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Masters NB, Mathis AD, Leung J, Raines K, Clemmons NS, Miele K, Balajee SA, Lanzieri TM, Marin M, Christensen DL, Clarke KR, Cruz MA, Gallagher K, Gearhart S, Gertz AM, Grady-Erickson O, Habrun CA, Kim G, Kinzer MH, Miko S, Oberste MS, Petras JK, Pieracci EG, Pray IW, Rosenblum HG, Ross JM, Rothney EE, Segaloff HE, Shepersky LV, Skrobarcek KA, Stadelman AM, Sumner KM, Waltenburg MA, Weinberg M, Worrell MC, Bessette NE, Peake LR, Vogt MP, Robinson M, Westergaard RP, Griesser RH, Icenogle JP, Crooke SN, Bankamp B, Stanley SE, Friedrichs PA, Fletcher LD, Zapata IA, Wolfe HO, Gandhi PH, Charles JY, Brown CM, Cetron MS, Pesik N, Knight NW, Alvarado-Ramy F, Bell M, Talley LE, Rotz LD, Rota PA, Sugerman DE, Gastañaduy PA, Ahluwalia IB, Akinkugbe OA, Aranas A, Arons M, Atherstone C, Bampoe V, Bessler P, Bligh L, Bonner K, Bowen VB, Broadwater K, Brunette GW, Brunkard JM, Burns DA, Cantrell M, Christensen BE, Cope JR, Cory J, Crawford NE, Daigle D, Daly SM, Dejonge P, Dualeh M, Dunn KH, Eidex RB, Elgethun K, Fajardo G, Fonseca-Ford M, Franc K, Gaines J, George N, Goodson J, Green C, Grober AJ, Hailu K, Hammond DR, Harcourt BH, Hess A, Hesse E, Hirst DV, Hornsby-Myers J, Humrighouse B, Ishaq M, Ishii K, James A, Jayapaul-Philip B, Jentes ES, Johnson L, Johnston M, Jolley CD, Kacha-Ochana A, Kaur H, Keaveney M, Kelly HC, Krishnasamy V, Kumar GS, Larkin M, Layde M, LeBouf RF, Lee D, Lira RC, Lopez R, Lozier MJ, Macler A, Mainzer H, Malden D, Malenfant J, Marano N, Marsh Z, Mayer O, McDonald R, Mehta N, Menon AN, Meyer E, Miles ST, Minhaj F, Mirza S, Moller KM, Morris SB, Neu DT, Oakley LP, Ocasio DV, Osborne T, Ou AC, Peck M, Person M, Posey D, Pullia A, Qi C, Raziano AJ, Richmond-Crum M, Roohi S, Saindon JM, Sami S, Sanchez-Gonzalez L, Schweitzer R, Schwitters AM, Shamout M, Shockey CE, Shragai T, Singler KB, Sison EJ, Smith D, Smith M, Sood NJ, Sunshine BJ, Trujillo A, Vallabhaneni S, Wickson A, Yoder JS, Zambuto LR, Cozzarelli T, Rice M, Ricks M, Birchfield JS, Nambiar A, Avrakatos A, Ballard TP, Dennis E, Gambino-Shirley K, Huston AE, Jennings MG, Oldham DM, Rabener MJ, Fandre MN, Jablonka RJ, Love A, Peduzzi OL, Snow K, Greer JA, Hughes CA, Humphreys MA, Korduba AB, Neamand-Cheney KA, Pritchard NL, Smith AM, Whelpley JL, Adekoya S, Alexander V, Davis M, Falk J, Kurkjian K, McCarty E, Moss J, Myrick-West A, Patel C, Pruitt R, Saady D, Sockwell D, Touma A, Wheawill S, Woolard D, Young A, Griffin-Thomas L, Kelly S, McLeod J, Lambert MC, Danz TL, Davis T, Guenther K, Hanson E. Public Health Actions to Control Measles Among Afghan Evacuees During Operation Allies Welcome - United States, September-November 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022; 71:592-596. [PMID: 35482557 PMCID: PMC9098237 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7117a2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
On August 29, 2021, the United States government oversaw the emergent establishment of Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and implemented by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. Department of State (DoS), to safely resettle U.S. citizens and Afghan nationals from Afghanistan to the United States. Evacuees were temporarily housed at several overseas locations in Europe and Asia* before being transported via military and charter flights through two U.S. international airports, and onward to eight U.S. military bases,† with hotel A used for isolation and quarantine of persons with or exposed to certain infectious diseases.§ On August 30, CDC issued an Epi-X notice encouraging public health officials to maintain vigilance for measles among Afghan evacuees because of an ongoing measles outbreak in Afghanistan (25,988 clinical cases reported nationwide during January-November 2021) (1) and low routine measles vaccination coverage (66% and 43% for the first and second doses, respectively, in 2020) (2).
