Biology subjects

Milstein, M. S.

Publications and source records attributed to Milstein, M. S..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Detection and decontamination of chronic wasting disease prions during venison processing

Prion diseases, including chronic wasting disease (CWD), are caused by prions, which are misfolded aggregates of normal cellular prion protein. Prions possess many characteristics that distinguish them from conventional pathogens, in particular, an extraordinary recalcitrance to inactivation and a propensity to avidly bind to surfaces. In mid to late stages of CWD, prions begin accumulating in cervid muscle tissues. These features collectively create scenarios where occupational hazards arise for workers processing venison and pose risks to consumers through direct prion exposure via ingestion and cross-contamination of food products. In this work, we show that steel and plastic surfaces used in venison processing can be directly contaminated with CWD prions and that cross-contamination of CWD-negative venison can occur from equipment that had previously been used with CWD-positive venison. We also show that several decontaminant solutions (commercial bleach and potassium peroxymonosulfate) are efficacious for prion inactivation on these same surfaces.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Nanopore adaptive sampling for mitogenome sequencing and bloodmeal identification in hematophagous insects

Blood-feeding insects are important vectors for an array of zoonotic pathogens. Despite significant research focused on well-documented insect vectors of One Health importance, resources for molecular species identification of a large number of hematophagous arthropods are limited. Advancements in next-generation sequencing technologies provide opportunities for targeting mitochondrial genomes of blood-feeding insects, as well as their bloodmeal hosts. This dual approach holds great promise for elucidating complex disease transmission pathways and enhancing the molecular resources for the identification of cryptic insect species. To this end, we leveraged the newly developed Oxford Nanopore Adaptive Sampling (NAS) pipeline to dually sequence the mitogenomes of hematophagous insects and their bloodmeals. Using NAS, we sequenced the entire mitogenomes of Aedes vexans, Culex restuans, Culex territans, and Chrysops niger and successfully identified bloodmeal hosts of Chrysops niger, Culex restuans, and Aedes trivittatus. We show that NAS has the utility to simultaneously molecularly identify blood-feeding insects and characterize disease transmission pathways through bloodmeal host identification. Moreover, our data indicate NAS can facilitate a wide array of molecular systematic studies through novel phylogenetic capture methods. We conclude the NAS approach has great potential for informing global One Health initiatives centered on the mitigation of vector-borne disease through dual vector and bloodmeal identification.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2020

Integrating indigenous knowledge, ontology, and molecular barcoding to characterize spider monkey (Ateles paniscus) filariasis

Zoonotic disease risk is greatly influenced by cultural practices and belief systems. Yet, few studies have integrated traditional ecological knowledge and ontology with western ways of knowing to better understand potential zoonoses. Here, we integrate molecular phylogenetics, histopathology, and ethnography to characterize a filarial nematode found within the abdominal cavity of spider monkeys (Ateles paniscus). The filarid is recognized as spider monkey cotton by indigenous Waiwai in the Konashen Community Owned Conservation Area, Guyana. Ethnographic data revealed that the Waiwai perceive of spider monkey cotton as a normal characteristic within the spider monkey person. Further, the Waiwai indicated that cotton was ubiquitous with spider monkeys and is not understood to be infectious nor zoonotic. This distinction is in contrast to other internal parasites found within spider monkeys that the Waiwai know to cause disease in both monkeys and humans. Our morphological and molecular characterization support the classification of the filarid as Dipetalonema caudispina, a minimally studied and seemingly non-zoonotic parasite, consistent with Waiwai beliefs. Thus, our findings allow us to establish commensurability between scientific knowledge and indigenous ontology. More broadly, this work highlights the importance of integrating multiple knowledge systems and leveraging advanced genomics to better understand and prevent emerging zoonotic diseases.

evolutionary biology↗