TY - RPRT T1 - Epidemiologische surveillance van brucellose - 2022 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Tinne Lernout A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Epidemiologische surveillance van Q-koorts Coxiella burnetii - 2021 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Amber Litzroth A1 - Giulietta Stefani A1 - Van Esbroeck, Marjan A1 - Marcella Mori KW - Q-koorts AB -

- In 2021 werden door het Nationaal referentiecentrum 15 gevallen van Q-koorts gerapporteerd, waarvan 6 bevestigd, 2 waarschijnlijk en 7 mogelijk.
- Het aantal gerapporteerde gevallen is gelijk aan dat van 2020, en ligt iets lager dan de jaren ervoor.

PB - Sciensano CY - Brussels ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Epidemiologische surveillance van tularemie Francisella tularensis - 2021 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Amber Litzroth A1 - Marcella Mori KW - Francisella tularensis KW - Tularemia AB -

- In 2021 werden via de verplichte melding 9 bevestigde gevallen van tularemie gerapporteerd. Dit is het hoogste aantal van de afgelopen decennia.
- Sinds 2012 werd er jaarlijks (met uitzondering van 2018) minstens 1 geval van tularemie gerapporteerd in België. Dit tegenover een totaal van 3 gerapporteerde gevallen tussen 1950 en 2011.

PB - Sciensano CY - Brussels, Belgium ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Epidemiologische surveillance van tularemie Francisella tularensis - 2022 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Amber Litzroth A1 - Marcella Mori CY - Brussels, Belgium ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Onderzoek naar ziektekiemen in teken - Tekeninzameling april-oktober 2021 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Geebelen, Laurence A1 - Camille Philippe A1 - Marie Hermy A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Tinne Lernout ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Rickettsia spp. and Babesia spp. in cattle serum and questing ticks from Belgium JF - Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases Y1 - 2023 A1 - Nadjah Radia Adjadj A1 - Mickael Cargnel A1 - Ribbens, Stefaan A1 - Quinet, Christian A1 - Laurence Malandrin A1 - Mignon, Bernard A1 - Marcella Mori VL - 14 CP - 4 M3 - 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102146 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Recherche de pathogènes présents chez les tiques - Collecte de tiques avril-octobre 2021 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Geebelen, Laurence A1 - Camille Philippe A1 - Marie Hermy A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Tinne Lernout ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Surveillance épidémiologique de la brucellose - 2022 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Tinne Lernout A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Surveillance épidémiologique de la fièvre Q Coxiella burnetii - 2021 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Amber Litzroth A1 - Giulietta Stefani A1 - Van Esbroeck, Marjan A1 - Marcella Mori KW - Coxiella burnetii PB - Sciensano CY - Brussels, Belgium ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Surveillance épidémiologique de la tularémie Francisella tularensis - 2022 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Amber Litzroth A1 - Marcella Mori CY - Brussels, Belgium ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Surveillance épidémiologique de la tularémie Francisella tularensis - 2021 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Amber Litzroth A1 - Marcella Mori KW - Francisella tularensis KW - Tularemia AB -

- En 2021, 9 cas confirmés de tularémie ont été recensés dans le cadre du système de déclaration obligatoire. C’est le nombre le plus élevé des dernières décennies.
- Depuis 2012, au moins 1 cas de tularémie est rapporté annuellement en Belgique (à l’exception de 2018 où il n’y a pas eu de cas détectés). Ceci, par rapport à un total de 3 cas rapportés entre 1950 et 2011.

PB - Sciensano CY - Brussels, Belgium ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Uncovering the Quality Deficiencies with Potentially Harmful Effects in Substandard and Falsified PDE-5 Inhibitors Seized by Belgian Controlling Agencies JF - Forensic Sciences Y1 - 2023 A1 - Celine Vanhee A1 - Bram Jacobs A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Angélique Kamugisha A1 - Loïc Debehault A1 - Michael Canfyn A1 - Bart Ceyssens A1 - Hans Van Der Meersch A1 - Koenraad Van Hoorde A1 - Eric Deconinck A1 - Marie Willocx KW - Mass Spectrometry KW - microbiology KW - PDE-5 inhibitors KW - substandard drugs AB -

: Illicit PDE-5 inhibitors are frequently encountered by regulatory agencies. Self-medicating with substandard and falsified (SF) PDE-5 inhibitors could be dangerous as they are likely taken without any medical supervision and might be of poor quality which could result in adverse reactions. In order to provide an overview of the quality deficiencies present in recently seized illicit PDE-5 samples that may pose health risks, we set out to identify the products’ different chemical and/or biological risks. Our results indicate that 38% of the samples harbored a chemical risk including the significant exceedance of the maximum recommended dosage, a large heterogeneity in API content between the different tablets in the same package or blister and the presence of only 40% of the claimed dosage. Moreover, our results also demonstrate that 16 of the 32 samples were not compliant with the internationally set microbiological quality standards. Startlingly, two samples were severely contaminated with potentially pathogenic bacteria, which could result in a gastrointestinal illness upon oral intake.

