BtoQUARIERLYMAGAZINE OFTHE SOCIEIY FOR GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY VOLUME3O NOVEMBER 2OO3

Emerginginfectious diseases of wildlife Wild life disease su rvei Ilance Thethreat of West Nile virus in the U K Seald istem per outbreak2}O2 Themystery of Lymedisease Tick-bornerelapsi ng fever Emerging bartonel losis Geneticcontrol in TSEs Prionsin the wild IF

SGMHeadquarterc MarlboroughHouse, Articles Basingstoke Road, Spencers Wood,Reading RG7 1AG Emerginginfectious diseases of wildlife Tel.01189881800 SarahCleaveland 155 Fax01 189885656 Wild I ife d isease su rvei Ilance by the Veteri n anr [email protected] LaboratoriesAgency Pau I Diff SGMWebsite 157 http:./www.sgm.ac.uk Does WesflVile yirus pose a threattoihe UK? Editor ErnestGould 160 DrGavinThomas Seald istem per outbreak 2 002 Tom Barrett, Editorial Board Pramoda DrPauline Handley Sahoo& PaulD. Jepson 162 ProfessorTonyNash Nowthey eat them, now they don't: phagocytes and ManagingEditor Borrelia burg do r feri in Lymed isease JanetHurst RuthR.Montgomery 165 Production Editor lanAtherton Tick-bornerelapsing fever in Tanzania AssistantEditorand SallyJ. Cutler& Alison Talbert to/ BookReviewManager Emergingbartonellosis JaniceMeekings Chri sto p h Dehio & An na Sande r 168 Contributions Theseare always welcome and Above: Colouredscanning of infections,such as Thesignificance of geneticcontrol in TSEs shouldbe addressed tothe Editor electronmicrograph of the Lymedisease,as Ruth WilfredGoldmann 170 (c/o SGM Headquarters). deertick, I xodes sp. David Montgomeryreports (p. Prionsin thewild:CWD indeerand elk GopyDates Scharf/Science Photo 165), and Relapsing fever ElizabethWilliams & MichaelMiller Lastdates for receipt of copy 172 atMarlborouqh House are; Library whichas Sally Cutler and benerat LoDV Vol.3O,Part4, Alison Talbert explain, Regular Features February2004 issue 8 December November2q)3 causessevere mortality in May2004issue 8 March Tanzania(p,167). Christoph PublicAffairs 154&171 Adveriisements(CRC) Inthis issue we focus February2004 issue 1 2 January Dehioand Anna Sander MicroShorts 173 onemergrng rnfectious descri how May2004 issue 23 April be Bartonellas SocietyNews diseasesof wildlife, Some areanother rising Advertisements causefor JulyCouncil Meeting 174 Allenquiries should be sent to: of thesepathogens affect concern,spreao oy vectors NewMembers of CouncilandGroup Committees 174 PeterHorncastle, HardyAdvertising, a widerange of animals, rangingfrom the human GranvilleHouse, 11 2 Bermondsey Jobson the Web 174 including domestic species louseto catf leas(p, 1 68). Street,LondonSEl3TX andhumans, whereas NewElected Members of Council(biographies) 175 Te|.0207378 1579 Prionsmay or maynot be New Editorof Microbiology FaxO2OT3786421 othersare confined to their Today 175 emailpeter@hardyadverlising. wildlifehost and can microbes,but TSE diseases Newsof Members 1.7R CO.UK devastatepopulations, areimportant worldwide. In Staff News 175 theUSA deer populations Subscriptions 2OO4 SarahCleaveland, inher SGMMembership Subscriptions 2004 t/o NON-N/EMBERS areaffected by Chronic overyiew,explai ns that the NewGroup Conveners 176 M ic ro b i o I o g y Today S50.00 wastingdisease, accordi ng Grants (us$85.00) interaction between wi ld I ife 177 to BethWilliams and N/EMBERS andhuman health is Meetings lt6 MichaelMiller (p. 1 72). On All members receiveMicrobioloov complex,with implications . p,l T0WilfredGoldmann SchoolZone 180 Today.lnadditionthey m aylake"' thatpose real challenges any of the Society'sjou rnals. considerswhether or not Gradline 182 to microbiologistsand Ordinary Member wildlifespecies are more Hotoffthe Press veterinarians(p, 1 55). 188 MembershipSubscription proneto TSEdiseases than Reviews (inc. M ic ro btio I o g y To day) Inthe U K,the government is 192 (us$78.00) domesiicatedanimals. s45.00 fund i ng a projectto su rvey Diary IYO M icrobiology/ JGV/ lJ SEM Finally,inComment, theincidence of wildlife Council c85.00 (us$ 160.00) ColinHoward and Geoffrey 203 JMMC.45.00 (US$78.00) disease,as Paul Duff of the Schildstress the Comment Student or Retired Member VLAdescribes(p. 1 57). im portance of veterinary Theimportance ofveterinary microbiology:the role MembershioSubscriotion Antibodiesto West Nile (in andanimal microbiology as of the SGM ColinHoward & GeoffreySchild 204 c. M ic rob, io I o g y To day) virus,which is sweeping s20.00 (us$35.00) exemplif ied by the other NorthAmerica, have been Microbioloov/ JGV articlesin the magazine, ano s4o,o0 (u5$75.00) foundin UKwild birds. Ernie Other ltems ask,'doesthe subject /JSEMSB5.00 (US$ 160.00) Gouldassesses the riskto receiveenoug h support?' Editorial 154 JMMS.45.OO(US$78.00) humansin Britain (p, 1 60), Undergraduateor School Member SGMPrizeJournals 159 Cu rrently of noth reat to Thesearticles appear in Membership Subscription(inc. additionto allthe regular Websiteson infectious diseases of wildlife Tony Nash 161 M icrob iol ogy Tod ay) 91 0.00 humans,but deadlyto seals, featuresand reports of Corporate Member Phocinedistemper virus International Development Fu nd report Snr'iotv antivitioc MembershipSubscription (inc. causedthe deaths of more CultureCollection Management inUzbekistan M i c rob i o Iog y Today) 9350 / 500 Ihan22,OO0animals in a KakhramonDavranov & DilfuzaEqamberdiveva 184 US Officeof Publication: recentoutbreak off the UK TheNovarlis and The DailyTelegraphYisions of M icrobiology Today,c/ o Mercury *,i,*i,:j"Jr;;XilTi& Airfreightlnternational Ltd, 365 EastCoast, as Tom Barrett SciencePhotographicAwards 2003 185 BlairRoad, Avenel, NJ0700 1,USA. andhis colleagues describe Obituaries:DavidKellyandSirRobertWilliams186,187 Postmaster:send US address onp, 1 62, corrections to M icrobiology Today c./othis address. Vectorshave an essential O 2003 The Societyfor General rolein manyzoonoses, and The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Microbiology;ISSN: 1 464-0570 tickstransmit a range Society; nor can the claims of adveftisers be guaranteed. WWWWW

Public Affairs AdministratorFaye Jones reports on some Hittins the headlines activitiesto raise the profile of science to governmentand ooinion-formers. 153rdSGM Meeting,UMIST For another successiveyear, the autumn meeting Launch of the Biosciences Federation exoeriencedan increasein attendance,A recordnumber The BiosciencesFederation was officially launched at the of nearly800 delegateslearned about some exciting Houseof Lordson Monday15 September2003, lt was recentfindings and there was good coverageof the foundedin December2002 as an umbrellaorganization papersand posters in the media, for the UK's biological sciences to speakwith a stronger, BelindaO'Grady from the Universityof Readinghad her more unifiedvoice on mattersof nationalimportance researchinto probioticsto combat Helicobacterpylori and publicaffairs, Key aimsof the Federationinclude describedon BBC lVewsOnline.This article also covered promotionof liaison,dialogue and interactions within the Dr Mark Stevens'research at the Institutefor Animal diversecommunity of bioscientistson commonissues that Healthinto the identificationof imoortantcolonization relateto teachingand research,The Federationalso aims genesin EscherichiacoliOl57 and026. Dr Stevens'work to provideopinion and information to assistthe formulation wasthe basisof afurther BBC NewsOnline article, as well of publicpolicy and to promotewide and open debate about as articles in the Scotsmanand the EdinburghEvening the practicaland ethical issues surrounding developments News,One final issuehighlighted by BBC lr/ewsOnline inthe biosciences.With 26 membersocieties, including was Dr MichaelPrentice's research that failedto find SGM, the Federationrepresents thousands of lifescientists, tracesof Yersiniapestis DNA in teethtaken from plague About200 parliamentarians,members of the pressand victims,throwing doubt on the causeof the BlackDeath, reoresentativesof the membersocieties attended the Thisstory was also carried by the newsagency Reuters receptionthat was hostedby Lord Jenkin of Roding, andfeatured in the 13 Septemberissue of New Scientist Addressingthe guestswere Professor Colin Blakemore BioMedNetcovered some of the oresentationsat the FRS, the Federation'scurrent President,and Lord meeting,including research by Dr BartKeijser, University Sainsburyof Turville,Parliamentary Under-Secretary of of Amsterdam,into the survivalof food-spoilagebacteria, Statefor Scienceand lnnovationwho spokeabout the such as Bacillus,during pasteurization,and Professor importancein Parliamentof communicatingwith one BrendanWren's findings, London School of Hygieneand strongvoice, Sir John Sulston, Physiology/Medicine Nobel TropicalMedicine, that Campylobacterjejuni is unique Prizewinner in 2002,whose award was also celebrated at amongstprokaryotes because it containsgenes that the event,also emphasized the importanceof a bodysuch encodefor a generalprotein glycosylation system found in asthe BiosciencesFederation, eukaryotes, Attendingon behalfof SGMwere David Hopwood, past New Scientisfalso covered the BlackDeath story in their President(and member of the BiosciencesFederation weekly science report televisionprogramme, shown Council),Hugh Pennington, incoming President, Geoffrey 10- 16 Septemberon TheDiscoveryr Channel UK as par1. Schild,Professional Affairs Officer, and Peter Stanbury, of 'ScienceNighti New ScienflsfReports can be seen Treasurer,plus several members of staff. everyTuesday at 2000, 2105, 2210 and 2315 and are repeatedon Wednesdayat 1200, 1305, 1410 Royal Society of Ghemistry and1515.

Science and the Parliament Day Toread some of the articlesmentioned see: 12 November 2003,The Signet Library,Edinburgh htto:,/,/news,bbc,co,uk,/1 /hi/heallh/3084882,stm Withthe environmentas its themethis year,the Royal htto:// news.bbc.co,uk/ 1 / hi/ scolland/3088362.stm Societyof Chemistry(RSC), in associationwith other ' htlo://www.news,scotsman,comlarch ive,cf m leadingscience organizations, will soon be holdingits ?id:988532003 popularannual event to promotescience to the Scottish Parliament and Executive, htto://wwwnews.scots m an.com / arch ive,cf m ?id:990562003 Chairingwill be ProfessorWilson Sibbett, Chair of the ScottishScience Advisory Committee, Guest speakers htlp://news.bbc,co,u71/hi/health/3097934.s1m Boyack,Convener of the Environmentand includeSarah httpl//www, reuters,co,u k /newsArticl e j htmI Affairs Committee,Professor James Curran, Rural ?type:topNews&sto D:3 4231 20 EnvironmentalFutures Manager at ScottishEnvironmental ryl ProtectionAgency, Eleanor Scott, Environment spokes- http:,//www.n ewscientist.co m/n ews,/news jsp personfor the GreenParty and Jim Wallace,Deputy First ?id:ns99994149 Minister,Participants will be invitedto visitthe Scottish C Faye I o nes, Pu bl ic Affa i rs Ad m i n istrato r Parliamentto observea speciallyplanned science debate, SGMwill be attendingas partof itsMicrobiology Aware- nessCampaign, with a displayhighlighting how and where microbiologyand microbiologists can help in the protection andbioremediation of the Scottishenvironment, Attendanceat the eventis by invitationonly, Continuedon p. 171

i lr l

Wi|dlifiedisease surveillance by the Veterina ry laborctories Agency PaulDuff

S Arediseases of wildlife important? Affairs), and is done at 14 Regional Laboratories and two Fromsmall It is increasingly recognized, worldwide, that wildlife university surveillance centres in England and \7ales, beginnings,and may be important hosts for diseasesthat are a risk to the supported by two large laboratories at \fleybridge and although (Fig. health of man and his domesticated stock. Traditionally, Lasswade,Scotland 1). Surveillance in wild animals necessarilylimited we may have considered our wildlife to be a wholly sharessimilarities with that for domesticated stock, and byits budget, the beneficial resource and that diseases such as rabies, it can be described as the routine collection ofdata on plague and anthrax occurred in other countries. But in disease in wildlife populations. It should be noted VLAScheme, in fact, these three have occurred in England historically that non-infectious conditions, such as toxicities, are collaborationwith and it is certainly not out of the question that they may equally important and are also investigated by Regional manyorganizations, occur here again. The problems caused by emerging, Laboracories. hasdeveloped to or introduced, infectious diseases of wildlife will A fundamental question is how significant is wild- becomethe first undoubtedly increase in the coming decades for avaiety life disease?There is no concise answer to this question government- of reasons, not least of which is the increasing global but some aspects that require consideration are listed 'mixing' fundedproject movement and of organisms; from bacteria below. forwildlifedisease and viruses to birds, humans and other animals. As surveillance tr Wildlifecanbe resertl0irs 0fz0Onotic disease, e,g.Lyme disease, in the physical barriers between potential pathogens and Englandand Wales, hosts are removed, the opportunities for infection leptospirosis, and diseaseincrease. n Wildlifecan bB reservoirs 0fdisease ofdome$icated stock, e.g. bovine This article describes the VLA (Veterinary Labora- tuberculosisinbadgers anddeer. tories Agency) Diseases of Sfildlife surveillance scheme ffi Exoticpathogens maybe introduced tothe country bymigrating and how it investigates incidents of wildlife mortality wildlife,e,g,Westl'lib nrusby migrating birds, and emerging disease. This work is mainly carried l[ Newand emerging diseases may first appsar inwildlife species, e,g, out on behalf of the government (specifically Defra: Europeanbrown hare syndrome, thefirst recognized leporine caliciviral the Department for Environment, Food and Rural infe cti on, E Wildlifedisease maybe a sensitive indicator ofunderlying environmentalpollution. il Wildlifedisease incidents, with mass tttortality, may be 0f c0ncern t0 thenublic f, Wildlifedisease may be of conservation importance, threatening endangeredp0pulati0ns, e,g,squinel parap0x disease inEnglish redsquirrels,

\7hy issurveillance for wildlife disease important?

E Toassess which diseases areprssent inthe UK. H Toassessthe risksof these diseasesto human and live$ock health il Toassess howmuch disease ispresent andhow this may vary, t Toassess new patterns ofdisease. H Toinvestigate potentially newand emerging conditions,

The VLA, and its predecessororganizations, have investigatedwildlife diseasefor severaldecades, parti- cularly new andemerging disease, and produced many of 'new' the first reportsof diseasein Britain. Theseinclude the first report of bovine tuberculosisin badgersin the late 1960s,the first identificationand isolationin culture ofthe parapoxvirusand the iridovirus that cause 'red-legged squirrelparapox disease and frog disease', respectively,afid the first reportsof Europeanbrown haresyndrome (EBHS) and Rabbit haemorrhagicdisease (RHD). LEFT: The VLA is well placed to carry out wildlife surveil- $ig,t. VLARegional Laboratorynetwork regional lancein Englandand \7ales for threekey reasons.It has: diagnosticlaboratories are A nationalnetwork of diagnosticlaboratories (because requiredfornational cotlerage deadand dying wildlife doesnot travelwell; seeFig. 1). COURTESYVLA

CrownO 2003(this arlicle only) $S$SNtSffi$SS.$SSNIODAY VOL30/NOV03Ifl Tafu$e$. A selection of wildlife surveillance schemes in the U K receiving a copy of the resulting reports. Project/scheme Function/purpose Principalorganizations Gomment Data from these exam- involued inations appear in the Bovinettlberculosis inbadgers Investigationofthe epidemiology of Principally gotlernment agencies, but Thebudget forthis work isgreater Wi ldlife Quarterly Reports, bovinetuberculosis inbadgers, alsocontracts tonon-gotlernrnent thanthe budgets forthe remaining available online from particularly nrniontcUUnrUilrUU,nnmhinod asit affects the rlational organizatio ns, PTUJUULU the VLA website (www. cattleherd, defra.gov. uk/corporate/ - Wildlifelncident Investi gation Toinvestigate incidents ofsuspected Defra:(RDSRural Development Fieldinvestigation, necropsies vlalscience/science-end- pesticidep0isoning wildlife (and Scheme;PSD- Pesticide Safety andtoxicological analysis Scheme in survrep.htm). Data are also other)animal speciBS. Division,Central Science Laboratory) TheWll Scheme hasoperated for manyyears presented in other forms, including an Annual VLADiseases ofWildlife Scheme Surveillanceforwildlife diseases in VLAcontracted toDefra, Firstscheme ofits kind in Britain, t."t"^,1 u1/"t^" Report which, since 199), (describedintext) LilUtdilu dilu"".1 !tldruJ, has collected informarion Rabiessurveillance Rabieschecks inwildlife espscially VLAcontracted toDefra. Inve$igations,publications, advice from many organ izations. bats I0gO\/ernmenl. This report is then sent by StrandedCetacean (marine ProjectInvestigation ofcauses of Britishft/luseum, Institute ofZoology Scientificpublications ofon-going Defra to the Office Inter- government, marl1mar) death/strandingincetaceans ScottishAgricultural Colleges, work.Advice to national des Epizooties SpeciesRecovery Project Promotionofendangered wildspecies EnglishNature, In$itute ofZoology Asabove, (OIE) which in turn Universityprojects Rangeofprojects ofvariable size Variousuniversities eg disease in Scientificpublications ofon-going produces a synthesis of the inve$igatingdisease orspecific wildrodents atLiverpool Veterinary work. wildlife diseases reported uuPUuruccnontcurnf uruuuuu,dicoqco School. throughout the world. RSPCAwildlife hospitals Treatmentandwelfare ofwild species. Fourwildlifehospitals inEngland ScientificpapBrs ondisease The Annual Report was investi gations andtreatments the first attempt in Britain Otherwildlife hospilals Ireatmentandwelfare ofwild species Ava$ range ofsizes and Representedbybodies such as the to collate wildlife disease capabilitiesfromsingle individuals BritishWildlife Rehabilitation data from different sources +^ nrnnnirntiann tu utudil|ldLtuil), Society.Publications, and it is hoped that it In$itute(independent and Investigationofwildlife disease eg e,g,Gams Conservancy - game Publications,Disease control advice, will be a source of inform- governmental)projects - usually as Louping-illinve$igation bythe spscies,Centre ofEcology and Centresofexcellence forspecific ation for other investi- partofwider investi gations Moredunlnstitute. Hydrology- atliatt tliruses. diseases, gators. The VLA Scheme Singleprojects often undertaken by Ofteninvestigate diseases inone wild Privateorfunded, Thereisa history ofindividuals also shares d iagnostic individ uals speciesorin particular regions investigatingwildlifedisease in testing and a diagnostic Britain, databasewith the Scottish Agricultural Colleges (SAC) Diagnostic depth and expertise in the veterinary and can thus lay claim to national coverage. An essential disciplines, for example pathology, histopathology, provision of the Scheme is its links to other VLA, and parasitology, bacteriology, virology, biochemistry. non-VLA, wildlife diseaseprojects (seeThble 1). Experiencein investigating wildlife disease. In 2001, the Scheme began surveillance for West These enable pathologists to do follow-up field Nile uirus in British wild bird casualties. In the OPPOSITEPAGE: and to select the most appropriate diagnostic intervening period, more than 800 birds of 78 species .:t.:;r,'r: EUfOpean bfOWnhafe visits syndrome(EBHS) anacute viral tests when investigating new diseases.Further research have been examined and although neither West hepatitisofhares, was first on new diseases has frequently been done by non- Nile uirus disease nor virus has been found (antibody, reportedfromEurope andthe government organizations in collaboration with however, has been detected by a collaborating labora- inthe late 1980s However UK the VLA. For instance with the Institute of Zoology, tory) it is clear that much work still has to be done examinationofUK archived hare tissuesrevealed thatthis disease London, on squirrel parapox and red-legged frog to elucidate the epidemiology ofthis disease. hadoccurred in1982 and our disease. oldesthare sera from 1963, Since 1998, the Agency has been contracted by i:i.i:jThe scope of su rvei | |a nce - som e wi ld I ife containedEBHSantibodies This Defra to provide general surveillance for wildlife disease i nvestigation a nd su rveiI la nce suggestedthatEBHS was not a in England and \Wales. The resulting VLA proiects in Britain newdisease aswas firstthought diseases butthat it had been present inthe Diseases of Sfildlife Scheme has several operating It should also be appreciated that there are many other UKfor some time before itwas guidelines, but it particularly focuseson investigating organizations (both Government and non-Govern- recognizedlDuff P etal (1ggl) wildlife diseaseswhere there may be potential risks mental) which make their own valuable contribution to ln Prnnoorlinncnf tho 1cf tr t tuuuuuutgo to human health and the health of domesticated the investigation of wildlife disease,and some of these Inte rn ati o n al Sy m po stu m o n CalicivirusesfJll Edited b stock. Providing that basic criteria for submission arelisted in Thble 1. DChasey &others l are met, then necropsy examinations of wildlife are The purpose of this table is not to provide specific COURTESYPDUFF undertaken, with the person making the submission details (the author apologizes for any inaccuracies), but

i.TODAYVOL3O/NOVO3 to indicare that there is a wide range of initiatives looking at diseasein wildlife in Britain.

ii:;Future directions At present Defn is reviewing the animal health and welfare strategy to improve the health and welfare of animals kept by man and ro prorect the public from animal disease. Veterinary surveillance, including information on wildlife disease, is an integrul purt of that review. One reason for the inclusion of wildlife, is that diseasessuch as \7est Nile fever and European bat lyssavirus infectio n may pose risks ro rhe national health. The investigation of these diseasesis primarily a veterinary task and, as such, the surveillance of wildlife diseasefalls within the remit of the Defra veterinarv straregy. In view of the wide scope in this field of study, collaboration between the governmenr verer_ inary laboratories and other organizations is requirqd. However, it is equally apparent that any national surveillanceprojects will need to utilize the VLA Regional Laboratories, and that frontline passive workofthis kind shouldcontinue at theselocations.

