Pathogens最新文献

{"title":"Prospective Analysis of Clinicopathologic Correlates of At-Home Feline Infectious Peritonitis Treatment Using GS-441524.","authors":"Kelly Larson, Emma Hart, Rosa Negash, Wendy Novicoff, Nicole Jacque, Samantha Evans","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14050507","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14050507","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is caused by a systemic feline coronavirus (FCoV). Prior to June 2024, compounded FIP treatment was unavailable for prescription by veterinarians in the United States, leading to many cat owners obtaining treatment through unlicensed \"black market\" sources. We hypothesized that clinicopathologic data could provide insight on prognostic indicators for the treatment of FIP with GS-441524. This study used data gathered via surveys from 126 cat owners who used \"black market\" GS-441524 for their cats. We compared bloodwork parameters over twelve weeks of treatment. None of the clinicopathologic correlates, when analyzed via two-sample <i>t</i>-tests, produced statistically significant results between cured, deceased, and relapsed groups. Within cats considered cured, it was observed that hematocrit (HCT) and white blood cell (WBC) values were within normal limits by the 2-6-week period. Cats who died during the study had lower HCT and higher WBC values within the 2-6-week period. Trends were also seen in A/G and total bilirubin (T-BIL), with deceased patients showing a higher A/G ratio and lower value than those in the cured group. Overall, these data demonstrate a lack of traditional clinicopathologic parameters which are consistently predictive of FIP therapy success. Other predictors of outcome with antiviral therapy should be pursued.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12114938/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144160916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Complete Transfer Learning-Based Pipeline for Discriminating Between Select Pathogenic Yeasts from Microscopy Photographs.","authors":"Ryan A Parker, Danielle S Hannagan, Jan H Strydom, Christopher J Boon, Jessica Fussell, Chelbie A Mitchell, Katie L Moerschel, Aura G Valter-Franco, Christopher T Cornelison","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14050504","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14050504","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pathogenic yeasts are an increasing concern in healthcare, with species like <i>Candida auris</i> often displaying drug resistance and causing high mortality in immunocompromised patients. The need for rapid and accessible diagnostic methods for accurate yeast identification is critical, especially in resource-limited settings. This study presents a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based approach for classifying pathogenic yeast species from microscopy images. Using transfer learning, we trained the model to identify six yeast species from simple micrographs, achieving high classification accuracy (93.91% at the patch level, 99.09% at the whole image level) and low misclassification rates across species, with the best performing model. Our pipeline offers a streamlined, cost-effective diagnostic tool for yeast identification, enabling faster response times in clinical environments and reducing reliance on costly and complex molecular methods.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12114329/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144160778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human Papillomavirus Positivity and Cognitive Function in Older U.S. Adults: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study.","authors":"Thomas J Farrer, Jonathan D Moore, Brinley N Zabriskie, Morgan Chase, Chris H Miller, Shawn D Gale, Dawson W Hedges","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14050508","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14050508","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Prior research has reported an association between human papillomavirus (HPV) seropositivity and dementia or Alzheimer's disease. This study aimed to cross-sectionally investigate the association between HPV seropositivity and cognitive function in older adults. The data used for this study were from the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles. To account for the complex survey design and missing data, we applied survey-weighted regression models to each imputed dataset, using multiple imputation techniques. Across all cognitive test outcomes, no statistically significant association was observed between HPV status and cognitive performance after controlling for covariates. These findings suggest that there may not be a significant association between HPV infection and cognitive scores in this NHANES sample. Stakeholders, including policymakers and healthcare providers, should consider these findings in their professional decision-making. Future research should investigate the association between HPV seropositivity and cognition using other samples in order to further characterize the association between HPV and cognitive function in older adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12114561/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144159794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Novel <i>flaB</i> Gene-Based Profiling Approach for the Rapid and Accurate Detection of <i>Borreliella</i> and <i>Borrelia</i> Species in Ticks.","authors":"Abigail Dorothea Taylor, Artur Trzebny, Małgorzata Łośko, Jerzy Franciszek Michalik, Miroslawa Dabert","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14050506","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14050506","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The increasing incidence of tick-borne diseases in Europe necessitates the development of accurate and high-throughput molecular tools for detecting pathogens in tick populations. In this study, we present a novel <i>flaB</i> gene-based profiling method for the detection and identification of <i>Borrelia</i> and <i>Borreliella</i> species in <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> ticks, combining newly designed primers with next-generation sequencing (NGS). The method was evaluated alongside conventional nested PCR targeting the <i>flaB</i> gene, as well as microbial profiling based on the V4 region of the <i>rrs</i> gene, using tick DNA extracted from 1088 specimens pooled into 94 samples. Our results demonstrate that the <i>flaB</i> gene-based profiling approach was the highest-performing out of the three methods, detecting Borreliaceae DNA in 83 DNA pools, compared to 58 and 56 pools using nested PCR and V4 <i>rrs</i> profiling, respectively. A total of 23 distinct <i>flaB</i> sequence variants were identified, corresponding to five Borreliaceae species: <i>Borreliella afzelii</i>, <i>Bl. garinii</i>, <i>Bl. valaisiana</i>, <i>Bl. burgdorferi</i>, and <i>Borrelia miyamotoi</i>. Additionally, the method enabled putative strain-level discrimination within species. Our results highlight the value of <i>flaB</i> gene-based profiling as a robust tool for ecological and epidemiological studies of Borreliaceae diversity in ticks.