VL - 3 CP - 3 M3 - 10.3390/forensicsci3030031 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Uncovering the Quality Deficiencies with Potentially Harmful Effects in Substandard and Falsified PDE-5 Inhibitors Seized by Belgian Controlling Agencies JF - Forensic Sciences Y1 - 2023 A1 - Celine Vanhee A1 - Bram Jacobs A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Angélique Kamugisha A1 - Loïc Debehault A1 - Michael Canfyn A1 - Bart Ceyssens A1 - Hans Van Der Meersch A1 - Koenraad Van Hoorde A1 - Eric Deconinck A1 - Marie Willocx VL - 3 CP - 3 M3 - 10.3390/forensicsci3030031 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Uncovering the Quality Deficiencies with Potentially Harmful Effects in Substandard and Falsified PDE-5 Inhibitors Seized by Belgian Controlling Agencies JF - Forensic Sciences Y1 - 2023 A1 - Celine Vanhee A1 - Bram Jacobs A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Angelique Kamugisha A1 - Loïc Debehault A1 - Michael Canfyn A1 - Bart Ceyssens A1 - Hans Van Der Meersch A1 - Koenraad Van Hoorde A1 - Eric Deconinck A1 - Marie Willocx VL - 3 CP - 3 M3 - 10.3390/forensicsci3030031 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Epidemiologische surveillance van antrax – 2019-2021 Y1 - 2022 A1 - Giulietta Stefani A1 - Javiera Rebolledo A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Epidemiologische surveillance van brucellose - 2019-2021 Y1 - 2022 A1 - Tinne Lernout A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Epidemiologische surveillance van pest – 2019-2021 Y1 - 2022 A1 - Giulietta Stefani A1 - Javiera Rebolledo A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - Generic T1 - Going Chronic: About a complicated case of pediatric brucellosis being the first ‘endemic’ incident of human Brucellosis in Belgium (2021-2022) Y1 - 2022 A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Selimaj Valbona A1 - Alexandra Vodolazkaia A1 - Marina Mukovnikova A1 - Fabrizio De Massis A1 - Giulano Garofolo A1 - Marie-Cécile Nassogne A1 - Dimitri Van der Linden ER - TY - Generic T1 - Introduction of WGS in food microbiology: advantages and challenges Y1 - 2022 A1 - Bavo Verhaegen A1 - N Botteldoorn A1 - Vera Cantaert A1 - de Zutter, Lieven A1 - Véronique Delcenserie A1 - Annemie Geeraerd A1 - Mahillon, Jacques A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Pochet, Brigitte A1 - Nancy Roosens A1 - Koenraad Van Hoorde A1 - Kim Feys A1 - Herman, Lieve KW - antimicrobial resistance (AMR) KW - Food Safety KW - foodborne outbreak investigation KW - Monitoring KW - SciCom KW - Whole genome sequencing (WGS) AB -

In October 2021 the Scientific Committee of the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) published the opinion 18-2021 regarding whole genome sequencing (WGS) for the detection of foodborne outbreaks and bacterial risk assessment. This opinion was prepared using a self-tasking mandate and published after public consultation.

The added value of WGS for the detection of foodborne outbreaks and bacterial risk assessment has been demonstrated on many occasions in the last couple of years. Therefore, the implementation of WGS in the Belgian context needs some serious reflection. In the future, WGS will largely replace the various older typing methods in the field of bacterial food safety investigation, due to its high discriminatory power and the general use at the international level. Therefore, the Scientific Committee advises the FASFC to gradually make the transition to WGS for the analysis of food isolates.

While the advantages of the WGS method are considerable, some challenges still need to be taken into account for routine and uniform implementation. As with the implementation of any method the validations of the WGS methodology requires a significant effort. Furthermore, the interpretation of the results should be done with care. Therefore, in outbreak investigations it is recommended that WGS-based results be interpreted by a multidisciplinary team (microbiologists, molecular biologists, bioinformaticians, epidemiologists) with sufficient expertise. Only by putting the WGS-based results, the epidemiological evidence and the strains metadata together can a hypothesis be formulated. Further care should be given to the communication of these interpretations or hypotheses to the different actors (competent authority, food business operator, consumer). Finally, effort should be made to facilitate data sharing in an appropriate way.

JF - 26th Conference on Food Microbiology PB - Belgian Society for Food Microbiology CY - Brussels, Belgium ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Surveillance épidémiologique de la brucellose - 2019-2021 Y1 - 2022 A1 - Tinne Lernout A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Surveillance épidémiologique de la fièvre Q - 2020 Y1 - 2022 A1 - Amber Litzroth A1 - Marjan Van Esbroeck A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Surveillance épidémiologique de la maladie du charbon – 2019-2021 Y1 - 2022 A1 - Giulietta Stefani A1 - Javiera Rebolledo A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Surveillance épidémiologique de la Peste – 2019-2021 Y1 - 2022 A1 - Giulietta Stefani A1 - Javiera Rebolledo A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Belgian bulk tank milk surveillance program reveals the impact of a continuous vaccination protocol for small ruminants against Coxiella burnetii. JF - Transbound Emerg Dis Y1 - 2021 A1 - Wiebke Jansen A1 - Mickael Cargnel A1 - Samira Boarbi A1 - Ingeborg Mertens A1 - Van Esbroeck, Marjan A1 - David Fretin A1 - Marcella Mori AB -

