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A report from a workshop organized by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on biodiversity and pandemics examined the scientific evidence on the origin of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other emerging zoonotic diseases. Here, we reflect upon the report's findings regarding how several important global initiatives are tackling the problems of preventing the emergence of zoonotic diseases by using the One Health approach.
Serge Morand; Claire Lajaunie. Biodiversity and COVID-19: A report and a long road ahead to avoid another pandemic. One Earth 2021, 4, 920 -923.
AMA StyleSerge Morand, Claire Lajaunie. Biodiversity and COVID-19: A report and a long road ahead to avoid another pandemic. One Earth. 2021; 4 (7):920-923.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSerge Morand; Claire Lajaunie. 2021. "Biodiversity and COVID-19: A report and a long road ahead to avoid another pandemic." One Earth 4, no. 7: 920-923.
Leptospirosis has been recognized as a major public health concern in Thailand following dramatic outbreaks. We analyzed human leptospirosis incidence between 2004 and 2014 in Mahasarakham province, Northeastern Thailand, in order to identify the agronomical and environmental factors likely to explain incidence at the level of 133 sub-districts and 1982 villages of the province. We performed general additive modeling (GAM) in order to take the spatial-temporal epidemiological dynamics into account. The results of GAM analyses showed that the average slope, population size, pig density, cow density and flood cover were significantly associated with leptospirosis occurrence in a district. Our results stress the importance of livestock favoring leptospirosis transmission to humans and suggest that prevention and control of leptospirosis need strong intersectoral collaboration between the public health, the livestock department and local communities. More specifically, such collaboration should integrate leptospirosis surveillance in both public and animal health for a better control of diseases in livestock while promoting public health prevention as encouraged by the One Health approach.
Jaruwan Viroj; Julien Claude; Claire Lajaunie; Julien Cappelle; Anamika Kritiyakan; Pornsit Thuainan; Worachead Chewnarupai; Serge Morand. Agro-Environmental Determinants of Leptospirosis: A Retrospective Spatiotemporal Analysis (2004–2014) in Mahasarakham Province (Thailand). Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 2021, 6, 115 .
AMA StyleJaruwan Viroj, Julien Claude, Claire Lajaunie, Julien Cappelle, Anamika Kritiyakan, Pornsit Thuainan, Worachead Chewnarupai, Serge Morand. Agro-Environmental Determinants of Leptospirosis: A Retrospective Spatiotemporal Analysis (2004–2014) in Mahasarakham Province (Thailand). Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2021; 6 (3):115.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJaruwan Viroj; Julien Claude; Claire Lajaunie; Julien Cappelle; Anamika Kritiyakan; Pornsit Thuainan; Worachead Chewnarupai; Serge Morand. 2021. "Agro-Environmental Determinants of Leptospirosis: A Retrospective Spatiotemporal Analysis (2004–2014) in Mahasarakham Province (Thailand)." Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 6, no. 3: 115.
This chapter explores some aspects of parasite ecology of helminth infection in the Rattus rattus-complex from mainland Southeast Asian countries. Diversity and species association patterns of helminths were assessed in relation to human landuse habitats. A substantial helminth diversity remains undiscovered, with at least 32 parasite species being found. We also discuss potential zoonotic species. Human landuse alteration, i.e. peridomestic habitat, appears to be a hotspot for helminth diversity. This trend is also associated with behavioral traits of the host species which commonly represent habitat generalists. We also examine the presence of helminth versus helminth association patterns using a species co-occurrence probabilistic model. Similar to previous findings, positive associations were more prominent than negative, although persistent negative associations occurred between some certain nematode taxa. Understanding the associated factors influencing parasite colonization, diversity and species association patterns is important in parasite ecology research. This knowledge could provide valuable information for the development of predictive models in disease ecology based on host traits and host–parasite or parasite–parasite interactions, as well as geographical and ecological parameters, particularly landuse alteration by human activities in the Anthropocene.
Kittipong Chaisiri; Serge Morand. Species Richness and Species Co-occurrence of Helminth Parasites in the Rattus rattus-Complex Across Stratified Habitat Landuse Types in Mainland Southeast Asia. Nanoparticles in the Fight Against Parasites 2021, 17 -33.
AMA StyleKittipong Chaisiri, Serge Morand. Species Richness and Species Co-occurrence of Helminth Parasites in the Rattus rattus-Complex Across Stratified Habitat Landuse Types in Mainland Southeast Asia. Nanoparticles in the Fight Against Parasites. 2021; ():17-33.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKittipong Chaisiri; Serge Morand. 2021. "Species Richness and Species Co-occurrence of Helminth Parasites in the Rattus rattus-Complex Across Stratified Habitat Landuse Types in Mainland Southeast Asia." Nanoparticles in the Fight Against Parasites , no. : 17-33.