O PaulDuff is Leaderof theDrseasesof Wildlife ProjectfortheVLA.He is basedatVLA penrith. CumbriaCAll gRR,UK. Tel.01 768 BBS295; Fax01 768 88531 4: em ai I p.duff @vl a. d efra. g si. g ov.u k Does West Nile vintspose a threat to theUK? ErnestGould

Since its emergence less than 20 yearc ago, S(NV has circulated relativelY harmlessly in Africa amongst mosquitoes and birds. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. TheY then reproduce and subsequently transmit the virus to other uninfected birds during the feeding process.These mosquitoes may infect humans or other vertebrates if theY inadvertently feed on them, but human to human transmission is virtually unknown. There- fore, humans are dead-end hosts. Nevertheless, the presence of SfNV-sPecific antibodies in humans, birds and horses through- out Europe, southern Asia the extent to which the Recentreports that Vest Nile uirus (WNV) appearedfor the first and Australasiademonstrates Africa, presumablycarried by Wesf time in North America rn 1999, stimulating virus hasdispersed out of antibodiesto may havedeveloped resistance to renewedinterest in arthropod-bornediseases' migratory birds which Nilevirus have hasalso been isolated from ticks, but The virus caused62 htman casesof encephalitis and the virus. \fNV beenfound in U K in its epidemiology has neverbeen six fatalitieswithin a few months of its emergencein the their significance birdshave caused investigated.Ticks could ^ct asa secondary New York area.\flithin 3 yearc,thousandsof birds, horses adequately Whatare of the virus through periods of concern, andother wiidlife species,including alligatorsand nearly mechanismfor survival this mosquitoactivity' therisks of 300 humanshad died asthe result of infection by WNV' iow to severalother pathogenic viruses, potentiallyfatal The virus had alsospreadto Canada,the Caribbeanand \fNV is related e encepha I i t i s uir as, St L ou i s encep ba I i t i s diseaseto humans South America by eady 2003. The perceivedrisk to including J apanes and Wllow uirus, but prior to its inBritain? humansincreased when it wasrealized that the virus can uirus, Dengueuirus feuer in America inl999, it wasconsidered be transmitted through blood transfusions,organ emergence North However, with hindsight the transplantationsand even breast milk. to be less important. in Israeland the significanceof It is therefore not surprising that there was a observedbird die-off Nile encephalitisin Romaniain1996 significant reactionfrom the pressand mediawhen it outbreaksof\fest in 199912000,involving severalhundred was recently reported rntheJournal of GeneralVirology and Russia werepossibiy underestimated. Recent that scientists from CEH Oxford and Monkswood human fatalities, that \7NV in North America may be had found \(NV-specific neutralizing antlbodiesin the evidencesuggests than some Old -World strains due to sera of resident and migrant birds captured in more virulent but this remainsto be confirmed' Cambridgeshire,Dorset and South\rales' Theseresults mutational changes, of this, it is now becoming clear that the ABIVE: imply that the virus is circulating amongstthe UK bird Regardless combinationof high-densityhuman populations in rural Colouredtransmission electron-, , populution. Ironically,evidence of the circulation of a 'rroi_purf,ogenic with climatic and micrographofagroupof WestNile ,.luiirr. of WNy (Jsutuuirus, and and semi-urban areas)together and virus, Sindbisuirus' that causes ecologicalconditions that favourmosquito breeding UCT/ SCTENCE another arthropod-borne ill]ffi^ SIANNARD, bird conservation,provide ideal conditions for the pH0I0LIBRARY polyarthritis in humansin Scandifiavia,has been been ofvirusessuch as \fNV. almosttotally ignoredby the press' efficientdispersal OPPOSITEPAGE: Ashop sign showing that the WWNV before 1999 Ssymptoms of the infection doingtheir best to are asymptomatic, Canadiansare perspectivewe need to considerthe The great majority of infections therisk of exPosure to To put this into reduce of neverthelessroughly 2O%o rcsuIt in the developmentof mosquitoesl hisfory of the evolution, epidemiologyand dispersal feverwhich hasan incubation period of 2-5 PHOTOE.A. GOULD \7NVpriorto1999. N7estNile

lE RS$*ffiffi ffi$s$-ffi ffiYTODAY VOL3O/N OV03 clays.Mzrny patients expcric-ncea sucldenonset of high Further readlnE fever u,ith cl-rrlls,malaisc, heaclache,bzrckzrche ancl pains Buckley, A., Daw.son, A., in the joints, musclc-sancl eyes rvhen movecl.A variety o1 Moss, S.,Hinsley, S.A., other non-specifrc featrlres such as anorexla, nallsea, Bellarny, P.E. & Gould, E.A. cliarlhoea, coughing zrnclsore throart may also occr-ir.In (2003). Serologicaleviclence somc-cases paticnts have a f-lusheclface. A rzrsl-rrvl-rich rrl-\fZ'/l\ jl, t jt't,,U,rrttrrjt'rrt appeerrs2 5 claysafter the onsct of syrnptoms is seenin utcl Siru//.,i.rt,irz: infection of aborrt 10 %, of ctrscserncl is more comnron in chilclren. bircls in thc UK../ Gen Vi ntl The cliniczrlsymptoms of \fest Nrle encephalitis, ivhich fl1+,21107-28 I 7.

is scenin lesstlian 0. | %tof aII infectiolrs, inclucle asepric Goulcl, E. A. (2003). meningrtis, ence;rhalitis,mycLtis or combinationsof the Impl ications for Northern three. Only zrsnrarli proportion of enccl>haliticcases are Europe of the emergcnceof fatal erricltiris is generally in olcl pcopie. l[1est Nl i le il rt tr in tl're USA. EpidentolInfetl 131, 5tii-589.

Futurerisks Mackenzie, J.IVI.,Barrett What.ue the risks of exposlrreto WNV of humernsin rhe A.D.T. & Deubel, V. (2002). lJKi Although infcctious WNV hzrsnever been isolarcd Japancseencepl'ralitis zrnd t$(/est from birclsin thc UK, rherc is convincing serological Nilc vi ruses.C trrr'l'op - eviclencethzrr it circularcsamongst birds in thc UK, t\[ icntbi ol I ttuturtto/ 267, I I 0. Portugal, Sparin,Francc and Poland. Moreover, infectious \(/NV has been isolateclfrom horsesin rhe Camargue region of France ancl also Italy. Tl-rcreis no recorclof bircls ciying from \X/NV infections in the UK. F{ow can rve explain thisl First, since \7NV rs of relzrrively lou, vilr-rlcncefbr hnmernseven in cpicienricsituatior.is, the cliseaserrr2ry not bc recognizeclin the UK where epiclemicsclo not appearto occLrr.This is relevanr becar:se tJK PLrblic Hcalth Laboratriry Service figLrres show (y' that 60 of fa.taI encepl-rerliticcasers in the UK zrre uncliagnosecl! Seconcl, the likelihoocl of expcisllrero rhe :nilt# bite of armosclr-rito in the LJK is significar-rtlylor,ver than *NSr in warmer parrs of Elrrope. Thircl, tl'rerisk of inf-ection woulcl be highest anongsr firrcstry workers, larm- workcrs, bircl rvatclrcrs,cross-colll]try hikers, ctc. Thus, the potcntial level of cxposure to rhe bire of a WNV- inf'ecteclmosqr-rito for most incliviclr-ralsrn rhe UK is extremely lorv. In sllmmaryl even if WNV is circulating nnnuzrllyamongst bircls in tl-reLIK, tlre currenr risk to hunrurs of clevcloping West Nile er-rcephaLtisarppears ro be very low anclsince fLture l)rosl)ectsflr vaec.inarion againstthjs virus apFg.lpfr()nrising. wc 1-,robablyclo not nceclto live in 1r'trrof it in tl-relJK.

Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) Oxford, lnstituteof Virology and Environmental Mi cro b i o I og y, Man sf i e I d Road,Oxford OX7 SSR UK. Tel.01865 281 630; Fax01 865281 696 [email protected] lfut$TffiIrdf_ IM Seal d istemper outbreak 2OO2 TomBarrett, Pramoda Sahoo & PaulD. Jepson

Morbilliviruses, $NPhocinedistemper thegroup of viruses virus forwhich the human The past 15 years have measlesvirus is witnessed the emergence thetypevirus,have of several newly recognized members of the genus recentlybeen found Morb i I I ia irus as significant to infectdiverse causesof diseaseoutbreaks speciesof marine and mortality in marine mammals.Overthe mammals belonging to past1 5 years the orders Pinnipedia (seals) epizooticsof these and Cetacea (whales, por- viruseshave caused poises and dolphins). massdie offs, The first morbillivirus mainlyof sealsand with potentially severe dolphins,inwidely ecological consequencesfor dispersedlocations, marine mammals was identified in harbour (Pbocauitulina; Fig. 1) and grey Theepizootic of (Halichoerusgrypus) seals which died in large numbers off phocinedistemper the coastsof northern Europein 1988. At first, basedon virus(PDV) that clinical and antigenic similarities, the sealvirus was occurredin northern thought to be caninedistemper virus (CDV), the main Europeanseals in pathologicalfeature being acutepneumonia (see Fig.2). April2002caused The interest which resultedfrom finding morbillivirus thedeaths of more in marine mammals for the first time meant that all than22,000 available resources were quickly employed to harbourandgrey chatactedzethe new virus. Theseanalyses soon showed sealsbefore finally that the seal virus was most closely related to, but burningout in late distinct from, CDV and wasclassified as a new member of the genusMorbilliairus and named phocine distemper September, virus (PDV). The most severelyaffected species was the harbour sealfrom the North Seaand north-western Atlantic, with grey sealsfrom the sameareas proving moreresistant to the virus., Sincethen threeother morbilliviruses have been found to infect variousspecies of marine mammals:CDV itself hasbeen found in sealsand polar bears,a morbillivirus (PMV) has been isolatedfrom porpoisesand another Lake Baikal seals(Pboca sibirica) suffered an unusual and from dolphins (DMV). The latter two viruses are severemortality. SubsequentlyCDV, rather than PDV, geneticallyvery closelyrelated to eachother, but they are wasshown to havebeen the aetiologicalagent. Similarly, not species-specificas the porpoisevirus hasbeen found a massdie off that occurredin CaspianSea seals (Phoca in dolphins. They are best regardedas variants of a caspica)in1997 , andagainin 2000, wasalso attributed to cetaceanmorbillivirus virus (CeMV). Many cetacean CDV infection. Although not proven, rhe sourceof the specieswoddwide havebeen reported to be seropositive virus is likely to havebeen terrestrial carnivores, such as for this virus. The pilot whale(Globicephala spp.), which wolves,which prey on sealpups. Retrospectiveserolo- hasa worldwide distribution, appearsto be the reservoir gical evidencealso links this virus with deathsof thou- and vector for transmissionof CeMV to other speciesas sandsofcrabeater (Lobodon carcinopbagus) seals near a base TOPRIGHT: they move in largegroups, known aspods, over gfeat with sledgedogs in the Antarctic in the 1950s.There are $:$w"\"Aharboursealoceandistances. Over 90 % of pilot whalesthat were no terrestrialcarnivores in the Antarctic andso it is likely COURTESYDRPAUL T|-lOMPSON involved in massstrandings between 1982 and 1993 that sledgedogs used at that time were the original STANDREWS UNIVERSITY weremorbillivirus-seropositive. sourceof CDV, or possiblythe animalswere infectedby contactwith carnivoresin New Zealandor SouthAmerica LOWERRIGHT: N morbilliviruses during migrations.The $*9.S. Infected seallung Other affectingseals virus appearsto haveestablished showingsevere interstitial Apart from PDV infections,other morbillivirusescan itselfin the crabeaterseal population asa subsequent pneumonia, alsocause mortality in sealpopulations. In the winter of serologicalsurvey ofAntarctic sealsshowed them to have COURIESYTBARRETI 1987-1988, just prior to the Europeanseal epizootic, a high prevalenceofCDV-specific antibodies.

IM $N$SNSN$SNSS-N*IODAY VO130/N OV03 4*4

j ./' #-i{i Moray Firth *S*^ir I f'"!'€+i:s*-{2--''-:*r'l $'flfuL-t,-r'? 9 -;H; -5) Ji f =j\1{ - : €;''* *\r* ':r H\frF.ri,l \ \ i-- identical course to that of 1988, starting at the end of LEFT: j ^t-'.*--: r{ \ tu - { :.:i: ,:,Location ofPDV -F \* T, * ',rF \ April, also originating from the island of Anholt tr'* r.--l\\F/ ,,- { (population -12,000 outbreaksaround thecoasts ofthe /tlj harbour seals).Through May the JF-*\^S i /i, \ Britishlsles during 2002 !- :' li virus spread from the initial focus in the Kattegat and a+* _y ;i ?rJ:- spread through The Skagerrak and then into the Dutch BELOW: strl j \X/addenSea and the North Sea.In the UK, as in 1988, .':',:,,. ,.' Sealmortality rest]lti|lg al--r -..---N '+{* fromthe European PDV epizootic , Y the first PDV-positive harbour seal was identified in /i*q in2002 The numbers ofdead The STash in April. By mid-August an epizootic- #F;; sealsinthe different areas f/1 J {t type increase in harbour seal mortality began in the J affectedexclLrding theBaltic tu.-u immediate area, peaking in mid-September when Seaare given for comparison ";.,i.! KatKattegat; Ska Skagerrak The {r- _ -r i more than 400 sealswere washed up dead each week. By \_f/ {....* insetpanel shows the r,veekly ssal i then PDV had reached Scotland and was first identified d*{ deathfigures inIhe Wash t' .*"------'- in a harbour seal found in Dornoch in the Moray Firth. _/ /.-\.---4i) Shortly afterwards a small number of dead seals was t- ---I found in Northern Ireland and along the west coast of di't Ireland and PDV infection was confirmed. No PDV- r$iiiDiag nosi ng morbi || ivi rus i nfections positive seals were found along rhe S7elsh coast (see \7hen wildlife speciesshow clinical diseasewith signs Fig. 3 for location of UK outbreaks). Although_further resembling distemper, a morbillivirus infection may be PDV-positive harbour and grey sealswere identified in invoived. As CDV and PDV infections in seals are east and west Scotland (including Orkney) in late 2002, clinically similar, differential diagnosis has to be made unlike i988, no noticeable increase in Scottish seal between these two viruses and this is most easily done mortality was apparent. by RT-PCR using universal morbillivirus primer The total death toll in European waters eventually sets and primer sets specific for each morbillivirus reached over 22,000 based on dead seal counrs, species.Some evidence also links the CeMV with seal approachin g 60 % of harbour seals in the worst affected mortality, although not on the same massive scale seen areas,although these figures may be revised following with PDV or CDV. The rare monk seal population of analysis of aerial survey data. Approximately I0 % of the eastern Mediterranean was not severely affected these were found in The \fash, the vast majority being during an outbreak of this virus which killed thousands harbour seals(see FiS.4). of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba)around the Mediterranean coasts tn 1990-1991. However, CeMV i:i::Transmission of PDV was found in carcassesof monk sealsthat died in large The small size and scattered nature of European seal numbers off the coast of Mauritania ]n 1997 . At the time populations makes it unlikely that they could main- analgal bloom was also considered to be a primary or an tain this virus in circulation as morbilliviruses need a exacerbatin g factor which may have contributed .o ,il. constant supply ofnew susceptiblehosrs since, following very high mortality among adult seals. recovery, infection induces life-long immunity to the

.t$l Recent outbreaks of PDV 12,000 Until last year the most devastating virus-induced mass mortality event in European sealsoccurred in 1988, when PDV killed more than 18,000 seals around 10,000 northern European coasts, the vast majority being harbour seals.That epizootic began on the Danish island of Anholt in the Kattegat and then spread to Sweden, (') 8,000 OU the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, the UK and q) Ireland. Since 1989 there has no ! been convincing CU q) serological evidence for persistence of PDV in European -o 6,000 seals.A minor outbreak of diseasein sealsoccurred in - ci 1998 along the Belgian and northern French coasts and z morbillivirus antigen and nucleic acid were detected in tissuesfrom sick animals. However, most of the viruses involved were genetically closely related to either CeMV or CDV. Unfortunately, in 2002 we again witnessed the recurrence of a major PDV outbrcak, again mainly ffi affecting harbour seals.The epizootic followed an almost KaUSka WaddenSea IUKcoast Further reading virus. The curious course of the epizootic on both Control of wildlife diseasesis extremely difficult and occasions,starting from the Danish coast, moving first vaccination of wild animal populations, which in any Barrett,T.etal.(199). to the Dutch and then on to English coastsand finally case is logistically very difficult, would raise ethical Dolphinandporpoise in Scotland, may be explained by the migratory questions concerning uncontrolled spread ofthe vaccine morbillivirusesare genetically ending Protection ofvulnerable animals in sealsanctuaries distinct from phocinedistemper and breeding habits of the seals. There is growing virus. vinx.Virology193, 1 010-1 0 12. consensus among some seal biologists that grey seals would be acceptable as the animals could be confined m y act as vectors for the transmission of PDV between until the excretion of any vaccine virus had ceased.In Bengtson,J.L. et al. (I99I). in European waters, especially any event, there is no currently licensed vaccine for use Antibodies to caninedistemper harbour seal colonies antigenic relationship virus in Antarcticseals.Mar where large geographical jumps are made. Harbour seals in seals. Because of the close MamrnSciTT,St-87. usually return to the same haulout, whereas grey sealsdo between morbilliviruses, strong cross-protection to not and move much gteater distances between haulout infection is given by vaccines for other morbilliviruses Dietz,R. et a/. ( 1989).Clue to is likely that most virus transmission occurs and an experimental CDV-ISCOM vaccine has been sealepizootic ?Natare338,62f . sites. Since it on land, their mixing at haulout sites may be the key shown to protect seals from PDY but the duration of Duignan, PJ . et al. (1995). factor. Another may be the relative resistance of this the immunity induced remains uncertain. This, and a Morbillivirus infection in species to the virus, enabling it to transmit without live attenuated vaccine that is used to protect dogs two speciesofpilot whales necessarily showing severeclinical disease. from CDY could also be used to protect seals in (G I ob i cepba la sp.) from the westernAtlan tic. Mar Marum sanctuaries during virus epizootics. However, there Scill,150-162. q]"sTheoriginaI infection source are no commercial sources of the CDV-ISCOM vaccine, sourceof the originalinfection for and the commercially available CDV vaccines have not Duignan, PJ . et al. (1997). The most likely tested for safety in seais and have been shown to Epizootologyofmorbi llivirus the European seals was contact with seal species from been infection in haqp,hooded and the Arctic. This has been proposed on the grounds cause death in some wild species. During the 2OO2 ringed sealsfrom the Canadian that morbillivirus, and more specifically PDV anti- epizootic a small tial of a commercially available CDV Arcricand \Wesrern Atlanric. bodies, were found in archival sera obtained from Arctic vaccine was carried out and the results are still awaited. J\'(/ildlDh33,7-rg. seals long before the first known European outbreak in Following the 1988 epizootic the affected seal popula- El Mjiyad, N . et al. (2OO). 1988. Arctic harp seals(Phoca groenlandica) were noticed tions recovered their normal (pre-1988) population Casesof morbillivirus infections to have migrated much further south to reach northern levels within a few years and, it is hoped, the same will amongseals (P hocauitulina)and European waters in the year prior to the outbreak, happen this time round. A full report on the outbreak is fin whales(B a I a en op t aa p hy s a I as) probably as a result of climatic changes and overfishing scheduledto be published by Defrain2004. strandedon the Belgianand around Greenland. One possible scenario is that harp Frenchcoast from Northern seals, at least in 1988, infected grey seals, which OTom BarrettandPramodaSahoo, Division of 1997 untrl 2002. In A bstracts then introduced the virus into harbour sealsat Anholt. Molecular Biology, lnstitute for Animal Health, oft he E uropean C etacean Soc iety Grey seals are known to haulout in small numbers in PirbrightLaboratory, Ash Road,Pirbright Confumce,l-as Pa/nuzsdcGran Anholt alongside the large harbour seal population GU24 ONF,UK. Canaria,g-1 3 March,2003. there. This may explain why both 1988 and 2002 O PaulD. Jepson,lnstitute of Zoology,Regent's Harwood,J. ( 1998).What epizootics started on Anholt. The full host range of Park,London NWI 4RY UK. killed the monk seals?N ature has not been determined, but it can infect many 393,r7-r8. PDV species of seal. The harp seal population is extremely Acknowledgements Kennedy, S. et al. (2OOO).Mass large, with an estimated four million individuals in Tbeautbors thank Dr AilsaHall ofthe Sea Mammal Research die-offofCaspianseals caused by Canadian waters alone. and is sufficient to maintain Unit (SMRU),Gatty Marine Lab, St Andreu,,s Uniuersity, caninedistemp en irus.Emtr g PDV in circulation. for aduiceand commentson themanuscript. lnfeaDis6,531439.

Thompson, P.M. et al. (2002). rNControlli ng seal distemper Prevalenceof morbillivirus The various animal health institutes, government antibodiesin Scottishharbour agencies, private rescue charities and welfare organi- seaIs.Vet Ret L 5 l, 5094I0. zations dealing with marine wildlife diseaseswere well Van Bressem,M.-F.et al, prepared to deal with the 2002 British epizootic once the (2001).An insightinto the seal deaths on Anholt were confirmed as being due to epidemiologyof dolphin PDV. Organizaron and co-ordination of the various morbillivirus woddwide. and the hundreds ofvolunteers Wt MicrobioI 81, 287-304. official bodies concerned who helped locate the dead sealswas easier than in 19BB Vsser, I. K. G. et al. (1992). as the systems set up to deal with that event were re- Caninedistemper virus ISCOMs activated and a single hotline number for the UK was set induceprotection in harbour However, the sealsagainst phocid distemper up for reporting sightings of dead seals. but still allow subsequent main difference was the wide availability of electronic i nflectionwi th phocidd istemper communication, which made co-ordination on anational virus-1. Vaccine IO. 435 438. and European scalemuch easier.

IM$\'$$i*:S{"SN$*\$.,1**S.}iYIODAYVOL30/NOV03 Nowthey eat thgf, now they dont: pqagocytesand Borreliabuigdorteri inLymedisease RuthR, Montgomery

SiThe course of natural infection A vaccine for Lyme diseasewas developed in mice, Lyme Lyme Diseaseis disease, the most common vector-borne diseasein targeting the prominendy in uitro-expressed outer_ North America, animportant is caused by infection with the tick- surface protein A (OspA). The vaccine was effective by transmitted spirochaete spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) and is blocking transmission from the tick vector to the host characterized infectionwhich is initially by the skin lesion, erythema and the protective immunity waned rapidly. Notably, migrans. Subsequent disease reflects rhe in uiuo OspA is down-regulated in the vertebrate host. patients transmittedby ticks. migration of the spirochaete in its host and includes required three vaccinations and annual boosters; despite RuthMontgolnery arthritis, neurological symptoms and carditis. Even several years of successfuluse, it was withdrawn from the describesthe though most patienrs are readily cured by antibiotic market by the manufacrurer. complex,and still therapy, rare patients have persisrenr or recurring illness. mysterious, Skin is the initial site of entry of spirochaetes into the *'gInnate immune cells and spirochaetesrn interaction host, and in established disease,the skin can provide a vitro betweenthe host's haven to Bb for extended periods without eliciting an Mature macrophages in uitro ingest and kill spirochaetes phagocytes immune response. and Bb can be recultured from non- avidly and in large numbers. Spirochaetes artach at their lesional thesebacteria, human and murine skin and, although dormant ends, independently ofthe Fc receptor, and aredelivered in the original host, are still infectious and pathogenic to lysosomes for degradation with aT,1. of about 20 when transferred ro a naive animal. In both human and minutes. Nearly all of the ingested spirochaetes are murine Lyme borreliosis, intact spirochaetes persist in killed, but occasional cell-associated spirochaetes infected tissues and are not completely eliminated by persist. Spirochaete stimulation of macrophages phagocytic innate immune cells. initiates a cascadeof pro-inflammatory signals leading to the production of potent inflammatory mediators, including reacrive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates, TOPLEFT: arachidonic acid metabolites, proteases,and in addition, lxodesdamntnltick. Ticks were cytokines and chemokines that elicit adaptive immune microinjectedinthe anal aperture withfluorescent dyesto label responses.B/ lipoproteins are highly inflammatory and surfacestructures andmidgut incite this responsevia parrern recognition receprors cellsThe ticks were imaged live CDl4 and Toll-like receprors (TLR) I and 2; the latter 24hafIerinjection bylaser are from a family of highly conserved rransmembrane scanningconfocal fluorescent mrcr0sc0py receptors that have an essential role in the innate COURIESYR l\/ONTGOMERY immune defence against pathogens. Macrophages are the most efficienr cellular defence against spirochaetes LOWERLEFT: during the initial innate immune response:monocvtes Killingofspirochaetes by are lesseffective. macrophagesHuman macrophageswereincubated with unopsonized tilitlmportance of antibody for clearance by Bl After60 min incubationat37 "C samples polymorphonuclear leu (pM were kocytes N) stainedwith live/dead dye, red PMN in uitrobindBb by conventionalphagocytosis as indicatingkilled organisms. well asvia tube and coiling phagocytosis. Antibody is Notethe extensive killing by criticalfor the efficient clearance of Bbby pMN: while macrophagesevidentat the top surfaceofthe cells (a), the middle unopsonizedspirochaetes are poorly eliminated,pMN level(b) and adherent tothe clear opsonized spirochaetesrapidly. There is no coverslip(c). intracellular co-localizationof PMN granule products COURTESY R [/ONT8Ofi/ERY

