Search

Background:Rattus norvegicus can carry and transmit various zoonotic pathogens. Some studies were conducted to investigate a few zoonotic pathogens in Guangzhou, China, but no coinfections were investigated or specifically mentioned. Studies on the infections and the influencing factors of various zoonotic pathogens in R. norvegicus along the Zengjiang River in Guangzhou have not been carried out. Materials and Methods: In this study, R. norvegicus was captured in November 2020 and September 2021 along the Zengjiang River, and was tested for Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., Orientia tsutsugamushi, Borrelia burgdorferi, Hantavirus (HV), Ehrlichia spp., and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) by the RT-PCR. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the impact of habitat and demographic factors on the infections and coinfections of the surveyed pathogens. Results: In 119 R. norvegicus, the detection rates of Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., O. tsutsugamushi, B. burgdorferi, and HV were 46.2%, 31.9%, 5%, 0.8%, and 18.5%, respectively. Ehrlichia spp. and SFTSV were negative. The triple coinfection rate of Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., and HV was 11.8%. In addition, the coinfection of Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., and B. burgdorferi was 0.8%. Dual coinfection of Bartonella spp. and Leptospira spp., Leptospira spp. and HV, Bartonella spp. and O. tsutsugamushi, Leptospira spp. and O. tsutsugamushi, and HV and O. tsutsugamushi was 9.2%, 3.4%, 1.7%, 1.7%, and 0.8%, respectively. Infections of these pathogens in R. norvegicus were found in habitats of banana plantation, grassland, and bush. Weight affected the infection of Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., or HV in R. norvegicus. Conclusions:R. norvegicus along the Zengjiang River not only carried various potentially zoonotic pathogens but also had a variety of coinfections. Surveillance of the density and pathogens in R. norvegicus should be strengthened to reduce the incidence of relevant zoonotic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To describe changes in rabies surveillance and management in Guangzhou, China between 1951 and 2015, and to analyse human rabies cases over that period. Methods Rabies control policies and strategies implemented by the Guangzhou government were reviewed for three periods: 1951 to 1978, 1979 to 2000 and 2001 to 2015. Data on human rabies deaths and exposure were obtained from Guangzhou and national health and disease records. The demographic characteristics of human cases are reported using descriptive statistics. Findings Between 1951 and 2015, the number of organizations cooperating on rabies control increased: there were two between 1951 and 1978, six between 1979 and 2000, and nine between 2001 and 2015. The number of human rabies cases reported in these periods was 331, 422 and 60, respectively. Organizations involved included city and district centres for disease control and prevention, rabies outpatient clinics, medical institutions and police. Overall, 88% (713/813) of cases occurred in rural districts, though, between 1951 and 2015, the distribution shifted from being predominantly rural to being both urban and rural. The number of people exposed to rabies increased annually. The biggest increases were among those injured by a pet dog or other animal: 3.26 and 4.75 times, respectively, between 2005 and 2015. Conclusion Increased cooperation on rabies control between civil organizations in Guangzhou over decades was associated with a marked decrease in the number of human rabies cases. The Guangzhou experience could thereby provide guidance for other cities experiencing similar rabies epidemics. [phrase omitted] [phrase omitted] Objectif Decrire l'evolution de la surveillance et de la gestion de la rage a Guangzhou, en