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Atherstone C, Siegel M, Schmitt-Matzen E, Sjoblom S, Jackson J, Blackmore C, Neatherlin J. SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Associated with High School Wrestling Tournaments - Florida, December 2020-January 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021; 70:141-143. [PMID: 33507895 PMCID: PMC7842815 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7004e4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Prince-Guerra JL, Almendares O, Nolen LD, Gunn JKL, Dale AP, Buono SA, Deutsch-Feldman M, Suppiah S, Hao L, Zeng Y, Stevens VA, Knipe K, Pompey J, Atherstone C, Bui DP, Powell T, Tamin A, Harcourt JL, Shewmaker PL, Medrzycki M, Wong P, Jain S, Tejada-Strop A, Rogers S, Emery B, Wang H, Petway M, Bohannon C, Folster JM, MacNeil A, Salerno R, Kuhnert-Tallman W, Tate JE, Thornburg NJ, Kirking HL, Sheiban K, Kudrna J, Cullen T, Komatsu KK, Villanueva JM, Rose DA, Neatherlin JC, Anderson M, Rota PA, Honein MA, Bower WA. Evaluation of Abbott BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen Test for SARS-CoV-2 Infection at Two Community-Based Testing Sites - Pima County, Arizona, November 3-17, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021; 70:100-105. [PMID: 33476316 PMCID: PMC7821766 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7003e3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Atherstone C, Peterson ML, Malone M, Honein MA, MacNeil A, O’Neal CS, Paul S, Harmon KG, Goerl K, Wolfe CR, Casani J, Barrios LC. Time from Start of Quarantine to SARS-CoV-2 Positive Test Among Quarantined College and University Athletes - 17 States, June-October 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021; 70:7-11. [PMID: 33417591 PMCID: PMC7790154 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7001a2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Atherstone C, Mgode GF, Dhand NK, Alonso S, Grace D, Ward MP, Mor SM. Selected Endemic Zoonoses in Pigs Presenting for Slaughter in Kampala, Uganda. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 103:2552-2560. [PMID: 33069266 PMCID: PMC7695076 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis, brucellosis, and Q fever (coxiellosis) are bacterial zoonoses that cause acute febrile illness in people as well as reproductive losses in pigs. Pig keeping is an increasingly important livelihood to millions of smallholder farmers in Uganda because of exponential increases in demand for pork. The prevalence of leptospirosis and Q fever in pigs is unknown, and the few studies of porcine brucellosis have estimated a range of seroprevalence. Therefore, we undertook a prevalence survey of leptospirosis, brucellosis, and Q fever in pigs using quantitative real-time PCR to determine the potential importance of these zoonoses to the growing pig sector in Uganda. Six hundred forty-nine pigs were sampled in 2015–2016 at an urban pork slaughterhouse. Ten percent of pigs (n = 68) had leptospiral DNA in either their kidney or reproductive tissue. In adjusted analyses, variables predictive of leptospiral status included female sex (odds ratio [OR]: 2.37, P < 0.01) and pigs sampled in March 2016 (OR: 2.23, P = 0.02) and October 2016 (OR: 0.30, P = 0.04). DNA fingerprinting revealed circulation of at least four distinct serovars in these pigs. Brucella spp. and Coxiella burnetii DNA were not detected in any sampled pig. This is the first report of widespread circulation of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in pigs in Uganda, suggesting that leptospirosis likely has a greater impact on the health of pigs than was previously recognized. Pig farmers, pig traders, and slaughterhouse workers may be at greatest occupational risk because of their direct contact with infective leptospires in aborted fetuses, bodily fluids, and other tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Atherstone
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Georgies F Mgode
- Pest Management Centre, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Navneet K Dhand
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Silvia Alonso
- International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Delia Grace
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent, United Kingdom.,International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Michael P Ward
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Siobhan M Mor
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
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Atherstone C, Diederich S, Pickering B, Smith G, Casey G, Fischer K, Ward MP, Ndoboli D, Weingartl H, Alonso S, Dhand N, Roesel K, Grace D, Mor SM. Investigation of Ebolavirus exposure in pigs presented for slaughter in Uganda. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 68:1521-1530. [PMID: 32915496 PMCID: PMC8247040 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In 2008, an outbreak of Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) in pigs in the Philippines expanded our understanding of the host range of ebolaviruses. Subsequent experimental infections with the human‐pathogenic species Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) confirmed that pigs are susceptible to African species of ebolaviruses. Pig keeping has become an increasingly important livelihood strategy throughout parts of sub‐Saharan Africa, driven by increasing demand for pork. The growth in pig keeping is particularly rapid in Uganda, which has the highest per capita pork consumption in East Africa and a history of sporadic human outbreaks of Ebola virus disease (EVD). Using a systematic sampling protocol, we collected sera from 658 pigs presented for slaughter in Uganda between December 2015 and October 2016. Forty‐six pigs (7%) were seropositive based on ELISA tests at two different institutions. Seropositive pigs had antibodies that bound to Sudan NP (n = 27), Zaire NP (Kikwit; n = 8) or both NPs (n = 11). Sera