Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the primary microvascular complication associated with diabetes. Evidence on DR prevalence among children in New Zealand is scarce. We examined DR rates and associated risk factors in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) aged <16 years receiving care from a regional diabetes service in January 2006-December 2020.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) screening facilitates access to early intervention and prevention of severe complications, such as diabetic ketoacidosis. Despite its significance, many countries lack a systematic T1DM screening program. Understanding how the public perceives T1DM screening for children is essential for successfully implementing such programs but is currently an area with limited research. Our study aims to fill this gap by developing a standardized tool designed to assess the acceptability of T1DM screening programs for children, focusing on caregiver perspectives within the general population.

Objective: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a virtual food skills program for children with type 1 diabetes. Methods: Forty-three patients, aged 6-14 years with type 1 diabetes, participated in an 8-week online programme, summerlunch+ At Home, that included weekly live cooking classes, asynchronous learning modules, and quizzes accessed through Google Classroom. Grocery delivery or gift cards were provided to all participants to support equitable access to participation. Descriptive results were summarized, and thematic analysis was performed on answers to a post-intervention questionnaire, parent/caregivers interview transcripts, and facilitators' field notes. Results: Participants reported having a positive experience and would recommend the programme to others. Acceptable elements included the online format, the cooking class demonstrations, and the well-organized content. Families enjoyed the recipes, expressed an improvement in the families' cooking skills and nutrition knowledge, and noted the program as a way to improve family bonding and reduce participants' sense of social isolation given the opportunity of meeting peers with diabetes. The intervention also appears to increase participants' independence, confidence, and self-esteem. While grocery cards were easier to coordinate compared with meal kits, both were deemed acceptable by caregivers. Barriers to participation include a distracting home environment and not feeling comfortable on camera. Factors that negatively impacted satisfaction were the large age range of participants and the class timing and duration. Caregivers noted a desire for more diabetes education, enhanced peer-to-peer interaction, and incorporation of animal-based protein recipes in future programmes. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates the feasibility and acceptability of the virtual summerlunch+ At Home cooking and nutrition program that was adapted for children with diabetes. Similar food skills programmes may support the development of food skills imperative to diabetes self-management long-term. Further research can continue to assess food literacy skills, glycemic management, and the social benefits of such interventions.

The recent high incidence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp) infections has raised widespread public health concerns. Therefore, rapid and accurate diagnosis of respiratory pathogenic microbial infections is of paramount importance to provide clinicians with accurate diagnostic insights and guide clinical medication. In response to this urgent need, we developed a one-tube Palm CRISPR/Cas12a Diagnostic (PaCD) method. This method facilitates the rapid detection of Mp infections, as well as three other prevalent respiratory pathogens, Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp), Haemophilus influenzae (Hi), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP). In addition, 3D printing was employed to fabricate a compact detection device that includes a temperature control module set at 39°C and a blue light irradiation module, significantly enhancing the feasibility of point-of-care testing. The PaCD diagnostic process takes only 30 min with a detection limit of 50 copies/test, making it suitable for analysis of sputum and throat swab samples. PaCD demonstrated 100% concordance (72/72) with next-generation sequencing and exhibited high concordance with computed tomography test results. These findings demonstrate the clinical feasibility of PaCD for the rapid and accurate diagnosis of infections caused by four prevalent respiratory pathogens, offering theoretical insights into the versatile application of point-of-care tests for the detection of other respiratory pathogens in various clinical scenarios.

In 2021, a highly virulent strain of duck enteritis virus (DEV), designated as DEV XJ, was isolated from Zhejiang, China, and its complete genome, spanning 162,234 bp with 78 predicted open reading frames (ORFs), was sequenced. While showing relative homology to the DEV CV strain, DEV XJ exhibited distinctions in 38 ORFs, including various immunogenic and virulence-related genes. Amino acid variation analysis, focusing on UL6 and LORF3, indicated a high degree of homology between DEV XJ and the 2085 strain from Europe, as well as the DEV DP-AS-Km-19 strain from India. Subsequently, a full-length infectious bacterial artificial chromosome clone (BAC) of DEV XJ was successfully constructed to delve into the pathogenic mechanisms of this virulent strain. XJ BAC demonstrated substantial similarity to the parental DEV XJ in both in vitro growth properties and the induction of typical pathogenic symptoms in sheldrakes. Furthermore, the US3, LORF3, UL21, and UL36 genes were individually deleted using a two-step RED recombination approach based on the infectious BAC clone. Our findings revealed that the UL21 and UL36 genes play crucial roles in viral proliferation. Although the US3 and LORF3 genes were dispensable for viral replication and cell-to-cell transmission in vitro, they attenuated the replication and transmission efficiency of DEV compared to the WT. In summary, this study accomplished the whole-genome sequencing of a clinically virulent DEV strain and the successful construction of an infectious DEV XJ clone. Moreover, the functional roles of the above-mentioned mutant genes were preliminarily explored through the analysis of their in vitro biological characteristics.