*$$*:;sfs*$${$$.$q$--IoDAy voL3O/NoVOSIE by 'tTiTick sa Iiva a lters phagocyte f u nction BELOW: with spirochaetes;significant killing of spirochaetes immune system PMNmyeloperoxidase does PMN occurs extracellularly. PMN have abundant PMN are the first cells of the innate in the skin. notco-localize withspirochaetes. mechanisms for killing spirochaetes and eliminate Bb to arrive at the site of spirochaete deposition Freshhuman PMN incubated with to inhibit in some way using both oxidative and non-oxidative killing The saliva of lxodesticks is known oosonizedBbwerefixed aiter as do phagocytosis, granule releaseand superoxide production 60minutes anddouble-labelled mechanisms. PMN lysates krll Bb as effectively platelets in uitro ' lxodes withantibodies sPecific for intact PMN given opsonized spirochaetes' highlighting by PMN, as well as ^ggregation of and reduces myeloperoxidase(green)and the importance of granule proteins. In addition, the tick saliva also inhibits T cell proliferation (red),lmages obtained oxide and the spirochaetes abundant cytosolic protein calprotectin is also the production of cytokines and nitric usingconfocal microscoPY probably through chelation of Zn2*, an killing of spirochaetes by macrophages. Inhibitory demonstratethespread ofgranule bacteristatic, lxodes tick saliva include an anti- componentsoveran area fa essential cation for Bb. In contrast to the granule bioactivities of an antioxidant exceedingthat of two neighbouring components, which may require the environment of coagulant, prostaglan dinE2,kininase, (top proteins intactcells andright) the phagolysosome, caiprotectin can function as an and an anticomplement peptide. These salivary consistentwiththe extracellular by several extracellular anti-microbial factot. Indeed' elevated are now being thoroughly charactetized killingofspirochaetes (alsoknown asS100, MRP 8/14) are groups for potential therapeutic advantage. COURTESYR[/IONIGO[4ERY levelsof calprotectin noted in arthritic ioints. STheconundrum of persistentinfection $i Arthropod saliva modulates infection The easeof eliminat ion in uitro behes the persistence $7e have at present In natural infection, spirochaetes are delivered via an ofspirochaetes in the infected host' in the Further reading Ixodid tick vector in the presenceof saiiva, which forms a no explanation for the persistence ofspirochaetes the apparent immune Barthold, S.\(., de Souza, plug at the inoculation site. The local concentrations of host in proionged disease and tissue. Macrophages in uiuo in M.S.,Janotka,J.L., Smith, saliva in the skin may be quite high. The saliva of invisibility of Bb in inhibition of func- A.L. * Persing, D.H. (1993). hematophagous arthropods is a pharmacological arsenal infected animals display no global in activated in situ ChronicLyme borreliosis to aid in blood feeding by the vector (such vectors have tion; rather they are appropriately the laboratory rnouse.AmJ 'invertebrate tissues. In been called syringes')' Saliva contains and remain in a resting state in unaffected Patbol143,959-972. of mRNA potent activities that both reduce clotting and increase Lyme carditis, they produce increased levels appropriate Hirschfeld, M., Kirschning, vasodilation, as well as potent anti-inflammatofy for pro-infl ammatory cytokines, reflecting CJ., Schwandner, R.' that inhibit cellular immune responses, macrophage activation and display no evidence of 'Wesche, activities H., lVeis,J.H., including antigen presentation and IFNy-stimulated pressure toward immune down-regulation. \Zooten, R.M. & \feis, J J. phagocytes to HzOzrelease by human macrophages. The efficacy of the Tick saliva contributes to the failure of (1999.Cutting edge: Saliva's arthropod strategy can be seen as sandfly saliva allows a clear organisms from the skin in initial infection. inflammatory signaling by inoculum of infecting Leishmania organisms to inhibition of phagocyte function gives the infecting Borrelia burgdorferi smaller alarger lesion in the spirochaetes an initial advantage in evading the sentry lipoproteins is mediated by establish infection, encompassing Toll-l ike receptor2.rI 1 m m u nol mouse. Similarly, in early Lyme disease,there is a boost to phagocytes. them- T63,2382-2386. infection via tick delivery (over syringe inoculation), Persistence may depend on the spirochaetes the initial antibody response,presumably due to selves:there is evidence that spirochaetes down-regulate Lusitani, D.L., Malawista, altering their antigenic surface proteins or coat them with S.E.&Montgomery,R.R. the presence ofsaliva. proteins. Freeze fracture electron microscopy of B/ (2003).Calprotectin, an host proteins than on other abundantcytosolic protein reveals fewer surface-expressed from human polymorPho- spirochaetes, and an mRNA anay analysis of Bb nuclearleukocytes, inhibits lipoprotein genes during the course of murine infection thegrowth of Borrelia shows a reduction from 116 genes expressed to fewer bur gdorfa i . I nfexI mmun7 l, than 4O genes remaining at 30 days of infection , after 47rr4116. induction of adaptive immunity' The paradoxical Montgomery,R.R., persistence of spirochaetes in the host, despite Lusitani, D.L., de Boisfleury appropriate activation (or non-activation) of phagocytes, Chevance, A. & Malawista, remains mysterious. S.E.(2002). Fluman phagocyticcells in the early O Ruth Montgomeryis aSeniorResearch innate immune responseto Scientistin the Departmentof lnternalMedicine B orreliaburgdorfui.J Infex D u atYaleIJniversity Schoo/ of Medicine,333 Cedar t85,r173-1779. Sfreef,New Haven,CT06520-8031, USA. Ribeiro,J.M.& Tel.+1 203 785 7039;Fax *1 203 785 7053 (2OOr. Francischetti, I.M. emai I ruth.m ontg ome rY @Yale.ed u Roleofarthropod saliva in blood feeding:sialome and post-sialomeperspectives. AnnuReu Entomol48,7 3-88.

ms$*,$::fs:{rffi${'Ji*."'{i${$"$IODAYVOLS0/NOV03 T

Tick borne relapsingfiever in Tanania Sally J. Cutler & Alison Tal bert

asymptomatic villagers The2nd was presented; however, International only 7I-I % (6154) of Conferenceon febrile and 4.2 % (I3 I 307) tick-borne of afebrile children under 5 relapsing years of age were positive. fevertook $Thether this is sufficient placerecently in to maintain the infectious Africa,Sally Cutler cycle remains an open andAlison Talbert question. Certainly, these describesome of spirochaetes are able to thelatestfindings undergo antigenic vari- onthis life- ation, presenting different threatening variable membrane pro- disease. teins to the hosts' immune system. Molecular mechanisms of antigenic variation are also being studied, and Scientists and healthcare specialists working different variable membrane protein genes were towards the control of tick-borne relapsing reported. Furthermore, these spirochaetes have recently fever (TBRF) met recentlv in Mvumi. near been shown to bind soluble immune mediators such as Dodoma, Central Tanzania. This disease, caused by factor H and factor H-like protein. the spirochaete Borrelia duttonii and transmitted by A clear need for accurate surveillance to determine the TOPLEFT: Ornithodorosmoubata tick vectors, remains a significant size and extent of TBRF was demonstrated. Although Thesemi-arid savannah of Central causeof mortality and morbidity throughout much of funds for this are currently unavailable, data collection Tanzan ia. 'tembe'houses Tanzania. The traditional are frequently from selected regions could be collated. This, together BELOW: infested with the tick vector and the diseaseparticularly with further work to understand both spirochaete- Chickenroosting inthe kitchen affects young pregnant children and women, resulting in vector and host-spirochaete relationships, will allow areainside atraditional house. foetal loss and neonatal deaths (the perinatal mortality investigations on possible intervenrion strategies. Full rateis436per 1,000). details ofthe meeting can be viewed at www.ml'umi.org. P||OTOSSJ. CUTLER Delegates were updated on the number of casesin the Mvumi and Mwanza districts where the disease is O Dr Sally J. Cutler is endemic. The annual incidence in children in Mvumi researchteam leader in under a year is 384 per 1,000, and 163 per 1,000 iri the BacterialZoonoses children under ) years. However, little data are collated sectionof the on the local levels on disease for the remainder of D epartm e nt of Statutory Tanzania. and Exotic Bacterial Recent work on the tick vectors suggests that O. Dr'seases,Veterinary porcinas dontesticus may be the principal vector in LaboratoriesAgency, Tanzania. Phylogenetic analysis of ticks and patient WoodhamLane, New samples has indicated the presence of a novel borrelial Haw, Addlestone, species showing a closer resemblance to New \forld SurreyKTl5 3NB, UK. species than those present in Africa. The role of this Te\.01932357807 spirochaete in clinical diseasehas yet to be determined. FaxOl932 357423 Other studies on the possible extended reservoir for em ai I s.cutle r@vl a.d ef ra. this disease beyond man are currently underway. gsi.gov.uk Certainly, most other borrelial speciesexist with their C Dr Alison Talbertis a natural reservoir in either rodents or birds, the exceptions paediatricianin Mvumi being B. duttonii and B. recurrentis.Both rats and chickens Hospital,Mvumi, PO frequently share traditional tembe accommodation and Box32, Dodoma, consequently will have close proximity to the tick Tanzania. vectors. For man to serve as the sole reservoir, it would be expected that these spirochaetesshould persist at a site where they can be readily acquired by their arthropod vectors. Evidence ofspirochaetes present in the blood of

CrownO 2003(this article only) ss$sNsN$stussNroDAy vol30/Nov03 lM Emeqgi ng bartonellosis ChristophDehio & Anna Sander

Bartonellae are arthropod-borne pathogens of they causea long-lasting infection within the red blood growing medical importance . Until the early cells (intraerythrocytic bacteraemia). Blood-sucking 1990s, only two speciesof this bacterial genus, arthropod vectors transmit the bacteria from this reservoir B. bacillifurmis and B. quintana, were recognized as caus- to new hosts. Incidental infection ofnon-reservoir hosts ing diseasein humans. In addition to re-emergenceofthe (e.g. humans by the zoonotic species)may causedisease, human-specific B. quintana, a number of zoonotic but does not result in intraerythrocytic infection. Bartonella specieshave now been recognized as causative agents for a broadening spectrum ofdiseases that can be ,ii:iNatural history and epidemiology transmitted to humans from their animal hosts. Most Humans are the only known reservoir for two Bartonella prominently, B. henselaeis an important zoonotic species,B. bacillifurmis andB, quintana. pathogen that is frequently passed from its feline B. qaintanawas a leading causeof infectious morbidity reservoirto humans. among soldiers during \forld \Var I, and recurred on the Bacteria of the genus Bartonella are Gram-negative, East European front in \7orld \War II. The disease, pleomorphic, fastidious bacilli that belong to the cx-2 Trench fever, is rarely fatal and is characterizedby an subclass of Proteobacteria. All Bartonella species ^ppear intraerythrocytic bacteraemia with recurrent, cycling to have a specific mammalian speciesas a host, in which fever. It is transmitted among humans by the human body louse Pediculusharnanus. Although almost forgotten TahEe1 " Bartonellaspecies, their natural lesentoir, mode of by medical science since the end of World \Var II, B. transmission, and human diseases quintana re-emerged as an agent of disease among Bartonellaspecies Reseruoir Uector Humandiseases homeless people and those with a lowered immune response towards the end of the 2Oth century, exhibiting lluman-specificspecies : novel symptoms. B,bacilliformis Human Sandfly Carrion'sdisease: B. bacilliformi,i was described by the Peruvian 0royafever andrterruga peruana physician Alberto Barton In 1909. FIe observed the B,quintana Human Bodylouse Trench{ever,endocarditis, presence of intraerythrocytic bacilli in blood smears of bacillaryangiomatosis peliosis patients suffering from Carri6n's disease.This biphasic disease is transmitted by the sandfly Lutzomyia loonoticspecies: uerrxtcarumand occurs endemically in the valleys of the B,daridgeiae Cat Catflea CSD South American Andes of Peru, Columbia and Ecuador. B,elinbethae Rat Endocarditis,nettroretinitis The infection can manifest as the life-threatening condition called Oroya fever, where the patient suffers Bgrahanii Mouse,vole Neuroretinitis from anaemia and a high temperature. If the patient B,henselae Cat Catflea CSD,endocarditis, bacillary survives, this may be followed by a condition called angi0matosispeli0sis neur0retinitis verrugaperuana, which is a lessdangerous chronic illness * B,v i nsonii subsp,aru p e n si s Mouse Iicks Futlr,,bacteraemia chancterized by benign wart-like vascular lesions on the '8, skin. washoensii Groundsquirrels Myocarditis In recent years, the appreciation of the widespread Animal-specilic$pscie$r occurrence of Bartonella speciesin the bloodstream of B,alsatica Rabbit mammals has resulted in the description of severalnew B,birtlesii Mouse Bartonella species.In several instances this has allowed researchersto connect the presenceofthese bacteria with B,bovis(='6, weissii) Cattle/ cat human diseasesof previously unknown origin. Table 1 B.capreali Roedeer lists the 20 speciesof the genus Bartonella. So far, eight of B,chonelii Cattla them are known to be zoonotic species that can act as B,doshiae Vole pathogens in humans, although the preferred host is anothermammal. B,koehlerae Cat B,peronyni Deer,mouse :,i::iB, henselaei a maior zoonotic pathogen B,uhoenbuchensis Roedeer Deerked B. benselae(Fig. i) is the most important zoonotic species B,talpae Mole to causehuman disease.This pathogen is distributed worldwide and causesintraerythrocytic bacteraemia in B taylorii Mouse,vole the feline reservoir host. Between40 and 70 %oof cats B,tribocorun Rat living in warm, humid geographic regions have either an B,vi n so ni i subsp,be rkh offi i Dog Ticks active infection within their bloodstream, or have B,vi n s o n ii subsp.vin n nii Vole Voleear mite antibodies, indicating that they have been infected in the past. Feral cats are more likely to be infected than pet cats l"

ffi Pathogenesis UPPERLEFT: During infection of their mammalian hosrs, barronellae $$g-t. 0oloniesofB, henselae (large)and B, c I arri dg eiae (snall) migrate towards two cell types, the red blood cells isolatedfrom cat blood (erythrocytes) and the cells lining the blood vessels COURTESYA.SANDER (vascular endothelium). The invasion and long-lasting intracellular colonization of erythrocytes occurs LOWIRLEFT: exclusively in the normal reservoir host (i.e. humans for S$9"S. Regionalswelling ofthe B. bacilliformis andB. quintana; other mammals for other lymphnodes isa common clinical manifestationofCSD Bartonella species).In contrast, vascular endothelial cells COURTESYA SANDER are targets in both reservoir and incidental hosts, and their infection by bartonellae may result in the formation BELOW: of proliferative tumours. This ability to stimulate $$9.S. Colouredscanning uncontrolled growth of vascular tissue is unique ro electr0nmicr0graph ofB, henselae bartonellae. Cultured human vascular endothelial cells bacteria(blue) infecting ahuman cell(brown) provide an in aitro system to study the interaction of REPR0DUCEDFR0l'/DEHI0 fIl1., B. henselaewith the human vascular endothelium. I C,LL9Ct110,2141-2154 WtIHIHE The bacteriaare internalized by endothelial cells and KINDPER[/ISSION OFTHE CO[/PANY from the same region. Although some of these animals activate a proinflammatory phenotype. Moreover, OFBIOLOGISTS LTD may be bacteraemic over aperiod ofmore than 1 year,cats the infection inhibits programmed cell death (apoptosis) usually appear healthy and asymptomatic. Transmission and stimulates multiplication of the endothelial to humans occurs by the cat flea Ctenocephalidesfelis, or cells (Fig. l), thereby facilitating the formation of vaso- directly by cat scratch or bite. proliferative lesions. Recent evidence has demonstrated B, henselaecan cause a vafiety of clinical manifest- that most of these dramatic ations. Cat-scratch disease(CSD) was first described in changes in endothelial 19) 0 by the French physician Debr6 in patients suffering cell physiology are medi- from inflamed lymph nodes following cat scratches.CSD ated by bacterial proteins occurs worldwide inallage groups. In the US, B, benselae that are delivered into causes22,OOO diagnosed casesof CSD per year, requiring infected endothelial cells hospitalization of about lO % of the patients. Most cases by the bacterial type IV occur in October to March, when a closer and more secretion system VirB. prolonged contact with cats occurs indoors. Regional Since animal models of swelling ofthe lymph nodes (F15.2) is the most common Bartonella infection have clinical manifestation of CSD, but atypical symptoms shown that the VirB system with involvement of the eyes, liver, spleen, central is essential for establishing nefvous system, skin, bones or other ofgans may occui, an infection, and many of particularly in immunocompromised individuals. its components afe on the In recent yearc a large number of Bartonella infections bacteial cell surface, it of the heart (endocarditis) have been reported in the is a promising target for literature, indicating that it may cause34 % ofall cases. vaccine development. One Homeless and chronically alcoholic individuals are component of VirB, the particularly susceptible to the disease. In the immuno- 17 kDa antigen, has compromised, especially HIV-infected, patients aheady been shown to bacillary angiomatosis peliosis is the most common be immunogenic, and clinical manifestation of an infection with B. henselae. indicates a way forward. The symptoms are red, blood-filled lesions on the patient's skin due to proliferation of surface blood vessels, O Dr ChristophDehiors Assrsfant Professor for and resemble pyogenic granulomas, haemangiomas or MolecularMicrobiology atthe Biozentrumof the Kaposi's sarcoma. Un ivers ity of B asel, Switzerl an d. Laboratory diagnosis of B. henselaeand other B artonella Tel.+41 61267 2140;Fax+41 61 267 21 1B: infections uses the most recent developments in emai I chri stoph.de h io @un i bas.ch serological testing Iindirect immunofluorescent O Dr Anna Sanderis AssistantProfessor in Medical antibody assay,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay Microbiology,Department of Medical Microbiology (ELISA), $Testern blot analysisl, histopathological and Hygiene,University of Freiburg,Germany. investigation of lymph node specimens, skin biopsies, Tel.+49 761 203 6529: Fax+49 761 203 6529: or other clinical mateial, and PCR amplification of em ai I sander@ukl. u n i-frei bu rg.de B art oneI la DNA from human specimens.

w$sffisffi$wesffiw roDrv vol3o/NovotsIE Thesignificance of genetic contrcl inTSEs WilfredGoldmann

Arewildlife Transmissiblespongiform encephalopathies relevant tissues is currently not known. Secondary that PrP protein has to have a speciesless prone (TSEs), also called prion diseases, are susceptibility stipulates agefit is not a susceptible amino acid sequence.The PrP protein gene to TSEdiseases uncoriventionaldiseases. The incubation periods can be contains about 2J5 codons. It is well conserved with thandomesticated standard micro-organism, several years and the most characteristic pathology is common motifs found in PrP of very divergent genera. animals? the accumulation of the prion protein, PrP. TSEs are Amino acid vadations are. however, common which WilfredGoldmann endemic in domestic sheep (scrapie) and have been makes it difficult to predict changes relevant to TSEs. assessesthe latest naturally transmitted to cattle (bovine spongiform Despite this, definitions of susceptible sequencemotifs findingson PrP encephalopathy, BSE) and experimentally transmitted to have emerged. genedependent laboratory rodents. In humans they occur sporadically as Fortunately, sheep represent an excellent model for susceptibility. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease(CJD). studying the link between genetic control of disease \7hen BSE began to infect first hundreds and then and the many variants of the PrP gene (PrP alleles). thousands of cattle in the UK, the question arose why More than 20 ruminant PrP alleles have been described; this new form of TSE had affected cattle to this extent, several show major, some very subtle, effects on suscepti- but not other farmed species such as pigs. \7hy did bility. They are almost ali associated with single almost a hundred domestic cats develop a feline TSE, but amino acid substitutions. For example, the amino acid no dog was ever diagnosed with a TSE? Is there a method glutamine is encoded at codon 17 1 of sheep PrP and can to predict the TSE susceptibility of any mammal, be linked to susceptibility. If however arginine is whether domesticated or wildlife? Research into encoded at position 177,as found in sheep, resistanceis scrapie and CJD is helping us to answer these important conferred. Most importantly, this effect is dominant, so questions. Crucially, it is now known that the suscepti- that, i.e. heterozygous glutamine/arginine genotypes are bility to disease and the long incubation periods are less susceptible than glutamine/glutamine genotypes. under strong genetic control ofthe PrP gene. Higher resistance of heterozygous PrP genotypes has PrP gene dependent susceptibility operates at two also been shown for codon I29 ]n human TSEs. These levels. Primary susceptibility demands that the sequence positions and genotypes appear to be of organism produces the PrP protein. It was shown that fundamental importance for assessing or predicting BELOW: gene cannot susceptibility. ThePrP protein structure is partly transgenic mice without functional PrP describedwhich helps tolink the develop experimental disease and it is reasonable to Having demonstrated in sheep that the amino acid at positionofamino acid changes assume that this resistancewould apply to scrapie and codon 171 is crucial for the development of scrapie,it is toprotein associatedwithdisease other natural TSEs. Are there any mammalian species of great interest to analyse which other species are structureAmino acid positions PrP gene? The answer is no for alI I2O polymorphic at or near to the 171 position. Arginine at geneticallyvariable tnsheep are that do not have a but significantly highlightedincolour. mammals of many gener:-that have been analysed so far. 171 has not yet been found in wildlife, COURTESYWGOLD[/IANN Whether functional PrP protein is always present in the humans encode a different amino acid in this position (glutamic acid). \Thether this is a result of genetic selection, which makes us less susceptible but not quite resistant to TSEs, remains to be investigated. The PrP genetics in wildlife are mostly unknown as often only one or very few samples are analysed. From the few available data it appears however that genetic variation of PrP in wildlife speciesis common. Keeping in mind that heterozygosity in the PrP locus is advantageous with respect to TSEs, one may speculate that a lower susceptibility is a consequence. Many years ago it was proposed that the TSE agent is ubiquitous, consequently every mammal may be exposed to it, but only a few are susceptible to disease.If this were the casewe might expect to seethe PrP gene sequence evolved into a semi-resistant form, which remains only susceptible to new strains of the TSE agent. Most speciesmay be genetically resistant to the extent that epidemic outbreaks are less likely, although individual cases may still occur. If this resistance is overcome by the change of environmental factors (i.e. feeding practice), epidemics such as BSE in cattle result. Except for chronic wasting diseasein American deer. TSE-like diseaseshave so far not been observed in

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Science Policy SGMhas been responding to consultationdocuments and helpingto shapescience policy in the UK,Reports have nowappeared on the followingtopics, InSpring 2003, the Departmentfor Environment,Food and RuralAffairs(DEFRA), in collaborationwith the Scottish Executiveand the Welsh Assembly Government, consulted on preparing an Animal HealthAnd WelfareStrategy for GreatBritain. The resultantstrategy is iniendedto reduce the economic,social and environmental impact of animal diseasesand improve the welfareof all animalskept by man (www.def ra,gov. uk,/an im al h,/ahws/d ef au lt, htm). SGM alsocontributed to the RoyalSociety consultation on Me as u r i n g Bi o d i vers i ty f or conse rvati on (www.royal soc. ac,uk/tem plates,/statements,/StatementDetai ls.cfm ?state mentid:232),The loss of specieshas accelerated over the last2OO years and effective methods of measuringbio- diversity,based on soundscience, are urgentlyneeded to monitorchanges in the stateof life on earth.The main recommendationof the reportis the routineapplication of a framework,developed for selectingand undertaking appropriateways of measuringbiodiversity. The report also callsfor the crucialmerging of biodiversityinformation to makescattered data, held globally in museums,libraries andinformal records, more readily available and useful, The Houseof LordsSelect Committee on Scienceand Technologyheld a consultationon Fiqhting lnfection (www.publ ications.parl iament,uk/ pa/ld2oo2}d /ldselecV ldsctech,/13Bl1 3801.htm). Infectious disease is wildlife. Based on our experience with domestic animals ABOVE: a sionifi- cantcause of humanillness and death and the the main reason may well be strong genetic resistance Geneticdiversity inthe PrP gene "r"rg6n.u protectspopulations of new infections,such as SARS,causes widespread due to the prevalence ofhighly resistant PrP sequences. fromTSEs. In thegreen population allindividuals anxietyand affects international travel and trade. Services This could have come about due to the factthatananimal areofthe same PrP genotype (a/a) expeciedto protectthe populationfrom both common with a neurological diseasebecomes easierprey. It would andmany will succumb todisease and moreunusual infections are under-resourcedand represent a stronger selection pfessure on the genetic (whitesheep), Inthe blue over-stretched.Recommendations from the reoortinclude im provi n g collaborative ps background than exists in domesticated species. populationheterozygous genotypes relationshi acrossthe various (a/f)decreases theoverall disease healthservices (including international services), ensuring But more subtle genetic modulations may be equally rateThe yellow population isfree there are sufficient,well-trained health professionals, effective. PrP variants may have evolved in wildlife ofdisease asthe reslstant allele fundingfor researchto providean evidencebase for that led to an extension ofincubation periods beyond (f)dominates thegenepool improvingthe diagnosis,treatment, prevention and control the normal lifespan. This effect would certainly be more COURTESYWGOLDMANN of infections,secure supplies of vaccinesin case of evident in wildlife than in domestic or laboratory epidemicsand the provisionof clearadvice and informa- public. animals, which have a longer life expectancy. Sfhat is tionto the the likelihood that wildlife represenrs a reservoir of new SGM hasalso submitted responses to two furtherconsul- TSE agent strains? N7e cannot answer this with our tationdocuments;the final reports are pending. current scientific knowledge, but research into the TheRoyal Society called for evidenceon the detectionand significance of non-clinical carriers of infection in sheep decontaminationof chemical and biological weapons, The is underway and will provide important answers in the workinggroup set upfor thisstudy will use the evidence future. submittedto identifycutting edge science and technology thatmight practically be appliedto detectionand decon- taminationin the future. O DrWilfred Goldmannis a SeniorResearch Sci e nti st at the Ne u ro path o g en e s i s Un it, In stitute TheFood Standards Agency (FSA) consulted on the strat- egy for the control forAnimal Health, Edinburgh,EHg 3J F, UK. of Campylobacterinchickens. The FSA hasa targetto reducethe incidenceof humanfood-borne Tel.0131 6675204 diseaseby 20 % by April 2006. Campylobacferis the emaiI wilf red.g ol d man n @bbs rc.ac. u k greatestchallenge as far as thistarget is concernedand thereis strongevidence that the mostsignificant route by whichpeople are exposedto Campylobacter is through chicken. C Faye lones, Public Affairs Administrator

ffi $sffisffi ${$ilsffi\eIoDAY VOL3O/NOVGm Prions inthewild: CWDindeerandelk ElizabethWilliams & MichaelMiller

