idir bitam - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by idir bitam

Tropical Animal Health and Production, 2021

Cattle piroplasmoses are tick-borne diseases, spread worldwide that cause significant economic lo... more Cattle piroplasmoses are tick-borne diseases, spread worldwide that cause significant economic losses. A participatory epidemiological study was conducted individually or in focus groups with 73 cattle owners in Beni Hamidene locality (district of Constantine, Algeria). The aim of this study was to study cattle owners’ knowledge, attitude and perception on cattle piroplasmosis. Proportional piling technique was used to determinate most common cattle diseases, and to evaluate economic impact of diseases according to the interwieved farmers. Theileriosis (49/73; 67.1%) and babesiosis (44/73; 60.3%) were considered the most important bovine diseases. No zoonotic disease was cited by the interviewed cattle owners. According to the majority of cattle owners, theileriosis and babesiosis are deadly diseases (87.3 and 78.1%, respectively). All cattle owners (73/73) cited fever as the most common symptom of tropical theileriosis. Some of them (14/73; 19.2%) do not make distinction between theileriosis and babesiosis. According to cattle owners (65/73; 89.0%), the use of acaricide is the most appropriate tick control method. This study provides information about knowledge on bovine piroplasmoses in Algeria. These information could be considered when performing control programmes by both animal decision-makers and field veterinarians.

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2022

Diversity, May 29, 2020

The discovery of several giant amoeba viruses has opened up a novel area in the field of virology... more The discovery of several giant amoeba viruses has opened up a novel area in the field of virology. Despite this, knowledge about ecology of these viruses remains patchy. In this study, we aimed to characterize the diversity of giant viruses in Algeria by inoculating 64 environmental samples on various amoeba strains. After isolation by co-culture with nine amoeba supports, flow cytometry and electron microscopy were used to putatively identify viruses. Definitive identification was performed by PCR and sequencing. Mimiviruses, marseilleviruses, faustoviruses and cedratviruses were the main viruses isolated in this study. Moreover, a new virus, which we named fadolivirus, was also isolated and was found to belong to the recent metagenomic descriptions of Klosneuvirinae. Despite the use of 9 amoeba supports for co-culture, most of the isolates were obtained from two amoebas: Acanthamoeba castellanii Neff and Vermamoeba vermiformis CDC 19. Finally, the viruses most frequently isolated were marseilleviruses (55.5%) and Mimiviruses (22.2%). This work shows that the isolation of viruses previously detected by metagenomic analyses can be tedious, but possible.

Comparative Immunology Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Apr 1, 2018

medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Dec 24, 2020

doi: medRxiv preprint NOTE: This preprint reports new research that has not been certified by pee... more doi: medRxiv preprint NOTE: This preprint reports new research that has not been certified by peer review and should not be used to guide clinical practice.

Molecular Ecology, Feb 20, 2014

Bartonella quintana is transmitted by the infected faeces of body lice. Recently, this bacterium ... more Bartonella quintana is transmitted by the infected faeces of body lice. Recently, this bacterium was detected in cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) and in two humans with chronic adenopathy whose only risk factor was contact with cat fleas. In this study, a total of 960 C. felis were divided into 12 groups (2 control groups and 10 infected groups) each containing 80 fleas. The fleas were fed B. quintana-inoculated human blood at different dilutions (≈3.6 × 10(4) - 8.4 × 10(9) bacteria) for 4 days via an artificial membrane. Subsequently, all flea groups were fed uninfected blood until day 13 postinfection (dpi). On day 3 pi, B. quintana was detected with two specific genes by quantitative PCR in 60-100% of randomly chosen fleas per dilution: 52% (26/50) in the infected fleas in Trial 1 and 90% (45/50) of the fleas in Trial 2. B. quintana was also identified by molecular and culture assays in flea faeces. The average number of B. quintana as determined by qPCR decreased until the 11th dpi and was absent in both trials at the 13th dpi. Bacteria were localized only in the flea gastrointestinal gut by specific immunohistochemistry. Our results indicate that cat fleas can acquire B. quintana by feeding and release viable organisms into their faeces. Therefore, fleas may play a role as vectors of trench fever or other clinical manifestations that are caused by B. quintana. However, the biological role of C. felis in the transmission of B. quintana under natural conditions is yet to be defined.

