec??o de genes associados ? resist?ncia ? tetraciclina. Os testes fisiol?gicos demonstraram que a capacidade de promover β-hem?lise era uma caracter?stica partilhada por cerca de 28% dos isolados a partir do material de natureza bovina, mas que manifestava-se em todos os isolados de origem humana. Os isolados de EGB bovinos tamb?m mostraram um perfil diferente quanto ? sensibilidade ? bacitracina, uma vez que apenas 33% delas se revelaram suscet?veis a esse antibi?tico contra 100% de sensibilidade para os isolados de origem humana. O percentual de 100% de sensibilidade ? penicilina demonstrado por todos os isolados analisados neste estudo, tamb?m corrobora a import?ncia do uso desse antibi?tico como procedimento geral na terapia de infec??es por EGB. De uma forma geral, neste estudo foi observado que os isolados originados de material bovino demonstraram percentuais de resist?ncia ao conjunto de antibi?ticos analisados (cefoxitina, eritromicina, clindamicina, sulfametoxazol, azitromicina e ciprofloxacina) superiores aos observados em isolados de material humano. Foi tamb?m observado que 13,9% dos isolados de EGB animais examinados expressaram o fen?tipo cMLSB e 2,8% o fen?tipo M. O fen?tipo M foi o ?nico par?metro MLSB expresso entre os isolados de S. agalactiae humanos, com um percentual de 6%. Quanto ? presen?a de genes de resist?ncia a tetraciclina entre as subpopula??es de EGB, detectou-se percentuais de 13,8% (5/36) e 14% (7/50) para tet(M), e 30,5% (11/36) e 10% (5/50) para tet(O), respectivamente, nos isolados bovinos e humanos avaliados. Estes genes est?o implicados na resist?ncia ? tetraciclina por um mecanismo prote??o ribossomal, pela altera??o estrutural mediada por a??o enzim?tica. Palavras-chave: Streptococcus agalactiae, caracteriza??o fenot?pica, gene tet

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Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia - FAPEB
Pineapple is a tropical fruit of great commercial value, Brazil is the second largest producer of pineapple in the world. The most produced variety in the country is the ?Perola?, followed by Smooth Cayenne and, both have a high degree of sus-ceptibility to fusariosis or pineapple gum disease, caused by the fungus Fusarium guttiforme.Once installed, this disease can reduce pineapple yield by up to 80%. Lactic bacteria (BAL) have their metabolic characteristics and the potential to inhibit bacterial and fungal growth, as well as to neutralize toxins produced by F. guttiforme.This work aimed to determine by in vitro tests the inhibitory effect of lactic acid bacteria on the etiologic agent of fusariosis. Qualitative and quantitative microbial inhibition tests were performed, comparing strains of lactic acid bacteria and crude pineapple extract against F. guttiforme isolates. Determination of mycotoxins in the fungal extracts of these isolates. The inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus plantarum Abx3 and Lactobacillus paracasei subsp.paracasei Abx5.2 was observed for isolateson F. guttiforme, the same did not occur with crude pineapple extract, and mycotoxin production was not detected in extracts of fungal isolates. The preliminary results of this work point out that lactic bacteria present potential to be used as a biocontrol product on F. guttiforme.
O abacaxi ? uma fruta tropical de grande valor comercial, sendo o Brasil o se-gundo maior produtor no mundo. A variedade mais produzida no pa?s ? a P?rola, seguida pela Smooth Cayenne, ambas possuem alto grau de suscetibilidade ? fusa-riose ou gomose do abacaxi, causada pelo fungo Fusarium guttiforme. Esta doen?a, uma vez instalada, pode reduzir em at? 80% a produ??o dos cultivares. As bact?rias l?ticas (BAL), devido as suas caracter?sticas metab?licas possuem potencial de inibir o crescimento bacteriano e f?ngico, bem como neutralizar toxinas produzidas por algunsmicro-organismos. Este trabalho teve como objetivodeterminar atrav?s de tes-tes ?in vitro? o efeito inibit?rio de bact?rias l?cticas sobre o agente etiol?gico da fusa-riose do abacaxi.Foram realizados ensaios qualitativo e quantitativode inibi??o mi-crobiana, confrontando cepas de bact?rias l?ticas e extrato bruto do abacaxifrente aisolados de F.guttiforme. Determinarse h? micotoxina nos extratos f?ngicos destes isolados. Constatou-se efeito inibit?rio do Lactobacillus plantarum Abx3 e Lactobacillus paracaseisubsp.paracasei Abx5.2 sobre os isolados de F. guttiforme. O mesmo n?o aconteceu com o extrato bruto de abacaxi, e n?o foi detectada a produ??o de micotoxina nos extratos dos isolados f?ngicos. Os resultados preliminares deste trabalho apontamque as bact?rias l?ticas apresentam potencial de serem utilizadas em formula??es de produto de biocontrolede F. guttiforme.