'mad wasting No - it is not deer disease'or bovine Chronic (BSE) and disease(CWD) is a spongiform encephalopathy in deer elk. But chronic wasting disease(C\fD) TSEthat affects prion diseasesknown as ofthe belongs to the same group of members the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies(TSEs)' deerfamily in North C\7D is a prion disease that seems to be specific to America.ltis the cervids (members of the deer family) in western and onlvTSE known to midwestern North America. Although the origin of the ociurin free- diseaseis not known it appears to be related to a disease ranginganimals, called scrapie ofdomestic sheep and goats. BethWilliams and \7hile it may appear that CWD is an emerging MichaelMiller infectious diseasein wildlife becauseof all the concern describethe about the TSEs worldwide, it is not a new disease'CN7D epidemiologyof has been present in parts of Colorado and \Tyoming in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States for CWD,how it human-assisted movement of more than 30 years and probably considerably longer North America through andwhy it Instances of possible spreads than that. It is only within the last decade, essentially captive animals in commerce' from wild animals to captive isso unusual, since BSE was found in the UK, that there has been much transmission of CNflD been observed, although interest in CWD other than by a few wildlife managers animals and vice-versa have movement of a disease and scientists. But with surveillance programmes definitively documenting wild animals is extraordinarily detecting CS7D in new locations in North America and through populations of increasing numbers of affected animals being diagnosed, difficult. C\fD has become a concern to wildlife managers, hunters, conservationists and the general public' ,s,Transmission Understanding how an infectious disease is naturally .$ EpidemiologY transmitted is important for developing control Likeall of theTSEs, C\fD is a diseaseof adults'Most and eradication strategies. Tracking the routes of animal TSEs, scrapie and clinically affected deer and elk are 3-7 yearcof age; both transmission of two similar to scientists' Scrapie has males and females become ill, although the males (buck C\fD, has been a challenge and it is only within the last deer and bull elk) are more likely to be affected in free- been known for centuries techniques, that rangingpopulations than are the females (doe deer and few years, with improved diagnostic a scrapie-infected ewe has cow elk). Both native species of deer in North America, contact with placenta from for transmission within mule deer (Odocoileushernionus; they are called mule deer been found to be important direct (animal to animal) because they have big egrs) and white-tailed deer flocks. The contribution of horizontal (Odocoileusuirginianus; called white-tailed deer because or indirect (environmental contamination) is not clear. In they have distinct white tails that they'flag'when they routes of transmission in scrapie to move between animals are running) are susceptible and seem to be the primary contrast, C\fD appears 'wapiti', doe to fawn (maternal hosts. EIk (Ceruaselaphus nelsoni; also called differently. Transmission from C\7D epidemics, but ^ name given to them by native Americans) are also transmission) does not drive appearsto be critical. This susceptible. Elk are closely related to the red deer of rather horizontal transmission of C\7D epidemics Europe (multiple subspecies of Ceruuselapbas)' C$fD is observation suggests that control and free-ranging not seasonaland affected animals m y ^ppear at any time will be difficult both in captive of the year. However, in the wild, casesare more often situations. the C\(D agent get from one observed during the fall and winter due to an increase in But exactly how does the presence of agent in visibility and possibly the stressful effects of winter animal to another? Based on ttact, excretion weather and shortage of fonge. lymphoid tissues lining the alimentary route to the external Because of the way that cervids arc man ged in in saliva andlor faecesseems a likely deer or elk could North America there are two related but different on- environment where a susceptible herds, it is also possible going epidemics of CWD' First, free-ranging deer and become infected. In free-ranging '07yoming, of C\WD-affected deer and elk in parts of Colorado, and Nebraska that decomposing carcasses agent in brain and maintain CS7D in their populations. The disease is elk, containing high titres of CS7D of agent for other TOPRIGHT: probably slowly spreading through natural movements spinal cord, could sefve as a source possibilities; but as with Asection ofbrain from a mule of animals as they mrgrateand disperse. The other C\flD animals. \7e are studying these Thered-staining deerwith CWD may have a common origin with the most TSE animal research,patience is necessarydue to aroundthe large neurons epidemic, which material very long incubation periods characteristic ofthese isdisease-associated PrP. disease in free-ranging deer and elk, is occurring in the COURTESYE.WILLIA[/IS privately owned game-fatmed animals (primarily elk)' diseases.

IERt$*lf,':$R*\ffi$*b$"-*${X\''TODAYVOL30/NOV03 ffiffiwffi IT Shore

TOPLEFT: Healthyfree-ranging mule deer Biologyof livingFungi CD-R0M 0L]cKs. dffi te FungalCellBiology Group atthe University ofEdinburgh, in ffi W assoctationwiththe British Mycological Society, hasdeveloped LEFT: onCD-R0M Asubclinically CWDaffected acompilation ofmovies that illustrates keyaspects ofthe cell captiveelk biologyofliving filamentous fungi,Ihe movies have been obtained using confocalmicroscopy andshowtime-lapse sequences andthree- PHOTOSEWILLIA[/S dimensionalreconstructions offungal cells $ained with fluorescent dr7es and/orexpressing 0FP Theaim ofthis publication isto provide avaluable resource andpowerful educationaltoolshowing thedynamic nature offungal cells. The target audienceisanyone interested infungal biology, particularly students and thoseteaching mycology,Ihe movies canbe readily imported into MicrosoftPowerpoint@ presentations. {l*'Whyis CWDso unusual? Clickon wwwfungalcell.org to previewthepackage, which costs 120 (incl, UK pA p), 0rder via the CS7D is a unique member of the TSEs. It is the only TSE website, known to occur in free-ranging animals. That leads to some significant difficulties in trying to manage and eradicate it. Free-ranging deer and elk in western North AnIntroduction toPractical Microbiology ffi.-, America are found at relatively low densities spread over ffifhis DVDhas been produced atManchester Metropolitan large tracts of private and public land which vary from W UniversitybySGM Education Group Convener, Professor Jo suburban to wilderness. Deer and elk in North America Verran,withthe assi$ance ofsome ofher students andDean Madden of are publicly owned and the public has mixed feelings theNCBE, ltincludes a30 minute film with commentary describing basic about how CSTD should be managed. Thus there is no laboratoryskillsin microbiology suchas aseptic technique, making streak consensus among all concerned entities on how to platesand Gram staining, Alsoplayable inchapters, itis accompanied bya address this diseaseor that C\fD is even a problem that 36-pagecolourtextin PDFformatwhich canbe printed off, requires active management. Ttansmission of C\(D appears to be highly efficient Ihispackage issuitable forall beginners inpractical microbiology, in comparison with other animal TSEs, resulting in includingschool students, Theprice is130, Contact JoVenan forfurther prevalences of greater than 90 % in some densely information:j.verran @mmu.ac.uk confined deer and elk populations. Another important difference is that susceptibility of sheep to scrapie is MushroomsinAft Registry modulated by genetic factors; these do nor seem to play a ffi anvnnpinforoctod inlhg COnneCtiOn OfpeOple Ofdifferent very ffi" "''.:l""'"", significant role in epidemics of C$flD in deer and W cultureswith mushrooms learnsthat, until modern times, there "1""" aremany gaps inour knowledge, 0nthe assumption thatpaintings may C\7D presents many challenges to wildlife managers, yielduseful information aRegistry ofMusltroons inArthasbeen compiled, scientists, regulatory agencies, and the general public. Further ltspurpose is'to contributetothe understanding oftherelationship As with any disease thar has potential negative rcading betweenmushroons andpeople asreflected inworks of implications for populations of wild animals or for Miller, M.\W. & \Tilliams, artfron different historicalperiods,andto pmvide human or domestic animal health, developing E.S.(2003). Prion disease: enjoynenftoanyane interested inthe approaches to management or eradication is complex. HorizontaIprion rransmission subjed. in mule deer.Nature 425, Many agencies and scientists have recently turned their TheRegi$ry includes about 600 entries, mainly European paintings 5>-16. anda attention to the study of CNTD; no doubt important fewtapestries. ltis subdivided intoart periods, ataxonomic listing, works insights into the epidemiology, transmission and control Villiams, 8.S., Yuill, T., depictingvendors andkitchen scenes, andpeople collecting mushrooms, Artois, M., of this diseasewill be forthcomins. Fischer,J. & TheRegi$ry, which issponsored by Haigh,S.A. (2002). theNorth American Mycological Stay tuned. Emerging infectiousdiseases Association,canbe fou nd at http//members,cox,net/tnttshroomsinarU in wildlife. .lcl TecbRw I nt Off Formany entries there are links towebsites where reproductions canbe O Dr Elizabeth Williams is a diagnostic Epizootics21, 139-157 . found,Suggestions forfurther entries arewelcome, Contactthe curators: veterinarypathologist and wildlife veterinarianat ElioSchaechter (mschaech@sunstroke,sdsu,edu), IjakkoStijve the Universityof Wyoming,Laramie, Wyoming, \Tilliams, E. S.,Miller, (tjakko.stijve@bluewin,ch)orHanns Kreisel (Hanns,[email protected]). USA. M.$/., Kreeger, TJ., Kahn, R.H. & Thorne, (2002). [email protected] E.T. Chronicwasting disease of O Dr Michael Miller is awildlife veterinarianwith deerand elk: a reviewwith the Colorado Division of Wildlife, FortCollins. recommendationsfor Colorado,USA. management.J Vildl Manag emai I mi ke.m i | | e [email protected]. us 66,55r-563.

*\$$#ffi#$$$fli!$-S:l$i1fl IODIIYVOLS0/NOVOSIE New Members of Council and Editor ol Microbiology Today Group Gommittees 2OO3 O Councilwelcomed Dr GavinThomas, who takes up hisnostas Fditorlrom QSpnlemhcrand:noointed himas Gouncil a memberof Council. The outgoing Editor, Dr Meriel Jones, Followingthe call for nominations tofillthree vacancies for elected members of Council said she had eninved he r timp in thp ioh and wished her anda ballotof allordinary members of theSociety, the following have been elected to serve successofwell for his f utureterm, for4 yearsfrom 9 September2003: Attendance at CRAC Graduate Schools ProfessorLorna A. Casselton Universityof Oxford O Councilaooroved a recommendation from Treasurer's ProfessorNicholas H. Mann UniversityofWarwick Comm ittee that Postg rad uate Student Mem bers, who are ProfessorTony C, M inson Universityof Cambridge ineligiblefor f unding from Research Councils or other Biographiesofthe new Members p. studentshrp-awardingbodies to attend CRAC Graduate Council appearon 175. Schools,could in f uture apply to the President's Fund for A profileof DrGavin Thomas, new Editor of MicrobiologyTodaycanalso be found on p. 175. suooort.This would be in addition to the member's entitlementtoa normal grant (see p.177 for details), Groups (Clinical H EFCE Gonsultation on Postgraduate NewCommittee Members elected by postal ballot Microbiologyand Virus Research Degree Programmes Groups)or elected unopposed (all other Groups) to servefor 3 yearsf rom9 September 2003 areas followsr O Councilagreed that the H EFCE document encapsulated common practice, but noted that there was need for a good Cells & Gell Surfaces balancebetween postgraduates and postdoctoral fellows K,A,Homer King'sCollege London inany research grouping, and the need for f lexibility of M.P,Stevens lAH,Compton internretationof the A-uear r-nmnletinnrr rle Someconcern LC,Sutcliffe University of Northumbria wasexpressed that there was no mention of outputs, such ^^rL-^ ^"^^^+^+i^^ *tet Glinical Microbiology dJ lIu u UULldltut I lIc studentsshould oublish research 0aoersf rom theirwork, M.R.Barer Un iversity of Leicester S,C,Clarke Meningococcus/PneumococcusLab,Glasgow SGM and the media GlinicalVirology O Councilwaspleased to hearthatCouncil and Society membershad received extensive coverage on Slovenian J.Breuer St Bartholomew'sHospital, London televisionduring the recent FEMS Congress in Llubljana. P Mackie RoyalHospital for Sick Children, Glasgow PS.Rice StGeorge's Hospital, London Enhancements to the SGM joulnals website S.J,Skidmore Princess Royal Hospital, Telford O Councilnoted that a numberof enhancements had H.J,O'Neill has taken over as Group Convener beenordered for our journals at the HighWire site and Education & flaining - No vacancies thesewould be installed indue course. They include Environmental Microbiology enablingGoogle to searchfull-text articles and enhancementstothe home and archive pages. LM,Head Un ivers ity of Newcastle G,l.Paton Universityof Aberdeen Retiring members of Gouncil D.A,Pearce BritishAntarctic Survey, Cambridge O Councilwaschaired forthe lasttime by ProfessorSir Eukaryotlc Microbiology - lVovacancies David Hopwood,who thankedthe retiring elected Fermentation & Bioprocessing - 1 vacancy members,ProfessorColin Howard andProfessor Dave Kelly,fortheir contributions during theirterms. He R,Dennett EdenBiooharm, Ellesmere Port alsothan ked the outgoi ng Editorof Microbi ol ogy Tod ay, PA,Hoskisson Johnlnnes Centre, Norwich Dr Meriel Jones,for her excellent work leading the in- Food & Beverages - /Vovacancies houseteam to producea mostattractive magazine, which lrish Branch hrnr rnht'':J'"*' nreat credit to SG M. Cou ncil members exnressed theirappreciation for Professor Hopwood's contribution C,L,Lowery Universityof UlstelColeraine overhis 3 yearsof office by a roundof applause. S,G.Smith TrinityCollege Dublin O Alan Vivran,General Secretary Microbial Infestion N.PMinton Oueen'sMedical Centre, Nottingham K.Robinson University of Nottingham Physiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics Doyou have a posttofill? G,WBlack Universityof Northumbria Areyou seeking ajob or a PhD studentship? Systematics & Evolution S,PCummings Universityof Sunderland job SGM canhelp! Microbiology vacancies,studentships N,A.Logan GlasgowCaledonian University andpostdocs are now advertised on the SG N/ website. J.O.Mclnerney NationalUniversity of lreland,Maynooth Thisnewservice iscurrentlyfreeforSGM members. See H.J,Rolph GlasgowDentalSchool theSG M Uobs'page to browsethe latest vacancies or find out how to advertise a post. Follow the links from Virus the' Noticeboard' pag e atvuvuw.sgm.ac.ukl N.M,Almond NlBSC,PottersBar noticeboard.cfm. For f urth e r in f orm ati o n contact D,J.Blackbourn Insiituteof Virology,Glasgow FayeJones (flones@sg m.ac.u k). L,K.Dixon lAH,Pirbright G.W.G.Wilkinson UniversityofWales College of Medicine,Cardiff m TODAYVOL30/NOV03 New Elected Members of Gouncil

Wgt'qm$wws$Ftrffis-ep1$qmws*s;g$.-ffisw*gwWx.qs.w*.wffi,$s$* LL-w*wwxm $$$q*fu$Wwwxwx ffiN$l*xwwwx ffimwwqs$'R.wmmNickMann trained initially TonyMinson graduated Lornagraduated in Botany asa biochemistat the inMicrobiologyatthe at UniversityCollege Universityof Liverpooland Un iversity of Birmingham Londonand continued in becameinterested in in 1965 and,as a post- thesame departmentto do cyanobacteriathrough a graduate,studied the herPhD and postdoctoral finalyear research project controlof histidine researchin fungal genetics, oncyanobacteria(then synthesisin Neurospora After25 yearsteaching knownas blue-green algae) C rass a allhe J o hn Cu r1i n geneticsat OueenMary inthe laboratoryof Noel MedicalSchool, Australian CollegeLondon, she Carr,This led on to PhD NationalUniversity. decidedin 1991 to devote researchin the same Interactionswith members hertimetoresearch and laboratory. of FrankFenner's movedto Oxfordwhere she Thefirst postdoctoral deoadmentat the John Curlinstimulated helda ResearchFellowshio positionwas as a Guinness his interest fromBBSRCfoT 10vears. Fellowin the Chemical invirology and in 1970 hereturned Sheis now Emeritus MicrobiologyUnit at Oxford to N$wwwww$ffiffiww.xfussw"w Birmingham joined Professorof Fungal Universityworking with and Peter TheSociety notes with regret the deathof Professor GeneticsatOxford and was ProfessorJoel Mandelstam Wildy'sdepartment to initiate E.Glyn V. Evans (Membersince1986). awardeda Leverhulme FRSon Bacillussubtilis a programmeof EmeritusFellowsh io this sporulation,This was researchon tobacco rattle year. followedbyaspellatthet virusin collaboration with GrahamDarby. N$m$$Nqsru.w"w Therehas only been Universityof Leedsin the onefungus in Lorna'slife - laboratoryof DrSimon In1976 he moved to Con g ratulati o ns to Professio nal Aff airs Ad mi n i strato r, Conrinuscinereus.Her Baumberg,atthetime Cambridgewith Peter Wildy Fayefones, whomarried Neil Stokes in Aberdeen on 30 gene researchin recentvears when cloningwas andbegan work on the August.The happy couple spenttheir honeymoon cruising just hasfocused on disiecting starting,expressi ng biologyand pathogenesis o.f theMediterranean and will make their home in Reading. B.subtilisgenesinE coL herpessimplex viruses, the thecomplex mating type Weare subiectwhich has remained sorrytosaygoodbye totwo membersof theJGV systemof this fungus and Finally,a permanent editorialteam theiocusof hisresearcn. whohave done sterling workto contribute to unravellingthe molecular positionarrived in the journal. In thesuccess of the DeputyManaging Editor basisof materecognition, formof a lectureshipin 1991 hewas aooointed ProfessorofVirology Gatherine Tarbatt is movingon to a postin medical Withits genomic sequence BiologicalSciencesat communicationsand staff editorLucia Primavesi has nowavailable, her current Warwick.Des pite tem porary andhas recently been apoointedPro-Vice decidedto go backto the bench,She will be working as a interestis in developing the excursionsinto areas such postdoctoralresearcher at IACRRothamsted, necessarytools for genome asplasmid biology,the Chancellor,He hasserved asa memberof analysis.She is doing this in researchreturned to the SGM collaborationwith the primaryinterest in Council,as a memberof mushroomresearch g roup cyanobacteriaandhas theGoverning Body of the Institute for Animal at Horlicultu ral Research remainedthere ever since. Health International, Wel les bou rne, andas a memberofthe Technical Sub-committee of theACG M, He was elected a Fellowof the Academv of Medical Sciences in 2002.

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To submitted im mediately, signedstatement that you arecurrently unemployed ExecutiveSecretary, m hlil$$it'i;:r*.H,iijl,if!I,$;,li :i;;['i$'"IoDAYVoL30/Nov03 Detailsof allgrant schemes are available on the SG M Grcnts website at www.sg m.ac"uk. Please con s u lt th ese g-g1 g, "R* beforemaking an application, You can download the P;ti il$l$,*:$ l:'E $ applicationforms forschemes wherethese are required, .Nw**vx$xxww' $illl,iili"tiu$ Clickon the'Grants and Funding'button for details' Nps*w*m$*"s$N*s ThePresident's Fund offers Anyenquiries should be made tothe Grants Office, SG M, Nwswx$-R$St{S,Is**'* financial suppotl to younger MarlboroughHouse, Basingstoke Road, Spencers Wood, |&H,*.{n*-":$. membersof the Societyfor ReadinqRG7 1 AG [Tel: +44 (0)11 8 988 1821; oneof thefollowing: Fax:++Z (0)1 1 8 988 5656;email: grants@sgm,ac,ukl. Thepurpose ofthe SeminarSpeakersFund 1. 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Applications on behalfof named accommodation, expenses visits research studentsare now invited from SGM members in higher of an invitedspeaker. See .i iR,:1S .-, ;$ir:'-.lr*:l{$g*r $hjt**:i:ili"!!iir:$i!educationinstitutions and research institutes, Details and websiteforfull rules. applicationforms are available on the website. Applicationswill be dealt Maximumgrants are: withon a f irstcome, f irst Theclosing date for applications is27 February 2OO4. 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A form can also be downloaded Areyouplanning any Thehost institution may be fromthe SGM website, projectsto promotethe overseasor inthe country of publicunderstanding of residence. microbiology?Have you got Allapplicants must be $.-$rs,1s,s$s.i{gwws$s.x,ffiilgwN$wxp.wxfux,*uq-$,ssN,ku a NationalScience Week residentand registered for a S-*$-*ffiss' eventin mind? SG M can higherdegree, or in afirst help,Grants of upto postdoctoralposition, in a Thescheme to encourageexcellence in the study of S1,000are availableto countryin the European microbiologyby undergraduate students continues to be f und appropriate activities. Union.Only one application wellreceived in universities inthe U K andRepublic of Applicationsare considered maybe made to thefund Ireland. Institutions offeri n g anappropriate m icrobiology ona f irstcome, f irstserved prize, duringthe term of a coursewereinvited to nominateastudentforan SGM basisthroughoutthe studentshipor fellowsh ip. basedon good performance in microbiology inthe carenoaryear, Thefull rules of the scneme penultimateyear of studyfor a BSc.The department was arepublished on the SG M ableto choosethe type of assessedwork f orwh ich the website,from which prizewas awarded. Of the 64 departmentscirculated, 53 prizewinnerwill ffiww**$wwN applicationforms may be madenominations. Each receivea downloaded, certificate,a cheque for S,1 OO and a year'sf ree NSw*wxNss,ww UndergraduateMembership of theSociety. $i$*tvlsi {RwmweSw UndergraduateMicrobiology Prizes will be awarded Thesecoverthe costs of of upto S300 are Grants annuallyand the invitations for nominations in2004 will accommodationand the availablefrom the now becirculated next May. Details are also available on the SocietyDinner for Retired Fundto attenda President's SGMwebsite. Membersof theSociety in School.See UK GRAD attendingone SGM meeting (p,1 82) for details Gradline eachyear, An application usefulcourses. of these formis on the website,

