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Regardless of the time elapsed between infections there was no evidence of in vivo antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of ZIKV by DENV immunity. These findings have pivotal implications while interpreting ZIKV pathogenesis in flavivirus-experimented populations, diagnostic results interpretation and vaccine designs and schedules among others.Background Mycobacterium ulcerans is an environmental mycobacterium responsible for an opportunistic, noncontagious tropical infection named Buruli ulcer that necrotizes the skin and the subcutaneous tissues. selleck chemicals M. ulcerans is thought to penetrate through breached skin after contact with contaminated wetland environments, yet the exact biotopes where M. ulcerans occurs remain elusive, hence obscuring the epidemiological chain of transmission of this opportunistic pathogen. Methodology/principal findings Polymerase chain reaction investigations detected M. ulcerans in 39/46 (84.7%) rhizosphere specimens collected in 13 Buruli ulcer-endemic areas in Côte d'Ivoire and 3/20 (15%) specimens collected in a nonendemic area (P = 5.73.E-7); only 3/63 (4.7%) sediment specimens from sediment surrounding the rhizospheres were positive in endemic area (P = 6.51.E-12). High-throughput sequencing further detected three PCR-positive plants, Croton hirtus, Corton kongensis and Oriza sativa var. japonica (rice), in the rectal content of two M. ulcerans-positive wild Thryonomys swinderianus grasscutters that were hunted in Buruli ulcer-endemic areas, while no PCR-positive plants were detected in the rectal content of two negative control animals that were farmed in a nonendemic area. Conclusions/significance Our data suggest an alimentary chain of transmission of M. ulcerans from plants to T. swinderianus grasscutters and people that utilize T. swinderianus as bush meat in Buruli ulcer-endemic areas in Côte d'Ivoire. Guidance to adopt protective measures and avoid any direct contact with potentially contaminated rhizospheres and with grasscutter intestinal content when preparing the animals for cooking should be established for at-risk populations.Osteocalcin (OCN), the most abundant noncollagenous protein in the bone matrix, is reported to be a bone-derived endocrine hormone with wide-ranging effects on many aspects of physiology, including glucose metabolism and male fertility. Many of these observations were made using an OCN-deficient mouse allele (Osc-) in which the 2 OCN-encoding genes in mice, Bglap and Bglap2, were deleted in ES cells by homologous recombination. Here we describe mice with a new Bglap and Bglap2 double-knockout (dko) allele (Bglap/2p.Pro25fs17Ter) that was generated by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing. Mice homozygous for this new allele do not express full-length Bglap or Bglap2 mRNA and have no immunodetectable OCN in their serum. FTIR imaging of cortical bone in these homozygous knockout animals finds alterations in the collagen maturity and carbonate to phosphate ratio in the cortical bone, compared with wild-type littermates. However, μCT and 3-point bending tests do not find differences from wild-type littermates with respect to bone mass and strength. In contrast to the previously reported OCN-deficient mice with the Osc-allele, serum glucose levels and male fertility in the OCN-deficient mice with the Bglap/2pPro25fs17Ter allele did not have significant differences from wild-type littermates. We cannot explain the absence of endocrine effects in mice with this new knockout allele. Possible explanations include the effects of each mutated allele on the transcription of neighboring genes, or differences in genetic background and environment. So that our findings can be confirmed and extended by other interested investigators, we are donating this new Bglap and Bglap2 double-knockout strain to the Jackson Laboratories for academic distribution.After a ten-year absence of reported Guinea worm disease in Chad, human cases were rediscovered in 2010, and canine cases were first recorded in 2012. In response, active surveillance for Guinea worm in both humans and animals was re-initiated in 2012. As of 2018, the Chad Guinea Worm Eradication Program (CGWEP) maintains an extensive surveillance system that operates in 1,895 villages, and collects information about worms, hosts (animals and humans), and animal owners. This report describes in detail the CGWEP surveillance system and explores epidemiological trends in canine Guinea worm cases during 2015-2018. Our results showed an increased in the number of canine cases detected by the system during the period of interest. The proportion of worms that were contained (i.e., water contamination was prevented) improved significantly over time, from 72.8% in 2015 to 85.7% in 2018 (Mantel-Haenszel chi-square = 253.3, P less then 0.0001). Additionally, approximately 5% of owners of infected dogs reported that the dog had a Guinea worm-like infection earlier that year; 12.6% had a similar worm in a previous year. The proportion of dogs with a history of infection in a previous year increased over time (Mantel-Haenszel chi-square = 18.8, P less then 0.0001). Canine cases were clustered in space and time most infected dogs (80%) were from the Chari Baguirmi (38.1%) and Moyen Chari Regions (41.9%), and for each year the peak month of identified canine cases was June, with 78.5% occurring during March through August. Findings from this report evoke additional questions about why some dogs are repeatedly infected. Our results may help to target interventions and surveillance efforts in terms of space, time, and dogs susceptible to recurrent infection, with the ultimate goal of Guinea worm eradication.An estimated 257 million persons worldwide have chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (1). CDC recommends HBV testing for persons from countries with intermediate to high HBV prevalence (≥2%), including newly arriving refugees (2). Complications of chronic HBV infection include liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, which develop in 15%-25% of untreated adults infected in infancy or childhood (3). HBV-infected patients require regular monitoring for both infection and sequelae. Several studies have evaluated initial linkage to HBV care for both refugee and nonrefugee immigrant populations (4-9), but none contained standardized definitions for either linkage to or long-term retention in care for chronic HBV-infected refugees. To assess chronic HBV care, three urban sites that perform refugee domestic medical examinations and provide primary care collaborated in a quality improvement evaluation. Sites performed chart reviews and prospective outreach to refugees with positive test results for presumed HBV infection during domestic medical examinations.