Various domestic and wildlife species have been found susceptible to and infected with SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, around the globe, raising concerns about virus adaptation and transmission to new animal hosts. The virus circulation in the white-tailed deer population in North America has further called to action for virus surveillance in the wildlife. Here, we report on the first SARS-CoV-2 survey of wild animals in Japan, where frequent wildlife invasions of urban areas have occurred due to the limited predation, field abandonment, the increase of human acclimatization. Genetic testing using nasal swabs and serological screening have been conducted for sika deer, brown bears, raccoons, and raccoon dogs captured in Hokkaido prefecture from the end of the Delta variant wave to the spread of the Omicron variant, between March 2022 and February 2023. No viral RNA was detected in raccoons (0/184), sika deer (0/107), and brown bears (0/14) indicating that the virus was unlikely to spread within the population of these animal species. Among 171 raccoons, 20 raccoon dogs, 100 sika deer, and 13 brown bears, one raccoon, one brown bear, and two deer tested positive in the antibodies screening with multispecies SARS-CoV-2 N-protein ELISA. Still, ELISA-positive samples tested negative in three other serological tests, emphasizing the importance of confirming serological screening results. Our results suggested that SARS-CoV-2 was unlikely to spillback from humans to wildlife in Hokkaido during the study period, with the emergence of new variants, continuous surveillance is of utmost importance.

Infectious porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes PRRS, but noninfectious PRRSV cannot. PCR and ELISA are commonly used for PRRSV detection but they cannot discriminate PRRSV infectivity. Virus isolation is a gold standard to determine virus infectivity. However, it is time-consuming. Therefore, we developed a propidium monoazide (PMA) qPCR assay for rapid and universal detection of infectious PRRSV in this study. After comparing the inactivation efficacies of distinct disinfectants, ultraviolet (UV) light, and heat, heat at 72°C for 15 min was determined as an effective strategy for PRRSV inactivation, which was confirmed by virus isolation and immunofluorescence assay (IFA) detection. In addition, PMA pretreatment parameters were optimized, including PMA concentration (5 μM), PMA binding time (25 min), PMA binding temperature (37°C), and photolysis time (25 min). The optimal concentration of primers and probes adapted from our previous study was redetermined. The optimized PMA-qPCR assay exhibited satisfied specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility. Furthermore, the new PMA-qPCR was applied on the detection of 270 clinical samples (including 57 environmental feces, 177 lungs, 33 lymph nodes [LN], and 3 sera) and compared with previously developed qPCR. Eighty samples were qPCR positive, while only 63 samples were PMA-qPCR positive. No virus could be isolated in the 17 qPCR-positive but PMA-qPCR-negative clinical samples; meanwhile, PRRSV could be isolated in representative PMA-qPCR-positive samples, supporting that only live PRRSV isolates in distinct samples could be detected by this PMA-qPCR assay. In conclusion, this study provides the first PMA-qPCR assay for rapid and universal detection of infectious PRRSV, offering an alternative and effective method for PRRSV diagnosis, prevention, and control.

