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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Evaluation Of The Safety And Efficacy Of Hand Sanitizer Products Marketed To Children Available During The Covid-19 Pandemic, L.E. Gloekler, E.J. De Gandiaga, N.R. Binczewski, (...), Mark J. La Guardia, Et Al
Evaluation Of The Safety And Efficacy Of Hand Sanitizer Products Marketed To Children Available During The Covid-19 Pandemic, L.E. Gloekler, E.J. De Gandiaga, N.R. Binczewski, (...), Mark J. La Guardia, Et Al
VIMS Articles
Hand sanitizer use in the United States (U.S.) increased after the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released temporary manufacturer guidance, changing impurity level limits for alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHSs). Since the guidance took effect, the FDA has recommended against using these hand sanitizers due to concerns over safety, efficacy, and/or risk of incidental ingestion. To address current gaps in exposure characterization, this study describes a survey of ABHSs marketed to children available in the U.S., as defined by several inclusion criteria. A subset of ABHSs (n = 31) were evaluated for ethanol and organic impurities using …
The Importance Of Long-Term Data Collection To Understand The Historical And Evolutionary Ecology Of Marine Diseases: The Eastern Oyster Disease System In The Usa, As A Case Study, Ryan Carnegie
VIMS Articles
The epizootics in eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica, of haplosporidiosis or “MSX” disease caused by Haplosporidium nelsoni, and perkinsosis or “dermo” disease caused by Perkinsus marinus, were two of the most significant marine disease events of the last century. Haplosporidium nelsoni, a protozoan parasite
native to Asian populations of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, emerged in Delaware Bay in 1957 and Chesapeake Bay in 1959 (Andrews,1962; Haskin et al., 1966), and in the decades that followed caused major mortality events
from the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA to Atlantic Canada. Perkinsus marinus is a native pathogen, also a protozoan, that had …
Polystyrene Microplastics Reduce Abundance Of Developing B Cells In Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Primary Cultures, Patty Zwollo, Fatima Quddos, Carey Bagdassarian, Meredith Evans Seeley, Robert Hale, Lauren Abderhalden
Polystyrene Microplastics Reduce Abundance Of Developing B Cells In Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Primary Cultures, Patty Zwollo, Fatima Quddos, Carey Bagdassarian, Meredith Evans Seeley, Robert Hale, Lauren Abderhalden
VIMS Articles
Environmental microplastic pollution (including polystyrene, PS) may have detrimental effects on the health of aquatic organisms. Accumulation of PS microplastics has been reported to affect innate immune cells and inflammatory responses in fish. To date, knowledge on effects of microplastics on the antibody response is still very limited. Here, we investigated effects of small (0.8–20 μm) PS microplastics on the abundance of B lineage cells in primary cultures of developing immune cells from the anterior kidney of rainbow trout. Both purchased PS microbeads and PS microparticles generated from consumer products were used as microplastic sources. We first show that rainbow …
First Comparison Of French And Australian Oshv-1 Μvars By Bath Exposure, Ca Burge, Kimberly S. Reece, Ak Dhar, P Kirkland, B Morga, L Dégremont, N Faury, B Whipple, A Macintyre, C Friedman
First Comparison Of French And Australian Oshv-1 Μvars By Bath Exposure, Ca Burge, Kimberly S. Reece, Ak Dhar, P Kirkland, B Morga, L Dégremont, N Faury, B Whipple, A Macintyre, C Friedman
VIMS Articles
Economically devastating mortality events of farmed and wild shellfish due to infectious disease have been reported globally. Currently, one of the most significant disease threats to Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas culture is the ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1), in particular the emerging OsHV-1 microvariant genotypes. OsHV-1 microvariants (OsHV-1 μvars) are spreading globally, and concern is high among growers in areas unaffected by OsHV-1. No study to date has compared the relative virulence among variants. We provide the first challenge study comparing survival of naïve juvenile Pacific oysters exposed to OsHV-1 μvars from Australia (AUS μvar) and France (FRA μvar). Oysters challenged …
Characterization Of Microsporidian Ameson Herrnkindi Sp. Nov. Infecting Caribbean Spiny Lobsters Panulirus Argus, Hamish J. Small, Gd Stentiford, Dc Behringer, Ma Freeman, Nam Atherley, Kimberly S. Reece, Jeffrey D. Shields
