Trine Hammer Jensen

Distinct determinants of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA and DNA loads in vaginal and cervical secretions.

The relationship between human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viral RNA and proviral DNA load in vagina and cervix and that found in the plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was investigated in 28 HIV-1-infected women. Of the patients, 64% had > or = 1 HIV-1 RNA-positive genital sample, while 71% had > or = 1 DNA-positive sample. The higher the cervical HIV load, the more widespread was the virus in the genital tract. A strong correlation was found between viral RNA load in plasma and the genital tract, whereas the association between proviral DNA load in PBMC and the genital tract was less evident. Cervical HIV-1 DNA correlated with a viral RNA load > or = 50,000 copies/mL. Cervical HIV-1 RNA levels ranged from 10% to 100% of the plasma levels. Thus, a continuous transmission risk from untraumatized genital epithelium exists in the majority of HIV-1-infected women at all stages of infection.

Cervical Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Shedding Is Associated with Genital β-Chemokine Secretion

Forty human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected women participated in a cross-sectional study of possible correlations between chemokine receptor (CCR5 and/or CCR2B) genotype, HIV-1 RNA and DNA load, and beta-chemokine levels (RANTES, MIP-1alpha, MIP-1beta) in blood and cervix. HIV-1 nucleic acid and beta-chemokines were found in all patient blood samples and in more than half of the cervical samples regardless of CCR5 or CCR2B genotype. High beta-chemokine concentrations were in general associated with high virus loads in blood and cervix. In the blood, the proviral DNA load was significantly correlated with the MIP-1alpha concentration, whereas the DNA load in cervix was significantly associated with the MIP-1beta concentration. The cervical viral RNA load was significantly associated with levels of all three chemokines. Thus, when HIV-1 shedding was highest in the genital tract, it was associated with other combinations of beta-chemokines than virus load in blood, suggesting that local immune reactions strongly influence virus load in the cervical compartment.

Endoparasites of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Denmark 2009–2012 – A comparative study

Graphical abstract

Hepatitis E virus variant in farmed mink, Denmark.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonotic virus for which pigs are the primary animal reservoir. To investigate whether HEV occurs in mink in Denmark, we screened feces and tissues from domestic and wild mink. Our finding of a novel HEV variant supports previous findings of HEV variants in a variety of species.

Diversity and stability of Aleutian mink disease virus during bottleneck transitions resulting from eradication in domestic mink in Denmark

Aleutian mink disease (plasmacytosis) virus (AMDV) in domestic mink (Neovison vison) has been subject to eradication in Denmark since 1976. In 2001, approximately 5% of Danish mink farms were still infected and all were located in the northern part of the peninsula of Jutland. In the present study a total of 274 Danish isolates of AMDV collected during the two seasons of 2004 and 2005 were characterized by partial sequencing of the coding region of the non-structural (NS) proteins. Older AMDV isolates from Denmark, available, were also included. The Danish isolates represent a very homogenous cluster compared with Swedish, Finnish and Dutch isolates and seem to represent a minor fraction of the genetic diversity previously found in Denmark. Stability of nucleotide deviations reveals that the purifying selection of bottlenecks imposed on the AMDV population in Denmark by the stamping out policy for more than 6 years exceeds the rate of mutation driven diversity. Among the isolates from farms in northern Jutland two distinct types could be identified and within each of them a number of sub-types which were all useful in tracking spread of infections. Infection at a farm the preceding season was a predisposing risk parameter for disease outbreak at a farm, and strain identity substantiates the suggestion that inadequate disinfection is involved in the recurrence of outbreaks. In cases of new introductions to farms it is indicated that contact including transport between farms played a most significant role.

Effects of late introduction of sows to two farrowing environments on the progress of farrowing and maternal behavior