Dans ce travail, nous nous sommes intéressés à l’étude des infections à Anaplasmataceae chez les animaux et leurs tiques afin de caractériser au mieux ces infections animales et humaines et décrire de nouvelles espèces. Nous avons tout d’abord proposé un système de diagnostic moléculaire qui couple une qPCR suivie d’amplification et un séquençage ciblant le gène 23S ARNr. Puis, au long de ce travail, nous avons proposé d’autres amorces ciblant d’autres gènes incluant la sous unité ribosomal bêta (rpoB), la protéine du choc thermique (groEl), et le 16S ARNr. Notre objectif a été de sélectionner et d’identifier les différentes espèces impliquées ou non dans des pathologies chez les animaux et mettre en évidence leur vecteur. Au cours de ces travaux, nous avons eu accès à différents prélèvements de sang et des tiques en provenance de diverses régions du monde incluant la France métropolitaine et d’outre-mer, l’Algérie, le Niger, la Côte d’Ivoire, le Sénégal et le Pakistan. Nos investigations ont permis d’identifier différentes espèces d’Anaplasmataceae incluant de potentielles nouvelles espèces. Les prévalences rapportées dans chaque étude démontrent que les animaux sont les réservoirs de ces infections. Les recherches menées sur les tiques ont permis d’identifier de potentiels vecteurs d’Anaplasmataceae dans différentes régions du monde. Les potentielles nouvelles espèces identifiées sont caractérisées en ciblant différents gènes, et les analyses moléculaires démontrent qu’elles sont différentes des autres Anaplasmataceae connues jusqu’à maintenant. Ces différents travaux apportent donc davantage d’informations sur l’épidémiologie des Anaplasmataceae dans le monde
In this work, we are interested in studying Anaplasmataceae infections in animals and their ticks. Our objective is to describe these infections in animals and to identify new species implicated in different pathology. First, we propose a molecular diagnostic approach that couples a qPCR followed by amplification and sequencing targeting the 23S rRNA gene. Then we propose other primers targeting other genes including the ribosomal subunit beta (rpoB), heat shock protein (groEl), and the 16S rRNA. Our goal was to screen and identify the different species involved, or not involved, in pathologies of animals and identify their vectors. During this work, we had access to different blood samples and ticks from different parts of the world including metropolitan France, France overseas, Algeria, the Republic of Niger, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal and Pakistan. Our different investigations allowed to identify different species of Anaplasmataceae including potential new species. The prevalence reported in each study demonstrates that animals are the reservoirs of these infections. So, the research conducted on ticks has identified potential vectors of Anaplasmataceae in different regions of the world. Potentially new species were identified are characterized by different targeting genes. These studies provide further information on the epidemiology of Anaplasmataceae in the world

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Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico - CNPq
Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES
This project applied the DNA metabarcoding technique, which consists of a large-scale identification of the biodiversity present in a given community (through the total DNA sequencing without the need for isolation and laboratory cultivation) in two underexplored Brazilian environments with high biological diversity. The first is a typical Neotropical microenvironment, called bromeliad phytotelm, which is formed by the accumulation of water and debris among the leaves of these plants. The bromeliads investigated in this study were sampled in areas of dense ombrophilus forest and mixed ombrophilus forest in southern Brazil (located at the ?Pro-Mata? Research Center), and belonged to the species Aechmea gamosepala Wittmack, Vriesea friburgensis Mez and Vriesea platynema Gaud. The collection comprised multiple individuals per species and also multiple samples (different tanks) from the same individual, making it possible to assess the complexity of the variation in these communities. The second environment consists of marine sediments collected in the Rio Grande Cone (located in southeastern Brazil, in the offshore portion of the Pelotas Basin), at depths of down to 18 meters below the seafloor. The samples originated from four different areas, with different geochemical characteristics and strong indications of the presence of chemosynthetic communities. This study demonstrated the presence of high biodiversity in both environments. We identified 30 prokaryotic phyla and 67 eukaryotic phyla in bromeliad phytotelmata, which seem to include both endemic organisms of this peculiar environment and organisms with ubiquitous distribution, common in freshwater or soil habitats. An interesting feature is that, in some cases, samples from different tanks of the same individual are more similar to tanks of other individuals (and even from other species) than between them. Thus, our results suggest that each bromeliad tank acts as an isolated body of water, where the effects of predation, competition and stochastic events such as wind-borne particles, fecal pellets and liquid excretions of terrestrial animals, dead leaves and animals can largely drive the community composition. Concerning the marine sediments, we observed the presence of 58 prokaryotic phyla, many of which are present in other chemosynthetic communities. Among these organisms were identified anaerobic methanotrophic archaeal groups and their syntrophic partners (sulfate-reducing bacteria), which together form a consortium with a significant role in the anaerobic oxidation of methane, a very important process that controls the emission of this greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. Statistical analysis performed in both studies sought to describe patterns of diversity of these communities at different spatial scales and to interpret them in the light of current knowledge about these environments. Overall, the results obtained in this thesis reveal in detail the complexity of these communities, opening new ways for further studies focusing on the processes that control their spatio-temporal dynamics.