Characterization Of Microsporidian Ameson Herrnkindi Sp. Nov. Infecting Caribbean Spiny Lobsters Panulirus Argus, Hamish J. Small, Gd Stentiford, Dc Behringer, Ma Freeman, Nam Atherley, Kimberly S. Reece, Jeffrey D. Shields
VIMS Articles
The Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus supports a large and valuable fishery in the Caribbean Sea. In 2007-2008, a rare microsporidian parasite with spore characteristics typical of the Ameson genus was detected in 2 spiny lobsters from southeast Florida (FL). However, the parasite species was not confirmed by molecular analyses. To address this deficiency, reported here are structural and molecular data on single lobsters displaying comparable ‘cotton-like’ abdominal muscle containing ovoid microsporidian spores found at different locations in FL in 2014 and 2018 and in Saint Kitts and Nevis Islands in 2017. In the lobster from 2014, multiple life stages …
Parasitic Dinoflagellate Hematodinium Perezi Prevalence In Larval And Juvenile Blue Crabs Callinectes Sapidus From Coastal Bays Of Virginia, Hj Small, Jp Huchin-Mian, Ks Reece, Km Pagenkopp Lohan, Mj Butler Iv, Jd Shields
Parasitic Dinoflagellate Hematodinium Perezi Prevalence In Larval And Juvenile Blue Crabs Callinectes Sapidus From Coastal Bays Of Virginia, Hj Small, Jp Huchin-Mian, Ks Reece, Km Pagenkopp Lohan, Mj Butler Iv, Jd Shields
VIMS Articles
The parasitic dinoflagellate Hematodinium perezi infects the American blue crab Callinectes sapidus and other decapods along the Eastern seaboard and Gulf of Mexico coast of the USA. Large juvenile and adult blue crabs experience high mortality during seasonal outbreaks of H. perezi, but less is known about its presence in the early life history stages of this host. We determined the prevalence of H. perezi in megalopae and early benthic juvenile crabs from multiple locations along the Virginia portion of the Delmarva Peninsula. The DNA of H. perezi was not detected in any megalopae collected from several locations within the …
Method For Serial Passage Of Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (Ihnv) In Rainbow Trout, Juliette Doumayrou, M. Gray Ryan, Andrew R. Wargo
Method For Serial Passage Of Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (Ihnv) In Rainbow Trout, Juliette Doumayrou, M. Gray Ryan, Andrew R. Wargo
VIMS Articles
Transmission is a fundamental component of pathogen fitness. A better understanding of pathogen transmission can greatly improve disease management. In particular, controlled studies of multiple rounds of natural transmission (i.e. serial passage) can provide powerful epidemiological and evolutionary inferences. However, such studies are possible in only a few systems because of the challenges in successfully initiating and maintaining transmission in the laboratory. Here we developed an efficient and reproducible cohabitation method for conducting controlled experiments investigating the effects of serial passage on infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) in rainbow trout. This method was used to investigate the transmission efficiency and …
Rising Temperatures, Molting Phenology, And Epizootic Shell Disease In The American Lobster, Maya Groner, Jeffrey D. Shields, Df Landers, J Swenarton, Jm Hoenig
Rising Temperatures, Molting Phenology, And Epizootic Shell Disease In The American Lobster, Maya Groner, Jeffrey D. Shields, Df Landers, J Swenarton, Jm Hoenig
VIMS Articles
Phenological mismatchmaladaptive changes in phenology resulting from altered timing of environmental cuesis an increasing concern in many ecological systems, yet its effects on disease are poorly characterized. American lobster (Homarus americanus) is declining at its southern geographic limit. Rising seawater temperatures are associated with seasonal outbreaks of epizootic shell disease (ESD), which peaks in prevalence in the fall. We used a 34-year mark-recapture data set to investigate relationships between temperature, molting phenology, and ESD in Long Island Sound, where temperatures are increasing at 0.4 degrees C per decade. Our analyses support the hypothesis that phenological mismatch is linked to the …
Laboratory Studies On The Effect Of Temperature On Epizootic Shell Disease In The American Lobster, Homarus Americanus, Britnee N. Barris, Jeffrey D. Shields, Hamish J. Small, Juan Pablo Huchin-Mian, Patricia O'Leary, Et Al
Laboratory Studies On The Effect Of Temperature On Epizootic Shell Disease In The American Lobster, Homarus Americanus, Britnee N. Barris, Jeffrey D. Shields, Hamish J. Small, Juan Pablo Huchin-Mian, Patricia O'Leary, Et Al
