Staphylococcus aureus is a widely recognized pathogen responsible for many serious diseases in both humans and animals. It is also one of the major causative agents of bovine mastitis. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), although relatively rare in this pathology, has been increasingly reported in livestock animals, mainly in pigs, but also cattle, sheep, and poultry. The recent emergence of livestock-associated (LA-)MRSA is cause for an immediate public health concern due to the risk of zoonotic transmission to humans, and is of particular concern for people who work in animal husbandry or have prolonged contact with livestock animals. This study reports on the first LA-MRSA outbreak in dairy cattle and the first probable case of MRSA transmission between humans and cows in Poland. A single dairy farm located in Eastern Poland was monitored on a regular basis for the occurrence of mastitis. Over a 1-yr study period, 717 quarter-milk samples from 583 cows were collected and examined microbiologically. A total of 5 MRSA isolates from as many cows with subclinical mastitis were cultured. They all belonged to the same outbreak, given a 2-mo time window in which they were identified. During the outbreak, 24 oral and nasal swabs were voluntarily taken from 6 people: a milker, a veterinarian, and 4 members of the veterinarian's family. Eight swabs from a milker, veterinarian, and 2 family members yielded positive MRSA cultures. All MRSA isolates were genotyped with a combination of multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis, multilocus sequence typing, and staphylococcal protein A gene (spa) typing. Eleven bovine (n = 5; 5 cases) and human (n = 6; 4 cases) isolates showed an identical drug-susceptibility profile and were indistinguishable upon multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (pattern A), multilocus sequence typing (ST398) and spa (t034) typing. The results of this study provide the evidence of transmission of MRSA between humans and cows, and between humans in the family setting. This work, despite being a preliminary investigation, underscores the risk of intra-and interspecies transmission of LA-MRSA and urges enhancement of the existing biosecurity measures aimed at preventing MRSA (and other milk pathogens) spread at both the farm-and household levels.

The study investigates the occurrence of very rare and poorly studied microalgae of the genus Prototheca , potentially pathogenic to humans and animals, in different water environments. Given the potential hazard to human and animal health from exposure to water-inhabiting protothecae, the prevalence of the algae in aquatic habitats deserves an insightful examination.

The genus Prototheca houses unicellular, achlorophyllous, yeast-like algae, widely distributed in the environment. Protothecae are the only known plants that have repeatedly been reported to infect vertebrates, including humans. Although rare, protothecosis can be clinically demanding, with an unpredictable and treatment-resistant behavior. Accurate identification of Prototheca species relies upon DNA sequence-based typing of the mitochondrially encoded CYTB gene. However, no bioinformatic tool for the processing and analyzing of protothecal sequence data exists. Moreover, currently available sequence databases suffer from a limited number of records and lack of or flawed sequence annotations, making Prototheca identification challenging and often inconclusive. This report introduces the Prototheca-ID, a user-friendly, web-based application providing fast and reliable speciation of Prototheca isolates. In addition, the application offers the users the possibility of depositing their sequences and associated metadata in a fully open Prototheca-ID database, developed to enhance research integrity and quality in the field of Protothecae and protothecosis. Database URL: The Prototheca-ID application is available at https://prototheca-id.org

The aim of this work was to investigate serum and milk levels of tryptophan (TRP), kynurenine (KYN), and kynurenic acid (KYNA), as well as the activity of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in cows with mastitis due to Prototheca algae. The study was prompted by previous research showing a link between the KYN pathway of TRP metabolism and bovine mastitis of bacterial etiology. The study was carried out over a 2-year period (2018–2019) and included quarter milk and serum samples collected from six dairy herds in Poland. The samples were obtained from healthy cows and cows with Prototheca mastitis of either clinical and subclinical manifestation, as determined upon direct measurement of the somatic cell count or indirectly by performing a California Mastitis Test on suspected quarters. Both TRP and KYN concentrations were significantly lower in milk of mastitic cows compared to healthy animals (0.8 vs. 8.72 µM, p = 0.001; 0.07 vs. 0.32 µM, p = 0.001, respectively). The difference in TRP and KYN concentrations in the sera of the two animal groups was much less pronounced (25.55 vs. 27.57 µM, 3.03 vs. 3.56 nM, respectively). The concentration of KYNA was almost at the same level in milk (1.73 vs. 1.70 nM) and in serum (80.47 vs. 75.48 nM) of both mastitic and healthy cows. The data showed that the level of TRP and its metabolites in serum was conspicuously higher compared to milk in all cows under the study. The activity of IDO was significantly higher in milk of cows with Prototheca mastitis compared to healthy animals (71.4 vs. 40.86, p < 0.05), while in serum it was pretty much the same (135.94 vs. 124.98, p > 0.05). The IDO activity differed significantly between serum and milk both for mastitic (135.94 vs. 71.4, p < 0.05) and healthy cows (124.98 vs. 40.86, p < 0.001). In conclusion, low values of TRP and KYN concentrations or elevated IDO activity in milk samples might be used as markers of mastitis due to infectious causes, including Prototheca spp.

Excavation in Metsamor in 2016 was focused on the settlement area as well as necropolis. Extended trenches uncovered a substantial part of the settlement and contributed new stratigraphic and chronological data on the three phases of occupation, especially the heavy fire that appears to have destroyed the buildings in the early 8th century BC. A unique find from this level of destruction was a necklace made of sardonyx, agate and gold beads. In the post-Urartian period, the northeastern part of the settlement was clearly rearranged. Exploration of a kurgan tomb in the cemetery showed that the tomb had been reused for the most recent burial, looted, which may have included a symbolic horse burial. The construction of the tomb, based on finds from a layer at the bottom of the burial chamber, which included several golden adornments and beads of different materials, can be dated to the Middle Bronze Age, the latest burials to the Iron I period. Team Fig. 1. Metsamor: general view of the excavated area of the settlement (PCMA Metsamor Project/photo M. Truszkowki)