Investigation of virulence factors, phylogenetic grouping, multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis, and antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli isolated from aborted bovine fetal tissue

Escherichia coli is an important microorganism for cattle breeding. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of phylogenetic groups, virulence factors, genotyping with multi-locus variable tandem repeat analysis (MLVA), and susceptibility to commonly used antimicrobial agents in E. coli strains isolated from aborted bovine fetal samples. In this study, phylogrouping and various virulence genes were analyzed by PCR in E. coli strains isolated from 637 bovine fetal tissue samples. Consequently, E. coli was isolated and identified in 24 samples in culture. Of the 24 isolates identified as positive, 12.5% were defined as group A, 83.3% as B1, and 4.2% as group B2. Of the E. coli isolates, virulence factor fimH was identified in eight (33.3%), traT in 15 (62.5%), ompT in five (20.8%), CNF1 in one (4.16%), and CNF2 in six (25%). Seven genotypic groups were determined as a result of the analysis with the MLVA 10 method. According to the antimicrobial susceptibility test results, high resistance was determined against amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and oxytetracycline. In conclusion, strains of E. coli containing CNF1, CNF2, fimH, traT, and ompT virulence factors can be associated with bovine abortions. It is noteworthy that the dominant phylogenetic group B1 has been observed in cases of cattle abortions.

Stepwise molecular-genetic examination in aborted fetuses

OBJECTIVE

The evaluation of quantitative fluorescence PCR (QF-PCR) and single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP array) analysis for the identification of chromosomal abnormalities in products of conception (POC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 1,094 POC samples were processed at Gennet in the years 2018-2020. Chromosomal aneuploidies were tested by QF-PCR using a Omnibor set (STR markers 13, 18, 21, X a Y), SAB-I set (STR markers 2, 7, 15, 16, 22), SAB-II set (from November 2019, STR markers 4, 6, 14) followed by SNP array analysis (Illumina) on samples with a negative QF-PCR result. All POC samples were tested for maternal contamination.

RESULTS

After exclusion of maternal contamination (32% samples) the total number of 742 POC samples were tested by QF-PCR. Chromosomal aneuploidies were found in 273 POC samples (36.8%). Then, 469 QF-PCR negative POC samples were tested by SNP array analysis. Normal female/male profile was confirmed in 402 samples (85.7%) and chromosomal aneuploidies and chromosomal aberrations (deletion/duplication > 10 Mb) in 51 samples (10.9%). Microdeletion/microduplication was found in 16 POC samples (3.4%), two were classified as pathogenic variants and 14 as variants of unknown significance. In a group of women > 35 years of age, statistically significant increase of the chromosomal abnormalities was confirmed. No statistically significant difference between the in vitro fertilization group and the group of spontaneous conception was found.

CONCLUSION

The application of the molecular work-up based on the stepwise use of QF-PCR and SNP array clarifies the cause of the abortion in 43% POC samples. The overall detection rate in the I. trimester was 50.4%.

Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii in aborted fetuses of goats in Chattogram, Bangladesh

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that is responsible for the major cause of congenital diseases, abortion, and stillbirth in humans and farm animals. Primary infection in pregnant goats due to T. gondii leads to abortion and significant economic losses in the livestock industry. Moreover, very few studies have been performed for the identification of T. gondii from aborted fetuses of goats. The study was conducted for the molecular identification of Toxoplasma gondii from aborted fetuses of goats in Chattogram, Bangladesh.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty aborted fetuses of goats were collected from 52 farms in the study area. A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the B1 gene was performed, and a positive sample yield of 197 bp amplified DNA products consistent with T. gondii.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of toxoplasmosis in the aborted fetus of goats was 35%. Heart muscle, liver, brain, and placenta showed positive PCR results. The risk factors related to the does age, presence of cats in farms, and aborted fetus age were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Our results showed that T. gondii is a major possible causal factor for abortion and reproductive failure in goats. The high prevalence of T. gondii infection in aborted fetuses of goats revealed that T. gondii could be imperative in causing reproductive failure in goats.

CONCLUSION

Active or congenital toxoplasmosis was shown by the presence of T. gondii in fetal tissues, which is a matter of concern as this parasite has zoonotic significance and causes economic hazards to the livestock industry by causing various reproductive problems. Therefore, proper control measures and strategies are needed to reduce the rate of abortion in goats, ultimately saving the livestock industry.

