Last data update: May 06, 2024. (Total: 46732 publications since 2009)
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Query Trace: Maruyama T[original query] |
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Social network strategy (SNS) for HIV testing: a new approach for identifying individuals with undiagnosed HIV infection in Tanzania
Rwabiyago OE , Katale A , Bingham T , Grund JM , Machangu O , Medley A , Nkomela ZM , Kayange A , King'ori GN , Juma JM , Ismail A , Kategile U , Akom E , Mlole NT , Schaad N , Maokola W , Nyagonde N , Magesa D , Kazitanga JC , Maruyama H , Temu F , Kimambo S , Sando D , Mbatia R , Chalamila ST , Ogwang BE , Njelekela MA , Kazaura K , Wong VJ , Gongo R , Njau PF , Mbunda A , Nondi J , Bateganya M , Greene J , Breda M , Mgomella G , Rwebembera A , Swaminathan M . AIDS Care 2024 1-10 Social network strategy (SNS) testing uses network connections to refer individuals at high risk to HIV testing services (HTS). In Tanzania, SNS testing is offered in communities and health facilities. In communities, SNS testing targets key and vulnerable populations (KVP), while in health facilities it complements index testing by reaching unelicited index contacts. Routine data were used to assess performance and trends over time in PEPFAR-supported sites between October 2021 and March 2023. Key indicators included SNS social contacts tested, and new HIV-positives individuals identified. Descriptive and statistical analysis were conducted. Univariable and multivariable analysis were applied, and variables with P-values <0.2 at univariable analysis were considered for multivariable analysis. Overall, 121,739 SNS contacts were tested, and 7731 (6.4%) previously undiagnosed individuals living with HIV were identified. Tested contacts and identified HIV-positives were mostly aged ≥15 years (>99.7%) and females (80.6% of tests, 79.4% of HIV-positives). Most SNS contacts were tested (78,363; 64.7%) and diagnosed (6376; 82.5%) in communities. SNS tests and HIV-positives grew 11.5 and 6.1-fold respectively, from October-December 2021 to January-March 2023, with majority of clients reached in communities vs. facilities (78,763 vs. 42,976). These results indicate that SNS testing is a promising HIV case-finding approach in Tanzania. |
Cost-outcome analysis of HIV testing and counseling, linkage, and defaulter tracing services in Bukoba, Tanzania
Suraratdecha C , MacKellar D , Steiner C , Rwabiyago OE , Cham HJ , Msumi O , Maruyama H , Kundi G , Byrd J , Weber R , Mkemwa G , Kazaura K , Justman J , Rwebembera A . AIDS Care 2023 1-8 Effective services along the HIV continuum of care from HIV testing and counseling to linkage, and from linkage to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and retention, are key to improved health outcomes of persons living with HIV. A comprehensive analysis of the costs and outcomes of cascade services is needed to help allocate and prioritize resources to achieve UNAIDS targets. We evaluated the costs and population-level impact of a community-wide, integrated scale-up of testing, linkage, and defaulter-tracing programs implemented in Bukoba Municipal Council, Tanzania. Costs per identified HIV-positive client for provider-initiated, and home- and venue-based testing and counseling were $92.64 United States dollars (USD), $256.33 USD, and $281.57 USD, respectively. Costs per patient linked to HIV care and ART were $47.69 USD and $74.12 USD, respectively, during all ART-eligibility periods combined. Costs per defaulter traced and returned to HIV care were $47.56 USD and $206.77 USD, respectively. The provider-initiated testing and counseling was the most cost-effective modality. Testing approaches targeted to populations groups and geographic location with high testing positivity rates may improve the overall efficiency of testing services. The expansion of ART eligibility criteria and high linkage rate also result in efficiency gains and economies of scale of linkage services. |
Participatory Surveillance of COVID-19 in Lesotho via Weekly Calls: Protocol for Cell Phone Data Collection.
