Aims: Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) among Malaysian pilgrims are caused by exposure to zoonotic-potential respiratory pathogens, symptomatically and asymptomatically affected by rigorous pilgrimage rituals, overcrowding and other stressors. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, virulence and antibiotic resistance genes of selected zoonotic respiratory pathogens using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays among Hajj pilgrims from Kelantan state, Malaysia. Methodology and results: Throat swab specimens were obtained from 189 Kelantan Hajj pilgrims in 2016 and examined by PCR for the identification of respiratory pathogens. Thirteen samples (6.88%) were positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae and four (2.11%) were positive for Klebsiella pneumoniae. All the samples were negative for Influenza A virus, MERS-CoV and Mycobacterium bovis. One sample was positive for S. pneumoniae virulence lytA gene. One sample was positive for K. pneumoniae virulence magA and K2A genes respectively, and three samples were positive for K. pneumoniae rmpA genes. Ten and seven samples were positive for S. pneumoniae mefA and pbpA antibiotic resistance genes respectively. Two samples were positive for K. pneumoniae blaKPC and blaOXA-48 antibiotic resistance genes. Conclusion, significance and impact of study This work provided insight into the existence of zoonotic respiratory pathogens inducing Hajj RTIs in Kelantan pilgrims. It showed promising findings for zoonotic studies in Hajj settings. The findings could be relevant in potential control measures for the management of zoonotic infections among Hajj pilgrims.
Respiratory Tract Infections ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Bacterial Zoonoses

Intensive surveillance of human S.suis infection was carried out in July and August of 2005 in Guangdong Province, which coincided with the Sichuan outbreak. Five isolated cases of human infections were identified during this period, from which 5 S. suis serotype 2 isolates were recovered. MLST analysis showed that these 5 isolates shared identical sequences of 6 MLST housekeeping genes except for one point mutation found within the thrA gene fragment, a neutral mutation (TTA to TTG) in the third nucleotide (360 nt) of the codon for leucine. MLST analysis identified 2 sequence types in the Guangdong sporadic infection. Three Guangdong isolates L-SS002, L-SS003 and L-SS005 belonged to ST7, while the other two isolates L-SS004 and L-SS006 belonged to ST1, but they all belonged to ST1 clonal complex. This finding represents a striking feature that differs from the Sichuan outbreak caused by a single ST7 SS2 clone. The 3 isolates of ST7 were probably imported from Sichuan Province, while the origin of the other 2 isolates of ST1 still remain to be clarified.
Animals ; Bacterial Typing Techniques ; methods ; China ; DNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; Humans ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Streptococcal Infections ; microbiology ; Streptococcus suis ; classification ; genetics ; pathogenicity ; Swine ; Swine Diseases ; microbiology ; Zoonoses ; microbiology

A total of 1,618 ticks [420 individual (adults) and pooled (larvae and nymphs) samples], 369 rodents (Apodemus arius, Rattus norvegicus, Tscherskia triton, Mus musculus, and Myodes regulus), and 34 shrews (Crocidura lasiura) that were collected in northern Gyeonggi-do near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) of Korea during 2004-2005, were assayed by PCR for selected zoonotic pathogens. From a total of 420 individual and pooled tick DNA samples, Anaplasma (A.) phagocytophilum (16), A. platys (16), Ehrlichia (E.) chaffeensis (63), Borrelia burgdorferi (16), and Rickettsia spp. (198) were detected using species-specific PCR assays. Out of 403 spleens from rodents and shrews, A. phagocytophilum (20), A. platys (34), E. chaffeensis (127), and Bartonella spp. (24) were detected with species-specific PCR assays. These results suggest that fevers of unknown causes in humans and animals in Korea should be evaluated for infections by these vector-borne microbial pathogens.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum/genetics/isolation & purification ; Animals ; Biological Warfare ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics/isolation & purification ; Ehrlichiosis/transmission/veterinary ; Humans ; Korea ; Mice/*microbiology ; Rats/*microbiology ; Seasons ; Shrews/*microbiology ; Ticks/*microbiology ; Zoonoses

OBJECTIVES: Tularemia is a zoonotic disease transmitted by direct contact with infected animals and through arthropod bites, inhalation of contaminated aerosols, ingestion of contaminated meat or water, and skin contact with any infected material. It is widespread throughout the northern hemisphere, including Iran and its neighbors to the north, northeast, and northwest. METHODS: In this paper, the epidemiology of tularemia as a re-emerging infectious disease in the world with a focus on Iran and the neighboring countries is reviewed. RESULTS: In Iran, positive serological tests were first reported in 1973, in wildlife and domestic livestock in the northwestern and southeastern parts of the country. The first human case was reported in 1980 in the southwest of Iran, and recent studies conducted among at-risk populations in the western, southeastern, and southwestern parts of Iran revealed seroprevalences of 14.4, 6.52, and 6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Several factors may explain the absence of reported tularemia cases in Iran since 1980. Tularemia may be underdiagnosed in Iran because Francisella tularensis subspecies holarctica is likely to be the major etiological agent and usually causes mild to moderately severe disease. Furthermore, tularemia is not a disease extensively studied in the medical educational system in Iran, and empirical therapy may be effective in many cases. Finally, it should be noted that laboratories capable of diagnosing tularemia have only been established in the last few years. Since both recent and older studies have consistently found tularemia antibodies in humans and animals, the surveillance of this disease should receive more attention. In particular, it would be worthwhile for clinical researchers to confirm tularemia cases more often by isolating F. tularensis from infected humans and animals.
Aerosols ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Arthropods ; Bacterial Infections ; Communicable Diseases, Emerging* ; Eating ; Epidemiology ; Francisella tularensis ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Iran* ; Livestock ; Meat ; Rodentia ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Serologic Tests ; Skin ; Tularemia* ; Water ; Zoonoses

Forty mycobacterial strains comprising clinical Indian isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (28 field isolates +1H37 Rv) and Mycobacterium bovis (10 field isolates +1 AN5) were subjected to restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP) using IS6110 and IS1081 probes. Most of these strains originated from dairy cattle herd and human patients from Indian Veterinary research Institute (IVRI) campus isolated from the period of 1986 to 2000. Our study showed presence of 8 copies of IS6110 in most of the M.tuberculosis (96.6%) strains irrespective of their origin with the exception of one M.tuberculosis strain with presence of an extra copy (3.4%). All M.bovis strains showed a single copy of IS6110 on the characteristic 1.9kb restriction fragment. RFLP analysis with IS1081 invariably showed the presence of 5 copies in all isolates of M.bovis and M.tuberculosis at the same chromosomal location. Similarity of IS6110 RFLP fingerprints of M.tuberculosis strains from animals and human suggested the possibility of dissemination of single M.tuberculosis strain among animals as well as human. It was not possible to discriminate within the isolates of either M.tuberculosis or M.bovis, when IS1081 was used as target sequence. The IS6110 RFLP is a valuable tool for disclosing transmission chain of M. tuberculosis and M. bovis among humans as well as animals
Animals ; Bacterial Typing Techniques ; Cattle ; DNA Fingerprinting/*veterinary ; DNA, Bacterial/*genetics ; Deer ; Humans ; India/epidemiology ; Mycobacterium bovis/classification/*genetics/isolation&purification ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/classification/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Zoonoses/epidemiology

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Bacterial ; blood ; Bartonella henselae ; isolation & purification ; Cat-Scratch Disease ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Gentamicins ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Zoonoses