from 4 of the ELISA‐positive pigs reacted in Western blot (EBOV NP = 1; RESTV NP = 2; both NPs = 2), and one sample had full neutralizing antibody against Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV) in virus neutralization tests. Pigs sampled in June 2016 were significantly more likely to be seropositive than pigs sampled in October 2016 (p = .03). Seropositive pigs were sourced from all regions except Western region. These observed temporal and spatial variations are suggestive of multiple introductions of ebolaviruses into the pig population in Uganda. This is the first report of exposure of pigs in Uganda to ebolaviruses and the first to employ systematic abattoir sampling for ebolavirus surveillance during a non‐outbreak period. Future studies will be necessary to further define the role pigs play (if any) in ebolavirus maintenance and transmission so that potential risks can be mitigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Atherstone
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,International Livestock Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sandra Diederich
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald -Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Bradley Pickering
- National Center for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Greg Smith
- National Center for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Graham Casey
- National Center for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Kerstin Fischer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald -Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Michael P Ward
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dickson Ndoboli
- Central Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Hana Weingartl
- National Center for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Silvia Alonso
- International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Navneet Dhand
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kristina Roesel
- International Livestock Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda.,Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Delia Grace
- International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Siobhan M Mor
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Fischer K, Jabaty J, Suluku R, Strecker T, Groseth A, Fehling SK, Balkema-Buschmann A, Koroma B, Schmidt KM, Atherstone C, Weingartl HM, Mettenleiter TC, Groschup MH, Hoenen T, Diederich S. Serological Evidence for the Circulation of Ebolaviruses in Pigs From Sierra Leone. J Infect Dis 2019; 218:S305-S311. [PMID: 29982580 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiy330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many human ebolavirus outbreaks have been linked to contact with wildlife including nonhuman primates and bats, which are assumed to serve as host species. However, it is largely unknown to what extent other animal species, particularly livestock, are involved in the transmission cycle or act as additional hosts for filoviruses. Pigs were identified as a susceptible host for Reston virus with subsequent transmission to humans reported in the Philippines. To date, there is no evidence of natural Ebola virus (EBOV) infection in pigs, although pigs were shown to be susceptible to EBOV infection under experimental settings. To investigate the potential role of pigs in the ecology of EBOV, we analyzed 400 porcine serum samples from Sierra Leone for the presence of ebolavirus-specific antibodies. Three samples reacted with ebolavirus nucleoproteins but had no neutralizing antibodies. Our results (1) suggest the circulation of ebolaviruses in swine in Sierra Leone that are antigenically related but not identical to EBOV and (2) could represent undiscovered ebolaviruses with unknown pathogenic and/or zoonotic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Fischer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Juliet Jabaty
- Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute, Teko Livestock Research Centre, Sierra Leone
| | - Roland Suluku
- Njala University, Animal Science, Serology and Molecular Laboratory, Sierra Leone
| | - Thomas Strecker
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University of Marburg, Germany
| | - Allison Groseth
- Junior Research Group Arenavirus Biology, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Sarah K Fehling
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University of Marburg, Germany
| | - Anne Balkema-Buschmann
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Bashiru Koroma
- Njala University, Animal Science, Serology and Molecular Laboratory, Sierra Leone
| | - Kristina M Schmidt
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Christine Atherstone
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Australia.,International Livestock Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Hana M Weingartl
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | | | - Martin H Groschup
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Thomas Hoenen
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Sandra Diederich
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