Greenleaf A , Mwima G , Lethoko M , Conkling M , Keefer G , Chang C , McLeod N , Maruyama H , Chen Q , Farley S , Low A . JMIR Res Protoc 2021 10 (9) e31236 BACKGROUND: The increase in cell phone ownership in low- and middle- income countries (LMIC) has created an opportunity for low-cost, rapid turnaround data collection by calling participants on their cell phones. Cell phones can be mobilized for myriad data collection purposes, including surveillance. In LMIC, cell phone-based surveillance has been used to track Ebola, measles, acute flaccid paralysis, and diarrheal disease, as well as non-communicable diseases. Phone-based surveillance in LMIC is a particularly pertinent, burgeoning approach in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participatory surveillance via cell phone could allow governments to assess burden of disease and complements existing surveillance systems. OBJECTIVE: We describe the protocol for the LeCellPHIA project, a cell phone surveillance system that collects weekly population-based data on influenza-like illness (ILI) in Lesotho by calling a representative sample of a recent face-to-face survey. METHODS: We established a phone-based surveillance system to collect ILI symptoms from approximately 1700 participants who had participated in a recent face-to-face survey in Lesotho, the Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA) Survey. Of the 15,267 PHIA participants who were over 18, 11,975 (78.44%) consented to future research and provided a valid phone number. We followed the PHIA sample design and included 342 primary sampling units from 10 districts. We randomly selected 5 households from each primary sampling unit that had an eligible participant and sampled one person per household. We oversampled the elderly, as they are more likely to be affected by COVID-19. A three-day Zoom training was conducted in June 2020 to train LeCellPHIA interviewers. RESULTS: The surveillance system launched July 1, 2020, beginning with a two-week enrollment period followed by weekly calls that will continue until September 30, 2021. Of the 11,975 phone numbers that were in the sample frame, 3,020 were sampled and 1,778 were enrolled. CONCLUSIONS: The surveillance system will track COVID-19 in a resource-limited setting. The novel approach of a weekly cell phone-based surveillance system can be used to track other health outcomes and this protocol provides information about how to implement such a system. |
Bringing HIV services to key populations and their communities in Tanzania: from pilot to scale
Maruyama H , Franks J , Laki D , Msumi O , Makyao N , Rwabiyago OE , Rabkin M , Kagashe MJ , El-Sadr WM . J Int AIDS Soc 2021 24 Suppl 3 e25718 INTRODUCTION: Despite the global scale-up of HIV testing, prevention and treatment, these services remain inaccessible to groups most vulnerable to HIV. Globally, most new HIV infections are concentrated among members of key populations (KP), including female sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who inject drugs and their sexual partners. These populations lag in access to HIV prevention and antiretroviral therapy (ART) and have less favourable HIV outcomes compared to the general population. Intersecting behavioural and structural factors contribute to these gaps in service access for at-risk KP and those living with HIV; corresponding comprehensive approaches to improving service delivery for KP are urgently needed. Differentiated service delivery (DSD) models tailor HIV programmes to the needs and preferences of specific groups but are rarely implemented at scale for KP. We describe the FIKIA Project, which implemented innovative approaches to scaling up DSD models to reach and engage KP in Tanzania. METHODS: The FIKIA Project worked with diverse KP communities in Tanzania to tailor HIV services to their needs and to pair healthcare workers with trained peer educators and expert client counsellors to expand uptake of community-based HIV testing and ART services. We analysed routine aggregate project data from 2016 to 2020 to describe project implementation, outcomes and best practices. