#brucella

[flyonthewallmedstudent]

Brucellosis

Case Report

a 45M goat herder in Malaysia develops 3 weeks of fevers, lethargy, night sweats and headache

history revealed he drank unpasteurised milk from said goats, which he also sold to consumers

blood cultures were negative and he tested negative for more common tropical diseases such as malaria, dengue, typhus and lepto

eventually he tested positive for brucella serology, unfortunately about 80 people also developed brucellosis from drinking milk from his farm, and a few lab staff also picked it up from handling their blood samples

consider this differential in PUO

Microbiology

causative organism: Brucella melitensis

gram negative coccobacillus, facultative intracellular

hardy bacteria that can survive prolonged periods in meat/dairy products unless pasteurised/cooked as well as dust & surfaces

picked up in the intestinal submucosa on ingestion and transported by macropahges to lymphoid tissue

it then has the possibility of spreading haematogenously in the liver, spleen, joints etc. causing systemic or localized infection

Transmission

zoonoses (animal associated)

in particular: feral pigs, so hunters are often at increased risk (due to handling the carcasses), but also cattle, sheep, goat and dogs

outbreaks often associated with consumption of unpasteurized milk from infected animals

Epidemiology

global and notifiable disease in most countries

endemic to Mediterraena, South America and the indian subcontinent

in Australia - largely QLD and NT, but now NSW

Increased risk groups (i.e. what to ask on history and what clues on history to consider for brucellosis)

regular contact with animals (herders, abbatoir workers, vets - there are case reports of lab workers who pick up brucellosis etc)

people who ingest unpasteurized dairy/milk, or the undercooked meat of infected animals

History

first described by another European white man, Dr. George Cleghorn, British Army Surgeon in minorca in 1751 on the island of Malta following the Crimean war

it was named for another British white man, Sir David Bruce who led a commission into a fever outbreak among the army in Malta before they found the organism causing the disease (Sir Themistocles Zammit identified that goats transmit it in milk)

Sir bruce also discovered that trypanosoma brucei (also named for him) was the microbe responsible for animal trypanosomiasis/sleeping sickness. incidentally, he was born in Melbourne Australia

trivia with the Crimean war - was ironically a war fought between Russia and the UK + it's Western Allies and the empire that preceded Turkey (Ottoman)

Today the Crimean war is more well known for producing Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing and yay, finally a woman in random medical history that hardly is related to brucellosis.

Clinical features

PUO - cyclical fevers, fatigue, headache, insomnia, myalgias/arthralgias, weight loss, anorexia (fairly non specific, but also systemic)

incubation times can be long, which can be deceptive, reportedly up to 50 yrs from first exposure

otherwise, most cases it ranges from 3 days to several week, on average, expect 2-4

sometimes: hepatosplenomegaly

critical on history to clarify travel/living situation or contacts and consumption of unpasteurised dairy or undercooked meat

localized disease also possible, depending on organs involved

up to 40% will report peripheral arthritis, sacroillitis and spondylititis (kinda sounds like ank spa), at worst can cause osteomyelitis and septic arthritis

endocraditis is a rare but serious complication, with a 5% mortality rate, outside of this it's rarely fatal

if the lungs are affected, cough and SOB can occur but hte CXR will be lcear

GBS has been reported to occur following infection

hepatic abscess and granulmoa in a few

also possible: epididymoorchitis and skin manifestations like erythema nodosum

ocular changes like uveitis, cataracts etc.

it really feels rheum flavoured.

Investigations

hints on basic bloods - neutropaenia and anaemia, thromobcytopaenia in the case of hepatosplenomegaly or ITP

raised ESR and CRP, ALP and LDH

elevated LFTs in hepatomegaly

but diagnosis: blood cultures --> can take weeks as slow growing (due to aerosol transmission, must be handled in a biohazard hood as with the case report)

key really: serology is the most commonly used tool

PCR can also be used, including 16S

tissue also an option depending on organ affected

Management:

atypical cover: azith and doxy

several weeks of treatment usually - i.e. if uncomplicated, doxy for 6 weeks (however relapses are common on monotherapy, up to 40%), often rifampicin 600 mg daily for 6/52 is also added or gentamicin

where doxy can't be used, bactrim is the alternative

Sources

CDC guideilnes

WHO guidelines

ETG - behind a paywall, if your institution covers it, uptodate is gold standard, that said, plenty of free resources that provide a great start

Wikipaedia

Statpearls

Case report (There's actually a lot of background pathophysio, investigations and treatment listed in case reports and many are free)

[david-ojcius]

3 British citizens have been infected with Brucella canis, a dog disease previously unseen in UK canines. The infection can cause infertility & mobility issues in dogs. It can be transmitted to humans through contact with infected bodily fluids.

