Economy and diversity of aquaculture production in Bulgaria: status and trends

Aquaculture production in Bulgaria has increased over the last decade, reaching 16 442 tonnes in 2019. Fish production has doubled in comparison with 2007, while that of mussels has increased tenfold. The Bulgarian contribution to EU aquaculture production has been increasing significantly in both volume and value over the years, making up 1.15% of the volume and 1.0% of the value of EU production in 2019. Freshwater aquaculture accounts for 78% of total production. Common carp dominates with about 29.4% (4836 t), followed by rainbow trout with 29.2% (4820 t) in 2019. The cultivation of sturgeon species and caviar production are among the most dynamically developing aquaculture segments. Mariculture in the Black Sea has increased in recent years, with the production of Mediterranean mussel reaching 2932 tonnes in 2019. An average of 405 farms operated during the period 2010-2019. Four regions (Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Burgas and Montana) account for 50% of the total fish production. Pond aquaculture is the dominant technology used in Bulgaria, and it serves as the basis for numerous other activities, including management of fish stocks in various water bodies mainly for recreational fishing. Approximately 35 net-cage farms currently operate in bigger dams. Recirculating fish farms output made up only 0.15% of the total amount of aquaculture for the period 2010-2019. The aquaculture sector exhibited difficulties in recovering from the financial crisis of 2007-2008, manifested by a slow growth for the period 2010-2014. From 2015 to 2019 there has been a significant growth, manifested in a sharp increase of total revenue and profitability, especially among the larger enterprises in the sector, as well as an increase in the number of employees, and the labour productivity. As a result, in 2019 the registered total revenue per enterprise and total revenue per employee were more than double the respective figures for 2010. The profits of larger enterprises increased more than three times on average, but smaller entities, micro-enterprises with less than 5 employees, operated at the border line between profit and loss. The COVID-19 crisis could have lasting consequences. Despite EUR 1.2 million direct payments in the sector in 2020, there has been a significant drop in the export of aquaculture products. Consumption of fish and other aquaculture products remains low compared to those in the other EU countries.

COVID-19 impacts on United States crawfish. (Special Issue: COVID-19 impacts on selected commodities.)

This research determines the impacts of COVID-19 US on crawfish production and consumption for 2020 and 2021 using an Equilibrium Displacement Model. In the US, crawfish is one of the seafood commodities where most production is consumed by domestic consumers (7% of domestic consumption is from imports). Crawfish and rice are complementary. Therefore, the impacts of COVID-19 on crawfish consumption simultaneously influence rice production and crawfish producers and consumers. In the first year of COVID-19 (2020), the reduction in crawfish retail demand caused negative effects on final consumers and producers. However, crawfish consumption recovered significantly in the second year (2021), which could compensate for the loss in 2020. Overall, consumer and producer gains ranged from $549 to $626 million if the COVID-19 pandemic only impacted retail consumption. However, in 2021, the increase in production costs due to higher oil/diesel prices and other input prices caused the farm supply to decrease. As a result, total welfare gains ranged from $200 to $228 million. If the demand in 2021 did not increase, but the crawfish farm supply decreased, consumer and producer losses ranged from $929 to $1045 million. Overall, the total effects of COVID-19 on consumers and producers for 2020 and 2021 depend on its effects in 2021. If the demand in 2021 increased following the decrease in farm supply, consumers and producers would benefit from the shocks of COVID-19 due to higher post-COVID-19 demand.

Impacts of COVID-19 on U.S. seafood availability. (Special Issue: COVID-19 impacts on selected commodities.)

Seafood is the food group with the highest share traded, and the U.S. is the world's largest seafood importer, importing 79% of the seafood consumed. Hence, a study examining the impacts of the measures to contain COVID-19 on U.S. seafood imports will not only show how U.S. seafood availability has been affected, but will also give strong indications of how resiliently the global seafood markets have worked through the pandemic. We find that U.S. imports of seafood actually increased in 2020 and 2021, suggesting supply chains were able to adapt to potential disruptions. Moreover, for the 14 largest product forms imported to the U.S., there are no strong price movements. Given that there is a global market for most species groups, this adaption also suggests that the markets have worked quite well beyond the U.S. Hence, while there have undoubtedly been market shocks associated with the COVID-19 measures such as the reduction in demand from the restaurant sector and the increased sales in the retail sector, opportunities seem to balance out challenges, and the supply chains for seafood to the U.S. have been highly resilient.