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'..: ...:.'. t""." .. . ': '.:',',.t 1 '..r "." ':. ': '. - ' :" .. .' .t: the web O Other symposia ,:!i::Fundafi'tental and Meetlngs on and workshops appliedaspects of Forup-to-date information on futureSociety meetings bacterialtoxins ,rri'Surface mediators I andto bookon-line see:www.sgm.ac.uk MicrobialInfection Group Cells&Cell Surfaces Group April OPlenary:Microbe- 31March-1 30March 0 Sparagano vector interactions (nicky.high@0rganizers: 0rganizers:NJ High (olivier.sparagano@nclacuk) & Meetings organization invector.borne man.acuk)& D.G,E Smith NFairweather (nfairweather@ TheSGM meetings programmes are organized bythe diseases ([email protected] acuk) icac uk) committeesof ihespecial inierest groups, co-ordinated 29-30March iiir infections bytheScientific Meetings Officer, Professor Howard lmported ;iir,RNA-protein 0rganizers:S.HGillespie, HE Jenkinson. Suggestions for topicsfor f uture sym posia ClinicalMicrobiology interactionsinthe Jenkinson,A.0sbourn PC.F, 0y$on arealways welcome, See p, 203 for contactdetails of Group/British Infection Society ofgene aR E. Randall regulation GrouoConveners, 31March-1 Aprll expressron O Speakers Administrationof meetingsis carried out by Mrs 0rganizer:SH, Gillespie Physiology,Biochemistry & fosiane Dunn at SGM Headquarters,Marlborough 29March ([email protected]) MolecularGenetics Group Reading House,Basingstoke Road, Spencers Wood, B[/AHY(NCID USA) :il:Healthcare- 31March-1 April (Tel,01 189885656; RG71AG 18988 1805; Fax0'l Vector-bornediseas"s associatedvirus 0rganizer:LStansfield [email protected],uk). SRANDOLPH (0xford) infections (i$ansfield@abdn acuk) Evolutio n of tick-b orne d i seases ClinicalVirology Group ,:ii!,,Cli n ical d iag nostics : S.BLANC (lVlontpellier, France) 30March currentapplications Offered papers and posterg lnsect[ransmission 0rganizer:BCohen andfuture prospects ManyGroups organize sessions forthe presentation of SWDING(Riverside USA) (bernardcohen@hpa,org uk) Systematics&Evolution and papers allowintercalated papers within their gene shortoral or lnteractivesilencing ofhost ,iilriBored with the ClinicalMicrobiology Groups postersare welcome at allSociety symposia,Offered expression sameold culture? 29-30March meetings, A,GBARB0UR (lrvine USA) lnoculatenew lifeinto 0rganizers;R.AWhiley (rawhiley@ Reducingtheprevalence ofBorrelia yourclassroom! qmulac,uk), SClarke ($uart clarke Offered posters inticks Education&Training Group @northglasgow.scotnhsuk) S H R.MELLI0TT(Glassow) Gillespie([email protected] ac,uk) Eachposter should be associated either with the Plenary 31March (gerry the Bu nyav iru s / no s q u ito inte racti on s &G. Saddler saddler@sasa Sessiontopic or with a Group.The subject content of 0rganizers:lVl.RAdams gsi.gov,uk) lattershould be relevantto the remitof a Group(see SHIGGS (Texas, USA) (m.adams@surrey,ac uk) websitefor details);it doesnot have to relateto thetopic Howdo vectors livewith their H.JSears (h.jsears@leeds,ac.uk) *::,Viruses ofthe Group Symposium taking place at a particular viruses? &J Verran(j verran@mmu acuk) andsignalling meeting,General Offered Posters will not be accepted. (Symposium1) SWEAVER(Texas) 'i$:;lThe role and In d u cti on of vector con p etence impactof fungion VirusGroup 30March biogeochemical 29-30March Abstracts P[/lELLOR (Pirbrisht) cycles 0rganizers:W.S. Barclay (w,s.barclay@readingacuk Titlesand abstracts for allpresentations are required Clinaticchange EnvironmentalMicrobiology )& Leppard(keith.leppard formatand should be submitted through the andEukaryotic Microbiology K.N. @ ina standard N.RATCLIFFE (Swansea) warwickac.uk) SGM website,Deadlines for submissions are published in lnnunesystems tnvectors Groups/British Mycological MicrobiologyTodayandon the web.Forfurther Society :i:.,Viral SMACFARLANE(SCRI Dundee) hepatitis inf orm ati on contactthe EventsAd m i n istrato r' (Symposium lVem ato de t r a n s n i s s io n 31March-1 April 2) 0rganizer:G[/. Gadd VirusGroup M,JTAYL0R(Liverpool) (g,mgadd@dundee ac.uk) Wolb ach ia host- symb iont 1-2April Abstrasts Book interactions :,*iMeeting the 0rganizers:[/1,Harris (mharris@ challengesof bmb.leeds,ac,uk),DJ. Rowlands :ltl ;;:: E.FIRKRIG (NewHaven USA) I ;.:lil' i:r:.iiii;l;'li:.'!ii i:'i ;;ii proteins (dj [email protected])& Human gran uloryti ce hrlich i osis producing andantibodies J,McLauchlan (j mclauchlan@ (NIAIDUSA) Thef ulltext of the abstractsbook is nowavailable as a J HINNESBUSCH Fermentation& Bioprocessin g virgla ac uk) Plagueinfleas PDFf ileon the SG M website. Group (Riverside PW,ATKINS0N USA) 29March Transgenhnalaria 0rganizers:MG. Duchars GTARGEIT(LondonSHTM) (matthew,[email protected]) Vacci nes [argeti ng vecto rs &J Miller(julie,miller@mhra gsi OOVUK}

m i$ri!${;:$,tlijri:i}i,i,:i.jil;{J:iiii'if'"T(DllAYVOL30/NOV03 M ffifdbiurugy Meeting March*2Anril 2004 Universityof Bath $s-$**$x Other ffiw.mwsffiWREvents I c{l:,ii,$'f'$."$$\$$S .:t:{${$,r& * An update on OSfAM/SGM $ i$'fl$ ut$:t $.*$s*: *:i:$ .'t *t bacterial molecular One-day Regional pathogenicity 0th6f evenls Meetings J lr lri:r i!$r'.\ i , ri;ir: irhititinl NationalUniversity Ajoint initiative tosponsor one-day l,i5r,i':!il : go.i3l i!(nts ir.,.,ii ;$rt, ii: i t) ji$'r*i5 {:: il' :} {} il!S. of lreland,Galway regionalmeetings inthe UK and O Plenary: Novel 15-1 6 April2004 lrelandhas been launched bythe anti-microbial 0rganizer:Cyril Carroll (cyri,, SGMand the Society forApplied ! irl?ctitr! tr: fri.,:i I itj( l *nd imglri il i$!i on lii!l..ii.5iri rrilt: therapies [email protected] MicrobiologySeethe website of fii&\i InL l eithersociety for the full rules and O Other symposia: Invitedspeakers include: todownload anaonlication form: C,HILL (University College Cork) tl$FLactic acid bacteria www.sfam.org,ukor CD, 0'C0NN0R (University of www,sgm,ac.uk lrishBranch/ Food & Southamnton) Seadiinelor Beverages/Systematics & subrnissier*oi S.PARK (University ofSurrey) ab!{r,rctsi EvolutionGroups A,M0RAN (National University oi O Infection and Si$Secreted effectors lreland,Galwav) lmmunity Aleaflet aboutthe neeting isenclosed wrth kis issue,AnAJ poster (abwe) Cells&CellSurfaces Group UniversityofBristol isaln availablefromthefventsAdministrator ifyou would liketo help ,$ii For details of lrish 27-28November2003 nublicizetheneetina, Antibiotic resistance B ranch activiti e s co ntact Thesession willcover exogenotls i:*ir,Workshops O Special Events th e C o n ven e r, Cath e ri n e andendogenous regulation ofhost ClinicalMicrobiology Group O' Rei Ily (co re y i II @wit.i e) cellimmunity: fromfundamental VirusGroup $GMPostgrad Career c$ltE-learning and researchtoclinical applications 31March IevelopmentWorkshopdistancelearning Forfurther information, contact PIa nt v ir u s e s (half day) Evening,lApril EducationTraining & Group ProfessorStuart Siddell, University (s 0rganizers:S,A,MacFarlane mac Atalk on presentation skillswill be rt$lEpigenetic ofBristol (Tel. 0117 928 78B9; farlane@scri,sariacuk)& J PCarr followedbya session onCV writing resistance emailstuart siddell@bristol,ac uk), (jpc1005 @ hermes.cam, ac,uk) andcareer planning with Sara EukaryoticMicrobiology Group Retroviruses(hallday) Shinton(theCareer Doctorfrom 0rganizers:J,C,Neil (j c.neil@ SciencdsNextwave) Abuffet and S$lGram-positive cell vetglaac,uk) aN.M Almond drinksreception willclose the factories givingpo$grad (nalmond@nibscacuk) workshop, Fermentation& Bioprocessing delegatestheopportunity to Group DIVAViruns(1 day) practisenetworking skillsand chat 0rganizers:S. Efstathiou informallytothespeakers, staff iS+Zoonotic infections ([email protected],ac.uk) fromUK Grad and other careers Microbiallnfection Group (michael.skinner@ ! l\llA Skinner specialists $irMolecular bbsrcac.uk) &D.J Blackbourn CVclinic:fsedback willbe offered chaperones (d and [email protected],ac,uk)on- 20individual CVssubmitted proteinfolding RIVAvirus positive sr,nse onafirstcome firstserved basis. Physiology, - Biochemistry& viruses(halfdaya.m.) Pleasecontact JaneWe$well MolecularGenetics Group 0rganizers:M.D.Ryan (martln.ryan (j,we$well@sgm,acuk)for further @st-andacuk)& S.G. Siddell information. ($uartsiddell@bri$ol, ac.uk) Welcome0rinksBeception t RNAvirus negative sense/ SportsHall, 29 March dsRNAviruses(half day- p.m.) 0rganizers:W.SBarclay (w.s $ocietyIinner &[isco barclay@readingacuk)& PE AssemblyRooms, Bath, Digard(pd1@mole bio,cam ac.uk) 30March l April RomanBathsevening Hun an pap iI lo navi ru ses 31March (one day) Drinksaround thepoolwith a 0rganizers:S,Graham difference(togas optional) (s.vgraham@ biogla,ac,uk) l,MMorgan (i.morgan@vet gla Deadlineforthe receipt oftitles and acuk) & J Doorbar(jdoorba@abstracts:28November 2003 nimr,mrc,acuk)

ss$ffiffi#ffi${$ilffiffiw roDAy vol30/Nov03 lE SchoolsMembership costsonlySl0ayear, MISAC 2004 Schools Competition BasicPractical Forthis,a named s Composting:Notjust a load of old rot, Microbioloqv:v' teacher rep resentative willreceive buta warl to save the planet AManual MicrobiologyToday The accompany Sponsoredby Thisyear's secondary bookto eachcuarter, advance populartraining schoolscompetition will our notification and copies rsefor PracticaI s*ti*ty ; : .f'tst"uppll*d focuson the valueof cou schoolteachers Basrc of newmicrobiology andtechnicians has been Microbiol compostingand the role teachinoresources and revisedand is now thatmicro-organisms play discoun]edfees for ffi,,'ffiffi availablein a glossy inthis fascinating process, attendanceon SGM W,,ffi"ffi format i| | ustrated with bothin the heapsin our and colourphotographs. traininocourses gardensand in commercialsystems, School pupils in Application Y t' ' SchoolMembers only (or worksh'ops. two agegroups (Key Stage 3 andGCSE) are being ' 'A SGM memberswho do Manual formsare available at askedto producean illustratedinformation leaflet outreachwork in schools) www.sgm.aG.uk whichencourages the useof composiingas a who wouldlike to receive contributionto the recyclingof wastematerials, afreecopy should email Enquiries: Thisshould be suitablefor distributionby a local [email protected] education@sgm,ac.ukauthorityto the generalpublic, Theprice to othersis S,1 0 (inc.p&p within the U K, Cashprizes are up for grabsas follows Website: exclusiveof p&poverseas). wwwnricrobiology Pupil online.org,uk :h:'lst s200 s30 + 2nd 9100 s20 $choo ls Basi cPractic_al _Micro b io Io gy 3rd :, tu TrainingCourses in2003/4 Inaddition every school entering the competition receivesa packof microbiologyteaching resources Thanksto the SGM members who are hosting courses andeach student submitting an entryof scientific thisvear, Venues and dates are as follows: meritis sent a ceriificate. Universityof Surrey 19November 2003 from Entrvformscan be downloaded YaleCollege, Wrexham 9 December2003 wwiu.microbiologyonline,org,uk Universityof Leicester 21April2004 The closingdate is3l March 2OO4. Universityof Lincoln 29April 2OO4 M ISACwishes to expressits sincere thanks to the Universiiyof Plymouth 22June2OO4 for sponsoringthe Societyfor AppliedMicrobiology Bookingforms are available on 16thcompetition. wvw.microbiologyonline.org.uk Moredishes onthe microbial menu ASEAnnual Meeting DaveRoberts of the NaturalHistory Museum has $r:\F.University ofReading, 8-10 January 2004 comeup with two new recipeswhich rely on the activitiesof microbes. SGM willbe involvedin a rangeof activitiesat the Bagels aremade from ayeastdough, butwhy is meeting,Apart f romour usualstand in the exhibition theirappearance and texture so differentfrom that of (comeand find us on 436, whichwe aresharing with bread?The holein the middleis down to mechanical M ISAC),we are participatingin Biologyin the Real action,but bagelshave a smoothsurface and dense World- a day-longprogramme of talks organizedby insidebecause they are cooked twice. Firstthey are biosciencelearned societies, research councils and boiled,then they are baked. charitieson Fridav9 Januarv.Education Officer Sue Assinderwillchailthehealth and disease strand and lf youfancy a drinkwith your bagel, why nottry new PresidentHugh Penningtonwill speak on food- your handat makingelderflowerchampagne? borneillness, On ThursdayB Januaryat 1230 we are Thefermentation apparently relies on the naturalflora collaboratingwith the ThamesValley Branch of the of the plantmaterial, but Davetells us that the yeastsin ASE and inviteyou ta Sciencein the Pub.Overlunch the sedimentin the bottomof the iarat the endof the 'Modern anda drink,you candebate the threatsf rom processare not the sameas the onesthat can be Plagues'suchas vCJD, SARS and E coliO1 5Z with isolatedfrom the flowersatthe start,Can anyone expertsHugh Penningtonand lan Jones. Tickets (S5) explainthis apparent'spontaneous generation'? areavailable in advancefrom SGM (emaily,taylor@ Furtherinformation on bagelsand elderflower sgm.ac,uk),our stand on the day,or on the door, champagneis to befound on Fulldetailsof theAnnualMeeting programme are wllw. microbiologyonline,org.uk on the ASE website atvvtruw.ase.org,uk

IE Post-16Summer School2004

We aredelighted to announcethat the secondresidential microbiologysummer schoolfor post-1 6 biologyteachers is being hostedby the University of Leeds,lt willtake place 12-16July2OO4in their recentlvref u rbis hed and state-oj-the-art teach i n g laboratories,An exciting programmeof lectures, hands-on,workshops and visitshas been planned. Eveningsocial events will allowthe delegatesto relaxand network.We are verygratefulto Dr David J,Adams for makingall the arrangementsin Leeds.Details will be availablesoon on the web andbooking forms will be distributedto allSchool Membersnextterm,

Questionnaire Thanksto alltheSchool Memberswho took the troubleto completethe ouestionnaireon SGM microbiology ed ucation resourcesand initiatives, circulatedwith the last issueof the magazine. Theresults are being analysedand a reportwill beoublished in due course, Thewinner of the prizedraw was Mrs Sue Dobson, PolamHall School,Darlington, Co,Durham, ffiffiffiffiww

GRADschools- Allthey're CRACked upto be! WJane Westwell byCRAC ffi How did you find out any TheUK Grad programme isan lnitiative run lfyou have - AdvisoryService) which aims to about G RADschools? Tor (Cur""tt ResburJe storiesor news 'support students, supervisors, universities, and I foundout aboutthe oublicationin to realiseihe value of postgraduatetalenti GRADschoolcoursesbY of bradline,or if "r?jiov"itor5 uN Grad'smalor activities isthe organization wordof mouth,WhenI You "f courses(URAUscnools/ wouldlike to seeany 3-,4- and5-day residential was in myf irstYear one of thioughouttheyear at venues around the country' The the finalyearstudents in topicsfeatured, .orrt""t offerpostgrads time out of the lab and the mydepartment had just contactGradline oooortunitvtoassess existing (transferable) skills and returnedfrom a course Westwell Obu"topn"* on"t'The 5- and4-day courses place , andwas ferventlY urging EditorJane management' (i.westwell@sgm. emphasison team building and career everyoneelse to makethe t'd S-Oaycourse focuses on career development' , , effoitto attendduring ac.uk), Researcdcouncil and final yearWellcome lrusttunded theirfinal year. studentsare eligible for f reeplaces on the courses' ffi Why did You decideto Thevast majority of studentsattending these courses attend the GRADschool areenthusidstiiin their praise and for some the and the careers course in coursesare really life-changing' particular? (mine ln Mav inthe interestsof careerdevelopment Halfway through mY f inal first anOS'e V postgradmembers'), I attendedthe vearit dawnedon me that evercareers-fdcused 3-day G RADschool as a course i haddone little in the waY *"ntot I wasalready familiar with G RADschools' of planningmY career or f,ruringutt"nded (and benefited hugely f rom)the fol titeafte:r my PhD.lt's easy to be obsessedabout traditional5-day course as a postgradin the dimand vouroroqress"with your research and put off making J'"i"tt past,Mentoring proved to be a newchallenge' hnuotuni untilyou've done the nextset of ex6eriments/iinished in the lablfinished your thesis' Mentorsarrived the eveningbefore the courseand Goinqon the GRADschoolcareers course seemeo hada oreliminarysession b-efore the studentsarrived, (including tire Jminimaleffort approach tg aguiltf reelifelThere W; h;d comef roma varietyof backgrounds *"iu uuuti"ty of couribs on offer,lasting f rom 3 to 5 sciencead mi n istration, publish ing andcivi I service) davs,and they seemed to be hostedin plush unJ euch'of us hadexperience and skills that would suiroundings,tf'e decidingf actorfor us wasa hydro o'ou"usefuIduringth'eweek'Wewereallal|ocatedto ip" swimmin g poolcom plex! We weref requently !trtot group andoiur role was to playan activepart uukuO".0what possJssedus to travelto Gatwickfrom rrppotiingih" trtot andfacilitating the students' whenthere were several G RADschool progressduring the course' Edinburgh .orrr"."rcheduled inthe Northof Englandl BELOW: Thecourse was very intensive and exhilarating' enjoYingagame of We chosethe careerscourse because it incorporated Students Witf'.rorigoing into tbo much detail, I can tellyou that wizardsanddwarves. lotsof elementsof the otherG RADschoolcourses' onthe ti6t Oivnone of usknew anything (or, in many PROGRAMME practiceat publicspeaking.and some PHOTOTHEUK ORAD caredmuch) about career development, suchas iurut, alsofocusbd on raisingawarenes.s of However,by theend pt cou,rseall the i"ut*otL, but it sirategy, 11" you haveand improving your employability' TOPRIGHT studeiisin my grouI had started to think beyond the the skills right',Claire Fromleft to enJoftheir pioiects and the majority had a cleareridea ffi Didyou have any expectations of the course? KatieMatthews Cotterill of tf'.rLitcareer aspirations. Mosi importantly, they all CliveMcKimmie andClem HindleY InitiallyI was looking forward to havinga breakfrom [nu* howto plaritheir next career move' Generally' COURTESYCLAIRLCOTITRILL who my reiearchand then the emailsabout pre-cou,rse thecourse lified the spirits of the researchers to feel more upand oreparationstarted to come and it began wereoround down bythe prospect of writing through RIGHT: undtot" likea hassle.I wasasked to read LOWER refreslhedthe sufferers of mid-projectblues' a CV and AGRADschool tutorgrouP. someof the materialbefore arrival, prepare me'Asa provider rnterview PHOTOTHEUK GRAD PROGRAMME Thecourse was also enlightening for fillin a mockapplication form for CV and triiirir'"fr1:*.1',rir.!t. of c a re e rs i nf o r mat io n f o r *ott tf'opt. AlthoughI remember feel i ng disg,runiled theSGM itwas bythe prbspectof morework, when I wason the interestin g to discover .l,rttu I redttyappreciated the needfor preparation' anotherside to careers a momentof apprehensionas I advisorywork and I alsoremember the courseprogramme and noticed t*fr..tr it alsohelped me to scanneOthrough Plan I hadvisions of beingforced to somenew actlvities for il,-"pntut"'ice"breaker'' role-playsand make animalsounds' ourmemoers. do embarrassing 'Hi, my name's Claireand l'm going to imperson,!9 an I askedClaire Cotterill, aardiarkl' Fortunately,there was no such humiliation PhDstudent atthe andridiculous role-playing was reservedfor whenwe University of Edinbu rgh other,Aiterleveral hoursof lecturesand Frq all knew each anda studentin mY grouP, discussiongroups going outside to playpapgr, herthoughtson the GRAD icissorsanl stoheis alargegroup of wizards,giants ,,i.bsschool, She went on ihe anddwarves was awelcome break' coursewith four other studentsfrom her lab,

TE 30/NOV03 $.lffi FHffiJ

YoungMicrobiologist ofthe Year Comdetition

ffi How didit go? TheUMlSTmeeting sawthefirstfinals ofthe SGM's new Theactual course sciencecommunication contest, Eight keen postgrads postdocs, passedin a f lash,The and whohad been selected as finalists bythe programmewas really SpecialInterest Groups and lrish Branch on the baiis of presentations(either wellorganizedand our theiroffered oralor poster) at recent preparation SGM meetings,gave 1 0-minute talks on their research. own meant questions theworkshops could Fiveminutes were allowed for to eachspeaker, judges, covereverything from Thestandard was amazingly high and the provided whatshould go in an fromthe Group committees and chaired byJo applicationletter to how Verran,Convenerof the Education &Training Group, had to interviewand be a averydifficultjob, The winners were announced atthe successfuI interviewee, Societydinner laterthat evening. The first prize of S50O wenttoStephen Griffin of LeedsUniversityfor his Frequentlyduring the presentationThe hepatitis C virusion chainel protein p7: coursethe tutors referred characterizationof a novelanti-viral drug targetThe to'theprocessl in an secondprize of S200 was won by Paraic Cuiv (Dublin attempttopersuade us CityUniversity) and third prize of 9100 wentto Heather thattherereallywas Thompson(University of Ulster). The other finalists methodin their madness, receivedS25 in recognition oftheirefforts and everyone Bythe end of the course I willgetfreemembership ofthe Society in 2004, understoodwhat they weretalking about; I had Furtherdetailsofthe competition and an entryform areavailable on the meetings page an ideaof whatsort of careerI wouldreally enjoy and ofthe SGM website. Whynot poster be suitedto, and how to go aboutgetting it, Having enterby submitting an offered ororal presentation alwayschosen academia (or studying) as opposedto atthespring meeting in Bath nextyear? The othertypes of careerI havenever had to face closingdate for abstracts is 28 November. assessmentcentres or comorehendthe iob descriptionstypical in businessand commerce. I suddenlvrealized that I havedeveloped a lotof PostgraduateStudent Membership (and desirablb frequentlyrequestecJ)1oU skills during PostgraduateStudent Membership ofSG M isavailable I myPhD, At the endof the 3 days wasexhausted by to postgraduatestudents worldwidewho have notaxable it had the sheer tour de force nalureof the course,but income,For an annual subscription ofonly 920 (US$35) me to discovera lotabout mvself and mv enabled StudentMembers can take advantage of benefitssuch future careerd irection. asspecial registration fees at Society meetings and the ffi Has it made a difference to your career plans? purchase of SG M publ ications at g reatly discou nted prices,ln Iwould say yes, a bigdifference, I came away with a addition,eligible Postgraduate Student Members may for from morepositive attitude io careerplanning, Talking with apply awards thePresident's Fund and grants(see p, tutorsand mentors brought suggestions of a few PostgraduateConference 177fordetails) whichprovide careersI hadn'tpreviously thought of, reinforcing thg forattendance atscientific meetinos, ideathatI havemore than one ootion in terms of a career,The course also convinced me that networking andasking for helpare good ways of speedingup the UndergraduateMembership processof findingajob andultimately a careerI'm UndergraduateMembership is open to studentsresident happywith. andregistered for a firstdegree in the U K or Republicof ffiWould you recommend the GRADschoolto other Ireland, For S 10 Underg rad uate Mem bers receive PhD students? Mi c ro bi o I ogy Today andmay attend SG M meetin gs withoutpayment registration lwouldrecommend the courseto finalyearstudentsin of a fee.Careers advice is alsof reelyavailable. However, particular,because above all else it will end up giving UndergraduateMembers arenot eligible fortravel grants. themrespite from the pressuresof generatingdata. or conference They'llalso get greatsupport f romthe manystudents they'llmeet in the same(and sometimes worse) position! Apartfromhaving several days away in a nicehotel, the LifeScience Careers 2003 courseis agreat boostto getyou thinking about, and ffi 1 November2003 King'sCollege, London doingsomething aboutyour next career move, ffi15November2003 UMIST (including W More informationabout GRADschools ffi 29 November2003 Universityof WalesCardiff venuesand dates) is availablefrom the UK GRAD web s ite www,grad,ac,uk Theseall dav conferences are for lifescience undergraduate(graduating in 20o4or 2005) and postgraduatestudents, Each conference includes atalks on careerchoices and furthertraining, an exhibition and a CV clinic.Don't miss the nearesteventto vour institution -further informationand a bookingform are at www.bsf.ac.uk/cal€ets lnternational Fundrcport

