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Commun Biol 2021 05 11;4(1):557. Epub 2021 May 11.

Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia.

Dengue virus (DENV) is spread from human to human through the bite of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito and leads to about 100 million clinical infections yearly. Treatment options and vaccine availability for DENV are limited. Defective interfering particles (DIPs) are considered a promising antiviral approach but infectious virus contamination has limited their development. Read More

Cureus 2021 Mar 31;13(3):e14232. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Infectious Diseases, Ascension St. John Hospital, Detroit, USA.

(PM) is a gram-negative bacterium known to cause soft tissue infections, especially after animal bites, with some human infections occurring after animal exposure, usually via inhalation of contaminated secretions. PM pneumonia mainly affects those who are immunocompromised and in individuals with comorbidities. The spectrum of pulmonary disease due to PM is wide, ranging from pneumonia to empyema. Read More

J Int Med Res 2021 May;49(5):3000605211012201

Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Center for Orthopaedic Surgery, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510610, China.

We herein review and analyze the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of a severe infection caused by a human bite. A 68-year-old man was bitten on the forearm by a 3-year-old child. Rapid progression of infection, severe local and systemic poisoning, and diverse clinical manifestations were observed at presentation. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 Apr 26;14(4). Epub 2021 Apr 26.

Medicine, King George Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Rabies is an almost always fatal disease that physicians and patients dread due to its dismal prognosis and limited treatment options. Transmission of this disease occurs through the bite of dogs and wild animals (like jackal in our case). Other rare forms of transmission may be through inhalation in bat-infested caves and human-to-human transmission by infected corneal transplants, solid organ and tissue transplantation, and sometimes in laboratory settings. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 Apr 9;14(4). Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Internal Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Human bites are an infrequent cause of emergency department visits and hospital admissions. There are rarely published cases of complicated infection, such as infective endocarditis. We present a rare case of a patient with acute infective endocarditis in a healthy native valve and purulent pericarditis from a human bite. Read More

BMC Public Health 2021 04 8;21(1):687. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Anastasia Mosquito Control District, 120 EOC Drive, St. Augustine, FL, 32092, USA.

Background: The stay-at-home orders imposed in early April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in various states complicated mosquito control activities across the United States (US), and Florida was no exception. Mosquito control programs are the first line of defense against mosquito-borne pathogens. The purpose of this study was to examine the capabilities of Florida mosquito programs to implement key mosquito measures during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Read More

Bioanalysis 2021 Apr 8;13(8):655-667. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Médicas, CIDEIM, Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia.

A high-throughput method using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was developed and validated for the quantitative analysis of antimony in human plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis undergoing treatment with meglumine antimoniate. Antimony was digested in clinical samples with 1% tetramethylammonium hydroxide/1% EDTA and indium was used as internal standard. Accuracy, precision and stability were evaluated. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2021 Apr 7;14(1):191. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.

Background: Rickettsial diseases associated with the spotted fever group constitute a growing number of newly identified Rickettsia pathogens and their tick vectors in various parts of the world. At least 15 distinct tick species belonging to six genera have shown the presence of Rickettsia raoultii. Herein, we report the detection of R. Read More

Pathogens 2021 Mar 24;10(4). Epub 2021 Mar 24.

Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.

Human babesiosis in Europe has been attributed to infection with and, to a lesser extent, with and which are all transmitted to humans through a bite of . These species circulate in the Netherlands, but autochthonous human babesiosis cases have not been reported so far. To gain more insight into the natural sources of these species, their presence in reservoir hosts and in was examined. Read More

Trop Med Infect Dis 2021 Mar 17;6(1). Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Tezted Ltd., Mattilaniemi 6-8, 40100 Jyväskylä, Finland.

Human polymicrobial infections in tick-borne disease (TBD) patients is an emerging public health theme. However, the requirement for holistic TBD tests in routine clinical laboratories is ambiguous. TICKPLEX PLUS is a holistic TBD test utilized herein to assess the need for multiplex and multifunctional diagnostic tools in a routine clinical laboratory. Read More

Malar J 2021 Mar 4;20(1):127. Epub 2021 Mar 4.

West African International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research, Bamako, Mali.

Background: Implementation and upscale of effective malaria vector control strategies necessitates understanding the multi-factorial aspects of transmission patterns. The primary aims of this study are to determine the vector composition, biting rates, trophic preference, and the overall importance of distinguishing outdoor versus indoor malaria transmission through a study at two communities in rural Mali.

