Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Craniofac Surg 2022 Jun 27. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.

Introduction: Although single institution studies have analyzed various animal attacks, there has not been multicenter investigation into dog bites in children. The purpose of this study was to characterize national trends and investigate the characteristics of pediatric dog bites.

Methods: Aretrospective cohort study was conducted of pediatric dog bite injuries in the United States from 2015 to 2020 using the Pediatric Health Information System national database. Read More

J Equine Vet Sci 2022 Jun 23:104056. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Centro de Rickettsiosis y Enfermedades transmitidas por artrópodos vectores, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-CIBIR, La Rioja, España.

Animal sanctuaries are important organisations that promote animal welfare and health as well as social awareness. Following the appearance of several donkeys with severe and distinctive skin lesions in a sanctuary from western Spain in 2021, a multicomponent study was performed to rule out the possible causes. The lesions were mainly concentrated on the extremities and, to a lesser extent, on the face and/or chest. Read More

Acta Dermatovenerol Alp Pannonica Adriat 2022 Jun;31(2):89-92

Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.

Tularemia, or rabbit fever, is a zoonotic infection caused by Francisella tularensis, a Gram-negative coccobacillus. F. tularensis subsp. Read More

Sensors (Basel) 2022 Jun 8;22(12). Epub 2022 Jun 8.

Department of Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, John Dalton Building, Chester Street, Manchester M1 5GD, UK.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by female anopheles mosquito bites. Various plasmodium parasites spread in the victim's blood cells and keep their life in a critical situation. If not treated at the early stage, malaria can cause even death. Read More

Molecules 2022 Jun 7;27(12). Epub 2022 Jun 7.

Oxidative Stress Cluster, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.

var. Pakphai has been used in traditional Thai medicine for the treatment of flatulence and constipation and to relieve the inflammation caused by insect bites. Quercetin (Q), which is abundant in plant-based foods, has been found to exert anti-inflammatory properties. Read More

Vet Sci 2022 Jun 18;9(6). Epub 2022 Jun 18.

Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", S. P. Casamassima km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Italy.

The number of pets such as dogs, cats, rabbits, and parrots has increased in European families. Social benefits to owners such as decreasing feelings of loneliness and anxiety are provided by pets which are also used in Animal-assisted Therapy (AAT). Nevertheless, human-animal interactions are also associated with health problems including allergies, asthma, and zoonosis. Read More

Toxins (Basel) 2022 Jun 18;14(6). Epub 2022 Jun 18.

Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic-University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.

Snakebite envenomation is a neglected tropical disease that causes over 100,000 deaths each year. The only effective treatment consists of antivenoms derived from animal sera, but these have been deemed with highly variable potency and are usually inaccessible and too costly for victims. The production of antivenoms by venom-independent techniques, such as the immunization with multi-epitope constructs, could circumvent those drawbacks. Read More

Toxins (Basel) 2022 May 29;14(6). Epub 2022 May 29.

Animal Physiology Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 200005, Nigeria.

This study reported reproductive pathologies associated with venom in animal model. Twenty male Wistar rats with body weight between 180 and 220 g were selected randomly into two groups (n = 10). Rats in group 1 served as the control while rats in group 2 were envenomed with a single intraperitoneal injection of 0. Read More

Epidemiol Serv Saude 2022 ;31(2):e2021627

Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília, DF, Brasil.

Objective: To analyze human anti-rabies post-exposure prophylaxis notifications in Brazil.

Methods: This was a descriptive study using data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System in Brazil, from 2014 to 2019.

Results: A total of 4,033,098 anti-rabies medical consultations were notified, averaging 672,183 a year. Read More

N Z Med J 2022 May 6;135(1554):111-128. Epub 2022 May 6.

The University of Auckland, Auckland.

Aim: To describe the epidemiology of DRIs in New Zealand.

Methods: A review of Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) new claims for DRIs that required medical attention, and publicly funded hospital discharges identified from the National Minimum Dataset (NMDS) for the period of 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2019. ACC cases were identified using the TE60 READ code and relevant diagnosis or external agency descriptions; NMDS cases with an ICD-10-AM external cause of injury code of W540, W541, or W548 were included. Read More

N Z Med J 2022 Apr 14;135(1553):99-106. Epub 2022 Apr 14.

Emergency Department, Middlemore Hospital, Otahuhu, Auckland.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the rate of notification by health professionals to an appropriate authority, for all DRIs that presented during the 2018/19 year to a New Zealand public hospital, and to describe the incidence and characteristics of these presentations.