The outbreak of infectious diseases in swine, such as classical swine fever (CSF), has become a significant concern in the pig-farming industry. In Japan, after the re-emergence of CSF in 2018, farms are now exposed to the risk of transmission from infected wild boar and CSF-contaminated farms. This study aimed to identify biosecurity measures that were effective for the prevention of CSF introduction into farms during the period from the beginning of the CSF epidemic to the implementation of a vaccination campaign for domestic pigs at risk. The probability of virus introduction was assumed to be increased by the elevated risk from CSF-infected wild boar and infected farms around the farm. The risk from infected wild boar was represented by the prevalence of CSF in wild boar or the occupancy of 1-km grid cells with infected wild boar within 10-km radii from a pig farm and the occurrence of CSF outbreaks on neighboring farms. Conversely, the probability of virus introduction was assumed to decrease in response to on-farm biosecurity measures being implemented on each farm. The implementation of biosecurity measures on the farms and farm attributes were obtained through a questionnaire survey. Analyses were performed on each farm under the weekly situations where infected wild boar were both absent and present in the vicinity using a binomial generalized linear model. On farms where infected wild boar were not present around farms, daily washing and disinfecting of work clothing in pig houses was identified as the main measure to reduce the risk of CSF introduction into farms. On farms with infected wild boar in the vicinity, the absence of public roads on the farm and preventing wildlife intrusion into the areas where pig carcasses were stored were demonstrated to be effective in preventing CSF introduction. Based on the assumption that strict and comprehensive biosecurity measures are required to prevent CSF introduction, the implementation of these potentially effective measures is worth being prioritized.

In April 2022, a novel Goose adenovirus (GoAdV) isolated from diseased Lion head gooses exhibiting swelling and hemorrhage of liver and kidney, accumulation of fluid in pericardial, in Fujian province of China. The GoAdV was propagated in goose embryo fibroblasts (GEFs), the morphological properties of the virions were studied by electron microscopy, and the full genome sequence was determined and analyzed. The results revealed that the infected cells became round and clustered like grapes, virions accumulated and were arranged in crystal lattice formations in the nucleus of GEFs with a diameter of ∼80 nm. The new isolate (named CH-FJZZ-202201) has a viral genome size of 43,480 bp and shared 96.69% sequence identity with GoAdV-4 (P29), representing the species Goose aviadenovirus A. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CH-FJZZ-202201 was in the same genetic evolutionary branch with the viruses of Aviadenovirus and was the closest relative to GoAdV-4 P29/Hungary. This is the first report of the GoAdV-4 outside of Hungary, indicating the reemergence of new AdV strains in China.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a significant pathogen in the worldwide swine industry. The virus shows high genetic variation coupled with a broad range of virulence in pigs. Although multiple lineages of the virus have been prevalent throughout in Korea, the characteristics of lineage-wise pathogenicity are largely unknown. Therefore, this study was designed to analyze and compare the pathogenicity of 11 representative Korean PRRSV-2 isolates selected from PRRSV-2 lineages circulating in Korea, NADC30-like, VR2332-like, and three nation-specific lineages (lineage KOR A (LKA), lineage KOR B (LKB), and lineage KOR C (LKC)), which have been continuously prevalent in the nation. Eleven groups of pigs were experimentally infected with one Korean PRRSV-2 isolate through four consecutive animal experiments. Body weight and body temperature were recorded during each 4-week challenge experiment period, and virological, serological, and histopathological tests were performed on the collected samples. The data from the animal experiments were integrated into two indicators-excretion and clinical signs-through correlation and principal component analysis (PCA). Meta-analysis was used to compare PRRSV-2 isolates using each indicator. Based on these analyses, while L1C viruses used in this study (JB15-N-P31-GB and JB15-N-PJ73-GN, similar to NADC30-like strains) exhibited low or moderate levels of excretion and clinical signs, lineage 5 (L5) or modified live vaccine (MLV)-variant strains exhibited high levels of excretion compared to other PRRSV-2 isolates. However, the L5 variants all caused mild clinical signs, except for JB15-N-PJ4-GN, which showed the 4th highest clinical sign indicator. Among the Korean lineages (LKA, LKB, and LKC), two LKB strains (GGYC45 and JB15-N-PJ10-GN) were the most virulent as they showed the highest mortality after the challenge. On the other hand, the LKA and LKC viruses displayed lower excretion indicators than L5 strains, but they had higher-ranked clinical sign indicators than low-virulence L5 MLV variants. In conclusion, PRRSV prevalent in Korea has diverse excretion and clinical characteristics, and certain lineage is highly pathogenic. These results will offer useful insights to prevent spread of PRRSV and improve the efficacy of vaccines in the future.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) emerged in the United States (U.S.) swine population in 2013, initiating an initial significant epidemic followed by a state of endemicity in the U.S. Despite continued monitoring, the epidemiology of PEDV during its endemic phase remains inadequately researched. Our study aimed to characterize the spatial-temporal distribution of postepidemic PEDV cases in the U.S. breeding herd and identify associated risk factors. Data from 1089 breeding farms in 27 states, reported to the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring Project from July 2014 to June 2021, were analyzed. We stratified the data into six U.S. regions and employed SaTScan for spatiotemporal permutation and cluster analysis. Survival analysis was used to assess risk factors. A notable seasonal clustering of PEDV cases was observed in winter (January-March; p=0.001, relative risk = 2.2) with regional variation. Ten high-rate spatial-temporal clusters (p  < 0.05) were identified ranging from 2.5 to 833.7 km2 and lasting 1-5 months, occurring in four regions between 2015 and 2021. For the study period, a total of 625 cases of PEDV were recorded on 372 farms. The total number of PEDV cases decreased from 95 breeding farms in 32 counties (2014-2015) to 53 farms in 28 counties (2020-2021), indicating an overall reduction in occurrence and spatial extent. Feed mitigants demonstrated a protective effect, significantly reducing the risk of PEDV occurrence (hazard ratio = 0.3, p=0.003), while air filtration systems exhibited marginal benefits (hazard ratio = 0.3, p=0.06). Other important risk factors included county farm density with farms in high-density regions (>31 farms/100 km2) being 1.3 times more likely to experience outbreaks than in medium-density regions (13-31 farms/1000 km2; p  < 0.001). Additionally, farms in region E had higher odds of outbreaks compared to region B. The overall decline in PEDV cases and reduced spatial extent reflect industry efforts in postepidemic control and elimination. The protective effects of feed mitigants warrant further investigation. Our findings underscore the opportunity for coordinated efforts to eliminate PEDV in the U.S. and emphasize the need for comprehensive risk profiling associated with industry practices.