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The FIKIA Project conducted 1,831,441 HIV tests in community settings; of the 98,349 (5.4%) individuals with new HIV diagnoses, 89,640 (91.1%) initiated ART. The project reached substantial numbers of KP: 203,233 received HIV tests, 28,830 (14.2%) received a new HIV diagnosis and 25,170 KP (87.3%) initiated ART at the point of diagnosis. Over time, HIV testing increased by 1.6 times overall (2.3 times among KP), HIV diagnoses increased by 8.7 times (10.9 times among KP) and ART initiation at the point of diagnosis increased from 80.0% to 95.9% overall (from 69.6% to 94.9% among KP). CONCLUSIONS: Over four years, the FIKIA Project scaled up HIV testing, diagnosis and treatment by using DSD principles to design services that meet the needs of KP and their communities. |
Community-wide HIV testing, linkage case management, and defaulter tracing in Bukoba, Tanzania: pre-intervention and post-intervention, population-based survey evaluation
Steiner C , MacKellar D , Cham HJ , Rwabiyago OE , Maruyama H , Msumi O , Pals S , Weber R , Kundi G , Byrd J , Kazaura K , Madevu-Matson C , Morales F , Justman J , Rutachunzibwa T , Rwebembera A . Lancet HIV 2020 7 (10) e699-e710 BACKGROUND: Community randomised trials have had mixed success in implementing combination prevention strategies that diagnose 90% of people living with HIV, initiate and retain on antiretroviral therapy (ART) 90% of those diagnosed, and achieve viral load suppression in 90% of those on ART (90-90-90). The Bukoba Combination Prevention Evaluation (BCPE) aimed to achieve 90-90-90 in Bukoba Municipal Council, Tanzania, by scaling up new HIV testing, linkage, and retention interventions. METHOD: We did population-based, cross-sectional surveys before and after our community-wide intervention in Bukoba-a mixed urban and rural council of approximately 150 000 residents located on the western shore of Lake Victoria in Tanzania. BCPE interventions were implemented in 11 government-supported health-care facilities throughout Bukoba from Oct 1, 2014, to March 31, 2017, when national ART-eligibility guidelines expanded from CD4 counts of less than 350 cells per μL (Oct 1, 2014-Dec 31, 2015) and 500 or less cells per μL (Jan 1, 2016-Sept 30, 2016) to any CD4 cell count (test and treat, Oct 1, 2016-March 31, 2017). We used pre-intervention (Nov 4, 2013-Jan 25, 2014) and post-intervention (June 21, 2017-Sept 20, 2017) population-based household surveys to assess population prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infection and ART coverage, and progress towards 90-90-90, among residents aged 18-49 years. FINDINGS: During the 2·5-year intervention, BCPE did 133 695 HIV tests, diagnosed and linked 3918 people living with HIV to HIV care at 11 Bukoba facilities, and returned to HIV care 604 patients who had stopped care. 4795 and 5067 residents aged 18-49 years participated in pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys. HIV prevalence before and after the intervention was similar: pre-intervention 8·9% (95% CI 7·5-10·4); post-intervention 8·4% (6·9-9·9). Prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infection decreased from 4·7% to 2·0% (prevalence ratio 0·42, 95% CI 0·31-0·57), and current ART use among all people living with HIV increased from 32·2% to 70·9% (2·20, 1·82-2·66) overall, 23·0% to 62·1% among men (2·70, 1·84-3·96), and 16·7% to 64·4% among people aged 18-29 years (3·87, 2·54-5·89). Of 436 and 435 people living with HIV aged 18-49 years who participated in pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys, previous HIV diagnosis increased from 47·4% (41·3-53·4) to 76·2% (71·8-80·6), ART use among diagnosed people living with HIV increased from 68·0% (60·9-75·2) to 93·1% (90·2-96·0), and viral load suppression of those on ART increased from 88·7% (83·6-93·8) to 91·3% (88·6-94·1). INTERPRETATION: BCPE findings suggest scaling up recommended HIV testing, linkage, and retention interventions can help reduce prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infection, increase ART use among all people living with HIV, and make substantial progress towards achieving 90-90-90 in a relatively short period. BCPE facility-based testing and linkage interventions are undergoing national scale up to help achieve 90-90-90 in Tanzania. FUNDING: US Presidents' Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. |