The implementation of One Health/EcoHealth/Planetary Health approaches has been identified as key (i) to address the strong interconnections between risk for pandemics, climate change and biodiversity loss, and (ii) to develop and implement solutions to these interlinked crises. As a response to the multiple calls of scientists in that direction, we have put forward seven long term research questions regarding COVID-19 and emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) that are based on an effective integration of environmental, ecological, evolutionary, and social sciences to better anticipate and mitigate EIDs. Research needs cover the social-ecology of infectious disease agents, their evolution, the determinants of susceptibility of humans and animals to infections, and the human and ecological factors accelerating infectious disease emergence. For comprehensive investigation, they include the development of nature-based solutions to interlinked global planetary crises, addressing ethical and philosophical questions regarding the relationship of humans to nature and regarding transformative changes to safeguard the environment and human health. In support of this research, we propose the implementation of innovative multidisciplinary facilities embedded in social-ecosystems locally: the “ecological health observatories” and the “living laboratories”. This work has been carried out in the frame of the EC project HERA (www.HERAresearchEU.eu) that aims to set the priorities for an environment, climate and health research agenda in the EU by adopting a systemic approach in the face of global environmental change.
Delphine Destoumieux-Garzon; Franziska Matthies-Wiesler; Nicolas Bierne; Aurélie Binot; Jérôme Boissier; Anais Devouge; Jeanne Garric; Kim Gruetzmacher; Christoph Grunau; Jean-François Guégan; Sylvie Hurtrez-Boussès; Anke Huss; Serge Morand; Clare Palmer; Denis Sarigiannis; Roel Vermeulen; Robert Barouki. Getting out of Crises: Environmental, Social-ecological and Evolutionary Research Needed to Avoid Future Risks of Pandemics. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleDelphine Destoumieux-Garzon, Franziska Matthies-Wiesler, Nicolas Bierne, Aurélie Binot, Jérôme Boissier, Anais Devouge, Jeanne Garric, Kim Gruetzmacher, Christoph Grunau, Jean-François Guégan, Sylvie Hurtrez-Boussès, Anke Huss, Serge Morand, Clare Palmer, Denis Sarigiannis, Roel Vermeulen, Robert Barouki. Getting out of Crises: Environmental, Social-ecological and Evolutionary Research Needed to Avoid Future Risks of Pandemics. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDelphine Destoumieux-Garzon; Franziska Matthies-Wiesler; Nicolas Bierne; Aurélie Binot; Jérôme Boissier; Anais Devouge; Jeanne Garric; Kim Gruetzmacher; Christoph Grunau; Jean-François Guégan; Sylvie Hurtrez-Boussès; Anke Huss; Serge Morand; Clare Palmer; Denis Sarigiannis; Roel Vermeulen; Robert Barouki. 2021. "Getting out of Crises: Environmental, Social-ecological and Evolutionary Research Needed to Avoid Future Risks of Pandemics." , no. : 1.
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, we invite readers to a reflection over the aim and use of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the determination of the new biodiversity targets in relation to health issues. Starting with a brief overview of the initiatives to consider health and the environment in the international arena before the adoption of SDGs, we show how the pandemic shed a new light on the need for research on the interlinkages of human and animal health and environmental changes. We examine underlying elements of the dialogue between science and policy, then we suggest considering SDGs as tool for the service of the environment, wellbeing and justice. We advocate for the translation of planetary health principles into action, together with the consideration of planetary boundaries, to redefine an adaptive environmental law for the sake of social justice and the health of the planet.
Claire Lajaunie; Serge Morand. Biodiversity Targets, SDGs and Health: A New Turn after the Coronavirus Pandemic? Sustainability 2021, 13, 4353 .
AMA StyleClaire Lajaunie, Serge Morand. Biodiversity Targets, SDGs and Health: A New Turn after the Coronavirus Pandemic? Sustainability. 2021; 13 (8):4353.
Chicago/Turabian StyleClaire Lajaunie; Serge Morand. 2021. "Biodiversity Targets, SDGs and Health: A New Turn after the Coronavirus Pandemic?" Sustainability 13, no. 8: 4353.
Deforestation is a major cause of biodiversity loss with a negative impact on human health. This study explores at global scale whether the loss and gain of forest cover and the rise of oil palm plantations can promote outbreaks of vector-borne and zoonotic diseases. Taking into account the human population growth, we find that the increases in outbreaks of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases from 1990 to 2016 are linked with deforestation, mostly in tropical countries, and with reforestation, mostly in temperate countries. We also find that outbreaks of vector-borne diseases are associated with the increase in areas of palm oil plantations. Our study gives new support for a link between global deforestation and outbreaks of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases as well as evidences that reforestation and plantations may also contribute to epidemics of infectious diseases. The results are discussed in light of the importance of forests for biodiversity, livelihoods and human health and the need to urgently build an international governance framework to ensure the preservation of forests and the ecosystem services they provide, including the regulation of diseases. We develop recommendations to scientists, public health officers and policymakers who should reconcile the need to preserve biodiversity while taking into account the health risks posed by lack or mismanagement of forests.
