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Cree trappers and hunters are at risk for contracting infectious diseases conveyed by wildlife. We performed a study in a Cree community (Canada) to determine the seroprevalence of 8 zoonotic infections among hunters and trappers for evidence of exposure to Trichinella sp., Toxoplasma gondii, Toxocara canis, Echinococcus granulosus, Leptospira sp., Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, and Sin Nombre virus. A total of 50 participants (28 women and 22 men) were included in this study. Results indicate no or infrequent exposure to the Sin Nombre virus (0%) and 3 of the 4 parasites investigated (0-4%). Exposure to T. gondii (10%) and some bacteria appeared to be more prevalent (range, 4-18%). Overall, seropositivity was related to fishing, hunting, and trapping activities. Physicians should be aware of these infections in this population, particularly Q fever, tularemia, and leptospirosis.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by a newly identified coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is a serious emerging human infectious disease. In this report, we immunized ferrets ( Mustela putorius furo ) with recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (rMVA) expressing the SARS-CoV spike (S) protein. Immunized ferrets developed a more rapid and vigorous neutralizing antibody response than control animals after challenge with SARS-CoV; however, they also exhibited strong inflammatory responses in liver tissue. Inflammation in control animals exposed to SARS-CoV was relatively mild. Thus, our data suggest that vaccination with rMVA expressing SARS-CoV S protein is associated with enhanced hepatitis.

A comprehensive assay for the identification of all eight human herpesviruses has been previously reported. This assay was extended to the detection and species-level identification of herpes B virus ( Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1 ) and African green monkey cytomegalovirus ( Cercopithecine herpesvirus 5 ), two herpesviruses of relevance to the clinical virology laboratory.

In human history, numerous infectious diseases have emerged and re-emerged. Aside from many others, the so-called 'exotic' agents in particular are a threat to our public health systems due to limited experience in case management and lack of appropriate resources. Many of these agents are zoonotic in origin and transmitted from animals to man either directly or via vectors. The reservoirs are often infected subclinically or asymptomatically and the distribution of the diseases basically reflects the range and the population dynamics of their reservoir hosts. As examples, emergence/re-emergence is discussed here for diseases caused by filoviruses, hantaviruses, paramyxoviruses, flaviviruses and Yersinia pestis. In addition, bioterrorism is addressed as one factor which has now to be considered in infectious disease emergence/re-emergence. Preparedness for known and unknown infectious diseases will be a top priority for our public health systems in the beginning of the millennium.

Studies were undertaken to monitor for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Gut contents were removed for culturing from seven engorged ticks collected in 1991-1992 including five Ixodes dammini (Spielman, Clifford, Piesman & Corwin) and two I. scapularis (Say) removed from a dog that had recently traveled to the southern United States. B. burgdorferi was recovered from one I. dammini that had been removed from a cat in Charlottetown in October 1991. The cat had not traveled off the island. Immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) studies on sera from 75 dogs, 7 cats, and 8 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) collected on Prince Edward Island between 1989 and 1992 revealed one reactor with an IFA titer > or = 1:256. The reactor was a dog with a history of travel to the United States. This report documents the first isolate of B. burgdorferi in Atlantic Canada, possibly because of the introduction of I. dammini on migratory birds. Serological studies do not indicate widespread occurrence of B. burgdorferi on Prince Edward Island.

In May 2005, a cluster of four hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) cases was confirmed in Alberta, Canada. The cluster is unusual given that three cases were from a single family and involved a 7-year-old child. This is the first family cluster reported in Canada and includes one of the youngest cases of HPS reported in North America.