Special Issue: COVID-19 impacts on selected commodities. (Special Issue: COVID-19 impacts on selected commodities.)

This special issue consists of seven articles examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the markets of selected commodities, including: seafood, lumber, crawfish, cattle/beef, fruits and vegetables in the USA, cotton and garments in Bangladesh, and fuel oil globally.

19th Seminar on Tropical Pathology and Public Health 12th Biotechnology Week 1st Physical Therapy Week, Virtual, 23-25 November 2022

These proceedings comprise 85 articles spanning diverse fields such as bacteriology, molecular biology, biotechnology, dermatology, infectious and parasitic diseases, epidemiology, physiotherapy, immunology, mycology, parasitology, pathology, collective health, and virology. The articles delve into a wide range of research topics, from repurposing drugs for Mycobacterium abscessus complex infections to utilising artificial intelligence for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. In bacteriology, investigations explore the correlation between smoking and Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric adenocarcinoma patients, as well as the resistance profiles of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in tracheostomised children. Molecular biology studies focus on gene polymorphisms related to diseases like paracoccidioidomycosis. Biotechnology research emphasises bioactive molecules in species like Croton urucurana and the development of computational models for cytotoxicity prediction. Dermatology articles address stability characterisation in vegetable oil-based nanoemulsions. The section on infectious and parasitic diseases encompasses studies on COVID-19 vaccine response in pregnant women and the impact of infection prevention measures in rehabilitation hospitals. Epidemiology investigations analyse trends in premature mortality, tuberculosis in diabetic patients, and public adherence to non-pharmacological COVID-19 measures. Physiotherapy research covers topics such as telerehabilitation through a developed game and the prevalence of congenital anomalies. Immunology studies explore immune responses in HIV and Leishmaniasis, whilst mycology investigates the biotechnological potential of fungi from the cerrado biome. Parasitology research evaluates treatment efficacy against vectors parasites such as Aedes aegypti and Toxoplasma gondii. Pathology articles discuss intentional intoxication in cattle and the influence of curcumin on acute kidney injury therapy. Collective health studies focus on intervention plan development in healthcare settings and pesticide use in horticulture. Lastly, virology research investigates parvovirus occurrence in hospitalised children during the COVID-19 pandemic, hidden hepatitis B virus infection in inmates, and the prevalence of HPV and HTLV-1/2 infections in specific populations.

Changing patterns in the distribution of skin lesions of scabies during the COVID-19 pandemic - a cross-sectional observational study

BACKGROUND: An ectoparasitic disease, scabies, caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei var hominis. Some of the predisposing factors are overcrowding, unhygienic surroundings, immunocompromised status, dementia, homelessness, and sexual contact. In this study, we wanted to evaluate the changed distribution of lesions of scabies during pandemic. METHODS: A cross sectional study was performed on 600 patients attending the skin department of our tertiary care hospital over a period of 6 months. The sites of the scabies lesions were noted along with types of lesions. Demographic data and history of regular hand washing and sanitization were also documented. RESULTS: Our study revealed an important correlation between change in pattern of distribution of scabies lesions from being less frequent on finger webs (19%) to being more frequent on abdomen (periumbilical area) (73%) and groins (67%) due to regular hand washing and frequent sanitization, in this pandemic era. CONCLUSIONS: A significant change in distribution of skin lesions in scabies can be noticed during this COVID-19 pandemic.

National fruit fly surveillance programme

This annual report summarizes the results of the 2021-2022 National Fruit Fly Surveillance Programme (NFFSP) in New Zealand. The report shows that despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the programme was successful in meeting its objectives. A total of 139 individual trap runs were used to service the 7878 Lynfield traps in use, with no new traps established but several relocated to improve coverage. From the 2587 trap-run submissions, a total of 8183 vials were submitted, and no exotic fruit flies were detected. Thirteen samples collected in fruit-fly traps were categorized as "specimens of interest," while 9 specimens were submitted by trappers as passive surveillance samples. All lure batches tested during the season met the required standard, and field checks were made to ensure that all lures sent to trappers had been calibrated within the last 12 months. The report concludes that the trapping network was effective in supporting New Zealand's claims of area freedom.

Identification of potential Indonesian marine invertebrate bioactive compounds as TMPRSS2 and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike protein inhibitors through computational screening.