VIMS Articles
Epizootic shell disease (ESD) is a persistent threat to the population of American lobsters, Homarus americanus H. Milne-Edwards, 1837, in Long Island Sound and off southern New England, USA. ESD is caused by a bacterial dysbiosis that occurs in association with increased water temperature and exposure to anthropogenic stressors. Temperature is a leading factor driving the severity and incidence of ESD. Our objective was to quantify disease progression and dynamics in relation to host molting and mortality at three rigorously controlled temperatures (6, 12, and 18 °C) over a 5–6-mo period. Lobsters were photographed at various time points and image …
Transmission Routes Maintaining A Viral Pathogen Of Steelhead Trout Within A Complex Multi-Host Assemblage, Rachel Breyta, Ilana Brito, Paige Ferguson, Gael Kurath, Kerry Naish, Maureen Purcell, Ar Wargo, Shannon Ladeau
Transmission Routes Maintaining A Viral Pathogen Of Steelhead Trout Within A Complex Multi-Host Assemblage, Rachel Breyta, Ilana Brito, Paige Ferguson, Gael Kurath, Kerry Naish, Maureen Purcell, Ar Wargo, Shannon Ladeau
VIMS Articles
This is the first comprehensive region wide, spatially explicit epidemiologic analysis of surveillance data of the aquatic viral pathogen infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) infecting native salmonid fish. The pathogen has been documented in the freshwater ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest of North America since the 1950s, and the current report describes the disease ecology of IHNV during 2000-2012. Prevalence of IHNV infection in monitored salmonid host cohorts ranged from 8% to 30%, with the highest levels observed in juvenile steelhead trout. The spatial distribution of all IHNV-infected cohorts was concentrated in two sub-regions of the study area, where historic …
Characterization Of A Rediscovered Haplosporidian Parasite From Cultured Penaeus Vannamei, Lm Nunam, Dv Lightner, Cr Pantoja, Na Stokes, Kimberly S. Reece
Characterization Of A Rediscovered Haplosporidian Parasite From Cultured Penaeus Vannamei, Lm Nunam, Dv Lightner, Cr Pantoja, Na Stokes, Kimberly S. Reece
VIMS Articles
Mortalities of Penaeus vannamei, cultured in ponds in Belize, Central America, began during the last part of the grow-out cycle during the cold weather months from September 2004 through February 2005. Tissue squashes of infected hepatopancreata and histological examination of infected shrimp revealed that the mortalities might have been caused by an endoparasite. To confirm the diagnosis, DNA was extracted from ethanol preserved hepatopancreata and the small-subunit rRNA gene was sequenced. The 1838 by sequence was novel and phylogenetic analysis placed the P. vannamei parasite within the phylum Haplosporidia as a sister taxon to a clade that includes Bonamia and …
Globally Distributed Mycobacterial Fish Pathogens Produce A Novel Plasmid-Encoded Toxic Macrolide, Mycolactone F, B S. Ranger, E A. Malone, L Mosi, S Adusumilli, R E. Lee, A Coloni, M Rhodes, Plc Small
Globally Distributed Mycobacterial Fish Pathogens Produce A Novel Plasmid-Encoded Toxic Macrolide, Mycolactone F, B S. Ranger, E A. Malone, L Mosi, S Adusumilli, R E. Lee, A Coloni, M Rhodes, Plc Small
VIMS Articles
Mycobacterium ulcerans and Mycobacterium marinum are closely related pathogens which share an aquatic environment. The pathogenesis of these organisms in humans is limited by their inability to grow above 35 degrees C. M. marinum causes systemic disease in fish but produces localized skin infections in humans. M. ulcerans causes Burulli ulcer, a severe human skin lesion. At the molecular level, M. ulcerans is distinguished from M. marinum by the presence of a virulence plasmid which encodes a macrolide toxin, mycolactone, as well as by hundreds of insertion sequences, particularly IS2404. There has been a global increase in reports of fish …
B Cell Heterogeneity In The Teleost Kidney: Evidence For A Maturation Gradient From Anterior To Posterior Kidney, Patty Zwollo, Suzanne Cole, Erin Bromage, Stephen Kaattari
B Cell Heterogeneity In The Teleost Kidney: Evidence For A Maturation Gradient From Anterior To Posterior Kidney, Patty Zwollo, Suzanne Cole, Erin Bromage, Stephen Kaattari
VIMS Articles
The fish immune system is quite different from the mammalian system because the anterior kidney forms the main site for hematopoiesis in this species. Using transcription factor-specific Abs derived from the murine system, together with anti-trout Ig Abs and Percoll gradient separation, we analyzed B cells from trout kidney sections and compared them to those from spleen and blood. For this study, immune cells were separated by Percoll gradients, and the resulting subpopulations were defined based on expression of B cell-specific transcription factors Pax-5 and B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein-1, as well as proliferative and Ig-secreting properties. Comparison of kidney, blood, …
