First report and genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in a cat (Felis catus) in Colombia

BACKGROUND Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a virus of zoonotic origin that can bind to ACE2 receptors on the cells of many wild and domestic mammals. Studies have shown that the virus can circulate among animals mutate, lead to animal-to-human zoonotic jump, and further onward spread between humans. Infection in pets is unusual, and there are few human-to-pet transmission reports worldwide. OBJECTIVE To describe the SARS-CoV-2 infection in a domestic animal in Córdoba, Colombian Caribbean region. METHODS A cross-sectional molecular surveillance study was carried out, oral and rectal swabs were taken from cats and dogs living with people diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). RESULTS SARS-CoV-2 was found in a cat living with a person with COVID-19. Genome sequencing showed that the B.1.111 lineage caused the infection in the cat. The owner's sample could not be sequenced. The lineage is predominant in Colombia, and this variant is characterised by the presence of the D614D and Q57H mutation. CONCLUSION The present work is the first report of an infected cat with SARS-CoV-2 with whole-genome sequencing in Colombia. It highlights the importance of detecting SARS-CoV-2 mutations that could promote the transmissibility of this new coronavirus. There is still a significant information gap on human-to-cat-to-human infection; we encourage self-isolation measures between COVID-19 patients and companion animals. The findings of this study give a preliminary view of the current panorama of SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals in Colombia.

Diversidad de roedores, hantavirus y su relación con la salud pública / Diversity of rodents, hantavirus and its relationship to public health

El orden Rodentia comprende el grupo de mamíferos con la mayor diversidad de especies vivientes que son hospederos y reservorios naturales de hantavirus. Los hantavirus que causan síndrome cardiopulmonar en América utilizan como reservorio a la subfamilia Sigmodontinae. Cada hantavirus posee afinidad con un roedor hospedero específico. En 1976 en Corea se cultivó del pulmón del ratón Apodemus agrarius, el primer virus Hantaan. En 1978 se identificó el virus Seoul de Rattus norvegicus. En 1997 en Finlandia se aisló el hantavirus Puumala del pulmón de Myodes glareolus. En 1993 se aisló hantavirus Dobrava (Eslovenia) de Apodemus flavicolis y en 1982 fue aislado de Microtus pennsylvanicus el primer hantavirus no patógeno en las Américas: Prospect Hill. No obstante, en 1993 una misteriosa enfermedad pulmonar se expandió en Four Corners (USA); los pacientes repentinamente enfermaron y muchos murieron debido a shock y/o edema pulmonar; los síntomas no fueron asociados con hantavirus. Más tarde se aisló un nuevo hantavirus del roedor Peromyscus maniculatis, el cual era desconocido, y se lo denominó como Virus Sin Nombre y se asoció como la causa de este brote epidémico. En Suramérica se han reportado hantavirus en distintos hospederos naturales. En Colombia, entre 2004 y 2015 se han publicado diversos estudios realizados en el Caribe colombiano y en Urabá en los que se evidenció la presencia de hantavirus en humanos y en roedores. Recientemente se tuvo el primer reporte serológico de infección por hantavirus en humanos en la región de la Orinoquia colombiana. Sin embargo, la hantavirosis no es considerada una enfermedad de notificación obligatoria, y es probable que actualmente esté en silencio epidemiológico.

The order Rodentia comprises the group of mammals with the greatest diversity of living species that are natural hosts and reservoirs of hantavirus. Guests are natural reservoirs and hantavirus. All hantavirus that cause cardiopulmonary syndrome in the Americas are linked to the subfamily Sigmodontinae. Each hantavirus has affinity for a specific rodent host. In Korea the first Hantaan virus was isolated in 1976 from a lung culture of field mouse Apodemus agrarius. In 1978, the Seoul virus was identified from Rattus norvegicus. In Finland, the Puumala hantavirus from Myodes glareolus lung. In 1993, hantavirus Dobrava from Apodemus flavicolis was isolated in Slovenia and in 1982 the first hantavirus in the Americas called Prospect Hill isolated form Microtus pennsylvanicus, which resulted nonpathogenic and for this reason it was believed that the American hantavirus were nonpathogenic. However, in 1993 a mysterious lung disease began spreading in Four Corners (USA), the patients suddenly became ill and many died due to shock and/or lung edema; these early symptoms were not associated with hantavirus but a virus subsequently isolated from Peromyscus maniculatis was a new virus now known as hantavirus without name was cause of this outbreak. In South America hantavirus have been reported in different natural hosts. In Colombia between 2004 and 2006 the first serological studies in the Colombian Caribbean, where they reported the circulation of hantavirus in humans and rodents, were published. However, hantavirus is not considered a reportable disease and probably currently it is in epidemiological silence.

