Detection of Animal Emerging Pathogens

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbial Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2024 | Viewed by 6582

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Swine Diseases, Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
Interests: porcine bocaviruses; porcine circoviruses; porcine emerging pathogens.

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the 21st century, ever greater numbers of animal emerging pathogens (including porcine circovirus 3, porcine circovirus 4, influenza D virus, etc.) were identified by metagenomic methods. Moreover, more and more animal pathogens, including African swine fever, African horse fever, bovine lumpy skin disease, and rotavirus spread from Africa to new continents and became emerging pathogens in those epidemic continents. Accurate diagnosis or detection constitutes one of the means of preventing and controlling these emerging pathogens. In this Special Issue, we hope to invite global scientists to submit manuscripts detailing the latest research into the the abovementioned pathogens, including original article, review, and communication.

Prof. Dr. Shao-Lun Zhai
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • porcine
  • bovine
  • ovine
  • canine
  • animal
  • emerging virus
  • detection

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 305 KiB  
Article
Molecular Investigation of Small Ruminant Abortions Using a 10-Plex HRM-qPCR Technique: A Novel Approach in Routine Diagnostics
by Ioannis Gouvias, Marios Lysitsas, Apostolos Batsidis, Sonia Malefaki, Dimitra Bitchava, Anna Tsara, Emilija Nickovic, Ilias Bouzalas, Eleni Malissiova, Raphaël Guatteo and George Valiakos
Microorganisms 2024, 12(8), 1675; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12081675 - 14 Aug 2024
Viewed by 904
Abstract
The objective of this study was to apply and preliminarily evaluate a High-Resolution Melting (HRM) analysis technique coupled with qPCR, that allows the simultaneous detection of 10 different ruminant abortogenic pathogens, for investigating abortions in sheep and goats throughout Greece. A total of [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to apply and preliminarily evaluate a High-Resolution Melting (HRM) analysis technique coupled with qPCR, that allows the simultaneous detection of 10 different ruminant abortogenic pathogens, for investigating abortions in sheep and goats throughout Greece. A total of 264 ovine and caprine vaginal swabs were obtained the week following the abortion from aborted females and analyzed using a commercially available kit (ID Gene™ Ruminant Abortion Multiplex HRM, Innovative Diagnostics). Results indicated a high prevalence of Coxiella burnetii and Chlamydophila spp., which were detected in 48.9% and 42.4% of the vaginal swabs, respectively. Results for these most commonly detected pathogens were compared with those of a well-established commercial qPCR kit, with near-perfect agreement. Toxoplasma gondii, Salmonella spp., Brucella spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Campylobacter fetus, and Neospora caninum were also identified, the two latter reported for the first time in the country in small ruminants. Mixed infections occurred in 35.6% of the animals examined. This technique allows for the simultaneous detection of many abortogenic pathogens in an accurate and cost-effective assay. Detection of uncommon or not previously reported pathogens in various cases indicates that their role in ovine and caprine abortions may be underestimated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detection of Animal Emerging Pathogens)
0 pages, 2982 KiB  
Communication
Identification, Characterization, and Homology Analysis of a Novel Strain of the Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus from Yunnan, China
by Jiale Wang, Taif Shah, Jiuxuan Zhou, Xinhua Long, Yixuan Wang, Jie Chen, Mingfei Shi, Zahir Shah, Binghui Wang and Xueshan Xia
Microorganisms 2024, 12(7), 1466; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12071466 - 19 Jul 2024
Viewed by 788
Abstract
Wildlife serve as potential microbial reservoirs, accounting for approximately 70% of emerging infectious diseases. Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), which causes Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in humans, is a highly pathogenic tick-borne virus prevalent in several parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe with [...] Read more.