Clinical Microbiology and Infection, Dec 1, 2009

new microbes and new infections, Mar 1, 2015

Insects, Oct 20, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

new microbes and new infections, Jul 1, 2018

Using molecular assays, Rickettsia slovaca, the agent of a spotted fever group rickettsiosis resu... more Using molecular assays, Rickettsia slovaca, the agent of a spotted fever group rickettsiosis resulting in scalp eschar and neck lymphadenopathy after tick bite, was assessed in 92 spleens recovered from 117 wild boars hunted in the far northeast of Algeria. Rickettsia slovaca was detected in 5.4% of tested wild boar spleens. The presence of R. slovaca DNA in boar spleens questions the relationship that may exist between this bacterium and Sus scrofa algira, and its role in human infections.

Infection, Genetics and Evolution, Jun 1, 2019

Pediculus humanus is an obligate and highly intimate bloodsucking insect parasite of humans that ... more Pediculus humanus is an obligate and highly intimate bloodsucking insect parasite of humans that has two ecotypes, head louse and body louse. This study analyzed genetic diversity at three mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b [cytb], cytochrome oxidase subunit [cox1] and 12S ribosomal RNA [12S]) in 98 head lice collected from an isolated Native American population from the Wayampi community in Trois-Sauts, French Guiana. These results are integrated with all prior data of P. humanus (1402 cytb, 743 cox1 and 344 12S) from other parts of the world. The phylogenetic analysis revealed six highly divergent and well-supported monophyletic clades. Five clades corresponded to the previously recognized mitochondrial clades A, D, B, C and E, while the sixth (clade F) was novel, as it exhibited 5.4%, 3.7% and 3.6% divergence at cytb, cox1 and 12S, respectively, from its nearest neighbor clade B. Interestingly, the clade F has only been recovered in a few lice sequences from Mexico and Argentina, while it was the most common lineage in the Amazonian lice, which hints its association with the Native American region. Furthermore, Pediculus mjobergi, a New World monkeys' louse, which is thought to be transmitted to monkeys from the first humans that had reached the American continent thousands of years ago, also belonged to this clade, suggesting that this louse may not be a separate species but an evolutionary lineage of P. humanus. The discovery of new Amazonian clade F with the recovery of additional haplotypes within each of the five clades demonstrates that the levels of genetic diversity in P. humanus are higher than previously thought.

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Apr 10, 2014

medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Feb 8, 2021

Implementation of an in-house real-time reverse transcription-PCR assay for the rapid detection o... more Implementation of an in-house real-time reverse transcription-PCR assay for the rapid detection of the SARS-CoV-2 Marseille-4 variant hort title (for the running head): qPCR for the SARS-CoV-2 Marseille-4 variant

new microbes and new infections, Oct 1, 2018

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Scientific Reports

Tularemia is a zoonosis caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. Leporids are primary sour... more Tularemia is a zoonosis caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. Leporids are primary sources of human infections in the northern hemisphere. Africa is classically considered free of tularemia, but recent data indicate that this dogma might be wrong. We assessed the presence of this disease in wild leporids in Algeria. Between 2014 and 2018, we collected 74 leporids carcasses from spontaneously dead or hunted animals. Francisella tularensis DNA was detected by specific real-time PCR tests in 7/36 (19.44%) Cape hares (Lepus capensis) and 5/38 (13.15%) wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Known tularemia arthropod vectors infested half of the PCR-positive animals. At necropsy, F. tularensis-infected animals presented with an enlarged spleen (n = 12), enlarged adrenal glands (12), liver discoloration (12), hemorrhages (11), and pneumonia (11). Immunohistological examination of liver tissue from one animal was compatible with the presence of F. tularensis. Our study demonstrates...