Chine, entre 1951 et 2015, et analyser les cas de rages humaines survenus au cours de cette periode. Methodes Les politiques et strategies de controle de la rage mises en oeuvre par le gouvernement de Guangzhou ont ete examinees au regard de trois periodes: de 1951 a 1978, de 1979 a 2000 et de 2001 a 2015. Les donnees relatives aux deces et a l'exposition des personnes a la rage proviennent des dossiers de sante et sur les maladies de Guangzhou et du pays. Les caracteristiques demographiques des cas humains sont presentees a l'aide de statistiques descriptives. Resultats Entre 1951 et 2015, le nombre d'organisations agissant en cooperation pour controler la rage a augmente: elles etaient au nombre de deux entre 1951 et 1978, six entre 1979 et 2000, et neuf entre 2001 et 2015. Le nombre de cas de rage signales au cours de ces periodes s'elevait respectivement a 331, 422 et 60. Les organisations en question incluaient des centres de prevention et de controle de la maladie au niveau des villes et des districts, des dispensaires pour patients ambulatoires atteints de la rage, des institutions medicales et la police. En tout, 88% (713/813) des cas sont survenus dans des districts ruraux. Neanmoins, entre 1951 et 2015, la repartition a cesse d'etre principalement rurale pour devenir aussi bien urbaine que rurale. Le nombre de personnes exposees a la rage s'est accru d'annee en annee. Les plus fortes hausses ont concerne les personnes blessees par un chien de compagnie ou un autre animal: 3,26 et 4,75 fois, respectivement, entre 2005 et 2015. Conclusion Le renforcement de la cooperation en matiere de controle de la rage entre diverses organisations civiles a Guangzhou depuis plusieurs decennies a ete associe a une nette diminution du nombre de cas de rage. L'experience de Guangzhou pourrait donc donner des orientations a d'autres villes touchees par des epidemies de rage similaires. [phrase omitted] Objetivo Describir los cambios en la vigilancia y la gestion de la rabia en Guangzhou, China, entre 1951 y 2015 y analizar los casos de rabia en humanos durante ese periodo. Metodos Las politicas y estrategias de control de la rabia aplicadas por el gobierno de Guangzhou se revisaron durante tres periodos: De 1951 a 1978, de 1979 a 2000 y de 2001 a 2015. Se recopilaron los datos sobre las muertes y la exposicion a la rabia en humanos en Guangzhou y sobre los registros nacionales de salud y enfermedad. Las caracteristicas demograficas de los casos en humanos se registran mediante estadisticas descriptivas. Resultados Entre 1951 y 2015, el numero de organizaciones que cooperaban en el control de la rabia aumento: hubo dos entre 1951 y 1978, seis entre 1979 y 2000, y nueve entre 2001 y 2015. El numero de casos de rabia notificados en estos periodos fue de 331, 422 y 60, respectivamente. Entre las organizaciones participantes figuraban los centros urbanos y de distrito para el control y la prevencion de enfermedades, las clinicas ambulatorias para el control de la rabia, las instituciones medicas y la policia. En total, el 88 % (713/813) de los casos tuvieron lugar en distritos rurales, aunque, entre 1951 y 2015, la distribucion paso de ser predominantemente rural a ser tanto urbana como rural. El numero de personas expuestas a la rabia aumento anualmente. Los mayores aumentos se produjeron entre los heridos por un perro domestico u otro animal: 3,26 y 4,75 veces, respectivamente, entre 2005 y 2015. Conclusion El aumento de la cooperacion en el control de la rabia entre las organizaciones civiles de Guangzhou durante decadas se asocio con una marcada reduccion del numero de casos de rabia. La experiencia de Guangzhou podria servir de guia a otras ciudades que sufren epidemias de rabia similares., Abstracts in [phrase omitted] Francais, [phrase omitted] and Espanol at the end of each article. Introduction Rabies is a fatal, zoonotic, disease caused by an RNA virus of the genus [...]