Serge Morand; Claire Lajaunie. Outbreaks of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases Are Associated With Changes in Forest Cover and Oil Palm Expansion at Global Scale. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2021, 8, 1 .
AMA StyleSerge Morand, Claire Lajaunie. Outbreaks of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases Are Associated With Changes in Forest Cover and Oil Palm Expansion at Global Scale. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2021; 8 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSerge Morand; Claire Lajaunie. 2021. "Outbreaks of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases Are Associated With Changes in Forest Cover and Oil Palm Expansion at Global Scale." Frontiers in Veterinary Science 8, no. : 1.
Urbanization is rapidly transforming much of Southeast Asia, altering the structure and function of the landscape, as well as the frequency and intensity of the interactions between people, animals, and the environment. In this study, we began to explore the impact of urbanization on zoonotic disease risk by simultaneously characterizing changes in the abundance and diversity of reservoir hosts (rodents), ectoparasite vectors (ticks), and microbial pathogens across a gradient of urbanization in Malaysian Borneo. We found that although rodent species diversity decreased with increasing urbanization, two species appeared to thrive in anthropogenic environments: the invasive urban exploiter, Rattus rattus and the native urban adapter, Sundamys muelleri. R. rattus was strongly associated with the presence of built infrastructure across the gradient and dominated the urban rodent community where it was associated with high microbial diversity and multi-host zoonoses capable of environmental transmission, including Leptospira spp., and Toxoplasma gondii. In contrast, S. muelleri was restricted to sites with a significant vegetative component where it was found at high densities in the urban location. This species was strongly associated with the presence of ticks, including the medically important genera Ambylomma, Haemaphysalis, and Ixodes. Overall, our results demonstrate that the response to urbanization varies by species at all levels: host, ectoparasite, and microbe. This may lead to increased zoonotic disease risk in a subset of environments across urban and urbanizing landscapes that can be reduced through improved pest management and public health messaging.
Kim R. Blasdell; Serge Morand; Susan G.W. Laurance; Stephen L Doggett; Amy Hahs; David Perera; Cadhla Firth. Rats in the city: implications for zoonotic disease risk in an urbanizing world. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleKim R. Blasdell, Serge Morand, Susan G.W. Laurance, Stephen L Doggett, Amy Hahs, David Perera, Cadhla Firth. Rats in the city: implications for zoonotic disease risk in an urbanizing world. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKim R. Blasdell; Serge Morand; Susan G.W. Laurance; Stephen L Doggett; Amy Hahs; David Perera; Cadhla Firth. 2021. "Rats in the city: implications for zoonotic disease risk in an urbanizing world." , no. : 1.
Most species in ecological communities are rare, whereas only a few are common. This distributional paradox has intrigued ecologists for decades but the interpretation of species abundance distributions remains elusive. We present Fuzzy Quantification of Common and Rare Species in Ecological Communities (FuzzyQ) as an R package. FuzzyQ shifts the focus from the prevailing species‐categorization approach to develop a quantitative framework that seeks to place each species along a rarity‐commonness gradient. Given a community surveyed over a number of sites, quadrats, or any other convenient sampling unit, FuzzyQ uses a fuzzy clustering algorithm that estimates a probability for each species to be common or rare based on abundance–occupancy information. Such a probability can be interpreted as a commonness index ranging from 0 to 1. FuzzyQ also provides community‐level metrics about the coherence of the allocation of species into the common and rare clusters that are informative of the nature of the community under study. The functionality of FuzzyQ is shown with two real datasets. We demonstrate how FuzzyQ can effectively be used to monitor and model spatiotemporal changes in species commonness, and assess the impact of species introductions on ecological communities. We also show that the approach works satisfactorily with a wide range of communities varying in species richness, dispersion and abundance currencies. FuzzyQ produces ecological indicators easy to measure and interpret that can give both clear, actionable insights into the nature of ecological communities and provides a powerful way to monitor environmental change on ecosystems. Comparison among communities is greatly facilitated by the fact that the method is relatively independent of the number of sites or sampling units considered. Thus, we consider FuzzyQ as a potentially valuable analytical tool in community ecology and conservation biology.
Juan A. Balbuena; Clara Monlleó‐Borrull; Cristina Llopis‐Belenguer; Isabel Blasco‐Costa; Volodimir L. Sarabeev; Serge Morand. Fuzzy quantification of common and rare species in ecological communities (FuzzyQ). Methods in Ecology and Evolution 2021, 12, 1070 -1079.
AMA StyleJuan A. Balbuena, Clara Monlleó‐Borrull, Cristina Llopis‐Belenguer, Isabel Blasco‐Costa, Volodimir L. Sarabeev, Serge Morand. Fuzzy quantification of common and rare species in ecological communities (FuzzyQ). Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 2021; 12 (6):1070-1079.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJuan A. Balbuena; Clara Monlleó‐Borrull; Cristina Llopis‐Belenguer; Isabel Blasco‐Costa; Volodimir L. Sarabeev; Serge Morand. 2021. "Fuzzy quantification of common and rare species in ecological communities (FuzzyQ)." Methods in Ecology and Evolution 12, no. 6: 1070-1079.