[brotherconstant]

FOUNDATION | 2.07 | A Necessary Death I wanted to see her. One last time.

[goodsirs]

Brucella Newman-Persaud as She-Is-Center in Foundation — 2.07 "A Necessary Death"

[mindblowingscience]

Scientists analyzed ancient DNA extracted from an 8,000-year-old sheep bone and detected the Brucella melitensis pathogen. Brucellosis affects millions of people every year and causes significant harm to the welfare of livestock. Passed on by the consumption of unpasteurized milk and close contact with infected animals, brucellosis can cause waves of undulating fever and, tragically, the infection-related loss of pregnancy in pregnant women. Now, researchers have recovered a millennia-old genome of the sheep, goat, and human-infecting pathogen.

Continue Reading.

[nearlydark]

The only things that really scare me working in microbiology are TB and maybe Brucella or Francisella or Anthrax but the latter 3 are so rare to come across. TB is becoming more prevalent, especially resistant strains and once you get it and actively become sick it’s practically impossible to get rid of. Of course rare hemorrhagic viruses scare me too but I don’t live in an area where they’re a problem so

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from the LA Times:

On May 7, Patrick Robinson took a boat out to Año Nuevo Island to survey the sea lions that come to birth on this rocky outcropping north of Monterey Bay.

The shore was littered with dead pups — babies that looked as though they’d been delivered too early and therefore were too weak and small to nurse, or had been dead at birth.

Similar observations were being made further down the coast on San Miguel Island in the Channel Islands — where massive colonies of sea lions gather every year — and as far south as Mexico.

Robinson, the director of UC Santa Cruz’s Año Nuevo Reserve, said it’s not unusual to see some dead pups this time of year. He said sick or malnourished females occasionally stop on their way south to abort. But the numbers he was seeing were alarming. And with the peak of birthing season still several weeks away, it augurs a potentially serious and worrisome situation.

Stranding coordinators and biologists up and down the California coast say there is clearly something going on, but they still don’t know what.

Tests for bird flu — which has obliterated populations of sea lions and elephant seals in South America — are being processed. So, too, are tests for domoic acid, which has poisoned large numbers of sea lions in the past, as well as other common pathogens.

“In a typical year, one might expect to see 5 to 10,” dead pups, said Megan Moriarty, a veterinarian at UC Santa Cruz. “But we have now counted 250 to 300 dead sea lion pups” on Año Nuevo Island.

She said observations included dead or stillborn pups, aborted fetuses, malnourished pups, and adult females with dystocia — difficult births — who are also thin.

“Unfortunately, widespread premature dead pups have also been reported in the Channel Islands (San Miguel), which is a crucial nursery area for California sea lions,” she said. “The cause and impact of these mortalities remains unknown.”

She and Sharon Melin, a research biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center, said there are many potential reasons for widespread sea lion pup mortalities, including environmental factors, such as malnourishment, lack of available food related to El Niño, infectious causes (bacteria, viruses such as leptospirosis, influenza, brucella, coxiella, and others), and toxins (such as domoic acid).

[getmethroughvetmed]

I'm at work on Christmas eve and have some spare time so here is a list of things I wish/I'm glad I'd known as a vet student before graduating/newly graduated vet. They may or may not apply to you, I'm just sayin'

1. Vet school and working as a vet are different types of exhaustion- being a vet is more decision and responsibility fatigue while student exhaustion is 'I should be revising right now' kinda vibes

2. You will get questions and cases no amount of work at uni will prepare you for. You will need to learn to be ok with uncertainty

3. Write your revision notes on the computer. Save documents to your phone. Refer to revision notes every day for the first four months of your career and counting...

4. Listen to as many hearts and palpate as many pulses as you can before you start. Heart murmurs are everywhere and it can be awkward if you miss one that's already diagnosed. On the other hand, hearing one and recommending an echo and getting the dog on medication at the right time, is super satisfying.

5. Get comfortable with having as little ego wrapped up in this job as possible. If you have an ego, you will get good at something and then a (perfectly reasonable, or normal) complication will happen you will be crushed

6. You better get your eating and sleeping habits in order before you start, otherwise the first 3 months will be SO much harder on you physically and mentally.

7. Those imported diseases you ignored in second year? Yeah you will test for them in practice and kick yourself for not memorising them (*cough* brucella)

8. Your uni friends will probably be too tired to talk to you for a couple months. Be patient, they will emerge from the exhaustion. They haven't disappeared forever.

