Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Germs 2018 Dec 3;8(4):214-217. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

PhD, Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.

Introduction: Human pasteurellosis is a severe human infection that accounts for 20-30 human deaths annually worldwide. Mucous secretions derived from pets comprise the primary source of infection, which are transmitted through animal scratches or bites.

Case Report: We describe a case of wound infection in an immunocompetent adult with a decubitus ulcer of the lower extremity. Read More

Wellcome Open Res 2018 23;3:164. Epub 2018 Dec 23.

Malaria Research Laboratory, OCEAC, Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Malaria remains a major public health problem in Cameroon; however, despite reports on the adaptation of anopheline species to urban habitats, there is still not enough information on malaria transmission pattern in urban settings. In the frame of a larval control trial in the city of Yaoundé, we conducted baseline surveys to assess malaria transmission dynamics in this city. Adult mosquitoes were collected indoors and outdoors using CDC light traps and human landing catches from March 2017 to March 2018 in 30 districts of Yaoundé, Cameroon. Read More

Rev Sci Tech 2018 Aug;37(2):439-449

Rabies is an acute and progressive encephalitis caused by lyssaviruses (family Rhabdoviridae, order Mononegavirales). Approximately 99% of the estimated 59,000 annual human rabies deaths in Africa and Asia are attributed to dog bites and are preventable through parenteral dog vaccination. In addition to dog rabies, the rabies virus also circulates in wildlife carnivores in southern Africa and virus exchange occurs readily across species barriers. Read More

Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019 28;9. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Neuroinflammation Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

There are 17 human-biting ticks known in Australia. The bites of , and can cause paralysis, inflammation, and severe local and systemic reactions in humans, respectively. Six ticks, including , and may transmit , or subsp. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019 Feb 11;13(2):e0007090. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Global Health Systems and Development Department, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America.

As part of a study to investigate drivers of dengue virus (DENV) transmission dynamics, this qualitative study explored whether DENV-infected residents of Iquitos, Peru, considered it acceptable (1) to participate in direct mosquito feeding experiments (lab-reared Aedes aegypti mosquitoes fed directly on human volunteers) and (2) to provide blood meals indirectly (Ae. aegypti fed on blood drawn from participants by venipuncture). Twelve focus group discussions (FGDs; 94 participants: 82 females and 12 males) were conducted in January 2014 to explore six themes: (1) concerns and preferences regarding direct mosquito feeds and blood draws, (2) comprehension of and misconceptions about study procedures, (3) motivating factors for participation, (4) acceptability of children's participation, (5) willingness to provide multiple samples over several days, and (6) preference for direct feedings in homes versus the study laboratory. Read More

Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

UFR Sciences médicales d'Abidjan, université Félix Houphouët Boigny de Cocody, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire; Institut national d'hygiène publique (Inhp), Cote d'Ivoire.

Aim: Human rabies is a major public health problem in many African countries, including Ivory Coast. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of human rabies knowledge on compliance with post-exposure prophylaxis.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study from September 2014 to May 2015 at the Abidjan Rabid Center, Treichville. Read More

MBio 2019 Jan 29;10(1). Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Biology of Vector-Borne Viruses Section, Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID/NIH, Hamilton, Montana, USA.

The tick transmits a number of pathogens, including tick-borne flaviviruses (TBFVs). In the United States, confirmed human infections with the Powassan virus (POWV) TBFV have a fatality rate of ∼10% and are increasing in incidence. Tick salivary glands (SGs) serve as an organ barrier to TBFV transmission, and little is known regarding the location of TBFV infection in SGs from fed ticks. Read More

Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2019 Jan 28:1-4. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

e Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Science , Kyushu University , Fukuoka , Japan.

Objective: Rhabdophis tigrinus (Yamakagashi in Japanese) is a venomous non-front-fanged colubroid snake capable of inflicting envenoming with life-threatening defibrinating coagulopathy. However, because of the uncommon incidence of bites and tendency for late development of symptoms/signs, the early effects of the venom on the coagulation system are poorly known.

