Research

Evidence of ESBL plasmid transfer and selective persistence of multiple host-associated Escherichia coli isolates in a chicken cecal fermentation model

Investigation published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology

The guts of animals and humans harbor diverse microbial communities that are regularly exposed to bacteria originating from food, water, and their surroundings. Species such as Escherichia coli are adept at colonizing multiple hosts, along with surviving in the environment. By encoding pathogenic traits and transmissible forms of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), E. coli can also pose a zoonotic risk. Our understanding of the factors that govern host residency is limited. Here, we used a chicken cecal fermentation model to study survival and the AMR transfer potential of 17 host-associated exten… Leer más

Néstor Porras, ACVP Editors Choice Award 2025

His study of histopathologic evaluation in wild boars infected with the African swine fever virus, has received the award in the experimental study category

Our colleague Néstor Porras González, researcher at the Animal Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Unit of Visavet centre and PhD student at the UCM Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, have been selected by to be recognized with the American College of Veterinary Pathology Editors' Award for an Experimental Study. This award recognized the study design, clarity, data presentation, and potential impact of the article "Histopathologic evaluation system of African swine fever in wild boar infected with high (Arm07) and low (Lv17/WB/Riel) isolates." The award will be presented at the upcoming ACVP Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA, USA.… Leer más

Retrospective analysis of the clinical approach practiced in dog bite cases caused by Vipera latastei, Vipera seoanei and Vipera aspis

Investigation article published in The Veterinary Journal

Snakebites pose a significant public health risk to both humans and animals in many countries. In Spain, the presence of three viper species, Vipera latastei, Vipera seoanei, and Vipera aspis, complicates clinical management in veterinary settings. There is currently no standardized veterinary protocol for treating viper bites in many countries. This retrospective study analyzed the clinical approaches employed by Spanish veterinary centers in treating canine viper bites within the distribution range of these species. Data from 62 clinical cases across 58 veterinary centers were reviewed, incl… Leer más

Epidemiology of resistance to aminoglycosides and macrolides in thermotolerant Campylobacter in livestock in Spain

PhD Thesis defense by Vicente López Chavarrías at the VISAVET Centre of the Complutense University of Madrid

Antimicrobial resistance is a major problem for the treatment of diseases caused by zoonotic bacteria such as thermotolerant Campylobacter (C. coli and C. jejuni). The mechanisms by which antimicrobial resistance spreads over bacterial populations, especially via horizontal gene transfer, can have broad consequences depending on the speed at which resistant phenotypes disseminate through food animal hosts, humans and the environment. Particularly relevant are genetic determinants capable of conferring resistance to three or more antimicrobial classes, making treatments more complicated when mu… Leer más

The impact of mycobacteria-induced trained immunity on SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responses

Investigation article published in Frontiers in immunology

Introduction: Beyond the role of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for tuberculosis prevention, BCG has demonstrated heterologous protective effects. The global health crisis caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus led to research on whether BCG-induced trained immunity could strengthen antiviral defenses. However, studies reported quite different results on its effect against COVID-19. Methods and results: In this study, we evaluated the impact of pre-existing trained immunity induced by a BCG-derived Mycobacterium bovis strain (dpB), in both live and inactivated forms, in combination with SARS-CoV-2 v… Leer más

Oral fluid collection in wild boar: A field protocol

Investigation article published in The Veterinary Journal

Traditional wildlife sampling methods have limitations in providing a well-distributed, timely and accurate disease surveillance in wildlife. We developed a field protocol for collecting wild boar (Sus scrofa) oral fluid samples for non-invasive active disease surveillance using environmental ropes. We deployed ropes in field settings and tested the rope-sampled oral fluids for antibodies against Mycobacterium bovis and closely related members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC). Oral fluid samples were collected from three wild boars populations in Spain with endemic tuberculosis … Leer más

Systematic Review of the Ovitrap Surveillance of Aedes Mosquitoes in Brazil (2012–2022)

Investigation published in Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease

Background: Arthropod-borne diseases primarily affect tropical and subtropical regions, exhibiting seasonal patterns that peak during hot and rainy months when conditions favor mosquito vector proliferation. Factors such as high temperatures, elevated humidity, rainfall, urbanization, and the abundance of natural and artificial breeding sites influence Aedes vector dynamics. In this context, arboviruses pose significant public health challenges, likely worsened by global warming. In Brazil, Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) is the primary vector for yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, … Leer más

Field evaluation of the P22 ELISA for diagnosis of caprine tuberculosis in an endemic area

Frontiers in veterinary science publish this investigation article

Animal tuberculosis (TB) affects a wide range of domestic species, including goats. TB eradication programs in goats are based on cell-based techniques such as the single and comparative intradermal tuberculin test (SITT and CITT, respectively). In recent years, an ELISA technique based on the P22 protein complex (P22 ELISA), has emerged as a valuable tool for TB diagnosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of the P22 ELISA in the context of a caprine TB eradication program using serum, individual milk and bulk tank milk (BTM) samples in order to define its usefulness in cla… Leer más

Global dissemination of npmA mediated pan-aminoglycoside resistance via a mobile genetic element in Gram-positive bacteria

Investigation published in Nature Communications

The npmA gene, encoding a 16S rRNA methyltransferase, confers resistance to all clinically available aminoglycosides, posing a significant threat to effective antibiotic therapy. We analyze 1,932,812 bacterial genomes to investigate the distribution and mobilization of npmA variants. npmA is not found in Gram-negative bacteria, where it was originally described, but is identified among Gram-positive bacteria, predominantly as the npmA2 variant in the globally distributed Clostridioides difficile ST11 lineage. We also detect npmA2 in two vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates from a… Leer más

- Confirman la extensión global de un gen que crea bacterias resistentes a los antibióticos - canalsur.es

- Veterinarios españoles descubren un gen que hace invencibles a las bacterias frente a antibióticos y que se propaga por todo el mundo - animalshealth.es

- Alarma global por un gen que vuelve invencibles a bacterias frente a antibióticos clave - eldiariodemadrid.es

- Este Gen Crea Bacterias Resistentes a Antibióticos y Ya se Extendió a Nivel Global - nmas.com

- Un gen provoca que las bacterias sean invencibles ante los antibióticos: se propaga por todo el mundo - cope.es

- Un gen que convierte las bacterias en resistentes a los antibióticos campa por hospitales y granjas de seis países - lavozdegalicia.es

- Un estudio confirma la existencia de un gen que da origen a bacterias resistentes a antibióticos - lavanguardia.com

- Un gen que hace de las infecciones bacterianas algo incurable se extiende a nivel global - elindependiente.com

- Un gen capaz de hacer a las bacterias totalmente resistentes se está propagando por todo el mundo - isanidad.com

- Un estudio liderado por el veterinario Bruno González-Zorn descubre cómo un gen se expande por todo el mundo generando superbacterias - diarioveterinario.com

- Científicos de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid confirman que un gen que hace invencibles a bacterias frente a antibióticos vitales se propaga por todo el mundo - innovaspain.com

- Alertan de la rápida propagación por todo el mundo de un gen que hace a las bacterias resistentes a los antibióticos - eldiario.es

- Un gen que convierte las bacterias en superbacterias se extiende por hospitales y granjas - elpais.com

Estudio histopatológico e inmunohistoquímico de la expresión de integrinas en el carcinoma gástrico canino

Degree Final Project defended by Adrian Arribas Mercado

Gastric carcinoma represents 60–70% of gastric neoplasms in dogs. The malignancy of these neoplasms is based on cellular characteristics such as pleomorphism, anisocytosis, anisokaryosis, atypical mitoses and mitotic index among others; but undoubtedly, migration, infiltration and metastasis of neoplastic cells are the criteria that determine the invasiveness of a tumor. These criteria can be determined by immunohistochemical study of certain transmembrane proteins called integrins. These molecules are composed of two separate subunits, ? (alpha) and ? (beta) subunits, which combine to form … Leer más