Objectives: Scrub typhus is an increasingly serious public health problem, which is becoming the most common vector‐borne disease in Guangzhou. This study aimed to analyse the correlation between scrub typhus incidence and potential factors and rank the importance of influential factors. Methods: We collected monthly scrub typhus cases, meteorological variables, rodent density (RD), Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and land use type in Guangzhou from 2006 to 2019. Correlation analysis and a random forest model were used to identify the risk factors for scrub typhus and predict the importance rank of influencing factors related to scrub typhus incidence. Results: The epidemiological results of the scrub typhus cases in Guangzhou between 2006 and 2019 showed that the incidence rate was on the rise. The results of correlation analysis revealed that a positive relationship between scrub typhus incidence and meteorological factors of mean temperature (Tmean), accumulative rainfall (RF), relative humidity (RH), sunshine hours (SH), and NDVI, RD, population density, and green land coverage area (all p < 0.001). Additionally, we tested the relationship between the incidence of scrub typhus and the lagging meteorological factors through cross‐correlation function, and found that incidence was positively correlated with 1‐month lag Tmean, 2‐month lag RF, 2‐month lag RH, and 6‐month lag SH (all p < 0.001). Based on the random forest model, we found that the Tmean was the most important predictor among the influential factors, followed by NDVI. Conclusions: Meteorological factors, NDVI, RD, and land use type jointly affect the incidence of scrub typhus in Guangzhou. Our results provide a better understanding of the influential factors correlated with scrub typus, which can improve our capacity for biological monitoring and help public health authorities to formulate disease control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The number of human rabies cases caused by pet dogs in Guangzhou has been decreasing after years of comprehensive interventions. Consequently, attacks by stray dogs become a major issue in rabies control. Objectives: To share our experience of successfully dealing with rabies to provide some inspiration for prevention and control in countries and regions affected by it. Methods: A multidisciplinary One Health response was initiated to control this outbreak. Rabies virus was detected by PCR in the brain tissue of the associated stray dog. The sequences were aligned with reference sequences downloaded from GenBank using ClustalX. The maximum likelihood method implemented in MEGA 5.0 software package was used in a phylogenetic analysis of the aligned sequences. Results: Twelve patients with exposure to the stray dog were identified in the field investigation. Rabies vaccines and immunoglobulin were administered to all patients within 48 h. After 1 year of follow‐up, no exposed patients showed symptoms. Maximum likelihood analysis of the nucleotide sequences obtained from the PCR products indicated that the rabies virus in the dog was closely related to isolates from neighbouring provinces of Guangdong as well as those from surrounding countries of China. Conclusions: Multidisciplinary One Health intervention is effective not only in the control of rabies but also in rapid emergency responses to attacks by rabid stray dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brucellosis, a zoonotic disease, causes severe pain and impairment in humans. In 2012, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) reported 39,515 new cases of human brucellosis, [...]

Plant hormone cytokinin signals through histidine-aspartic acid (H-D) phosphorelay to regulate plant growth and development. While it is well known that the phosphorelay involves histidine kinases, histidine phosphotransfer proteins (HPs), and response regulators (RRs), how this process is regulated by external components remains unknown. Here we demonstrate that protein phosphatase with kelch-like domains (PPKL1), known as a signaling component of steroid hormone brassinosteroid, is actually a cryptic inhibitor of cytokinin phosphorelay in rice (Oryza sativa). Mutation at a specific amino acid D364 of PPKL1 activates cytokinin response and thus enlarges grain size in a semi-dominant mutant named s48. Overexpression of PPKL1 containing D364, either with the deletion of the phosphatase domain or not, rescues the s48 mutant phenotype. PPKL1 interacts with OsAHP2, one of authentic HPs, and D364 resides in a region resembling the receiver domain of RRs. Accordingly, PPKL1 can utilize D364 to suppress OsAHP2-to-RR phosphorelay, whereas mutation of D364 abolishes the effect. This function of PPKL1 is independent of the phosphatase domain that is required for brassinosteroid signaling. Importantly, editing of the D364-residential region produces a diversity of semi-dominant mutations associated with variously increased grain sizes. Further screening of the edited plants enables the identification of two genotypes that confer significantly improved grain yield. Collectively, our study uncovers a noncanonical cytokinin signaling suppressor and provides a robust tool for seed rational design. This study reveals that PPKL1, known as a signaling component of steroid hormone brassinosteroid, is actually a cryptic inhibitor of cytokinin phosphorelay in rice. PPKL1 utilizes the D364 site to interfere with AHP2-to-response regulator phosphorelay, and the D364 residential region could be a promising target for seed rational design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]