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In the Western Hemisphere, bat-associated rabies viruses (RABVs) have established independent transmission cycles in multiple mammal hosts, forming genetically distinct lineages. In New Mexico, USA, skunks, bats, and gray foxes are rabies reservoir hosts and represent a public health risk because of encounters with humans. During 2015 and 2019, two previously undescribed RABVs were detected in 2 gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) in Lincoln County, New Mexico. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleoprotein gene indicated that the isolates are a novel RABV variant. These 2 cases probably represent repeated spillover events from an unknown bat reservoir to gray foxes. Molecular analysis of rabies cases across New Mexico identified that other cross-species transmission events were the result of viral variants previously known to be enzootic to New Mexico. Despite a robust rabies public health surveillance system in the United States, advances in testing and surveillance techniques continue to identify previously unrecognized zoonotic pathogens.

New treatments are required to enhance current therapies for lung cancer. Mesothelin is a surface protein overexpressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that shows promise as an immunotherapeutic target in phase I clinical trials. However, the immunosuppressive environment in NSCLC may limit efficacy of these therapies. We applied time-of-flight mass cytometry to examine the state of circulating mononuclear cells in fourteen patients undergoing treatment for unresectable lung cancer. Six patients had earlier stage NSCLC (I-IVA) and eight had highly advanced NSCLC (IVB). The advanced NSCLC patients relapsed with greater frequency than the earlier stage patients. Before treatment, patients with very advanced NSCLC had a greater proportion of CD14- myeloid cells than patients with earlier NSCLC. These patients also had fewer circulating natural killer (NK) cells bearing an Fc receptor, CD16, which is crucial to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. We designed a high affinity tri-specific killer engager (TriKE®) to enhance NK cytotoxicity against mesothelin+ targets in this environment. The TriKE consisted of CD16 and mesothelin binding elements linked together by IL-15. TriKE enhanced proliferation of lung cancer patient NK cells in vitro. Lung cancer lines are refractory to NK cell killing, but the TriKE enhanced cytotoxicity and cytokine production by patient NK cells when challenged with tumor. Importantly, TriKE triggered NK cell responses from patients at all stages of disease and treatment, suggesting TriKE can enhance current therapies. These pre-clinical studies suggest mesothelin-targeted TriKE has the potential to overcome the immunosuppressive environment of NSCLC to treat disease.

Abstract The mosquitoes Aedes aegypti (L.) and Ae. albopictus Skuse are the major vectors of dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya viruses worldwide. Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium present in many insects, is being utilized in novel vector control strategies to manipulate mosquito life history and vector competence to curb virus transmission. Earlier studies have found that Wolbachia is commonly detected in Ae. albopictus but rarely detected in Ae. aegypti. In this study, we used a two‐step PCR assay to detect Wolbachia in wild‐collected samples of Ae. aegypti. The PCR products were sequenced to validate amplicons and identify Wolbachia strains. A loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed and used for detecting Wolbachia in selected mosquito specimens as well. We found Wolbachia in 85/148 (57.4%) wild Ae. aegypti specimens from various cities in New Mexico, and in 2/46 (4.3%) from St. Augustine, Florida. Wolbachia was not detected in 94 samples of Ae. aegypti from Deer Park, Harris County, Texas. Wolbachia detected in Ae. aegypti from both New Mexico and Florida was the wAlbB strain of Wolbachia pipientis. A Wolbachia‐positive colony of Ae. aegypti was established from pupae collected in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 2018. The infected females of this strain transmitted Wolbachia to their progeny when crossed with males of Rockefeller strain of Ae. aegypti, which does not carry Wolbachia. In contrast, none of the progeny of Las Cruces males mated to Rockefeller females were infected with Wolbachia.