Threefold increases in population HIV viral load suppression among men and young adults - Bukoba Municipal Council, Tanzania, 2014-2017
MacKellar D , Steiner C , Rwabiyago OE , Cham HJ , Pals S , Maruyama H , Msumi O , Kundi G , Byrd J , Weber R , Madevu-Matson C , Kazaura K , Rutachunzibwa T , Mmari E , Morales F , Justman J , Cain K , Rwebembera A . MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019 68 (30) 658-663 Reducing HIV-related morbidity and mortality, and effectively eliminating HIV transmission risk, depends on use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to achieve and maintain viral load suppression (VLS)* (1,2). By 2020, sub-Saharan African countries are working to achieve VLS among 90% of persons using ART and 73% of all persons living with HIV infection (1). In Tanzania, a country with 1.4 million persons with HIV infection, 49.6% of HIV-positive persons aged 15-49 years had achieved VLS in 2017, including only 21.5% of men and 44.6% of women aged 25-29 years (3). To identify interventions that might increase VLS in Tanzania, and reduce VLS-associated sex and age-group disparities, the Bukoba Combination Prevention Evaluation (BCPE) scaled up new HIV testing, linkage to care, and retention on ART interventions throughout Bukoba Municipal Council (Bukoba), Tanzania, during October 2014-March 2017 (4,5). Located on the western shore of Lake Victoria, Bukoba is a mixed urban and rural municipality of 150,000 persons and capital of Kagera Region. Of the 31 regions of Tanzania, Kagera has the fourth highest prevalence of HIV infection (6.8%) among residents aged 15-49 years (3). CDC analyzed data from BCPE preintervention and postintervention surveys and found that VLS prevalence among HIV-positive Bukoba residents aged 18-49 years increased approximately twofold overall (from 28.6% to 64.8%) and among women (33.3% to 67.8%) and approximately threefold among men (20.5% to 59.1%) and young adults aged 18-29 years (15.6% to 56.7%). During 2017, BCPE facility-based testing and linkage interventions were approved as new service delivery models by the Tanzania Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (4,5). After a successful rollout to 208 facilities in 11 regions in 2018, BCPE interventions are being scaled up in all regions of Tanzania in 2019 with support from the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). |
Methods, outcomes, and costs of a 2.5 year comprehensive facility-and community-based HIV testing intervention in Bukoba Municipal Council, Tanzania, 2014-2017
Cham HJ , MacKellar D , Maruyama H , Rwabiyago OE , Msumi O , Steiner C , Kundi G , Weber R , Byrd J , Suraratdecha C , Mengistu T , Churi E , Pals S , Madevu-Matson C , Alexander G , Porter S , Kazaura K , Mbilinyi D , Morales F , Rutachunzibwa T , Justman J , Rwebembera A . PLoS One 2019 14 (5) e0215654 To diagnose >/=90% HIV-infected residents (diagnostic coverage), the Bukoba Combination Prevention Evaluation (BCPE) implemented provider-initiated (PITC), home- (HBHTC), and venue-based (VBHTC) HIV testing and counseling (HTC) intervention in Bukoba Municipal Council, a mixed urban and rural lake zone community of 150,000 residents in Tanzania. This paper describes the methods, outcomes, and incremental costs of these HTC interventions. PITC was implemented in outpatient department clinics in all eight public and three faith-based health facilities. In clinics, lay counselors routinely screened and referred eligible patients for HIV testing conducted by HTC-dedicated healthcare workers. In all 14 wards, community