Research

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

Veterinary Pathology 63(2):223-232.

     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 specificity and is cross-reactive with other bacteria. We developed an RNAscope probe-based in situ hybridization (ISH) assay, targeting a conserved sequence … Leer más

Rebollada A., McDonough SP., Uzal FA., Rodriguez-Bertos A., Getchell RG., Nakagun S. and Demeter EA.

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

Veterinary Medicine And Science 12(2):e70800.

     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. Immunohistochemical analysis (Iba-1, CD3, PAX-5, IRF-4, pancytokeratin AE1/AE3 and Ki-67) confirmed both neoplasms and revealed mild IRF-4 immunoreactivity for … Leer más

Aradilla-Macias N., Canales R., Lorenzo-Bermejo T., Mainez M., Aguiló-Gisbert J., Marbella D., De Pablo-Moreno J. and Rodriguez-Bertos A..

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

Frontiers In Microbiology 17:1765857.

     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 study was conducted in a cTB infected herd and goats were classified as reactors (positive to SITT or IFN-? release assay and considered as… Leer más

Velasco-Reinaldos C., Roy A., Cruz F., Gómez-Buendía A., Ortega J., Mendez-Lopez S., de Juan L., Dominguez L., Romero B., Alvarez J. and Bezos J..

Editorial: One Health approach to mycobacterial infections in veterinary science

Frontiers In Veterinary Science 13:1778469.

Marfil MJ., Traversa MJ., Barandiaran S., Ferrara-Muniz X., Zumarraga MJ. and Eirin ME.

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

The Veterinary Journal 315:106554.

     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 risks. To increase attenuation and facilitate large-scale production, the isolate was adapted to the MA104 continuous cell line. In this study, we assesse… Leer más

Kosowska A., Sanchez-Segovia M., Fernandez-Pinero J., Porras N., Barroso-Arevalo S., Sánchez-Morales L., Diaz-de Frutos M. and Barasona JA..

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

Frontiers In Veterinary Science 13:1780843.

     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 for integrative and interdisciplinary research to characterize eco-epidemiological drivers in these complex epidemiological systems to inform d… Leer más

Jiménez-Ruiz S., Jori F., Santos N., Barasona JA. and Fine AE.

Molecular Detection of Theileria equi, Babesia caballi, and Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato in Hippobosca equina from Horses in Spain

Pathogens 15(1):94.

     The forest fly (Hippobosca equina) is an obligate haematophagous dipteran insect (order Diptera) that primarily infests horses and may contribute to the circulation of vector-borne pathogens. This study aimed to investigate the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Babesia caballi, and Theileria equi, important vector-borne pathogens of equids, in forest flies collected from horses in endemic areas of Spain. A total of 170 forest flies were collected from 39 equids across four geographical regions in Spain (Segovia, Madrid, Toledo, and Menorca) and blood samples were collected from 27 of these horses. All flies were morphologically and molecularly identified as H. equina, and DNA extracted from flies and equine b… Leer más

Dorrego-Rodriguez A., Olvera-Maneu S., Jose-Cunilleras E., Gago-Munoz P., Raez-Casarrubios A., Rivera B., Oporto-Paita A., Gonzalez S. and Cruz F..

Towards Integrated Surveillance of Marine Brucellosis: Diagnostic and Phylogenetic Assessment of Brucella ceti in Stranded Dolphins of the Western Mediterranean Sea

Transboundary And Emerging Diseases 31:2026:2075116.

     Reports of brucellosis in free-ranging cetaceans are increasing worldwide, particularly in the Mediterranean Sea. To enhance diagnostic accuracy and epidemiological understanding of cetacean brucellosis in the Western Mediterranean Sea, we analyzed bacteriological, serological, and molecular data from 30 cetaceans belonging to three different species stranded along the coast of the Valencian Community (Spain) between 2011 and 2021. Brucella ceti infection was confirmed by bacteriological isolation in 14 animals (46.7%) and by genus-specific qPCR in 15 cases (50%), with some discrepancies between methods. When feasible, serological analyses were performed using a commercial blocking ELISA (bELISA) and/or the Rose Bengal agglutination test (R… Leer más

Vargas-Castro I., Andres-Barranco S., Crespo-Picazo JL., Torre-Fuentes L., Jimenez-Martinez MA., Hernandez M., Arbelo M., Alvarez J., Munoz PM., Marco-Cabedo V., de Miguel MJ., López-Gutiérrez D., Munoz-Baquero M., Garcia-Parraga D. and Barasona JA..

Pathological and microbiological assessment of hemorrhagic septicemia in cultured juvenile Russian sturgeons (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii)

Aquaculture Reports 46:10334600.

     Aquaculture has experienced sustained growth, now surpassing capture fisheries in global production. Among cultured species, sturgeon aquaculture has likewise expanded recently, prompting increased research and surveillance of diseases affecting this taxon. In this context, fifteen farmed Russian sturgeons (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) were submitted for pathological investigation. A comprehensive study was conducted, encompassing autopsy, histopathology, parasitology, microbiology, and antimicrobial resistance analysis. Macroscopic examination revealed ulcerative lesions on the scutes, multiorgan hemorrhages, and multifocal black lesions in the liver. Histological analysis revealed a systemic granulocytic inflammatory response with associate… Leer más

De Pablo-Moreno J., Chinchilla-Rodríguez B., Blazquez JA., Aradilla-Macias N., Santos-Lopez S., Garcia-Saorin AJ. and Rodriguez-Bertos A..

Evaluation of trained immunity as a potential strategy for a universal Streptococcus suis vaccine using immunogenic proteins in a murine model

BMC Veterinary Research 22(1):66.

     Background: Universal vaccine against Streptococcus suis (S. suis) remains a challenge due to the high number of serotypes/strains, the absence of cross-protection among them and the existence of different immune escape strategies. In this study, the immunomodulatory potential of live and inactivated porcine derived Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (dpB) in combination with specific immunogenic proteins S. suis is evaluated in murine model.
Results: Results revealed different immune responses depending on dpB formulation. Live-dpB administered intravenously induced consistent results with trained immunity, including elevated proinflammatory cytokines and enhanced phagocytosis activity, reflecting stronger innate immune activation. However, … Leer más

Sánchez-Morales L., Zamora L., Perez-Sancho M., Garcia-Seco T., Moreno I., Perez-Domingo A., Diaz-de Frutos M., Ciordia S., Buendia A., Risalde MA., Dominguez M. and Dominguez L..