This article considers a broad perspective of “One Health” that includes local and animal knowledge. Drawing from various colonial efforts to link human, animal, and environmental health, it first shows that the current “One Health” initiative has its roots in colonial engagement and coincides with a need to secure the health of administrators (controlling that of local populations), while pursing use of resources. In our contemporary period of repeated epidemic outbreaks, we then discuss the need for greater inclusion of social science knowledge for a better understanding of complex socio-ecological systems. We show how considering anthropology and allied sub-disciplines (anthropology of nature, medical anthropology, and human-animal studies) highlights local knowledge on biodiversity as well as the way social scientists investigate diversity in relation to other forms of knowledge. Acknowledging recent approaches, specifically multispecies ethnography, the article then aims to include not only local knowledge but also non-human knowledge for a better prevention of epidemic outbreaks. Finally, the conclusion stresses the need to adopt the same symmetrical approach to scientific and profane knowledge as a way to decolonize One Health, as well as to engage in a more-than-human approach including non-human animals as objects-subjects of research.
Nicolas Lainé; Serge Morand. Linking humans, their animals, and the environment again: a decolonized and more-than-human approach to “One Health”. Parasite 2020, 27, 55 .
AMA StyleNicolas Lainé, Serge Morand. Linking humans, their animals, and the environment again: a decolonized and more-than-human approach to “One Health”. Parasite. 2020; 27 ():55.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNicolas Lainé; Serge Morand. 2020. "Linking humans, their animals, and the environment again: a decolonized and more-than-human approach to “One Health”." Parasite 27, no. : 55.
This article considers a broad perspective of 'OneHealth' that includes local and animal knowledge. Drawing from various colonial efforts to link human, animal, and environmental health, it first shows that the current ‘OneHealth’ initiative takes its roots during the colonial engagement and coinciding with a need to secure the health of administrators (controlling that of local populations) while pursing exploitation of resources. In our contemporary period of repeated epidemic outbreaks, it then discusses the necessity for greater inclusion of social scientists works for a better understanding of complex socio-ecological systems. The paper shows how taking anthropology and allied sub-disciplines (anthropology of Nature, medical anthropology and human-animal studies), highlights local knowledge on biodiversity as well as the way social scientists investigate it in relations with other forms of knowledge. Acknowledging recent approaches developed, notably multispecies ethnography, it then purposes to include not only local knowledge but also non-human knowledge for a better prevention of epidemic outbreaks. Finally, the conclusion stresses the need to put on a same symmetrical line scientific and profane knowledge as a way to decolonize One Health, as well as to engage in a more-than-human approach including non-human animals as object-subject of research.
Nicolas Lainé; Serge Morand. Linking humans, their animals, and the environment again: A decolonized and more-than-human approach to ‘One Health’. 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleNicolas Lainé, Serge Morand. Linking humans, their animals, and the environment again: A decolonized and more-than-human approach to ‘One Health’. . 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNicolas Lainé; Serge Morand. 2020. "Linking humans, their animals, and the environment again: A decolonized and more-than-human approach to ‘One Health’." , no. : 1.
Malaria control is an evolving public health concern, especially in times of resistance to insecticides and to antimalarial drugs, as well as changing environmental conditions that are influencing its epidemiology. Most literature demonstrates an increased risk of malaria transmission in areas of active deforestation, but knowledge about the link between land cover evolution and malaria risk is still limited in some parts of the world. In this study, we discuss different methods used for analysing the interaction between deforestation and malaria, then highlight the constraints that can arise in areas where data is lacking. For instance, there is a gap in knowledge in Cambodia about components of transmission, notably missing detailed vector ecology or epidemiology data, in addition to incomplete prevalence data over time. Still, we illustrate the situation by investigating the evolution of land cover and the progression of deforestation within a malaria-endemic area of Cambodia. To do so, we investigated the area by processing high-resolution satellite imagery from 2018 (1.5 m in panchromatic mode and 6 m in multispectral mode) and produced a land use/land cover map, to complete and homogenise existing data from 1988 and from 1998 to 2008 (land use/land cover from high-resolution satellite imagery). From these classifications, we calculated different landscapes metrics to quantify evolution of deforestation, forest fragmentation and landscape diversity. Over the 30-year period, we observed that deforestation keeps expanding, as diversity and fragmentation indices globally increase. Based on these results and the available literature, we question the mechanisms that could be influencing the relationship between land cover and malaria incidence and suggest further analyses to help elucidate how deforestation can affect malaria dynamics.
Anaïs Pepey; Marc Souris; Amélie Vantaux; Serge Morand; Dysoley Lek; Ivo Mueller; Benoit Witkowski; Vincent Herbreteau. Studying Land Cover Changes in a Malaria-Endemic Cambodian District: Considerations and Constraints. Remote Sensing 2020, 12, 2972 .