9. Euthanasias can be really sad, and some of them will just get you right in the feels. It's ok to cry sometimes. Just box up those tears until after the clients have gone home. And don't let your boss tell you it's not ok.

10. Back to vet students- yes you will have the ability to look things up when you're in practice, I do it all the time! But you still need to know what you've been taught, because time is precious in practice and you'll run behind if you look everything up.

[fatehbaz]

Interesting example of empires being affected by ecological degradation and climate change: How Ottoman Istanbul was pummeled by climate change in the nineteenth century. The publicized, alleged increase of “fever of Constantinople” was not just Orientalist discourse, as the imperial capital was threatened by excessive heat, drought, and regional deforestation marked by disease outbreak. Recent tree-ring data suggests large scale of drought during the century; drought decreased water availability for irrigation and cleaning. The city was forced to pay large sums to import coal from England. In 1829, locally-sourced charcoal prices tripled in one year. The cost of public baths sky-rocketed, making hygiene and sanitation inaccessible. In 1840, a General Directorate of Forests was founded to harvest local timber; within a few years, nearly two-thirds of Kocaeli’s forests were torn down. Simultaneously, the city’s population was quickly rising (500,000 in 1856 to 800,000 in 1885), and rural residents in nearby regions were exhausted by imposed mandatory labor to accommodate the city’s need for fuel.

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Charles MacFarlane, the Scot known for his historical and travel writing, visited Istanbul in 1828. MacFarlane, who suffered for years from “fever of Constantinople” (Brucella) after his visit, mentions how he could not understand why previous observers had described the city’s climate as “pure and healthy” [...]. Ottomanists Daniel Panzac and Nukhet Varlık also point to a “climate of epidemics” referring to other nineteenth-century accounts that showed disease as a boundary marker between Europe and the Orient. Indeed, the city experienced significant infectious disease outbreaks such as that of the plague in 1801, 1811–1812, 1831, 1853, and 1876, and seven cholera outbreaks in 1831, 1847, 1854, 1865, 1870, 1876–1877, and 1893. 

What changed? We know that, like other industrial city population movements, dense settlement and inadequate infrastructure worsened health conditions in Istanbul. The number of inhabitants rose from over five hundred thousand in 1856 to over eight hundred thousand in 1885. However, there was also another factor: climate change. The recent tree ring-based hydroclimate June/July precipitation reconstruction of the Old World Drought Atlas confirms a significant decrease in nineteenth-century precipitation values. [...]

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Drought worsened living conditions. It turned rivers into marshland and decreased available water sources for turning water mills used for irrigation and cleaning. Waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera increased. Excessive heat, swamps, and deforestation triggered the spread of vector-borne diseases such as malaria. Moreover, water scarcity worsened sanitary conditions. Diseases that are transmitted from animals to human beings through direct or indirect contact by contaminated food (often milk products), like Brucella (fever of Constantinople, Malta fever, or Mediterranean fever), also increased.

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The stress on the economy was also enormous. Excessive heat affected load-bearing animals and people, making transportation more difficult. [...] Extremely hot conditions increased the stress on seafaring oarsmen. A lack of sufficient charcoal and firewood resulted in ships being fuelled with coal from England, which was costly. Problems of transporting wood and the cumulative long-term effects of deforestation made firewood supplies an enormous issue. The Ottoman state set prices and imposed mandatory labour on rural regions, which absorbed the burden of providing food, firewood, charcoal, and construction material to Istanbul and the city’s palace. Charcoal, which had previously been supplied as taxes from villages in some Balkan countries after the Russian War, was not available. As a consequence, charcoal prices rose from 3.8 Akçes in 1829 to 13.6 Akçes in 1830. In the second half of the century, numerous fires, some of which coincided with scorching temperatures, increased timber demand and prices multiplied.

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The state took measures against this severe firewood shortage. Necessary institutional action was taken. Laws were changed to regulate the organization of forests under the General Directorate of Forests founded in August 1840. And silviculture was established. Once supply from the Balkans was no longer forthcoming, the stress on regional supplies increased. The demand for timber from Kocaeli, a neighbouring district located east of Istanbul, was almost four times higher. Nearly two-thirds of forests were cleared by 1847. Life became desolate for villagers; some even sold their buffaloes to relieve themselves of the burden to supply wood. Until Ottoman coal began to arrive from Zonguldak on the Black Sea in 1850, Istanbul’s firewood and coal supply was a significant problem.

