Chemical investigation of the screened active extract from fungal endophyte Corynespora cassicola associated with medicinal plants Anonna squamosa collected in Timor Island (Indonesia) led to the isolation of four depsidone compounds corynesidone A (1), B (2), C (3) and D (4). The individual compound was tested for their antibacterial property against multi drug resistant bacteria and for...
Prolonged exposure to sunlight can harm human skin, causing issues like sunburn, skin cancer, and oxidative stress. To counteract these effects, kojic acid is used in cosmetics like creams and lotions because it can inhibit hyperpigmentation. Kojic acid is also used in the food industry to prevent browning. Due to its wide range of uses in cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals, among other...
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a common human pathogen causing acute hepatitis. Human HAV belongs to species Hepatovirus A, genus Hepatovirus, family Picornaviridae. HAV strains of Hepatovirus A are only found in humans (genotypes I-III) and monkeys (genotypes IV-VI), with no non-primate reservoir host. We screened serum and faeces of 70 alpacas and llamas from Bolivia for novel viruses using...
Multiple fruit bat species within the genus Pteropus have been confirmed as reservoir hosts for Henipaviruses, e.g. Nipah virus (NiV), Hendra virus (HeV) and Cedar virus (CedV). Nevertheless, numerous henipaviruses and henipavirus-like viruses are identified in many other bat species worldwide, including Egyptian Rousette bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus, ERB), supporting the possible roles of ERB...
Dust can contain microorganisms that are both pathogenic and resistant to antimicrobials (AMR), which can potentially transmit airborne infectious and zoonotic diseases. Agriculture is one of the largest producers of primary particle matter, accounting for approximately 20% of global fine dust emissions. The tenacity of aerosolised pathogens depends on the characteristics of the particles,...
Introduction
Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia) is a Neglected Tropical Disease caused by trematode parasites, with Schistosoma haematobium being a primary cause of urogenital Schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). After a prepatent period, paired adult worms produce eggs in the venous plexus of the bladder, which are shed in urine from infected humans. However, some eggs become trapped in...
Objectives:
Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 induces antibodies that reduce the risk of severe disease. Because IgG subclasses differ in their ability to activate complement, to bind Fc receptors and neutralize viruses, it is crucial to understand how IgG subclass responses differ between vaccine platforms.
Design:
IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4 binding antibodies against SARS-CoV-2...
Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite of high medical relevance, especially in immunocompromised individuals and during pregnancy. Current therapeutic approaches are limited in their efficacy across the parasite’s life cycle stages and often associated with adverse effects. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), particularly cationic (KAMPs) and proline-rich peptides (PrAMPs),...
Introduction
In response to public health emergencies such as epidemics and pandemics, Senegal established the High National Council for Health Security (HCNSS) in 2017, at the Prime Minister's Office. The high council ensures the coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the national multi-sectoral health security program based on the “One Health” approach. Among the...
Air pollution poses a severe global health problem, contributing to over seven million deaths annually. Fine particulate matter (PM), primarily from fossil fuels, industry, and traffic, is associated with respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer, while also impairing innate immunity and increasing susceptibility to...
The ongoing threat of zoonotic pandemics, exemplified by outbreaks of avian influenza, for example in Europe and North America, underscores the persistent risk of future pandemics originating from animal husbandry.
In order to mitigate pathogen transmission in and out of animal husbandry, numerous biosecurity measures are implemented on farms. However, with an increasing consumer demand for...
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical importance of functional genomic surveillance and rapid outbreak detection. Here, we present Sonar, an open-source, high-performance tool for multi-pathogen genomic surveillance capable of computing, storing and efficiently querying genomic mutations and metadata of millions of samples. The tool consists of the following three main components: a)...
Livestock manure is a primary source of antibiotic resistance in agricultural soils, with land-use type and climatic factors significantly influencing the levels and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, the combined effects of climate change and shifts in land use on the spread of antibiotic resistance from livestock manure to soil microbiomes remain largely unexplored....
