Incidence of human dog-mediated zoonoses and demographic characteristics/vaccination coverage of the domestic dog population in Algeria.

Control of zoonotic diseases requires a One Health integrated action from both human and animal health sectors. The aims of the present study were to estimate the incidence of dog-mediated zoonoses in humans and to describe demographic characteristics and vaccination coverage of the domestic dog population in Algeria. The results show that rabies, leishmaniosis and echinococcosis are the major zoonoses in Algeria, with an average of 20.6 (deaths), 8,276 and 455 human cases per year, respectively. A door-to-door survey was conducted among 652 households with at least one dog, of which 334 (51.33%) were located in urban areas and 318 (48.77%) in rural areas. The mean number of dogs per household in rural areas (2.02) is higher than that in urban areas (1.41). Furthermore, a high percentage of semi-confined and free-roaming and a low proportion of vaccinated dogs were recorded in rural areas. Vaccination coverage for rabies, canine distemper virus, Rubarth hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus was lowest in rural dog populations. The analysis of risk factors established that semi-confined or free-roaming dogs, non-pedigree breeds, hunting dogs, herding dogs and the presence of more than three dogs per household are risk factors for dogs not being vaccinated.

La lutte contre les maladies zoonotiques exige la mise en oeuvre d'actions intégrées « Une seule santé ¼ par les secteurs de la santé tant publique que vétérinaire. Les auteurs présentent les résultats d'une étude visant à mesurer l'incidence chez l'homme des maladies zoonotiques transmises par les chiens et à décrire les caractéristiques démographiques et la couverture vaccinale de la population canine domestique en Algérie. Les résultats montrent que les principales zoonoses présentes en Algérie sont la rage, la leishmaniose et l'échinococcose, avec en moyenne 20,6 décès humains dus à la rage, 8 276 cas humains de leishmaniose et 455 cas humains d'échinococcose enregistrés chaque année. Un sondage en porte-à-porte a été effectué auprès de 652 foyers possédant au moins un chien, parmi lesquels 334 (51,33 %) étaient situés en zone urbaine et 318 (48,77 %) en zone rurale. Le nombre moyen de chiens par foyer était plus élevé en zone rurale (2,02) qu'en zone urbaine (1,41). En outre, en zone rurale, le pourcentage enregistré de chiens en semi-errance ou errants était élevé tandis que le pourcentage de chiens vaccinés était faible. La couverture vaccinale contre la rage, le virus de la maladie de Carré, l'hépatite contagieuse canine (hépatite de Rubarth), la leptospirose et le parvovirus canin était plus faible dans les populations canines rurales. L'analyse des facteurs de risque associés à l'absence de vaccination a fait apparaître que les chiens les plus exposés au risque de ne pas être vaccinés étaient les chiens semi-errants ou errants, les chiens non racés, les chiens de chasse, les chiens bergers et ceux vivant dans des foyers comptant au moins trois chiens.

La lucha contra las enfermedades zoonóticas exige de los sectores de la salud humana y la sanidad animal una actuación integrada en clave de «Una sola salud¼. Los autores describen un estudio encaminado a calcular la incidencia de zoonosis humanas transmitidas por el perro y a describir las características demográficas y la cobertura de vacunación de la población canina doméstica de Argelia. Los resultados demuestran que la rabia, la leishmaniosis y la equinococosis son las zoonosis más importantes de Argelia, causantes de un promedio de casos humanos al año de 20,6 (con desenlace fatal), 8 276 y 455, respectivamente. Para dicho estudio se llevó a cabo una encuesta puerta a puerta a 652 familias propietarias de perros, de las que 334 (un 51,33%) vivían en zonas urbanas y 318 (un 48,77%) en zonas rurales. En estas últimas el promedio de perros por vivienda (2,02) era mayor que en las familias de medio urbano (1,41). Además, en las zonas rurales se registró un elevado porcentaje de perros sueltos o semiconfinados y una escasa proporción de canes vacunados. La cobertura más baja de vacunación contra la rabia, el virus del moquillo, la hepatitis infecciosa canina (hepatitis de Rubarth), la leptospirosis y el parvovirus se daba en las poblaciones caninas rurales. El análisis de los factores de riesgo puso de relieve, como principales factores asociados a la ausencia de vacunación del animal, el hecho de que los perros anden sueltos o estén semiconfinados, el hecho de que no sean de raza pura o sean perros de caza o pastores y la presencia de más de tres perros por vivienda.

Antibacterial activity of Cladanthus arabicus and Bubonium imbricatum essential oils alone and in combination with conventional antibiotics against Enterobacteriaceae isolates.