Method: Data were obtained from all discharges from a New Zealand public hospital, with the primary external cause of injury code W54.0 (Bitten by Dog) + W54. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2022 Jun 20;15(1):217. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon.

Background: Vector control is considered to be the most successful component of malaria prevention programs and a major contributor to the reduction of malaria incidence over the last two decades. However, the success of this strategy is threatened by the development of resistance to insecticides and behavioural adaptations of vectors. The aim of this study was to monitor malaria transmission and the distribution of insecticide resistance genes in Anopheles populations from three rural areas of the Moyen Ogooué Province of Gabon. Read More

Acta Trop 2022 Jun 14:106567. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

Grupo de Microbiología Molecular, Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Electronic address:

Malaria is an important public health problem, caused by Plasmodium parasites which are transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes that bite humans to obtain blood. The aim of this work was to identify the blood feeding sources of Anopheles female mosquitoes and calculate their entomological indices in relation to Plasmodium transmission. Mosquitoes were collected in malaria endemic localities of the Bajo Cauca and Pacific regions of Colombia using human landing catch and barrier screens, from 18:00 - 24:00 hr, in 2018-2021. Read More

Toxicon 2022 Jun 14. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

Laboratorio de Toxinopatología, Centro de Patología Experimental y Aplicada, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Caba, Argentina; Primera Cátedra de Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Caba, Argentina; Área Investigación y Desarrollo, Instituto Nacional de Producción de Biológicos - ANLIS "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", Caba, Argentina. Electronic address:

Several species of reptiles and mammals have components in their sera that can neutralize toxic components present in snake venoms. In this manuscript, we studied the neutralizing capacity of Chaco eagle's (Buteogallus coronatus) serum. This South American bird of prey eats snakes as a regular part of its diet and has anatomical features that protect from snakes' bites. Read More

J Vector Borne Dis 2022 Jan-Mar;59(1):12-21

ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre Field Station, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Fleas (Insecta, Siphonaptera) are important vectors of plague and murine typhus in many parts of the world. Currently, about 2700 flea species were described in the world. The most common vector flea Xenopsylla cheopis is found throughout India, but X. Read More

Malar J 2022 Jun 15;21(1):188. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Vector Control Product Evaluation Centre-Institut Pierre Richet (VCPEC-IPR), Institut Pierre Richet (IPR), Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire.

Background: A study was conducted prior to implementing a cluster-randomized controlled trial (CRT) of a lethal house lure strategy in central Côte d'Ivoire to provide baseline information on malaria indicators in 40 villages across five health districts.

Methods: Human landing catches (HLC) were performed between November and December 2016, capturing mosquitoes indoors and outdoors between 18.00 and 08. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2022 Jun 15;15(1):208. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.

Avian malaria is a vector-borne disease that is caused by Plasmodium parasites. These parasites are transmitted via mosquito bites and can cause sickness or death in a wide variety of birds, including many threatened and endangered species. This Primer first provides contextual background for the avian malaria system including the life cycle, geographic distribution and spread. Read More

MAbs 2022 Jan-Dec;14(1):2085536

IONTAS Ltd .; Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.

The monocled cobra () is among the most feared snakes in Southeast Asia due to its toxicity, which is predominantly derived from long-chain α-neurotoxins. The only specific treatment for snakebite envenoming is antivenom based on animal-derived polyclonal antibodies. Despite the lifesaving importance of these medicines, major limitations in safety, supply consistency, and efficacy create a need for improved treatments. Read More

Indian Pediatr 2022 Jun;59(6):506

Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Front Immunol 2022 27;13:907424. Epub 2022 May 27.

Department of Dermatology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.

In the endemic variants of pemphigus foliaceus (PF), in Brazil and Tunisia, patients generate pathogenic IgG4 anti-desmoglein 1 autoantibodies. Additionally, these patients possess antibodies against salivary proteins from sand flies that react with Dsg1, which may lead to skin disease in susceptible individuals living in endemic areas. This minireview focuses on recent studies highlighting the possible role of salivary proteins from () in EPF from Brazil and () in EPF from Tunisia. Read More

Am J Emerg Med 2022 Jun 3;58:141-147. Epub 2022 Jun 3.

Department of Pharmacy, Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, 677 Church St., , Marietta, GA 30060, United States of America. Electronic address:

Purpose: Describe a dose rounding strategy for rabies immune globulin (RIG) administration.

Methods: Multicenter, retrospective, observational review of patients that received RIG following an exposure from an animal with potential to transmit rabies infection in one health-system from March 2011 through December 2021. The primary outcome was to describe the RIG dose rounding strategy and population of patients that received RIG rounded to the nearest vial size compared to those that did not. Read More

Med Trop Sante Int 2022 03 10;2(1). Epub 2022 Feb 10.

