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Association between adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination and anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentrations, the Netherlands, May 2021 to November 2022: a population-based prospective cohort study
T(r)icky Environments: Higher Prevalence of Tick-Borne Zoonotic Pathogens in Rodents from Natural Areas Compared with Urban Areas.
Background: Urban areas are unique ecosystems with stark differences in species abundance and composition compared with natural ecosystems. These differences can affect pathogen transmission dynamics, thereby altering zoonotic pathogen prevalence and diversity. In this study, we screened small mammals from natural and urban areas in the Netherlands for up to 19 zoonotic pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and protozoan parasites. Materials and Methods: In total, 578 small mammals were captured, including wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus), bank voles (Myodes glareolus), yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis), house mice (Mus musculus), common voles (Microtus arvalis), and greater white-toothed shrews (Crocidura russula). We detected a wide variety of zoonotic pathogens in small mammals from both urban and natural areas. For a subset of these pathogens, in wood mice and bank voles, we then tested whether pathogen prevalence and diversity were associated with habitat type (i.e., natural versus urban), degree of greenness, and various host characteristics. Results: The prevalence of tick-borne zoonotic pathogens (Borrelia spp. and Neoehrlichia mikurensis) was significantly higher in wood mice from natural areas. In contrast, the prevalence of Bartonella spp. was higher in wood mice from urban areas, but this difference was not statistically significant. Pathogen diversity was higher in bank voles from natural habitats and increased with body weight for both rodent species, although this relationship depended on sex for bank voles. In addition, we detected methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase/AmpC-producing Escherichia coli, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus for the first time in rodents in the Netherlands. Discussion: The differences between natural and urban areas are likely related to differences in the abundance and diversity of arthropod vectors and vertebrate community composition. With increasing environmental encroachment and changes in urban land use (e.g., urban greening), it is important to better understand transmission dynamics of zoonotic pathogens in urban environments to reduce potential disease risks for public health
Passive sampler housing and sorbent type determine aquatic micropollutant adsorption and subsequent bioassay responses.
Determinants of intended prevention behaviour against mosquitoes and mosquito-borne viruses in the Netherlands and Spain using the MosquitoWise survey: cross-sectional study.
Use of a diagnostic Puumala virus real-time RT-PCR in an orthohantavirus endemic region in the Netherlands.
Laboratory diagnosis of orthohantavirus infection is primarily based on serology. However, for a confirmed serological diagnosis, evaluation of a follow-up serum sample is essential, which is time consuming and causes delay. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests, if positive, provide an immediate and definitive diagnosis, and accurately identify the causative agent, where the discriminative nature of serology is suboptimal. We re-evaluated sera from orthohantavirus-suspected clinical cases in the Dutch regions of Twente and Achterhoek from July 2014 to April 2016 for the presence of Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV), Tula orthohantavirus (TULV), and Seoul orthohantavirus (SEOV) RNA. PUUV RNA was detected in 11% of the total number (n = 85) of sera tested, in 50% of sera positive for anti-PUUV/TULV IgM (n = 16), and in 1.4% of sera negative or indeterminate for anti-PUUV/TULV IgM (n = 69). No evidence was found for the presence of TULV or SEOV viral RNA. Based on these findings, we propose two algorithms to implement real-time RT-PCR testing in routine orthohantavirus diagnostics, which optimally provide clinicians with early confirmed diagnoses and could prevent possible further invasive testing and treatment
Colonization of vancomycin-resistant in human-derived colonic epithelium: unraveling the transcriptional dynamics of host-enterococcal interactions.
Enterococcus faecium is an opportunistic pathogen able to colonize the intestines of hospitalized patients. This initial colonization is an important step in the downstream pathogenesis, which includes outgrowth of the intestinal microbiota and potential infection of the host. The impact of intestinal overgrowth on host-enterococcal interactions is not well understood. We therefore applied a RNAseq approach in order to unravel the transcriptional dynamics of E. faecium upon co-culturing with human derived colonic epithelium. Co-cultures of colonic epithelium with a hospital-associated vancomycin resistant (vanA-type) E. faecium (VRE) showed that VRE resided on top of the colonic epithelium when analyzed by microscopy. RNAseq revealed that exposure to the colonic epithelium resulted in upregulation of 238 VRE genes compared to the control condition, including genes implicated in pili expression, conjugation (plasmid_2), genes related to sugar uptake, and biofilm formation (chromosome). In total, 260 were downregulated, including the vanA operon located on plasmid_3. Pathway analysis revealed an overall switch in metabolism to amino acid scavenging and reduction. In summary, our study demonstrates that co-culturing of VRE with human colonic epithelium promotes an elaborate gene response in VRE, enhancing our insight in host-E. faecium interactions, which might facilitate the design of novel anti-infectivity strategies
Air pollution exposure and mortality from neurodegenerative diseases in the Netherlands: A population-based cohort study.
A Dutch national cohort of 10.8 million adults aged ≥30 years was followed from 2013 until 2019. Annual average concentrations of air pollutants (ultra-fine particles (UFP), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), fine particles (PM2.5 and PM10) and elemental carbon (EC)) were estimated at the home address at baseline, using land-use regression models. The outcome variables were mortality due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease, non-vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated using Cox models, adjusting for individual and area-level socio-economic status covariates
TB among refugees from Ukraine in European countries
Nous avons réalisé une enquête auprès de 30 pays de l'Union européenne/de l'Espace économique européen et de 13 autres pays européens, en demandant des données démographiques sur les résidents migrants et les réfugiés dont le pays de naissance (COB, pour l’anglais « country of birth ») est l'Ukraine, le nombre de notifications de TB chez les personnes dont le COB est l'Ukraine et les politiques de dépistage des pays pour les réfugiés d'Ukraine