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Special Issue "Pathogen Transmission among Animals and Humans: A One Health Approach"

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A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Public Health Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2023 | Viewed by 7331

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Charalambos Billinis

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 224 Trikalon, 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Interests: microorganisms that cause disease in animals and can be transmitted from animals to humans; infectious animal diseases; immunological mechanisms; molecular diagnostics

Prof. Dr. George Fthenakis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 224 Trikalon, 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Interests: goat; health management; mastitis; milk quality; sheep
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The zoonotic transmission of pathogens constitutes an important public health problem of global significance that implicates humans with domesticated and wild animals. Prions, viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites are spread through a cross-species spillover phenomenon that results in the dissemination of the respective diseases and leads to the emergence of new pathogenic variants and strains.

Research dedicated to the hosts, humans or animals, engaged in the transmission circle of these diseases can provide valuable information regarding the traits of the circulating pathogens. Subsequently, the integrated inspection and surveillance of each disease will promote a deeper understanding and enable prevention of future spillover events.

This Special Issue of Microorganisms will include articles concerning pathogens that can be transmitted among different species and which should be viewed under the ‘One Health’ approach. Submissions can refer to the causal agents of such problems, as well as to all aspects of the relevant diseases: diagnosis, pathogenesis, transmission, epidemiology and molecular epidemiology, surveillance and control and may include studies performed in people and/or animals describing original field, laboratory or experimental work. Systematic or opinionated reviews are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Charalambos Billinis
Prof. Dr. George Fthenakis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

diagnosis
epidemiology
One Health
surveillance
transmission
zoonotic infection

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Open AccessArticle

Bacterial Communities Associated with Houseflies (Musca domestica L.) Inhabiting Hospices in South Africa

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Microorganisms 2023, 11(6), 1440; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11061440 - 30 May 2023

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Abstract

Houseflies are alleged reservoirs as well as vectors of human and animal pathogens, including bacteria, because they frequently have contact with animal excreta and decaying organic substances. The rapid adaptation process of ingested microbes in the insect gut may involve gene transfer, including antibiotic resistance determinants among different bacterial strains. Six hundred and fifty-seven (n = 657) houseflies were collected from hospices and were identified morphologically and genetically using the 16S rRNA, CO1, and ITS2 barcoding genes. This study also characterized the bacterial communities harboured by the captured houseflies using 16S rRNA metabarcoding on the next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform and further sought to detect antibiotic resistance traits by using gene-specific PCR assays. Generated sequences for the targeted gene fragments matched with Musca domestica and all the sequences were deposited to the GenBank database. The 16S rRNA metabarcoding analysis revealed that the most abundant phyla detected with variable abundance observed among all the houseflies were Proteobacteria, followed by Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Furthermore, the NGS data revealed the presence of multiple bacterial genera, including Providencia, Enterobacter, Dysgonomonas, Escherichia-Shigella, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, and Streptococcus, which are known to harbour potentially pathogenic species of animals and humans. Antibiotic resistance genes detected from the housefly DNA in this study included ermB, tetA, blaSHV, and blaTEM. Moreover, these genes are associated with resistance to erythromycin, tetracycline, and beta-lactams antibiotics, respectively. The presence of bacterial pathogens and the detection of antibiotic resistance genes from the houseflies collected from the hospices indicates the possible health risk to patients in hospices and the surrounding community. Therefore, it is imperative to keep high standards of hygiene, food preparation, safety, and control of houseflies in hospices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogen Transmission among Animals and Humans: A One Health Approach)

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Open AccessArticle

Tracking the Source of Human Q Fever from a Southern French Village: Sentinel Animals and Environmental Reservoir

Younes Laidoudi

Elodie Rousset

Anne-Sophie Dessimoulie

Pierre-Edouard Fournier

and

Bernard Davoust

Microorganisms 2023, 11(4), 1016; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11041016 - 13 Apr 2023