Despite significant advances in swine biosecurity (BS) over the last decade, BS plans have yet to be broadly adopted on swine farms. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScRs) framework was followed to review the literature, describe the worldwide distribution of publications on swine farm BS, and characterize the research methodologies used. The final data extraction and analysis included 157 publications originating from 48 countries. Several publications (n=93) used face-to-face interviews for data collection. An increase in the adoption of online and multimode approaches was detected after 2009. Many publications (n=92) focussed on the impact of BS on the incidence of swine diseases such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and African swine fever (ASF). Only 16 studies reported proposing incentives for study participation. Regions with high publication numbers were detected in Western and Southern Europe, Northeast of South America, and East Africa. Areas with low publication numbers were in Eastern Europe, North and Central Africa, Central America, and the Northwest of South America. This study identified the most common study methodologies used to assess swine farm BS. Countries with limited swine BS research studies were identified where future investigations are needed.

Eimeria stiedae is one of the few eukaryotic pathogens that exclusively infect the liver and serves as a good model to study the host-pathogen interactions in this vital organ. In this study, we show that rabbits infected with E. stiedae develop severe but self-healing cholangitis. RNA-seq analysis of the liver gene expression landscapes over the long course of E. stiedae infection identified 912 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the prepatent period (794 up- and 118 downregulated genes), 2889 DEGs in the early oocyst shedding period (1870 up- and 1019 downregulated genes), 2859 DEGs in the peak oocyst shedding period (1923 up- and 936 downregulated genes), and 327 DEGs in the recovery period (164 up- and 163 downregulated genes). Combined with pathological observations, we identified dynamic changes in host-parasite interactions involving multiple pathways. They showed that E. stiedae infection induced full-blown inflammatory, Th1 and Th17 immune responses at all time points. This was associated with the strong innate immune responses during the prepatent period, including increased Toll-like and NOD-like receptor signaling. Despite mounting several damage control and repair responses, such as PI3K-Akt signaling, Ras signaling, and extracellular matrix-receptor interactions, the liver underwent severe metabolic dysfunction, oxidative damage, and coagulopathy after patency and at peak infection, possibly as a result of suppressed peroxisome activities and downregulated PPAR signaling. These responses largely disappeared during late infection, suggesting that the liver self-heals after severe cholangitis. These data provide new insights into host-pathogen interactions during Eimeria infection and improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of parasitic cholangitis.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), encompassing PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2, significantly impacts the global pig industry by causing reproductive disorders and respiratory difficulties. In this paper, we isolated a novel PRRSV-1 strain, named SCPJ2023, from weaned piglets in Sichuan. Utilizing primary macrophages, we isolated SCPJ2023 and performed complete genome sequencing through metagenomic analysis. Phylogenetic analysis classified SCPJ2023 as pan-European subtype 1. SCPJ2023 showed a 95.3% similarity to SC2020-1. Amino acid analysis identified differences in Nsp2, GP3, and GP4 between SCPJ2023 and other representative strains. In vivo challenge experiments demonstrated that SCPJ2023 induced clinical symptoms in piglets, including coughing, fever, reduced appetite, and depression. Pathological examinations revealed hemorrhage and congestion, increased inflammatory cells, thickening of the alveolar wall, and collapse of the alveolar cavity in SCPJ2023-infected piglets. Altogether, our study identified a novel pathogenic isolate of PRRSV-1, expanding the newly named SC2020-1-like subgroup by identifying additional strains beyond the initial SC2020-1 isolate.

