Effects of Tick-Control Interventions on Tick Abundance,Human Encounters with Ticks,and Incidence of Tickborne Diseases in Residential Neighborhoods,New York,USA

Tickborne diseases (TBDs) such as Lyme disease result in ≈500,000 diagnoses annually in the United States. Various methods can reduce the abundance of ticks at small spatial scales, but whether these methods lower incidence of TBDs is poorly understood. We conducted a randomized, replicated, fully crossed, placebo-controlled, masked experiment to test whether 2 environmentally safe interventions, the Tick Control System (TCS) and Met52 fungal spray, used separately or together, affected risk for and incidence of TBDs in humans and pets in 24 residential neighborhoods. All participating properties in a neighborhood received the same treatment. TCS was associated with fewer questing ticks and fewer ticks feeding on rodents. The interventions did not result in a significant difference in incidence of human TBDs but did significantly reduce incidence in pets. Our study is consistent with previous evidence suggesting that reducing tick abundance in residential areas might not reduce incidence of TBDs in humans.     

Novel Hendra Virus Variant Circulating in Black Flying Foxes and Grey-Headed Flying Foxes,Australia

A novel Hendra virus variant, genotype 2, was recently discovered in a horse that died after acute illness and in Pteropus flying fox tissues in Australia. We detected the variant in flying fox urine, the pathway relevant for spillover, supporting an expanded geographic range of Hendra virus risk to horses and humans.     

人巨细胞病毒核酸定量检测试剂盒临床应用及初步评价

目的:探讨人巨细胞病毒(HCMV)核酸定量检测试剂(PCR-荧光探针法)的临床使用及初步评价。方法:用浓缩一步法试剂与煮沸法试剂对192例临床收集的样本进行HCMV DNA检测并对比其结果,同时,将两种试剂的检测结果分别与HCMV-pp65抗原检测结果进行对比。结果:新型人巨细胞病毒核酸检测试剂与煮沸法试剂的阳性一致性百分比98.06%,阴性一致性百分比95.51%,总一致性百分比96.88%;对6例不符样本进行测序复核,并对复核后的结果进行Kappa检验一致性分析,结果 Kappa值=1.000,表明新型试剂的检测结果与煮沸法试剂及复核检测的结果具有很好的一致性。在与HCMV-pp5抗原检测结果的对比中,两种试剂均表现出较好的准确性。结论:人巨细胞病毒核酸检测试剂与煮沸法试剂检测结果具有很好一致性,操作简单快速,减少污染环节,并具有内标控制假阴性,结果准确,符合临床检测要求,具有较高的应用价值。     

呼吸道感染治疗后咽部菌群变化的研究

目的对患有呼吸道感染的临床患者在经过治疗后的咽部菌群变化情况进行比较分析。方法抽取在过去一段时间内在本院就诊的64例患有呼吸道感染的临床确诊患者病例,定义为A组,再抽取同期在本院就接受健康体检的健康人资料64例,定义为B组。对两组患者的咽部分泌物进行细菌培养,对A组患者的治疗前后菌群变化情况和A、B两组菌群差异进行比较分析。结果笔者研究后发现,A组患者治疗前的咽部需氧菌密度明显低于B组,差异具有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;A组患者治疗前的咽部厌氧菌密度明显高于B组,差异具有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;A组患者治疗后的咽部厌氧菌和需氧菌菌群密度均明显高于治疗前,差异具有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。结论患有呼吸道感染的临床患者其咽部的菌群密度发生显著性的改变,对该类患者这一特征性变化特点进行充分地了解和掌握,可以使临床对该类患者的诊断更加及时准确,可以为临床治疗争取更多的时间。     

Equine Babesiosis: Seroprevalence,Risk Factors and Comparison of Different Diagnostic Methods in Jordan

The purposes of this study were to estimate the seroprevalence and distribution of horse piroplasmosis, to evaluate risk factors associated with the occurrence of the disease and to compare the different diagnostic methods used for this disease. A total of 253 clinically normal horses were sampled, and a collection form was completed for each horse from five of six different climatic zones of Jordan. The sixth zone was not sampled because it did not include horse population. Competitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) revealed 37 horses (14.6%) positive for Theileria equi, and none of the horses was positive for Babesia caballi. Microscopic examination of thin blood smears and PCR test revealed no positive results for either parasite. Grazing was the only risk factor that was associated with being seropositive to the disease; horses that graze are 11.5 more likely to be seropositive (P < 0.05, OR = 11.5, CI: 3.292, 39.962). This is the first study to estimate the prevalence of horse babesiosis using serological test and to identify risk factors associated with the disease in Jordan. Competitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) test appears to be more reliable than microscopic examination and PCR in estimating the seroprevalence of the disease as well as identifying carrier horses to babesiosis.