Zoonotic Dis., Volume 3, Issue 3 (September 2023) – 6 articles

The U.S. Army Veterinary Services (AVS) provides public health guidance, consultation, and clinical support regarding zoonoses for the Department of Defense (DoD). AVS One Health Division was tasked with developing a surveillance tool for zoonoses of companion animals presenting to DoD veterinary facilities. Such a tool could help monitor the spread of zoonoses between U.S. military Service Members, their family members, and their pets. The primary objective was to prioritize zoonoses of interest for companion animal disease surveillance in the DoD. AVS implemented a semi-quantitative One Health approach to prioritize zoonoses of interest. The prioritization process followed five steps: (1) generate list of zoonoses to be ranked that are applicable to a DoD companion animal disease surveillance system, (2) develop criteria to identify the importance of a zoonoses, (3) develop criteria definition questions, (4) rank criteria, and (5) rank zoonoses. The prioritization process resulted in a ranked list of 14 zoonoses of interest which was presented to AVS leadership with three potential courses of action. Twelve zoonoses were selected for inclusion in DoD Companion Animal Disease Surveillance. The prioritized list of diseases was the first step in developing a DoD companion animal disease surveillance effort. Mirroring such an approach in civilian companion animal populations could fill a critical public health gap. Full article

Globally, zoonoses have serious consequences due to their socioeconomic impacts. Ngorongoro District is home to a diverse range of wildlife and domestic animals, including rodents and dogs, which often coexist in close proximity with humans. The aim of the study was to identify the zoonotic bacteria present in wild rodents, domestic dogs, and humans using metagenomics next-generation sequencing technology. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022. This study used both Illumina and Oxford Nanopore sequencing technologies to identify bacteria in 530 blood samples collected from humans (n = 200), wild rodents (n = 230), and dogs (n = 100). Several zoonotic airborne/contagious bacteria, including Mycobacterium spp., Mycoplasma spp., Bordetella spp., and Legionella spp., were detected in wild rodents, domestic dogs, and humans. Arthropod-borne zoonotic bacteria such as Bartonella spp., Borrelia spp., and Rickettsia spp. were detected in all three hosts, while Orientia spp. was found in wild rodents and domestic dogs. Yersinia pestis, Streptobacillus spp. and Anaplasma spp. were found only in wild rodents. Other zoonotic bacteria found shared among wild rodents, domestic dogs, and humans are Leptospira spp., Brucella spp., and Salmonella spp. Generally, wild rodents had the highest prevalence of zoonotic bacterial species when compared to domestic dogs and humans. The detection of zoonotic bacteria in rodents, dogs, and humans supports the hypothesis that infections can spread between animals and humans sharing the same environment. Full article

Alphavirus species are globally distributed zoonoses primarily transmitted by arthropods. The Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) and Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) are endemic in Costa Rica. This study aims to detect these viruses in brain samples from equines displaying nervous signs. For this purpose, four published Universal RT-PCR methods were compared. The most sensitive and specific RT-PCR method was used to test a total of 70 brain samples, including 40 from bovines and 30 from equines, all exhibiting nervous signs. In the positive cases, eight different brain regions were extracted and tested using this RT-PCR. Positive cases were confirmed through sequencing. Torii RT-PCR demonstrated the highest sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing VEEV and EEEV/Sind among the four Universal RT-PCR assays. Not all assessed brain regions showed DNA amplification. None of the bovine brains was positive, and out of the 30 equine brain samples, only four tested positive, and sequencing confirmed two of these samples as VEEV subtype IE. Torii RT-PCR successfully detected VEEV in pools of the hippocampus, spinal cord, and basal nuclei, making these brain regions suitable for diagnosing this virus. None of the samples were positive for EEEV or WEEV. Full article

