Research Lines
Scientific Research lines of VISAVET Centre
Research Projects
Current projects in public calls
Scientific Publications
SCI Scientific Publications of VISAVET Centre
Thesis
PhD Thesis and scientific
dissertations of VISAVET Centre
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Last research news
September 25th, 2024
Vía publiDB
Stream of revelation: detection of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in urine during myeloencephalopathy outbreaks
Investigation published in Equine veterinary journal
Background: The detection of EHV-1 by real-time PCR in nasal swabs (NS), whole blood, brain, and spinal cord samples has been extensively described. However, there remains a notable gap in understanding the excretion of the virus in urine, the patterns of DNA detection, and the potential role of urine in viral dissemination during an outbreak.
Objectives: To ascertain the presence of EHV-1 DNA in urine during natural infection and to compare the DNA detection patterns of EHV-1 in urine, buffy coat (BC), and NS.
Study design: Prospective clinical study.
Methods: During the hospitalisat…
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September 20th, 2024
Vía publiDB
Genomic comparison between Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium microti and in silico analysis of peptide-based biomarkers for serodiagnosis
Investigation article published in Frontiers in veterinary science
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of reported cases of Mycobacterium microti infection in various animals, which can interfere with the ante-mortem diagnosis of animal tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis. In this study, whole genome sequencing (WGS) was used to search for protein-coding genes to distinguish M. microti from M. bovis. In addition, the population structure of the available M. microti genomic WGS datasets is described, including three novel Belgian isolates from infections in alpacas. Candidate genes were identified by examining the presence of the r…
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September 19th, 2024
Vía publiDB
Diagnosis of leishmaniasis in wild murine fauna in Spain
Degree Final Project defended by Paloma Alonso Collado
Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, which is primarily transmitted by dipteran vectors (phlebotomine sandflies). It is a disease that affects a large part of the countries worldwide, including Spain, where it is considered endemic.
The outbreaks that have occurred in the Community of Madrid since 2009 due to infected leporids have brought wild reservoirs into focus. The diagnosis of the disease canpor be made by direct observation of amastigotes in areas of active multiplication, immunological diagnosis or molecular diagnosis.
The aim…
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September 19th, 2024
Vía publiDB
Study of the Toscana virus in lagomorphs
Sara Martín-Gromaz Esteban defended this Degree Final Project
The Toscana Virus (TOSV) is an arbovirus of the genus Phlebovirus, which is transmitted by the bite of phlebotomine sandflies of the genus Phlebotomus and is currently considered an emerging zoonotic pathogen. This virus is known to cause meningitis in humans in endemic areas of the Mediterranean, especially during the summer months when there is increased phlebotomine sandfly activity. Recent studies suggest that some mammals, including lagomorphs, could act as reservoirs or potential amplifying hosts of the virus in certain regions.
In addition, co-infection with Leishmania, which is transm…
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September 19th, 2024
Vía publiDB
Detection of Leishmania in rabbit ticks (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Degree Final Project defended by Mª Leticia del Barrio Montañés
The study focused on the detection of Leishmania infantum in ticks collected from wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in the Community of Madrid. Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease transmitted by sandflies, and its control is critical due to its global spread and the lack of a vaccine for humans. The primary reservoir is the dog, but the outbreak in Madrid (2009-2012) evidenced hares and rabbits as competent reservoirs, suggesting the need to explore this disease further, for example, by examining other potential common vectors in these wild rabbits, such as ticks.
The main objective was to…
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August 15th, 2024
Vía publiDB
Comparative SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.5 variant and D614G-Wuhan strain infections in ferrets: insights into attenuation and disease progression during subclinical to mild COVID-19
Frontiers in veterinary science publish this investigation article
Introduction: As the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to evolve and new variants emerge, it becomes crucial to understand the comparative pathological and immunological responses elicited by different strains. This study focuses on the original Wuhan strain and the Omicron variant, which have demonstrated significant differences in clinical outcomes and immune responses.
Methods: We employed ferrets as an experimental model to assess the D614G variant (a derivative of the Wuhan strain) and the Omicron BA.5 variant. Each variant was inoculated into separate groups of ferrets to compare disease sever…
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July 30th, 2024
Vía publiDB
Histopathologic evaluation system of African swine fever in wild boar infected with high (Arm07) and low virulence (Lv17/WB/Riel) isolates
Investigation published in Veterinary Pathology
To understand the clinicopathological forms of African swine fever (ASF) in wild boar, it is crucial to possess a basic knowledge of the biological characteristics of the currently circulating ASF virus isolates. The aim of this work is to establish an accurate and comprehensive histopathologic grading system to standardize the assessment of the ASF lesions in wild boar. The study evaluated the differences between animals infected with a high virulence genotype II isolate (Arm07) (HVI) through intramuscular (IM) (n = 6) and contact-infected (n = 12) routes, alongside those orally infected with…
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July 4th, 2024
Vía publiDB
Editorial: Tuberculosis in domestic ruminants: towards eradication of zoonotic tuberculosis
Investigation published in Frontiers in veterinary science
Tuberculosis (TB) is a zoonosis with a significant impact on human and animal health and it remains endemic in many countries around the world. Most cases of human TB are caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, whilst TB in wildlife and domestic ruminants is mainly caused by animal adapted mycobacterial species such as M. bovis and M. caprae. However, the impact of zoonotic TB (zTB) has been known for a long time and resulted in the implementation of milk pasteurization as a preventive public health measure in many countries. According to data published by the WHO, more than 140,000 people are i…
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July 4th, 2024
Vía publiDB
Evaluation of alternative antigens to PPDs for the diagnosis of caprine tuberculosis
Alberto Corroto Martín defended this Degree Final Project
Improving the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) performance of official tuberculosis (TB) tests in goats is crucial as their limited performance leads to the existence of false positives and false negatives, with the associated economic, health and confidence implications. Therefore, great efforts have been devoted to the search and evaluation of new antigens that can replace classical PPDs, such as bovine PPD (PPDb) and avian PPD (PPDa), in order to improve the performance of official TB ante-mortem diagnostic tests.
This study focuses on evaluating two new antigens, DST-F and P22, as re…
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July 4th, 2024
Vía publiDB
Detection of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in ticks obtained from wild animals
Degree Final Project defended by Inés Higueras Fernández
The Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is an infectious and zoonotic disease of viral etiology, transmitted by ticks of the genus Hyalomma. The increase in positive cases of in Spain since its first detection in 2010, along with the rising number of positive ticks detected, suggests the need for more thorough control over the actual circulation of this virus in the country. To date, various studies have been conducted focusing on detecting the circulation of CCHFV in regions of the national territory with a history of positive cases, omitting those areas where such precedents did not exist…
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