Live poultry-associated salmonellosis is an emerging public health issue in the United States. Public and animal health officials collaborated to investigate one of the largest (356 cases, 39 states) of these outbreaks reported to date. A case was defined as illness in a person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium with illness onset between 1 March and 22 October 2013. The median patient age was seven years (range:

BackgroundAedes aegypti mosquitoes are vectors of a variety of emerging viral pathogens, including yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus. This species has established endemic populations in all cities across southern New Mexico sampled to date. Presently, control of Aedes-borne viruses relies on deployment of insecticides to suppress mosquito populations, but the evolution of insecticide resistance threatens the success of vector control programs. While insecticide resistance is quite common in Ae. aegypti field populations across much of the U.S., the resistance status of this species in populations from New Mexico has not previously been assessed.ResultsFirst, we collected information on pesticide use in cities in southern New Mexico and found that the most commonly used active ingredients were pyrethroids. The use of insecticides with the same mode-of-action over multiple years is likely to promote the evolution of resistance. To determine if there was evidence of resistance in some cities in southern New Mexico, we collected Ae. aegypti from the same cities and established laboratory strains to assess resistance to pyrethroid insecticides and, for a subset of populations, to organophosphate insecticides. F2 or F4 generation mosquitoes were assessed for insecticide resistance using bottle test bioassays. The majority of the populations from New Mexico that we analyzed were resistant to the pyrethroids permethrin and deltamethrin. A notable exception to this trend were mosquitoes from Alamogordo, a city that did not report using pyrethroid insecticides for vector control. We screened individuals from each population for known knock down resistance (kdr) mutations via PCR and found a strong association between the presences of the F1534C kdr mutation in the para gene of Ae. aegypti (homologue to F1534C in Musca domestica L.) and pyrethroid resistance.ConclusionHigh-level pyrethroid resistance is common in Ae. aegypti from New Mexico and geographic variation in such resistance is likely associated with variation in usage of pyrethroids for vector control. Resistance monitoring and management is recommended in light of the potential for arbovirus outbreaks in this state. Also, alternative approaches to mosquito control that do not involve insecticides should be explored.

We improved the bispecific antibody platform that primarily engages natural killer (NK) cells to kill cancer cells through antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by adding IL-15 as a crosslinker that expands and self-sustains the effector NK cell population. The overall goal was to target B7-H3, an established marker predominantly expressed on cancer cells and minimally expressed on normal cells, and prove that it could target cancer cells in vitro and inhibit tumor growth in vivo. The tri-specific killer engager (TriKETM) was assembled by DNA shuffling and ligation using DNA encoding a camelid anti-CD16 antibody fragment, a wild-type IL-15 moiety, and an anti-B7-H3 scFv (clone 376.96). The expressed and purified cam1615B7H3 protein was tested for in vitro NK cell activity against a variety of tumors and in vivo against a tagged human MA-148 ovarian cancer cell line grafted in NSG mice. cam1615B7H3 showed specific NK cell expansion, high killing activity across a range of B7-H3+ carcinomas, and the ability to mediate growth inhibition of aggressive ovarian cancer in vivo. cam1615B7H3 TriKE improves NK cell function, expansion, targeted cytotoxicity against various types of B7-H3-positive human cancer cell lines, and delivers an anti-cancer effect in vivo in a solid tumor setting.

Intraocular listeriosis, a rare manifestation of invasive listeriosis, has a poor visual prognosis. We report an intraocular listeriosis case related to a multistate outbreak associated with contaminated cantaloupe. Increasing awareness of rare listeriosis presentations might facilitate timely diagnosis and treatment, and case reporting can clarify medical and epidemiologic aspects of listeriosis.

Socioeconomic indicators associated with temporal changes in the distribution of human plague cases in New Mexico were investigated for 1976–2007. In the 1980s, cases were more likely in census block groups with poor housing conditions, but by the 2000s, cases were associated with affluent areas concentrated in the Santa Fe–Albuquerque region.

We describe an analytic approach to provide fine-scale discrimination among multiple infection source hypotheses. This approach uses mutation-rate data for rapidly evolving multiple locus variable-number tandem repeat loci in probabilistic models to identify the most likely source. We illustrate the utility of this approach using data from a North American human plague investigation.

To investigate climatic, spatial, temporal, and environmental patterns associated with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) cases in the Four Corners region, we collected exposure site data for HPS cases that occurred in 1993 to 1995. Cases clustered seasonally and temporally by biome type and geographic location, and exposure sites were most often found in pinyon-juniper woodlands, grasslands, and Great Basin desert scrub lands, at elevations of 1,800 m to 2,500 m. Environmental factors (e.g., the dramatic increase in precipitation associated with the 1992 to 1993 El Niño) may indirectly increase the risk for Sin Nombre virus exposure and therefore may be of value in designing disease prevention campaigns.

