Hunting Poses Only a Low Risk for Alveolar Echinococcosis

Bushmeat, wet markets, and the risks of pandemics: Exploring the nexus through systematic review of scientific disclosures

The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is the third coronavirus this century to threaten human health, killing more than two million people globally. Like previous coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 is suspected to have wildlife origins and was possibly transmitted to humans via wet markets selling bushmeat (aka harvested wild meat). Thus, an interdisciplinary framework is vital to address the nexus between bushmeat, wet markets, and disease. We reviewed the contemporary scientific literature to: (1) assess disease surveillance efforts within the bushmeat trade and wet markets globally by compiling zoonotic health risks based on primarily serological examinations; and (2) gauge perceptions of health risks associated with bushmeat and wet markets. Of the 58 species of bushmeat investigated across 15 countries in the 52 articles that we analyzed,one or more pathogens (totaling 60 genera of pathogens) were reported in 48 species, while no zoonotic pathogens were reported in 10 species based on serology. Burden of disease data was nearly absent from the articles resulting from our Scopus search, and therefore was not included in our analyses. We also found that perceived health risks associated with bushmeat was low, though we could not perform statistical analyses due to the lack of quantitative perception-based studies. After screening the literature, our results showed that the global distribution of reported bushmeat studies were biased towards Africa, revealing data deficiencies across Asia and South America despite the prevalence of the bushmeat trade across the Global South. Studies targeting implications of the bushmeat trade on human health can help address these data deficiencies across Asia and South America. We further illustrate the need to address the nexus between bushmeat, wet markets, and disease to help prevent future outbreaks of zoonotic diseases under the previously proposed "One Health Framework", which integrates human, animal, and environmental health. By tackling these three pillars, we discuss the current policy gaps and recommend suitable measures to prevent future disease outbreaks.

Examining the Validity and Reliability of Measures for Individual-Level Constructs Related to Implementation of School-Based Physical Activity Approaches

Valid and reliable measures are important to understanding the implementation of physical activity approaches in schools. The study purpose is to examine the psychometric properties of measures of individual-level constructs (knowledge, attitudes, outcome expectations, self-efficacy, innovativeness, and support) in the context of implementing school-based physical activity approaches. We collected data from a sample of elementary school employees (administrators, classroom teachers, physical educators, and support staff) from an urban school district in southeast Texas. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models were used to examine structural validity. We also examined correlations between constructs to assess discriminant and convergent validity. Last, we used a CFA-based approach to examine scale reliability. The analytic sample consisted of 205 employees. CFA results for each individual measure revealed good-fitting models for most measures (χ2 (df) >0.05, RMSEA <0.08, CFI >0.90, TLI >0.90, SRMR≤0.07). A combined model that included all the measures also indicated good fit across indices: χ2(306) = 485, p <0.001; RMSEA = 0.05, CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.92, SRMR = 0.07. All correlations between constructs were <0.70, and all but one construct (innovativeness) demonstrated moderate correlations with support for classroom-based physical activity approaches (>0.30). In addition, reliability point estimates were all >0.70. The measures tested in this study were found to have good reliability, as well as good structural, discriminant, and convergent validity. These measures are useful in efforts to better understand how individual-level constructs relate to implementation behaviors for physical activity approaches in schools.

Hunting Dogs

Herding and hunting dogs are intense, high-drive dogs that work, and often live, outdoors and in constant or repeated close contact with domestic and wild animals. These dogs are at increased risk for injury and exposure to infectious diseases, toxic substances, and environmental threats. The common practice of feeding or allowing access to raw meat from farm or game animals enhances disease transmission risk. These dogs can be affected by infectious diseases and injurious agents that are rarely encountered in other groups of dogs. In addition, their extreme work ethic may lead to delays in diagnosis.

Clinical, pathological and parasitological examinations of a German spaniel with alveolar echinococcosis, Germany, 2018

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a parasitic zoonosis occurring in most European countries and also emerging in parts of Asia and North America. AE is caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis in intermediate and also in accidental hosts. The principal definitive host is the red fox, but domestic dogs and cats are also potential definitive hosts. Several species of rodents serve as intermediate hosts of this parasite. However, there are also some species acting as accidental intermediate hosts, among them dogs. Since the late 1980s cases of canine AE have been diagnosed. Here, we present a case of canine AE in a two-year old female intact German spaniel from Thuringia, Central Germany. The dog was used as a hunting dog and presented to a small animal clinic for subacute lethargy and inappetence. Abdominal ultrasound and contrast computed tomography (CT) scan were performed and revealed intrahepatic lesions. Multinodular changes of the liver and the greater omentum were demonstrated by exploratory laparotomy. After euthanasia, a necropsy was performed and histological sections of representative tissue samples were prepared. PCR followed by sequencing was conducted with DNA extracted from tissue samples of the liver, hepatic lymph nodes and greater omentum. The sequence herein obtained showed very high similarity with other partial nad2 sequences of E. multilocularis from the GenBank database by BLASTn analysis and was analysed using the maximum likelihood method. The presented case combines the clinical presentation and pathological, parasitological and phylogenetic analyses.