Plasmablast And Plasma Cell Production And Distribution In Trout Immune Tissues, E S. Bromage, I M. Kaattari, P Zwollo, S L. Kaattari
Plasmablast And Plasma Cell Production And Distribution In Trout Immune Tissues, E S. Bromage, I M. Kaattari, P Zwollo, S L. Kaattari
VIMS Articles
These studies describe the in vitro and ex vivo generation of plasmablasts and plasma cells in trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) peripheral blood and splenic and anterior kidney tissues. Cells were derived either from naive trout and cultured with the polyclonal activator, Escherichia coli LPS, or from trout that had been immunized with trinitrophenyl-keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Hydroxyurea was used to resolve populations of replicating (plasmablast) and nonreplicating (plasma cell) Ab-secreting cells (ASC). Complete inhibition of Ig secretion was only observed within the PBL. Both anterior kidney and splenic lymphocytes possessed a subset of ASCs that were hydroxyurea resistant. Thus, in vitro production …
Are Pfiesteria Species Toxicogenic? Evidence Against Production Of Ichthyotoxins By Pfiesteria Shumwayae, Jp Berry, Kimberly S. Reece, Ks Rein, Dg Baden, Lw Haas, Wl Ribeiro, Jeffrey D. Shields, Rv Snyder, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein, Re Gawley
Are Pfiesteria Species Toxicogenic? Evidence Against Production Of Ichthyotoxins By Pfiesteria Shumwayae, Jp Berry, Kimberly S. Reece, Ks Rein, Dg Baden, Lw Haas, Wl Ribeiro, Jeffrey D. Shields, Rv Snyder, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein, Re Gawley
VIMS Articles
The estuarine genus Pfiesteria has received considerable attention since it was first identified and proposed to be the causative agent of fish kills along the mid-Atlantic coast in 1992. The presumption has been that the mechanism of fish death is by release of one or more toxins by the dinoflagellate. In this report, we challenge the notion that Pfiesteria species produce ichthyotoxins. Specifically, we show that (i) simple centrifugation, with and without ultrasonication, is sufficient to "detoxify" water of actively fish-killing cultures of Pfiesteria shumwayae, (ii) organic extracts of lyophilized cultures are not toxic to fish, (fit) degenerate primers that …
Reduction In Dna Binding Activity Of The Transcription Factor Pax-5a In B Lymphocytes Of Aged Mice, J Anspach, G Poulsen, I Kaattari, R Pollock, P Zwollo
Reduction In Dna Binding Activity Of The Transcription Factor Pax-5a In B Lymphocytes Of Aged Mice, J Anspach, G Poulsen, I Kaattari, R Pollock, P Zwollo
VIMS Articles
Aging has been associated with intrinsic changes of the humoral immune response, which may lead to an increased occurrence of autoimmune disorders and pathogenic susceptibility. The transcription factor Pax-5 is a key regulator of B cell development. Pax-5a/B cell-specific activator protein and an alternatively spliced isoform, Pax-Sd, may have opposing functions in transcriptional regulation due to the lack of a transactivation domain in Pax-Sd. To study B cell-specific changes that occur during the aging process, we investigated expression patterns of Pax-Sa and Sd in mature B cells of young and aged mice. RNase protection assays showed a similar transcriptional pattern …
Environmental Factors And The Infectious Disease Caused By The Protozoan Parasite, Perkinsus Marinus, In Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica), Fle Chu
VIMS Articles
Temperature and salinity are two important factors limiting the distribution and abundance of Perkinsus marinus, a protozoan parasite of Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica). Results of laboratory studies ale consistent with field observations and clearly demonstrate that P. marinus susceptibility and disease advancement are positively correlated with temperature, salinity and in situ number of infective cells. Laboratory findings also suggest that environmental degradation may enhance the epizootic, although disease caused by P. marinus in oysters is known to be predominantly exacerbated by elevated temperature and salinity. Oysters cellular defence mechanisms appear ineffective in defence against P. marinus. Also, pollutant esposure caused …
Potential Role Of Protease-Antiprotease Interactions In Perkinsus Marinus Infection In Crassostrea Spp., M Faisal, Jl Oliver, Sl Kaataari