Endemic Q fever in small ruminants remains an ongoing challenge for veterinary and human public health agencies. Though surveillance programs are implemented in Belgium, infection patterns and vaccination profiles, driving variables, as well as geographical clustering were not presented until now. Based on data from a decade of bulk tank milk analysis between 2009 and 2019, shedding in dairy goat herds declined from 16% (8/50) to 6% (10/162), whereas seroprevalence remained between 32% and 40%. Merely up to two shedding dairy sheep flocks were detected until 2019; seroprevalence peaked in 2017 (43%, 12/28) and declined thereafter. The number of animals in the holding influenced significantly (p = .048) the likelihood of shedding, whereas other established risk factors such as uncovered manure, high abortion rates and diversified farm structure could not be confirmed to significantly affect infection on Belgian herd level. Intermittent, incomplete and unsynchronized vaccinated herds shed Coxiella burnetii significantly more often and longer (p < .001) than continuously, complete and synchronized vaccinated herds. Spatial analyses revealed restricted but matching, homogenous clusters with ≤35 km diameter, concentrated in the coastal region close to the border to the Netherlands from 2009 to 2012, and broadened, heterogeneous clusters with ≥45 km diameter between 2014 and 2016 spreading south-west. Though the majority of human cases was notified in this region, the animal clusters could not be allied with Q fever cases. The impact of environmental factors as well as the role of wildlife, rodents and ticks on the transmission between flocks and to humans remains to be elucidated to harness additional epidemiological drivers of Q fever in Belgium. In conclusion, attempts to reduce the burden of Q fever in Belgium should particularly focus on the timely, complete and synchronized vaccination of flocks, including the breeding sire, and particularity in high-risk areas.

M3 - 10.1111/tbed.14273 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Coxiella burnetii Shedding in Milk and Molecular Typing of Strains Infecting Dairy Cows in Greece JF - Pathogens Y1 - 2021 A1 - Emmanouil Kalaitzakis A1 - Fancello, Tiziano A1 - Xavier Simons A1 - Ilias Chaligiannis A1 - Sara Tomaiuolo A1 - Marianna Andreopoulou A1 - Debora Petrone A1 - Aikaterini Papapostolou A1 - Nektarios D. Giadinis A1 - Nikolaos Panousis A1 - Marcella Mori VL - 10 CP - 3 M3 - 10.3390/pathogens10030287 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Epidemiologische surveillance van Q-koorts - 2020 Y1 - 2021 A1 - Amber Litzroth A1 - Marjan Van Esbroeck A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Infective endocarditis caused by on a prosthetic pulmonary valve with false positive serology for - The first described case. JF - IDCases Y1 - 2021 A1 - Antoine Altdorfer A1 - Benoit F Pirotte A1 - Laura Gaspard A1 - Emilien Gregoire A1 - Eric Firre A1 - Filip Moerman A1 - Martial Moonen A1 - Ahmed Sanoussi A1 - Van Esbroeck, Marjan A1 - Marcella Mori AB -

We present a case of infective endocarditis (IE) on a prosthetic pulmonary valve in a 36-year-old patient with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). The patient underwent valve replacement surgery and active antibiotic treatment against Gram-negative cocci (Piperacillin Tazobactam then Ceftriaxone) for a total duration of 42 days with a favourable outcome. The causative agent was which was identified on the infected valve by sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA. To our knowledge, this is the first described case of a infective endocarditis on a pulmonary valve. Initially, serologies performed in clinical settings by immunofluorescence for antibodies showed a major increase in phase I IgG titers at 1024 (normal values <16) corresponding with the diagnostic criteria for Q fever endocarditis. However, this diagnosis could not be confirmed by the National Reference Center, making it the first reported case of a false positive serology for during an infection due to spp.

VL - 24 M3 - 10.1016/j.idcr.2021.e01146 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Isolation of Culturable Bacteria in Ticks of a Belgian Peri-Urban Forest Uncovers Opportunistic Bacteria Potentially Important for Public Health. JF - Int J Environ Res Public Health Y1 - 2021 A1 - Raphaël Rousseau A1 - Vanwambeke, Sophie O A1 - Cécile Boland A1 - Marcella Mori KW - Animals KW - bacteria KW - Belgium KW - Forests KW - Humans KW - Ixodes KW - public health AB -

Most bacteria found in ticks are not pathogenic to humans but coexist as endosymbionts and may have effects on tick fitness and pathogen transmission. In this study, we cultured and isolated 78 bacteria from 954 ticks collected in 7 sites of a Belgian peri-urban forest. Most isolated species were non-pathogenic environmental microorganisms, and were from the Firmicutes (69.23%), Actinobacteria (17.95%) and Proteobacteria (3.84%) phyla. One bacterium isolate was particularly noteworthy, , a rare opportunistic bacterium, naturally resistant to various antibiotics. It has never been isolated from ticks before and this isolated strain was resistant to ampicillin, cefoxitin and colistin. Although cultivable bacteria do not represent the complete tick microbiota, the sites presented variable bacterial compositions and diversities. This study is a first attempt to describe the culturable microbiota of ticks collected in Belgium. Further collections and analyses of ticks of different species, from various areas and using other bacterial identification methods would strengthen these results. However, they highlight the importance of ticks as potential sentinel for opportunistic bacteria of public health importance.