Seroprevalencia de Hantavirus, Rickettsia y Chikungunya en población indígena del municipio de Tuchín, Córdoba / Seroprevalence of Hantavirus, Rickettsia y Chikungunya in the indigenous populationof Tuchín, Córdoba

Introducción: La vigilancia de las enfermedades transmitidas por vectores es importante para establecer medidas de control en salud pública. Las poblaciones indígenas de Córdoba viven en condiciones geoclimáticas que favorecen la presencia de vectores que podrían permitir la diseminación y aparición de hantavirosis, rickettsiosis y fiebre por el virus Chikungunya. Objetivo: Establecer la seroprevalencia de Hantavirus, Rickettsia sp. y Chikungunya en la población indígena de Tuchín, Córdoba. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal en 190 individuos del resguardo indígena del municipio de Tuchín; el muestreo fue realizado entre agosto y diciembre del 2012. La detección de anticuerpos IgG contra Hantavirus se llevó a cabo con la prueba IgG DxSelectTM (Focus Technologies, EL1600G, California, EE. UU.), anticuerpos IgG contra Rickettsia sp. se determinaron por inmunofluorescencia indirecta y se realizó detección de anticuerpos IgG contra el virus Chikungunya mediante ELISA de captura (Nova-Tec, inmunodiagnostica GmbH, CHIG0590, Alemania). Resultados: De 190 sueros analizados, el 5,2% (10/190) fueron positivos para Rickettsia sp. del grupo de la fiebre manchada, para Hantavirus 7 de 87 (8%) fueron positivos y no se encontraron positivos para Chikungunya. No se encontraron diferencias significativas (p = 0,05) entre los seropositivos de Hantavirus y Rickettsia sp. para las variables género, edad y ocupación. Conclusiones: Los hallazgos demuestran exposición previa a Rickettsia sp. y a Hantavirus en la población indígena de Tuchín. Los resultados pueden ser útiles para establecer una alerta sobre estas fiebres hemorrágicas. Aunque no se hallaron seropositivos para Chikungunya, este fue el primer trabajo de vigilancia epidemiológica realizado en Colombia sobre este virus.

Introduction: Vector-borne disease surveillance is important for establishing control measuresin public health. Indigenous populations of Cordoba live in climate conditions that favor the presence of vectors that might allow the spread and emergence of hantavirus cases, rickettsial and Chikungunya fever. Objective: To establish the prevalence of Hantavirus, Rickettsia sp. and Chikungunya in theindigenous population of Tuchín, Cordoba. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study on 190 individuals of the indigenous reservation of the municipality of Tuchín was carried out; the serum samples were collected between August and December of 2012. The following serology tests were performed: antibody IgG against Hantavirus IgG Dx Select TM (Focus Technologies, EL1600G, California, USA); indirect immunofluorescence technique for Rickettsia spotted fever group IgG and ELISA IgG antibodies against Chikungunya virus (Nova-Tec, diagnostic GmbH, CHIG0590, Germany). Results: Out of 190 analyzed sera, 5.2% (10/190) were positive for Rickettsia sp. spotted fever group, Hantavirus 7 of 87 (8.0%) and 0% for Chikungunya. Significant differences among those positive for Hantavirus and Rickettsia sp. for the variables gender, age and occupation were not found. Conclusions: The findings reveal the prevalence of Rickettsia sp. and Hantavirus in the indigenous population of Tuchín. These results are useful to establishing an alert regarding thesehemorrhagic fevers. Although no positive result for Chikungunya virus was found, this is the first epidemiological surveillance study conducted in Colombia on this virus.