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Atherstone C, Diederich S, Weingartl HM, Fischer K, Balkema-Buschmann A, Grace D, Alonso S, Dhand NK, Ward MP, Mor SM. Evidence of exposure to henipaviruses in domestic pigs in Uganda. Transbound Emerg Dis 2019; 66:921-928. [PMID: 30576076 PMCID: PMC6849855 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV), belonging to the genus Henipavirus, are among the most pathogenic of viruses in humans. Old World fruit bats (family Pteropodidae) are the natural reservoir hosts. Molecular and serological studies found evidence of henipavirus infection in fruit bats from several African countries. However, little is known about the potential for spillover into domestic animals in East Africa, particularly pigs, which served as amplifying hosts during the first outbreak of NiV in Malaysia and Singapore. We collected sera from 661 pigs presented for slaughter in Uganda between December 2015 and October 2016. Using HeV G and NiV G indirect ELISAs, 14 pigs (2%) were seroreactive in at least one ELISA. Seroprevalence increased to 5.4% in October 2016, when pigs were 9.5 times more likely to be seroreactive than pigs sampled in December 2015 (p = 0.04). Eight of the 14 ELISA‐positive samples reacted with HeV N antigen in Western blot. None of the sera neutralized HeV or NiV in plaque reduction neutralization tests. Although we did not detect neutralizing antibodies, our results suggest that pigs in Uganda are exposed to henipaviruses or henipa‐like viruses. Pigs in this study were sourced from many farms throughout Uganda, suggesting multiple (albeit rare) introductions of henipaviruses into the pig population. We postulate that given the widespread distribution of Old World fruit bats in Africa, spillover of henipaviruses from fruit bats to pigs in Uganda could result in exposure of pigs at multiple locations. A higher risk of a spillover event at the end of the dry season might be explained by higher densities of bats and contact with pigs at this time of the year, exacerbated by nutritional stress in bat populations and their reproductive cycle. Future studies should prioritize determining the risk of spillover of henipaviruses from pigs to people, so that potential risks can be mitigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Atherstone
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,International Livestock Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sandra Diederich
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Hana M Weingartl
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Kerstin Fischer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Anne Balkema-Buschmann
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Delia Grace
- International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Silvia Alonso
- International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Navneet K Dhand
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael P Ward
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Siobhan M Mor
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Atherstone C, Smith E, Ochungo P, Roesel K, Grace D. Assessing the Potential Role of Pigs in the Epidemiology of Ebola Virus in Uganda. Transbound Emerg Dis 2015; 64:333-343. [PMID: 26310206 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Uganda has experienced 4 Ebola outbreaks since the discovery of the virus. Recent epidemiological work has shown pigs are hosts for Ebola viruses. Due to their high reproduction rates, rapid weight gain, potential to provide quick financial returns and rising demand for pork, pig production in Uganda has undergone massive expansion. The combination of pork sector growth supported by development programmes and Ebola virus risk prompted a foresight exercise using desk, interview and spatial methods. The study found that the lack of serological evidence for specific reservoir species, the number of human index cases unable to account for their source of infection, domestic pig habitat overlap with potential Ebola virus zoonotic host environments, reported interactions at the human-pig-wildlife interface that could support transmission, fever in pigs as a commonly reported problem by pig farmers and temporal correlation of outbreaks with peak pork consumption periods warrants further research into potential zoonotic transmission in Uganda from pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Atherstone
- International Livestock Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - E Smith
- International Livestock Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - P Ochungo
- International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - K Roesel
- International Livestock Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - D Grace
- International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
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Atherstone C, Picozzi K, Kalema-Zikusoka G. Seroprevalence of Leptospira hardjo in cattle and African buffalos in southwestern Uganda. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2013; 90:288-90. [PMID: 24323512 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.13-0466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Leptospirosis, caused by the spirochete bacterium Leptospira spp. is a zoonosis, distributed worldwide and classified as an emerging infectious disease. Fatal outcomes to leptospiral infection do occur and the disease can cause abortion and other reproductive problems in cattle, goats, and pigs. In humans the symptoms range from subclinical infection to acute febrile illness, pulmonary hemorrhage and renal failure. Leptospirosis has never been officially reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) or the World Animal Health Organization in animals or humans in Uganda. However, favorable ecological conditions and suitable animal hosts can be found within the country. A commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) kit was used to screen sera samples from domesticated cattle and African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) at two locations in southwestern Uganda, collected over a 4-year period. Positive samples were found in both cattle and African buffalo samples, from both locations and across the sampling period. Overall seroprevalence was 42.39% in African buffalo and 29.35% in cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Atherstone
- College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; MSc Student International Animal Health Programme, Division of Pathway Medicine and Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Conservation through Public Health, Entebbe, Uganda
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