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Firewood and water scarcity increased the cost of public baths, which were essential for the well-being and health of inhabitants. The number of public baths did not increase in line with the doubling of Istanbul’s population. [...] For example, during the 1811–1812 plague, ship crews carrying firewood and charcoal as well as food to Istanbul fled the city. This increased labour and transportation costs. Some public baths, whose furnaces were heated with charcoal and firewood, went bankrupt. [...]

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The first municipal institution (Şehremaneti), founded in 1868, was given the urgent mandate of ensuring public hygiene. The effect of climate change on the landscape, economy, and institutional changes was significant. Indeed, climate is an important factor to consider for the history of the era. Disease was not only a result of Orientalist discourse. Environmental conditions also changed Istanbul’s healthscape. Thus, unbeknownst to Charles MacFarlane, the discrepancy between the earlier accounts of Istanbul and his own experiences can, at least partly, be ascribed to climate change.

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Image, caption, and text by: Özlem Sert. “Water, Firewood, and Disease in Nineteenth-Century Istanbul.” Environment & Society Portal, Arcadia no. 45. Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society. Autumn 2020. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Italicized first paragraph/heading in this post added by me.]

[lucysweatslove]

Finally home from classes.

I convinced myself that my husband and I both have brucellosis. No, we didn’t learn about it today.

What actually happened: we were talking about how C. perfringens has a toxin that is a phospholipase C that basically destroys neutrophils, so muscle can be infected and you wouldn’t see the inflammation-characteristic leukocyte infiltration on biopsy.

This got me thinking about my husband’s femoral head osteonecrosis and if septic arthritis can ever infect the actual bone and cause actual bone death in a way that you may miss on pathology if you aren’t looking for it. So naturally I started to look into it.

I found that there ARE case reports of C. perfringens infected prosthetic joints, but then I was curious if there were any bacterial infections that could CAUSE osteonecrosis. And it turns out yes, actually, there are case reports of brucellosis leading to osteonecrosis of the femoral head, seemed like degeneration was pretty rapid (not that I have a lot of context for fast vs slow necrosis in this settings).

Which reminded me that when my fevers started in 2020 (a yearish before my husband’s hips), I was looking into FUOs on UpToDate and saw Brucella on the list as a causative infectious agent.

So I looked more into it and discovered that it can affect pretty much any organ system, is not readily picked up on blood cultures especially in chronic infection, and can cause really non-specific complaints and doesn’t seem to have one stable fever pattern that vast majority of patients present with.

And THEN I found that like 50-80% of bison and elk population in the greater Yellowstone area are infected (or something to that effect- idk if it’s % of natural herds or % of individual animals), so brucella is considered endemic to the area. We live nearby Yellowstone.

Anyway so that’s how you DONT do med school, thank you for listening.

[freemusicyt]

Royalty Free Music Library ♫ For You - Brucella YouTube URL: https://youtu.be/LisGNMcYuzw

[primarykousu]

2/100

hey hey I am kind of back on track! little steps right?

What I got done:

Physiology labs

Biochem lecture quizlet flashcards

Microbiology Brucella notes

German coursebook chapter 2

French Duolingo

Anatomy test

English tutoring in the evening

did my weekly shopping

planned meals for the rest of the week

It turns out I signed up for a student conference on Saturday and forgot about it, so I am quite happy I get to go after all! It's a surgery-focused conference with international speakers and I hope to learn a great deal.

Have a great day <333

[brotherconstant]

FOUNDATION "Why The Gods Made Wine" (2.06) BROTHER CONSTANT & HOBER MALLOW + Spacers

[room-n-blog]

チーズトースト狂の夢

上の画像は、いわゆるチーズトースト。 このブログを書いている私が不勉強で知らなかったのですが、チーズトーストの源流を辿っていくと、イギリスの料理の一種である「ウェルシュ・ラビット（英語: Welsh rarebit）」に行き着くようです。”ラビット”という単語が入っているもののウサギのお肉を使っているわけではなく、そしてかれこれ500年以上の歴史がある料理だったということも初めて知りました。

トーストに温かいチーズソースをかけた料理である。日本語のカタカナ表記としてはウェルシュ・レアビットとすることもある。 古くはWelsh rabbitと綴られていたが、rabbit=ウサギの肉は使用されない。見た目がウサギに近いわけでもなく、名前の由来は不明である。発祥もはっきりしないが、1725年の文献に登場するのが最も古い記録であり、1500年頃から作られていたと考えられている。 また、発祥がウェールズという確証もなく、かつてイングランド人がウェールズ人を揶揄する意味で、低品質の贋真珠を「ウェルシュ・パール」と呼んだように、チーズトーストを「贋物のウサギ肉」=ウェルシュ・ラビットと呼んだとする説もある。 ※画像および記事の引用元 ウェルシュ・ラビット https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A7%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A5%E3%83%BB%E3%83%A9%E3%83%93%E3%83%83%E3%83%88