Fiebre Q: una zoonosis olvidada en Colombia / Q fever: a neglected zoonosis in Colombia

La fiebre Q es una zoonosis ampliamente distribuida, capaz de provocar innumerables pérdidas económicas en rumiantes domésticos (ovinos, caprinos y bovinos). En humanos se presenta con gran versatilidad de manifestaciones clínicas; más de la mitad de los casos suelen ser asintomáticos, la infección aguda generalmente se presenta como una enfermedad febril no específica, con gran potencial para desarrollar neumonía, hepatitis y endocarditis crónica. En la mayoría de países latinoamericanos la fiebre Q es una enfermedad olvidada, principalmente por el desconocimiento y falta de asociación epidemiológica por parte de profesionales de la salud, sumado a la carencia de herramientas de diagnóstico preciso y asequible, que como consecuencia, influencian en el subreporte y subdiagnóstico de la enfermedad. El objetivo de esta revisión fue describir los aspectos clínicos, eco-epidemiológicos, diagnóstico y tratamiento de la fiebre Q. Se utilizó una búsqueda sistemática de artículos, los cuales fueron revisados y evaluados críticamente de acuerdo a su calidad, basado en el rigor científico, credibilidad, relevancia y aplicabilidad de los resultados sobre los temas abordados a fin de proveer una actualización y profundización en el conocimiento de la enfermedad.

Q fever is a widespread zoonosis able to cause countless economic losses in domestic ruminants (sheep, goats and cattle). In humans occurs with great versatility of clinical manifestations; more than half of the cases are often asymptomatic, acute infection usually presents as a nonspecific febrile illness, with great potential to develop pneumonia, hepatitis and chronic endocarditis. In most of Latin American countries, Q fever is a neglected disease, mainly due to lack of knowledge and epidemiological association of health professionals, added to the absence of accurate diagnostic tools, which influence the subreport and misdiagnosis of the disease. In this context, the aim of this review was to describe the clinical aspects, eco-epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of Q fever. Was used a systematic search for items, which were critically reviewed and evaluated according to their quality, based on scientific rigor, credibility, relevance and applicability of the results on the subjects covered, in order to provide an update and further knowledge of the disease.

Prevalence of antibody to hantaviruses in humans and rodents in the Caribbean region of Colombia determined using Araraquara and Maciel virus antigens

We tested sera from 286 agricultural workers and 322 rodents in the department of Córdoba, northeastern Colombia, for antibodies against two hantaviruses. The sera were analysed by indirect ELISA using the lysate of Vero E6 cells infected with Maciel virus (MACV) or the N protein of Araraquara virus (ARAV) as antigens for the detection of antibodies against hantaviruses. Twenty-four human sera were IgG positive using one or both antigens. We detected anti-MACV IgG antibodies in 10 sera (3.5%) and anti-ARAV antibodies in 21 sera (7.34%). Of the 10 samples that were positive for MACV, seven (70%) were cross-reactive with ARAV; seven of the 21 ARAV-positive samples were cross-reactive with MACV. Using an ARAV IgM ELISA, two of the 24 human sera (8.4%) were positive. We captured 322 rodents, including 210 Cricetidae (181 Zygodontomys brevicauda, 28 Oligoryzomys fulvescens and 1 Oecomys trinitatis), six Heteromys anomalus (Heteromyidae), one Proechimys sp. (Echimyidae) and 105 Muridae (34 Rattus rattus and 71 Mus musculus). All rodent sera were negative for both antigens. The 8.4% detection rate of hantavirus antibodies in humans is much higher than previously found in serosurveys in North America, suggesting that rural agricultural workers in northeastern Colombia are frequently exposed to hantaviruses. Our results also indicate that tests conducted with South American hantavirus antigens could have predictive value and could represent a useful alternative for the diagnosis of hantavirus infection in Colombia.

Tumores estromales gastrointestinales. Una visión actual / Gastrointestinal stromal tumors: overview

Los tumores estromales gastrointestinales son un grupo de neoplasias de baja frecuencia y de reciente diferenciación. Muestran acentuada asociación con la expresión de proteínas que actúan como receptores de la tirosin - kinasa y desempeñan papel importante en su patogénesis. Se consideran de mejor pronóstico que el resto de tumores del tracto gastrointestinal, cuyo riesgo de malignidad se establece con base en el tamaño tumoral y el número de mitosis presentes. El abordaje quirúrgico sigue siendo el estándar de oro para el tratamiento; sin embargo, la aparición de terapias dirigidas con medicamentos como el Imatinib marcan un nuevo paso a favor en el control de la enfermedad.