VL - 18 CP - 22 M3 - 10.3390/ijerph182212134 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Phylogeography of Human and Animal Strains: Genetic Fingerprinting of Q Fever in Belgium. JF - Front Cell Infect Microbiol Y1 - 2021 A1 - Sara Tomaiuolo A1 - Samira Boarbi A1 - Fancello, Tiziano A1 - Michel, Patrick A1 - Damien Desqueper A1 - Gregoire, Fabien A1 - Jozefien Callens A1 - David Fretin A1 - Devriendt, Bert A1 - Cox, Eric A1 - Marcella Mori KW - Animals KW - Belgium KW - Cattle KW - Cattle Diseases KW - Coxiella burnetii KW - DNA Fingerprinting KW - Europe KW - Goat Diseases KW - Goats KW - Humans KW - Phylogeography KW - Q Fever KW - Sheep KW - Sheep Diseases AB -

Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacteria Domestic ruminants are the primary source for human infection, and the identification of likely contamination routes from the reservoir animals the critical point to implement control programs. This study shows that Q fever is detected in Belgium in abortion of cattle, goat and sheep at a different degree of apparent prevalence (1.93%, 9.19%, and 5.50%, respectively). In addition, and for the first time, it is detected in abortion of alpaca (), raising questions on the role of these animals as reservoirs. To determine the relationship between animal and human strains, Multiple Locus Variable-number Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA) (n=146), Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) (n=92) and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) (n=4) methods were used to characterize samples/strains during 2009-2019. Three MLVA clusters (A, B, C) subdivided in 23 subclusters (A1-A12, B1-B8, C1-C3) and 3 SNP types (SNP1, SNP2, SNP6) were identified. The SNP2 type/MLVA cluster A was the most abundant and dispersed genotype over the entire territory, but it seemed not responsible for human cases, as it was only present in animal samples. The SNP1/MLVA B and SNP6/MLVA C clusters were mostly found in small ruminant and human samples, with the rare possibility of spillovers in cattle. SNP1/MLVA B cluster was present in all Belgian areas, while the SNP6/MLVA C cluster appeared more concentrated in the Western provinces. A broad analysis of European MLVA profiles confirmed the host-species distribution described for Belgian samples. genotyping (WGS) further identified the spacer types and the genomic groups of Belgian strains: cattle and goat SNP2/MLVA A isolates belonged to ST61 and genomic group III, while the goat SNP1/MLVA B strain was classified as ST33 and genomic group II. In conclusion, Q fever is widespread in all Belgian domestic ruminants and in alpaca. We determined that the public health risk in Belgium is likely linked to specific genomic groups (SNP1/MLVA B and SNP6/MLVA C) mostly found in small ruminant strains. Considering the concordance between Belgian and European results, these considerations could be extended to other European countries.

VL - 10 M3 - 10.3389/fcimb.2020.625576 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Staggered enforcement of infection control and prevention measures following four consecutive potential laboratory exposures to imported . JF - Infect Prev Pract Y1 - 2021 A1 - V Y Miendje Deyi A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - N Dauby A1 - P Clevenbergh A1 - B Mahadeb A1 - A Loizidou A1 - E Maillart A1 - D Martiny A1 - A L Debyttere A1 - Gerard, M A1 - Hallin, M AB -

From 2015 until 2020, was isolated four times in our microbiology laboratory. All patients had travelled in endemic-areas. Immediately after the first occurrence, all laboratory staff were risk-stratified and preventive and protective measures were applied according to CDC guidelines. Nineteen workers were exposed and needed chemoprophylaxis and follow-up. At each subsequent occurrence, risk analysis was performed, and additional measures were implemented accordingly, leading to a progressive reduction of exposed staff members to none the fourth time. We describe here the additional measures that permitted this important exposure reduction.

VL - 3 CP - 2 M3 - 10.1016/j.infpip.2021.100128 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Accuracy in identification of by the Vitek2 system: a report of two cases of misidentification. JF - Infect Dis (Lond) Y1 - 2020 A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Kim Laffineur A1 - Gudrun, Alliet KW - Brucella melitensis KW - Brucellosis KW - Humans KW - polymerase chain reaction VL - 52 CP - 6 M3 - 10.1080/23744235.2020.1729999 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Laboratory Diagnosis of Bovine Abortions Caused by Non-Maintenance Pathogenic Leptospira spp.: Necropsy, Serology and Molecular Study Out of a Belgian Experience. JF - Pathogens Y1 - 2020 A1 - Gregoire, Fabien A1 - Bakinahe, Raïssa A1 - Petitjean, Thierry A1 - Samira Boarbi A1 - Delooz, Laurent A1 - David Fretin A1 - Saulmont, Marc A1 - Marcella Mori AB -

Bovine leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic spp. The pathology and epidemiology of this infection are influenced by the numerous existing serovars and their adaptation to specific hosts. Infections by host-maintained serovars such as Hardjo are well documented, unlike those from the incidental ones. In July 2014, an emerging phenomenon of an increased incidence of icteric abortions associated with leptospiral infection occurred in southern Belgium. First-line serological analyses targeting cattle-adapted serovars failed at initial diagnosis. This study provides a comprehensive description of laboratory findings-at the level of necropsy, serology and molecular diagnosis-regarding icteric and non-icteric abortions (n = 116) recorded during this time (years 2014-2015) and associated with incidental infection by serovars such as Grippotyphosa, Australis and Icterohaemorrhagiae. Based on these tests, a diagnostic pathway is proposed for these types of infection in cattle to establish an affordable but accurate diagnosis in the future. These investigations add insights into the understanding of the pathogenesis of bovine leptospirosis associated with serovars classically described as non-maintenance.