Ten cases of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis infections linked to equine abortions in Japan, 2018-2019

Bacterial placentitis in horses commonly results in abortion, premature birth or compromised neonatal foal health. Although mycobacterial infections are generally uncommon in horses, 10 equine abortion cases caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) infections occurred between 2018 and 2019 in Japan. They occurred on seven Thoroughbred horse farms in the Hidaka district of Hokkaido, but direct contact among the mares on different farms was not recorded. Most cases were characterized by extensive pathological lesions of the placenta, which are not typical in cases of common pathogenic bacteria such as Streptococcus zooepidemicus and Escherichia coli. All abortions featured white–yellow exudates on the surface of the placenta. Mycobacterial granuloma formations were histologically found in the placenta and fetal organs, and acid‐fast bacteria were isolated from the placenta, fetal samples (heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen and stomach contents) or uterine lavage fluid. The greatest number of bacteria was isolated from necrotic lesions on the placenta, which could be an important site for bacterial isolation in mycobacterial equine abortions. The isolates were identified as MAH based on internal genome sequences. In variable number tandem repeat analysis, all patterns of the strains were identical. Single nucleotide polymorphism analysis of the core genome grouped all strains in the II‐a/SC3 subcluster. Both results reveal that these strains share the same genetic background, suggesting that the horses had been infected by the same unknown contagious source.

Expulsion at home for early medical abortion: A systematic review with meta-analyses

INTRODUCTION

The safety and acceptability of medical abortion using mifepristone and misoprostol at home at ≤9⁺⁰  weeks' gestation is well established. However, the upper gestational limit at which the procedure remains safe and acceptable at home is not known. To inform a national guideline on abortion care we conducted a systematic review to determine what gestational limit for expulsion at home offers the best balance of benefits and harms for women who are having medical abortion.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We searched Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Cinahl Plus and Web-of-Science on 2 January 2020 for prospective and retrospective cohort studies with ≥50 women per gestational age group, published in English from 1995 onwards, that included women undergoing medical abortion and compared home expulsion of pregnancies of ≤9⁺⁰  weeks' gestational age with pregnancies of 9⁺¹ -10⁺⁰  weeks or >10⁺¹  weeks' gestational age, or compared the latter two gestational age groups. We assessed risk-of-bias using the Newcastle-Ottowa scale. All outcomes were meta-analyzed as risk ratios (RR) using the Mantel-Haenszel method. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using GRADE.

RESULTS

Six studies (n = 3381) were included. The "need for emergency care/admission to hospital" (RR = 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.45-1.4), "hemorrhage requiring transfusion/≥500 mL blood loss" (RR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.11-3.55), patient satisfaction (RR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.95-1.03), pain (RR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.82-1.02), and "complete abortion without the need for surgical intervention" (RR = 1.03, 95% CI 1-1.05) did not differ statistically significantly between the ≤9⁺⁰ and >9⁺⁰  weeks' gestation groups. The rates of vomiting (RR = 0.8, 95% CI 0.69-0.93) and diarrhea (RR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.73-0.99) were statistically significantly lower in the ≤9⁺⁰  weeks group but these differences were not considered clinically important. We found no studies comparing pregnancies of 9⁺¹ -10⁺⁰  weeks' gestation with pregnancies of >10⁺⁰  weeks' gestation. The certainty of this evidence was predominantly low and mainly compromised by low event rates and loss to follow up.

CONCLUSIONS

Women who are having a medical abortion and will be taking mifepristone up to and including 10⁺⁰  weeks' gestation should be offered the option of expulsion at home after they have taken the misoprostol. Further research needs to determine whether the gestational limit for home expulsion can be extended beyond 10⁺⁰  weeks.

First Isolation and Rapid Identification of Newcastle Disease Virus from Aborted Fetus of Dromedary Camel Using Next-Generation Sequencing

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) causes morbidities and mortalities in wild and domestic birds globally. For humans, exposure to infected birds can cause conjunctivitis and influenza-like symptoms. NDV infections in mammals are rarely reported. In this study, using next-generation sequencing, an NDV was identified and isolated from Vero cells inoculated with the nasal swab of an aborted dromedary fetus in Dubai, during the time when an NDV outbreak occurred in a pigeon farm located in close proximity to the dairy camel farm where the mother of the aborted dromedary fetus resided, and there were a lot of pigeons in the camel farm. Genome analysis revealed that the structurally and functionally important features of other NDVs were also present in this dromedary NDV genome. Phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide sequences of fusion protein (F), hemagglutinin-neuraminidase protein (HN) and complete polyprotein showed that the virus belonged to sub-genotype VIg of class II NDV and is most closely related to pigeon NDVs in Egypt in the same year. The present study is the first that demonstrated isolation of NDV in dromedaries. Further study is warranted to investigate the relationship between NDV infection and abortion.