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12114648/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144160784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bacteria and Carcinogenesis and the Management of Cancer: A Narrative Review.","authors":"Paulina Plewa, Kajetan Kiełbowski, Oliwia Mentel, Karolina Figiel, Estera Bakinowska, Rafał Becht, Bolesław Banach, Andrzej Pawlik","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14050509","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14050509","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There is a widely known relationship between certain microbes and cancer progression. For instance, <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> is associated with the occurrence of gastric cancer, while HPV is associated with cervical and head and neck cancers. Recent studies have uncovered novel and important associations between bacterial presence and tumor formation and treatment response. Apart from the influence of the intestinal microbiome on cancer, the local activity of bacteria affects disease properties as well. Bacteria can localize within tumors in less vascularized niches. Their presence mediates the activity of signaling pathways, which contribute to tumorigenesis. Furthermore, they affect the composition of the tumor microenvironment, a highly complex structure composed of immunoregulatory cells and secreted inflammatory mediators. Recently, researchers have analyzed the properties of bacteria to develop novel anticancer strategies. The aim of this review is to discuss the latest findings regarding the relationships between bacteria and cancer and the properties of bacteria that could be used to kill cancer cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12114594/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144160902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Viperin: A Multifunctional Protein in Antiviral Immunity and Disease Pathogenesis.","authors":"Qun Cui, Ying Miao, Min Li, Hui Zheng, Yukang Yuan","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14050510","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14050510","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Innate immunity is an important component of the immune system and serves as the first line of defense for the host against the invasion of foreign pathogens. Viperin (RSAD2), a core member of the interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) family, plays a key role in innate immunity through direct inhibition of viral replication and modulation of the host immune-metabolic network. The intracellular expression of Viperin rises markedly after viral infection or interferon-induced induction, showing a wide range of antiviral activities. In recent years, the versatility of Viperin in viral infections, autoimmune diseases, and tumor immune metabolism has been gradually revealed. Here, we summarize and discuss the gene regulatory network, molecular functions, and multi-dimensional roles of Viperin in diseases to provide a theoretical basis for the development of broad-spectrum antiviral strategies and immunometabolic therapies based on Viperin.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12114427/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144160993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Temporal Variation and Human Host Predominance in <i>Aedes aegypti</i> from Coastal and Western Kenya: Insights from Pooled Blood Meal Metagenomics.","authors":"Kavinya Mwendwa, Francis Mutuku, Sammy Wambua, Makenzi Nzaro, Bryson A Ndenga, Kennedy Agoi, Angelle D LaBeaud, Carren Bosire","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14050505","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14050505","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Aedes aegypti</i> is the primary vector of arboviral diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika, posing significant global health and economic challenges. The effective control of this mosquito species requires understanding its seasonality, feeding behavior, and ecological dynamics. Modern molecular techniques, such as amplicon metagenomic sequencing, provide insights into vector-host interactions and feeding patterns. This study investigated the temporal variation of <i>Ae. aegypti</i> abundance and its blood meal sources in coastal and western Kenya over 16 months. A total of 64,360 mosquitoes were collected, with <i>Ae. aegypti</i> comprising 10.9% (7035/64,360). Coastal sites had a higher proportion (64.7%) of <i>Ae. aegypti</i> than western Kenya. Seasonal variation in abundance was observed, with peaks during the long rainy season and decline during the dry season. Blood meal analysis identified 15 vertebrate hosts, with humans being the primary source (86.6-95.9%). Other hosts included domestic animals such as turkey, sheep, cow, goat, and chicken. These findings highlight the role of rainfall in arboviral disease transmission and <i>Ae. aegypti</i>'s strong preference for human hosts. Additionally, this study demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of group testing for identifying blood meal sources, with implications for public health interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12114503/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144160801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High Prevalence and Genetic Heterogeneity of <i>Anaplasma marginale</i> in Smallholder Bovine Populations of Pakistan, and Its Implications.","authors":"Abdul Ghafar, Waseem Shaukat, Muhammad Waqas, Charles G Gauci, Robin B Gasser, Abdul Jabbar","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14050499","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14050499","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bovine