teams offered HTC to eligible persons encountered at 31,293 home visits and at 79 male- and youth-frequented venues. HTC was recommended for persons who were not in HIV care or had not tested in the prior 90 days. BCPE conducted 133,695 HIV tests during the 2.5 year intervention (PITC: 88,813, 66%; HBHTC: 27,407, 21%; VBHTC: 17,475, 13%). Compared with other strategies, PITC conducted proportionally more tests among females (65%), and VBHTC conducted proportionally more tests among males (69%) and young-adults aged 15-24 years (42%). Of 5,550 (4.2% of all tests) HIV-positive tests, 4,143 (75%) clients were newly HIV diagnosed, including 1,583 males and 881 young adults aged 15-24 years. Of HIV tests conducted 3.7%, 1.8%, and 2.1% of PITC, HBHTC, and VBHTC clients, respectively, were newly HIV diagnosed; PITC accounted for 79% of all new diagnoses. Cost per test (per new diagnosis) was $4.55 ($123.66), $6.45 ($354.44), and $7.98 ($372.67) for PITC, HBHTC, and VBHTC, respectively. In a task-shifting analysis in which lay counselors replaced healthcare workers, estimated costs per test (per new diagnosis) would have been $3.06 ($83.15), $ 4.81 ($264.04), and $5.45 ($254.52), for PITC, HBHTC, and VBHTC, respectively. BCPE models reached different target groups, including men and young adults, two groups with consistently low coverage. Implementation of multiple models is likely necessary to achieve >/=90% diagnostic coverage. |
Implementing the package of CDC and WHO recommended linkage services: Methods, outcomes, and costs of the Bukoba Tanzania Combination Prevention Evaluation peer-delivered, linkage case management program, 2014-2017
MacKellar D , Maruyama H , Rwabiyago OE , Steiner C , Cham H , Msumi O , Weber R , Kundi G , Suraratdecha C , Mengistu T , Byrd J , Pals S , Churi E , Madevu-Matson C , Kazaura K , Morales F , Rutachunzibwa T , Justman J , Rwebembera A . PLoS One 2018 13 (12) e0208919 Although several studies have evaluated one or more linkage services to improve early enrollment in HIV care in Tanzania, none have evaluated the package of linkage services recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). We describe the uptake of each component of the CDC/WHO recommended package of linkage services, and early enrollment in HIV care and antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation among persons with HIV who participated in a peer-delivered, linkage case management (LCM) program implemented in Bukoba, Tanzania, October 2014 -May 2017. Of 4206 participants (88% newly HIV diagnosed), most received recommended services including counseling on the importance of early enrollment in care and ART (100%); escort by foot or car to an HIV care and treatment clinic (CTC) (83%); treatment navigation at a CTC (94%); telephone support and appointment reminders (77% among clients with cellphones); and counseling on HIV-status disclosure and partner/family testing (77%), and on barriers to care (69%). During three periods with different ART-eligibility thresholds [CD4<350 (Oct 2014 -Dec 2015, n = 2233), CD4</=500 (Jan 2016 -Sept 2016, n = 1221), and Test & Start (Oct 2016 -May 2017, n = 752)], 90%, 96%, and 97% of clients enrolled in HIV care, and 47%, 67%, and 86% of clients initiated ART, respectively, within three months of diagnosis. Of 463 LCM clients who participated in the last three months of the rollout of Test & Start, 91% initiated ART. Estimated per-client cost was $44 United States dollars (USD) for delivering LCM services in communities and facilities overall, and $18 USD for a facility-only model with task shifting. Well accepted by persons with HIV, peer-delivered LCM services recommended by CDC and WHO can achieve near universal early ART initiation in the Test & Start era at modest cost and should be considered for implementation in facilities and communities experiencing <90% early enrollment in ART care. |
Evolutionary dynamics of pathoadaptation revealed by three independent acquisitions of the VirB/D4 type IV secretion system in Bartonella.