Infectious diseases caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens represent a growing global public health threat, leading to millions of deaths each year. In 2024, the revised European urban wastewater treatment directive was adopted, mandating the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in wastewater. The AMELAG project aims to develop reliable detection methods to monitor influent...
Q fever is caused by Coxiella burnetii (Cb), a zoonotic pathogen mainly shed by ruminants during abortion or parturition. Human infection can occur through inhalation of contaminated aerosols. Although a commercial vaccine exists for ruminants, it can induce adverse reactions and does not fully prevent bacterial shedding, highlighting the need for a more effective and safer vaccine. The...
Human (n=64) and equine (n=29) Staphylococcus aureus isolates of the clonal complexes 1 and 1660 were investigated for their phenotypic biocide susceptibility, biocide resistance genes and efflux capacity. Broth microdilution was performed for benzalkonium chloride (BAC), octenidine, polyhexanide and chlorhexidine. Whole genome sequences were screened for qac genes, which were confirmed by...
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are important food-borne pathogens. The severity of clinical symptoms can vary from diarrhea to haemolytic-uremic syndrome and death. In STEC, the Shiga toxin subtype and the occurrence of additional virulence factors have an impact on the clinical manifestation. STEC from food can vary in serotype and virulence associated genes (VAGs) from those...
The citizen science project CiFly, now in its second year, demonstrates how young students can actively participate in scientific investigations. In 2025, CiFly engages ninth- and tenth-grade students alongside researchers to study biodiversity and the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in and around Greifswald Zoo. After being introduced to One Health, biodiversity, microbiology,...
Egyptian rousette bats (ERBs) are natural reservoirs of Marburg virus (MARV, family Filoviridae) – etiologic agent of viral hemorrhagic fever with high mortality rates in humans and non-human primates. Recent studies have sought to better understand the immune-related features that grant bats the ability to asymptomatically harbor zoonotic viruses. To elucidate mechanisms of MARV co-adaptation...
Wildlife may act as vehicle for the transfer of AMR bacteria at the human-livestock-wildlife interface. By analyzing resistomes in fecal samples from hunted animals, we aimed to investigate the occurrence of AMR genes in different animal species in order to assess possible transmission pathways.
Fecal swabs were collected directly in the field from hunted animals in Brandenburg and the Harz...
Metagenomic sequencing captures abundant DNA of a samples, enabling cultivation-free analysis of microbial communities. Wastewater (WW) metagenomics offers a powerful tool for monitoring pathogen spread and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG) that may threaten public health. Here, we compared metagenomic data with cultured isolate sequences of Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP), a major...
Background. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a pressing One Health challenge. This study employed a mixed-methods approach to assess antibiotic knowledge and use among community members in the Asante Akim North District, Ghana.
Methods. Using a mixed methods design, we triangulated findings from anthropological and socio-epidemiological approaches. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with...
Introduction
Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common tick-borne disease in Europe. Considering its high incidence in Europe and increasing epidemiology, it is critical to understand drivers of vaccination intention and what influences them among adults in Germany.
Methods
We used an existing survey panel to conduct an online survey in 2022 of adults aged 18-65 years old in 20 European...
The One Health approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health—necessitating collaboration across diverse disciplines. Young professionals must not only develop expertise in a specific field but also learn early on how to work effectively in interdisciplinary teams while developing a common understanding of concepts, definitions, approaches and boundaries...
Fungal pathogens pose an emerging threat across ecosystems, yet their role in One Health contexts remains underexplored. Fusarium spp., listed by WHO as high-priority fungal pathogens, affect plants, animals, and humans. In this study, we examined the impact of Fusarium infections on microbial communities in the nests of the endangered European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) in Austria’s...
Despite the important role of testing as a measure against the COVID-19 pandemic, user perspectives on SARS-CoV-2 tests remain scarce, inhibiting an improvement of testing approaches and pandemic preparedness. Conducted amid the second pandemic wave (late 2020 – early 2021) during a multi-arm trial evaluating SARS-CoV-2 surveillance strategies in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, this qualitative...
