Vol. 44, No. 1, 2000 previous next

REVIEW ARTICLE: ZOONOSES UPDATE

Mikula, I., Vrtiak, J. O., Sokol J.**

University of Veterinary Medicine
Komenského 73
041 81 Košice
The Slovak Republic		 **State Veterinary Administration
Botanická 17
842 13 Bratislava
The Slovak Republic

Summary

At present, zoonoses, as infections and invasions spreading naturally between vertebrate animals and man, are topical medical problems. On the basis of interspecies exchange of genetic material, via conjugation, transduction and transformation in bacteria, and hypermutation or rearrangement in viruses, they are constantly evolving resulting in the development of new antigenic and pathogenic properties. Our study deals with some new aspects of zoonoses. We point to the fact that zoonotic microorganisms should also include a wide group of agents which cause diseases in people with weakened or impaired immune system. We also point to the significant portion of microorganisms participating in malignant processes. One group of them (e.g. helicobacteria) exhibits an obvious zoonotic potential, antigenic relationship, and the ability to induce malignant transformations. Other groups (e.g. oncoviruses of the avian leukosis complex) were shown to be capable of infecting and transforming cell cultures of human origin in vitro, and also, by means of molecular diagnostic methods, of causing infections in humans in vivo. In this context it is desirable to explain the increased incidence of cancer of some organs in employees in the poultry-and-meat industry. With the initial transfer of animal cells, tissues and organs to the organisms of humans, another group of diseases has in this way been established, namely xenozoonoses. New approaches are needed to prevent zoonoses of the above-mentioned types.

Key words: zoonoses; malignant transformation; molecular diagnosis; xenozoonoses; prevention of zoonoses

References

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Folia Veterinaria / 1999