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Wernery U, Chan E, Raghavan R, Teng JLL, Syriac G, Siu SY, Joseph M, Yeung ML, Jia L, Cai JP, Chiu TH, Lau SKP, Woo PCY. Development of a sensitive competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis of Burkholderia mallei, a Tier 1 select agent. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0010007. [PMID: 34932554 PMCID: PMC8691619 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Glanders is a highly contagious and potentially serious disease caused by Burkholderia mallei, a Tier 1 select agent. In this study, we raised a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of B. mallei and developed a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) for B. mallei infection. Using the titrated optimal conditions of B. mallei-LPS (2 ng) for microtiter plate coating, sample serum dilution at 1:20 and 3.5 ng/μL anti-LPS mAb B5, the cutoff value of the cELISA was determined using serum samples from 136 glanders-free seronegative horses in Hong Kong. All calculated percentage inhibition (PI) values from these seronegative samples were below 39.6% inhibition (1.5 standard deviations above mean PI) and was used as the cutoff value. The diagnostic sensitivity of the developed LPS-based cELISA was first evaluated using sera from donkeys and mice inoculated with B. mallei. An increasing trend of PI values above the defined cELISA cutoff observed in the donkey and mouse sera suggested positive detection of anti-LPS antibodies. The sensitivity and specificity of the LPS-based cELISA was further evaluated using 31 serologically positive horse sera from glanders outbreaks in Bahrain and Kuwait, of which 30 were tested positive by the cELISA; and 21 seronegative horse sera and 20 seronegative donkey sera from Dubai, of which all were tested negative by the cELISA. A cELISA with high sensitivity (97.2%) and specificity (100%) for the detection of B. mallei antibodies in different animals was developed. Glanders is a highly contagious and life-threatening disease caused by Burkholderia mallei, a Tier 1 select agent, with no available vaccine. The disease is endemic in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and South America with sporadic outbreaks and mainly occurs in horses, donkeys and mules, although it has also been reported in camels, tigers, lions, and even humans. As the bacterium is not easily isolated from clinical specimens and correct identification based on clinical signs is difficult, it is thus important to develop serological tests which can quickly diagnose B. mallei infection. In this study, we generated a monoclonal antibody against B. mallei lipopolysaccharide and used it to develop a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) for the serodiagnosis of B. mallei infection. The developed cELISA was optimized and evaluated using glanders-free and glanders-positive horses, donkeys and mice from Hong Kong and the Middle East, and was shown to be highly sensitive and specific for the detection of glanders in different animals. A simple and inexpensive test to allow for the early detection and diagnosis of suspected clinical cases as well as the screening of apparently asymptomatic animals will be helpful in controlling the spread and elimination of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Wernery
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- * E-mail: (UW); (PCYW)
| | - Elaine Chan
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Rekha Raghavan
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Jade L. L. Teng
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Ginu Syriac
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sing-Yung Siu
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Marina Joseph
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Man-Lung Yeung
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Lilong Jia
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Jian-Piao Cai
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Tsz-Ho Chiu
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Susanna K. P. Lau
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Patrick C. Y. Woo
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- * E-mail: (UW); (PCYW)
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Lau SKP, He Z, Tsang CC, Chan TTY, Luk HKH, Chan E, Li KSM, Fung J, Chow FWN, Tam AR, Chung TWH, Wong SCY, Que TL, Fung KSC, Lung DC, Wu AKL, Hung IFN, Teng JLL, Wernery U, Hui SW, Martelli P, Woo PCY. A Sensitive and Specific Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Serodiagnosis of COVID-19 in Animals. Microorganisms 2021; 9:1019. [PMID: 34068581 PMCID: PMC8150753 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9051019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to human cases, cases of COVID-19 in captive animals and pets are increasingly reported. This raises the concern for two-way COVID-19 transmission between humans and animals. Here, we developed a SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein-based competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) for serodiagnosis of COVID-19 which can theoretically be used in virtually all kinds of animals. We used 187 serum samples from patients with/without COVID-19, laboratory animals immunized with inactive SARS-CoV-2 virions, COVID-19-negative animals, and animals seropositive to other betacoronaviruses. A cut-off percent inhibition value of 22.345% was determined and the analytical sensitivity and specificity were found to be 1:64-1:256 and 93.9%, respectively. Evaluation on its diagnostic performance using 155 serum samples from COVID-19-negative animals and COVID-19 human patients showed a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 80.8% and 100%, respectively. The cELISA can be incorporated into routine blood testing of farmed/captive animals for COVID-19 surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna K. P. Lau
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; (Z.H.); (C.-C.T.); (T.T.Y.C.); (H.K.H.L.); (E.C.); (K.S.M.L.); (J.F.); (F.W.N.C.); (T.W.H.C.); (J.L.L.T.)
