Research

Effects on Intestinal Mucosal Morphology, Productive Parameters and Microbiota Composition after Supplementation with Fermented Defatted Alperujo (FDA) in Laying Hens

Antibiotics publish this investigation article

The olive oil sector is currently adapting its traditional function to also become a supplier of high-value by-products that possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the fermented defatted alperujo (FDA) on the intestinal health of laying hens. The morphology of the duodenal and cecal mucosa, the composition of the intestinal microbiota and the productivity of a batch of laying hens were evaluated after FDA supplementation. At early life stages, significant differences (p < 0.001) were observed in duodenal villi height and … Leer más

Coffee Silverskin Extract: Nutritional Value, Safety and Effect on Key Biological Functions

Nutrients publish this investigation article

This study aimed to complete the scientific basis for the validation of a coffee silverskin extract (CSE) as a novel food ingredient according to European legislation. Nutritional value, safety, effects on biochemical biomarkers and excretion of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in vivo of CSE were assessed. Proteins, amino acids, fat, fatty acids, fiber, simple sugars and micronutrients were analyzed. For the first time, toxicological and physiological effects were evaluated in vivo by a repeated-dose study in healthy Wistar rats. Hormone secretion, antioxidant (enzymatic and no-enzymatic) and … Leer más

New strategies for the control and eradication of African swine fever

PhD Thesis defense by Cristina Jurado Díaz at the VISAVET Centre of the Complutense University of Madrid

African swine fever, ASF, is one of the notifiable infectious diseases of swine that causes greater sanitary and economic impact. Currently, its relevance is increasing due to disease presence in Africa, Asia and Europe. This doctoral thesis is entitled new strategies to control and eradicate African swine fever, and aims at developing new tools and epidemiological knowledge to prevent, control and eradicate ASF globally. Thus, the most relevant characteristics of the disease and its related risks were explored within the framework of three different scenarios, endemic scenario focused on Sard… Leer más

- Dedica su tesis a las nuevas estrategias para erradicar la peste porcina africana - animalshealth.es

- Nuevas estrategias para el control y erradicación de la peste porcina africana - diarioveterinario.com

Role of Wild Boar in the Spread of Classical Swine Fever in Japan

Investigation article published in Pathogens

Since September 2018, nearly 900 notifications of classical swine fever (CSF) have been reported in Gifu Prefecture (Japan) affecting domestic pig and wild boar by the end of August 2019. To determine the epidemiological characteristics of its spread, a spatio-temporal analysis was performed using actual field data on the current epidemic. The spatial study, based on standard deviational ellipses of official CSF notifications, showed that the disease likely spread to the northeast part of the prefecture. A maximum significant spatial association estimated between CSF notifications was 23 km by… Leer más

Successful Host Adaptation of IncK2 Plasmids

Investigation published in Frontiers in Microbiology

The IncK plasmid group can be divided into two separate lineages named IncK1 and IncK2. IncK2 is found predominantly in poultry while IncK1 was reported in various mammals, including animals and humans. The physiological basis of this distinction is not known. In this manuscript we examined fitness cost of IncK1 and IncK2 plasmids at 37 and 42°C, which resembles mammalian and chicken body temperatures, respectively. We analyzed conjugation frequency, plasmid copy number and plasmid fitness cost in direct competition. Additionally, we measured levels of σ-32 in Escherichia coli carrying ei… Leer más

Evaluation of the immunogenicity and efficacy of BCG and MTBVAC vaccines using a natural transmission model of tuberculosis

Veterinary Research publish this investigation article

Effective vaccines against tuberculosis (TB) are needed in order to prevent TB transmission in human and animal populations. Evaluation of TB vaccines may be facilitated by using reliable animal models that mimic host pathophysiology and natural transmission of the disease as closely as possible. In this study, we evaluated the immunogenicity and efficacy of two attenuated vaccines, BCG and MTBVAC, after each was given to 17 goats (2 months old) and then exposed for 9 months to goats infected with M. caprae. In general, MTBVAC-vaccinated goats showed higher interferon-gamma release than BCG va… Leer más

Risk of African swine fever virus introduction into the United States through smuggling of pork in air passenger luggage

Investigation published in Scientific reports

African swine fever causes substantial economic losses in the swine industry in affected countries. Traditionally confined to Africa with only occasional incursions into other regions, ASF began spreading into Caucasian countries and Eastern Europe in 2007, followed by Western Europe and Asia in 2018. Such a dramatic change in the global epidemiology of ASF has resulted in concerns that the disease may continue to spread into disease-free regions such as the US. In this study, we estimated the risk of introduction of ASF virus into the US through smuggling of pork in air passenger luggage. Res… Leer más

Tuberculosis vaccination sequence effect on protection in wild boar

Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases publish this investigation article

The Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a reservoir for tuberculosis (TB) in which vaccination is a valuable tool for control. We evaluated the protection and immune response achieved by homologous and heterologous regimes administering BCG and heat-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis (IV). Twenty-one wild boar piglets were randomly allocated in five groups: Control, homologous BCG, homologous IV, heterologous IV-BCG, heterologous BCG-IV. Significant 67% and 66% total lesion score reductions were detected in homologous IV (IVx2) and heterologous IV-BCG groups when compared with Control group (F4,16… Leer más

Risk of acquisition of human diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli virulence genes in intercontinental travellers: a prospective, multi-centre study Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease

Investigation article published in Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease

Background: We studied the geographic distribution of diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli virulence genes (DEC VGs) acquisition in travellers and investigated if they acquired highly virulent EAEC/STEC hybrid strains. Methods: From the prospective, multicentre COMBAT study among 2,001 Dutch travellers, a subset of 491 travellers was were selected based on travel destination to 7 subregions. Faecal samples taken directly before and after travel were screened for nine DEC VGs with real-time PCR. Incidence proportions and rates were calculated for each gene and subregion. Results: 479 travellers… Leer más

Mapping changes in the spatiotemporal distribution of lumpy skin disease virus

Investigation article published in Transboundary and Emerging Diseases

Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) is an infectious disease of cattle transmitted by arthropod vectors which results in substantial economic losses due to impact on production efficiency and profitability, and represents an emerging threat to international trade of livestock products and live animals. Since 2015, the disease has spread into the Northern Hemisphere including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and the Balkans. The rapid expansion of LSDV in those regions represented the emergence of the virus in more temperate regions than those in which LSDV traditionally occurred. The… Leer más