さて、毎度お馴染み？私のバイブル「The Traditional BRITISH Cooking」(英国伝統料理書)に寄る、ウェルシュ・ラビット、チーズトースト編の作り方です。 ちなみにこの本でもラビット、と言ったらこのトーストを指しているようです。また、もうひとつのバイブル「ENGLISH TRADITIONAL RECIPES」(イングランド伝統レシピ)には、当然のように？載っていませんでした。 ※画像および記事の引用元 いつでもどこでも美味しい暮らし 2010-09-20 ウェルシユ・レアビット(ウェルシュ・ラビット) https://www.umemomoko.com/entry/62761920

ところで、現代は料理のレシピというのが当たり前のように書籍などの形で存在していますが、その歴史は実はそれほど古くはないとされます。もちろん、レシピという形で記録するには、一般的には文字が誕生していることが必要とされますが、古代の壁画において動物を焼いて捌く絵が描かれていたとして、それは当時における肉の調理法という意味で、料理のレシピの記録と言えば言えなくもないかもしれません。それはともかく、例えばイギリス料理の場合、テキスト記録として残る初期のレシピとはなんなのかと調べてみると、例えば次のような記載があります。

人間の営みにおいて必要不可欠なものが食事であることは言うまでもない。料理の歴史は、採取したものをそのまま食べること、煮たり焼いたりなどと加工して、食材を変化させ、口においしいものを作り出していくところから始まる。料理の歴史は人間の文化の歴史そのものと言えるだろう。しかし、王侯貴族の饗宴を除けば、料理は日々の変哲ない行為の繰り返し作業であるため、この技術を文字で伝えるテキストが書かれたのは、他のジャンルに比べて遅かった。これは、現存している最古の料理の manuscript が、１４世紀末にまとめられた The Forme of Cury であったことからも理解される。cury という語は cookery という意味であるため、このタイトルの意味は文字通り『料理の本』あるいは『レシピ集』ということになる。 ※引用元 実践女子大学 学術機関リポジトリ 小柳 康子（實踐英文學　巻 61, p. 21-33, 発行日 2009-02-19） イギリスの料理書の歴史(1)-Hannah WoolleyのThe Gentlewomans Companion (1673) https://jissen.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/702

※画像引用元 The Forme of Cury https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forme_of_Cury

料理のレシピとしてのテキスト記録は中世以降とされていますが、素材の製法に関しては、さらに古い時代から存在しているとされ、例えばチーズの場合は、古代ローマ時代を経て、60年には、南スペインにおいて Lucius Junis Moderatus Columella という人物がチーズを作る方法をすべて記録したとされています。

イタリアの家庭料理について研究する中小路葵は、自身のサイトにおいて、キンステッドの「チーズと文明」という著作の第5章「Caesar, Christ, and Systematic Cheese Making（ローマ帝国とキリスト教 体系化されるチーズ）」に上記の記載があると指摘しています。中小路葵氏のサイトから、その一部を引用してみます。

チーズの品質管理が重要だ コルメラ Lucius Junis Moderatus Columella(4-70AD) 南スペイン出身 Res Rusticaを60年頃に記載 ・チーズ作りの過程について初めて全てを記載し、品質管理の重要性を強調 ；チーズ用の牛乳は純ミルクで、できる限り新鮮なものを ・ホエイ除去の重要性の記述 ・カードの水切り、押しつけ、塩入れのステップと、熟成期間の環境条件についても詳細に記載 ・同じベースのチーズを用いて異なる味のチーズを作る → 異なる顧客のニーズに応えることで売上を上げるマーケティング ・軽く押しつけられ、表面に塩入れがなされたローマタイプに似たチーズに、「ハードプレス」チーズが加わる ；凝乳の直後に熱い湯がカードに加えられる …ローマ帝国のチーズ生産者が熱入れを行っていたことを示す ※引用元 古代ローマ帝国は多層の文化を吸収して出来た大帝国。チーズも然り。（文化の読書会：キンステッド『チーズと文明』（5）「ローマ帝国とキリスト教 体系化されるチーズ」） https://note.com/ciaobella_aurora/n/n921577804796

