Vibrio vulnificus is a free-living marine bacterium associated with the contamination of fish and shellfish—the most consumed seafood in Asia. Owing to its potentially lethal clinical consequences, the consumption of seafood contaminated with V. vulnificus has become a growing public health concern. This systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression aimed to integrate data on the prevalence of seafood-borne V. vulnificus specifically in Asia and assess the potential risk factors that can influence the outcomes. A comprehensive literature search of four electronic databases yielded 279 relevant studies, among which 38 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. These selected studies were subjected to risk-of-bias assessment and data extraction by three independent researchers. A meta-analysis of the eligible studies estimated the overall prevalence of seafood-borne V. vulnificus in Asia to be 10.47% [95% confidence interval (CI): 6.8–15.8%], with bivalve shellfish, such as oysters, mussels, clams, and cockles being the most contaminated seafood. The highest prevalence was reported in Japan, where 47.6% of the seafood samples tested positive for V. vulnificus. The subgroup and meta-regression analyses identified three potential covariates—detection method, publication year, and country—associated with between-study heterogeneity. Furthermore, data visualization displayed the variations in V. vulnificus prevalence across the studies, associated with differences in sample type, sample size, and sampling stage. This study provides valuable insights into the prevalence of V. vulnificus in fish and shellfish across the entire Asian continent and highlights the potential factors that cause variation in the prevalence rates among the studies. These findings underscore the importance of enhancing hygiene measures throughout the seafood supply chain to mitigate V. vulnificus infection risks and ensure the safety of consumers.

Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid derived from brown algae. It is known to exhibit anticancer activity, including the promotion of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in several tumors. However, it remains unclear whether fucoxanthin exhibits anticancer activity against mammary gland tumors. In this study, we evaluated fucoxanthin activity against canine mammary tumor cells (CMT-U27) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to investigate its effect on cell viability, migration, tube formation, and angiopoietin 2 (Ang2) expression. Our results showed that fucoxanthin induced apoptosis via caspase activation in CMT-U27 cells. In rat aortic ring assay, fucoxanthin suppressed endothelial cell sprouting. Furthermore, fucoxanthin inhibited tube formation and migration in HUVECs. The number of migrated cells was assessed using CMT-U27 cells. The results demonstrated that fucoxanthin exerted anti-angiogenic activity on HUVECs and CMT-U27 cells by promoting Ang2 expression. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that fucoxanthin induced tumor cell death and inhibited angiogenesis, suggesting that fucoxanthin could be considered as a promising therapeutic agent for canine mammary gland tumors.

The obligate intracellular pathogen Lawsonia intracellularis (LI), the etiological agent of proliferative enteropathy (PE), poses a substantial economic loss in the swine industry worldwide. In this study, we genetically engineered an O-antigen-deficient (rough) Salmonella strain secreting four selected immunogenic LI antigens, namely OptA, OptB, LfliC, and Lhly. The genes encoding these antigens were individually inserted in the expression vector plasmid pJHL65, and the resultant plasmids were transformed into the ∆asd ∆lon ∆cpxR ∆rfaL Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) strain JOL1800. The individual expression of the selected LI antigens in JOL1800 was validated by an immunoblotting assay. We observed significant (P < 0.05) induction of systemic IgG and mucosal IgA responses against each LI antigen or Salmonella outer membrane protein in mice immunized once orally with a mixture of four JOL1800-derived strains. Further, mRNA of IL-4 and IFN-γ were highly upregulated in splenic T cells re-stimulated in vitro with individual purified antigens. Subsequently, immunized mice showed significant protection against challenge with 106.9 TCID50 LI or 2 × 109 CFU of a virulent ST strain. At day 8 post-challenge, no mice in the immunized groups showed the presence of LI-specific genomic DNA (gDNA) in stool samples, while 50% of non-immunized mice were positive for LI-specific gDNA. Further, all the immunized mice survived the virulent ST challenge, compared to a 20% mortality rate observed in the control mice. Collectively, the constructed rough ST-based LI vaccine candidate efficiently elicited LI and ST-specific humoral and cell-mediated immunity and conferred proper dual protection against PE and salmonellosis.

Since the first recorded outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus (H5N1) in South Korea in 2003, numerous sporadic outbreaks have occurred in South Korean duck and chicken farms, all of which have been attributed to avian influenza transmission from migratory wild birds. A thorough investigation of the prevalence and seroprevalence of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in wild birds is critical for assessing the exposure risk and for directing strong and effective regulatory measures to counteract the spread of AIVs among wild birds, poultry, and humans. In this study, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis, following the PRISMA guidelines, to generate a quantitative estimate of the prevalence and seroprevalence of AIVs in wild birds in South Korea. An extensive search of eligible studies was performed through electronic databases and 853 records were identified, of which, 49 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence and seroprevalence were estimated to be 1.57% (95% CI: 0.98, 2.51) and 15.91% (95% CI: 5.89, 36.38), respectively. The highest prevalence and seroprevalence rates were detected in the Anseriformes species, highlighting the critical role of this bird species in the dissemination of AIVs in South Korea. Furthermore, the results of the subgroup analysis also revealed that the AIV seroprevalence in wild birds varies depending on the detection rate, sample size, and sampling season. The findings of this study demonstrate the necessity of strengthening the surveillance for AIV in wild birds and implementing strong measures to curb the spread of AIV from wild birds to the poultry population.

The escalating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in highly virulent Vibrio vulnificus poses a significant public health concern in Asia. Profiling the antibiogram of this pathogen is crucial for revealing its complex AMR patterns and guiding the selection of appropriate medications. Although previous studies have provided valuable insights regarding V. vulnificus AMR, they are constrained by limited sample diversity, inconsistent methodologies, and insufficient regional data. Moreover, no systematic attempt has been made to synthesize V. vulnificus AMR data across various sources and regions in Asia. A systematic review and meta-analysis are thus conducted in this study to assess the current AMR status of V. vulnificus isolated from clinical, environmental, and seafood samples. By synthesizing data from 32 articles across 13 Asian countries, a broader antibiogram has been provided, covering 13 major antimicrobial groups against V. vulnificus. Subgroup and regression analyses were also performed using study-level and country-specific covariates to explore the associated risk factors. The findings revealed low AMR rates for tetracyclines (4.89 %), quinolones (1.85 %), nitrofurans (0.86 %), and phenicols (0.61 %), highlighting their potential as primary treatment options. Conversely, high AMR rates were detected for lincosamides (80.32 %), polypeptides (64.42 %), and glycopeptides (56.14 %), necessitating careful consideration for their clinical use. For study-level covariates, subgroup and meta-regression analyses revealed that variations in the type of antimicrobial (R ² = 26.5 %, p < 0.0001), country (R ² = 18.33 %, p < 0.0001), and pathogen source (R ² = 10.46 %, p = 0.0007) significantly contributed to between-study heterogeneity in the detected AMR rates across studies. Moreover, the analyses of country-specific covariates indicated that antimicrobial consumption (AMC) in healthcare systems (R ² = 29.3, p = 0.06) and the country's gross domestic product (GDP) (R ² = 28.59, p = 0.06) affected the variations in AMR rates across countries to some extent. Consideration of study-level and country-specific covariates is thus recommended for future research to effectively mitigate the threat of V. vulnificus AMR across Asia and reduce its pervasive impact on public health.