The coronavirus pandemic led to the announcement of a worldwide health emergency. The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, which swiftly spread worldwide, has fueled existing challenges. Appropriate medication is necessary to avoid severe SARS-CoV-2 disease. The human TMPRSS2 and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike protein, which are required for viral entry into the host phase, were identified as the target proteins through computational screening. Structure-based virtual screening; molecular docking; absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) analysis; and molecular dynamics simulation were the methods applied for TMPRSS2 and spike protein inhibitors. Bioactive marine invertebrates from Indonesia were employed as test ligands. Camostat and nafamostat (co-crystal) were utilized as reference ligands against TMPRSS2, whereas mefloquine was used as a reference ligand against spike protein. Following a molecular docking and dynamics simulation, we found that acanthomanzamine C has remarkable effectiveness against TMPRSS2 and spike protein. Compared to camostat (-8.25 kcal/mol), nafamostat (-6.52 kcal/mol), and mefloquine (-6.34 kcal/mol), acanthomanzamine C binds to TMPRSS2 and spike protein with binding energies of -9.75 kcal/mol and -9.19 kcal/mol, respectively. Furthermore, slight variances in the MD simulation demonstrated consistent binding to TMPRSS2 and spike protein after the initial 50 ns. These results are highly valuable in the search for a treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Infectious disease Roundup 2022

This paper describes the epidemiology, prevalence, transmission, prevention and control of some infectious diseases in companion animals, livestock, wild animals and humans in Ontario, Canada, in 2022, including SARS-CoV-2;Echinococcus multilocularis, Leishmania spp. and SARS-CoV-2;antimicrobial stewardship resources;2 cases of rabid dogs imported from Iran (July 2021 and January 2022);prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriacea, Dirofilaria immitis, Brucella canis, canine parainfluenza and adeno- and herpes viruses in dogs recently imported from Asia;Paragonimus kellicotti lung flukes and Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus in dogs;African swine fever in pet pigs, backyard pigs and wild pigs and blastomycosis in dogs and humans.

Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases: progress report, 2021

In 2021, the number of children who required PC for STH decreased for pre-SAC from 291.2 million to 260.6 million and for SAC from 732.3 million to 653.7 million (Figure 2). This change was mainly due to revision of the numbers of children who require PC for STH in India, which decreased from 103.5 to 80.7 million for pre-SAC and from 332.1 to 259.1 million for SAC. The decreases were based on impact assessment surveys conducted in the past few years, which changed the endemicity status of some districts. Globally, PC coverage of SAC increased from 47% in 2020 to 62.9% in 2021.The number of SAC reached with deworming increased almost to that before the COVID-19 pandemic (411 million in 2021, 344 million in 2020, 455.9 million in 2019), indicating that countries are recovering.

Traditional washing formulations outstand commercial ones for washing Antheraea assamensis (Muga) silk cloth

Safe silk washing is an issue faced by its users for long because silk is prone to get damaged during conventional washing. The current study focused on the possible Antheraea assamensis (Muga) silk washing formulation which was a rare event until people realized the importance of cleaning and hygiene with the onset of covid-19 pandemic. Kolakhar, lemon (citrus) juice, and some commercially available washing products were studied for bond changes by FTIR, surface changes by SEM and colour deviations from control samples. The study showed that there was formation of new bands in all treated samples (except water wash) between 1513-1518 cm-1 that is attributed to beta-sheets;and 1698-1703 cm-1 linked with beta-turn conformation in all the treatments. The morphological observation illustrated fibrillation and peeling off fibers in the commercial washed fabrics. Colour change (E) was least in fabric conditioner (0.85) < citrus wash (1.06) < Kolakhar wash (1.13) and maximum for fabric whitener (5.46). Overall, the traditional agents proved excellent washing factor and has the potential in opening a window for optimized formulation that can be employed for Muga washing.

