No abstract

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a rodent-borne virus belonging to the family Arenaviridae, genus Arenavirus, which causes a wide spectrum of human disease. However, data on LCMV infection in Spain is scant. To investigate whether this virus causes infection in Spain, 400 serum samples from the general population (191 males, 209 females) and 100 from wild rodents were studied by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using L-929 cells infected with LCMV. The study was performed in the "Community of Madrid," a region with both rural and urban areas in different ecological settings. Of the 400 human serum samples tested, antibodies against LCMV were detected in 7 (1.7%). No statistical differences in prevalence were found with respect to either age or rural or urban residence, but differences were seen with respect to sex. Nine (9%) of the rodent serum samples were positive. These results confirm the occurrence of LCMV infections in Man and rodents in Spain.

A systemic inflammatory state with increased circulating tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-␣) has been related to the bacterial infection susceptibility and hemodynamic derangement of patients with cirrhosis. We compared the activation status of immune cell subpopulations defined by 4-color cytometry in mesenteric and peripheral lymph nodes and blood of rats with CCl 4 -cirrhosis to define the immune response initiation site, the T-cell and monocyte contribution to pro-inflammatory cytokine production, as well as the pathogenic role of enteric bacteria in the cirrhosis immune response. Th1 cells and monocytes were expanded in the mesenteric nodes (P < .001) and blood (P < .001) of rats with cirrhosis, and activated to produce interferon gamma (P < .0001) and TNF-␣ (P < .0001), respectively. The greater numbers of recently activated CD134 ؉ Th cells in mesenteric nodes compared with blood, the correlation between their numbers in mesenteric nodes and blood (r ‫؍‬ 0.66, P < .001), and the expansion of activated CD45RC ؊ Th cells, which are unable to re-enter lymph nodes, in mesenteric nodes but not in blood or axillary nodes points to mesenteric nodes as the origin site of activated Th cells.

No abstract

Abstract:Limited information on presence of bacterial and hematozoan infections in parasitic arthropods from Spain is available. In an attempt to address this issue, prevalence of Theileria, Babesia, Hepatozoon and Rickettsia species was investigated by PCR plus sequencing. In a survey for zoonotic pathogens in ectoparasites, 42 wild animals (which included rodents, carnivores, Sciuridae and Cervidae) were captured in Burgos (Spain). A total of 258 arthropods (including 107 ticks, 76 fleas and 73 mites) were collected from these mammals. Molecular diagnostic results showed that: i) Rickettsia felis was found in fleas (2 Ctenocephalides felis), ii) Hepatozoon sp infected some fleas (2 Ctenophtalmus sp and a DNA pool of Ceratophyllus sciurorum) and Acari (1 Neotrombicula sp) and iii) Theileria annae was found in Ixodes ricinus and I. hexagonus (each a single infected specimen). All microorganisms and parasites were genetically identical to pathogens already described in Spain or elsewhere. Infected arthropods were recovered from beech marten, bank vole, squirrel, wood mouse and red fox. Our findings emphasize the potential risk