Case Report: We describe a boy bitten by a wild R. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2019 Apr 25;233:218-233. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

National Innovation Foundation-India (Autonomous Body of Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India), Grambharti, Amarapur, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382650, India. Electronic address:

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Ensete superbum (Roxb.) Cheesman. (Family: Musaceae), commonly known as "Wild Banana" is well recorded as popular ethnomedicine for medicinal and nutritional uses by different people and communities native to India, Ethiopia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2019 Feb;25(2):229-235

The necessity for diagnosis and treatment of this infection is emphasized by the high number of complications and death rate. Read More

Trop Med Int Health 2019 Jan 19. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Curso de Doutorado em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

Objectives: Brazil is home to large variety of snake species, of which about 17% are venomous. A large proportion of reported snakebite accidents in the country take place in northeast Brazil. We aimed to analyse the epidemiology of snakebites as a public health concern in Rio Grande do Norte state. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019 01 18;13(1):e0007017. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Immunochemistry Laboratory, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil.

Background: Naja annulifera is a medically important venomous snake occurring in some of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Accidental bites result in severe coagulation disturbances, systemic inflammation and heart damage, as reported in dogs, and death, by respiratory arrest, in humans. Despite the medical importance of N. Read More

Cureus 2018 Nov 5;10(11):e3551. Epub 2018 Nov 5.

Miscellaneous, The Indus Hospital, Karachi, PAK.

Purpose To estimate the burden of infectious diseases and the seasonality of mosquito-borne diseases seen at The Indus Hospital, Karachi (TIH). Methodology We performed a retrospective data analysis of all infectious diseases (ID) cases, retrieved from medical records over a five-year period starting from 1 January 2012 till 31 December 2016 at The Indus Hospital (TIH), which is a 150-bed, charity-based, tertiary-care health facility. The collected data has been categorized into three groups: (A) public health-related diseases, including community and environmental IDs, i. Read More

Euro Surveill 2019 Jan;24(2)

These authors contributed equally to this paper.

In September 2018, a child who had returned from Somalia to Germany presented with cutaneous diphtheria by toxigenic biovar The child's sibling had superinfected insect bites harbouring also toxigenic . Next generation sequencing (NGS) revealed the same strain in both patients suggesting very recent human-to-human transmission. Epidemiological and NGS data suggest that the two cutaneous diphtheria cases constitute the first outbreak by toxigenic in Germany since the 1980s. Read More

Conserv Biol 2019 Jan 15. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 17, FI-00014, Finland.

The prosperity and wellbeing of human societies relies on healthy ecosystems and the services they provide. However, the biodiversity crisis is undermining ecosystems services and functions. Vultures are among the most imperiled taxonomic groups on Earth, yet they have a fundamental ecosystem function. Read More

Allergy 2019 Jan 15. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Comparative Medicine, The Interuniversity Messerli Research Institute of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

Adverse reactions to insects occur in both human and veterinary patients. Systematic comparison may lead to improved recommendations for prevention and treatment in all species. In this position paper, we summarize the current knowledge on insect allergy induced via stings, bites, inhalation or ingestion, and compare reactions in companion animals to those in people. Read More

Wellcome Open Res 2017 3;2:22. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research-Coast, Kilifi, Kenya.

: Insecticide treated nets (ITNs) protect humans against bites from the mosquito vectors that transmit malaria, thereby reducing malaria morbidity and mortality. It has been noted that ITN use leads to a switch from indoor to outdoor feeding among these vectors. It might be expected that outdoor feeding would undermine the effectiveness of ITNs that target indoors vectors, but data are limited. Read More

J Gen Virol 2019 Feb 22;100(2):119-132. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

1​FARAH Research Center, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B43, B-4000 Liège, Belgium.

West Nile Virus, Usutu virus, Bagaza virus, Israel turkey encephalitis virus and Tembusu virus currently constitute the five flaviviruses transmitted by mosquito bites with a marked pathogenicity for birds. They have been identified as the causative agents of severe neurological symptoms, drop in egg production and/or mortalities among avian hosts. They have also recently shown an expansion of their geographic distribution and/or a rise in cases of human infection. Read More

Ethiop J Health Sci 2018 Nov;28(6):805-808

Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Background: Rabies still poses a significant health problem in most of African countries, where the majority of the cases result from dog bites. The situations in the marginalized pastoral areas were not well documented.

Case: In September 2015, rabid wild fox entered the pastoralist village and bit a domestic dog. Read More

PLoS One 2019 3;14(1):e0209476. Epub 2019 Jan 3.

Department of Global Child Health, Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Background: Severe anaemia remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children in sub-Saharan Africa. There is limited research on the beliefs and knowledge for paediatric severe anaemia in the region. The effect of these local beliefs and knowledge on the healthcare seeking of paediatric severe anaemia remains unknown. Read More

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019 Jan 4;67(5152):1410-1414. Epub 2019 Jan 4.