・・・といった具合で、この記事を読んでいる皆さんもご承知のとおり、チーズ自体の歴史は大変古いものなのですが、この古さに関して、記憶にある方も居るかもしれませんが、例えば6年前には、古代エジプトの墓の埋蔵品から3000年以上前のチーズが発見されたというニュースが世界を駆け巡りました。

3000年以上前のものとみられる古代エジプトの墓の埋蔵品から、「世界最古のチーズ」が発見されました。チーズは劣化していて食べられる状態ではなかったとのことですが、「このチーズをぜひ食べたい」という人がTwitterで続々登場し、話題となっています。 （中略） チーズが発見された墓は、1885年にエジプト・カイロ南部のサッカラで発見された遺跡で、その後、砂嵐で埋まってしまったために場所がわからなくなったものの、2010年に再発見されました。この墓は、紀元前13世紀頃にラムセス2世に仕えた高官プタヒメスのものといわれています。 カターニャ大学の考古学者エンリコ・グレコ氏率いるチームがこの墓を調査したところ、布で覆われた甕(かめ)をいくつか発見。そのうちの1つには白い物質が詰められていることが判明しました。発掘された白い物質が以下の画像です。 ※画像および記事の引用元 2018年08月20日 17時00分 約3300年前の「世界最古のチーズ」が発掘され、食べたがる人がネットに続出 https://gigazine.net/news/20180820-ancient-egyptian-cheese/

ただ、この世界最古のチーズは細菌で汚染されていることも判明しており、もし食べると、わりと冗談では済まない事態となるであろうことは想像に難くありません。それでもなお、「(四つんばいになって口から泡を吹いている犬のようにあえぎながら）世界最古のチーズを一口食べさせて！チーズの試食を合法化して！」と懇願する人物が登場したり、「私たちは既に呪われた棺を開けてしまいました。もはや、世界最古のチーズを食べても同じことです」と述べてまで食することを望��人物も登場するなど、世界には熱烈なチーズ狂が存在しているのだということを改めて知ることにもなるわけです。

グレコ氏がこの甕の中に入っていた白い物体を調査したところ、およそ3200～300年前のチーズであることがわかりました。あまりにも古いものであるため、このチーズが牛・ヤギ・羊のどの乳で作られたかは不明です。調査ではチーズがブルセラ症を引き起こす細菌「Brucella melitensis」で汚染されていることも判明しました。 （中略） ただし、調査ではチーズが生物兵器として培養されたこともあるブルセラ症を引き起こす細菌「Brucella melitensis」で汚染されていることが判明しており、呪いが本当にあるかどうかはさておき、食べると最悪の場合は死に至ります。

※画像および記事の引用元 2018年08月20日 17時00分 約3300年前の「世界最古のチーズ」が発掘され、食べたがる人がネットに続出 https://gigazine.net/news/20180820-ancient-egyptian-cheese/

といった具合で、古代エジプトの時代から存在していたとされるチーズなのですが、前述したように、その後の古代ローマ時代においても食されており身近な食材であったのは確かです。例えば古代ローマ時代の哲学者であるルキウス・アンナエウス・セネカは、いわゆる「三段論法の誤り」について哲学的に論じる書簡の中で、チーズを引き合いに出して次のように記しています。

約2000年前のローマで活躍した哲学者であるルキウス・アンナエウス・セネカは、友人に宛てた書簡で以下のように記しています。 “Mouse” is a syllable. Now a mouse eats its cheese; therefore, a syllable eats cheese… Without a doubt, I must beware, or some day I shall be catching syllables in a mousetrap or, if I grow careless, a book may devour my cheese! Unless, perhaps, the following syllogism is shrewder still: Mouse is a syllable. Now a syllable does not eat cheese. Therefore a mouse does not eat cheese. 和訳：「ネズミ」は音節である。ネズミはチーズを食べる。だから、音節はチーズを食べる。間違いなく、私は気をつけなければならない。さもなくば、私はいつかネズミ取りで音節を捕まえることになるだろうし、私が油断すれば本が私のチーズを食べ尽くすかもしれない！あるいは、次のような「ネズミは音節である」というずる賢い三段論法があるかもしれない。ネズミは音節である。音節はチーズを食べない。つまり、ネズミはチーズを食べない。 ※引用元 2023年03月12日 09時00分 ネズミは本当にチーズが好きなのか？チーズよりも好きなものはあるのか？ https://gigazine.net/news/20230312-mice-like-cheese-myth/