AMA StyleAnaïs Pepey, Marc Souris, Amélie Vantaux, Serge Morand, Dysoley Lek, Ivo Mueller, Benoit Witkowski, Vincent Herbreteau. Studying Land Cover Changes in a Malaria-Endemic Cambodian District: Considerations and Constraints. Remote Sensing. 2020; 12 (18):2972.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnaïs Pepey; Marc Souris; Amélie Vantaux; Serge Morand; Dysoley Lek; Ivo Mueller; Benoit Witkowski; Vincent Herbreteau. 2020. "Studying Land Cover Changes in a Malaria-Endemic Cambodian District: Considerations and Constraints." Remote Sensing 12, no. 18: 2972.
1. Most species in ecological communities are rare whereas only a few are common. This distributional paradox has intrigued ecologists for decades but the interpretation of species abundance distributions remains elusive.2. We present Fuzzy Quantification of Common and Rare Species in Ecological Communities (FuzzyQ) as an R package. FuzzyQ shifts the focus from the prevailing species-categorization approach to develop a quantitative framework that seeks to place each species along a rare-commonness gradient. Given a community surveyed over a number of sites, quadrats, or any other convenient sampling unit, FuzzyQ uses a fuzzy clustering algorithm that estimates a probability for each species to be common or rare based on abundance-occupancy information. Such as probability can be interpreted as a commonness index ranging from 0 to 1. FuzzyQ also provides community-level metrics about the coherence of the allocation of species into the common and rare clusters that are informative of the nature of the community under study.3. The functionality of FuzzyQ is shown with two real datasets. We demonstrate how FuzzyQ can effectively be used to monitor and model spatio-temporal changes in species commonness, and assess the impact of species introductions on ecological communities. We also show that the approach works satisfactorily with a wide range of communities varying in species richness, dispersion and abundance currencies.4. FuzzyQ produces ecological indicators easy to measure and interpret that can give both clear, actionable insights into the nature of ecological communities and provides a powerful way to monitor environmental change on ecosystems. Comparison among communities is greatly facilitated by the fact that the method is relatively independent of the number of sites or sampling units considered. Thus, we consider FuzzyQ as a potentially valuable analytical tool in community ecology and conservation biology.
Juan A. Balbuena; Clara Montlleó; Cristina Llopis-Belenguer; Isabel Blasco-Costa; Volodimir L. Sarabeev; Serge Morand. Fuzzy Quantification of Common and Rare Species in Ecological Communities (FuzzyQ). 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleJuan A. Balbuena, Clara Montlleó, Cristina Llopis-Belenguer, Isabel Blasco-Costa, Volodimir L. Sarabeev, Serge Morand. Fuzzy Quantification of Common and Rare Species in Ecological Communities (FuzzyQ). . 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJuan A. Balbuena; Clara Montlleó; Cristina Llopis-Belenguer; Isabel Blasco-Costa; Volodimir L. Sarabeev; Serge Morand. 2020. "Fuzzy Quantification of Common and Rare Species in Ecological Communities (FuzzyQ)." , no. : 1.
Infectious diseases, biodiversity loss and livestock expansion are increasing globally, and examining patterns that link them is important for both public health and conservation. This study is a first attempt to analysis globally these patterns using General additive modelling and Structural equation modelling. A positive association between the number of infectious and parasitic diseases recorded in humans and the total number of animal species between nations was observed. A similar positive association between the number of outbreaks of human infectious diseases, corrected for the number of surveys, and the number of threatened animal species, corrected for the number of animal species, suggests that outbreaks of human infectious diseases are linked with threatened biodiversity. Results of the analyses over the longest period of the dataset (2000–2019) showed a positive correlation between the increasing number of cattle and the number of threatened species, a positive correlation between the increasing number of cattle and the number of outbreaks of human diseases, and a lack of correlation between the number of outbreaks and the number of threatened animal species. As a result, the growing importance of livestock on the planet, while threatening biodiversity, increasingly puts human and animal health at risk. This study calls for further analyses on the consequences of livestock expansion, which depends on several factors that vary by country, namely the growth of human population, changes in diet linked to the westernization of habits, agricultural industrialization and the integration into the world trade, but also the cultural values of livestock.
Serge Morand. Emerging diseases, livestock expansion and biodiversity loss are positively related at global scale. Biological Conservation 2020, 248, 108707 -108707.
AMA StyleSerge Morand. Emerging diseases, livestock expansion and biodiversity loss are positively related at global scale. Biological Conservation. 2020; 248 ():108707-108707.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSerge Morand. 2020. "Emerging diseases, livestock expansion and biodiversity loss are positively related at global scale." Biological Conservation 248, no. : 108707-108707.