On May 9, 2017, the Virginia Department of Health was notified regarding a patient with suspected rabies. The patient had sustained a dog bite 6 weeks before symptom onset while traveling in India. On May 11, CDC confirmed that the patient was infected with a rabies virus that circulates in dogs in India. Read More

Comput Math Methods Med 2018 22;2018:5293568. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Biriwa, Cape Coast, Ghana.

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known as sleeping sickness, is a neglected tropical vector-borne disease caused by trypanosome protozoa. It is transmitted by bites of infected tsetse fly. In this paper, we first present the vector-host model which describes the general transmission dynamics of HAT. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2018 Dec 27;11(1):669. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Hamburg, Germany.

Background: Different mosquito-borne pathogens are circulating in Iran including Sindbis virus, West Nile virus, filarioid worms and malaria parasites. However, the local transmission cycles of these pathogenic agents are poorly understood, especially because ecological data on vector species are scarce and there is limited knowledge about the host range; this understanding could help to direct species-specific vector control measurements or to prioritize research.

Methods: In the summers of 2015 and 2016, blood-fed mosquitoes were collected at 13 trapping sites on the coast of the Caspian Sea in northern Iran and at an additional trapping site in western Iran. Read More

Cell Microbiol 2019 Feb 7;21(2):e12998. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA.

Lyme disease, caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States and Europe. The spirochetes are transmitted from mammalian and avian reservoir hosts to humans via ticks. Following tick bites, spirochetes colonize the host skin and then disseminate haematogenously to various organs, a process that requires this pathogen to evade host complement, an innate immune defence system. Read More

Ecohealth 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique, Université de Montréal, 3200 Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 7C6, Canada.

Dogs have been an integral part of the Inuit social and cultural environment for generations, but their presence also generates public health risks such as bites and exposure to zoonotic diseases such as rabies. In Nunavik, Canada, some prevention and control interventions targeting dogs have been implemented but have not demonstrated their effectiveness in a long-term sustainable perspective. This study was conducted in one Inuit community of Nunavik and used mixed methods to get a better understanding of factors that affect human and dog health, dog-related risks for humans and perceptions of dogs in Inuit communities using an interdisciplinary perspective in line with the Ecohealth approach. Read More

Front Immunol 2018 28;9:2779. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Salvador, Brazil.

Sand flies bite mammalian hosts to obtain a blood meal, driving changes in the host inflammatory response that support the establishment of infection. This effect is partially attributed to components of sand fly saliva, which are able to recruit and activate leukocytes. Our group has shown that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) favors survival in infected cells by reducing inflammatory responses. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019 02 3;10(2):386-397. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Section of Infectious Diseases, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 20815, USA.

Ixodes scapularis vectors several pathogens including Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease. Nymphal and larval stages, and the pathogens transmitted by I. scapularis are maintained in a zoonotic cycle involving rodent reservoir hosts, predominantly Peromyscus leucopus. Read More

Infect Dis Poverty 2018 Dec 11;7(1):127. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, 518055, China.

Background: Two health concerns primarily related to triatomine bugs are transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi through infective feces, and allergic reactions induced by triatomine bites. In the Southwestern United States, reduviid bugs bites commonly cause insect allergy. In South China, four cases of anaphylactic shock have been reported after this bite exposure. Read More

Sante Publique 2018 May June;30(3):418-428

Introduction: Rabies, an infectious disease mainly transmitted by dog bites, is fatal due to lack of appropriate knowledge-attitudes-practices (KAP). The KAP of healthcare providers are particularly important because of their presence in the communities and their profession and were evaluated in the present study.

Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based descriptive study was conducted in healthcare providers recruited from four health districts in Chad in 2015. Read More

Front Vet Sci 2018 20;5:257. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Department Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.

Safe human-dog relationships require understanding of dogs' signaling. As children are at particularly high risk of dog bites, we investigated longitudinally how children from 3 to 5 years and parents perceive and interpret dogs' distress signaling gestures. All participants were then taught how to link their perception of the dog with the correct interpretation of dogs' behavioral signals and tested again. Read More

Bull Math Biol 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

School of Mathematics and Statistics, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, People's Republic of China.

