Search Results (9)

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a neoplastic disease most often found in green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Afflicted turtles are burdened with potentially debilitating tumors concentrated externally on the soft tissues, plastron, and eyes and internally on the lungs, kidneys, and the heart. Clinical signs occur at various levels, ranging from mild disease to severe debilitation. Tumors can both progress and regress in affected turtles, with outcomes ranging from death due to the disease to complete regression. Since its official description in the scientific literature in 1938, tumor growth rates have been rarely documented. In addition, FP tumors come in two very different morphologies; yet, to our knowledge, there have been no quantified differences in growth rates between tumor types. FP tumors are often rugose in texture, with a polypoid to papillomatous morphology, and may or may not be pedunculated. In other cases, tumors are smooth, with a skin-like surface texture and little to no papillose structures. In our study, we assessed growth-rate differences between rugose and smooth tumor morphologies in a rehabilitation setting. We measured average biweekly tumor growth over time in green turtles undergoing rehabilitation at the University of Florida Whitney Laboratory Sea Turtle Hospital in St. Augustine, Florida, and compared growth between rugose and smooth tumors. Our results demonstrate that both rugose and smooth tumors follow a similar active growth progression pattern, but rugose tumors grew at significantly faster rates (p = 0.013) than smooth ones. We also documented regression across several examined tumors, ranging from −0.19% up to −10.8% average biweekly negative growth. Our study offers a first-ever assessment of differential growth between tumor morphologies and an additional diagnostic feature that may lead to a more comprehensive understanding and treatment of the disease. We support the importance of tumor morphological categorization (rugose versus smooth) being documented in future FP hospital- and field-based health assessments. Full article

This paper highlights the career of an exceptional woman virologist, Dr. Ilaria Capua. It recollects her major achievements, awards and noteworthy events that have shaped her scientific and political career. It retraces Dr. Capua’s major contributions to the study of viral zoonoses, in particular influenza virus, and her strong commitment to an open, more ethical science at the service of society in its broadest sense. It describes how she became the long-term champion of “Open Access” and “Data Sharing” for virus genetic sequences and introduces her new concept of “Circular Health”, where health becomes a circular system that represents a central and vital connection hub between humans and nature. This paper features Dr. Capua’s value as a role model for young women scientists and their empowerment. Full article

Fibropapillomatosis is a neoplastic disease of marine turtles, with green turtles (Chelonia mydas) being the most affected species. Fibropapillomatosis causes debilitating tumor growths on soft tissues and internal organs, often with lethal consequences. Disease incidence has been increasing in the last few decades and the reason is still uncertain. The potential viral infectious agent of Fibropapillomatosis, chelonid herpesvirus 5, has been co-evolving with its sea turtle host for millions of years and no major mutation linked with increased disease occurrence has been detected. Hence, frequent outbreaks in recent decades are likely attributable to external drivers such as large-scale anthropogenic changes in the green turtle coastal marine ecosystem. This study found that variations in sea surface temperature, salinity, and nutrient effluent discharge from nearby rivers were correlated with an increased incidence of the disease, substantiating that these may be among the significant environmental drivers impacting Fibropapillomatosis prevalence. This study offers data and insight on the need to establish a baseline of environmental factors which may drive Fibropapillomatosis and its clinical exacerbation. We highlight the multifactorial nature of this disease and support the inclusion of interdisciplinary work in future Fibropapillomatosis research efforts. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the weakness of the vaccine supply chain, and the lack of thermostable formulations is one of its major limitations. This study presents evidence from peer-reviewed literature on the development of thermostable vaccines for veterinary use. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to evaluate the immunogenicity and/or the efficacy/effectiveness of thermostable vaccines against infectious diseases. The selected studies (n = 78) assessed the vaccine’s heat stability under different temperature conditions and over different periods. Only one study assessed the exposure of the vaccine to freezing temperatures. Two field studies provided robust evidence on the immunogenicity of commercial vaccines stored at temperatures far in excess of the manufacturer’s recommended cold-chain conditions. The drying process was the most-used method to improve the vaccine’s thermostability, along with the use of different stabilizers. The pooled vaccine efficacy was estimated to be high (VE = 69%), highlighting the importance of vaccination in reducing the economic losses due to the disease impact. These findings provide evidence on the needs and benefits of developing a portfolio of heat- and freeze-stable veterinary vaccines to unleash the true potential of immunization as an essential component of improved animal health and welfare, reduce the burden of certain zoonotic events and thus contribute to economic resilience worldwide. Full article

A challenging debate has arisen on the role of veterinary expertise in facing the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It seems totally unreasonable that in most countries, veterinary diagnostic and tracing forces were not deployed at the start to perform strategic tasks, which could have mitigated the outcome of this dramatic health emergency. Erasing the invisible line between human and veterinary virology will empower the response to future pandemics. Full article

During the past ten years, an increasing number of arbovirus outbreaks have affected tropical islands worldwide. We examined the available literature in peer-reviewed journals, from the second half of the 20th century until 2018, with the aim of gathering an overall picture of the emergence of arboviruses in these islands. In addition, we included information on environmental and social drivers specific to island setting that can facilitate the emergence of outbreaks. Within the context of the One Health approach, our review highlights how the emergence of arboviruses in tropical islands is linked to the complex interplay between their unique ecological settings and to the recent changes in local and global sociodemographic patterns. We also advocate for greater coordination between stakeholders in developing novel prevention and mitigation approaches for an intractable problem. Full article

The One Health concept recognizes that the health of human beings, animals, plants and the environment is interconnected and interdependent. This idea has been shaped over the centuries and has gained momentum and traction as anatomy, physiology, microbiology and other disciplines have substantiated earlier theories. Here we recall major historical milestones which have contributed to shaping the One Health concept as it is today, and discuss the past and future drivers in view of future challenges in an evolving scenario. Full article

Since its emergence in South East Asia in 2003, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) A/H5N1 has reportedly caused outbreaks in poultry and/or wild birds in 62 countries, of which 24 were in Europe. Interestingly, out of the many genetic clades circulating in Asia, the westward spread of HPAI A/H5N1 to Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa was dominated by one single clade, namely clade 2.2. In this paper, we review and update through phylogenetic and gene migrational analysis the information concerning the evolution and the molecular epidemiology of HPAI A/H5N1 on the European continent. Full article

The Non-Structural 1 (NS1) protein is a multifactorial protein of type A influenza viruses that plays an important role in the virulence of the virus. A large amount of what we know about this protein has been obtained from studies using human influenza isolates and, consequently, the human NS1 protein. The current global interest in avian influenza, however, has highlighted a number of sequence and functional differences between the human and avian NS1. This review discusses these differences in addition to describing potential uses of NS1 in the management and control of avian influenza outbreaks. Full article