Multidrug-resistant bacteria have become common all over the world, necessitating the development of new therapeutic strategies. Synergistic interactions between conventional antibiotics and natural bioactive may have therapeutic benefits in a clinical setting. There are plenty of medicinal plants that have proven efficacy against broad spectrum of micro-organisms. The aim of the work was to assess the antibacterial activity of Cladanthus arabicus, a Moroccan medicinal plant, and Bubonium imbricatum, a Moroccan endemic plant. The evaluation of the synergistic effect of extracted essential oils (EOs) together with some conventional antibiotics was also investigated. Checkerboard test was used to evaluate the interaction of EOs in combination with amoxicillin and neomycin. The results showed that EOs contain a potent activity against the tested Enterobacteriaceae isolates, with inhibition zones values in the range of 8·05 ± 0·1 and 13·1 ± 0·11 mm and MIC values between 200 µg ml-1 to 800 µg ml-1 for C. arabicus and from 400 µg ml-1 to 1600 µg ml-1 for B. imbricatum, respectively. Moreover, the current study allowed concluding that both EOs showed not only satisfactory antibacterial properties but also active effects combined with conventional antibiotics demonstrated by the Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (FICI). These findings are very interesting since there are no previous studies on synergistic interactions of these two plants with antibiotics. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The development of antibiotic resistance is multifactorial, including the specific nature of the relationship of bacteria to antibiotics. This situation has forced scientists to search for new antimicrobial substances from various sources as novel antimicrobial chemotherapeutic agents. Recently, medicinal plants and their derivatives (essential oils, extracts) have become very important in therapeutics because they encounter minimal challenges of the emergence of resistance. In this direction, the antimicrobial activity of the endemic Bubonium imbricatum plant and medicinal Cladanthus arabicus plant essential oils against multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae strains was demonstrated.

[Seroprevalence of Neospora caninum in dairy cattle farms in Algeria's central northern region]. / Séroprévalence de Neospora caninum dans les élevages bovins laitiers de la région centre nord de l'Algerie.

As there has been little research into the epidemiological status of bovine neosporosis in Algeria, the main aims of this study were to confirm the circulation of Neospora caninum in the country and to determine its seroprevalence in dairy cattle in five provinces of Algeria's central northern region by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect immunofluorescence. A serological study of 186 dairy cattle declared brucellosis-free established an overall seroprevalence of 12.37%, confirming that N. caninum is circulating in dairy cattle and underlining the need to introduce systematic serological screening for neosporosis to limit its spread and prevent it from being perpetuated on Algerian farms.

Anethole dithiolethione regulates oxidant-induced tyrosine kinase activation in endothelial cells.

Interaction between neutrophils and endothelial cells is one of the first steps in the functional response of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), and is necessary for their migration toward damaged tissues. PMN activation, leading to their adhesion to and migration between endothelial cells, is part of a complex phenomenon that can be altered in pathological situations such as the ischemia-reperfusion syndrome, in which large numbers of PMN are recruited to the tissue and release reactive oxygen species (ROS) near the vessel wall. ROS have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases. The increased adhesion of PMN to ROS-stimulated endothelial cells involves an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of a tyrosine kinase focal adhesion kinase (p125FAK) and several cytoskeleton proteins, including paxillin and p130 cas. We examined the role of glutathione (GSH) in the regulation of this adhesion phenomenon and in the increased tyrosine phosphorylation induced by ROS. For this purpose we used anethole dithiolthione (ADT), which increases the glutathione synthesis by activating gamma-glutamyl-cysteine synthetase. We found that ADT reduced both PMN adhesion to ROS-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and tyrosine phosphorylation of p125FAK and paxillin. ADT increased redox status by increasing intracellular GSH content in oxidized cells. These results show that GSH can reverse the effect of oxidation on tyrosine kinase activation and phosphorylation, and thus plays an important role in cell signaling. They also confirm the antioxidant activity of ADT.

Focal adhesion kinase regulation by oxidative stress in different cell types.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a tyrosine kinase ubiquitously expressed in cells. It was initially shown to be the initiator of focal adhesion formation in adherent cells, after its binding to integrins which induce its autophosphorylation. However, it can be also activated by a great variety of other stimuli able to act on different intracellular signaling. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), which have been shown to act as external or internal cell stimuli, induce tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK. Its autophosphorylation is followed by a submembranous localization which is crucial for many of the biological roles of FAK, including cell spreading, cell migration, cell proliferation, and prevention of apoptosis. It plays an important role in development of tumor cells, its regulation could be thus a way of impairing cell proliferation in cancer. We describe in this review the structure, activity, and functions of FAK in different cells and how ROS are able, like other stimuli, to induce its phosphorylation and modification of cell morphology and structure. The link between ROS and FAK activation could explain the role of ROS in mediating cell proliferation, cell migration, or apoptosis.