Viruses

In the last decade, several phleboviruses transmitted by sand flies were detected in the Mediterr... more In the last decade, several phleboviruses transmitted by sand flies were detected in the Mediterranean countries, with the health impact of some of them being unknown. From September to October 2020, a total of 3351 sand flies were captured in Kherrata (Bejaia, northern Algeria) and identified by sex, grouped in 62 pools, which were tested for the presence of phlebovirus RNA using endpoint RT-PCR. Two pools (male and female, respectively) were positive. The genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed that the two phleboviruses detected were closely related to the Punique virus (PUNV) isolated in Tunisia and detected in Algeria. Both PUNV strains were isolated on VERO cells from positive pools. Morphological identification of 300 sand flies randomly selected, showed a clear dominance of Phlebotomus perniciosus (98.67%). The dominance of this species in the study area was confirmed by PCR targeting the mitochondrial DNA. Our result represents the first isolation of PUNV and the...

Kafkas Universitesi Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi, 2016

PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2020

Leishmaniasis is among the world’s most neglected diseases. Dogs are the main reservoirs/hosts of... more Leishmaniasis is among the world’s most neglected diseases. Dogs are the main reservoirs/hosts of Leishmania infantum, causative agent of both canine and human visceral leishmaniosis. Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) represents a public health problem as one of the most prevalent zoonotic diseases worldwide. Current therapeutics present drawbacks; thus, there is a need for more effective, safer, and cheaper drugs. The aim of this study was to evaluate and to compare the efficacy of oral administration of artesunate or meglumine antimoniate/allopurinol in dogs with clinical leishmaniasis. Forty-two dogs with naturally occurring clinical leishmaniasis were included in this open-label, simple randomized positive-control clinical field trial with 6 months of follow-up. Dogs received meglumine antimoniate 100 mg/kg/day and allopurinol 30 mg/kg/day for 28 days (control group, n = 26) or artesunate 25 mg/kg/day for 6 days (test group, n = 16). The animals were evaluated for their clinical evolu...

International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2019

Purpose: Background: Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) is the main cause of hemorrhagic fever with renal ... more Purpose: Background: Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) is the main cause of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HRFS) in Russia. Although known to cause HFRS endemic in the Republic of Tatarstan (RT), little is known about the genetic diversity of PUUV in the Republic. Therefore, we sought to characterize variations in PUUV S-segment in bank voles in the RT. Methods & Materials: Material and methods: Total of 121 bank voles were captured in the northwest regions of RT during the 2014-2015 HFRS outbreak. Total RNA was extracted from lung tissue and used for RT-PCR and sequence analysis. Results: Results: Comparison analysis of viral S segment sequences (564 bp) revealed 92.9-97.3% nucleotide identity between 29 RT PUUV strains and RUS lineage strains, while the lower similarity of 83.7-87.6% was found in strains from FIN lineage. Interestingly, sequence similarity of four RT PUUV strains and RUS strains was lower 85.8-87.6% than that found in the majority of isolates. Surprisingly, these strains had a higher identity (99.6-99.8%) with strain "Sotkamo" of FIN lineage. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the four strains with low similarity to RUS lineage clustered with the FIN strains cluster. Further analysis of the full coding region of strain "032" S-segment, which had more similarity to FIN lineage, revealed that the partial sequence from 242 to 857 nt was 99.5% identical to "Sotkamo" strain, while the segment from 864 to 1341 nt showed 92.1-93.5% identical to RUS lineage strains. Conclusion: Conclusion: Therefore, our data suggest that strain "032" could be the progeny of the recombination between RUS and FIN genetic lineages. It remains to be determined if recombinant PUUV strains could cause different clinical presentation of HFRS. The Russian Government Program of Competitive Growth of Kazan Federal University supported this study. Also, Albert Rizvanov was supported by state assignment 20.5175.2017/6.7 of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.

New Microbes and New Infections, 2018

This article discusses research conducted on the sampling of two tick species: Ixodes ricinus and... more This article discusses research conducted on the sampling of two tick species: Ixodes ricinus and Rhipicephalus bursa. Ticks were collected in northern Algeria (El Tarf) in 2014 and studied for differences in abundance and seasonal distribution of population dynamics, as well as tested by PCR for the presence of Rickettsia spp. By molecular tools, four Rickettsia pathogens agents were detected: R. helvetica, R. monacensis, R. raoultii and R. massiliae.