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Abstract

Coxiella burnetii, also known as the causal agent of Q fever, is a zoonotic pathogen infecting humans and several animal species. Here, we investigated the epidemiological context of C. burnetii from an area in the Hérault department in southern France, using the One Health paradigm. In total, 13 human cases of Q fever were diagnosed over the last three years in an area comprising four villages. Serological and molecular investigations conducted on the representative animal population, as well as wind data, indicated that some of the recent cases are likely to have originated from a sheepfold, which revealed bacterial contamination and a seroprevalence of 47.6%. However, the clear-cut origin of human cases cannot be ruled out in the absence of molecular data from the patients. Multi-spacer typing based on dual barcoding nanopore sequencing highlighted the occurrence of a new genotype of C. burnetii. In addition, the environmental contamination appeared to be widespread across a perimeter of 6 km due to local wind activity, according to the seroprevalence detected in dogs (12.6%) and horses (8.49%) in the surrounding populations. These findings were helpful in describing the extent of the exposed area and thus supporting the use of dogs and horses as valuable sentinel indicators for monitoring Q fever. The present data clearly highlighted that the epidemiological surveillance of Q fever should be reinforced and improved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogen Transmission among Animals and Humans: A One Health Approach)

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Open AccessArticle

Identifying New Clusterons: Application of TBEV Analyzer 3.0

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Microorganisms 2023, 11(2), 324; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11020324 - 27 Jan 2023

Viewed by 651

Abstract

Early knowledge about novel emerging viruses and rapid determination of their characteristics are crucial for public health. In this context, development of theoretical approaches to model viral evolution are important. The clusteron approach is a recent bioinformatics tool which analyzes genetic patterns of a specific E protein fragment and provides a hierarchical network structure of the viral population at three levels: subtype, lineage, and clusteron. A clusteron is a group of strains with identical amino acid (E protein fragment) signatures; members are phylogenetically closely related and feature a particular territorial distribution. This paper announces TBEV Analyzer 3.0, an analytical platform for rapidly characterizing tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) strains based on the clusteron approach, workflow optimizations, and simplified parameter settings. Compared with earlier versions of TBEV Analyzer, we provide theoretical and practical enhancements to the platform. Regarding the theoretical aspect, the model of the clusteron structure, which is the core of platform analysis, has been updated by analyzing all suitable TBEV strains available in GenBank, while the practical enhancements aim at improving the platform’s functionality. Here, in addition to expanding the strain sets of prior clusterons, we introduce eleven novel clusterons through our experimental results, predominantly of the European subtype. The obtained results suggest effective application of the proposed platform as an analytical and exploratory tool in TBEV surveillance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogen Transmission among Animals and Humans: A One Health Approach)

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Open AccessArticle

Protozoan Parasites in Adult Dairy Small Ruminants and Potential Predictors for Their Presence in Faecal Samples

Daphne T. Lianou

Konstantinos V. Arsenopoulos

Charalambia K. Michael

Elias Papadopoulos

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George C. Fthenakis

Microorganisms 2022, 10(10), 1931; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10101931 - 28 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 884

Abstract

There is a scope to study protozoan infections in adult ewes and does, as these animals can act as reservoirs of infection for lambs and kids, for which these pathogens are harmful. The objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence of protozoan infections in faecal samples from adult sheep and goats on dairy farms across Greece and to evaluate farm-related factors potentially associated with the presence of protozoan infections in these animals. A cross-sectional study was performed on 325 sheep and 119 goat farms throughout Greece; faecal samples were collected from ewes and does and processed for the identification of protozoan parasites. Eimeria oocysts were found in faecal samples from 69% of farms (72% of sheep farms and 61% of goat farms), Giardia cysts in samples from 33% of farms (33% of sheep farms and 34% of goat farms) and Cryptosporidium oocysts in samples from 8% of farms (7% of sheep farms and 11% of goat farms). In a multivariable analysis, for the presence of Eimeria in samples from sheep farms, the lack of a designated building for lambs emerged as a significant factor; for the presence of Giardia in samples from goat farms, the availability of a main building for animals emerged as a significant factor; for the presence of Cryptosporidium, the lack of grazing and the management system emerged as the main significant factors in sheep and goat farms, respectively. Protozoa were found significantly more frequently in samples collected from farms on which farmers considered diarrhoea as an important health problem in their lambs/kids. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogen Transmission among Animals and Humans: A One Health Approach)