Wildlife serve as potential microbial reservoirs, accounting for approximately 70% of emerging infectious diseases. Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), which causes Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in humans, is a highly pathogenic tick-borne virus prevalent in several parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe with high case fatality rates. Several CCHFV cases have been reported in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Southern and Eastern Europe. The disease is endemic in several parts of western China, particularly Xinjiang. Ticks of the genus Hyalomma have been identified as a principal vector and reservoir for CCHFV, although other tick species may also have a crucial role in maintaining CCHFV in endemic regions. On infection, CCHF begins as a nonspecific febrile illness that can progress to severe hemorrhagic manifestations with a higher case fatality due to the unavailability of vaccines or other therapeutic agents. In this study, we collected tissue samples from a wild dead Chinese serow (Capricornis milneedwardsii) and three Naemorhedus griseuses from Deqin County, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, China, to investigate for contagious viruses that could be transmitted to humans. We identified a novel CCHFV strain, YNDQL-415G, in the liver tissue of a dead C. milneedwardsii. We performed nucleotide and amino acid sequence homology on the full-length viral genome. The results revealed significant homology between the viral S segment to that of the Africa1 strain, while the M and L segments showed similarity with the Asia CCHFV strain, indicating potential gene reassortment in the YNDQL-415G strain. The genetic characterization of a novel CCHFV strain from a dead C. milneedwardsii raises concerns about the possibility of a new zoonotic infection. A regular survey program is recommended to track the distribution of wild animals as well as the viruses they may transmit to humans and other domestic mammals in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detection of Animal Emerging Pathogens)
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11 pages, 1265 KiB  
Article
Simultaneous Differential Detection of H5, H7, H9 and Nine NA Subtypes of Avian Influenza Viruses via a GeXP Assay
by Sisi Luo, Zhixun Xie, Meng Li, Dan Li, Minxiu Zhang, Zhihua Ruan, Liji Xie, Sheng Wang, Qing Fan, Yanfang Zhang, Jiaoling Huang and Tingting Zeng
Microorganisms 2024, 12(1), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12010143 - 11 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1190
Abstract
H5, H7 and H9 are the most important subtypes of avian influenza viruses (AIVs), and nine neuraminidase (NA) subtypes (N1–N9) of AIVs have been identified in poultry. A method that can simultaneously detect H5, H7, H9 and the nine NA subtypes of AIVs [...] Read more.
H5, H7 and H9 are the most important subtypes of avian influenza viruses (AIVs), and nine neuraminidase (NA) subtypes (N1–N9) of AIVs have been identified in poultry. A method that can simultaneously detect H5, H7, H9 and the nine NA subtypes of AIVs would save time and effort. In this study, 13 pairs of primers, including 12 pairs of subtype-specific primers for detecting particular subtypes (H5, H7, H9 and N1–N9) and one pair of universal primers for detecting all subtypes of AIVs, were designed and screened. The 13 pairs of primers were mixed in the same reaction, and the 13 target genes were simultaneously detected. A GeXP assay using all 13 pairs of primers to simultaneously detect H5, H7, H9 and the nine NA subtypes of AIVs was developed. The GeXP assay showed specific binding to the corresponding target genes for singlet and multiplex templates, and no cross-reactivity was observed between AIV subtypes and other related avian pathogens. Detection was observed even when only 102 copies of the 13 target genes were present. This study provides a high-throughput, rapid and labor-saving GeXP assay for the simultaneous rapid identification of three HA subtypes (H5, H7 and N9) and nine NA subtypes (N1–N9) of AIVs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detection of Animal Emerging Pathogens)
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13 pages, 1328 KiB  
Article
A Robust Quadruple Protein-Based Indirect ELISA for Detection of Antibodies to African Swine Fever Virus in Pigs
by Min-Chul Jung, Van Phan Le, Sun-Woo Yoon, Thi Ngoc Le, Thi Bich Ngoc Trinh, Hye Kwon Kim, Jung-Ah Kang, Jong-Woo Lim, Minjoo Yeom, Woonsung Na, Jin-Ju Nah, Ji-Da Choi, Hae-Eun Kang, Daesub Song and Dae Gwin Jeong
Microorganisms 2023, 11(11), 2758; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11112758 - 13 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1553
