Research

African swine fever in wild boar: comparative histopathological and immunohistochemical characterization of attenuated and virulent genotype II isolates

PhD Thesis defense by Néstor Porras González at the VISAVET Centre of the Complutense University of Madrid

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly lethal viral disease that affects domestic and wild suids. Its capacity for transboundary spread makes it one of the greatest threats to animal health and the global swine production industry. The emergence of ASF in Europe and its sustained circulation among Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations have placed this species at the center of the disease’s epidemiology. This work focuses on genotype II of the ASF virus (ASFV), which is currently responsible for most outbreaks in Europe. Within this genotype, variants with different levels of virulence h… Leer más

Estimating the velocity and direction of African Swine Fever spread in wild boar populations in South Korea using Trend-Surface Analysis

PLoS ONE publish this investigation article

African swine fever (ASF) is a lethal disease of swine that has spread across Asia since its introduction in 2018. South Korea first reported the disease in September 2019 in domestic pigs, and since then, more than 4,000 cases have been reported in wild boars during its expansion up to August 2024. Due to the high number of ASF notifications in wild boars in South Korea, contrasted with their scarcity in most Asian countries, analyzing the spatiotemporal spread of the disease in a setting with active surveillance provides valuable insights. In this study, we performed a trend-surface analysis… Leer más

- Científicos españoles descubren la sorprendente velocidad a la que se propaga la peste porcina en jabalíes - revistajaraysedal.es

International collaboration success in groundbreaking research revealing tuberculosis transmission risks between humans and African great apes

An innovative environmental sampling methodology reveals a concerning epidemiological link

An international team of researchers has recently published a pioneering study in the journal Emerging Microbes & Infections demonstrating the presence of environmental DNA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of human tuberculosis, in habitats of wild gorillas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.… Leer más

Development of an in situ hybridization assay for the diagnosis of Mycobacteriaceae infections of veterinary importance

Investigation published in Veterinary Pathology

Mycobacteria (Mycobacteriaceae family) comprise five genera (Mycobacterium, Mycolicibacterium, Mycolicibacter, Mycolicibacillus, and Mycobacteroides), which include relevant animal and human pathogens. Histology is a rapid method for preemptively diagnosing mycobacteriosis, contributing to surveillance, control, and eradication. A constraint on histology is the limited sensitivity and specificity of acid-fast stains, as the number of detectable bacilli in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue varies and other microorganisms are acid-fast positive. Immunohistochemistry has low specific… Leer más

Histological and Immunohistochemical Characterization of a Histiocytic Sarcoma Associated With a Follicular Lymphoma in a Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta)

Veterinary Medicine and Science publish this investigation article

A 20-year-old neutered male ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) diagnosed with an intrathoracic mass died during surgical excision. Morphological characteristics of the mass during necropsy were consistent with a mediastinal abscess in the left hemithorax. Histological examination identified a disseminated histiocytic sarcoma involving spleen, kidneys, multiple lymph nodes, diaphragm and parietal pleura, as well as a concurrent follicular lymphoma in a separate lymph node. A mixed metastatic infiltrate composed of both neoplasms was found within the capsule of the intrathoracic abscess. Immunohist… Leer más

Exploring specific biomarkers in blood for in vitro diagnosis of caprine tuberculosis

Frontiers in Microbiology publish this investigation article

Introduction: Caprine tuberculosis (cTB) is a zoonotic disease with significant implications for animal and public health and economic impact. Therefore, accurate ante-mortem diagnosis is essential. Diagnosis in goats rely on the single and comparative intradermal tuberculin test (SITT and CITT, respectively), both of which showing limited diagnostic performance. The aim of the study was to characterize the immune and physiological responses to cTB in naturally infected goats and to identify potential in vitro biomarkers that could improve the reliability of cTB diagnosis. Methodology: The s… Leer más

Editorial: One Health approach to mycobacterial infections in veterinary science

Investigation published in Frontiers in veterinary science

Mycobacteria are ubiquitous pathogens that affect livestock, companion animals, wildlife, and humans, posing major challenges for veterinary medicine. Accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment are crucial to prevent antimicrobial resistance, yet integrated actions across the human–animal–environment interface remain limited, highlighting the need for a One Health approach (1, 2). This Research Topic compiles 11 articles that advance the One Health understanding of veterinary-relevant mycobacteria by examining their epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, zoonotic transmission dynamics, and … Leer más

Quantitative epidemiology for the characterization of the performance of diagnostic tests used in the frame of the Spanish bovine tuberculosis eradication program

PhD Thesis defense by Alberto Gómez Buendía at the VISAVET Centre of the Complutense University of Madrid

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), a notifiable zoonotic disease caused by bacteria of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, poses a significant risk to public and animal health. The European Union regulatory framework requires Member States to implement control, surveillance, and eradication programs. Several countries have achieved this objective, but Spain has not yet reached disease eradication despite its efforts. However, many provinces have obtained the officially bTB-free (OTF) status or have very low prevalences, a situation that poses new challenges. These include maintaining the efficienc… Leer más

Ineffective oral immunization of wild boar with the attenuated African swine fever virus NH/P68 grown in MA104 cell line

Investigation published in The Veterinary Journal

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and lethal hemorrhagic disease affecting domestic pigs and wild boar, with serious consequences for animal health, the swine industry, and socio-economic stability. Given the lack of effective treatments and the limited success of conventional control measures, live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) have emerged as the most promising option, particularly for oral administration in free-ranging wild boar. The naturally attenuated genotype I isolate NH/P68 has shown protective potential in domestic pigs but retains residual virulence and persistence risk… Leer más

Editorial: Pathogen transmission at the domestic-wildlife interface: a growing challenge that requires integrated solutions, volume II

Frontiers in veterinary science publish this investigation article

Domestic-wildlife interfaces constitute dynamic and heterogeneous systems in which ecological, epidemiological, and socio-economic processes converge, creating opportunities for pathogen transmission between wildlife, domestic animals, humans, and the shared environment. These interfaces evolve in response to several factors including land-use change, agricultural intensification, wildlife population recovery, animal trade, globalization, or human mobility, among others, all of which reshape pathogen transmission pathways across spatial and temporal scales (1, 2). Volume I emphasized the need… Leer más