Nipah virus (NiV) is an emerging bat-borne zoonotic virus that can be transmitted to humans and other animals through infected bats or contaminated foods. The disease is highly lethal in humans (40%-75%) and has the potential for human-to-human transmission. Currently, there are no approved treatments or vaccines for NiV infection in humans or animals. Consequently, there is a pressing need for a highly sensitive, precise, and visually detectable assay to enable early intervention and mitigate the transmission of NiV infection. Here, we report a single-copy sensitive, field-deployable, one-pot visual reverse transcription-recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA)-clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR associate system (Cas)12 for the detection of NiV. The assay works by targeting the N gene of NiV, and the results are directly visible to the naked eye. The assay has demonstrated the ability to detect as few as 5.5 copies/μl of positive plasmids or 5.5 × 101 copies/μl of RNA transcripts when reacted at constant temperature for 40 min. It showed high specificity for NiV and had no cross-reaction with other pathogens, including rabies virus (RABV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), Hendra virus (HeV), and Streptococcus suis (S. suis), that can cause clinical symptoms similar to those of NiV infection. Moreover, this assay had a 100% coincidence rate with the reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) method recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) for the detection of simulated clinical samples, indicating that it has great potential as an ultrasensitive, simple, and portable novel assay for the onsite diagnosis of NiV infection.

The recent emergence of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) in some European countries has triggered an increase in animal and human cases across Europe. Wild birds, serving as key reservoirs for WNV and USUV, often act as crucial indicators for the introduction and spread of these viruses. Currently, there is no durable large-scale monitoring for WNV in Belgium, and specific monitoring for USUV is lacking. In Flanders, passive WNV monitoring in birds has been in place for many years, while initial efforts to initiate active monitoring started in 2022. Here, we present the results of a limited study conducted during the vector seasons of 2022 and 2023 in Flemish bird populations to actively and passively monitor the prevalence of WNV and additionally assess the presence of USUV. Several real-time reverse transcription-PCR tests were employed for virus detection, revealing the absence of WNV-RNA during both vector seasons. Conversely, USUV-RNA was identified in 2022 through active surveillance, affecting two (5.5%) out of 36 birds (Corvus corone), and in passive surveillance, impacting eight (72.7%) out of 11 birds (Turdus merula [6] and Rhea pennata [2]). In 2023, active surveillance was more extensive and identified 16 (7.2%) USUV-RNA positive birds (Buteo buteo [1], T. merula [14] and Athene noctua [1]) out of 222 examined birds, while passive surveillance detected two (7.1%) positive birds (T. merula [1], and Larus marinus [1]) out of 28. Viral sequence information was obtained from seven USUV-positive birds using whole genome sequencing or Sanger sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis placed all identified strains within the Africa 3 lineage. This restricted WVN monitoring effort in Flanders did not reveal WNV presence, but found indications of an endemic USUV circulation in Belgium. It is crucial to intensify monitoring efforts for WNV in the coming years, considering its endemic status in several European countries and its expanding geographical range in northern Europe.

In the last few decades, many new paramyxoviruses have been discovered, causing diverse, mostly respiratory diseases in animals and humans. The porcine parainfluenza virus 1 (PPIV-1, species Porcine respirovirus 1), which has been reported in many countries worldwide, was found in both healthy and clinically ill pigs showing respiratory signs. Here, we report the expected prevalence and genetic diversity of PPIV-1 in Hungarian pig herds and the detection in one Slovakian pig farm, which is the first report of evidence for the presence of the virus in the country. To estimate the prevalence in Hungary 211 oral fluid samples were collected from 23 large-scale swine herds in a systematic way and tested by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. The presence of the virus was detected in 10 of the 23 Hungarian farms (43%) included in our study. One hundred eighty-one nasal swab samples were collected cross-sectionally from three Hungarian and one Slovakian PPIV-1-positive herd and PPIV-1 was most prevalent in 6-week-old pigs on farms located in Hungary and in the 2-week-old pigs on the Slovakian farm. Phylogenetic analysis of three Hungarian and two Slovakian PPIV-1 F-gene sequences showed high-nucleotide identity (>93%) and all belonged to Clade I, together with the other European strains.