Changes and correlation of dengue fever epidemic and Aedes albopictus density in Haizhu district, Guangzhou before and after the COVID-19 pandemic

To analyze the population density, seasonal fluctuation of Aedes albopictus in Haizhu District, Guangzhou from 2017 to 2021, so as to provide a scientific basis for the monitoring and prevention and control of mosquito vector density of dengue fever. The data of dengue fever cases and Aedes surveillance data in Haizhu District, Guangzhou from 2017 to 2021 were collected, and the data of 2017-2019 and 2020-2021 were grouped to compare and analyze the characteristics of dengue epidemic and the density fluctuation of Aedes mosquitoes. A total of 517 dengue cases were reported in Haizhu District, Guangzhou from 2017 to 2021, of which only 7 cases were reported from 2020 to 2021, and the peak period of reported cases every year was August to November. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a positive correlation between the number of local cases and the number of imported cases(rs=0.63, P<0.05) and BI(rs=0.73, P<0.05). The peak density of Aedes was from May to October, and the differences of mean BI(X~2=1 143.40,P<0.001), MOI(X~2=188.30,P<0.001), and SSI(X~2=4 499.43,P<0.001)before and after the COVID-19 pandemic were statistically significant. In general, before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, the density of Aedes in high-risk areas was higher than that in low-risk areas. After COVID-19 pandemic, the number of reported cases and the density of Aedes in Haizhu District decreased, but the density of Aedes in the high-risk area was still higher than that in low-risk areas, and a certain risk of outbreak still existed, so the government should continue to take more precise measures to strictly prevent dengue epidemic.

Summary of global surveillance data of infectious diseases in January 2023

In January 2023, a total of 64 infectious diseases were reported globally, affecting 235 countries and regions. Except for influenza, the top five infectious diseases affecting greatest number of countries and regions were COVID-19 (235), monkeypox (110), dengue fever (31), measles (27) and cholera (15). The top five infectious diseases with highest case fatality rates were Nipah virus disease (62.5%), Ebola virus disease (47.0%), Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (37.5%), Lassa fever (15.1%) and West Nile fever (7.6%). The top five infectious diseases with greatest number of deaths were COVID-19, malaria, cholera, measles and dengue fever. The prevalent infectious diseases in Asia were COVID-19, cholera and dengue fever, the prevalent infectious diseases in Africa were COVID-19, cholera, yellow fever, Lassa fever, malaria and monkeypox, the prevalent infectious diseases in America were COVID-19, cholera, monkeypox, dengue fever and chikungunya fever, the prevalent infectious disease in Europe were COVID-19, monkeypox and invasive group A streptococcus infection.

Understanding COVID-19 from an exotic honey bee-disease perspective

This article compares the development of the highly infectious COVID-19 disease in humans with infections or infestations in honey bees. The importance of knowledge on the exotic nature of COVID-19 and each of its variants in providing a useful insight as to how it would be expected to develop, and in particular the expected reduction in its virulence over time, is also discussed.

Possession of exotic animals and zoonotic diseases: an approach from the Mexican context

The possession of exotic animals as pets is a social practice that has become more visible in Mexico in recent years, so it is interesting to understand its environmental and social implications and those related to human health. The present study aims to identify the main species of exotic animals kept as pets and the zoonotic diseases reported in these species. We analyzed official figures of seizures of exotic fauna in Mexico and reviewed specialized literature on zoonotic diseases documented in Mexico in these species. We identified zoonoses in species of fauna that can be acquired legally and illegally in the country, reported in environments in which animals coexist with other species and are in direct contact with people, which represents an important factor in the spread and propensity of this type of disease. We conclude that the sanitary regulation of wildlife markets, the monitoring and studying microorganisms associated with wildlife are valuable strategies to prevent the emergence of zoonoses.

Food and lifestyles during pandemic confinement in university students from Chiapas, Mexico

Introduction: During the period of confinement due to covid-19, the population modified work and social activities, altering eating patterns, physical activity practices and sleep, causing a direct impact on physical and emotional health. Background: To describe the changes generated in eating behavior and lifestyles during the COVID-19 pandemic in a university population living in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. Material and method: Cross-sectional study, where university students from the state of Chiapas, Mexico participated. Data collection was carried out through a digital survey using Google Forms. Results: 306 students participated with an average age of 20.75 years (SD= 2.062), a statistically significant increase was found in the number of meals eaten per day, the average per week in consumption of processed meat, eggs, cookies (pastries) and sugary drinks. Statistically significant decrease in consumption of fish and shellfish, dairy, fast food. Also, significant increase, sleep time, watching television and use of electronic devices. Conclusions: The population presented a tendency to changes in diet and unhealthy lifestyles, increasing the risk factors of suffering from other types of diseases.