VL - 9 CP - 6 M3 - https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/9/6/413 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Epidemiologische surveillance van brucellose - 2018 Y1 - 2019 A1 - Tinne Lernout A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Epidemiologische surveillance van brucellose - 2017 Y1 - 2018 A1 - Tinne Lernout A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Farming, Q fever and public health: agricultural practices and beyond. JF - Arch Public Health Y1 - 2018 A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Hendrik-Jan Roest KW - agricultural practices KW - One Health KW - Q Fever KW - Surveillance AB -

Since the Neolithic period, humans have domesticated herbivores to have food readily at hand. The cohabitation with animals brought various advantages that drastically changed the human lifestyle but simultaneously led to the emergence of new epidemics. The majority of human pathogens known so far are zoonotic diseases and the development of both agricultural practices and human activities have provided new dynamics for transmission. This article provides a general overview of some factors that influence the epidemic potential of a zoonotic disease, Q fever. As an example of a disease where the interaction between the environment, animal (domestic or wildlife) and human populations determines the likelihood of the epidemic potential, the management of infection due to the Q fever agent,, provides an interesting model for the application of the holistic One Health approach.

VL - 76 M3 - 10.1186/s13690-017-0248-y ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Surveillance épidémiologique de la brucellose - 2017 Y1 - 2018 A1 - Tinne Lernout A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Critical Aspects for Detection of Coxiella burnetii. JF - Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis Y1 - 2017 A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Mertens, Katja A1 - Cutler, Sally J A1 - Santos, Ana Sofia KW - Animals KW - Bacteriological Techniques KW - Coxiella burnetii KW - Genome, Bacterial KW - Humans KW - Q Fever KW - Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction AB -

Coxiella burnetii is a globally distributed zoonotic γ-proteobacterium with an obligatory intracellular lifestyle. It is the causative agent of Q fever in humans and of coxiellosis among ruminants, although the agent is also detected in ticks, birds, and various other mammalian species. Requirements for intracellular multiplication together with the necessity for biosafety level 3 facilities restrict the cultivation of C. burnetii to specialized laboratories. Development of a novel medium formulation enabling axenic growth of C. burnetii has facilitated fundamental genetic studies. This review provides critical insights into direct diagnostic methods currently available for C. burnetii. It encompasses molecular detection methods, isolation, and propagation of the bacteria and its genetic characterization. Differentiation of C. burnetii from Coxiella-like organisms is an essential diagnostic prerequisite, particularly when handling and analyzing ticks.

VL - 17 CP - 1 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28055578?dopt=Abstract M3 - 10.1089/vbz.2016.1958 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - European OneHealth/EcoHealth workshop report - Brussels, 6-7 October 2016. Y1 - 2017 A1 - Keune, Hans A1 - Flandroy, Lucette A1 - Thys, Séverine A1 - Nick De Regge A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Thierry van den Berg A1 - Antoine-Moussiaux, Nicolas A1 - Vanhove, Maarten P M A1 - Javiera Rebolledo A1 - Steven Van Gucht A1 - Deblauwe, Isra A1 - Biot, Pierre A1 - Hiemstra, Wim A1 - Häsler, Barbara A1 - Binot, Aurélie KW - 2016 KW - European One Health / Eco Health Workshop PB - Biodiversity & Health Community of Practice and the Belgian Biodiversity Platform. CY - Brussels, Belgium ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Imported human brucellosis in Belgium: Bio and molecular typing of bacterial isolates, 1996-2015. JF - PLoS One Y1 - 2017 A1 - Hanot Mambres, Delphine A1 - Samira Boarbi A1 - Michel, Patrick A1 - Bouker, Nora A1 - Escobar-Calle, Luisa A1 - Damien Desqueper A1 - Fancello, Tiziano A1 - Van Esbroeck, Marjan A1 - Godfroid, Jacques A1 - David Fretin A1 - Marcella Mori KW - Bacterial Typing Techniques KW - Belgium KW - Brucella KW - Brucellosis KW - DNA, Bacterial KW - History, 20th Century KW - History, 21st Century KW - Humans KW - Minisatellite Repeats KW - Risk Factors AB -

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to characterize by classical biotyping and Multi-Locus variable number tandem repeats (VNTR) Analysis (MLVA) all Brucella spp. derived from human cases in Belgium from 1996 to 2015. Final goals were to determine the species and biovar, to trace-back on genetic grounds the origin of each strain when patient history and risk factors were missing, and to survey for particular trends at the national level.

METHODS: A total of 37 Brucella strains, isolated from 37 patients in Belgium, were analyzed by both classical biotyping and MLVA, and the genetic patterns compared to those of human strains isolated worldwide.

