Radiocesium dynamics in the aquatic ecosystem of Lake Onuma on Mt. Akagi following the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident.

Understanding ecosystem dynamics of radionuclides is necessary to ensure effective management for food safety. The Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident on March 11, 2011 released large amounts of radiocesium (134Cs and 137Cs) and contaminated the environment across eastern Japan. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the temporal dynamics of 137Cs in the aquatic ecosystem of Lake Onuma on Mt. Akagi. The effective ecological half-life (Teff) of 137Cs in fishes, western waterweed (Elodea nuttallii), seston (phytoplankton and zooplankton), and lake water was estimated using survey data of 137Cs concentration collected from 2011 to 2016, and single- and two-component decay function models (SDM and TDM, respectively). The decay processes of 137Cs concentrations in wakasagi (Hypomesus nipponensis), pale chub (Zacco platypus), phytoplankton, and total 137Cs concentrations of the water column (WC) in the lake were well suited by the TDMs. The Teff in the fast component of the TDMs in these samples ranged from 0.49 to 0.74years. The Teff in the slow component of the TDMs could converge towards the physical half-life of 137Cs. Nearly five and a half years after the FDNPP accident, we concluded that 137Cs concentrations approached a state of dynamic equilibrium between some aquatic organisms (wakasagi, pale chub, and phytoplankton) and the environment (lake water). However, the decay processes of 137Cs concentrations in Japanese dace (Tribolodon hakonensis), western waterweed, zooplankton, and particulate- and dissolved-forms in the WC were better predicted for the SDM. The total 137Cs concentrations in inflowing river and spring waters were one to two orders of magnitude lower than lake water under normal flow conditions. However, particulate 137Cs contamination level in the river water was high after heavy rains. Overall, 137Cs contamination levels have significantly decreased in Lake Onuma, but monitoring surveys should be continued for further understanding of the reduction processes.

The prevalence of Anaplasma platys and a potential novel Anaplasma species exceed that of Ehrlichia canis in asymptomatic dogs and Rhipicephalus sanguineus in Taiwan.

Canine anaplasmosis is regarded as an infection by Anaplasma platys rather than zoonotic Anaplasma phagocytophilum in subtropical areas based on the assumption that the common dog tick species is Rhipicephalus sanguineus, which transmits E. canis and presumably A. platys. We investigated asymptomatic dogs and dog ticks from 16 communities in Nantou County, Taiwan to identify common dog tick species and to determine the prevalence of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia spp. Of total 175 canine blood samples and 315 ticks, including 306 R. sanguineus and 9 Haemaphysalis hystricis, 15 dogs and 3 R. sanguineus ticks were positive for E. canis, while 47 dogs and 71 R. sanguineus ticks were positive for A. platys, via nested PCR for 16S rDNA and DNA sequencing of selected positive amplicons. However, among the dogs and ticks that were positive to A. platys 16S rDNA, only 20 dogs and 11 ticks were positive to nested PCR for A. platys groEL gene. These results revealed the importance of searching for novel Anaplasma spp. closely related to A. platys in dogs and ticks. Seropositivity to a commercial immunochromatographic test SNAP 4Dx Anaplasma sp. was not significantly associated with PCR positivity for A. platys but with infestation by ticks carrying A. platys (P<0.05). Accordingly, R. sanguineus may be involved in transmission of A. platys but may not act as a reservoir of E. canis and PCR results for 16S rDNA could be a problematic diagnostic index for A. platys infection.

Fractionation of radiocesium in soil, sediments, and aquatic organisms in Lake Onuma of Mt. Akagi, Gunma Prefecture using sequential extraction.

