Otuh Patricia I. and Adeyemo Olanike I.

Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Buruli ulcer (BU) disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans pathogen; an environmental mycobacterium which has affinity to inhabit aquatic niches. Global distribution of BU spans across more than 33 countries however, in West African sub region, incidence is alarming with severe devastating burden especially in children of school age resident in rural communities. The exact mode of transmission remains evasive hampering prevention and control strategies. In this study, we explored the agent-host-environment molecular inter-relatedness in the transmission of Buruli ulcer disease in some communities in Ogun State, Nigeria, contingent to Benin Republic; a BU epicenter.

Mycobacterium ulcerans DNA were extracted from samples collected from suspected BU patients, water samples from rivers routinely accessed by the patients and aquatic fauna (fish and crabs) from the same rivers. M. ulcerans. Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTRs) were amplified from the extracted DNA using primers targeting loci 6 and 19 which are the genetic markers to assess M. ulcerans diversity. Locus 19 of the VNTR showed the presence of the same population of M. ulcerans in water, fish and human samples. Locus 6 of the M. ulcerans VNTRs further confirmed the initial finding showing presence of M. ulcerans population in fish, crab, water and human samples.

The above results are indicative of an animal (fish and crab) to human transmission of M. ulcerans or an environmental transmission of the pathogen to human through water. We therefore propose a possible transmission pathway of M. ulcerans to humans from its animal host or the environment.

Alison L. Van Eenennaam1, Amy E. Young1

1University of California, Davis, USA

Public perception of animal biotechnology is far from straightforward and the lines between animal biotechnology and other issues related to animal use are often blurred. In general, concerns about animal biotechnology are influenced by i) views around the moral status of animals, the boundary between “natural” and “unnatural”, and perceived risks and benefits of animal biotechnology to health and the environment (personal and cultural characteristics); ii) the purpose of the application, the method(s) being used, and the motivation of the research group using animal biotechnologies (research characteristics); iii) the species under consideration (animal characteristics). As such, it is difficult generalize about public perception of animal biotechnology as a discrete category. The use of artificial selection, advanced reproductive techniques, crossbreeding, and genomics to introduce useful genetic variation into breeding programs have elicited little public concern. However, the use of “modern” molecular biotechnologies such as genetic engineering (GE) to introduce useful genetic variation have been associated with considerable pushback. The first and only GE food animal approval to date, the fast-growing AquAdvantage Atlantic salmon, followed years of regulatory delay partially resulting from the negative public perception of GE. There are a number of new animal biotechnology applications in development which combine knowledge of genomic diversity with modern biotechnologies including gene editing to specifically target traits for animal health and well-being. An open and objective evaluation of both the potential benefits and risks that these applications pose to impacted stakeholders and animals may help to shift public perception; and enable animal breeders to responsibly introduce these new biotechnologies into genetic improvement programs to the benefit of both animal and human health and well-being.