The golden jackal (Canis aureus): A new host for Echinococcus multilocularis and Trichinella britovi in Switzerland

INTRODUCTION

The golden jackal (Canis aureus) is a wild canid new to Switzerland. It is an officially monitored species and all deceased individuals are submitted for post-mortem examination to collect baseline health data. This includes parasitological examinations, with an emphasis on zoonotic, reportable infections, such as those caused by Trichinella spp. or Echinococcus spp. From 2016 to 2021, five golden jackals originating from four Swiss cantons were submitted for full post-mortem examination. In one case only organ samples were available, and therefore parasitological examination was not possible. Parasite stages recovered during necropsy, as well as by routine coproscopical techniques, were morphologically identified. Taeniid eggs and adult tapeworms were processed for molecular species identification. Additionally, tongue and diaphragm were analysed for Trichinella spp. by the artificial digestion technique followed by multiplex-PCR in positive cases. Of the four jackals investigated for parasites, hookworm eggs were detected in one animal, both adult worms and eggs of Echinococcus multilocularis were present in another case, and one animal was free of parasites. Eggs of E. multilocularis as well as eggs of Toxocara canis and sporocysts of Sarcocystis sp. were detected in the intestinal content, and Trichinella britovi larvae were found in the muscle samples of the last case. The health monitoring programme in place for protected carnivores in Switzerland allowed us to add the golden jackal to the list of hosts for the endemic zoonotic parasites E. multilocularis and T. britovi in this country. Hunters, farmers, and other persons who could come in contact with golden jackals should be aware of the associated health risk and handle faeces and carcasses with caution.

Multiresidue Determination of Pesticides in Drinking and Related Waters by Solid-Phase Extraction and Liquid Chromatography with Ultraviolet Detection: Interlaboratory Study

As part of a project funded by the European Commission (EC) for the development and evaluation of multiresidue methods for analysis of drinking and related waters, 17 European laboratories evaluated a method using styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The main aim of the study was to evaluate whether the method meets the requirements of EC Drinking Water Directive 98/83 in terms of accuracy, precision, and detection limit for 21 pesticides according to the following requirements: limit of detection, ≤0.025 μg/L; accuracy expressed as recovery, between 75 and 125%; and precision expressed as repeatability relative standard deviation of the method, <12.5%, and as reproducibility relative standard deviation of the method, <25%. Analyses for unknown concentrations were performed with commercial bottled and tap waters. All laboratories were able to achieve detection limits of 0.01 μg/L for all pesticides except pirimicarb (0.02 μg/L). The criteria for repeatability were met for all compounds. Terbutryn in bottled water and carbendazim in tap water did not meet the criteria for reproducibility. In terms of accuracy, the method met the requirements for all pesticides in both matrixes, except for metamitron. However, several compounds (linuron, terbutryn, propazine, metobromuron, and isoproturon) showed recoveries slightly below 75%.

Multiresidue Determination of Pesticides in Drinking and Related Waters by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry after Solid-Phase Extraction: Interlaboratory Study

As part of a project funded by the European Commission (EC) for the development and evaluation of multiresidue methods for analysis of drinking and related waters, 15 European laboratories evaluated a method using styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer solid-phase extraction followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The main aim of the study was to evaluate whether the method meets the requirements of EC Directive 98/83 in terms of accuracy, precision, and detection limit for 22 pesticides according to the following requirements: limit of detection, ≤0.025 μg/L; accuracy, expressed as recovery between 75 and 125%; and precision, expressed as repeatability relative standard deviation of the method of <12.5% and as reproducibility relative standard deviation of the method of <25%. Analyses for unknown concentrations were performed with fortified commercial bottled and tap waters. All laboratories were able to achieve detection limits of 0.01 μg/L for all pesticides except dimethoate and desisopropylatrazine (0.02 μg/L). The criteria for repeatability were met for all compounds except trifluralin, dimethoate, and lindane in bottled water and chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, and lindane in tap water. The criteria for reproducibility were met for all compounds except trifluralin, dimethoate, and lindane in bottled water and pendimethalin, chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, terbutryn, and lindane in tap water. In terms of accuracy, the method meets the requirements for all pesticides in both matrixes, except for lindane in bottled water and lindane and chlorpyrifos in tap water.

Expanding CEP290 mutational spectrum in ciliopathies

Ciliopathies are an expanding group of rare conditions characterized by multiorgan involvement, that are caused by mutations in genes encoding for proteins of the primary cilium or its apparatus. Among these genes, CEP290 bears an intriguing allelic spectrum, being commonly mutated in Joubert syndrome and related disorders (JSRD), Meckel syndrome (MKS), Senior-Loken syndrome and isolated Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). Although these conditions are recessively inherited, in a subset of patients only one CEP290 mutation could be detected. To assess whether genomic rearrangements involving the CEP290 gene could represent a possible mutational mechanism in these cases, exon dosage analysis on genomic DNA was performed in two groups of CEP290 heterozygous patients, including five JSRD/MKS cases and four LCA, respectively. In one JSRD patient, we identified a large heterozygous deletion encompassing CEP290 C-terminus that resulted in marked reduction of mRNA expression. No copy number alterations were identified in the remaining probands. The present work expands the CEP290 genotypic spectrum to include multiexon deletions. Although this mechanism does not appear to be frequent, screening for genomic rearrangements should be considered in patients in whom a single CEP290 mutated allele was identified.

Multiresidue determination of pesticides in drinking and related waters by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after solid-phase extraction: interlaboratory study

As part of a project funded by the European Commission (EC) for the development and evaluation of multiresidue methods for analysis of drinking and related waters, 15 European laboratories evaluated a method using styrene-divinylbenzene co-polymer solid-phase extraction followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The main aim of the study was to evaluate whether the method meets the requirements of EC Directive 98/83 in terms of accuracy, precision, and detection limit for 22 pesticides according to the following requirements: limit of detection, < or = 0.025 microg/L; accuracy, expressed as recovery between 75 and 125%; and precision, expressed as repeatability relative standard deviation of the method of < 12.5% and as reproducibility relative standard deviation of the method of < 25%. Analyses for unknown concentrations were performed with fortified commercial bottled and tap waters. All laboratories were able to achieve detection limits of 0.01 microg/L for all pesticides except dimethoate and desisopropylatrazine (0.02 microg/L). The criteria for repeatability were met for all compounds except trifluralin, dimethoate, and lindane in bottled water and chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, and lindane in tap water. The criteria for reproducibility were met for all compounds except trifluralin, dimethoate, and lindane in bottled water and pendimethalin, chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, terbutryn, and lindane in tap water. In terms of accuracy, the method meets the requirements for all pesticides in both matrixes, except for lindane in bottled water and lindane and chlorpyrifos in tap water.