To evaluate the effect of late introduction to farrowing pens on the progress of farrowing and maternal behavior, 20 primiparous and 20 multiparous sows were allocated randomly to 1 of 2 treatments: 1) early introduction to pen (EP, n = 20) and 2) late introduction to pen (LP, n = 20). To evaluate the difference between loose-housed sows and crated sows when introduced late to the farrowing environment, a third treatment was included: late introduction to farrowing crate (LC, n = 20). Sow behavior and piglet birth intervals were recorded using video recordings from 16 h before the birth of the first piglet (BFP) until 48 h after BFP. Behavioral data were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS and the percentage of stillborn piglets and the response of the sow to piglet scream were analyzed using PROC GENMOD in SAS. Before farrowing (16 to 3 h before BFP), sows introduced late to pens had more postural changes per hour than sows introduced early to pens (LP = 12.7, EP = 8.9; P = 0.04), whereas there were no differences between sows introduced late to crates and sows introduced late to pens (LC = 14.2, LP = 12.7; P = 0.53). Interbirth interval (P = 0.04), variation in the interbirth interval (P = 0.01), and percentage of stillborn piglets (P = 0.003) were affected by an interaction between parity and treatment. In multiparous sows there were no differences between treatments (P > 0.18) either in the progress of farrowing or in the percentage of stillborn piglets. For primiparous sows, there were no differences (P > 0.22) between sows that were introduced late to pens and sows that were introduced early to pens. Primiparous sows that were introduced late to crates compared with pens had longer interbirth intervals (LC = 29 +/- 4.9 min, LP = 16 +/- 2.9 min; P = 0.02), a greater variation of these intervals (LC = 35 +/- 8.3 min, LP = 16 +/- 3.6 min; P = 0.006), and a greater percentage of stillborn piglets (LC = 21%; 95% confidence interval ranging 14 to 30%, LP = 5%; 95% confidence interval ranging from 2 to 12%; P = 0.004). After farrowing, neither postural changes, time spent in lateral lying, number of near-crushing situations, nor the response to piglet scream test were affected by treatment (P > 0.09). When sows and gilts were introduced late to farrowing pens, neither progress of farrowing nor maternal behavior of importance for piglet crushing was influenced. However, crating primiparous sows that were introduced late to the farrowing environment compared with pen housing had detrimental effects on the progress of farrowing and the percentage of stillborn piglets.

Implementation and validation of a sensitive PCR detection method in the eradication campaign against Aleutian mink disease virus

Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV) is a severe progressive disease causing multiple different clinical syndromes in mink. In Denmark, the disease is notifiable and under official control. The control programme, based on serological screening, has confined successfully AMDV to the northern part of Denmark. However, re-infections and new introductions of virus into farms require a confirmatory virological test to verify the positive test results of single animals and ultimately to investigate disease transmission. A one step PCR amplifying a 374-base fragment of the NS1 gene of AMDV was compared to the counter-current immune electrophoresis (CIE) routinely used in the serological screening programme. Mink organs (n=299) obtained from 55 recently infected farms and 8 non-infected farms from 2008 to 2010 were tested by PCR, and the results were found to have a high correlation with the serological status of the mink. The relative diagnostic sensitivity of the PCR was 94.7%, and the relative diagnostic specificity was 97.9% when read in parallel with the CIE. PCR positive samples were sequenced and phylogenetic analysis revealed high similarity within the analysed AMDV strains and to AMDV strains described previously.

Influenza A(H10N7) Virus in Dead Harbor Seals, Denmark

Since April 2014, an outbreak of influenza in harbor seals has been ongoing in northern Europe. In Denmark during June–August, 152 harbor seals on the island of Anholt were found dead from severe pneumonia. We detected influenza A(H10N7) virus in 2 of 4 seals examined.

Phocine Distemper Outbreak, the Netherlands, 2002

During the 2002 phocine distemper epidemic, 2,284 seals, primarily harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), were found stranded along the Dutch coast. Stranding pattern varied with age, sex, state of decomposition, wind, and location. Cumulative proportion of deaths (54%) was comparable to that in the first reported epidemic in 1988.

CAF01 potentiates immune responses and efficacy of an inactivated influenza vaccine in ferrets.

Trivalent inactivated vaccines (TIV) against influenza are given to 350 million people every year. Most of these are non-adjuvanted vaccines whose immunogenicity and protective efficacy are considered suboptimal. Commercially available non-adjuvanted TIV are known to elicit mainly a humoral immune response, whereas the induction of cell-mediated immune responses is negligible. Recently, a cationic liposomal adjuvant (dimethyldioctadecylammonium/trehalose 6,6′-dibehenate, CAF01) was developed. CAF01 has proven to enhance both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to a number of different experimental vaccine candidates. In this study, we compared the immune responses in ferrets to a commercially available TIV with the responses to the same vaccine mixed with the CAF01 adjuvant. Two recently circulating H1N1 viruses were used as challenge to test the vaccine efficacy. CAF01 improved the immunogenicity of the vaccine, with increased influenza-specific IgA and IgG levels. Additionally, CAF01 promoted cellular-mediated immunity as indicated by interferon-gamma expressing lymphocytes, measured by flow cytometry. CAF01 also enhanced the protection conferred by the vaccine by reducing the viral load measured in nasal washes by RT-PCR. Finally, CAF01 allowed for dose-reduction and led to higher levels of protection compared to TIV adjuvanted with a squalene emulsion. The data obtained in this human-relevant challenge model supports the potential of CAF01 in future influenza vaccines.