| | - Zirong He
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; (Z.H.); (C.-C.T.); (T.T.Y.C.); (H.K.H.L.); (E.C.); (K.S.M.L.); (J.F.); (F.W.N.C.); (T.W.H.C.); (J.L.L.T.)
| | - Chi-Ching Tsang
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; (Z.H.); (C.-C.T.); (T.T.Y.C.); (H.K.H.L.); (E.C.); (K.S.M.L.); (J.F.); (F.W.N.C.); (T.W.H.C.); (J.L.L.T.)
| | - Tony T. Y. Chan
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; (Z.H.); (C.-C.T.); (T.T.Y.C.); (H.K.H.L.); (E.C.); (K.S.M.L.); (J.F.); (F.W.N.C.); (T.W.H.C.); (J.L.L.T.)
| | - Hayes K. H. Luk
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; (Z.H.); (C.-C.T.); (T.T.Y.C.); (H.K.H.L.); (E.C.); (K.S.M.L.); (J.F.); (F.W.N.C.); (T.W.H.C.); (J.L.L.T.)
| | - Elaine Chan
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; (Z.H.); (C.-C.T.); (T.T.Y.C.); (H.K.H.L.); (E.C.); (K.S.M.L.); (J.F.); (F.W.N.C.); (T.W.H.C.); (J.L.L.T.)
| | - Kenneth S. M. Li
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; (Z.H.); (C.-C.T.); (T.T.Y.C.); (H.K.H.L.); (E.C.); (K.S.M.L.); (J.F.); (F.W.N.C.); (T.W.H.C.); (J.L.L.T.)
| | - Joshua Fung
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; (Z.H.); (C.-C.T.); (T.T.Y.C.); (H.K.H.L.); (E.C.); (K.S.M.L.); (J.F.); (F.W.N.C.); (T.W.H.C.); (J.L.L.T.)
| | - Franklin W. N. Chow
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; (Z.H.); (C.-C.T.); (T.T.Y.C.); (H.K.H.L.); (E.C.); (K.S.M.L.); (J.F.); (F.W.N.C.); (T.W.H.C.); (J.L.L.T.)
| | - Anthony R. Tam
- Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong;
| | - Tom W. H. Chung
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; (Z.H.); (C.-C.T.); (T.T.Y.C.); (H.K.H.L.); (E.C.); (K.S.M.L.); (J.F.); (F.W.N.C.); (T.W.H.C.); (J.L.L.T.)
| | - Sally C. Y. Wong
- Department of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Park, Hong Kong; (S.C.Y.W.); (D.C.L.)
| | - Tak-Lun Que
- Department of Pathology, Tuen Mun Hospital, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong;
| | - Kitty S. C. Fung
- Department of Pathology, United Christian Hospital, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong;
| | - David C. Lung
- Department of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Park, Hong Kong; (S.C.Y.W.); (D.C.L.)
| | - Alan K. L. Wu
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Chai Wan, Hong Kong;
| | - Ivan F. N. Hung
- Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong;
| | - Jade L. L. Teng
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; (Z.H.); (C.-C.T.); (T.T.Y.C.); (H.K.H.L.); (E.C.); (K.S.M.L.); (J.F.); (F.W.N.C.); (T.W.H.C.); (J.L.L.T.)
| | - Ulrich Wernery
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 597, Dubai, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Suk-Wai Hui
- Ocean Park Corporation, Aberdeen, Hong Kong; (S.-W.H.); (P.M.)
| | - Paolo Martelli
- Ocean Park Corporation, Aberdeen, Hong Kong; (S.-W.H.); (P.M.)
| | - Patrick C. Y. Woo
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; (Z.H.); (C.-C.T.); (T.T.Y.C.); (H.K.H.L.); (E.C.); (K.S.M.L.); (J.F.); (F.W.N.C.); (T.W.H.C.); (J.L.L.T.)