anaplasmosis, caused by <i>Anaplasma marginale</i>, is a major tick-borne disease in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, leading to significant production losses. Prolonged convalescence periods are common and surviving animals often become subclinical carriers. This study aimed to detect and characterise A. marginale in bovines in smallholder dairy farms across diverse climatic zones of Pakistan using molecular methods. In total, 321 blood DNA samples from apparently healthy cattle (n = 174) and buffaloes (n = 147) from six districts in Pakistan were tested for A. marginale using a nested PCR assay, targeting part of the major surface protein B gene (msp1β) as a genetic marker, followed by agarose gel electrophoresis and selective sequencing of amplicons from test-positive samples. Of the 321 DNA samples tested, 135 (42.1%) were test-positive for A. marginale. Prevalence was significantly higher in cattle (64.4%; 112/174) than in buffaloes (15.6%; 23/147), and female bovines (43.5%; 108/248) were more frequently infected than males (37%; 27/73). Phylogenetic analysis of the msp1β sequence data (n = 42) revealed that A. marginale from Pakistan clustered with those from Brazil, Thailand, South Africa, and the USA. This study represents the first comprehensive investigation of A. marginale from bovines from diverse agroecological zones of Pakistan and will further stimulate population genetic studies of A. marginale and investigations into the economic impact of subclinical infections in bovines in smallholder farming systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12114811/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144159771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improvement of Cryopreservation and Production of Attenuated <i>Babesia</i> Parasites to Prevent Bovine Babesiosis.","authors":"Carmen Rojas-Martínez, José J Lira-Amaya, Massaro W Ueti, Roberto O Castañeda-Arriola, Julio V Figueroa Millán, Jesús A Álvarez Martínez","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14050498","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14050498","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluated the effects of various concentrations of PVP-40 on the in vitro cryopreservation and recovery of <i>Babesia bovis</i> and <i>Babesia bigemina</i>. We also assessed a reduced dose of attenuated <i>Babesia</i> strains to determine its efficacy in preventing clinical disease. A microaerophilic stationary phase blood culture system was used to recover <i>Babesia</i> parasites that were cryopreserved in solutions with various PVP-40 concentrations and <i>Babesia</i> parasites in 20% PVP-40 were used to vaccinate naïve cattle. The animals were vaccinated intramuscularly with frozen parasites cryopreserved in 20% PVP-40, with a dose of either 1 × 10⁸ or 1 × 10⁷ erythrocytes infected with both attenuated <i>B. bigemina</i> and <i>B. bovis</i> produced from blood cultures. The control group received uninfected erythrocytes. During the vaccination, clinical parameters such as rectal temperature and hematocrit levels were unaffected. The animals were relocated to a farm in a <i>Babesia</i> hyperendemic area to test the efficacy of these live vaccines in controlling disease onset. Some vaccinated animals showed mild disease. In the vaccinated groups, parasites were detected in blood smears for only one day during the challenge. In contrast, the control group experienced fever for three consecutive days, a decline in hematocrit levels, and significant health deterioration. In this group, parasites were detected in smears for four consecutive days. All the animals in the control group required treatment to manage their high parasitemia and prevent mortality. In this study, we demonstrated that increasing the concentration of PVP-40 to cryopreserve parasites improved the recovery and proliferation of <i>Babesia</i> spp. in blood culture, and we also showed that when animals were vaccinated with cryopreserved, in vitro cultured, attenuated <i>Babesia</i> parasites in 20% PVP-40, they were effectively protected from severe clinical babesiosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12114891/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144160580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of Virulence Genes and Antibiotic Resistance in Extraintestinal Pathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Isolated from Broiler Carcasses Using MALDI-TOF MS.","authors":"Jia-Tong Han, Yu-Xuan Tang, Si-Yi Wu, Yi-Ran Chen, Zhan-Peng Zou, Hang Zeng, Zhongjia Yu","doi":"10.3390/pathogens14050501","DOIUrl":"10.3390/pathogens14050501","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Escherichia coli</i> contamination in poultry is a significant concern due to its potential to cause foodborne illness. The presence of extraintestinal pathogenic <i>E. coli</i> (ExPEC) strains in chicken carcasses can lead to severe human infections. This study investigates the prevalence, virulence, and antibiotic resistance of <i>E. coli</i> isolates from chicken carcasses processed in both wet market and industrial environments, with a focus on the detection capabilities of MALDI-TOF MS. A total of 119 <i>E. coli</i> isolates were obtained. Only a small proportion (5/119) carried enteropathogenic virulence genes. In contrast, 71.42% (85/119) of the isolates harbored multiple extraintestinal virulence genes. Among these, <i>iucC</i> and <i>sitA</i>, which are associated with systemic infections, were present in 68.24% (58/85) and 43.53% (37/85) of the isolates, respectively. Furthermore, 47.06% (56/119) of the isolates carrying at least two extraintestinal virulence genes were classified as ExPEC. Additionally, 94.6% (54/56) of ExPEC isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR), showing resistance to over three antibiotic classes, raising concerns about the spread of antibiotic resistance. MALDI-TOF MS profiling revealed significant heterogeneity among the ExPEC isolates, with no distinct clustering patterns based on processing environment or sampling site. These findings underscore the public health risks posed by ExPEC in poultry and emphasize the need for improved surveillance, stringent hygiene practices, and responsible antibiotic use in poultry production.</p>","PeriodicalId":19758,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12114469/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144160427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}