Human rabies is one of the major public health problems in China with an average of 1977 cases per year. It is estimated that 95% of these human rabies cases are due to dog bites. In recent years, the number of wildlife-associated human rabies cases has increased, particularly in the southeast and northeast regions of mainland China. Read More

Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2018 Oct 3;6(10):e1839. Epub 2018 Oct 3.

Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The nose plays a critical role in olfaction, air filtration and humidification, and facial aesthetics. Most nasal amputations result from animal bites, human bites, and lacerations from glass. Successful replantation yields the best aesthetic and functional outcomes and is preferred compared with multistage nasal reconstruction. Read More

Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2019 Mar;40(1):52-57

From the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND.

Envenoming syndrome is a systemic toxic reaction to the inoculation of large volume of insect venom, typically after a swarm attack from bees. Africanized honey bees are notorious for their aggressive nature, and human deaths resulting from Africanized honey bee attacks are consistently reported. Whereas anaphylaxis is the most common lethal mechanism of injury, delayed deaths can also occur as a consequence of severe venom toxicity with resultant end organ damage. Read More

PLoS One 2018 6;13(12):e0208532. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil.

Despite significant and successful efforts in Brazil regarding snakebites in the areas of research, antivenom manufacture and quality control, training of health professionals in the diagnosis and clinical management of bites, little is known about determinants of snakebites incidence in order to further plan interventions to reduce the impact of this medical condition. Understanding the complexity of ecological interactions in a geographical region is important for prediction, prevention and control measures of snakebites. This investigation aims to describe spatial distribution and identify environmental determinants of human envenoming by lancehead pit vipers (Bothrops genus), in the Brazilian Amazon. Read More

J Immunother 2019 Jan;42(1):1-10

Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II.

The Tyrosine Kinase Receptor ErbB2 (HER2) when overexpressed in breast cancer (BC) is associated with poor prognosis. The monoclonal antibody Trastuzumab has become a standard treatment of ErbB2+BC. The antibody treatment has limited efficacy, often meets resistance and induces cardiotoxicity. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018 12 3;12(12):e0007014. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.

Taiwan is an island located in the south Pacific, a subtropical region that is home to 61 species of snakes. Of these snakes, four species-Trimeresurus stejnegeri, Protobothrops mucrosquamatus, Bungarus multicinctus and Naja atra-account for more than 90% of clinical envenomation cases. Currently, there are two types of bivalent antivenom: hemorrhagic antivenom against the venom of T. Read More

Epidemiol Serv Saude 2018 11 29;27(4):e2017547. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Universidade Federal do Ceará, Departamento de Saúde Comunitária, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.

Objective: to analyze the prevalence of inadequate human anti-rabies post-exposure prophylaxis in patients attacked by animals in the state of Ceará, Brazil, 2007-2015.

Methods: this was a study of the prevalence of inadequate prophylaxis procedures, using data on reported cases of accidents involving animals potentially capable of transmitting rabies registered on the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) from January 2007 to December 2015.

Results: of the 231,694 reported cases, 95. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018 12 4;12(12):e0006981. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.

Background: Phlebotomus orientalis is a vector of Leishmania donovani, the causative agent of life threatening visceral leishmaniasis spread in Eastern Africa. During blood-feeding, sand fly females salivate into the skin of the host. Sand fly saliva contains a large variety of proteins, some of which elicit specific antibody responses in the bitten hosts. Read More

Epidemiol Infect 2018 Dec 4:1-6. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics,School of Public Health, Southeast University,Nanjing (210009),China.

Rabies is one of the major public health problems in China, and the mortality rate of rabies remains the highest among all notifiable infectious diseases. A meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) vaccination rate and risk factors for human rabies in mainland China. The PubMed, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical and Wanfang databases were searched for articles on rabies vaccination status (published between 2007 and 2017). Read More

Vet Med Sci 2018 Nov 29. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Public Health, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Irrawaddy squirrel (Callosciurus pygerythrus) may play an important role in the transmission of zoonotic bacteria, but little is known about the carriage of zoonotic bacteria in this common frugivorous rodent in Bangladesh. We aimed to investigate the presence of common zoonotic bacterial pathogens in Irrawaddy squirrel in the southeast part of Bangladesh. A total of 27 rectal and 27 oro-nasal swabs were collected from 27 healthy wild Irrawaddy squirrels. Read More

An Bras Dermatol 2018 Nov/Dec;93(6):786-799

Hospital Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.