Avian influenza (AI) is a viral infection that profoundly affects global poultry production. This study aimed to identify the spatial and temporal factors associated with AI in Thailand, using a geographic information system (GIS)-based multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach. We discovered that high-risk areas for AI were primarily concentrated in the central and lower northern regions of the country, with fewer occurrences in the northeastern and southern regions. Model validation using historical outbreak data showed moderate agreement (AUC = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.58-0.61). This study provides valuable insights for planning national AI surveillance programs and aiding in disease prevention and control efforts. The efficiency and effectiveness of disease surveillance at the national level can be improved using this GIS-based MCDA, in conjunction with temporal risk factor analysis.

The emergence and transmission of the colistin-resistance gene mcr and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) encoding genes pose a significant threat to global public health. In recent years, it has been reported that mcr-1 and ESBL genes can coexist in single bacteria strain. The objective of this study was to characterize a multidrug-resistant (MDR) avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) isolate carrying mcr and ESBL encoding genes in China. A total of 200 APEC isolates were collected for antimicrobial susceptibility testing by Kirby-Bauer (K-B) disk method. The MDR strain EC012 were then further analyzed for minimum inhibitory concentrations, antimicrobials resistance genes (ARGs) detection, conjugation, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Among all APEC isolates determined by K-B disk method, strain EC012 was resistant to almost all the antimicrobials, including polymyxin B, cefotaxime, and ceftazidime. Moreover, EC012 harbored ARGs mcr-1, bla TEM-176, and bla CTX-M-14. WGS analysis revealed that EC012 belonged to epidemic APEC serotype O1:H16 and multilocus sequence type ST295. EC012 consisted of one chromosome and six plasmids, encoding a broad ARGs. The bla CTX-M-14, mcr-1 or bla TEM-176 genes were located on conjugative plasmids pEC012-1 or pEC012-5, respectively. These plasmids were successfully transferred to transconjugants and resulted in the resistance to polymyxin B, cefotaxime, and ceftazidime. This study indicated that APEC was a potential reservoir of colistin-resistance gene mcr-1 and ESBL encoding genes, and highlighted the necessity for enhanced monitoring of ARGs dissemination among bacteria from different origins.

Ulcerative skin lesions caused by Stephanofilaria dinniki are common in populations of the critically endangered eastern black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis michaeli). Although considered benign, they have been associated with loss of body condition and mortality in rhinoceros. Stephanofilarial lesions in rhinoceros may also lead to delayed puberty, reduced milk yields, and prolonged intercalving periods as observed with a similar disease in cattle. In this study the prevalence and predilection sites of stephanofilarial wounds were examined and the influence of age, sex, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), rainfall, temperature, rhinoceros' species, and population density on the prevalence of stephanofilarial skin lesions was evaluated in 10 rhinoceros' populations in Kenya. The results revealed that the prevalence of stephanofilarial skin lesions was 0% in the lowland sanctuaries such as Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, Tsavo West Intensive Protection Zone, and Tsavo East National Park to ≥90% in the highland rhinoceros' sanctuaries including Solio Wildlife Sanctuary, Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy, Lewa-Borana Wildlife Conservancies, and Nairobi National Park. Generalized linear models revealed that monthly minimum temperature and NDVI negatively influenced the probability of stephanofilarial skin lesions. However, spatial heterogeneity in NDVI, and rhino density were positively related to the probability of rhinoceros' infection with Stephanofilaria. Black rhinoceros had a higher average prevalence of stephanofilarial wounds (50.9%, n = 228) than white rhinoceros' (3.6%, n = 110). Temperature and heterogeneity in NDVI can directly influence the presence of the filaria vector Rhinomusca dutoiti as corroborated by the previous studies on their distribution. Moreover, the inverse relationship between NDVI and the prevalence of stephanofilarial skin lesions suggests that nutrition negatively impacts rhinoceros' immunity. Comprehensive studies on the vectors of Stephanofilaria and their bionomics may illuminate the epidemiological patterns of stephanofilariosis in rhinoceros.