In many developing countries, where rabies is prevalent among dog populations, humans are at risk of contracting the disease. Recent reports from Nepal suggest that around 30,000 cases of pet and more than 100 human rabies cases occur each year, with the highest risk being in the Terai, although these numbers may be underestimated. Knowledge and practices related to rabies prevention are crucial in combating the disease. However, there is not enough data on the understanding and preventive measures of rabies among the local population in Nepal. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practices regarding rabies prevention among the people of Bharatpur-12, Chitwan, Nepal. The study, conducted in February 2022, involved a cross-sectional survey of 271 respondents selected through systematic random sampling. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for one-on-one interviews. Among the surveyed respondents, a significant proportion (81.50%; n = 221/271) correctly understood rabies is zoonotic disease. Furthermore, 73.10% (n = 198/271) could correctly identify the animals susceptible to rabies, while 39.9% (n = 108/271) knew the causative agent. Additionally, 46.5% accurately listed the modes of transmission, and a majority (86.70%; n = 235/271) recognized the signs and symptoms of rabies in animals and humans. Overall, 42.06% (n = 114/271) of the respondents demonstrated satisfactory knowledge. Out of the 271 respondents, 22.9% (n = 62) owned pets, and 39.11% (n = 106) reported incidents of animal bites within their families, with dog bites being the most commonly mentioned (92.46%; n = 98/106). The majority (81.14%; n = 86/106) sought treatment on the same day as the incident occurred. About half of them (50%; n = 53/106) cleaned the wound with soap and water, while a small percentage (5.66%; n = 6/106) relied on traditional medicine as immediate first aid after an animal bite. The level of knowledge was found to be associated with gender (p = 0.04), educational status (p = 0.05), and family monthly income (p = 0.007). These findings highlight the importance of educating the community in Nepal about rabies control and prevention measures and underscore the need for targeted educational interventions to improve rabies awareness and the potential of effective awareness campaigns to save lives. Raising awareness about health-seeking behavior and community members’ role in controlling, preventing, and eliminating rabies is crucial. Full article

Heartland virus (HRTV) is an emerging tick-borne bandavirus that is capable of causing severe disease characterized by acute thrombocytopenia and lymphopenia. The virus is endemic to the eastern United States and is carried by the Lone Star tick (Amblyomma americanum). Since its discovery in 2009, at least 60 human infections have been recorded across this area, with an overall 5–10% estimated mortality rate. All infections reported thus far have occurred following a known tick bite or exposure to tick-infested areas, but the possibility of nosocomial transmission has not been ruled out. Despite relatively high rates of seroprevalence among certain wildlife species such as white-tailed deer, the reservoir species for HRTV remains unknown, as the virus has never been isolated from any mammalian wildlife species. Furthermore, how the virus is transmitted to its vector species in nature remains unknown, though laboratory studies have confirmed both horizontal and vertical transmission of HRTV in A. americanum. In addition, the recent 2017 introduction of the Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) to the US has raised concerns about possible spillover of HRTV into a new tick species that has been confirmed to be a competent vector for HRTV in the laboratory. Thus, an increased awareness of its clinical presentation is needed, and further research is urgently required to establish the natural transmission cycle and develop new countermeasures for this novel zoonotic pathogen. Full article

Rabies is a neglected viral zoonotic disease with an almost 100% fatality rate. A pilot project was initiated by the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, in collaboration with Health Security Partners (HSP) to establish a real-time dog bite surveillance in humans in public sector secondary care hospitals of Islamabad. The main objective of this study was to analyze different characteristics of dog bite cases, identify gaps in surveillance, and recommend suggestions to improve and strengthen real-time dog bite surveillance systems. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in two major public sector hospitals in Islamabad from December 2019 to July 2020. Data on demographic information, site of the dog bite, category of the dog bite, and treatment was collected via a WVS mobile-based application. Descriptive analysis was carried out for different variables at a p-value of <0.05. A total of 338 dog bite cases were captured in the World Veterinary Service (WVS) application, and most cases (n = 226, 85.6%) were reported in December 2019 with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1. Most cases were reported from the age group of 22 to 31 years (n = 178, 53%). Out of the total number of cases, 263 (78%) presented with a single anatomical location, and 174 (51%) had Category II wounds. All dog bite patients were given only the first dose of the anti-rabies vaccine at the hospital level. Real-time dog bite surveillance via a mobile-based application proved to be effective for the timely recording and management of dog bite cases. Young people were reported to be mostly affected by dog bites, and nearly half of the cases were managed in hospitals. Refresher training was conducted for medics and paramedics for mobile-based applications, dog bite management, and proper referral of cases to tertiary care hospitals. Full article