SGMhelps microbiologistsin CultureCollection Management developingcountries inUzbekistan throughthis fund, usuallyby supporting I KakhramonDavranov &Dilfuza and traininqcourses Egamberdiyeva g rowth regu I ators, veteri n ary preparations, otherimalltechnology l;:1r, transferprojects, Institutehistory Thefull rules of the I Biologicalcontrolformulations to protectplants of the UzbekAcademy fundappear on the The Instituteof Microbiology from differentdiseases, insects and pests. of Sciencesbased in Tashkent, is the onlyorganization grants'fageof the I Ecologicallyclean bio-fertilizers. in Uzbekistanspecializing in theoretical and applied SGMwebsite at problemsof microbiologyand microbial biotechnology, I Newtechnologies for usein food, chemical, www.sgm.aG.uk Microbiologywas f irstpractised as a disciplinein microbiological,mining and oil industries' Theclosing date for the Academyin 1943, The first microbiological I Processingand bioremediation of agricultural, applicationsisin departmentwas founded at the Instituteof Zoology householdand industrialwastes, sewage and Octobereachyear, andBotany in 1947.ltspecialized in virology, water greenhousegases for biogasproduction' andsoilmicrobiology, TOPRIGHT: Microbiologygained independent status as a Theculture collection Stafffrom the Uzbek Institute of subjectin 1965, whichwas considered to be a The NationalCollection of Agriculturaland lndustrially [llicrobiology,withPeter Green at maiorevent in the developmentof thisscience in lmportantStrains is keyto manyof the aboveactivities theback. Uz6ekistan.The microbiologyelements then taught andthe lossand poor management of manyimportant werem icrobial physiology, biochem istry, genetics cultureshas been a majorconcern. On-going research BELOW: andyeast taxonomy, ln 1977the departmentgained citYof to solvefundamental problems relating to the Aholy temple inthe instiiutionalstatus and became the lnstituteof Uzbekistan physiology,biochemistry and genetics of bacteria, Samerkand, Microbiology of Uzbekistan, viruses,actinomycetes, yeast and microscopicf ungi PHOTOSPETER Withinthe Institutethere are 10 laboratories: was beingseverely hampered without such a reliable GREEN microbialfermentation ; biochemistry and geneticresource, ,l pounds I biotechnology of physiological ly active com ; the culturecollection; molecular biotechnology and Problemsandchallenges genetics;geneticsof lacticacid bacteria;soil and Oneof the mainissues facing our Institutewas a microbiology;bioremediation of plant water lackof equipmentfor preservingvaluable micro- waste;and experimental biotechnology. organisms,Due to this,many industrially important bacterialand fungalstrains were lost,However, Mainresearch topics recentlywe receivedf inancialsupport f romthe SGM, A majorfocusis the studyof the biodiversityof whichat lastis allowing us to safeguardthese valuable the regionwith the objectof identifyingunique cultures,Now we can maintainall industrially and localstrains of micro-prganismswhich will clean agriculturallyimportant organisms frozen at -80'C' up pollutedsoils, waterways and eff luents' Thegrant will also contribute towards labour and Onthe agricultural side, strains consumables, arebeing isolated which are ThevisitofDr PeterGreen to administertheSGM resistantto hig h temperatu res grantwas a verysignif icant experience in the history andhigh salt concentrations, of our institute,We learnednew approaches to the Suchstrains have an imPortant preservationand maintenance of micro-organisms roleas biofertilizers,promoting andabout the managementof a culturecollection, plantgrowth in arid,nitrogen- We werealso able to exchangeideas for f uture deficientsoils, collaborative projects, Specificresearch areas Insummarythis grantwill help us to planforthe future include: on a moresound footing and to havecollaborative I New biologically proiectswith developed countries such as the UK' We activecompounds and wishto thankthe SGM mostsincerely forthe grant pharmaceuticalpreparations fromthe InternationalDevelopment Fund and we are for medicaluse, mostgratef ul to Dr PeterGreen of NCIMB for hisvisit lValuablefeed to ourlnstituteand for hislecture on culturecollection preservation' additivesand managementand bacterial microbiallyactive I Professo r Ka kh ra m o n Davra n ov, Di rector, compoundsfor Institute of Microbiology, Uzbekistan, and Dr Dilfuza the foodand Eg a m be rd iyeva, Cu rator of th e Nat i o n a I Cult u re pharmaceutical Col lection of Ag ricultura I M icro-org an isms, seclors,e,g, Tashkent. feed proteins, e m a i I d i lf uza -e g a m b e rd iyeva @yah oo'co m vitamins,amino

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David Kelly's tngic death at the ageof )9 out valuable research on the molecular and antigenic has illustrated all too readily the problems properties of simian herpes B virus (which is endemic in that arisewhen a scientist,seeking to retain monkeys and almost always fatalinhumans). the international scene professional integrity, becomes caught up in establish- His first venture onto when he was called on to ment power politics. occurred in October 1989 Pasechnik, a Soviet David was born in \0fales and took his first degree help in the debriefing of Vladamir massive extent of the Soviet at Leeds. He decided to specialize in virology and defector. This revealed the (B/\7) and, as a consequence' completed the MSc course organized by Peter Wildy bioweapons programme delegation to inspect at Birmingham before moving to the NERC Unit in 1,99I he co-led a UK/US It was during this visit of Invertebrate Virology at Oxford to undertake Soviet biowarfare institutes. probing and virological postgraduate research with Tom Tinsley on insect that, largely through David's that there was an ongoing iridescent viruses. expertise, it became evident and development at After graduating with a DPhil in 1971 he did a programme of smallpox research - to the international post-doctoral project with Nigel Dimmock at \Tarwick Novosibirsk in Siberia contrary all work on smallpox. on influenza virus before returning to the Oxford agreement on the cessation of of bioweapons was, Unit as a staff member in I97 4 to continue his interests His expertise in the detection and this was in insect viruses. The next few yearswere very productive by now, internationally established with the award of and he published a series of important papers on the recognized by the UK government role in the UNSCOM molecular properties of a number of members of the the CMG. He played a leading five bioweapons facilities Iridoviridae and the baculoviruses' team which uncovered the their dismantling. In I9B4 he was attracted to the Chemical and in Iraq in 1994 and he supervised to Iraq and was preparing Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down, In all, he made over 36 visits before his death' His eventually becoming the Head of Microbiology' for another visit a few days team described David One of his first major tasks was to oversee the colleagues in the UNSCOM 'quiet, persistent, and scientifica/ly decontamination of Gruinard Island, the site ofwar-time as we/l-informed of David that, in spite of experiments on anthrax. During this time he also indonitable'. It was typical to love Iraq and admired utilized the category 4 containment facilities to carry his travails there, he came the Iraquis (see Plague \X/ars by Tom Mangold and JeffGoldberg). There is no doubt that the UK has lost a formidable scientist - one of the very few microbiologists who had real expertise in bioweapons. His professional colleagues will miss his courtesy, his quiet humour, his ability to make friends easily and his wide knowledge of the more practical aspects of virology. Among his many enthusiasms was a passion for \Welsh rugby, a keen support for Leeds United and an ability to play the saxophone with some verve. \7e grieve with his wife, Jan and daughters Sian, Ellen and Rachel on the sudden and tragic loss of an exceptional husband and father.

O Witlie Russell,IJniversity of St.Andrews, UK. Theauthor was the externalexaminer for David's DPhitand was the Convenerof the VirusGroup Committeefrom 1984 to 1 989 when David was a valuedmember of the committee.He is gratefulfor informationfrom RichardElliott who was his first researchstudent at Oxfordand Chris Paynewho waEacolleague of histherein thelate 196Osand early70s.

RIGHT: DrDavid Kelly COURTESY[/lRSJ KELLY& CHRISPAYNE (UNIVERSITY OI READING)

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-& Robert (R.E.O.) \Tilliams was one of the By now recognized as an international authority, he 1ffiSir ffi ortstanding figures in medical microbiology, provided simple guidance on how to prevenr wound '!W public health and medical education of the last infections and how to treat them and, in 1950 ,he was one half century. He combined scientific work of the highest of the authors of the first classical book on hospital- calibre with outstanding administrative achievements acquired infections, which remains as highly relevant for and won respect and admiration for both. today's infection control teams as it was then to those of Born in London 1n 1916 into a medical family (his us who would follow in his footsteps. father, Gwyn, was a consultant surgeon and, for a period, In 1960 he was lured back into clinical academic Dean at University College Hospital, London), he did his medicine as Professor of Microbiology at St Mary's medical studies and a degree in physiology ^t University Hospital Medical School. He was the first full-time College and University College Hospital, London, academic Dean of St Mary's from 79 67 to 797 3, bringing qualifying in 1940. After a house physician post at the the innovative approach ofhis bacteriological research same hospital, he joined the emergency medical service to the running of a medical school. He was also a member as a pathologist, in fact a microbiologist, and worked of the Medical Research Council from 1.969 to I97 3. with the Medical Research Council's Infection Unit at 797 3 marked the last major phase of his professional life the Birmingham Accident Hospital under Professor when he returned to the PHLS at Colindale as Director (later Sir) Ashley Miles, an inspirational influence on of the Service, with its central reference laboratories a young microbiologist. It was in Birmingham that and network of regional and area Iaboratories, based \{/illiams began his ground-breaking studies on the in hospitals where they combined diagnostic and sources and spread of wound infections and hospital epidemiological work. During the same period, he was cross-infection, work that is as relevant today as it was elected President of the Royal College of Pathologists in the 1940s and 50s. He concentrated initially on (I9l5-7 8) and in a pioneering move for a medical Royal infections of wounds of the hands, which were common College, he guided the extension of membership to in the light engineering factoriesin Birmingham. include medical scientists who were not medically A second major influence on \Williams, G.S. (later Sir qualified. He was knighted in I97 5. Graham) \Wilson, the visionary founder and first Under his direction, the PHLS enlarged its responsi- Director of the Public Health Laboratory Service, had bilities with the establishment of the Communicable recently devised a method for differentiating strains of Disease Surveillance Centre in 1977 and then the St apb y I oc o c c u s A/./ r e/./.t, the commones t wound - i nfecti ng addition of the Centre for Applied Microbiolo gy and bacterium, based upon their susceptibilities to bacterio- Research, Porton Down, in I97 9 . Before he retired in 'phage phages. Nfilliams defined and elaborated this 1981, he was closely involved in planning and designing typing scheme and applied it to the study of sources and the new institute at Colindale to house both CPHL and ABOVE: routes of transmission of this major wound pathogen. CDSC. This was his physical legacy to microbiology SirRobert atthe building ofthe 'phage PHLS He published the typing method in 1952 and, and public health services,but his rcallegacy to medicine laboratoriesin1980/81 COURIESY HEALTH PROTECTION using this technique, he showed how wounds could be' and science has formed the basis of many of the develop- 'self-colonized'by AGENCY,COLINDALE S. aureusfrom the patient's own nose ments of the last 20 years. He was one of the classical or skin. He also showed that infections with group A tradition of doctors who were also important medical streptococci usually originated outside the patient. He scientists. Throughout, he remained an unassuming and was one of the first to recognize the practical importance approachable man with a good senseof humour. He was of high-resolution typing to identify the sources and always available and his advice was generously given and links between different casesof infection, in his case always supportive. wound infections. This remains a major function of the In 1944, he married Margaret Lumsden; she died in reference laboratories that became such an important 1990. They are survived by a son and two daughters, part of his life. Our understanding of the worldwide one of whom followed her father into microbiology and epidemics of staphylococcal wound infection of the works for the \7orld Health Otganization. 19)0s and 1960s was almost entirely due to the strain 'phage discrimination provided by typing. O Brian L Duerden,Professor of Medical In 1946. \Tilliams had moved to the Central Public M icro b io I og y, Un ive rsity of Wales C olI eg e of Health Laboratory at Colindale, North London, to M edici ne ; Iately, Di rector, Pu bl ic H ealth the Streptococcal, Staphylococcal and Air Hygiene LaboratoryService laboratory and he became Director of that laboratory in 1949. His work on wound contamination covered the varied contributions of direct contact, Iarye falling droplets and air-suspended droplets, and showed many of the environmental factors that affected these foutes of transmission in different hospital settings.

tu.$$sN{s-s${:$il.*\syIoDAy vol30/Nov03 lE w$wgisw$wx$:ffiwWWY Sciencewriter F$Wffi**ffi** ffiwxrumwg$weg ffiw-ewwxmwx W$wwS'Ws$w rivers' MerielJonestakesa q$ffwwmmw Researchersatthe lakesorslow moving Centresfor EcologYand Therecent experience tn lookatsome (HME)is an emerging PaPers Humanmonocyticehrlichiosis Hydrologyat Oxfordand NorthAmerica has indicated issuesof onlyafew hundred cases incurrent diseasein the USA. Although Monkswoodinthe UK howdangerous WNV can areprobably many more' because theSocietY's journals havebeen reported,there havebeen checking on the bewhen it encounters bird to severalother diseases' Patients whichhighlight thesvmptoms are stmtlar immunologicalstatus of wild oranimal or human muscleaches and feeltired' ruy'huu"afever, headache, birdsto arbovirusesinthe populationsthat have never newand exciting A courseof antibioticsclears up Abouthalf have a rash. UK.WestNilevirus beenexposed to it before, developmentsin althoughthe illness can theproblem in most people, (WNV)causes feverand Theresearchers knew that life-threateningcomplications' The microbiological occasionallydevelop inflammationof thebrain thereis no evidence that anY Ehrl i ch i a chaffee n s i s,sm al I Gram- research. disease is cau sed by whichmay be fatal, while oftheseviruses is Present negativebacteriathatareunabletoIiveoutsidethece||sofotherarboviruses, Usufu inthe UK, although for probablylive in blood cells in wild thelranimal hosts. They viru s andSi n d b i s vir us, rarelY thousandsof Years birds animalsbythe lone startick if it deer,transmitted between causeserious disease. havemigrated to Britain inits meals of blood'Thedangerto picksupthe bacterium WNVwas first identified in fromregions of Africawhere inwoodland when ticks can bite hrtun, isduring walks Ugandain 1937 andis thevirusesarefound' In a them. foundthroughout northern countrywithso manY keen bird-watchers,the sudden Researchersatthe Centerfor Biodefense and Emerging Africa, southern EuroPe, deathof wildbrrds on the lnfectiousDiseases, and theAnimal Resource Center of the muchof Asiaand Australia' samescale as in the USA Universityof Texas Medical Branch, have been learning Itrecently hitthe headlines wouldbe raPidlY detected. moreabout the disease'They knew of reportsthat dogs throughkilling more than Therehave also been havebeen naturally infected by E'chaffeensrb and wanted 300 peoplein the USA' and noreoorts of illnessin to discovermore aboutthis, onefear is thatdomestic pets alsomanywild birds and UK citizensthat can be couldbecome a reservoirforthedisease, bringing it into otherantmalssince attributedto these closercontactwithmore humans' Studying dogs that had emergingin 1999. of mosquito-borneinfections. 6u"n infeciedwould also give a betteridea Previously,outbreaks in However,the researchers anydiseasesymptomsandhowIongtheinfectionpersisted."*p"ri*entally Europe,the Middle East and Russiahave affected birds, decidedto surveYbirds in University'sInstitutional Care Withthe approval of their animalsand manY human Britainto seewhetherthe mitiee, they desig ned an experiment andAn i mal' Use Com fatalitieshave been viruswas reallY absent. inwhich two beagledogs were infected with E' chaffeensis' recorded, Theyused verysensitive whiletwoothers lcted asuninfected controls'They teststo searchfor boththe collectedregular blood samples over 6 monthsto testfor Thenatural life cYcle of virusand anY evidence that bacteria.whln the researchersfound signs of bacteria,they allth ree viruses involves birdshad been exPosed to decidedtoinvestigatethestructureofoneofthebacterialmigratorybirds and the thevirus. ExPosure to anY surfaceproteins' Several bapterial species that set up mosquitoesthatfeedon pathogennormallY causes oersistentinfections have a mechanismto changesurface them.Themosquitoes theimmune sYstem of the ieaturesfrequently, to continuallyevade the immune system' transmitthe virus between bodytotryto a E, chaffeensislookedas if it shouldhave this system' and thebirds, and can Pass iton Produce seriesof defencesagainst the researcherswanted to checkon it' to animalsand non- migratorybirds' The risks it,including antibodies that dogshad decreased blood Althoughthe infected of infectionare greatest persistfor manYYears. The ofthem ran afever or lostweight' plateleicounts,neither whenlarge numbers of researcherstested seru m researcherssiarted detecting bacteria in the dog's hadbeen The mosquitoes,PeoPle and frombirdsthat b|ood23daysafterinfection,andcontinuedtofindevidencebirdsare found together, trappedin mist nets and 2'5 to 3'5 months'Both dogs developed of E,chaffeLnsisfor especiallyintowns near thenreleased, as wellas antibodiestothebacteria,andwhentheresearcherslooked attheirresults forthe surface proteins, itwas clearthat PAGE(UPPER): OPPOSITE didnot change during the course of the infection' Transmissionelectron mtcro graph these Thestudy indicateithatdogs can harbouran infection by of BorreliasP.from H, aegYPtiun. any offlagella E. chaffeensr'sforup to 4 monthswithout showing Fiveinsertion Points health wereobserved inthe taPered ends symptomsof illness.As well as adding to public an COURTESYT IIASUZAWA SHIIUOKA informationabout HME,this givesthe researcners JAPAN opportunityiostudythe infection in more detail' -F., .-Z', Long,S' \$(/', Ruble' R' P'& Yu' X' -J' (LOWER): Zhang,X. Zhang,J OPPOSITEPAGE (2003i.Exper imental E hrl icb ia chaffeensis infection in beagles'J Med HYalomna Anadult hard tick Microbi ol 52, 1 021'-1026. aegyptium(adult)from.an infested tortoiseThe diameter ofthe hole in the5yen coin is5 mm across. COURTESYTMASUZAWA SHIZUOKA JAPAN

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u$'kmro*tswsff*\s*g*m$$is'q;s,$x-$i$s-ffij$:s"$ f romf ree-range poultry, Scientistsfrom the American Centers for DiseaseControl Intotal, they had over 430 andPrevention have been collaborating with colleagues in samplesf rom 30 species theMinistry of Healthin Cambodiato assess the public of birdscollected in healthrisk f rombats. These are the on ly f lyin g mammals, Cambridgesh ire, Dorset andcan harbour several viruses, including rabies. The andSouth Wales. These scientiststesled Chaerephon plicatabats from Kampot includedhouse martins, Cavein southern Cambodia, where local villagers had swallowsand several reportedthat the number of batsin the colony was declining. speciesof warblers that Apartfrombeing atourist destination,the cave is an hadmigrated from Africa, as importantsourceoffertilizerfrom the bat guano, so there wellas others, particu larly wereconsiderable opportunities for contact between the juvenile - birdsand free- u$R*tl*ls,$**,*' .*ss.: gps-lss$Ni' , s**N s $si*ss:$s *s batsand people. lfthe bats were suffering from adisease rangepoultry that had never *;-*"r$',Sl**xS:s'S$$$-$i$ thatcould be transmitted to people,there could be a real leftthe U K, I n addition,they Drootem. testedthe brains of carrion Bacteriaofthe genus Borreliacause diseases in humans Theresearchers obtained materials from both healthy crowsand magpies that had calledLyme disease (see pp, 1 65- 166) andrelapsing anddead bats, and began searching forviruses. To find out beenkilled during pest fever(see p. 1 67), as well as illnesses in animals, including whetherthedead bats had died of anythingthat could be controlprog ram mes, for the epizooticbovine abortion and fevers. Ticks, and their passedon to othermammals,the investigators injected presenceof WNV RNA. relatives,transm it the bacteria between hosts, wh ich include extractsfrom the bats' brains into young mice. A substantial animalsand humans. As peopleand wild animals are Theresearchers founo numberofthe mice died, supporting the ideathatthe bats broughtclosertogetherbychanges in climate and signsthat allthree viruses haddied from disease ratherthan anothercause.The agriculture,as well as bytourism and cities encroaching onto hadbeen introduced into researchersused electron m icroscopy to lookf orvi rus previouslyuninhabited land, there are more opportunities for UK-resident birds from particles,and found somethat looked like members peopleto pickup previously rare diseases, Microbiologists ofthe migratingbirds. About a virusfamily Bunyaviridae, There was one repod of Kaeng arethereforekeen to learnmore about both the bacteria quarterofthe serafrom Khoivirus(KK), a memberofthis family, in the andthe ticks that transmit them. samespecies apparentlyhealthy resident of batfrom Thailand around 1 970, When the researchers birdshad antibodies to ResearchersatYeditepe University inTurkey, and Aichi usedmolecular biological methods on their samples, they WNV.This difference f rom MedicalUniversity and the University of Shizuokain Japan, identifiedthe presence of KKvirus. theNorth American havecollaborated to studya novelspecies of Borrelialhalis Theresearchers now have good evidence that KK virusis experiencesuggests carriedbytortoises.Theycollected 150tortoises from presentacross hundreds of kilometresof southeastAsia, thateither U K birdshave woodlandand scrub nearthe coast,8O km from lstanbul, buttheyare unsure of itseffect on local bat populations, or managedto buildup Almostall of thetortoises had hard ticks (Hyalomma hu man health. Without f urther observations it is im possi ble immunityover the years, or aegyptium)on them. As the ticks went through their life- to knowif KK virus has caused a declinein the numbers of thevirus is less virulentthan cyclefrom larvae to nymphsto adultsbythe end of summer, batsin the Kampotcaves,And, although in an earlierstudy thatcirculating in the USA, theaverage numberon each animaldecreased from around almostathird of batguano collectors had been shown to Theauthors conclude 15 to 4,Around 40}/oofthe adultand nymphalticks were possessantibodies to KKvirus,none of them associated thatsince there are few infectedwith the novel bacterium, which was absentf rom seriousillness with the caves. However, arthropods are often mosquitoesinthe U K the larvae, thevectors that transmit bunyaviruses between hosts, and comparedwith warmer Borreliaarespirochaetebacteria,The cells of this new theprevious researchers had isolated KKvirus from countrieslike North America specieswere slender, corkscrew-shaped and swam bedbugswithin the caves in Thailand, The locals reported andSouthern Europe, the vigorouslyusing flagella attached to the ends of the cells. thatbedbug bites could cause an influenza-like illness, risktohuman health is Theresearchers sequenced partof a genefor a proteinthat whichis atypicalsymptom of infectionbyseveralfamily probablylow atthe moment. makesup the flagella. When they compared itwith the same Bunyavi ridae vi ruses. Fu rther stud ies to determine the vi rus However,they thin k that genefrom olherBorreliaspecies, the bacteriaisolated from effecton the bats, if this virus is associated with human ifthe climate becomes thetortoises formed a separategroup. However, the feature disease,and potential for spread are warranted, warmer,therisk may thatdramatically distinguished this species from other increase.They intend to Osborne,J.C., Rupprecht, C. E., Olson, G.,Ksiazek, T. G., Borreliaspecieswas its rapid growth, The cells doubled in J. extendtheir study to more Rollin,P. 8., Niezgoda, M., Goldsmith, C. S., An, {J. S. & Nichol, numberin about 5 hours,abouttwice as fastas all previously birds,insects and animals S.T. (2003). Isolation ofKaeng Khoi virus ftomdeadChaerephon knownBo rre Ii a species,The research ers want to investi gate plicatabats -2689. inthe U K,to assess the rnCambodia.,IGenVirol 84, 2685 thereason forthis rapid growth, as wellas determining situationmore thoroughly, whetherthisnew species poses any risks tothe health of Buckley,A., Dawson,A., humansor domestic animals. Moss,S. R., Hinsley, S. A., Bellamy,P. E. & Gould, E. A. G0ner, E. S., Hashimoto, N., Kadosaka, T., Imai, Y. & (2003). (2003).Serological evidence of Masuzawa, T. A novel, fast-growin gBorreliasp. isolated 'V(/es t N i leuirus, U s utu uirusand from the hard tickHyalomm.a aegyptiuminTurkey. MicrobiologyL49, )\4c:t_)7Lt Sindbisairus infection ofbirds in theIJK.J GenVirol34, 2807-2817.

ffis$ffiffiffiw$s$tuffiffiwToDAy vol30/Nov03 lE $#mxxtu$S-w*mSlS$S* $$"q$\$s"*--NRS\*'\*RNSN- Rabbitnumbers are avery alreadypresent. Since strain thatwas del iberately w;ssNw *"*$x N"**gxN seriousproblem in Australia therewere no records of introducedin 1997.A11but S$sswm andNewZealand,Aftera diseasesymptoms, it must oneof the remaining Cysticfibrosis causes many new,highly contagious and havebeen presentas a positiverabbits had avery Iife-th reaten in g problems, virulentviral disease of subclinicalinfection. One similar,but distinctly includingrepeated rabbitshad emerged from implicationisthat rabbits differentversion, infectionsof the lungs.The Chinain I 984 andspread io withimmunity to this virus correspondingto thevirus geneticchange that causes therest of Asia and Europe, mayalso have been able to introducedillegally by the thedisease makes the theAustralian government resistRHDV explaining the farmers,The biggest respiratorytracta much approvedtrials of itsuse as a variablemorlality in the first surprisewas athird version moreattractive ecological bio-controlagent. The rabbit epidemicsin1997 inone rabbit, most closely nichefor awide variety of haemorrhagicd isease vi rus relatedto atypeof RHDV Theresearchers checked bacteria.Bacterial species (RHDV) can kill susceptible isolatedin Spain, After for RHDV in healthy rabbits suchasPseudomonas adultrabbits in hours from carryingout experiments to shotnearAlexandra in aeru g in o s a andB ur k h o I d e ri a massiveinternal bleeding. checkthisresult,the CentralOtago, This was cepaciafrequentlyset up Trialswere held on an researcherswere convinced amongthe f irstplaces to persistentinfections, offshoreisland, so that the thatthiswas real, butwere reportthe disease following Researchershave found viruscould be contained if leftwithout an explanation releaseof thevirus in 1997. thata numberof unusual problemsarose, However, of howit had gotto New Theyused an extremely speciesof bacteriacan also thevirus escaped to the Zealand,The presence, in sensitiveversion of the takeadvantage ofthe mainland,possibly with healthyrabbits, of similar polymerasechai n reaction situation.Scientists f rom humanhelp, where it viralsequences to the strain tofind outthe sequence of theUniversity of Michigan spread,at least initially, as a responsiblefor the f irst oneof the mostvariable havecollaborated with Peter phenomenallyfastand epidemicsindicated that the regionsof the viral genome, Vandammeof the University lethalepidemic throughout virushas become less able Theydetectedverysmall of Gentin Belgium to study thesouthern Australian to causea lethalinfectton, amounts of twotypes of the someof the less well-known states.TheNewZealand Thebig question, which the virusin about half of the specres. Governmentrejected the researchersare now rabbits.Whenthe ideaofusing RHDV, butthe attemptingto answer,is how Theyfocusedon five researcherstried to infect viruswas deliberately and hasR H DV become able to strainsthat appeared to healthy,vi rus-f ree rabbits illegallyintroduced into New causethese persistent, non- bemembers of the genus withextracts from these Zealandin1997. Many lethalinfections, and how Ralsto n i a,isolated f rom rabbits,they were farmersset out baitsof oats canit beawakened backto patientsreceivi ng treatment completelyunsuccessful, andcarrots contam inated avirulentinfection. inthree US states. After indicatingthat although withRH DV initiatingthe first carryingoutathorough theviral RNA was present, Forrester,N. L., Boag, B., epidemicsof the disease, t Moss, S. R.,Turner, S. L., investigationofthe media on therewas i nsuff icient to althoughwith only 1 0-50 % tout, R. C..lWhite, P.J., whichthe bacteria could causea newinfection at mortality, After the disease Hudson, P.J. & Gould, E. A. grow,their cellular fatty leastu nder experi mental wasestablished, the New (2003). Long-term survival of acids,the sequence of one conditions, ZealandGovernment NewZealand rabbit oftheir genes and a profile haemorrhagic diseasevirus changedits mind and oftheir proteins, the Mostofthe infected rabbits RNA in wild rabbits, revealed researchersconcluded that approvedimporlation, containedaversion of the by RT-PCR and phylogenetic manufactureand sale. virusthat was very closely analysis.J GmVirol34, thestrains originated from twopreviously unknown However,by20O1 there relatedto the Czech V351 3079-3086. species,They have named weremany healthy rabbits in one Ralstonia respi racu I i of NewZealandwhere areas (aftertheLatin noun thevirus was released. In res p i racu I u m resp i rati o n). Australiaas well, the disease However,they are waiti ng hasbecome much less untilthey discover more lethal,Researchers inthe strainsof the other one UK havebeen trying to work beforegiving it an official outhow this has happened, name. Althoughpeople had initiallY assumed that New Zealand Coenye, T., Vandamme, P. & wasfree of RHDVbefore LiPuma, J. J. (2OO3).Rals tonia theillegalreleases, respiraculisp. nov., isolated from the respiratory traccofcystic re-analysisof storedserum fi brosis patients. lntJ Sy st EuoI sampleshas shown that Microbiol 53 1339-1342. a RHDV-likeviruswas

