Detection of Hepatitis E Virus in Sewage After an Outbreak on a French Island

A hepatitis E outbreak, which occurred on a small isolated island, provided an opportunity to evaluate the association between the number of hepatitis E cases in the community and the concentration of virus detected in sewage. Samples were collected from the different sewage treatment plants from the island and analyzed for the presence of hepatitis E (HEV) virus using real-time RT-PCR. We demonstrated that if 1–4 % of inhabitants connected to a WWTP were infected with HEV, raw sewage contained HEV at detectable levels. The finding that such a small number of infected people can contaminate municipal sewage works raises the potential of the further distribution of the virus. Indeed, investigating the routes of transmission of HEV, including the potential for sewage effluent to contain infectious HEV, may help us to better understand the epidemiology of this pathogen, which is considered to be an emerging concern in Europe.     

Application of next-generation sequencing technologies to conservation of wood-inhabiting fungi

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has significantly increased knowledge of microbial communities and their distribution. However, it is still not common to apply NGS technology to microbial conservation. We sought to use NGS technologies to evaluate conservation strategies for wood-inhabiting fungi. Evaluating a deadwood experiment 3 years after it was established, we specifically examined which tree species combinations promoted the highest richness of wood-inhabiting fungi. Deadwood enrichment was an effective strategy and logs of 6 tree species, either those with the highest wood-inhabiting fungal α and γ diversity or those with the highest β diversity, maintained >1,000 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) spread over a wide range of taxonomic groups. In comparison, a conservation strategy based only on the results of sporocarp surveys yielded 591 OTUs. This result highlights the need to use NGS approaches to inform microbial conservation strategies. We also determined that 5 tree species with the highest saproxylic beetle γ diversity simultaneously conserved wood-inhabiting fungi. Apart from deadwood volume, we suggest data on deadwood quality and species also be included as indicators, especially for wood-inhabiting fungal diversity, and incorporated quickly in forest assessment and monitoring systems in Central Europe.     

Pairing patterns in relation to body size,genetic similarity and multilocus heterozygosity in a tropical monogamous bird species

The relative influence of genetic and phenotypic quality on pairing status and mating patterns in socially monogamous species remains poorly documented. We studied social status and pairing patterns in relation to genetic similarity and multilocus heterozygosity (MLH) estimates from 11 microsatellite markers, and both tarsus length and wing chord (as a measure of competitive ability in territorial defence) in a socially monogamous tropical bird species where individuals defend territories year-round, alone or in pairs, the Zenaida dove, Zenaida aurita. Tarsus length and wing chord did not differ between unpaired territorial birds and paired ones in either sex, whereas paired females, but not paired males, tended to be more heterozygous than unpaired ones. Among 84 pairs, we found no evidence for assortative mating for tarsus length, wing chord, MLH or genetic similarity. However, within pairs, male wing chord was positively related to female MLH and female tarsus length was positively related to male MLH, with no evidence for local effects, suggesting assortative mating by individual quality. Although the observed pattern of mating in Zenaida doves may be the product of mutual mate choice, further assessment of this hypothesis requires direct investigation of both mating preference in each sex and lifetime reproductive success in relation to body size and MLH.