O presente projeto aplicou a t?cnica de DNA metabarcoding, que visa caracterizar em larga escala a biodiversidade presente em determinada comunidade (atrav?s do sequenciamento do DNA total e sem a necessidade de cultivo ou isolamento), em dois ambientes brasileiros pouco explorados e com grande riqueza de esp?cies. O primeiro ? um microambiente t?pico da regi?o neotropical, denominado fitotelmo de brom?lia, o qual ? formado pelo ac?mulo de ?gua e detritos entre as folhas destas plantas. As brom?lias investigadas neste estudo foram amostradas em ?reas de Floresta Ombr?fila Densa e/ou Mista no sul do Brasil (localizadas no Centro de Pesquisas e Conserva??o da Natureza Pr?-Mata, PUCRS), e pertencem ?s esp?cies Aechmea gamosepala Wittmack, Vriesea friburgensis Mez e Vriesea platynema Gaud. A coleta englobou m?ltiplos indiv?duos por esp?cie e tamb?m m?ltiplas amostras (diferentes cisternas) do mesmo indiv?duo, possibilitando avaliar a complexidade da varia??o nestas comunidades. O segundo ambiente consiste de sedimentos marinhos coletados no Cone de Rio Grande (situado no sudeste do Brasil, na por??o offshore da Bacia de Pelotas), em profundidades de at? 18 metros abaixo do fundo do mar. As amostras s?o provenientes de quatro ?reas distintas, apresentando diferentes caracter?sticas geoqu?micas e fortes ind?cios da presen?a de comunidades quimiossint?ticas. Nossa investiga??o observou grande diversidade biol?gica em ambos os ambientes. Foram identificados 30 filos de procariotos e 67 filos de eucariotos nos fitotelmos de brom?lia, os quais parecem compreender tanto organismos end?micos deste ambiente peculiar como organismos com distribui??o cosmopolita, comuns em habitats de ?gua doce ou solo. Uma caracter?stica interessante ? que, em alguns casos, amostras provenientes de diferentes cisternas do mesmo indiv?duo s?o mais semelhantes a cisternas de outros indiv?duos (e mesmo de outras esp?cies) do que entre si. Desta forma, nossos resultados indicam que cada cisterna atua como um corpo d??gua isolado, onde os efeitos de preda??o, competi??o e eventos estoc?sticos como part?culas carregadas pelo vento, restos de folhas ou animais mortos, bem como excre??es de animais, podem interferir fortemente na composi??o espec?fica da comunidade local. Em rela??o aos sedimentos marinhos, observamos a presen?a de 58 filos procari?ticos, os quais compreendem diversos t?xons j? caracterizados em outras comunidades quimiossint?ticas marinhas. Entre estes organismos, foram identificadas arqueas metanotr?ficas e seus parceiros sintr?ficos (bact?rias redutoras de sulfato), que juntos formam um cons?rcio cujo papel ? fundamental na oxida??o anaer?bica do metano, um importante processo que controla a emiss?o deste g?s de efeito estufa para a atmosfera. An?lises estat?sticas realizadas em ambos os estudos buscaram descrever padr?es de diversidade destas comunidades em diferentes escalas espaciais, bem como interpret?-los ? luz do conhecimento atual sobre estes ambientes. De forma geral, os resultados obtidos nesta tese revelam em detalhe a complexidade destas comunidades, e abrem caminho para estudos mais aprofundados dos processos que controlam sua din?mica espa?o-temporal.

Erythema migrans is the most common skin manifestation of Lyme disease caused by Borrelia spp. There are some differences in the clinical presentation and aetiology between cases in Europe and the United States as the vectors and Borrelia spp. vary. The diagnosis is usually confirmed by serology, that is, enzyme immune-assay and Western blot, although there are other approaches such as PCR. Apart from erythema migrans, other manifestations include meningitis, heart block, and arthritis. There are a number of options for treatment, including tetracyclines and penicillins, and duration depends on the presence of complications. There is a limited if any role for prophylactic antibiotics to prevent acquisition after exposure to a tick. Much controversy surrounds chronic Lyme disease which may not be a real clinical entity and may mimic other conditions such as connective tissue diseases. There is no evidence that ongoing symptoms are due to persistent infection.