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) emerged in domestic pigs and wild boars in China in 2018 and rapidly spread to neighboring Asian countries. Currently, no effective vaccine or diagnostic tests are available to prevent its spread. We developed a robust quadruple recombinant-protein-based indirect enzyme-linked [...] Read more.
African swine fever (ASF) emerged in domestic pigs and wild boars in China in 2018 and rapidly spread to neighboring Asian countries. Currently, no effective vaccine or diagnostic tests are available to prevent its spread. We developed a robust quadruple recombinant-protein-based indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (QrP-iELISA) using four antigenic proteins (CD2v, CAP80, p54, and p22) to detect ASF virus (ASFV) antibodies and compared it with a commercial kit (IDvet) using ASFV-positive and -negative serum samples. The maximum positive/negative value was 24.033 at a single antigen concentration of 0.25 μg/mL and quadruple ASFV antigen combination of 1 μg/mL at a 1:100 serum dilution. Among 70 ASFV-positive samples, 65, 67, 65, 70, 70, and 14 were positive above the cut-offs of 0.121, 0.121, 0.183, 0.065, 0.201, and 0.122, for CD2v, CAP80, p54, p22-iELISA, QrP-iELISA, and IDvet, respectively, with sensitivities of 92.9%, 95.7%, 92.9%, 100%, 100%, and 20%, respectively, all with 100% specificity. The antibody responses in QrP-iELISA and IDvet were similar in pigs infected with ASFV I. QrP-iELISA was more sensitive than IDvet for early antibody detection in pigs infected with ASFV II. These data provide a foundation for developing advanced ASF antibody detection kits critical for ASF surveillance and control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detection of Animal Emerging Pathogens)
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12 pages, 1728 KiB  
Article
Exploration of microRNA Biomarkers in Blood Small Extracellular Vesicles for Enzootic Bovine Leukosis
by Akane Takada, Yuji O. Kamatari, Kaori Shimizu, Ayaka Okada and Yasuo Inoshima
Microorganisms 2023, 11(9), 2173; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11092173 - 28 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1417
Abstract
Enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) is a B-cell lymphosarcoma caused by the bovine leukemia virus (BLV). While most infected cattle show no clinical signs, approximately 30% of infected cattle develop persistent lymphocytosis (PL), and a small percentage may develop EBL. Currently, there is no [...] Read more.
Enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) is a B-cell lymphosarcoma caused by the bovine leukemia virus (BLV). While most infected cattle show no clinical signs, approximately 30% of infected cattle develop persistent lymphocytosis (PL), and a small percentage may develop EBL. Currently, there is no method for predicting the possibility of EBL onset. In this study, we analyzed the microRNAs (miRNAs) encapsulated in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) in the blood to explore the biomarkers of EBL. To identify candidate biomarkers, blood samples were collected from three BLV-uninfected and three EBL cattle. Total RNA was extracted from filtered serum and used for microarray analysis. Due to their association with cancer in human orthologs, we selected three miRNAs as candidate biomarkers, bta-miR-17-5p, bta-miR-24-3p, and bta-miR-210, which were more than twice as abundant in EBL cattle than in BLV-uninfected cattle. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) using serum RNAs from six cattle used for the microarray analysis was carried out for the detection of the three selected miRNAs. Additionally, bta-miR-92a, whose ortholog has been associated with cancer in humans, was also examined by qPCR. bta-miR-17-5p, bta-miR-24-3p, and bta-miR-92a, were successfully detected, but bta-miR-210 was not. To further evaluate the utility of these three miRNAs as biomarkers, new blood samples were collected from 31 BLV-uninfected and 30 EBL cattle. The levels of bta-miR-17-5p, bta-miR-24-3p, and bta-miR-92a, were significantly higher in EBL cattle than in BLV-uninfected cattle. These results suggest that increased levels of bta-miR-17-5p, bta-miR-24-3p, and bta-miR-92a in the blood could be used as biomarkers for EBL. This study may contribute to the control of BLV infections and develop a prediction method of EBL onset. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detection of Animal Emerging Pathogens)
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