Evidence for the Role of Infectious Disease in Species Extinction and Endangerment

Abstract:  Infectious disease is listed among the top five causes of global species extinctions. However, the majority of available data supporting this contention is largely anecdotal. We used the IUCN Red List of Threatened and Endangered Species and literature indexed in the ISI Web of Science to assess the role of infectious disease in global species loss. Infectious disease was listed as a contributing factor in <4% of species extinctions known to have occurred since 1500 (833 plants and animals) and as contributing to a species' status as critically endangered in <8% of cases (2852 critically endangered plants and animals). Although infectious diseases appear to play a minor role in global species loss, our findings underscore two important limitations in the available evidence: uncertainty surrounding the threats to species survival and a temporal bias in the data. Several initiatives could help overcome these obstacles, including rigorous scientific tests to determine which infectious diseases present a significant threat at the species level, recognition of the limitations associated with the lack of baseline data for the role of infectious disease in species extinctions, combining data with theory to discern the circumstances under which infectious disease is most likely to serve as an agent of extinction, and improving surveillance programs for the detection of infectious disease. An evidence-based understanding of the role of infectious disease in species extinction and endangerment will help prioritize conservation initiatives and protect global biodiversity.     

Humic acid and free radical in environment of Kaschin-Beck disease areas

The humic acid contents in drinking water and soil in Kaschin-Beck disease areas were found more than that of non-disease areas in this research. Changes of free radical concentration in drinking water were agreed with that of humic acid contents in drinking water of Kaschin-Beck disease areas. A positive correlation of free radical concentration and humic acid content in drinking water has been shown (r=0.913) . The structure of I. R. spectra of humic acid under ultraviolet light has been changed. Thus it indicated that free radical was resulted from benzoqiunonyl groups of humic acid in environment.     

2000-2009年全国职业中毒状况规律分析和对策探讨

职业中毒是我国的主要职业病之一,严重影响着劳动者的健康和社会的和谐稳定。根据卫生部2000-2009年公布的职业病统计数据,分析总结我国职业中毒的发生规律。结果表明：职业中毒是仅次于尘肺病的第二大类职业病。职业中毒占职业病总数的12.8%-18%,在职业中毒病例中,急性职业中毒占22.4%-39.6%,慢性职业中毒占60.4%-77.6%。职业中毒总人数变化从2000年到2005年较平稳,从2006年起,呈波浪形上升趋势,但其增幅远小于职业病总数和尘肺病新发病例人数的增幅。其中,急性职业中毒总人数略有下降趋势,慢性职业中毒总人数呈波浪形上升趋势。引起急性职业中毒占前两位的化学毒物主要是一氧化碳和硫化氢,引起慢性职业中毒占前两位的化学毒物主要是铅及其化合物和苯。中小企业职业中毒发生率高。建议各级职能部门重点加强相关行业的监管,尤其是其中的中小企业的监管;履行指导的职责,加强有效果的安全教育和培训;同时加强职业监控监护。     

白眉蝮蛇毒精氨酸酯酶的急性、亚急性毒性实验

用小鼠和大鼠分别研究了白眉蝮蛇(Agkistrodon halys ussuriensis )蛇毒中精氨酸酯酶的急性毒性和亚急性毒性.腹腔和静脉给药小鼠急性毒性分别为半数致死量LD50,ip =5.73～6.68 U/kg, LD50,iv=4.12～4.76 U/kg ;最大致死量LD100,ip=8.60 U/kg, LD100,iv=6.40 U/kg;最小致死量LDmin,ip =4.20 U/kg, LDmin,iv=3.10 U/kg .大鼠急性毒性结果分别为LD50,ip= 5.09～5.98 U/kg, LD50,iv=3.30～3.86 U/kg ; LD100,ip=7.80 U/kg, LD100,iv=5.50 U/kg; LDmin,ip=3.60 U/kg, LDmin,iv=2.70 U/kg.大鼠亚急性毒性实验结果为活动能力、生长率、进食量、死亡率等一般综合指标药物处理组和CK没有明显差别;血检、尿检等临床指标除谷丙转氨酶(GPT)高剂量药物处理组与CK有明显差异外(P<0.05),其它生化指标无显著差异(P>0.05);病理解剖和脏器系数指标,高剂量药物处理组肝脏明显肿大、空泡化,脏器系数也明显高于CK(P<0.05),其它脏器未见病变,脏器系数未见显著差异(P>0.05).从急性毒性和亚急性毒性方面考虑,纯精氨酸酯酶比现在临床应用的"蝮蛇清栓酶"(主要成分为精氨酸酯酶)毒性低. 表3 参11     