Isolation and Full-Length Sequence Analysis of a Pestivirus from Aborted Lamb Fetuses in Italy

Pestiviruses are distributed worldwide and are responsible for a variety of economically important diseases. They are not very host-specific, and thus sheep can be infected by well-known pestiviruses like bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and border disease virus (BDV), as well as by other recently discovered pestivirus species. The aim of this study is to describe the isolation and characterization of four pestivirus strains detected in aborted lamb fetuses from a single farm in the Brescia province (Northern Italy). A total of twelve aborted fetuses were collected and examined. After necropsy, organs were tested for the presence of infectious agents known as potential causes of abortion (Brucella spp., Listeria spp., Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydophila spp., Mycoplasma spp., Neospora caninum, and Toxoplasma gondii), and submitted to viral identification by isolation on Madin Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cell culture and by PCR assay for Schmallenberg virus and pan-pestivirus RT-PCR real time assay. Three viral strains (Ovine/IT/1756/2017, Ovine/IT/338710-2/2017, and Ovine/IT/338710-3/2017) were isolated in the absence of cytopathic effects (CPEs) in cell cultures and identified with RT-PCR. Another pestivirus strain (Ovine/IT/16235-2/2018) was detected by PCR, but was not successfully isolated. Complete sequence genomic data of the three isolated viruses showed that they were highly similar, differed genetically from known pestivirus species, and were closely related to classical swine fever virus (CSFV). Beyond the identification of new ovine pestiviruses, this study indicates that a systematic diagnostic approach is important to identify the presence and map the distribution of both known and emerging pestiviruses.

First detection and genetic characterization of porcine parvovirus 7 from Korean domestic pig farms

Porcine parvovirus 7 (PPV7) was first detected in Korean pig farms in 2017. The detection rate of PPV7 DNA was 24.0% (30/125) in aborted pig fetuses and 74.9% (262/350) in finishing pigs, suggesting that PPV7 has circulated among Korean domestic pig farms. Phylogenetic analysis based on capsid protein amino acid sequences demonstrated that the nine isolated Korean strains (PPV-KA1-3 and PPV-KF1-6) were closely related to the previously reported USA and Chinese PPV7 strains. In addition, the Korean strains exhibit genetic diversity with both insertion and deletion mutations. This study contributes to the understanding of the molecular epidemiology of PPV7 in Korea.

Isolation and Genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii Strains in Ovine Aborted Fetuses in Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran

Toxoplasmosis is an important zoonotic disease that can cause abortion in humans and animals. The aim of this study was isolation and subsequent genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii isolates in ovine aborted fetuses. During 2012-2013, 39 ovine aborted fetuses were collected from sheep flocks in Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran. The brain samples were screened for detection of the parasite DNA by nested PCR. The positive brain samples were bioassayed in Webster Swiss mice. The serum samples of mice were examined for T. gondii antibodies by IFAT at 6 weeks post inoculation, and T. gondii cysts were searched in brain tissue samples of seropositive mice. The positive samples were genotyped by using a PCR-RLFP method. Subsequently, GRA6 sequences of isolates were analyzed using a phylogenetic method. The results revealed that T. gondii DNA was detected in 54% (20/37, 95% CI 38.4-69.0%) brain samples of ovine aborted fetuses. In bioassay of mice, only 2 samples were virulent and the mice were killed at 30 days post inoculation, while the others were non-virulent to mice. The size of cysts ranged 7-22 µm. Complete genotyping data for GRA6 locus were observed in 5 of the 20 samples. PCR-RLFP results and phylogenetic analysis revealed that all of the isolated samples were closely related to type I. For the first time, we could genotype and report T. gondii isolates from ovine aborted fetuses in Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran. The results indicate that the T. gondii isolates are genetically related to type I, although most of them were non-virulent for mice.

Sonographic characteristics of the uterus in asymptomatic women after second-trimester medical termination of pregnancy

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sonographic characteristics of the uterus after apparently uncomplicated second-trimester medical termination of pregnancy and to follow the evolution of these findings until the return of menstruation.

METHODS

Twenty-three women who requested termination of pregnancy at gestational ages between 14 and 20 weeks were recruited. Uterine characteristics were measured by 2- and 3-dimensional transvaginal with or without transabdominal sonography. The uterine anteroposterior diameter, length, and width, endometrial thickness, presence of an endometrial mass, intrauterine vascularity, and endometrial volume were measured within 24 hours, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after termination, and during the postmenstrual phase.

RESULTS

The mean uterine anteroposterior diameter, uterine length, uterine width, endometrial thickness, and endometrial volume ± SD deceased gradually from 66.1 ± 9.7 to 40.9 ± 5.3 mm, 131.4 ± 14.7 to 81.3 ± 13.8 mm, 84.6 ± 10.3 to 54.2 ± 7.6 mm, 25.6 ± 8.1 to 4.5 ± 2.6 mm, and 39.4 ± 22.6 to 2.5 ± 2.1 mL, respectively, from within 24 hours after termination to the postmenstrual phase. Endometrial masses were identified in 8 women (34.8%) within 4 weeks after termination, which could persist for up to 8 weeks. However, all endometrial masses resolved after menstruation. Minimal and moderate endometrial vascularity was detectable in up to 21.7% after termination; none was detectable in any women after menstruation.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides information on the normal sonographic parameters of the uterus after second-trimester medical termination of pregnancy, which has been lacking in the literature. Also, our findings suggest that all endometrial masses regress with time; therefore, asymptomatic women with an incidental finding of an endometrial mass can be followed without the need for an immediate intervention.