Hepatitis E virus antibody prevalence in hunters from a district in Central Germany, 2013: a cross-sectional study providing evidence for the benefit of protective gloves during disembowelling of wild boars

s12879-015-1199-y-1.gif

Background:
In Germany, 17 % of the general human population have antibodies to hepatitis E virus (HEV) (recomLine HEV-IgG/IgM immunoassay [Mikrogen GmbH]). Wild boars represent an animal reservoir for HEV genotype 3, which is the common genotype in Germany. We estimated the seroprevalence among hunters with contact to wild boars to identify factors that may be associated with past or present HEV infection.
Methods:
In 2013, the local veterinarian authority in a district in Central Germany attended meetings of hunters who provided blood specimens and completed a questionnaire collecting information on age, sex, hunting-related activities and consumption of wild boar meat. Specimens of wild boars were taken during drive hunts in this district during the season 2012/2013. All specimens were tested for HEV RNA and anti-HEV IgM and IgG antibodies. Log-binomial regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) for the hunters.
Results:
Of 126 hunters (median age 55; 94 % male) 21 % tested positive for anti-HEV IgG antibodies (95 % confidence interval [CI] 13–28 %) (recomWell HEV IgG assay [Mikrogen GmbH]). Anti-HEV prevalence was highest in the age group of the 70–79-year-olds (67 %; 95 % CI 39–95 %). Wild boars showed an average anti-HEV prevalence of 41 %. HEV RNA was detected in 4/22 (18 %) liver specimens and in 1/22 (4.5 %) muscle specimens. Most wild boars were tested positive for HEV RNA (3/10; 30 %) and HEV-specific antibodies (7/15; 47 %) in the southwestern part of the district. Hunters preferring this hunting ground had a lower anti-HEV prevalence when gloves were frequently used during disembowelling of wild boars compared to hunters using gloves never or infrequently (age-adjusted PR 0.12; 95 % CI 0.02–0.86).
Conclusions:
Hunters may benefit from wearing gloves when in contact with blood or body fluids of HEV animal reservoirs. Anti-HEV prevalence among the hunters of this study did not significantly differ from that of the general population suggesting that other factors play a major role in the epidemiology of HEV in Germany.

Drug-resistant malaria extends to Africa

Scientists with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a branch of the National Institutes of Health, recently discovered that the deadliest species of malaria parasites are responsible for the majority of malaria cases in Africa.

This finding shows that Africa is at a higher risk for drug-resistant malaria infections that health professionals originally thought. This risk could limit the efforts that are being made to prevent and eventually eliminate malaria from the country.

The P. falciparum parasites are resistant against artemisinin, which is the major drug that doctors use to treat malaria. These parasites have quickly spread throughout Southeast Asia, which has made it more challenging to control as well as treat malaria infections in that region.

Health professionals were concerned about this parasite spreading throughout Africa, but there had not been any proof that Anopheles coluzzii mosquitos could contract these parasites. This study provided the first scientific hints that P. falciparum could extend to Africa, as Anopheles coluzzii is the main species that transmits malaria to people in Africa.

When the researchers infected a wide range of mosquito species from Africa and Southeast Asia with parasites resistant to artemisinin, they found that the parasites infected A. coluzzi as quickly as Anopheles minimus and Anopheles dirus.

“My dad left us at a very young age and my mom didn’t know…

tumblr_nwmu8nFwGy1qggwnvo1_500.jpg

“My dad left us at a very young age and my mom didn’t know English. We never had anyone to help us with our homework. My stepfather beat us every day. Sometimes he’d whip us with extension cords. When I was thirteen, I threw a brick at him and broke one of his ribs so I had to run away. I moved into a crack house where they let you sleep there if you helped sell drugs. I live in the shelter now. I’ve spent over twenty years of my life in prison. I want my son to have a different life than me, but I can’t even help him with his homework. I don’t know my times tables or anything.”

Jewish historians rubbish Netanyahu’s Holocaust claims

PNN/BETHLEHEM

LEADING Jewish historians have rubbished Benjamin Natenyahu’s claims that the Holocaust was caused by Palestinians.

Netanyahu blamed the slaughter of millions of people during World War II on the then Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, in a controversial speech at the 37th World Zionist Congress this week.

Startling video footage shows the Israeli Prime Minister telling the audience that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had only wanted to expel the Jews – but was instead convinced to slaughter them by the Muslim leader, who died in 1974.

dina porat“It’s not true” – Professor Dina Porat

Professor Dina Porat, chief historian at The World Center for Holocaust Research (Yad Vashem) told Ynet that Netanyahu’s statements were factually incorrect.

She said: “You cannot say that it was the mufti who gave Hitler the idea to kill or burn Jews.

“It’s not true. Their meeting occurred after a series of events that point to this.”

Professor Meir Litvak, who teaches at Tel Aviv University’s Department of Middle Eastern History, said the idea of annihilating the Jews came up in 1939.

While the initial plan was to send Europe’s Jews to an area north of the Ural Mountains so that they would die of disease, he said, the plan was nixed when the Soviet Union did not surrender in 1941.

At that point, Litvak said, the extermination idea arose.

“Husseini supported the extermination of the Jews, he tried to prevent rescuing of Jews, he recruited Arabs for the SS,” said Litvak. “He was an abominable person, but this must not minimize the scale of Hitler’s guilt.”

meir livakProfesson Meir Litvak.

Dr. Saeb Erekat, Secretary General of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, said Netenyahu “deepened the divide during a time when a just and lasting peace is needed most.”

He said it was a “sad day in history” adding “”Palestinian efforts against the Nazi regime are a deep-rooted part of our history.

“Palestine will never forget – though it seems Netanyahu’s extremist government has.

Dr. Erekat added: “Mr. Netanyahu should stop using this human tragedy to score points for his political ends.

“On behalf of the thousands of Palestinians that fought alongside the Allied Troops in defense of international justice, the State of Palestine denounces these morally indefensible and inflammatory
statements.

“Palestinian efforts against the Nazi regime are a deep-rooted part of our history.  Palestine will never forget – though it seems Netanyahu’s extremist government has.

” It is a sad day in history when the leader of the Israeli government hates his neighbor so much so that he is willing to absolve the most notorious war criminal in history, Adolf Hitler, of the murder of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust.

Netenyahu made similar statements three years ago in the Knesset (the Israeli parliament), claiming that the Mufti was “one of the leading architects of the Final Solution”.