The direct impacts of fishing on chondrichthyans (sharks, rays and chimeras) are well established. Here we review a largely unreported, often misinterpreted and poorly understood indirect impact of fishing on these animals — capture-induced parturition (either premature birth or abortion). Although direct mortality of discarded sharks and rays has been estimated, the prevalence of abortion/premature birth and subsequent generational mortality remains largely unstudied. We synthesize a diffuse body of literature to reveal that a conservative estimate of > 12% of live bearing elasmobranchs (n = 88 species) show capture-induced parturition. For those species with adequate data, we estimate capture-induced parturition events ranging from 2 to 85% of pregnant females (average 24%). To date, capture-induced parturition has only been observed in live-bearing species. We compile data on threat-levels, method of capture, reproductive mode and gestation extent of premature/aborted embryos. We also utilise social media to identify 41 social-media links depicting a capture-induced parturition event which provide supplementary visual evidence for the phenomenon. The mortality of embryos will have implications for elasmobranch populations, and there are limited options to deal with this problem. This review is the first to synthesize available data on capture-induced parturition in sharks and rays, and highlights an important ethical and management issue for fishers and managers deserving of much greater attention.

Summary Invasive pneumococcal disease continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children and adults worldwide. Effective host defence against Streptococcus pneumoniae depends on immunoglobulin G-mediated phagocytosis of the bacteria and it has been shown in vitro that the Fc γ RIIA polymorphism (Fc γ RIIA-R131 vs Fc γ RIIA-H131) determines the capacity of immunoglobulin G2-mediated phagocytosis via this receptor. In this study, we evaluated Fc γ RIIA polymorphisms in children with pneumococcal sepsis and a number of control groups in order to investigate a possible association of Fc γ RIIA genotypes with Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. The distribution of the genotypes differed in these populations. The frequency of homozygosity for Fc γ RIIA-R/R131 in the patients was significantly higher than that in the healthy random donor population (43% vs 21%, P < 0.05). The frequencies of Fc γ RIIA-H/H131 were similar among all groups of individuals, while the incidence of the heterozygous Fc γ RIIA-R/H131 was lower (35% vs 52%, P < 0.05). Thus, it appears that the Fc γ RIIA-H131 polymorphic form, even in the heterozygous form, may be protective for pneumococcal sepsis and children with Fc γ RIIA-R/R131 genotype could be more at risk of infection with invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is the etiologic agent of both chickenpox and Herpes zoster (HZ). In the United States, there are around one million cases of HZ per year. Ten percent of HZ cases are subtyped as herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) specifically and involve the V1 distribution. Herpes zoster ophthalmicus is a significant cause of blindness in the United States. This article will provide a basic overview of VZV, HZ, and HZO with a focus on preventative measures in an effort to prevent blindness through improving clinician awareness and education. The differences in clinical effectiveness and duration of effectiveness of the live (Zostavax) and recombinant vaccines (Shingrix) are illustrated. There is now a trend toward using the recombinant vaccine as recommended by the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) for healthy adults 50 or older.