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;:i iti LEFT: [/atingbetween strains marked Chlorinatedhydrocarbons are very useful man-made bycomplementary aLlxotrophic chemicals.Their major advantages are that they do not mutationsColonies areformed on dissolvein water and they are resistantto degradation by minimalagar in the zone where the microbes,They are essential industrial solvents and can be droppedcLlltures P1and P2 foundin brake fluid in cars and in dry-cleaning liquid, o\ierlap However,their chemical nature means that they are COURTESYJP GRATIA PASTEUR INSTITUTEOFBRUSSELS BELGIUful toxicand must be handled with care. Nevertheless, their usefulnessmeans that large volumes are manufactured. w H Theseadvantages turn into a problemwhen the chemicals arespilt or reach the end of their useful life and need to be disposedof, Although many bacteriaattemptto use Amongthe first things that students are taught about chlorinatedhydrocarbons as a sourceof food, degradation is bacteriais thatthey do notindulge in real sex. Bacterial cells slow.The chemicals can remain in the soil for decades and arehaploid, with only one copy of everygene. They have seepinto underground rockto contaminaie watersuppltes. severalwaysto pickup bits of DNAfromthe environment, A substantialportion remains resolutely inaccessible, andto transfer it into other bacterial cells, butthe result is perhapsadsorbed onto soil parlicles orsequestered within neveradiploid cellwith two copies of every gene like the poresin the soil m inerals. The only way to encourage averageanimal cell. Up untilthe 1 950s bacteriologists microbesto get atthis so-called'aged'pollutant isto spray speculatedthat sexual reproduction mig ht be waiting to theground with expensive detergents. Digging up allthe soil bed iscovered in bacteria.Si nce then, aoart f roma few f roma contaminatedsite and burning it in a furnace at a very scatteredreports, most people quietly dropped the idea. hightemperature issometimes another costly solution. lt is nosurprise, therefore, that biotechnologists continue to look However,in 1994 Jean-PierreGratiaf rom the Pasteur formore environmentallyfriendlyways toclean up'aged' Institutein Brussels found something thatappearsto be chlori nated hyd rocarbons. closertotrue sexuality in bacteriathan has ever been seen before.He isolatedastrain of EschericHacoliwilhvery Althoug h manyG ram-negative bacteria can d igest surpris in g characteristics.Atthe ti me, the best explanation chlorinatedhydrocarbons, this ability is rare among Gram- wasthat each cell contained two entire sets of E coligenes, positives.Many Gram-positives, however, can degrade non- onlyone of which was in use at anytime, Now he and his chlorinatedhydrocarbons, and some produce a detergent colleagueMarc Thiry f rom the University of Liegein Belgium duringthe process. A bacterialspecies that combines both havebeen following up this discovery applying new abilitiescould be exactly rightfor bioremediation. Inthe late techniquesinmolecular biology and cell imaging to gain a 1990s PeterRapp and Lotte Gabriel-Jurgens found a moredetai led u nderstand ing of th is phenomenon. They cal I contaminantin aculture of Gram-negativebacteriathat it'spontaneouszygogenesisl or Z-matingfor short. lookedlike it mighthavethese properties, They have now describedihe remarkableabilities of Rhodococcusso, Theresearchers performed crosses between strains strainMS 1 1 ina recentissue of Microbiotogy, carryinggenetic markers forantibiotic resistance or t requirementsfor partrcularamino acids in the growth Notonly could this aerobic, Gram-positive, non-motile medium.The results were much more like those f romdiploid bacterialstrai n degrade an u nexpected lywide ran ge cells,where the progeny contain all the genetic markers. of chlorinatedand non-chlorinated hydrocarbons, but it However,one other possibility that would explain the results madeits own detergent as well. lt could grow on 1,2,4,5- wouldbe that Ihe E. colicells had become particularly sticky, tetrachlorobenzene,aswell as versions of this chemical Tocheck on this, the researchers used several sorts of containingonlytwo orthree chlorine atoms. This is a microscopytolook at boththe arrangement of the cells, and rareability, even among Gram-negative bacteria, so the alsothe DNAwithin them. They could use minute gold researcherschecked outthe genes that provided this particlesto labeltheDNAfrom each of the parental strains characteristic.They tu rned out to besurprisingly similar to intheir crosses, and then examine the labelling of the thosein the Gram-negative bacterial culture f rom which the progeny, Rhodococcusstrainhad been isolated as acontaminant, Theresearchers suspectthatwhen the contaminant had Putting togetheral I thei r resu lts, the researchers feel that beenin the life-or-death situation of needingto usea novel theyhave convincingly demonstrated the existence of a chemicalasa source of food and energy in orderto live, it transmissibleZ-faclorinE.colilhalgives the cells an ability hadacquired exactlythe right genes from the culture.In tofuse and exchange genetic information in awaythat has combinationwith the innate ability of Rhodococcussp. neverbeen observed before, They are sure that this new strainMS1 1 to synthesizeadetergent, the researchers processopens up exciting prospects for bothf undamental havefound an organism that might be well suited for researchand biotech nology, bioremediationofsites polluted with industrial chemicals. Gntia,J.-P.& Thiry,M. (2003). Spontaneous zygogenesis in Rapp, P. & Gabriel-Jiirgens, L. H. E. (2001). Degradation ofalkanes Escberibiacoli, a form of true sexuality in prokaryotes. Microbiology r49,251r-2184. and highly chlorinated benzenes,and production ofbiosurfacrants, by apsychrophili c Rhodocorcussp. and genetic characterization ofits chlorobenzene dioxygenase. Microbiology149,281 9-2890. *iffiffi

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lfyou wou ld like filioneers of evaluations,whichis then schizophrenicbook. This is a pity needbasic laboratory information your UMicrobiology and demonstratedusinga anddetracts from the overall andvice versa and those nameto be theNobelPrize hypotheticalvaccine. Each appeal.Notwithstanding the microbiology/virologytrainees, addedto our ByU. Lagerkvist diseaseisevaluated interms of diversity,there are substantial whoneed the wide clinical databaseof book PublishedbyWorld Scientific theeconomic burden, morbidity areasof overlap between several experience. reviewers,please (2003) andmortality, target populations chaptersand the overall cohesion lSheilaBurns HBUS$48.00/S33.00; forvaccination andcosts of ofthe book would have benefited Royallnfirmaryof completethe book PBUS$24.00/$16,00, pp.182 deliveryand they are considered frommore aggressive and Edinburgh reviewerinterests ISBN:981 -238-233-X (HB) ; againstthelikely benefits of comprehensiveeditorial cross- formnow available 981-238-234-8(PB) diseaseprevention using'disease referencing.Similarly, the onthe SG M scenariosiThepriority list organizationofchapters appears luicroorganisms Justover 100 years ago the producedin1985 isvirtually somewhatenatic - for example Uin Foods7: website, firstNobel Prize in Physiology or unchangednow. lt wouldhave thereare two chapters about MicrobiologicalTesting Medicinewasawarded. This beeninteresting tohave an p.53,yetthey are 300 pages in FoodSafety A classified bookisan authoritative and analysisofthe economics issues apart.Overall, abrave attempt to Management Bythe International Commission compendiumof entertainingaccount offour of surroundingthedevelopment and encompassabroad, exciting and theearlywinners. Thelife and strategiesforthe implementation developingfield, Inevitably itwill onMicrobiological Specifications bookreviews from workof Robert Koch, Emilvon ofan H lV vaccine, but the only soonbe out of date so probably forFoods (ICMSF) 1996 to the Behring,PaulEhrlich andElie referencetoH lV was as a bestas an institutional purchase. PublishedbyKluwer Academic/ presentis also Metchnikoffareclosely examined confoundingfactor in many other llohnR,Arrand PlenumPublishers (2002) Eurol44.50/ US$1 25.00/S88.50, availableon the inthe light of contemporary infections,Thesubtitle isthe Institutefor Cancer scientificknowledge and key- atoolfor decision making - Sfudreg Universityof pp.388 website, ignorance,Politics appear to itshouldbe compulsory reading Birmingham ISBN:0-306-47262-7 havehad as much to do with their forallwhoare involved indecision A listof publishers' finalacceptance asNobel Prize makingboth at the vaccine Miuob io hgical Testin g in Fo od winnersas did their outstanding developmentandimplementation 6fRtlasof Sexually SafetyManagemenf bythe websiteaddresses scientificachievements. Many stages.The individual reader UTransmitted ICMSFisan excellent textfor isgiven on p, 1 95. full-pageportraits add to the will,however, find it interesting Diseasesand AIDS, researchersworkinginthe field of charmof this book. Members of tobrowse particularly the ThirdEdition foodsafety. lt is wellwritten and thepublic wanting tolearn more workshopsonthe mechanism of Editedby S,A, Morse, R,C. Ballard, theideas flow in a sensible and aboutthe birth of microbiology actionsofsome vaccines, K.K.Holmes &A,A, Moreland practicalmanner, ltshould bea willfindthis book invaluable, lLizBoxall PublishedbyMosby/ Elsevier guideto people working inboth Traineeaswell as experienced PublicHea lth Laboratory Science(2003) regulatoryagencies andfood microbiologistsandimmunologists BirminghamHeartlands $125,00,pp.408 productiononthe pragmatic use willalsofind much of interest. Hospitaland National ISBN:0-7234-3227-g ofa systems approach to Thereshould bea copy inthe BloodSeruice, managingfoodsafety. This oftenneglected history section of Birmingham Thisisa comprehensive, well- systemsapproach isapparent allgood microbiology libraries, illustratedtext, lt ismore than an fromthe'food safety objective' f PaulWright atlas,Each chapter has good principlepromoted bythe book. ConquestHospital, t lf,tumor-suppressingbalanceofpathogenesis, clinical Thisprinciple takes into account St Leonard's-on-Sea UUiruses,Genesand featuresand laboratory tests, thecomplexity ofthe current 0rugs.Innovatiue Gancer Thereisa very satisfying production,distribution and TherapyApproaches emphasisonclinical features, consumptionoffood by EditedbyH. Maruta withexcellent pictures (too combininginformation from lfrUaccinesfor 'coffee Uthe 21stGentury: A PublishedbyAcademic Press graphictobe a table' variousdisparate sources. Toolfor Decisionmaking (2001) book)and illustrated laboratory Thisincludes data from Editedby K.R. Stratton, J.S. Durch S66.95,pp,400 diagnosis.Effort isdevoted to epidemiologicalstudies,public &R,S. Lawrence ISBN:0-12-476249-2 descriptionoflaboratory healthsurveillance statistics, PublishedbyNational Academy investigations,butnot necessarily microbialgrowth, food production Pres(200i) Thetitle is wide-ranging. Sois prioritizingtheirclinical prtlcesses,retail and consumption $30,95,pp, 460 thebook. This volu.me reviews significance. practices.Inclusion ofstatistical thegamut ofnovel anti-cancer Thecontent iswell-balanced, process in ISBN:0-309-05646-2 'STD controltechniques therapiesthatare currently in Althoughthetitle is and chapter13 will be an added Vaccines,bothprophylactic clinicaltrial, under development AIDSi only 3of the 17 chapters are bonusfor food producers, (forinfections)andtherapeuticormerelybeingconsidered.At devotedtoAlDsalone. aPradeepMalakar (fordiseases such as diabetes, lea$that is the stated intention, Thelaboratory tests describe the lnstituteofFood iheumatoidarthritis, multiple butwhilst some contributors mostcurrently available tests, Research,Norwich sclerosisandmelanoma) are admirablydiscuss thetherapeutic molecular andnon-molecular, reviewedinterms ofeconomic aspects,others ignore itand Thisshould make the text useful priorityfor development and choosetodescribe detailed inresource-limited, aswell as implementation,Theintroductory molecular mechanisms with resource-richcountries' chipterscover some ofthe absolutelynoreference totheir Thisbook will be a useful backgroundtoeconomic potentialastherapeutic targets. referencetextfor G U M/ Theresult isa somewhat InfectiousDiseases trainees, who

voL30/Nov03 ffiPtinciples of chaptersareparticularly notonly be valuable toworkers in themainstream ofbiological titleand the large number of W GenomeAnalysis prescient,namely, (13) thefield of pro- and prebiotics, thinking,Burnett brings together clinicaltrials 'Bioterrorism usingsuch andGenomics, Third :a real modern butalso for those in other areas of inone volume the approaches and vectors,there is little mention of Edition threat'and (1 4)'Bioterrorist microbialecology, attractionsofworking with fungi theadministration ofviruses to ByS.B. Primrose &R,M, Twyman threats:what the infectious lMarie-LouiseBaillon inthe areas of population biology patients,The price of the book is PublishedbyBlackwell Publishing diseasecommunity should know WalthamCentrefor andspeciation, Toquote Pringle & likelyto restrict itspurchase to (2002) aboutanthrax and plaguei I found PetN utrition, Waltham- Taylor(2002, Trends Microbiol, organizations, $29,50;pp.263 muchof interest outside ofmy on-the-Wolds 10,474-481),' fungi are lChristopherRing ISBN:1-4051-0120-2 area.While the chapters onsmall n mpl i nted,b ut tractabl d and it GlaxoSmithKlineR&D, colonyvariants olStaphylococcus isthe tenor of Burnett's book that Stevenage Thespeed ofthe genome aureus and on Mycoplasma dffimuancesin fungiare open to investigation by sequencingrevolution is pn e u m o n i ae inf e cti ons we re WMicrobial Toxin arange oftechniques, someof staggering,Thiswelcome book instantlyattractive tome, I Researchand its whichare described indetail, for ffiPlant Uirusesas explainswhy and how genomes becamereadily engrossed with Biotechnological thestudy of populations, fitness, WMolecular arebeing sequenced, andthe thoseon West Nile Fever inNew Exploitation variationand speciation. Topics as Pathogens methodsweare using tomake YorkCity, amoebiasis, enterovirus EditedbyR,K, Upadhyay diverseasmolecular genetics and Editedby J.A, Khan &J. Dijkstra senseofthe mass of data. Aimed 71,and water-transmissible PublishedbyKluwer Academic/ ecologyare covered, lncontrast, PublishedbyThe Haworth Press, atadvanced undergraduates, it diseases andhaemodialysis. PlenumPublishers (2002) thebook isweak on genomics Inc,(2002) isan excellent distillation of Thosewho have read the firstfour US$115,00/S80,50/Eurol32.00. withno mention, forexample, of HBUS$l29,95 (HB); currentknowledge, Theauthors volumesinthis series will not be pp,288 genomeevolution and speciation PBU5$59,95, pp,537 -56022-89a-6 discussgenome structure and disappointedwiththis latest, The ISBN:0-306-41255-4 inSa cc h a ro myc es.Also, lichen ISBN:1 (HB); ' -56022-895-4 organization,Theythen describe Editors'message that it istime to fungireceive scant attention, 1 (PB) thecloning, mapping and seeenerging infections astrue Thisbook contains anumber 0verallhowever, this book reflects sequencingofgenomes, a surrogatesforan alien invasiol ofrelatively specialized chapters theknowledge andcommitment Thankstosequencing and reminderinthese days when poignantlysummarizes the concernedwith microbial toxins, ofits author and deserves tosell geneticmanipulations ofvarious gen0mesequences appear importantcontribution ofthis Idid find the title of the book wellasanaid to both teaching kinds,great strides have been apparentlybymagic, thatthis is a seriestopublic health, slightlyconfusing asto whether andresearch, madein understanding howplant complexandintellectually lCyrilt.Smlrth itwas about toxins made by aDavidArcherand virusesfunction as pathogens at challengingprocess, However, the TrinityCollegeDuhlin microbesortoxins acting on PaulDyer themolecular level, This book meatof the book lies in the next microbes,Thetoxins described Un iversity of Notting ham coversaspects such as virus sixchapters looking atgenome anddiscussed inthis book are replicationand gene expression, annotationandbioinformatics, e&*kProbioticsand mainlythe low-molecular-weight vectortransmission, natural and comparativegenomics, structu ral WPrebiotics: Where secondarymetabolites produced #&UiralUectorsfor engineeredresistance, and genomics,global expression AreWe Going? byvarious organisms. However, W GeneTherapy: moleculartechniques, withtwo profiling,comprehensive mutant EditedbyG.WTannock asan overview ofthe current Methodsand Protocols. bonuschapters onthe principles librariesandthe mapping of PublishedbyCaister Academic researchinto, and applications of Methodsin Molecular ofvirus taxonomy andvirus proteininteractions, Thefinal Press(2002) low-molecular-weighttoxins,this MedicineSeries, Uol. 76 names.lthas to be said the chapterskipsthrough afew $90.00/US$180,00, pp,333 bookisa very useful source of EditedbyC.A, Machida coverage- by 37 authors in21 vignettesshowing how these ISBN:0-9542464-1 -1 information.Thebookwill be PublishedbyHumana Press (2002) chapters- is patchy, Some give techniquescanreveal important t ofparticular useto courses in US$135,00, pp, 589 goodbroad overviews oftheir biologicalinformation. Thebook is Thisbook provides anexcellent appliedaspects ofthe subject as ISBN:1-58829-019-0 subjectarea, but a few are clearlywritten, well presented, summaryofthe current state of thereis a wealth of information on restrictedtoworkfrom their own andfeels good. Recommended. playin the field of pro- and theuse of low-molecular-weight Thisbook covers the major laboratories.Thereis little or lNeilStoker prebiotics,andaddresses topics toxinsinbiological control virusesthat have been utilized to nothingon virus particle assembly RoyalVeterinary rangingfrom the composition and processes,Although some of the transferand express genetic andstructure, symptom College,London functionality ofthe intestinal chaptersare relatively specialized material,Atfirst glance it appears formationoreffects onplant microflora,toutilizing genomic inthe interactions they describe, invaluabletoallthose aiming to metabolism.Inthe paperback technologytoimprove strains thebook as a whole provides a constructviral vectors, however edition,many of the illustrations &Emeroinu fromindustrial andhealth goodoverview ofthe current thechapters areoften very canonly be described as'faint Wlnfect-ion-s,Uol.5 promotingperspectives, The statusof action and use of these specializedandtherefore are only andfuzzyi The book covers some EditedbyWM, Scheld,WA, Craig formatof the chapters issuch that agents, likelyto be of use to researchers ofthe territory of the 2002 fourth &J.M,Hughes researchersnewto the field can lTimMitchell makingspecif icmodifications to editionofMatthews' P/anf PublishedbyAmerican Society quicklybecome familiarwith the UniversityofGlasgow vectorsystems, The chapters are, Virology,byRoger Hull, butthat forMicrobiology (2001) lateststudies and techniques however,comprehensive and hasabroader coverage, U5$79,95,pp,266 usedin each area, e.g. the role of easytofollow and, considering lRon Fraser ISBN:1-5581 -216-3 probioticsincalcium bioavailability $ffifungal Populations thenumber ofchapters dealing SGMMarlborough orlBD. The contributors arehighly Wand Species withthe same virus, there is little House Thislatest volume brings the regardedintheir field and, as well ByJohn Burnett overlapintext between them, The totalnumber ofindividual reviews asgiving abasic overview, cover Publishedby0xford University bookwouldbenefitfrom an inthis series on Emerging eachtopic insufficient detailto Press(2003) introductorychapter describing lnfectionslo77,As always these providethe reader with a sound S37,50,pp,348 thedifferent viral systems and aresuccinct, timely and highly basisfrom which tobegin ISBN:0-19-851553-7 thefeatures lending them to readablecontributions ona researchusing the techniques particularapplications, Despite 'gene m6langeofbacterial, viral, fungal, andexperimental designs Itis John Burnett's hope that therapy'appearinginthe andprotozoal infections, Two discussedwithin, This book will fungitake their rightful place in of GG- andfacilitate research onthis lPeptide Antibiotics: butalso gives improved flavour reasonableforindividual lGenomics purchase. URich Gram-Positiueexperimentallyintractable U0iscovery, Modes andquality. This authoritative Myonly real reservation Bacteria.Functional organism.()verallthis book isa of Action,and bookon the topic, written by isthe size of the cards: at 6.5 x I quite GenomicsSeries, Uol. 2 welcomeaddition, although lfelt Applications. twovery experienced food cm,they are really small print Danchin thatthe Editor in his chapter on Editedby C,J. Dutton, M,A. Haxell, microbiologists,focusesvery whichmeans the isvery EditedbyA. 'Genomes PublishedbyCaisterAcademic andevolution' could H.A.l.McArthur &R.G, Wax muchon applications: it covers in smallandthere isno room for Press(2002) haveaddressed whether the PublishedbyMarcel Dekker, Inc greatdetail examples ranging highlightingmaterial orfor pp.178 pre-genomicseraclassif ication (2001) fromhighly processed products makingextra notes. $75.00/US$150.00, 'G ISBN:0-9542464-3-8 of C-richness'issupported by US$150,00,pp.296 totraditional foods, The chapter lAdrianEley anydistinctive feature of genome ISBN:0-8247-0245-X on'Basicaspects' reviews Un iversity of Sheffi e I d TheGC-rich group ofGram- architectureorstability now that preservativemechanisms and weknowthe complete genome Thisexcellent book reviews the bacterialresponses ina readable positivebacteria include diverse and different sequencesofsome bacteria in currentstateofknowledge of waythat avoids unnecessary lRntiniofic bacterialtypes with very U Ghemotherapy,8th ccus thisgrouping. peptideantibiotics inalmost 300 detail.Microbiologists wanting reputations:while Rhodoco Edition: Anti-infectiue and lKevinDevine pages.ltsinternational rangeof insightinto latest research will isan agent of bioremediation - Agentsand their Use in noted TrinityCollegeDublin expertcontributions havebeen havetolook elsewhere this Streptomycesspeciesare Therapy forantibiotic production, both welledited to produce acohesive isa bookaimed atthe text.lt iscomprehensive covering multidisciplinaryteams(from EditedbyR.G. Finch, Myco b a cte ri u m tub erc u Io sis and S.R.Norrby & lHost Response peptidesfrom many animal, plant engineerstomicrobiologists) D.Greenwood, M.lepraearewellknown R.J.Whitley pathogenscausing tuberculosis UMechanisms in andmicrobialsources. whoare involved inthe practical lntectiousDiseases. I particularlyliked the chapter on applicationsofhurdle technology, PublishedbyChurchill Livingstone/ andleprosy, respectively. This (2003) Contributionsto amphibianpeptides. Aswell as Academicsresponsible for ElsevierScience Ltd, bookfocusesonthe impactthat $'115.00,pp.964 genome Microbiology,Uol. 10 informing,and clearly describing teachingfood science subjects complete sequence ISBN:0-443-07129-2 informationhasand will have on EditedbyH. Henrvald whatis known (and not known) it willalso find this a very useful ourknowledge ofthese bacteria, PublishedbyKarger (2003) broughtmebackto childhood bookpacked with clear CHF240.00/ Eur0171.50/ pondsideactivities. Clearly, the explanationsandinteresting It is40 years since the first edition Althoughthe complete genome published. US$208.75,pp,260 frogswe caughtwere protected examplesoffood microbiology ofthis bookwas Inthat sequenceofa Rhodobacter time,ithas accumulated many speciesisnot yet publicly ISBN:3-8055-7486-X bya range ofpolypeptides fromeveryday life, secretedfrom neuroendocrine- lNickRussell devoteesand has become firmly available,thechapter onthe establishedasone of the leading currentstate of Rhodobacter Thisis an expensive but likecells in response tothe Im perial CollegeLondon authoritativecollection of12 injuriesweinflicted! textsin the field of antimicrobial geneticsshows that the tools chemotherapy.Forthis 8th forgenetic manipulation are highlydetailed chapters byan Thisbook takes us from genes internationalgroup of specialists throughproduction, regulation, tticrobeGards edition,the Editors have again availabletoexploit knowledge f collatedcontributions froman thegenome sequence. The inthe field of host response structure,function and practical of ByM.S. Peppler extensivegroup of internationally onglobal analysis of mechanisms,Eachchapter takes issues,regarding exploitation and chapter byAmerican Society recognizedexperts, The resulting anoverview careto introduce the subject area potentialuse of these agents. lt is Published Streptomycagives forMicrobiologll (2002) textremains authoritative and ofits genome organization and beforelaunching into detail, lwas comprehensiveandinformative impressedbythe overall claritY witha readily accessible style. I U5$24.95,103cards per deck hasbeen updated toinclude bothmorphological andmetabolic -55581-2171 newtopics, such as power ofwriting and editing. happilyrecommend ittoanyone tSBN:1 several differentiation.The of oxazolidinones,drugdiscovery genomicanalysis isexemplified Arecurring problem forsuch textS interestedinantimicrobial agents Wouldyou like a pack of cards andregulatory considerations, byS.nelinlu,whichwas isthe lag time between chaPter andconsider it a mustfor those witha microbiological difference? Thevisual impact and clarity previouslyknown toproduce writingand publication. Thus, the workinginthefield, lf so,then Microbe0ardscould be of the 8th edition have been antibiotics,butthe bookcontains virtually no 2002 lKathyBamford three justfor you. They cover 103 micro- enhancedbyits slightly larger genomesequence references, Imperial College London complete organisms,including bacteria, format,and by the use of more hasrevealed 20gene clusters I particularlyenjoyed Bevin's viruses,fungi and parasites, Each iconizedandboxed sections. potentiallycapable ofsynthesizing comprehensivechapter on cardhas several images onone Anyonewho owns an earlier secondarymetabolites. Thethree mammalianantimicrobial lHurdle - sidewith a concise description of version,and everyone with a real chaptersonMycobacterium peptidesthere are only 100+ of VTechnologies: lreatments keyfeatures ofan organism on interestinthe topic should tub e rc u Io sislocus onthe them,and the text is supported bY Gombination Satety thereverse. 0verall the latter are seriouslyconsider buying this contributionofgenomics to 381references! tor FoodStability, accurate,clear and relevant. The book;acopy should certainly be identificationofnew virulence Thereare few diagrams in andQuali$. Food choiceof organismsisalso very placedinall microbiology factors,on our understanding of general,butthe use of bold EngineeringSeries Gould reasonable,butI do thinkthat libraries.Although itis not secretionandits contribution to coloursinthe schematic ByL, Leistner &G.W Sh ig e il a dy n ntei ae w an anls cheap,itrepresents excellent virulenceand on the TubercuList illustrationsinW[izne/s chapter PublishedbyKluwer Academic/ (2002) inclusion.Thevast majority of valuefor money, basedon the GenoList onComplementisto be PlenumPublishers database, photographsusedare of lNeilWoodford modelthat has served the applauded. Euro'l44.50/ US$1 25,00/S88.50, pp.208 extremelyhigh quality, especially AntibioticResrstance Esc h ui chia c o Ii (Col ib n) and Thebook should earn aplace theelectron micrographs, These Monitoringand Bacillus subtilis (Subti Lis| asa reference source onlibrary ISBN:0-306-47263-5 cardswillappeal asa revision aid ReferenceLaboratory communitiessowell. Finally, shelvesofmicrobiology, gyis tostudents ofmedical SpecialtstReference thereisa very good chapter on molecularbiology, immunology Hu rd Ie Tech nol o the microbiologyandlaboratory Mi crobi ology D ivision, My c o b a cte ri u m I e p ra e andils andinfectious disease deliberateuseof a combination Protection preservationprocedures, technologystaff, as well perhaps Health highlytruncated genome making departments. of Agency,London shelf-life tostudents ofmedicine andof astrong case that genomic lMarkWilcox designedtoextend the Leeds manner nursing,The price isquite analysiswillgreatly expedite Universityof offood in a synergistic thatnot only enhances itssafetY,