Harms A , Segers FH , Quebatte M , Mistl C , Manfredi P , Korner J , Chomel BB , Kosoy M , Maruyama S , Engel P , Dehio C . Genome Biol Evol 2017 9 (3) 761-776 The alpha-proteobacterial genus Bartonella comprises a group of ubiquitous mammalian pathogens that are studied as a model for the evolution of bacterial pathogenesis. Vast abundance of two particular phylogenetic lineages of Bartonella had been linked to enhanced host adaptability enabled by lineage-specific acquisition of a VirB/D4 type IV secretion system (T4SS) and parallel evolution of complex effector repertoires. However, the limited availability of genome sequences from one of those lineages as well as other, remote branches of Bartonella has so far hampered comprehensive understanding of how the VirB/D4 T4SS and its effectors called Beps have shaped Bartonella evolution. Here, we report the discovery of a third repertoire of Beps associated with the VirB/D4 T4SS of B. ancashensis, a novel human pathogen that lacks any signs of host adaptability and is only distantly related to the two species-rich lineages encoding a VirB/D4 T4SS. Furthermore, sequencing of ten new Bartonella isolates from under-sampled lineages enabled combined in silico analyses and wet lab experiments that suggest several parallel layers of functional diversification during evolution of the three Bep repertoires from a single ancestral effector. Our analyses show that the Beps of B. ancashensis share many features with the two other repertoires, but may represent a more ancestral state that has not yet unleashed the adaptive potential of such an effector set. We anticipate that the effectors of B. ancashensis will enable future studies to dissect the evolutionary history of Bartonella effectors and help unraveling the evolutionary forces underlying bacterial host adaptation. |
Global distribution of Bartonella infections in domestic bovine and characterization of Bartonella bovis strains using multi-locus sequence typing.
Bai Y , Malania L , Alvarez Castillo D , Moran D , Boonmar S , Chanlun A , Suksawat F , Maruyama S , Knobel D , Kosoy M . PLoS One 2013 8 (11) e80894 Bartonella bovis is commonly detected in cattle. One B. bovis strain was recently isolated from a cow with endocarditis in the USA, suggesting its role as an animal pathogen. In the present study, we investigated bartonella infections in 893 cattle from five countries (Kenya, Thailand, Japan, Georgia, and Guatemala) and 103 water buffaloes from Thailand to compare the prevalence of the infection among different regions and different bovid hosts. We developed a multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) scheme based on nine loci (16S rRNA, gltA, ftsZ, groEL, nuoG, ribC, rpoB, ssrA, and ITS) to compare genetic divergence of B. bovis strains, including 26 representatives from the present study and two previously described reference strains (one from French cows and another from a cow with endocarditis in the USA). Bartonella bacteria were cultured in 6.8% (7/103) of water buffaloes from Thailand; all were B. bovis. The prevalence of bartonella infections in cattle varied tremendously across the investigated regions. In Japan, Kenya, and the Mestia district of Georgia, cattle were free from the infection; in Thailand, Guatemala, and the Dusheti and Marneuli districts of Georgia, cattle were infected with prevalences of 10-90%. The Bartonella isolates from cattle belonged to three species: B. bovis (n=165), B. chomelii (n=9), and B. schoenbuchensis (n=1), with the latter two species found in Georgia only. MLST analysis suggested genetic variations among the 28 analyzed B. bovis strains, which fall into 3 lineages (I, II, and III). Lineages I and II were found in cattle while lineage III was restricted to water buffaloes. The majority of strains (17/28), together with the strain causing endocarditis in a cow in the USA, belonged to lineage I. Further investigations are needed to determine whether B. bovis causes disease in bovids. |
Isolation and phylogenetic analysis of Bartonella species from wild carnivores of the suborder Caniformia in Japan.