三段論法の誤りについての哲学的議論はともかくとして、当時のローマ人はすでに「ネズミはチーズを食べるものだ」と考えていたことがうかがえる、と上記の記事では指摘されています。そして、チーズのイメージといえば、丸い穴が空いた三角形のチーズを思い浮かべる人は少なくないかもしれません。トムとジェリーでおなじみの、ジェリーが好んで食べる穴が開いたあのチーズです。上記の記事は、ネズミは本当にチーズが好きなのか？ということについて記されているわけですが、これに関して、アメリカのドレクセル大学で進化生物学を研究するMegan Phifer-Rixey氏は、次のように指摘しています。

ハツカネズミは近くで手に入るものであれば穀物や昆虫、ゴミ、そしてチーズも含めて基本的に何でも食べます。しかし、問題なく食べるからといってそれがハツカネズミの好物かどうかは別の話であり、チーズはハツカネズミの好物とは言えないとPhifer-Rixey氏は指摘しています。 チーズの代わりにハツカネズミの好物だと考えられているのが、「ピーナッツバター」です。Phifer-Rixey氏は、「ハツカネズミは優れた嗅覚を持っており、ピーナッツバターはかなり強い匂いを放ちます」と述べており、タンパク質と脂肪が豊富な点もハツカネズミにとって魅力的だそうです。 （中略） ハツカネズミはチーズが好きであるという証拠はないものの、現に「ネズミはチーズが好き」というイメージは世界中に広がっています。この答えにも正確なものはありませんが、1つの仮説として「チーズは他の食品のように瓶の中で保管されたり天井からつるされたりせず、棚にそのまま置かれることが多かったため、ネズミがチーズを食べる様子が目撃されやすかった」というものがあります。 ※引用元 2023年03月12日 09時00分 ネズミは本当にチーズが好きなのか？チーズよりも好きなものはあるのか？ https://gigazine.net/news/20230312-mice-like-cheese-myth/

・・・ということで、実はここからが本題のつもりで書き始めた今回のブログなのですが、長くなってしまいました。

日本人には馴染みがない表現なのですが、欧米では「チーズを食べると悪夢を見る」と言われることがあります。これについて、2015年に大真面目に検証を試みる論文が発表されました。結論からいえば、チーズを食べると悪夢が引き起こされることを示唆する証拠は見つからなかった、とされているのですが、この「チーズを食べると悪夢を見る」というのは、英語の言い回しでは、Dream of the Rarebit Fiend と表現されることがあります。

レアビットといえば、冒頭で紹介したイギリスのチーズトーストと同じ英語表現なわけですが、この表現は、アメリカの漫画家ウィンザー・マッケイが1904年9月10日に始めた新聞漫画のタイトルにもなっています。

Dream of the Rarebit Fiend Dream of the Rarebit Fiend is a newspaper comic strip by American cartoonist Winsor McCay, begun September 10, 1904. It was McCay's second successful strip, after Little Sammy Sneeze secured him a position on the cartoon staff of the New York Herald. Rarebit Fiend appeared in the Evening Telegram, a newspaper published by the Herald. For contractual reasons, McCay signed the strip with the pen name "Silas". The strip had no continuity or recurring characters, but a recurring theme: a character has a nightmare or other bizarre dream, usually after eating a Welsh rarebit?a cheese-on-toast dish. The character awakens in the closing panel and regrets having eaten the rarebit. The dreams often reveal unflattering sides of the dreamers' psyches?their phobias, hypocrisies, discomforts, and dark fantasies. （日本語訳） 『レアビット・フィーンドの夢』は、アメリカの漫画家ウィンザー・マッケイが1904年9月10日に始めた新聞漫画である。これは、リトル・サミー・スニーズがニューヨーク・ヘラルド紙の漫画スタッフの地位を確保した。レアビット・フィーンドは、ヘラルド紙が発行する新聞、イブニング・テレグラム紙に掲載された。契約上の理由により、マッケイは「サイラス」というペンネームで漫画に署名した。 この漫画には連続性や繰り返し登場するキャラクターはいなかったが、繰り返し登場するテーマがあった。キャラクターが悪夢や奇妙な夢を見るのだが、これはたいていウェルシュ レアビット(チーズ トースト) を食べた後のことである。最後のコマでキャラクターは目を覚まし、レアビットを食べたことを後悔する。 ※引用元 Dream of the Rarebit Fiend https://en-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Dream_of_the_Rarebit_Fiend?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=ja&_x_tr_hl=ja&_x_tr_pto=sc

長くなったので、また機会があれば続きを記してみたいと思います。

※画像引用元 Dream of the Rarebit Fiend https://en-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Dream_of_the_Rarebit_Fiend?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=ja&_x_tr_hl=ja&_x_tr_pto=sc

（野村）

[sb-group-nepal]

Comprehensive Guide to Common Cattle Diseases and Their Treatments

Introduction

Nepal, a country with a significant agricultural sector, heavily relies on cattle for its economy. Cattle are essential for plowing fields, providing milk and meat, and serving as a source of manure for fertilizing crops. However, cattle diseases substantially threaten livestock productivity and farmers’ livelihoods.