Differentiating infectious from non-infectious respiratory disease in the cat and dog

This paper describes the clinical signs and use of differential laboratory diagnostic techniques (computed tomography, cytology, histopathology, antigen/antibody detection and polymerase chain reaction) for infectious (viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic) and non-infectious (inflammatory/immune mediated, neoplastic, cardiac, malformation, foreign body, smoke inhalation, aspiration of caustic material, non-cardiogenic, pulmonary oedema, traumativ, pneumothorax, pulmonary contusions and idiopathic) causes of respiratory diseases in cats and dogs in Ontario, Canada.

Role of neglected parasitic diseases in the era of COVID-19 pandemics

There are some doubts about the exact relationship between neglected infectious diseases (NIDs) and COVID-19 disease, which remains to be clearly defined. The present review summarized the effect of parasitic infections as the risk factors or protective agents in the COVID-19 pandemic. Parasites could proficiently modulate immune responses. Thus, parasitic infections could have a different impact on the incidence and clinical severity of COVID-19 in different regions of the world. Also, restoring programs to prevent, treat, and control NIDs, in particular helminths, could help in reducing the incidence and mortality of COVID-19 in endemic areas and help to increase vaccination effectiveness. Changes in the gut microbiome associated with helminth infection may have systemic immunomodulatory effects toward suppressing host immune responses, reducing vaccine efficacy and increasing the severity of other infectious diseases. The cytokine storm observed in severe cases of COVID-19 is characterized by a predominance of proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6. However, it is possible that helminth infection could change the outcome of infection by modifying the Th2 response to limit the inflammatory component;this would be particularly apparent in areas endemic for helminthic infections, which suggests a possible protective effect against COVID-19. Because parasitic infections affect more than 2 billion people throughout the world, their impact on COVID-19- associated effects on public health could be considerable. Further studies with larger sample sizes would be needed to explore the possible role of neglected parasitic infections in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Elimination of human onchocerciasis: progress report, 2021

This progress report provides an update on the progress made towards eliminating nnchocerciasis (river blindness) by the World Health Organization (WHO) as part of its road map on neglected tropical diseases for 2021-2030. The report highlights that the goal is to eliminate the need for mass drug administration of ivermectin in at least one focus in 34 countries by 2030, in more than 50% of the population in at least 16 countries and in the entire endemic population in at least 12 countries. However, challenges remain in achieving these goals, including incomplete mapping of all transmission zones, co-endemicity of onchocerciasis and loiasis, a potential decrease in sensitivity to ivermectin, uncoordinated cross-border work, suboptimal programme implementation and inadequate technical and financial resources. COVID-19 has also delayed national programmes, with millions of doses of preventive chemotherapy that should have been distributed expiring. The report also provides regional highlights, including that in 2021, 23 countries reported having treated a total of 142.3 million people for onchocerciasis, representing 58.1% of global coverage, and that the African region faces the greatest challenge with 99% of the global burden of the disease in this region.

Comparison of clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in pregnant women between the Delta and omicron variants of concern predominant periods

Background: Information regarding effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant strains on clinical manifestations and outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in pregnant women is limited. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted using the data from the nationwide COVID-19 registry in Japan. We identified pregnant patients with symptomatic COVID-19 hospitalized during the study period. The Delta and Omicron variants of concern (VOC) predominant periods were defined as August 1 to December 31, 2021 and January 1 to May 31, 2022, respectively. Clinical characteristics were compared between the patients in the Delta and Omicron VOC periods. In addition, logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for developing moderate-to-severe COVID-19. Results: During the study period, 310 symptomatic COVID-19 cases of pregnant women were identified;111 and 199 patients were hospitalized during the Delta and Omicron VOC periods, respectively. Runny nose and sore throat were more common, and fatigue, dysgeusia, and olfactory dysfunction were less common manifestations observed in the Omicron VOC period. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, onset during the later stage of pregnancy (OR: 2.08 [1.24-3.71]) and onset during the Delta VOC period (OR: 2.25 [1.08-4.90]) were independently associated with moderate-to-severe COVID-19, whereas two doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine were protective against developing moderate-to-severe COVID-19 (OR: 0.34 [0.13-0.84]). Conclusions: Clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in pregnant women differed between the Delta and Omicron VOC periods. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was still effective in preventing severe COVID-19 throughout the Delta and Omicron VOC periods.