Sato S , Kabeya H , Miura T , Suzuki K , Bai Y , Kosoy M , Sentsui H , Kariwa H , Maruyama S . Vet Microbiol 2012 161 130-6 The prevalence of Bartonella species was investigated among wild carnivores of the suborder Caniformia, including 15 Japanese badgers (Meles anakuma), 8 Japanese martens (Martes melampus), 2 Japanese weasels (Mustela itatsi), 1 Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica), 171 raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides), and 977 raccoons (Procyon lotor) in Japan. Bartonella bacteria were isolated from one Japanese badger (6.7%) and from one Japanese marten (12.5%); however, no Bartonella species was found in other representatives of Caniformia. Phylogenetic analysis was based on concatenated sequences of six housekeeping genes (16S rRNA, ftsZ, gltA, groEL, ribC, and rpoB) and sequence of the 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer region. The sequence analysis indicated that the isolate derived from the Japanese badger (strain JB-15) can represent a novel Bartonella species and the isolate from the Japanese marten (strain JM-1) was closely related to Bartonella washoensis. This is the first report on isolation of Bartonella from badger and marten. |
Treatment of mice with human monoclonal antibody 24h after lethal aerosol challenge with virulent Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus prevents disease but not infection
Hunt AR , Bowen RA , Frederickson S , Maruyama T , Roehrig JT , Blair CD . Virology 2011 414 (2) 146-52 We recently described a Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV)-specific human monoclonal antibody (MAb), F5 nIgG, that recognizes a new neutralization epitope on the VEEV E2 envelope glycoprotein. In this study, we investigated the ability of F5 nIgG given prophylactically or therapeutically to protect mice from subcutaneous or aerosolized VEEV infection. F5 nIgG had potent ability to protect mice from infection by either route when administered 24h before exposure; however, mice treated 24h after aerosol exposure developed central nervous system infections but exhibited no clinical signs of disease. Infectious virus, viral antigen and RNA were detected in brains of both treated and untreated mice 2-6days after aerosol exposure but were cleared from the brains of treated animals by 14-28days after infection. This fully human MAb could be useful for prophylaxis or immediate therapy for individuals exposed to VEEV accidentally in the laboratory or during a deliberate release. |
Multi-locus sequence analysis reveals host specific association between Bartonella washoensis and squirrels
Inoue K , Kabeya H , Hagiya K , Kosoy MY , Une Y , Yoshikawa Y , Maruyama S . Vet Microbiol 2011 148 (1) 60-5 To clarify phylogenetic relationships and genetic diversity among Bartonella washoensis strains obtained from squirrels, multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA) with the 16S rRNA, ftsZ, gltA, groEL, ribC, and rpoB genes was applied for 20 strains of B. washoensis isolated from five genera of squirrels (Tamias, Tamiasciurus, Glaucomys, Sciurus, and Spermophilus) within the family Sciuridae. Sequence similarities in the concatenated sequences of B. washoensis strains from squirrels of different genera ranged from 94.7% (Sciurus vs. Spermophilus) to 98.4% (Tamiasciurus vs. Glaucomys). Phylogenetic trees based on the concatenated sequences revealed that B. washoensis strains formed five distinct clades and each clade correlated with the genus of squirrel from which the strains were originally obtained. The discrimination was supported by 100% bootstrap values and posterior probabilities, respectively. These results suggest that B. washoensis strains may have co-speciated with their squirrel hosts and provide new insights into the application of the MLSA to identify sources of B. washoensis infection with accuracy. |
Detection of Bartonella tamiae DNA in ectoparasites from rodents in Thailand and their sequence similarity with bacterial cultures from Thai patients
Kabeya H , Colborn JM , Bai Y , Lerdthusnee K , Richardson JH , Maruyama S , Kosoy MY . Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2009 10 (5) 429-34 Ectoparasites, including chigger mites (genera Leptotrombidium, Schoengastia, and Blankarrtia) and one tick (genus Haemaphysalis) collected from wild-caught rodents in Thailand, were assessed for the presence of Bartonella DNA by using a polymerase chain reaction assay targeting the 16S-23S intergenic spacer region and citrate synthase gene (gltA). Of the 41 pooled samples tested, 34 were positive for Bartonella DNA. Sequence analysis demonstrated that DNA detected in 33 chigger mite pools and one tick pool was similar to Bartonella tamiae sequences previously isolated from three patients in Thailand. This is the first report of the detection of B. tamiae DNA in chigger mites; additional field and experimental investigations are required to determine the role of chigger mites as potential vectors of B. tamiae. |
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