Molecular advances have accelerated our understanding of nematode systematics and taxonomy. However, comparative analyzes between various genetic markers have led to discrepancies in nematode phylogenies. This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of using mitochondrial 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA genes for nematode molecular systematics. To study the suitability of mitochondrial 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA genes as genetic markers for nematode molecular systematics, we compared them with the other commonly used genetic markers, nuclear internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 regions, nuclear 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA genes, and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. After that, phylum-wide primers for mitochondrial 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA genes were designed, and parasitic nematodes of humans and animals from 75 taxa with 21 representative species were inferred through phylogenetic analyzes. Phylogenetic analyzes were carried out using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference algorithms. The phylogenetic relationships of nematodes based on the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene supported the monophyly of nematodes in clades I, IV, and V, reinforcing the potential of this gene as a genetic marker for nematode systematics. In contrast, the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene only supported the monophyly of clades I and V, providing evidence that the 12S rRNA gene is more suitable for nematode molecular systematics. In this study, subclades of clade III containing various nematode families were not monophyletic when the 16S or 12S rRNA gene was used as the genetic marker. This is similar to the phylogenetic relationship revealed by previous studies using whole mitochondrial genomes as genetic markers. This study supports the use of the 12S rRNA gene as a genetic marker for studying the molecular systematics of nematodes to understand intra-phyla relationships. Phylum-wide primers for nematodes using mitochondrial ribosomal genes were prepared, which may enhance future studies. Furthermore, sufficient genetic variation in the mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes between species also allowed for accurate taxonomy to species level, revealing the potential of these two genes as genetic markers for DNA barcoding.
Abigail Hui En Chan; Kittipong Chaisiri; Serge Morand; Naowarat Saralamba; Urusa Thaenkham. Evaluation and utility of mitochondrial ribosomal genes for molecular systematics of parasitic nematodes. Parasites & Vectors 2020, 13, 1 -13.
AMA StyleAbigail Hui En Chan, Kittipong Chaisiri, Serge Morand, Naowarat Saralamba, Urusa Thaenkham. Evaluation and utility of mitochondrial ribosomal genes for molecular systematics of parasitic nematodes. Parasites & Vectors. 2020; 13 (1):1-13.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAbigail Hui En Chan; Kittipong Chaisiri; Serge Morand; Naowarat Saralamba; Urusa Thaenkham. 2020. "Evaluation and utility of mitochondrial ribosomal genes for molecular systematics of parasitic nematodes." Parasites & Vectors 13, no. 1: 1-13.
Viruses and their hosts are locked in an evolutionary race where resistance to infection is acquired by the hosts while viruses develop strategies to circumvent these host defenses. Forming one arm of the host defense armory are cell autonomous restriction factors like Fv1. Originally described as protecting laboratory mice from infection by murine leukemia virus (MLV), Fv1s from some wild mice have also been found to restrict non-MLV retroviruses, suggesting an important role in the protection against viruses in nature. We surveyed the Fv1 genes of wild mice trapped in Thailand and characterized their restriction activities against a panel of retroviruses. An extra copy of the Fv1 gene, named Fv7, was found on chromosome 6 of three closely related Asian species of mice: Mus caroli, M. cervicolor, and M. cookii. The presence of flanking repeats suggested it arose by LINE-mediated retroduplication within their most recent common ancestor. A high degree of natural variation was observed in both Fv1 and Fv7 and, on top of positive selection at certain residues, insertions and deletions were present that changed the length of the reading frames. These genes exhibited a range of restriction phenotypes, with activities directed against gamma-, spuma-, and lentiviruses. It seems likely, at least in the case of M. caroli, that the observed gene duplication may expand the breadth of restriction beyond the capacity of Fv1 alone and that one or more such viruses have recently driven or continue to drive the evolution of the Fv1 and Fv7 genes. During the passage of time all vertebrates will be exposed to infection by a variety of different kinds of virus. To meet this threat, a variety of genes for natural resistance to viral infection have evolved. The prototype of such so-called restriction factors is encoded by the mouse Fv1 gene, which acts to block the life cycle of retroviruses at a stage between virus entry into the cell and integration of the viral genetic material into the nuclear DNA. We have studied the evolution of this gene in the wild mice from South East Asia and describe an example where a duplication of the Fv1 gene has taken place. The two copies of the gene, initially identical, have evolved separately allowing the development of resistance to two rather different kinds of retroviruses, lenti- and spumaviruses. Independent selection for resistance to these two kinds of retrovirus suggests that such mice are repeatedly exposed to never-before-reported pathogenic retroviruses of these genera.
Melvyn W. Yap; George R. Young; Renata Varnaite; Serge Morand; Jonathan P. Stoye. Duplication and divergence of the retrovirus restriction gene Fv1 in Mus caroli allows protection from multiple retroviruses. PLOS Genetics 2020, 16, e1008471 .
AMA StyleMelvyn W. Yap, George R. Young, Renata Varnaite, Serge Morand, Jonathan P. Stoye. Duplication and divergence of the retrovirus restriction gene Fv1 in Mus caroli allows protection from multiple retroviruses. PLOS Genetics. 2020; 16 (6):e1008471.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelvyn W. Yap; George R. Young; Renata Varnaite; Serge Morand; Jonathan P. Stoye. 2020. "Duplication and divergence of the retrovirus restriction gene Fv1 in Mus caroli allows protection from multiple retroviruses." PLOS Genetics 16, no. 6: e1008471.