lm N$sws$w$stusswroDAYVOLS0/NOV03 Publisher's website addresses whenthere isinappropriate havebeen better tocombine ffilHx'ccine cytokineproduction during thesetwo areas. Other topics AcademicPress wwwacademicpress com EditedbyB.R, Bloom & infection,Thisis leading tothe coveredarethe applications of AmericanSociety forMicrobiology \,4/\/V\/Vasmpress,0rg P.-H.Lambert developmentoftherapies for stableisotopes and developments PublishedbyAcademic Press someinfectious diseases (e,9. inpermeable reactive technology, Blackwell wwwblackwellpublishing,com (2002) sepsis)based onanti-cytokine 0verall,this is a useful book that f37.50,pp.320 strategies, iswell referenced ChurchillLiving$one/ElsevierScienceelseviercom 'Handbookl upto 2001, ISBN:0-12-101258-4 however,isthe key However,it is CRCPress \'Vw\/V,crcpress.c0m tooexpensive for wordin the title, This is not a text allbut the committed expert. HaworthPress lnc www.haworthpressinc.comlssuessurrounding vaccination thatmakes easy bedtime readingl lCliveEdwards HorizonScientific Press wwwhorizonpress com aretopical and so publication of Anunderstanding ofimmunology, Un ive rsity of Liverpool thisbook istimely, Although it cytokinenomenclature and HumanaPress wwwhumanapress com purportsnot to be comprehensive, cytokinebiology and associated Karger www.karger.com andindeed some vaccines such as jargonisa pre-requisite for &nnunipteDrug thosefor hepatitis Aand E are tacklingthe very WBesistantBacteria KluwerAcademic/PlenumPublisherswww.wkan.nl detailedtext hardlymentioned, itis very presented.Thishandbook will Editedby C.F. Amiibile-Cuevas MarcelDekker lnc www.dekkercom detailedand is not quite the easy beof most use as a reference for PublishedbyHorizon Scientific (2003) NelsonThornes www.nelsonthornescom readsuggested bythe cover academicsteaching aspects of Press design,However, itshould be microbialimmunology/ S80.00/US$160,00,pp.182 0xfordUniversity Press w\,V\,\/Otjp c0 l]K consideredasa useful reference pathogenesisatan advanced level ISBN:1-898486-45-X WorldScientific w\]V\/Vwspc,c0m sg book,The content covers every andfor those actively pursuing aspectofvaccination, including researchinthe field, Thismulti-authored volume theglobal burden ofdisease, cost lEileen lngham focusesonthe evolution of to effectiveness, safety, UniversityofLeeds bacterialresistance tomultiple ffilntroduction ffilntroducingqWGenetics: ethical WToxicologyandFood From issuesand the introduction of antimicrobialagents. ltincludes ByT, Altug MendeltoMolecule newvaccines, Therefore, it chaptersonmechanisms forthe PublishedbyCRC Press (2002) ByAlisonThomas shouldappealto awide audience, ffieioremediation: acquisitionofresistance inboth US$59,95/S29.99,pp.168 PublishedbyNelson Thornes includinghealth economists and WA CriticalReview Gram-positiveandGram-negative ISBN:0-8493-1 456-9 (2003) strategists,microbiologists and Editedby l,M. Head,l. Singleton a bacteria,narloci,MRSA and $17.00,pp.216 epidemiologists.Sinceitis not M,G,Milner vancomycin-resistant Thoughthemicrobiological ISBN:0-7487-6440-2 restrictedtovaccines aimed at PublishedbyHorizon Scientific enterococci,andalso deals with contentofthis book is limited, it preventinginfections but Press(2003) multipleresistance inbiofilms, maywellbeof some interestto It'snice to see a book that does discussesother possible targets US$180.00/S90,00,pp,30'l Thetext is well illustrated and foodmicrobiologists. lt provides a exactlywhat it sayson the cover. suchas therapeutic, anti-cancer ISBN: 1 -898486-36-0 containsvery helpful high-quality shortintroduction andoverview It introducesgenetics for students vaccinesandvaccines against diagrams.The chapters are up to offood toxicology which of course withoutastrong genetics Alzheime/s.autoimmune and Thisbook is an eclectic collection dateand cited references extend includesanumber oftoxins of backgroundandit does this by allergicdisease, itshould also often chapters onmicrobial to2002, Perhaps the highlight of microbialorigin, The first few startingwith'whole organism' aspectsofbioremediation, thevolume isa chapter by beof interest toseveral other 'Horizontal chaptersserve asa general Mendeliangenetics and working medicalspecialities. Readerswith slightly different Heineman&Silby on introductiontothe field and are itsway ultimately tothe D NA , lSueSkidmore backgroundswillaccordingly genetransfer and the selection of largelyconcerned with describing level.This is a good approach for PrrncessR oya I Hos p itaI, differin whatthey perceive as antibioticresistancei This thevarious branches of manystudents being introduced Telford useful,interesting orappropriate, presentsacritical evaluation of toxicology,theclassification of togenetics, since itstarts with a I particularlyenjoyed the chapters thebehaviour ofresistance toxinsand defining the meaning phenomenonthatis already onbalancing theneeds of plasmidsand post-segregational ffiGvtokines and ofvarious toxicological terms. familiar;variation between m, researchers,practitioners, killingmechanisms inrelation to Theseare followed bychapters individuals,Through Thomas' WGhemokinesin regulatorsandpolicyrnakers; variousaspects ofevolutionary onthe mechanism ofaction of lucidand concise prose the causal InfectiousDiseases ageneraltreatment ofmicrobial thinking,such as the selfish DNA differentclasses oftoxin and the basisfor phenotype variation is Handbook.Infectious studiesinbioremediation ; theory, variousin vivoand in vitroloxicity wellexplained, Thisis a slim, DiseasesSeries ecotoxicology;anaerobic Foratext of 182 pages, this testsused, The four main handyintroductory guide that Editedby M. Kotb & T. Calandra bioremediationandthe volumeisnot cheap, However, chaptersdescribe natural toxins, wouldhelp provide good PublishedbyHumana Pres (2003) application(s)of microbial itwouldbea good purchase for contaminants(which include the foundationsonwhich students US$'145,00,pp,456 inoculants,Alsouseful isa individualsspecializing inthe bacterialand fungal toxins), food couldbuild using more complex ISBN:0-89603-908-0 detailedchapter on geochemistry evolutionofresistance anda additivesandchemopreventers andadvanced texts, perhaps ones andhydrology ofbioremediation valuableaddition toresearch inthe diet. The book employs a withmore space todiscuss areas Thisisa timely publication, bynatural attenuation. Achapter libraries, ratherabbreviated note-like style notcovered here, such as Understandingoftherole of onecological theory, although of ItonSaunders whichmakes it relatively easy to genomics.()nereservation isthat cytokinesininfectious diseases generalinterest, istoo long and Un iversity of Liverpool skim,although theEnglish isa thetext lacks colour, which is not hasincreased dramatically in itsrelevance tobioremediation littleclumsy inplaces, idealwhen representing complex recentyears. We now have a notalways made clear. There lMafinAdams geneticprocesses, but muchbetter understanding ofthe issome overlap between the UniversityofSurrey augmentationwithappropriate rolethat cytokines playin host descriptionofunderstanding websiteswould circumvent defenceand the way that they bioavailabilitywiththe chapter thisproblem, mayalso contribute topathology onecotoxicology anditmight lMikeSpeed whenproduced inexcess, or Un iversity of Liverpool

$N$,{}I*{}S$*}$,"{}S\$|OD/\YVOL30/NOV03lEil for PCRdetection from humans, BIOSCIENCE2OO4; ffiBiotechnologY FRO[/1MOTECULFS TOORGANISMS Wttre Environment: animalsandfoods and the SoilRemediation. Focus moleculartyping of STEC, These 13TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIU[/] BSACSPRING MTETING 2OO4 SECC,Glasgow onBiotechnology, Uol. 38 usefully indicate limitations, ONTHE BIOLOGY OFIHE PARTNERSHIPSINFIGHTIN O 18-22 July 2004 -TIMTTOACT EditedbyS.N, Agathos & laboratoryhazards, necessarY ACIINOMYCETES INFECTION C0NTACT:[/eetings0ffice, WReineke samplinglevels and controls. Melbourne,Australia lnternationalConvention BiochemicalSociety, 59Portland Place PublishedbyKluwer Academic/ Forcellular microbiologists 1-5Decembet 2003 Centre,Birmingham LondonWlB 1 QW 0el 020 7580 3481 ; coveraspects of 3-4March 2004 Fax020 7637 7626; email PlenumPublishers (2002) sixchapters C0NTACT:Symposium Secretariat US$68.00/S4i,00,pathogenicityingood detail, e.g. Mc8oy,BSAC 11 [email protected]; Euro75,00/ c/oConference Strategy PtyLtd, P0 C0NTACT:Phillippa www.BioScience2004.org) pp,140 pathogenicityislandanalYsis, Box11 2Z Sandringham Victoria3191 TheWharf,16 BridgeStreet ISBN:1-4020-1051 -6 generationofdeletion mutants Au$ralia(www conferencestrategy. BirminohamB12JS fiel 0121 633 andmonoclonal antibodies, comau) 0410;Fax 01 21 643 9497; email [email protected])12TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS Thisbook isa compilation However,confocal microscoPY OFIM [/IUNOTOGY/4TH ANNUAL ofmultidisciplinary research wassurprisingly notmentioned. CONFERENCEOFTHEFEDERAIION OF remediation.lt Thefollowing nine chapters CORDIAEUROPABIO CONVENTION CLINICAL I[i]MUNOtOGY SOCIETIES workson soil 2003 successfullyintegrates thedepth providedetailed protocols for (TMMUN0L0GY/F0ClS2004) ofthe scientif icprinciPles with Shigatoxin biology studies, Uienna,Austtia Montt6al,0u6bec, Canada thebreadth ofapplication of throughpurification, effects on 2-4December 2003 INTERNATIONALCONFERENCE ONTHE 18-23 July 2004 usingthe biotechnologyintreating host-cellfunctions and C0NIACT: www cordiaconvention CONTROLOFINFECTIOUS ANIMAL 2004 VACCINAIION C0NTACT:lmmunology/F0ClS contaminatedsoil,This book can latterastools for elucidating com/in{o DISEASESBY Secrelariat,National Research Council beapproached ontwo levels:as a cellularmechanisms, Thefinal BuenosAires, Argentina Canada,Building M-l9, 1200 [llontreal usefulreference anda research chaptersonanimal models Pull 13-16April 2004 Road0ttawa 0N K1A0R6 Canada otherwisewidelY (Tel+1 treatiseonbioremediation, The together Head, 6139937271;Fax+1613 information,Although C0NIACI:DrAA Schudel, 9937250r email immuno2004@ introductionchapter gives aclear dispersed Scientific&Technical Dept0lE, 12 rue nota book for the nrcca; www.immuno2004 org) overviewofthe cunent trends in thisis certainly DIAGNOSISANDTREATMENT OFVIRAL dePr0ny75017Paris France[Tel +33 bioremediation,thechaPters on uninitiated,whowould require DISEASESEUROPEAN SOCIETYFOR (0)144 15 1B BB; Fax +33 (0)1 42 67 humificationofnitroaromatics fullerindexing, the Editors have CLINICAL VIROTOGY (ESCV)WINTER 0987; email oie@oie int;www,oie intl andphytoremediation are collatedavery useful text with [/EETING2OO4 readingforanY keypoints highlighted inthe lOTHINTIRNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM recommended Copenhagen,Denmark (lS[/E), practitioner in criticalnotes, 0NMrcR0BlAL EC0L0GY interested 15-17 January 2004 SURFACI pollutedsites, lMartinCollins MICROBIALPLAN[T: SUB bioremediating Symposion TOSPACE thosecontaminated bY TheQ,ueen's UniversitY C0NTACT:Secrelariat including lnternationallranekaer SIotSlotsgade MANAGEMENTOFPLANT DISEASFS munitions.Ata more advanced of Belfast (Tel BYBCAS AND Cancun,Mexics 86,DK 5953 Tranekaer +45 ANDARTHROPOD PESTS 22-27August 2004 level,this book describes thestate 98332155:Fax+45 98332828; THEIRINTEGRATI!N INAGRICULTURAL inclean-uP (JOINT HM Lappin-Scott ofthe art research the emailkh@symposion-int dk; SYSTEMSIOB/WPRS C0NIACT;Prof technologiessuchas slunY- ffittre Wayof wwwescv-2004 dk) MIETING) (emailh.m lappin-scott@ex ac.uk; W Gell.Molecules, www.kenescom/tsme) basedmethods andlife-cYcle StMichele all'Adige, assessment,whichwill be 0rganismsand the 0rderof life Trentino,ltaly pertinenttoresearchers and '! HYGIENICCOATINOS &SURFACES 9-13June 2004 academicsinthe field of ByF,M. Harold SECONDGLOBAT CONGRTSS UniversitY C0NTACT:YigalElad, Convener bioremediation,ltis a valuable PublishedbyOxford 0rlando,Flofida, USA XIIIBOIRYTIS SY[/IPOSIU [/I Press(2003) (currentemailduring sabbatical: sourcebook for soil prof essionals 26-28January 2004 uk:www.agti.govil/ Newin paperback velad@sbc bbkac Antalya,Turkey whoare interested inthe PRA Depts/l0BCPP/JGroup/l0BCWPRSinte25-310ctober2004 $12,95,pp,305 C0NTACT:JanetSaraty environmentalapplication of BWaldegrave Road,Teddington grationl$.html) ISBN: 0-'19-516338-9 C0NTACT:DrYigal Elad (email biotechnology, TW11BLD (Iel 020 86144Bl 1; elady@volcaniagrigovnet il) lDianePurchase Fax020 861 4481 2; email j saraty@ MiddlesexUniversitY (Areview ofthe hardback version praorg uk; www hygienic-coatings.com) canbe found inlhe MicrobiologY TodayBookReviewsectionon the 23RDANNUAL SCIENIIFIC [/EETING 24THANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING @f. coti:Shiqa Toxin SGMwebsite.) ffi OFTHEAMERICAN SOCIETY FOR OFTHEA[/IERICAN SOCIETY FOR WMethods and VIROLOOY (SPONSOR MCGILL VIROLOGY(SPOI\lSOR PENNSTATE Protocols.Methods in GLOBALCONFERENCE ONANI[/At UNIVFRSITYMONTREAL) UN IVERSITY) MolecularMedicine, WELFARE Montr6al,0u6bec, Canada UniversityPark, Uol.73. 10-14July 2004 Pennsylvania,USA D,Philpott& F,Ebel 0lEH0, Paris, France Editedby 23-25February 2004 18-22 July 2005 PublishedbyHumana Pres (2002) C0NTACT:SidneyE Grossberg US$125,00, pp,375 C0NTACT:DrA Petrini, 0lE,1 2 rue de Secretary-IreasurerAmericanSociety C0NTACT:SidneyE, Grossberg ofMicrobiology and AmericanSoctety ISBN:0-89003-939-0 Pronv75017 Paris France [Fax +33 forVirology, Depl Secretary-Treasurer, (0)142 S7 09 87;emailanimalwelfare- MolecularGenetics, Medical College of forVirology Dept ofMicrobiology and conference@oieint:wwwoie int] Wisconsin8701Watertown PlankRoad MolecularGenetics, Medical College of Thisbook isaimed atboth Milwaukee,Wl53226 0509, USA (Tel Wisconstn,8701Watertown PlankRoad, clinical(chapters 2-7)and +1414456 8104; Fax +1 414456 Milwaukee,Wl532260509 USA(Iel cellularmicrobiologists 6566;email ASV@mcw edu; +1414456 8104; Fax +1 414456 (chapters8-25), Forthe former, wwwmcw edu/asv) 6566;email ASV@mcw edu; comprehensiveProtocols are www.mcwedu/asv) providedforserological and

m TODAYVOL3O/NOV03

i Gomment

Thei m portanceof veterinary_ micrcbiology:the role of theSc M

Manvcurrent Animal diseaseshave been recognized since antiquity collaboration. This relationship is sorely lacking in infeitiousdisease as significant threats to human health. Since the time of the UK and in many other countties. For example, scaresinvolve animal Pasteur'spioneering work on anthrax and rabies, there the technology used for serodiagnosis of foot and mouth hostsas inSARS/ can be little doubt that the study ofinfectious agents of diseasevirus during the20O2 UK outbreak compares vCJD ortheanimals animals has been used to great effect in informing our poorly with the sophistication and sensitivity of tests themselves,as in understanding of human transmissible disease.Yet there used for the screening ofhuman blood for infectious BSEorfoot-and- is considerable disquiet as to the present state of agents. Comparative study ofmicrobes acrossspecies mouthdisease, veterinary microbiology asmanifested by the difficulty adds substantially to the knowledge baseby providing Expertiseis required in persuading veterinarians and sciencegraduates to clues as to the drivers ofgenetic diversity, pathogenesis to dealwiththese adopt ac^reer in animal infectious disease,coupled with and how more effective vaccines may be developed. A outbreaks,which not aperception that fundamental questions ofpathogenesis notable example is the work on influenza viruses of onlycause suffering can be best answered by studying human infections. humans. birds. animals and fish. butcan have severe Recently, The House oflords Select Committee on socialandeconomic SGM Council is currently considering how best it may Scienceand Technology* has served to focus attention consequences, serveveterinary microbiologists, in the belief that it is on the acute need for enhanci ng capacity in veterinary Veterinary ideally placed to foster close interactions between the microbiology, emphasizing that we neglect the study microbiologyhas wider community and those with a specific interest in ofanimal sourcesofinfection at ourperil. neveroeen more animalinfectious diseases.tWe believe that international important,but does it As part of this strengthening process, it is clearly collaboration is vital, particularly by forging links with receiveenough necessaryboth to gather information about infections in the developing world where epidemics amongst farmed supporl? humans and to set this in the context of the increasing animals and wildlife, ifleft uncontrolled, can have a relevance of zoonosesand food-borne diseaseto human devastating impact. Aquaculture should not be health, aswell as to the animal populations with which forgotten asthis is an increasingly important sector of we share this planet. \7e must also rekindle in the wider food production. Training and continuing professional microbiology commun ity a fascination and enthusiasm development needsfor veterinarians and microbiologists for agents which are often more accessiblefor study, offer employed by Government, universities, institutes and fresh insights into the diseaseprocess, and may have a industry must be developed and tailored to meet current serious economic impact. It is thus timely that this requirements. The SGM can and should be playing issue of Microbiology Today carries several very interesting a pivotal role and we would be pleased to receive articles on new agents ofwild animals and zoonotic suggestions and comments as to the way forward. Please infections. Since 1970, previously unrecognized agents send these toJanet Hurst at Marlborough House (email have emerged assignificant threats to human and animal [email protected];Tel.01 18 988 1809). health at aflavetage rate of nearly one a year, most of SProfessorColin Howard, TheRoyal which afe proven, or liket| to be proven, aszoonoses. The VeterinaryCollege list is now extensive, and includes BSE, vCJD, Ebola, HIV, Lyme Disease,Legionnaire's Disease,Nipah and & Dr Geoffrey Schild,SG M Professional AffairsOfficer Hendra viruses. Others have adopted new mantles or new habitats, such asE.coli OT)7 and $7est Nile virus. *'F igbtinglnfection' publisbed by the House of Lords Select Commi tt eeon S ci ence and Techno I ogy (2 0 03 ) i saua i Ia b I eat The concern over zoonosesis not confined to uruu, parliame nt. u k I h Is ci ence wild animais. Companion animals increasingly are implicated in the transmission of diseasesto humans, such as cat scratch fever, monkey pox, salmonelloses, psittacoses andCampylobacter.NflestNile virus has now become a major diseaseof equines in the USA. The keeping ofexotic pets has increased sharply over the last decade, offering further opportunities for zoonotic spread ofpathogens that are, asyet, unrecognized. ffi Pleasenotethat Effective surveillance and control ofanimal disease viewsexpressed in requires the mobilization of a wide spectrum of Commentdonot microbiological knowledge. Engaging expertise in the necessarilvreflect wider academic, researchand commercial communities rr, , I ri r 't oilrcralpoilcy oTTne not only increasesthe knowledge basebut adds value to SGM Council. individual contributions through communications and

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