Last SCI scientific publications
Sponge-based environmental DNA detection as a useful tool in monitoring Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex markers in European bison (Bison bonasus)
Scientific Reports 15(1):18503.
The European bison (Bison bonasus), also called wisent, is the largest terrestrial mammal in Europe, classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a "Near Threatened" species. Tuberculosis (TB) represents a well-known threat to wisent, especially nowadays when infectious diseases are emerging to this species, due to locally high population density and frequent translocation (and consequently increased exposure to infectious diseases). There is an urgent need to control the TB-epidemiological situation in the European bison environment. This study aimed to assess the usefulness of the sponge-based environmental-DNA (eDNA) for monitoring TB in free-ranging and captive European bison herds based on the knowledge of… Leer más
Didkowska A., Perez-Sancho M., Herranz-Benito C., Klich D., Anusz K., Witkowski L., Dominguez L. and Gortazar C.
Mobile integrons encode phage defense systems
Science 388:6747.
Integrons are bacterial genetic elements that capture, stockpile, and modulate the expression of genes encoded in integron cassettes. Mobile integrons (MIs) are borne on plasmids, acting as a vehicle for hundreds of antimicrobial resistance genes among key pathogens. These elements also carry gene cassettes of unknown function (gcus) whose role and adaptive value remain unexplored. In this work, we show that gcus encode phage resistance systems, many of which are newly discovered. Bacteriophage resistance integron cassettes (BRiCs) can be combined and mixed with resistance cassettes to produce multiphage or drug and phage resistance. The fitness costs of BRiCs are variable and dependent on the genetic context and can be modulated by changin… Leer más
Kieffer N., Hipolito A., Ortiz-Miravalles L., Blanco P., Delobelle T., Vizuete P., Ojeda F., Jove T., Jurenas D., García-Quintanilla M., Carvalho A., Domingo-Calap P. and Escudero JA..
Evaluation of techniques for post-mortem diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex infection in goats
Veterinary Microbiology 304:110485.
Goats are highly susceptible to Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) infection and can play an important role in the epidemiology of animal tuberculosis (TB) in certain epidemiological scenarios. Historically, culture has been considered the only gold standard technique for post-mortem confirmation of MTBC infection. However, it is constrained by its low sensitivity, the slow growth of MTBC, and stringent biosecurity requirements. Thus, alternative post-mortem techniques are essential for effective TB control and eradication. This study aimed to compare the use of different diagnosis techniques for post-mortem confirmation of MTBC infection in goats positive for official tuberculin skin tests (TST). The techniques evaluated were direct… Leer más
Jimenez-Martin D., Munoz-Fernandez L., Agullo-Ros I., Jimenez-Pizarro N., Cano-Terriza D., Garcia-Bocanegra I., Romero B., Caballero-Gomez J., Gonzalvez M., Rejon S., Martinez R. and Risalde MA.
Reproductive loss attributed to Lactococcus petauri infection in a black-and-white ruffed lemur
Journal Of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 37(3):471-474.
Lactococci have been associated with fetal and neonatal infections in humans and cattle. Here we describe a case of reproductive loss attributed to Lactococcus petauri in a lemur. A full-term black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata) was found dead in the indoor area of a zoologic exhibit. Classification as a late-term abortion or stillbirth was unclear as the precise gestational time was unknown. A medical checkup of the dam revealed fever and neutrophilic leukocytosis; recovery followed treatment with enrofloxacin. The main histologic findings were placental edema and hemorrhage, hepatic necrosis, desquamated amniotic epithelial cells in alveoli, and subendocardial and myocardial hemorrhages. Tissue Gram stain revealed abundant gra… Leer más
Rebollada A., Vela AI., Canales R., Romani-Cremaschi U., Ugarte-Ruiz M., Buendia A., Perez-Sancho M., Dominguez L., Fernandez-Garayzabal JF. and Rodriguez-Bertos A..
Trends and Challenges in the Detection and Environmental Surveillance of the Hepatitis E Virus
Microorganisms 13:998.
The Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is responsible for causing Hepatitis E, a zoonotic disease that has emerged as a significant global health concern, accounting for about 20 million infections and 70,000 deaths annually. Although it is often recognized as a disease that is acute in low-income countries, HEV has also been recognized as a zoonotic disease in high-income countries. The zoonotic transmission requires flexible approaches to effectively monitor the virus, vectors, and reservoirs. However, the environmental monitoring of HEV presents additional challenges due to limitations in current detection methods, making it difficult to accurately assess the global prevalence of the virus. These challenges hinder efforts to fully understand the sc… Leer más
Alves-Elois M., Paula-Pavi C., Ferreira Souza-Hoffmann Jempierre Y., Von Tönnemann-Pilati G., Zanchetta L., Borges-da Silva Grisard H., Garcia N., Rodriguez-Lazaro D. and Fongaro G.
Effect of oxygen on antimicrobial resistance genes from a one health perspective
Science Of The Total Environment 979:179523.