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Open AccessArticle

West Nile Virus Occurrence and Ecological Niche Modeling in Wild Bird Species and Mosquito Vectors: An Active Surveillance Program in the Peloponnese Region of Greece

Microorganisms 2022, 10(7), 1328; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10071328 - 30 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1416

Abstract

West Nile Virus (WNV) is maintained in nature in a bird-mosquito cycle and human infections follow a seasonal pattern, favored by climatic conditions. Peloponnese Region, located in Southern Greece, initiated an active WNV surveillance program to protect public health during 2019–2020. The project included monitoring of avian hosts and mosquito vectors, while sampling locations were prioritized after consideration of WNV circulation in birds, mosquitos and humans during previous seasons. Biological materials were collected from 493 wild birds of 25 species and 678 mosquito pools, which were molecularly screened for WNV presence. In this case, 14 environmental variables were associated with WNV detection in wild birds and mosquitos by using two separate MaxEnt models. Viral RNA was not detected in the target species during 2019, although in 2020, it was reported on 46 wild birds of ten species and 22 mosquito pools (Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus). Altitude and land uses were significant predictors for both models and in fact, suitable conditions for virus occurrence were identified in low altitude zones. Bird- and mosquito-based surveillance systems yielded similar results and allowed for targeted vector control applications in cases of increased virus activity. Human cases were not reported on Peloponnese in 2020. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogen Transmission among Animals and Humans: A One Health Approach)

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Open AccessArticle

Plethora of Resistance Genes in Carbapenem-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria in Greece: No End to a Continuous Genetic Evolution

Katerina Tsilipounidaki

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Microorganisms 2022, 10(1), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10010159 - 13 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1308

Abstract

Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are a public health threat that requires urgent action. The fact that these pathogens commonly also harbor resistance mechanisms for several other antimicrobial classes further reduces patient treatment options. The present study aimed to provide information regarding the multidrug resistance genetic background of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in Central Greece. Strains from a tertiary care hospital, collected during routine practice, were characterized using a DNA microarray-based assay. Various different resistance determinants for carbapenems, other beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, quinolones, trimethoprim, sulfonamides and macrolides were detected among isolates of the same sequence type. Eighteen different multidrug resistance genomic profiles were identified among the twenty-four K. pneumoniae ST258, seven different profiles among the eight K. pneumoniae ST11, four profiles among the six A. baumannii ST409 and two among the three K. oxytoca. This report describes the multidrug resistance genomic background of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria from a tertiary care hospital in Central Greece, providing evidence of their continuous genetic evolution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogen Transmission among Animals and Humans: A One Health Approach)

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Open AccessCase Report

Streptococcus equi subsp. equi in Retropharyngeal Abscess: Case Report and Review of Literature

Anna Waśniewska-Włodarczyk

Renata Pepaś

Renata Janowicz

and

Wiesław Konopka

Microorganisms 2022, 10(10), 2032; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10102032 - 14 Oct 2022

Viewed by 1054

Abstract

Retropharyngeal abscesses (RPAs) represent the group of deep space infections of the neck. Although RPA is a well-known condition, some aspects of it still may be challenging. Localization, symptoms, and etiology may confuse even the most experienced physicians. S. equi subspecies are zoonotic agents and cause multiple diseases in diverse animals. Infections in humans are rare. This report presents an extremely rare case of retropharyngeal abscess in a 12-year-old girl caused by an infection of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogen Transmission among Animals and Humans: A One Health Approach)

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