In Nepal, cattle diseases are influenced by various factors, including climate, farming practices, and the availability of veterinary services. Common cattle diseases in Nepal include Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), Bovine Tuberculosis (BTB), Brucellosis, Mastitis, and Tick-borne diseases.

Cattle are integral to agriculture and the dairy industry and are susceptible to various diseases that can impact their health, productivity, and the economy. Understanding these diseases, their causes, symptoms, and preventive measures is crucial for effective cattle management.

FMD is a highly contagious viral illness among animals with cloven hoofs, causing fever, blisters, and lameness. BTB, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, leads to respiratory issues, weight loss, and reduced milk production. Brucellosis, a bacterial infection, can cause abortions, infertility, and decreased milk yield. Mastitis, a mammary gland inflammation, affects milk quality and quantity. Tick-borne diseases, such as Theileriosis and Babesiosis, result in anemia, fever, and reduced productivity.

Controlling these diseases in Nepal involves vaccination campaigns, improved farm management practices, and strengthening veterinary services. Education and awareness programs for farmers are crucial to enhance disease prevention and control measures.

What Are the Most Common Diseases in Cattle?

Like other livestock, cattle are susceptible to various diseases impacting their health and productivity. The most common diseases in cattle include:

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a virus that spreads quickly. It affects cloven-hoofed animals and causes fever, blisters in the mouth and feet, and lameness. FMD leads to severe economic losses due to decreased milk production, weight loss, and trade restrictions. The disease spreads rapidly through direct contact and contaminated objects.

Foot And Mouth Disease(Source: thelivestockproject)

Bovine Tuberculosis (BTB): Caused by Mycobacterium bovis, BTB affects the respiratory system, leading to chronic cough, weight loss, and reduced milk yield. Because it can spread to people, it is a zoonotic illness.

Brucellosis: An infection brought on by the bacteria Brucella species, brucellosis results in abortions, infertility, and reduced milk production. It is also a zoonotic disease, posing a risk to human health.

Mastitis is a mammary gland infection typically caused by bacterial infections. It affects milk quality and quantity, leading to economic losses for dairy farmers.

Tick-borne Diseases: Ticks transmit diseases such as Theileriosis, Babesiosis, and Anaplasmosis. These diseases cause fever, anemia, and decreased productivity.

Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) is a viral disease that causes diarrhea, respiratory issues, and reproductive problems. It can lead to significant economic losses due to decreased milk production and increased mortality rates. The virus known as the Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) causes BVD.

Read More: Top Cattle Farming Tips for Success

How Can Cattle Disease Be Spread?

Cattle diseases can spread through various mechanisms, including direct contact, indirect contact, vectors, and environmental factors. Understanding the types of transmission is essential to executing efficient disease control measures.

Direct Contact: Disease transmission through direct contact occurs when infected cattle come into contact with healthy animals. This can happen during grazing, housing, or transportation. For example, FMD spreads rapidly through contact with infected saliva, vesicle fluid, or excretions.

Indirect Contact: Indirect transmission occurs when cattle contact contaminated objects, such as feed, water, equipment, or clothing. Brucellosis can spread through contaminated feed or water sources, while mastitis can be transmitted through contaminated milking equipment.

Vectors: Vectors, such as ticks, flies, and mosquitoes, can transmit diseases between cattle. Tick-borne diseases like Theileriosis and Babesiosis are spread through tick bites, while flies can transmit diseases like pinkeye and anthrax.

Environmental Factors: Environmental factors, including soil, water, and air, can affect disease transmission. Bovine Tuberculosis can persist in the environment, and cattle can become infected by inhaling contaminated dust or ingesting contaminated water.

Wildlife: Wildlife can act as reservoirs for certain diseases, transmitting them to cattle. For instance, wildlife can carry and spread BTB to cattle grazing in shared areas.

How Do You Control Cattle Disease?

Controlling cattle diseases involves a combination of preventive measures, early detection, and effective treatment strategies. Implementing these measures can significantly reduce the incidence and impact of cattle diseases.

For More Details, Click Here