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident has resulted in the contamination of the environment in Gunma Prefecture with radioisotope cesium (radio-Cs, 134Cs and 137Cs). Concentrations of radio-Cs >500Bqkg-1 were found in wakasagi (Hypomesus nipponensis) in Lake Onuma at the top of Mount (Mt.) Akagi in August 2011. To explain the mechanism of this contamination, monitoring studies have been conducted around Lake Onuma by measuring radio-Cs concentrations in samples of fish, aquatic plants, plankton, lake water, lake sediments, and surrounding soil. The leachability of radio-Cs was evaluated using sequential extraction by Tessier et al. The total concentration of radio-Cs in Lake Onuma ecosystems decreased gradually with time. In the brown forest soil, radio-Cs concentrations of 2000 to 6000Bqkg-1 were detected. The abundance ratio of the easy-elution form (exchangeable and carbonate forms) in the samples was <10%. The concentrations in phytoplankton samples were 3-6 times higher than those in wakasagi samples. The ratios of easy-elution forms increased by the rank in the food chain; 37% in phytoplankton, 78% in zooplankton, and 97% in wakasagi. It is likely that the lower ratio of the easy-elution form in phytoplankton is related to the adsorption of radio-Cs on suspended substances in the lake, as suggested by the analyses of aluminum and titanium in the phytoplankton, zooplankton, and wakasagi samples. The high concentrations of radio-Cs in wakasagi would be related also to the characteristics of closed mountain lakes.

The comparison of spatial variation and risk factors between mosquito-borne and tick-borne diseases: Seroepidemiology of Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma species, and Dirofilaria immitis in dogs.

Canine ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis and heartworm diseases are vector-borne and zoonotic infections. To compare epidemiology of these vector-borne diseases, a community-based study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors of Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma sp. and Dirofilaria immitis infections among healthy pet dogs. Prevalence distribution patterns were geographically contrasting between tick-borne E. canis/Anaplasma sp. infections and mosquito-borne D. immitis infection. Although highly enzootic communities of ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis scattered in mountainous environment at elevations between 100m and 1000m, those of heartworm disease mainly distributed in urbanized plains. After multiple logistic regression analysis, it further showed that older age group and outdoor housing were associated with higher risk of heartworm infection; being male and having tick infestation associated with higher risk of E. canis infection whereas being male and free-roaming associated with higher risk of Anaplasma infection. These findings may reflect different vectors for disease transmission, and different kinetics of environment-pathogen-host interaction.

Cloning of the major outer membrane protein expression locus in Anaplasma platys and seroreactivity of a species-specific antigen.

Anaplasma platys infects peripheral blood platelets and causes infectious cyclic thrombocytopenia in canines. The genes, proteins, and antigens of A. platys are largely unknown, and an antigen for serodiagnosis of A. platys has not yet been identified. In this study, we cloned the A. platys major outer membrane protein cluster, including the P44/Msp2 expression locus (p44ES/msp2ES) and outer membrane protein (OMP), using DNA isolated from the blood of four naturally infected dogs from Venezuela and Taiwan, Republic of China. A. platys p44ES is located within a 4-kb genomic region downstream from a putative transcriptional regulator, tr1, and a homolog of the Anaplasma phagocytophilum, identified here as A. platys omp-1X. The predicted molecular masses of the four mature A. platys P44ES proteins ranged from 43.3 to 43.5 kDa. Comparative analyses of the deduced amino acid sequences of Tr1, OMP-1X, and P44/Msp2 proteins from A. platys with those from A. phagocytophilum showed sequence identities of 86.4% for Tr1, 45.9% to 46.3% for OMP-1X, and 55.0% to 56.9% for P44/Msp2. Comparison between A. platys and Anaplasma marginale proteins showed sequence identities of 73.1% for Tr1/Tr, 39.8% for OMP-1X/OMP1, and 41.5% to 42.1% for P44/Msp2. A synthetic OMP-1X peptide was shown to react with A. platys-positive sera but not with A. platys-negative sera or A. phagocytophilum-positive sera. Together, determination of the genomic locus of A. platys outer membrane proteins not only contributes to the fundamental understanding of this enigmatic pathogen but also helps in developing A. platys-specific PCR and serodiagnosis.