Epstein-Barr virus is a DNA virus infecting human beings and could affect 90% of human population. It is crucial to take in account that in Latin America, unlike what happens in developed countries, the exposure to the virus is very early and therefore people have a much longer interaction with the virus. The virus is related to many diseases, mainly the oncological ones, and when the onset is in cutaneous tissue, it can present many clinical variants, as well acute as chronic ones. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2018 Nov 26;18(1):597. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.

Background: Clinical Rabies is a widely distributed almost 100% fatal viral zoonotic disease. Most human rabies cases occur in developing countries, especially in Asia and Africa. It can be prevented by immunization, post exposure prophylaxis. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Nov 21;8(1):17188. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.

Rabies is still a public health threat in China. Evaluating the exposure history, clinical characteristics, and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) of the cases could help in identifying approaches to reducing the number of these preventable deaths. We analysed data collected from 10,971 case-investigations conducted in China from 2006 to 2012. Read More

Prep Biochem Biotechnol 2018 21;48(10):961-967. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

b Biotechnology Research Center , Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran.

The "bispecifics" market improved over the past decade due to the development of many technological platforms including bispecific T cell engagers (BiTEs). The approval of blinatumomab, the most advanced bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) in clinical trials, can be a significant milestone in the development of bispecific antibodies. Both Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and E. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2018 Dec;24(12):2195-2201

We assembled a collection of 73 Capnocytophaga canimorsus isolates obtained from blood cultures taken from patients treated at Helsinki University Hospital (Helsinki, Finland) during 2000-2017. We serotyped these isolates by PCR and Western blot and attempted to correlate pathogen serovar with patient characteristics. Our analyses showed, in agreement with previous research, that 3 C. Read More

Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2019 Feb 15;216:110-119. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical (INMeT), Neuquén y Jujuy s/n, 3370 Puerto Iguazú, Argentina. Electronic address:

Megalopygids Megalopyge lanata and Podalia orsilochus are common causative agents of accidents in agricultural workers. These accidents are provoked by dermal contact at their larval stage and are characterized by cutaneous reactions, such as burning pain, edema and erythema, typically mild and self-limited. There is very little information about their venoms and their toxicological implications on human health. Read More

J Forensic Leg Med 2019 Feb 3;61:34-39. Epub 2018 Nov 3.

University of Southern California, Ostrow School of Dentistry, 2284 S. Victoria Ave., Suite 1-G, Ventura, CA, 93003, USA. Electronic address:

The forensic sciences are a combination of laboratory procedures and physical comparisons of objects associated with victims, perpetrators, and crime scenes. The former is largely university-based protocols adopted by crime labs. The latter is predominantly pattern-matching tools originally developed by police examiners or experts deemed by courts to be relevant to forensic matters. Read More

Zoonoses Public Health 2019 Feb 14;66(1):108-116. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Centre for African Wetlands, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.

Zoonotic pathogens cause an estimated 70% of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in humans, affecting various aspects of human development on a global scale. The significance of bats as a source of emerging infectious diseases is being progressively appreciated. This study was undertaken post-Ebola virus disease in West Africa and assessed the public health implications of human-bat interactions by exploring the reasons for contact between humans and bats, as well as reported actions taken upon experiencing bat bites or scratches. Read More

Epidemiol Infect 2018 Nov 15:1-8. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Department of Internal Medicine,Division of Infectious Diseases, American University of Beirut Medical Center,Beirut,Lebanon.

The status of rabies as a neglected disease has made its eradication rather challenging in different parts of the world despite the availability of a successful vaccine. Lebanon, in particular, is a country endemic to the disease with several cases of rabies deaths reported over the past 30 years. The risk of rabies, however, has taken a new turn over the past few years in Lebanon with two emerging situations that have made the control of the disease rather challenging: the neighbouring Syrian war and the local garbage crisis. Read More

Orv Hetil 2018 11;159(45):1844-1847

Fül-Orr-Gégészeti és Fej-Nyaksebészeti Klinika, Semmelweis Egyetem, Általános Orvostudományi Kar Budapest, Szigony u. 36., 1083.

Dirofilariasis refers to an infection caused by a specific parasitic roundworm. Dirofilaria repens - transmitted by mosquito bites - accounts for most human cases. The parasite forms a subcutaneous mass called cutaneous dirofilariasis near the original site of intrusion. Read More