ISEA (Institut de sciences exactes et appliquées) (EA 7484), Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, BP R4, 98851 Nouméa, Nouvelle-Calédonie.

Background And Objectives: Recent shark attacks in New Caledonia have prompted local authorities to elaborate a risk-management plan. The objective of the present paper is to produce detailed data on shark attacks that occurred in New Caledonian waters for the last few decades, as well as on the injuries of the victims, in order to inform rescue and medical services as well as authorities in charge of educating the public and providing security.

Methods: Incidents involving sharks and humans in New Caledonia for the last six decades were included into a database. Read More

PLoS Comput Biol 2022 06 9;18(6):e1010161. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, United States of America.

Given the crucial role of climate in malaria transmission, many mechanistic models of malaria represent vector biology and the parasite lifecycle as functions of climate variables in order to accurately capture malaria transmission dynamics. Lower dimension mechanistic models that utilize implicit vector dynamics have relied on indirect climate modulation of transmission processes, which compromises investigation of the ecological role played by climate in malaria transmission. In this study, we develop an implicit process-based malaria model with direct climate-mediated modulation of transmission pressure borne through the Entomological Inoculation Rate (EIR). Read More

Trop Anim Health Prod 2022 Jun 8;54(4):203. Epub 2022 Jun 8.

Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, 40170-110, Brazil.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feeding behavior of grazing steers supplemented in the dry season of the year. Thirty-two castrated crossbred (½ Holstein-Zebu) steers with an average initial weight of 378 ± 7.54 kg, aged 14 months, were distributed into four treatment groups in a completely randomized design with eight replicates. Read More

Cutis 2022 Apr;109(4):224-227

Department of Dermatology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, New York.

Tick-borne illness is an increasingly concerning cause of human infectious disease. Not only do ticks transmit disease, but their bites also may cause impressive local reactions. This report highlights a case of a widespread vesicular eruption secondary to bites by larval Amblyomma americanum sustained by a 58-year-old woman. Read More

J Med Case Rep 2022 Jun 4;16(1):218. Epub 2022 Jun 4.

Medical Unit, Teaching Hospital, Ratnapura, Sri Lanka.

Background: Hump-nosed pit viper is a medically important deadly venomous snake in Sri Lanka and is the commonest cause of venomous snakebites in the country. It frequently causes local effects and systemic manifestations such as acute kidney injury and coagulopathy that occur in less than 10% of all bites. This also includes some atypical presentations such as thrombotic microangiopathy and myocardial infarction. Read More

Cutis 2022 Mar;109(3):126-128

Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston. Ms. Andrews is from the College of Medicine, and Drs. Ellis and Elston are from the Department of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery.

Mosquito bites cause a variety of reactions ranging from pruritic papules to severe systemic hypersensitivity reactions. The salivary glands of mosquitoes have been found to contain more than 70 different allergens. Herein, we describe the pathophysiology and clinical appearance of mosquito bite reactions as well as proper management of this condition. Read More

Infect Dis Poverty 2022 Jun 4;11(1):62. Epub 2022 Jun 4.

Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) and dengue virus (DENV) are closely related flaviviruses primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Armigeres subalbatus is an emerging and widely distributed mosquito, and ZIKV has been detected and isolated from it. However, it is not clear whether Ar. Read More

PLoS One 2022 3;17(6):e0268858. Epub 2022 Jun 3.

Indian Institute of Public Health Shillong, Shillong, Meghalaya, India.

Introduction: The Megha Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) was launched in 2013 in the North-East Indian state of Meghalaya to reduce household out-of-pocket expenditure on health and provide access to high-quality essential healthcare. Despite substantial expansion of the MHIS since the scheme's inception, there is a lack of comprehensive documentation and evaluation of the scheme's performance against its Universal Health Care (UHC) objectives.

Methods: We analysed six years of enrolment and claims data (2013-2018) covering three phases of the scheme to understand the pattern of enrolment, utilisation and care provision under the MHIS during this period. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2022 Jun 2;15(1):187. Epub 2022 Jun 2.

Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland.

Background: Changes in host phenotype following parasite infection are often considered as host manipulation when they seem advantageous for the parasite. However, putative cases of host manipulation by parasites are rarely tested in field-realistic conditions. Infection-induced phenotypic change cannot be conclusively considered as host manipulation if no evidence shows that this trait is adaptive for the parasite in the wild. Read More