http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/35548 Wed, 22 May 2013 13:01:54 GMT 2013-05-22T13:01:54Z http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/51089 Title: Global epidemiology of clonorchiasis and its relation with cholangiocarcinoma Authors: Men-Bao Qian; Ying-Dan Chen; Song Liang; Guo-Jing Yang; Xiao-Nong Zhou Abstract: This paper reviews the epidemiological status and characteristics of clonorchiasis at global level and the etiological relationship between Clonorchis sinensis infection and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). A conservative estimation was made that 15 million people were infected in the world in 2004, of which over 85% distributed in China. The epidemiology of clonorchiasis is characterized by rising trend in its prevalence, variability among sexes and age, as well as endemicity in different regions. More data indicate that C. sinensis infection is carcinogenic to human, and it is predicted that nearly 5 000 CCA cases attributed to C. sinensis infection may occur annually in the world decades later, with its overall odds ratio of 4.47. Clonorchiasis is becoming one major public health problem in east Asia, and it is worthwhile to carry out further epidemiological studies. Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/51089 2012-10-25T00:00:00Z http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50927 Title: Knowledge and practices of pig farmers regarding Japanese encephalitis in Kathmandu, Nepal Authors: Dhakal, S.; Stephen, C.; Ale, A.; Joshi, D.D. Abstract: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is the single largest cause of viral encephalitis in the world and has been endemic in Nepal since the early 1980s. Since then, it has spread from its origins in lowland plains to the Kathmandu Valley as well as in hill and mountain districts. Pigs are amplifying hosts for the virus. The Nepal government has been encouraging the development of pig farming as a means of poverty alleviation. Whereas other countries have reduced JE through vaccination programmes and improvements in pig husbandry, these options are not economically possible in Nepal. The objective of this study was to examine the occupational risk of pig farmers in Nepal and to determine their level of knowledge and practice of JE prevention techniques. We surveyed 100 randomly selected pig farmers in the Kathmandu District and found that pig farmers were exposed to many JE risk factors including poverty and close proximity to pigs, rice paddy fields and water birds, which are the definitive hosts for the virus. Forty-two percent of the farmers had heard of JE, 20% associated it with mosquito bites and 7% named pigs as risk factors. Few protective measures were taken. None of the farmers were vaccinated against JE nor were any pigs, despite an ongoing human vaccination campaign. This farming community had little ownership of land and limited education. JE education programmes must consider gender differences in access to public health information as there were an equal number of male and female farmers. We provide findings that can inform future JE education programmes for this vulnerable population. Description: Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22587420 Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50927 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50922 Title: Sustaining a regional emerging infectious disease research network : a trust-based approach Authors: Silkavute, Pornpit; Dinh Xuan Tung; Jongudomsuk, Pongpisut Abstract: The Asia Partnership on Emerging Infectious Diseases Research (APEIR) was initiated in 2006 to promote regional collaboration in avian influenza research. In 2009, the partnership expanded its scope to include all emerging infectious diseases. APEIR partners include public health and animal researchers, officials and practitioners from Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. APEIR has accomplished several major achievements in three key areas of activity: (i) knowledge generation (i.e., through research); (ii) research capacity building (e.g., by developing high-quality research proposals, by planning and conducting joint research projects, by adopting a broader Ecohealth/OneHealth approach); and (iii) policy advocacy (e.g., by disseminating research results to policy makers). This paper describes these achievements, with a focus on the partnership's five major areas of emerging infectious disease research: wild migratory birds, backyard poultry systems, socio-economic impact, policy analysis, and control measures. We highlight two case studies illustrating how the partnership's research results are being used to inform policy. We also highlight lessons learned after five years of working hard to build our partnership and the value added by a multi-country, multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary research partnership like APEIR. Description: Also available at: http://www.eht-journal.net/index.php/ehtj/article/view/19957/25772 Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50922 2013-01-25T00:00:00Z http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50904 Title: Comparative characterization of MicroRNAs from the liver flukes Fasciola gigantica and F. hepatica Authors: Xu, Min-Jun; Ai, Lin; Fu, Jing-Hua; Nisbet, Alasdair J.; Liu, Qing-You Editors: Chaturvedi, Sudha Abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression at the post-transcription level. The present study specifically explored and compared the miRNA expression profiles of F. gigantica and F. hepatica using an integrated sequencing and bioinformatics platform and quantitative real-time PCR. Nineteen and 16 miRNA candidates were identified from F. gigantica and F. hepatica, respectively. The two parasites shared 11 miRNAs, with 8 also showing similarity to miRNAs of Schistosoma japonicum. Another 8 miRNAs were identified as F. gigantica-specific and 5 as F. hepatica-specific, most of which were novel. Predicted target analysis with 11465 mRNA and EST sequences of F. hepatica and F. gigantica revealed that all of the miRNAs had more than one target, ranging from 2 to 398 with an average of 51 targets. Some functions of the predicted targets were only found in F. gigantica, such as ‘‘transcription regulator’’, while some others were only found in F. hepatica, such as ‘‘reproduction’’ and ‘‘response to stimulus’’, indicating the different metabolism and gene regulation patterns of the two parasites. The present study represents the first global comparative characterization of miRNA expression profiles of F. gigantica and F. hepatica, which has provided novel valuable resources for a better understanding of the two zoonotic trematodes. Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50904 2012-12-31T00:00:00Z http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50903 Title: Characterization of microRNAs in Taenia saginata of zoonotic significance by Solexa deep sequencing and bioinformatics analysis Authors: Ai, L.; Xu, M.J.; Chen, M.X.; Zhang, Y.N.; Chen, S.H. Abstract: The beef tapeworm Taenia saginata infects human beings with symptoms ranging from nausea, abdominal discomfort to digestive disturbances and intestinal blockage. In the present study, microRNA (miRNA) expressing profile in adult T. saginata was analyzed using Solexa deep sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. A total of 15.8 million reads was obtained by Solexa sequencing, and 13.3 million clean reads (1.73 million unique sequences) was obtained after removing reads smaller than 18 nt. Ten conserved miRNAs corresponding to 607,382 reads were found when matching the reads against known miRNAs of Schistosoma japonicum in miRBase database. The miR-71 had the most abundant expression in T. saginata, followed by miR-219-5p, but some other common miRNAs such as let-7, miR-40, and miR-103 were not identified in T. saginata. Nucleotide bias analysis found that the known miRNAs showed high bias and the uracil was the dominant nucleotide, particularly at the first and 11th positions which were almost at the beginning and middle of conserved miRNAs. One novel miRNA (Tsa-miR-001) corresponding to ten precursors was identified and confirmed by stem-loop RT-PCR. To our knowledge, this is the first report of miRNA profiles in T. saginata, which will contribute to better understanding of the complex biology of this zoonotic trematode. The reported data of T. saginata miRNAs should provide valuable references for miRNA studies of closed related zoonotic Taenia cestodes such as Taenia solium and Taenia asiatica. Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca:80/dspace/handle/10625/50903 2011-12-28T00:00:00Z