Mental status after acute West Nile virus infection has not been examined objectively. We compared Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status scores of 116 patients with West Nile fever or West Nile neuroinvasive disease. Mental status was poorer and cognitive complaints more frequent with West Nile neuroinvasive disease (p = 0.005).

Summary: Plague is a zoonotic disease (transmitted mainly by fleas and maintained in nature by rodents) that causes severe acute illness in humans. We present a human plague case who became infected by the bite of a wild Gunnison's prairie dog, and a good practical example of the One Health approach that resulted in a rapid public health response. The exposure occurred while the animal was being transported for relocation to a wildlife refuge after being trapped in a plague enzootic area. This is the first report of a human plague case resulting from the bite of a Gunnison's prairie dog. Additionally, we present an observation of a longer incubation period for plague in captive prairie dogs, leading to a recommendation for a longer quarantine period for prairie dogs during translocation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010, 41 patients ill with Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates determined to be indistinguishable by pulsed-field g electrophoresis were identified among residents of five Southwestern U.S. states. A majority of patients reported consuming complimentary samples of aged raw-milk Gouda cheese at national warehouse chain store locations; sampling Gouda cheese was significantly associated with illness (odds ratio, 9.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.7 to 47). Several Gouda samples yielded the O 157:H7 outbreak strain, confirming the food vehicle and source of infections. Implicated retail food-sampling operations were inconsistently regulated among affected states, and sanitation deficiencies were common among sampling venues. Inspection of the cheese manufacturer indicated deficient sanitation practices and insufficient cheese curing times. Policymakers should continue to reexamine the adequacy and enforcement of existing rules intended to ensure the safety of raw-milk cheeses and retail food sampling. Additional research is necessary to clarify the food safety hazards posed to patrons who consume free food samples while shopping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In November 2002, a couple from New Mexico traveled to New York where both had fever and unilateral inguinal adenopathy. The husband was in septic shock when he sought medical care and was admitted to an intensive care unit, where he developed ischemic necrosis of his feet which later required bilateral amputation. Yersinia pestis was grown from his blood. Immunohistochemical assays using anti–Y pestis antibodies demonstrated multiple bacteria and granular antigens in and around vessels of the ischemic amputation tissues obtained 20 days after initiation of antibiotics; however, no evidence of Y pestis was present in viable tissues. Immunohistochemical evidence of Y pestis inside vessels of gangrenous feet in this patient underscores the importance of adequate excision of necrotic or partially necrotic tissues because antibiotics cannot be effectively delivered to necrotic and poorly perfused tissues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Investigates the outbreak of tickborne relapsing fever (TBRF) after a family gathering in New Mexico, in August 2002. Information on TBRF; Epidemiology of the disease; Clinical findings and laboratory testing conducted; Treatment and prevention of the disease.

Reports on the increased cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in humans during January and May 1999 in the United States. Information on the syndrome; Number of HPS cases in 30 states as of May 28, 1999; Status of hantavirus antibody prevalences in deer mouse populations during May 1999; Way of decreasing the risk for HPS.

To investigate climatic, spatial, temporal, and environmental patterns associated with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) cases in the Four Corners region, we collected exposure site data for HPS cases that occurred in 1993 to 1995. Cases clustered seasonally and temporally by biome type and geographic location, and exposure sites were most often found in pinyon-juniper woodlands, grasslands, and Great Basin desert scrub lands, at elevations of 1,800 m to 2,500 m. Environmental factors (e.g., the dramatic increase in precipitation associated with the 1992 to 1993 El Niño) may indirectly increase the risk for Sin Nombre virus exposure and therefore may be of value in designing disease prevention campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explains that three outbreaks of Salmonellosis, involving those who came into contact with baby poultry, were discovered in the U.S. In Michigan, the Salmonellosis outbreak strain was isolated after samples were obtained from infected people who experienced such symptoms as diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting. In a hatchery in Nebraska, two children were determined to have Salmonellosis after a culture of their stool was taken. Both children had handled chicks at the same Nebraska daycare center. The outbreak in Oregon involved four patients who had all been exposed to baby poultry before becoming ill.

Discusses hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe cardiopulmonary illness resulting in death in approximately 45 percent of cases. Transmission from rodents to humans; Description of three cases of HPS that occurred in the southwestern United States; Editorial note from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.