人群的自然和社会属性分类下PM2.5对心血管疾病的影响

为了研究人群在自然属性和社会属性分类下的效应修饰作用,利用2005~2011年北京市大气PM_2.5日均浓度、气象要素及循环系统疾病每日死亡人数数据,根据不同年龄、性别及学历将人群分组,采用时间序列的半参数广义相加模型（GAM）,定量评价大气PM_2.5对居民循环系统疾病死亡人数的影响.单污染物模型和多污染物模型结果表明,PM_2.5为影响循环系统疾病每日死亡人数的主要大气污染物.北京市空气中PM_2.5的浓度每增加10μg/m³,循环系统疾病总死亡人数增加0.50%（95% CI：0.36,0.63）.不同人群的易感程度不同,各人群死亡人数的增加范围为0.23~0.71%,女性、60~74岁人群、文盲人群的健康风险相对较高.在文盲人群中,老年（60+）女性占比为66.2%,为了分离社会属性人群分类中可能存在的自然属性因素干扰,本文去除其中老年、女性这两个混杂因素的影响,文盲人群健康风险仍然大于较高学历的人群.年龄和性别因素叠加在学历因素上,可能加大低学历人群的健康风险,对于这部分叠加了自然因素和社会因素双重敏感性的人群应给与重点关注.     

Prenatal diagnosis of endocardial fibroelastosis

In a case of fetal heart failure caused by endocardial fibroelastosis, prenatal echocardiography clearly demonstrated; a thickened endocardium. We therefore suggest that an abnormal endocardium may be detected in utero by ultrasound, thus representing an important clue in the differential diagnosis of fetal nonimmune hydrops and in the evaluation of pregnancies at risk for endocardial fibroelastosis.     

对导热炉大气污染物排放执行标准的探讨

目前,相关环境标准中均未明确制定关于导热炉大气污染物的排放内容。因此,对于导热炉的大气污染排放,各环境管理及监测部门均没有统一的执行标准。本文从导热炉工作原理、污染物排放特点等方面进行了分析,对其执行标准提出了个人的观点。     

Reservoir‐host amplification of disease impact in an endangered amphibian

Emerging wildlife pathogens are an increasing threat to biodiversity. One of the most serious wildlife diseases is chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which has been documented in over 500 amphibian species. Amphibians vary greatly in their susceptibility to Bd; some species tolerate infection, whereas others experience rapid mortality. Reservoir hosts—species that carry infection while maintaining high abundance but are rarely killed by disease—can increase extinction risk in highly susceptible, sympatric species. However, whether reservoir hosts amplify Bd in declining amphibian species has not been examined. We investigated the role of reservoir hosts in the decline of the threatened northern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne pengilleyi) in an amphibian community in southeastern Australia. In the laboratory, we characterized the response of a potential reservoir host, the (nondeclining) common eastern froglet (Crinia signifera), to Bd infection. In the field, we conducted frog abundance surveys and Bd sampling for both P. pengilleyi and C. signifera. We built multinomial logistic regression models to test whether Crinia signifera and environmental factors were associated with P. pengilleyi decline. C. signifera was a reservoir host for Bd. In the laboratory, many individuals maintained intense infections (>1000 zoospore equivalents) over 12 weeks without mortality, and 79% of individuals sampled in the wild also carried infections. The presence of C. signifera at a site was strongly associated with increased Bd prevalence in sympatric P. pengilleyi. Consistent with disease amplification by a reservoir host, P. pengilleyi declined at sites with high C. signifera abundance. Our results suggest that when reservoir hosts are present, population declines of susceptible species may continue long after the initial emergence of Bd, highlighting an urgent need to assess extinction risk in remnant populations of other declined amphibian species.     

Fetal translocation between chromosomes 2, 18, and 21 resolved by fish

An apparently balanced t(2q;21q) translocation was discovered in fetal blood and amniocytes of a 22-week fetus, monitored because of ultrasonographic evidence of a heart disease. FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) analysis disclosed a complex translocation between chromosomes 2q, 18q, and 21q, which was inherited from the healthy mother. This observation corroborates the usefulness of molecular cytogenetic techniques in raising the quality of prenatal diagnosis and detecting subtle rearrangements not resolved by standard cytogenetics.