Potential Role Of Protease-Antiprotease Interactions In Perkinsus Marinus Infection In Crassostrea Spp., M Faisal, Jl Oliver, Sl Kaataari
VIMS Articles
Perkinsus marinus causes devastating losses in populations of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Our studies have demonstrated that P. marinus secretes extracellular serine proteases which enhance parasite propagation and compromise host defences. Crassostrea virginica. however, possesses several inhibitors of these proteases. The Pacific oyster (C. gigas) is resistant to P. marinus and possesses protease inhibitors with significantly higher specific activities than those in C. virginica. Interestingly, Crassostrea spp. themselves, elaborate metalloprotease activities which can be detected in their plasma, and are increased during P. marinus infections. Together our work suggests that there may be a broad spectrum of humoral host …
Histopathological Alterations Associated With Perkinsus Spp. Infection In The Softshell Clam Mya Arenaria, Sm Mclaughlin, M Faisal
Histopathological Alterations Associated With Perkinsus Spp. Infection In The Softshell Clam Mya Arenaria, Sm Mclaughlin, M Faisal
VIMS Articles
Softshell clams (Mya arenaria) collected from the Chester River in the upper Chesapeake Bay showed the presence of Perkinsus spp, in similar to 12 % (28/240) Of clams examined. The infection seems to run a mild course with the host prevailing in encapsulating invading parasites. The gills appear to be the major site of infection, however, the parasite was also found in the digestive gland, gonads, and kidneys and occasionally in the tissue and sinuses of adductor muscles. Typically, clusters of protozoal cells were embedded in on amorphous PAS-positive substrate and were surrounded by one or more layers of granulocytes. …
In Vitro Propagation Of Two Perkinsus Species From The Softshell Clam Mya Arenaria, Sm Mclaughlin, M Faisal
In Vitro Propagation Of Two Perkinsus Species From The Softshell Clam Mya Arenaria, Sm Mclaughlin, M Faisal
VIMS Articles
Two continuous, axenic cultures of Perkinsus spp. (H49 and G117)were obtained from the softshell clam Mya arenaria collected from Swan Point in the Chester River, Chesapeake Bay (Maryland).
Isolate H49 was obtained from the hemolymph of a heavily infected clam. Except for their larger size, H49 trophozoites and schizonts exhibited the characteristic morphology of Perkinsus marinus and divided by schizogony. Isolate G117 was obtained from a combined gill/palp sample of a moderately infected clam. Unlike H49, vegetative forms (trophozoites and schizonts) of G117 were present along with prezoosporulation stages in the same culture. In culture, G117 cells multiplied by both …
Development Of A Protein-Free Chemically Defined Culture Medium For The Propagation Of The Oyster Pathogen Perkinsus Marinus, Jf Lapeyre, M Faisal
Development Of A Protein-Free Chemically Defined Culture Medium For The Propagation Of The Oyster Pathogen Perkinsus Marinus, Jf Lapeyre, M Faisal
VIMS Articles
In the present study we describe a protein-free, chemically defined culture medium, designated JL-ODRP-3, which supports the propagation of Perkinsus marinus, a parasite of the eastern oyster, Crassotrea virginica. P. marinus adapted rapidly to the defined medium and the growth rate of the protozoan increased significantly following a few subcultures. Two isolates of P. marinus, one from the Chesapeake Bay (Virginia) and the other from the Gulf of Mexico (Texas) were cultured for at least ten passes. The doubling times far the isolates from Virginia and Texas, in Jog phase, were 18 +/- 1.2 and 28.6 +/- 3.2 hours respectively, …
Optimal Culture Conditions For The Propagation Of The Oyster Pathogen Perkinsus Marinus (Apicomplexa) In Protein Deficient Medium, Jf Lapeyre, M Faisal
Optimal Culture Conditions For The Propagation Of The Oyster Pathogen Perkinsus Marinus (Apicomplexa) In Protein Deficient Medium, Jf Lapeyre, M Faisal
VIMS Articles
The protozoan, Perkinsus marinus, acclimated and proliferated in the culture medium JL-ODRP-1 without bovine serum albumin. The principal culture conditions for the optimal propagation of P. marinus in this protein deficient culture medium, were determined. The greatest growth rates of the parasite occurred at 28 degrees C, 661 mOsm/kg and pH 7.5. Decreasing seeding densities from 16 x 10(5) to 1 x 10(5) also increased growth rate. After several passages in the absence of 5% CO2 tension, the growth rate of P. marinus was similar to its original value in the presence of 5% CO2 tension. This protein deficient culture …