Bacteria must face and adapt to a variety of physicochemical conditions in the environment and during infection. A key condition is the concentration of dissolved oxygen, proportional to the partial pressure of oxygen (PO2), which is extremely variable among environmental biogeographical areas and also compartments of the human and animal body. Here, we sought to understand if the phenotype of resistance determinants commonly found in Enterobacterales can be influenced by oxygen pressure. To do so, we have compared the MIC in aerobic and anaerobic conditions of isogenic Escherichia coli strains containing 136 different resistance genes against 8 antibiotic families. Our results show a complex landscape of changes in the performance of resis… Leer más
Ortiz-Miravalles L., Prieto A., Kieffer N., Vergara E., Canton R., San Millan A., Baquero F., Hipolito A. and Escudero JA..
Revisiting Mycobacterium bovis SB0121 genetic diversity reflects the complexity behind bovine tuberculosis persistence in Spain
Preventive Veterinary Medicine 239:106519.
Identifying the causes of tuberculosis (TB) chronicity in cattle herds in Spain is a complex endeavour, mainly due to the multiple factors involved in persistence and the clonal population structure of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. This study assessed the genomic diversity among M. bovis isolates belonging to SB0121, the most prevalent genotype in Spain, in chronically-infected herds. A total of 70 M. bovis isolates from 22 herds, located in six Spanish provinces, in which M. bovis SB0121 was isolated in at least three different sampling events were sequenced. Forty-three isolates from wildlife and cattle herds from the same or neighbouring municipalities to the problem herds were also included to identify putative local transmiss… Leer más
Lorente-Leal V., Pozo P., Bezos J., Collado S., Vicente J., Stuber T., Alvarez J., de Juan L. and Romero B..
Molecular epidemiology of Salmonella Enteritidis in humans and animals in Spain
Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy 69(4):e0073824.
Salmonella Enteritidis, the most prevalent serovar causing human gastroenteritis, has been traditionally linked to poultry sources. Although antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is not common in this serovar, increasing levels of resistance to fluoroquinolones and ampicillin have been reported in 42 the last years. Here, 298 isolates retrieved from different sources (human, livestock, wildlife, food and
environment) and years (2002-2021) in Spain were analysed to evaluate their diversity, the distribution of AMR-conferring genes (ARGs) and mutations, and reconstruct the epidemiology of infection due to this serovar. Isolates were clustered in two major clades (I, II), with strains in clade I (including 61.5% of all human isolates) display… Leer más
Samper-Cativiela C., Torre-Fuentes L., Bernabé Diéguez B., Maex M., Ugarte-Ruiz M., Carrizo-Coronado P., Hernandez M., Hofle U., Saez-Llorente JL., De Frutos C., Aguero M., Moreno MA., Dominguez L., Herrera-Leon S. and Alvarez J..
Risk Factors and Long-Term Outcomes in Horses After the 2021 Outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus 1 Myeloencephalopathy, Valencia, Spain
Journal Of Veterinary Internal Medicine 39(2):e70040.
Background: Equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) is a persistent threat to horses, with unclear risk factors and disease severity.
Objectives: To evaluate risk factors, effective reproduction rate (Rt), and long-term athletic outcomes of an EHM outbreak.
Methods: Retrospective study of the 2021 EHM outbreak in Valencia, Spain, examining associations between risk factors (sex, age, breed, country of origin, and vaccination status) and case fatality rate, EHM development, and odds of returning to competition using odds ratios [95% CI] and Rt via the Robert Kochs Institute method.
Results: Among 191 horses, 38 (20%) were clinically normal, 13 (7%) were subclinical, and 140 (73%) presented clinical signs (89 EHM, 64… Leer más
de la Cuesta-Torrado M., Velloso-Alvarez A., Santiago-Llorente I., Armengou L., Nieto F., Rios J., Cruz F. and Jose-Cunilleras E.
Exudative epidermitis by Staphylococcus hyicus producing ExhC: Control proposals against an emergent pathogen in intensive pig production
The Veterinary Journal 311:106338.
Exudative epidermitis (EE) is an occasional infectious disease affecting suckling and weaned piglets, with severe presentation in outbreaks. We described the diagnosis and control measurements conducted after an outbreak of EE caused by Staphylococcus hyicus producing an exfoliative toxin type C (ExhC) in a commercial 4000-head sow farm. Clinical disease was observed in suckling piglets, with a 70 % of morbidity, and a significant increase of mortality rate of 5 % during this period (p < 0.0001) was detected. The bacteria could be recovered from skin and internal organs of affected animals, and the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis showed that all the isolates were genetically indistinguishable, suggesting a common origin. Ce… Leer más
Romero-Salmoral A., Alvarez-Delgado C., Munoz-Jimenez RA., Barraza P., Vela AI., Fernandez-Garayzabal JF., Gomez-Laguna J., Luque I. and Tarradas C.
