Abstract. Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an emerging biodefense pathogen that poses significant threats to human and livestock health. To date, the interepidemic reservoirs of RVFV are not well defined. In a longitudinal survey of infectious diseases among African buffalo during [2000][2001][2002][2003][2004][2005][2006], 550 buffalo were tested for antibodies against RVFV in 820 capture events in 302 georeferenced locations in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Overall, 115 buffalo (21%) were seropositive. Seroprevalence of RVFV was highest (32%) in the first study year, and decreased progressively in subsequent years, but had no detectable impact on survival. Nine (7%) of 126 resampled, initially seronegative animals seroconverted during periods outside any reported regional RVFV outbreaks. Seroconversions for RVFV were detected in significant temporal clusters during 2001-2003 and in 2004. These findings highlight the potential importance of wildlife as reservoirs for RVFV and interepidemic RVFV transmission in perpetuating regional RVFV transmission risk. Sabie (2003Sabie ( -2006 regions of the park ( Figure 1 ). Briefly, from a defined sub-region of Kruger National Park having a buffalo population of approximately 3,000, 593 buffalo were captured at 302 georeferenced locations by using aerial or ground darting techniques, working in close collaboration with veterinarians in Kruger National Park.Captured animals were tested for exposure to infections and uniquely branded and given subcutaneous insertion of microchip tags for later identification. A subset (n = 167) were fitted with either radio collars or global positioning system collars for tracking and weekly to monthly follow-up. Because male and female buffalo have horns, it was impossible for a radio collar to come off an animal without tearing through the belting. We identified mortality events by the belting still being intact and the remains of a carcass. We assumed that a radio collar had fallen off if the belting was severed and no carcass was present after an extensive search of the area. 18 We estimated time since death (0-30 days) using the extent of carcass remains.18 During the study, there were 288 live repeat captures among the 593 buffalo studied and 55 documented deaths among the 167 tracked animals.Ethical approval. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approval was through University of California Berkeley #R217-0402 to Wayne M. Getz. This protocol was also reviewed and approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee for the South Africa National Parks.Animal assessment. Animals < 5 years of age were assigned to an age group on the basis of physical examination for incisor eruption pattern.19 Age of animals ≥ 5 years of age at the time of first examination was determined by visual comparison of horn development and body size to a calibrated photographic reference collection. 17,20 Four age groups were considered: youngest = 1-3 years, mid-low = 3-5 years, mid-high = 5-8 years, highest = more than 8 years.Testing for antibodies ...

Aims Advances in next-generation sequencing technologies make it possible to envisage multiple contexts in which genomic tools might be used to enhance patient care. We describe how genetics patients and their caregivers view the promises and perils of clinical genomic testing. Patients & methods Fifty-one interviews with patients and parents of pediatric patients seeking genetic evaluation at an academic medical center. Results Themes from interviews include participants' enthusiasm for clinical genomic testing for diagnostic purposes, medical benefits and concerns about emotional and psychosocial burdens resulting from clinical genomic testing. Conclusion By clarifying these patients' and caregivers' views of clinical genomic testing, the findings we report can help to anticipate other patients' reactions to new forms of personalized medicine enabled by genomic technologies.

We enrolled 345 4th grade students in a classroom-randomized, controlled trial to evaluation of a school-based West Nile virus (WNV) health education program's impact on knowledge, attitudes, and personal protective behavior use. Immediate and sustained improvements in WNV knowledge and greater frequencies of reported personal protective behaviors resulted from the educational intervention.

No abstract