Methods: Mosquito collection was carried out between July 2012 and June 2016 at two rural Mali communities (Dangassa and Koïla Bamanan) using pyrethrum spray-catch and human landing catch approaches at both indoor and outdoor locations. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2021 Apr 28;28(14):17000-17028. Epub 2021 Feb 28.

Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

There are many studies that provide information regarding ticks infesting humans. However, there is no a meta-analysis about the global ranks of tick infestation rates and records, global monthly tick bites and annually and periodically trends of tick infestation rates, and the global tick infestation rates among years, mounts, regions, and countries. The study provides new insights about the above objectives in a global context and therefore performed. Read More

Nat Commun 2021 02 16;12(1):1052. Epub 2021 Feb 16.

Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK.

The parasitic protist Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of Human African Trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness. The parasite enters the blood via the bite of the tsetse fly where it is wholly reliant on glycolysis for the production of ATP. Glycolytic enzymes have been regarded as challenging drug targets because of their highly conserved active sites and phosphorylated substrates. Read More

Reprod Health 2021 Feb 15;18(1):40. Epub 2021 Feb 15.

The College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin and Population Research Center, 116 Inner Campus Dr Stop G6000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.

Background: In 2015-2017, the Americas experienced a highly consequential epidemics for pregnancy and childbearing. Mainly transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti, but also through sexual intercourse, the Zika virus poses the risk of congenital Zika syndrome to fetus, which includes microcephaly and other child development complications. When a public health crisis taps directly into reproductive health, typically a feminine realm, responses to the emergency may exacerbate deeply-rooted gender norms. Read More

J Dermatol 2021 Apr 15;48(4):423-430. Epub 2021 Feb 15.

Department of Dermatology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan.

Ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasites belonging to the order Acarina, class Arachnida. In Japan, eight genera and 46 species are known. Tick bite patients frequently present to dermatology clinics. Read More

Viruses 2021 01 29;13(2). Epub 2021 Jan 29.

Department of Virology 1, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-7-1 Gakuen, Musashimurayama City, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan.

A woman in her fifties showed symptoms of fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, and general fatigue 2 days after she was bitten by a sick cat, which had later died, in Yamaguchi prefecture, western Japan, in June 2016. She subsequently died of multiorgan failure, and an autopsy was performed to determine the cause of death. However, the etiological pathogens were not quickly identified. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 10 12;104(1):329-337. Epub 2020 Oct 12.

1Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.

The Swat district, a conflict-hit territory due to Taliban militancy, had a damaged local health infrastructure. Animal-bite injuries leading to rabies is one of the major health concerns in developing countries, especially within conflict zones. The current prospective epidemiological study was conducted to estimate the cumulative incidence of animal-bite injuries, to summarize characteristics of bite victims and biting animals, and to collect information about post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) practices in Swat district, Pakistan, during 2014. Read More

Clin Pract 2021 Feb 1;11(1):65-74. Epub 2021 Feb 1.

Department of Emergency Medicine, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Drive, Box 9149, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.

The skin is the largest, and arguably, the most vulnerable organ in the human body. Scratches and scrapes, bites and puncture wounds, impetigo and erysipelas-all these disruptions can lead to pain, swelling, and/or systemic symptoms. In this article, which is based on the Infectious Diseases Society of America's 2014 guidelines and the World Society of Emergency Surgery and Surgical Infection Society of Europe's 2018 consensus statement, a structured approach to skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) is reviewed, comparing treatment for suppurative and non-suppurative infections, and then discussing specific conditions commonly seen in Primary Care and Urgent Care facilities. Read More

Rev Argent Microbiol 2021 Jan 30. Epub 2021 Jan 30.

Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt.

Leishmaniasis is a major vector-borne disease triggered by an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania and transmitted by the bite of phlebotomine female sand flies. This parasite causes a wide range of human diseases, from localized self-healing cutaneous lesions to fatal visceral infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic, antiproliferative, and apoptotic effects of curcumin on Leishmania major promastigotes (MHOM/SA/84/JISH) and to assess these effects on the cell cycle of promastigotes. Read More

BMC Public Health 2021 01 30;21(1):251. Epub 2021 Jan 30.

Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

Background: To sustain the efficacy of malaria vector control, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the combination of effective tools. Before designing and implementing additional strategies in any setting, it is critical to monitor or predict when and where transmission occurs. However, to date, very few studies have quantified the behavioural interactions between humans and Anopheles vectors in Africa. Read More

PLoS One 2021 28;16(1):e0245750. Epub 2021 Jan 28.

Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Background: While malaria transmission in Africa still happens primarily inside houses, there is a substantial proportion of Anopheles mosquitoes that bite or rest outdoors. This situation may compromise the performance of indoor insecticidal interventions such as insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). This study investigated the distribution of malaria mosquitoes biting or resting outside dwellings in three low-altitude villages in south-eastern Tanzania. Read More

J Virol 2021 Jan 27. Epub 2021 Jan 27.

Molecular Microbiology Group, Institute of Medical Microbiology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is primarily transmitted to humans through tick bites or oral consumption of accordingly contaminated unpasteurized milk or milk products. The detection of TBEV RNA in various body fluids in immunosuppressed human patients is documented. However, the risk of direct contact exposure remains unclear. Read More

Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi 2021 Jan;42(1):131-136

Key Laboratroy of Biosafety, National Health Commission, National Institute for Vital Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206,China；Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China.

To analyze epidemiological characteristics and explore control and prevention measures based on the rabies surveillance data in China from 2016 to 2018. The surveillance data of rabies in China from 2016-2018 were collected from the "Infectious Disease Surveillance Information Reporting Management System", eleven national surveillance sites in Hunan, Anhui, Guizhou, Jiangsu and Shandong provinces and National Bureau of Statistics. Descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze the distributions of rabies outbreaks in China during this period, and univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted on the data using SPSS 25. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2021 Feb;27(2):594-598

We used metagenomic analysis to identify Tacheng tick virus 2 infection in a patient with a history of tick bite in northwestern China. We confirmed the virus with reverse transcription-PCR, virus isolation, and genomic analysis. We detected viral RNA in 9. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2021 Feb;27(2):538-546

Lyme disease is usually associated with forested habitats but has recently emerged on treeless islands in the Western Isles of Scotland. The environmental and human components of Lyme disease risk in open habitats remain unknown. We quantified the environmental hazard and risk factors for human tick bite exposure among treeless islands with low and high Lyme disease incidence in the Western Isles. Read More

Infect Dis Clin North Am 2021 Mar;35(1):219-236

Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8116, St Louis, MO 63110, USA. Electronic address:

Animal and human bite injuries are a public health burden. Dog bites outnumber cat bites, but cat bites pose the greatest risk for infection. Skin and soft tissue infections are the most frequent infectious manifestations resulting from bite injury, although invasive infection may occur through direct inoculation or dissemination through the bloodstream. Read More

Acta Trop 2021 Apr 22;216:105837. Epub 2021 Jan 22.

School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia; Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Center (TIDRC), Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.

Ethiopia has shown a notable progress in reducing malaria burden over the past decade, mainly due to the scaleup of vector control interventions such as long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS). Based on the progress, the country has set goals to eliminate malaria by 2030. However, residual malaria transmission due to early evening and outdoor biting vectors could pose a challenge to malaria elimination efforts. Read More

J Zoo Wildl Med 2021 Jan;51(4):1072-1076

University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, WI 53706, USA.

An 18-yr-old female orangutan () developed opisthotonus after sustaining conspecific bite wounds 3 wk earlier. The orangutan developed progressive tetraparesis and dysphagia, despite normal mentation, suggestive of tetanus. A tetanus vaccine had been administered at 2 yr of age, but none since. Read More

J Zoo Wildl Med 2021 Jan;51(4):771-779

The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia,

A total of 22 isolates obtained from the oral cavity of koalas () at different wildlife centers in Australia were investigated using amplification and sequencing of two housekeeping genes, and . The available sequences from the type strain (ACM3666) and the recent isolates of like bacteria obtained from human infected wounds associated with koala bites were also included. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on the concatenated - genes and genome relatedness was calculated based on the sequences. Read More

Expert Rev Vaccines 2021 Feb 31;20(2):185-198. Epub 2021 Jan 31.

Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Introduction: Transmission-blocking vaccines (TBV) prevent community spread of malaria by targeting mosquito sexual stage parasites, a life-cycle bottleneck, and will be used in elimination programs. TBV rely on herd immunity to reduce mosquito infections and thereby new infections in both vaccine recipients and non-recipients, but do not provide protection once an individual receives an infectious mosquito bite which complicates clinical development.

Areas Covered: Here, we describe the concept and biology behind TBV, and we provide an update on clinical development of the leading vaccine candidate antigens. Read More