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Aspergillosis in Wild Birds. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7030241. [PMID: 33807065 PMCID: PMC8004873 DOI: 10.3390/jof7030241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitous fungi belonging to the genus Aspergillus are able to proliferate in a large number of environments on organic substrates. The spores of these opportunistic pathogens, when inhaled, can cause serious and often fatal infections in a wide variety of captive and free-roaming wild birds. The relative importance of innate immunity and the level of exposure in the development of the disease can vary considerably between avian species and epidemiological situations. Given the low efficacy of therapeutic treatments, it is essential that breeders or avian practitioners know the conditions that favor the emergence of Aspergillosis in order to put adequate preventive measures in place.
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Discovery and Sequence Analysis of Four Deltacoronaviruses from Birds in the Middle East Reveal Interspecies Jumping with Recombination as a Potential Mechanism for Avian-to-Avian and Avian-to-Mammalian Transmission. J Virol 2018; 92:JVI.00265-18. [PMID: 29769348 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00265-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of Middle East respiratory syndrome showed once again that coronaviruses (CoVs) in animals are potential source for epidemics in humans. To explore the diversity of deltacoronaviruses in animals in the Middle East, we tested fecal samples from 1,356 mammals and birds in Dubai, The United Arab Emirates. Four novel deltacoronaviruses were detected from eight birds of four species by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR): FalCoV UAE-HKU27 from a falcon, HouCoV UAE-HKU28 from a houbara bustard, PiCoV UAE-HKU29 from a pigeon, and QuaCoV UAE-HKU30 from five quails. Complete genome sequencing showed that FalCoV UAE-HKU27, HouCoV UAE-HKU28, and PiCoV UAE-HKU29 belong to the same CoV species, suggesting recent interspecies transmission between falcons and their prey, houbara bustards and pigeons, possibly along the food chain. Western blotting detected specific anti-FalCoV UAE-HKU27 antibodies in 33 (75%) of 44 falcon serum samples, supporting genuine infection in falcons after virus acquisition. QuaCoV UAE-HKU30 belongs to the same CoV species as porcine coronavirus HKU15 (PorCoV HKU15) and sparrow coronavirus HKU17 (SpCoV HKU17), discovered previously from swine and tree sparrows, respectively, supporting avian-to-swine transmission. Recombination involving the spike protein is common among deltacoronaviruses, which may facilitate cross-species transmission. FalCoV UAE-HKU27, HouCoV UAE-HKU28, and PiCoV UAE-HKU29 originated from recombination between white-eye coronavirus HKU16 (WECoV HKU16) and magpie robin coronavirus HKU18 (MRCoV HKU18), QuaCoV UAE-HKU30 from recombination between PorCoV HKU15/SpCoV HKU17 and munia coronavirus HKU13 (MunCoV HKU13), and PorCoV HKU15 from recombination between SpCoV HKU17 and bulbul coronavirus HKU11 (BuCoV HKU11). Birds in the Middle East are hosts for diverse deltacoronaviruses with potential for interspecies transmission.IMPORTANCE During an attempt to explore the diversity of deltacoronaviruses among mammals and birds in Dubai, four novel deltacoronaviruses were detected in fecal samples from eight birds of four different species: FalCoV UAE-HKU27 from a falcon, HouCoV UAE-HKU28 from a houbara bustard, PiCoV UAE-HKU29 from a pigeon, and QuaCoV UAE-HKU30 from five quails. Genome analysis revealed evidence of recent interspecies transmission between falcons and their prey, houbara bustards and pigeons, possibly along the food chain, as well as avian-to-swine transmission. Recombination, which is known to occur frequently in some coronaviruses, was also common among these deltacoronaviruses and occurred predominantly at the spike region. Such recombination, involving the receptor binding protein, may contribute to the emergence of new viruses capable of infecting new hosts. Birds in the Middle East are hosts for diverse deltacoronaviruses with potential for interspecies transmission.
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