RESULTS: Classical biotyping revealed that isolates were mainly Brucella melitensis. Most of them belonged to biovar 3, the most abundant biovar in the Mediterranean region. MLVA confirmed that Brucella melitensis is too diverse in VNTRs to be able to make clusters associated to each biovar, but it allowed retrieving precious epidemiological information. The analysis highlighted the imported nature of the strains from all over the world with a dominant part from the Mediterranean countries. Findings of the MLVA11 testing were in line with the travel history of patients coming from Italy, Turkey, Lebanon and Peru. The analysis was particularly useful because it suggested the geographical origin of the infection for 12/16 patients for whom no case history was available.

CONCLUSION: Classical biotyping and MLVA analysis are not exclusive but remain complementary tools for Brucella melitensis strain surveillance. MLVA11 is sufficient for Brucella-free countries such as Belgium to trace the geographical origin of infection, but complete MLVA16 is needed to search for links with endemic areas.

VL - 12 CP - 4 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28384245?dopt=Abstract M3 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0174756 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The need for European OneHealth/EcoHealth networks. JF - Arch Public Health Y1 - 2017 A1 - Keune, Hans A1 - Flandroy, Lucette A1 - Thys, Séverine A1 - Nick De Regge A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Antoine-Moussiaux, Nicolas A1 - Vanhove, Maarten P M A1 - Javiera Rebolledo A1 - Steven Van Gucht A1 - Deblauwe, Isra A1 - Hiemstra, Wim A1 - Häsler, Barbara A1 - Binot, Aurélie A1 - Savic, Sara A1 - Ruegg, Simon R A1 - De Vries, Sjerp A1 - Garnier, Julie A1 - Thierry van den Berg KW - Community of Practice KW - Crosssectorial KW - EcoHealth KW - Europe KW - Interdisciplinarity KW - One Health KW - Transdisciplinarity AB -

Elaborating from the European One Health/Ecohealth (OH/EH) workshop that took place in fall 2016 and aimed to bring together different communities and explore collaborative potential, the creation of European networks focusing on the development of important OH/EH perspectives was a direct output from discussions at the end of some sessions, in particular: - A network on transdisciplinary One Health education. - A network integrating inputs from social sciences in One Health/EcoHealth actions and networks. - A network aiming at translating research findings on the Environment-Microbiome-Health axis into policy making, with a view to make healthy ecosystems a cost-effective disease prevention healthcare strategy. It was also suggested that a European Community of Practice could be initiated in order to support these several concrete networking initiatives, and to help to promote the building of other emerging initiatives.

VL - 75 M3 - 10.1186/s13690-017-0232-6 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Reproductive Disorders and Leptospirosis: A Case Study in a Mixed-Species Farm (Cattle and Swine). JF - Vet Sci Y1 - 2017 A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Bakinahe, Raïssa A1 - Philippe Vannoorenberghe A1 - Jo Maris A1 - de Jong, Ellen A1 - Marylène Tignon A1 - Martine Marin A1 - Damien Desqueper A1 - David Fretin A1 - Isabelle Behaeghel KW - Leptospirosis AB -

Animal leptospirosis, exempt in rodents, manifests as peculiar biology where the animal can function, simultaneously or not, as a susceptible host or reservoir. In the first case, clinical symptoms are likely. In the second case, infection is subclinical and manifestations are mild or absent. Mild clinical symptoms encompass reproductive failure in production animals for host-adapted sp. serovars. This work presents a study on sp. infection in a mixed-species (bovine and swine) farm with documented reproductive disorders in the cattle unit. A long calving interval (above 450 days) was the hallmark observed in cows. Some cows (2/26 tested) presented a high titre of antibodies against sp. serogroup Sejroe, but the overall within-herd prevalence was low (11.5% and 7.7% for cut-off titres of 1:30 and 1:100, respectively). The in-herd prevalence of leptospirosis in the sow unit (determined for 113/140 animals) was high when using a lowered cut-off threshold (32.7% vs. 1.8% for cut-off titre of 1:30 and 1:100, respectively). In this unit, the most prevalent serogroup was Autumnalis. The final diagnostic confirmation of sp. maintenance within the farm was obtained through detection by PCR of sp. DNA in an aborted swine litter. Despite the fact that a common causative infective agent was diagnosed in both species, the direct link between the two animal units was not found. Factors such as drinking from the same water source and the use of manure prepared with the swine slurry might raise suspicion of a possible cross-contamination between the two units. In conclusion, this work suggests that leptospirosis be included in the differential diagnosis of reproductive disorders and spontaneous abortions in production animals and provides data that justify the use of a lowered threshold cut-off for herd diagnosis.

VL - 4 CP - 4 M3 - 10.3390/vetsci4040064 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Coxiella burnetii, agent de la fièvre Q JF - Can J Microbiol Y1 - 2016 A1 - Samira Boarbi A1 - David Fretin A1 - Marcella Mori KW - Coxiella burnetii KW - description KW - epidemiology KW - genomics. KW - Q Fever AB -

Q fever is a zoonosis of worldwide distribution with the exception of New Zealand. It is caused by an
intracellular bacterium, Coxiella burnetii. The disease often goes underdiagnosed because the main manifestation
of its acute form is a general self-limiting flu-like syndrome. The Dutch epidemics renewed attention to this
disease, which was less considered before. This review summarizes the description of C. burnetii (taxonomy,
intracellular cycle, and genome) and Q fever disease (description, diagnosis, epidemiology, and pathogenesis).
Finally, vaccination in humans and animals is also considered