In less than five months, COVID-19 has spread from a small focus in Wuhan, China, to more than 5 million people in almost every country in the world, dominating the concern of most governments and public health systems. The social and political distresses caused by this epidemic will certainly impact our world for a long time to come. Here, we synthesize lessons from a range of scientific perspectives rooted in epidemiology, virology, genetics, ecology and evolutionary biology so as to provide perspective on how this pandemic started, how it is developing, and how best we can stop it.
Manuela Sironi; Seyed E. Hasnain; Benjamin Rosenthal; Tung Phan; Fabio Luciani; Marie-Anne Shaw; M. Anice Sallum; Marzieh Ezzaty Mirhashemi; Serge Morand; Fernando González-Candelas. SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: A genetic, epidemiological, and evolutionary perspective. Infection, Genetics and Evolution 2020, 84, 104384 -104384.
AMA StyleManuela Sironi, Seyed E. Hasnain, Benjamin Rosenthal, Tung Phan, Fabio Luciani, Marie-Anne Shaw, M. Anice Sallum, Marzieh Ezzaty Mirhashemi, Serge Morand, Fernando González-Candelas. SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: A genetic, epidemiological, and evolutionary perspective. Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 2020; 84 ():104384-104384.
Chicago/Turabian StyleManuela Sironi; Seyed E. Hasnain; Benjamin Rosenthal; Tung Phan; Fabio Luciani; Marie-Anne Shaw; M. Anice Sallum; Marzieh Ezzaty Mirhashemi; Serge Morand; Fernando González-Candelas. 2020. "SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: A genetic, epidemiological, and evolutionary perspective." Infection, Genetics and Evolution 84, no. : 104384-104384.
Gastrointestinal helminth infection likely affects the gut microbiome, in turn affecting host health. To investigate the effect of intestinal parasite status on the gut microbiome, parasitic infection surveys were conducted in communities in Nan Province, Thailand. In total, 1047 participants submitted stool samples for intestinal parasite examination, and 391 parasite-positive cases were identified, equating to an infection prevalence of 37.3%. Intestinal protozoan species were less prevalent (4.6%) than helminth species. The most prevalent parasite was the minute intestinal fluke Haplorchis taichui (35.9%). Amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA was conducted to investigate the gut microbiome profiles of H. taichui-infected participants compared with those of parasite-free participants. Prevotella copri was the dominant bacterial operational taxonomic unit (OTU) in the study population. The relative abundance of three bacterial taxa, Ruminococcus, Roseburia faecis and Veillonella parvula, was significantly increased in the H. taichui-infected group. Parasite-negative group had higher bacterial diversity (α diversity) than the H. taichui-positive group. In addition, a significant difference in bacterial community composition (β diversity) was found between the two groups. The results suggest that H. taichui infection impacts the gut microbiome profile by reducing bacterial diversity and altering bacterial community structure in the gastrointestinal tract.
Ajala Prommi; Pinidphon Prombutara; Dorn Watthanakulpanich; Poom Adisakwattana; Teera Kusolsuk; Tippayarat Yoonuan; Akkarin Poodeepiyasawat; Nirundorn Homsuwan; Samreong Prummongkol; Malee Tanita; Sungkhom Rattanapikul; Chuanphot Thinphovong; Anamika Kritiyakan; Serge Morand; Kittipong Chaisiri. Intestinal parasites in rural communities in Nan Province, Thailand: changes in bacterial gut microbiota associated with minute intestinal fluke infection. Parasitology 2020, 147, 972 -984.
AMA StyleAjala Prommi, Pinidphon Prombutara, Dorn Watthanakulpanich, Poom Adisakwattana, Teera Kusolsuk, Tippayarat Yoonuan, Akkarin Poodeepiyasawat, Nirundorn Homsuwan, Samreong Prummongkol, Malee Tanita, Sungkhom Rattanapikul, Chuanphot Thinphovong, Anamika Kritiyakan, Serge Morand, Kittipong Chaisiri. Intestinal parasites in rural communities in Nan Province, Thailand: changes in bacterial gut microbiota associated with minute intestinal fluke infection. Parasitology. 2020; 147 (9):972-984.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAjala Prommi; Pinidphon Prombutara; Dorn Watthanakulpanich; Poom Adisakwattana; Teera Kusolsuk; Tippayarat Yoonuan; Akkarin Poodeepiyasawat; Nirundorn Homsuwan; Samreong Prummongkol; Malee Tanita; Sungkhom Rattanapikul; Chuanphot Thinphovong; Anamika Kritiyakan; Serge Morand; Kittipong Chaisiri. 2020. "Intestinal parasites in rural communities in Nan Province, Thailand: changes in bacterial gut microbiota associated with minute intestinal fluke infection." Parasitology 147, no. 9: 972-984.
