Research

Serological technique for detecting tuberculosis prevalence in sheep in Atlantic Spain

Investigation article published in Research in Veterinary Science

Recent studies show that sheep could be considered to be a maintenance host for the causative agents of animal tuberculosis (TB). The performance of diagnostic tests is not well established, and new tests need to be developed for this species. In addition, information about TB prevalence in sheep is scarce. Our objectives were to evaluate a new P22 ELISA for detection of specific antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex (MTC), and to assess the seropositivity in 3998 sheep from herds sampled in TB hotspot areas of northern Atlantic Spain with a low TB prevalence in cattle. Results… Leer más

Detection of Antibodies against Mycobacterium bovis in Oral Fluid from Eurasian Wild Boar

Investigation published in Pathogens

The presence of Mycobacterium bovis and other members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) is a main concern in wildlife populations such as the Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa). Tests detecting antibodies against the MTC are valuable for tuberculosis (TB) monitoring and control and particularly useful in suids. The development of accurate, efficient, and non-invasive new tools to detect exposure to MTC would be highly beneficial for improving disease surveillance. This study aimed to determine if antibodies against MTC could be detected in oral fluid (OF) samples by a new ELISA test… Leer más

Liver Transudate, a Potential Alternative to Detect Anti-Hepatitis E Virus Antibodies in Pigs and Wild Boars (Sus scrofa)

Investigation published in Microorganisms

In recent years, cases of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection have increased in Europe in association with the consumption of contaminated food, mainly from pork products but also from wild boars. The animal’s serum is usually tested for the presence of anti-HEV antibodies and viral RNA but, in many cases such as during hunting, an adequate serum sample cannot be obtained. In the present study, liver transudate was evaluated as an alternative matrix to serum for HEV detection. A total of 125 sera and liver transudates were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at different dilutions (1:2, … Leer más

Towards the comparison of home range estimators obtained from contrasting tracking regimes: the wild boar as a case study

Investigation article published in European Journal of Wildlife Research

Traditional VHF radio-tracking is gradually being replaced by GPS tracking devices in spatial ecology studies, although both technologies continue to be used. Differences between tracking regimes (time and fix frequency) may lead to home range estimates that are not directly comparable. Our primary aim was to test the reliability of comparisons in home range estimates using different estimators (minimum convex polygon [MCP], fixed kernels [KDE] and dynamic Brownian Bridge Models [dBBMM]) and tracking regimes (see above) and to provide an empirical basis for linking VHS and GPS tracking data an… Leer más

Epidemiological investigation of bovine tuberculosis outbreaks in Uruguay (2011-2013)

Investigation published in Preventive Veterinary Medicine

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a chronic disease of cattle caused by infection with the Mycobacterium bovis. While bTB prevalence in Uruguay has been low (<11 outbreaks/year) for the past 50 years as a consequence of a national control program, annual incidence increased in 2011 through 2013-15, 26 and 16 infected herds each year, raising concerns from livestock stakeholders and the government. The goal of this study was to assess the spatial dynamics of bTB in Uruguay from 2011 to 2013 and the association between bTB and potential demographic and movement risk factors at the herd level using da… Leer más

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Trueperella pyogenes isolated from food-producing ruminants

Investigation published in Veterinary Microbiology

A total of 96 Trueperella pyogenes isolates, an opportunistic pathogen of food-producing ruminants, obtained from cattle (n = 34), sheep (n = 35) and goats (n = 27), and identified by Real Time PCR (qPCR), were analysed to determine the susceptibility to 12 antimicrobials commonly used in livestock, using a broth microdilution. The Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) distribution was unimodal for half of the antimicrobials tested with the exception of apramycin, gentamicin, streptomycin, oxytetracycline, tylosin, and erythromycin all of which showed bimod… Leer más

Importance of equine piroplasmosis antibody presence in Spanish horses prior to export

Investigation article published in Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases

Serological analysis of equine piroplasmosis (EP), caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, is included in the export testing requirements for most of the countries worldwide, thus involving a high economic impact on equine industry of EP-endemic countries, such as Spain. A total of 3368 serum samples from healthy horses collected prior to export between 2015 and 2018 in Spain were tested for antibodies against T. equi and B. caballi by using a competitive inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA). The overall seroprevalence results in Spain revealed that almost a quarter of t… Leer más

- El 24% de los caballos de España no podría exportarse por piroplasmosis - animalshealth.es

Adenovirus-vectored African Swine Fever Virus Antigens Cocktail Is Not Protective against Virulent Arm07 Isolate in Eurasian Wild Boar

Investigation published in Pathogens

African swine fever (ASF) is a viral disease of domestic and wild suids for which there is currently no vaccine or treatment available. The recent spread of ASF virus (ASFV) through Europe and Asia is causing enormous economic and animal losses. Unfortunately, the measures taken so far are insufficient and an effective vaccine against ASFV needs to be urgently developed. We hypothesized that immunization with a cocktail of thirty-five rationally selected antigens would improve the protective efficacy of subunit vaccine prototypes given that the combination of fewer immunogenic antigens (betwee… Leer más

Prevalence and trend analysis of antimicrobial resistance in clinical Escherichia coli isolates collected from diseased pigs in the USA between 2006 and 2016

Transboundary and Emerging Diseases publish this investigation article

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an emerging threat to both human and animal health. Antimicrobial use and resistance in food animal production including swine has received increased scrutiny as a source of resistant foodborne pathogens. Continuous surveillance of AMR in bacterial isolates of swine origin can guide in conservation of antimicrobials used in both human and swine medicine. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and trends of the phenotypic AMR in Escherichia coli of swine origin isolated from clinical samples at the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic laboratory … Leer más

Disease-mediated piglet mortality prevents wild boar population growth in fenced overabundant settings

Investigation published in European Journal of Wildlife Research

Assessing Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) mortality is a key for understanding population dynamics and adjusting hunting harvest and population management. We used radio-tagging and video-trapping to quantify piglet summer mortality in a managed (i.e. fenced and year-round fed) wild boar population from southern Spain. We used two independent tools to assess wild boar mortality, i.e. radio-tracking and video footage. A total of 32 wild boar piglets were captured at selective feeders acting as cage-traps, and all the piglets were equipped with ear-tag transmitters including a mortality sensor. … Leer más