VL - 62 CP - 2 M3 - 10.1139/cjm-2015-0551 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Zoönosen en vectoroverdraagbare ziekten. Samenvattend jaaroverzicht 2015 Y1 - 2016 A1 - Javiera Rebolledo A1 - Tinne Lernout A1 - Amber Litzroth A1 - Dominique Van Beckhoven A1 - Bernard Brochier A1 - Delaere, B A1 - David Fretin A1 - Hing,M. A1 - Jacobs,J.A. A1 - B Kabamba Mukadi A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Patteet,S. A1 - Saegeman,V. A1 - Vanessa Suin A1 - Truyens,C. A1 - Vanrompay, D A1 - Van Esbroeck, Marjan A1 - Steven Van Gucht A1 - P Wattiau KW - 2015 KW - Surveillance KW - vectoroverdraagbare ziekten KW - zoonosen PB - WIV-ISP CY - Brussel, België ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Zoonoses et maladies à transmission vectorielle. Surveillance épidémiologique en Belgique - Synthèse annuelle 2015 Y1 - 2016 A1 - Javiera Rebolledo A1 - Tinne Lernout A1 - Amber Litzroth A1 - Dominique Van Beckhoven A1 - Bernard Brochier A1 - Delaere,B. A1 - David Fretin A1 - Hing,M. A1 - B Kabamba Mukadi A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Patteet,S. A1 - Saegeman,V. A1 - Vanessa Suin A1 - Truyens,C. A1 - Vanrompay, D A1 - Van Esbroeck, Marjan A1 - Steven Van Gucht A1 - P Wattiau KW - 2015 KW - Belgique KW - maladies à transmission vectorielle KW - Surveillance KW - Zoonoses PB - WIV-ISP CY - Bruxelles, Belgique ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Outbreak of leptospirosis during a scout camp in the Luxembourg Belgian province, Belgium, summer 2012. JF - Epidemiol Infect Y1 - 2015 A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - M Van Esbroeck A1 - Depoorter, S A1 - Decaluwe, W A1 - Vandecasteele, S J A1 - David Fretin A1 - Reynders, M KW - ADOLESCENT KW - Animals KW - Anorexia KW - Arvicolinae KW - Belgium KW - Child KW - Conjunctivitis KW - Cough KW - Creatinine KW - Disease Outbreaks KW - Disease Reservoirs KW - Headache KW - Humans KW - Leptospirosis KW - Male KW - Myalgia KW - Proteinuria KW - Recreation KW - rivers KW - Vomiting AB -

An outbreak of leptospirosis occurred in the South of Belgium, during August 2012, in teenagers who participated in two consecutive adventure scout camps near the Semois river. Among the symptomatic patient population (ten scouts), clinical manifestations included headache (70%), myalgia (50%), fever (50%), bilateral conjunctival injection (50%), general malaise (30%), vomiting (20%), anorexia (20%) and cough (20%). Some of the cases presented elevated blood creatinine (40%), or proteinuria (30%). Three patients were confirmed by serology and one by polymerase chain reaction. Potential risk factors included direct contact with a muskrat and indirect contact with potentially contaminated environments including the river water. Prospective environmental investigation carried out near the river banks 2 weeks after the outbreak identified Ondatra zibethicus (muskrat) as one Leptospira sp. reservoir.

VL - 143 CP - 8 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25311398?dopt=Abstract M3 - 10.1017/S0950268814002763 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Zoönosen en Vector-Overdraagbare Ziekten. Epidemiologische surveillance in België, 2013 en 2014 Y1 - 2015 A1 - Javiera Rebolledo A1 - Tinne Lernout A1 - Amber Litzroth A1 - Dominique Van Beckhoven A1 - Bernard Brochier A1 - Delaere,B. A1 - David Fretin A1 - Heuninckx,W. A1 - Hing,M. A1 - Jacobs, J. A1 - B Kabamba Mukadi A1 - Maes,P. A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Patteet,S. A1 - Sophie Quoilin A1 - Saegeman,V. A1 - Vanessa Suin A1 - Truyens,C. A1 - Vanrompay, D A1 - M. Van Esbroeck A1 - Steven Van Gucht A1 - P Wattiau KW - 2013 KW - 2014 KW - jaarrapport KW - overdraagbare ziekten KW - Vector KW - zoonosen PB - WIV-ISP CY - Brussel, België ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Zoonoses et maladies à transmission vectorielle. Surveillance épidémiologique en Belgique, 2013 et 2014 Y1 - 2015 A1 - Javiera Rebolledo A1 - Tinne Lernout A1 - Amber Litzroth A1 - Dominique Van Beckhoven A1 - Bernard Brochier A1 - Delaere,B. A1 - David Fretin A1 - Heuninckx,W. A1 - Hing,M. A1 - Jacobs,J.A. A1 - B Kabamba Mukadi A1 - Maes,P. A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Patteet,S. A1 - Sophie Quoilin A1 - Saegeman,V. A1 - Vanessa Suin A1 - Truyens,C. A1 - Vanrompay, D A1 - Van Esbroeck, Marjan A1 - Steven Van Gucht A1 - P Wattiau KW - 2013 KW - 2014 KW - maladies à transmission vectorielle KW - Surveillance KW - Zoonoses PB - WIV-ISP CY - Bruxelles, Belgique ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Prevalence and molecular typing of Coxiella burnetii in bulk tank milk in Belgian dairy goats, 2009-2013. JF - Vet Microbiol Y1 - 2014 A1 - Samira Boarbi A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Rousset, Elodie A1 - Sidi-Boumedine, Karim A1 - Van Esbroeck, Marjan A1 - David Fretin KW - Animals KW - Belgium KW - Coxiella burnetii KW - Genetic Variation KW - Genotype KW - Goat Diseases KW - Goats KW - Humans KW - milk KW - Molecular Typing KW - prevalence KW - Q Fever KW - Vaccination AB -