Chigger mites (Trombiculidae) are temporary habitat-specific ectoparasites that often occur on rodents. Little ecological data are available on chiggers associated with rodents in South Africa. The study aims were to (1) record the chigger species associated with rodents in the savanna, (2) assess if chigger species display parasitope preference on the rodent body and (3) compare the distribution of chigger species in natural, agricultural and urban habitats. Rodents (n = 314) belonging to eight genera were trapped in the savanna biome during 2014 and 2015. Twelve chigger species, of which five are recently described species, were recorded from 161 rodent hosts. The data include three new country locality records. Microtrombicula mastomyia was the most prevalent species across sampling seasons and habitat types. Significant parasitope preference was recorded for two species, with the ear, face and tail base some of the preferred attachment sites. Sampling season and habitat type had a significant effect on chigger communities with summer and agricultural habitats recording the highest species richness, while the highest species diversity was recorded in natural habitats. The study contributes to our current knowledge regarding rodent-associated chigger diversity and distribution in South Africa and further highlights the importance of environmental characteristics in shaping chigger communities.
Sonja Matthee; Alexandr Stekolnikov; Luther Van Der Mescht; Götz Froeschke; Serge Morand. The diversity and distribution of chigger mites associated with rodents in the South African savanna. Parasitology 2020, 147, 1038 -1047.
AMA StyleSonja Matthee, Alexandr Stekolnikov, Luther Van Der Mescht, Götz Froeschke, Serge Morand. The diversity and distribution of chigger mites associated with rodents in the South African savanna. Parasitology. 2020; 147 (9):1038-1047.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSonja Matthee; Alexandr Stekolnikov; Luther Van Der Mescht; Götz Froeschke; Serge Morand. 2020. "The diversity and distribution of chigger mites associated with rodents in the South African savanna." Parasitology 147, no. 9: 1038-1047.
We present an approach to assess the disease ecology of rickettsial species by investigating open databases and by using data science methodologies. First, we explored the epidemiological trend and changes of human rickettsial disease epidemics over the years and compared this trend with knowledge on emerging rickettsial diseases given by published reviews. Second, we investigated the global diversity of rickettsial species recorded in humans, domestic animals and wild mammals, using the Enhanced Infectious Disease Database (EID2) and employing a network analysis approach to represent and quantify transmission ecology of rickettsial species among their carriers, arthropod vectors or mammal reservoirs and humans. Our results confirmed previous studies that emphasized the increasing incidence in rickettsial diseases at the onset of 1970. Using the Global Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Online Network (GIDEON) database, it was even possible to date the start of this increase of global outbreaks in rickettsial diseases in 1971. Network analysis showed the importance of domestic animals and peridomestic mammals in sharing rickettsial diseases with humans and other wild animals, acting as important hubs or connectors for rickettsial transmission.
Serge Morand; Kittipong Chaisiri; Anamika Kritiyakan; Rawadee Kumlert. Disease Ecology of Rickettsial Species: A Data Science Approach. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 2020, 5, 64 .
AMA StyleSerge Morand, Kittipong Chaisiri, Anamika Kritiyakan, Rawadee Kumlert. Disease Ecology of Rickettsial Species: A Data Science Approach. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2020; 5 (2):64.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSerge Morand; Kittipong Chaisiri; Anamika Kritiyakan; Rawadee Kumlert. 2020. "Disease Ecology of Rickettsial Species: A Data Science Approach." Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 5, no. 2: 64.
SummaryBackgroundWhile the epidemic of SARS-CoV-2 is spreading worldwide, there is much concern over the mortality rate that the infection induces. Available data suggest that COVID-19 case fatality rate varies temporally (as the epidemic progresses) and spatially (among countries). Here, we attempted to identify key factors possibly explaining the variability in case fatality rate across countries.MethodsWe used data on the temporal trajectory of case fatality rate provided by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, and country-specific data on different metrics describing the incidence of known comorbidity factors associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 mortality at the individual level (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation). We also compiled data on demography, economy and political regimes for each country.FindingsWe first showed that temporal trajectories of case fatality rate greatly vary among countries. We found no evidence for association between comorbidities and case fatality rate at the country level. Case fatality rate was negatively associated with number of hospital beds x1,000 inhabitants. We also report evidence suggesting an association between case fatality rate and the political regime, with democracies suffering from the highest mortality burden, compared to autocratic regimes. However, most of the among-country variance in case fatality rate remained unexplained.InterpretationOverall, these results emphasize the role of socio-economic and political factors as possible drivers of COVID-19 case fatality rate at the country level.FundingNone.
Gabriele Sorci; Bruno Faivre; Serge Morand. Why does COVID-19 case fatality rate vary among countries? 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleGabriele Sorci, Bruno Faivre, Serge Morand. Why does COVID-19 case fatality rate vary among countries? . 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGabriele Sorci; Bruno Faivre; Serge Morand. 2020. "Why does COVID-19 case fatality rate vary among countries?" , no. : 1.