Q fever, a worldwide zoonosis, is an arousing public health concern in many countries since the recent Dutch outbreak. An emerging C. burnetii clone, genotype CbNL01, was identified as responsible for the Dutch human Q fever cluster cases. Since 2009, Q fever surveillance in the goat industry was implemented by the Belgian authorities. The herd prevalence (December 2009-March 2013) ranged between 6.3 and 12.1%. Genotypic analysis highlighted the molecular diversity of the Belgian strains from goats and identified an emerging CbNL01-like genotype. This follow-up allowed the description of shedding profiles in positive farms which was either continuous (type I) and associated to the CbNL01-like genotype; or intermittent (type II) and linked to other genotypes. Despite the circulation of a CbNL01-like strain, the number of notified Belgian human cases was very low. The mandatory vaccination (in June 2011) on positive dairy goat farms in Belgium, contributed to a decrease in shedding.

VL - 170 CP - 1-2 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24598136?dopt=Abstract M3 - 10.1016/j.vetmic.2014.01.025 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - In vitro and in vivo infectious potential of coxiella burnetii: a study on Belgian livestock isolates. JF - PLoS One Y1 - 2013 A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Samira Boarbi A1 - Michel, Patrick A1 - Bakinahe, Raïssa A1 - Rits, Katleen A1 - P Wattiau A1 - David Fretin KW - Animals KW - Cattle KW - Cell Line KW - Cell Line, Tumor KW - Coxiella burnetii KW - Female KW - Genotype KW - Goats KW - HeLa Cells KW - Humans KW - Livestock KW - mice KW - Mice, Inbred BALB C KW - Netherlands KW - Q Fever AB -

Q-fever is a zoonosis caused by the gram-negative obligate intracellular pathogen Coxiella burnetii. Since its discovery, and particularly following the recent outbreaks in the Netherlands, C. burnetii appeared as a clear public health concern. In the present study, the infectious potential displayed by goat and cattle isolates of C. burnetii was compared to a reference strain (Nine Mile) using both in vitro (human HeLa and bovine macrophage cells) and in vivo (BALB/c mice) models. The isolates had distant genomic profiles with one--the goat isolate--being identical to the predominant strain circulating in the Netherlands during the 2007-2010 outbreaks. Infective doses were established with ethidium monoazide-PCR for the first time here applied to C. burnetii. This method allowed for the preparation of reproducible and characterized inocula thanks to its capacity to discriminate between live and dead cells. Globally, the proliferative capacity of the Nine Mile strain in cell lines and mice was higher compared to the newly isolated field strains. In vitro, the bovine C. burnetii isolate multiplied faster in a bovine macrophage cell line, an observation tentatively explained by the preferential specificity of this strain for allogeneic host cells. In the BALB/c mouse model, however, the goat and bovine isolates multiplied at about the same rate indicating no peculiar hypervirulent behavior in this animal model.

VL - 8 CP - 6 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23840751?dopt=Abstract M3 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0067622 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Unexpected Brucella suis biovar 2 Infection in a dairy cow, Belgium. JF - Emerg Infect Dis Y1 - 2013 A1 - David Fretin A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - Czaplicki, Guy A1 - Quinet, Christian A1 - Maquet, Benoît A1 - Godfroid, Jacques A1 - Saegerman, Claude KW - Animals KW - Belgium KW - Brucella suis KW - Brucellosis KW - Cattle KW - Cattle Diseases KW - Disease Outbreaks KW - Serotyping VL - 19 CP - 12 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24274041?dopt=Abstract M3 - 10.3201/eid1912.130506 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Epidemiologische surveillance van Q-koorts Coxiella burnetii - 2022 Y1 - 0 A1 - Giulietta Stefani A1 - Amber Litzroth A1 - Marjan Van Esbroeck A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Surveillance épidémiologique de la brucellose - 2018 Y1 - 0 A1 - Tinne Lernout A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Surveillance épidémiologique de la fièvre Q Coxiella burnetii - 2022 Y1 - 0 A1 - Giulietta Stefani A1 - Amber Litzroth A1 - Van Esbroeck, Marjan A1 - Marcella Mori ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Whole genome sequencing en voedselveiligheid in België Y1 - 0 A1 - K. Feys A1 - N Botteldoorn A1 - V. Cantaert A1 - L. De Zutter A1 - V. Delcenserie A1 - A.G. Ameryckx A1 - J. Mahillon A1 - Marcella Mori A1 - B. Pochet A1 - Nancy Roosens A1 - Koenraad Van Hoorde A1 - Bavo Verhaegen A1 - L. Herman ER -