Research

Integron Cassette Capture Chassis

PhD Thesis defense by Filipa Moutinho Trigo da Roza at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Complutense University of Madrid

Integrons are genetic platforms that capture, stockpile, and rearrange integron cassettes (IC), which encode genes with diverse functions, including antimicrobial resistance, phage resistance, or metabolic functions. However—and despite their dissemination to the clinical setting trough plasmids—detecting ICs is still challenging, and many functions they encoded are still unknown. To address these challenges, in this thesis we have developed a biotechnological tool to identify ICs independently of their sequence, phenotype, or genetic background. We have redesigned a class 1 integron to… Leer más

Macroscopic and microscopic lesions in passerine birds caused by plasmodium spp., leucocytozoon spp. and haemoproteus spp

Degree Final Project defended by Gonzalo Anibarro García-Baquero

The order Passeriformes, known as `passerines`, is a large and diverse order of birds that groups some 6,500 species, which are of great importance at an ecological and public health level. It currently faces numerous threats, both natural and human, that endanger the survival of its populations. Among these threats, parasites of the order Haemosporida occupy a relevant place. This work focuses on knowing the incidence of Haemosporida parasites in the population of passerine birds and describing the macroscopic and histological lesions they cause in order to understand and deepen in their path… Leer más

Evaluación comparativa entre la respuesta inmunitaria adquirida in vivo/in vitro frente a la Peste Porcina Africana (PPA)

Degree Final Project defended by Pilar López-Sela García-Mauriño

Diagnosis of leishmaniasis in wild murine fauna in Spain

Degree Final Project defended by Paloma Alonso Collado

Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, which is primarily transmitted by dipteran vectors (phlebotomine sandflies). It is a disease that affects a large part of the countries worldwide, including Spain, where it is considered endemic. The outbreaks that have occurred in the Community of Madrid since 2009 due to infected leporids have brought wild reservoirs into focus. The diagnosis of the disease canpor be made by direct observation of amastigotes in areas of active multiplication, immunological diagnosis or molecular diagnosis. The aim… Leer más

Study of the Toscana virus in lagomorphs

Sara Martín-Gromaz Esteban defended this Degree Final Project

The Toscana Virus (TOSV) is an arbovirus of the genus Phlebovirus, which is transmitted by the bite of phlebotomine sandflies of the genus Phlebotomus and is currently considered an emerging zoonotic pathogen. This virus is known to cause meningitis in humans in endemic areas of the Mediterranean, especially during the summer months when there is increased phlebotomine sandfly activity. Recent studies suggest that some mammals, including lagomorphs, could act as reservoirs or potential amplifying hosts of the virus in certain regions. In addition, co-infection with Leishmania, which is transm… Leer más

Detection of Leishmania in rabbit ticks (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Degree Final Project defended by Mª Leticia del Barrio Montañés

The study focused on the detection of Leishmania infantum in ticks collected from wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in the Community of Madrid. Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease transmitted by sandflies, and its control is critical due to its global spread and the lack of a vaccine for humans. The primary reservoir is the dog, but the outbreak in Madrid (2009-2012) evidenced hares and rabbits as competent reservoirs, suggesting the need to explore this disease further, for example, by examining other potential common vectors in these wild rabbits, such as ticks. The main objective was to… Leer más

Evaluation of low- to moderately virulent African swine fever virus strains: expert perspectives and implications for surveillance plans

Presentation by Abdiel Chaparro Ríos to obtain the Master of Research. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid

African Swine Fever (ASF) represents a serious threat to the swine industry, both in Europe and globally. The increasing population of wild boars (Sus scrofa) has heightened the need for a deeper understanding of the ASF virus to curb its spread. Through a survey of experts and a comprehensive review of the scientific literature, this study delves into the understanding of the disease, with a particular focus on the impact of moderately to low virulent strains of the genotype II. The results of the surveys and the reviewed scientific articles reveal that the circulation of these strains signif… Leer más

Evaluation of alternative antigens to PPDs for the diagnosis of caprine tuberculosis

Alberto Corroto Martín defended this Degree Final Project

Improving the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) performance of official tuberculosis (TB) tests in goats is crucial as their limited performance leads to the existence of false positives and false negatives, with the associated economic, health and confidence implications. Therefore, great efforts have been devoted to the search and evaluation of new antigens that can replace classical PPDs, such as bovine PPD (PPDb) and avian PPD (PPDa), in order to improve the performance of official TB ante-mortem diagnostic tests. This study focuses on evaluating two new antigens, DST-F and P22, as re… Leer más

Detection of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in ticks obtained from wild animals

Degree Final Project defended by Inés Higueras Fernández

The Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is an infectious and zoonotic disease of viral etiology, transmitted by ticks of the genus Hyalomma. The increase in positive cases of in Spain since its first detection in 2010, along with the rising number of positive ticks detected, suggests the need for more thorough control over the actual circulation of this virus in the country. To date, various studies have been conducted focusing on detecting the circulation of CCHFV in regions of the national territory with a history of positive cases, omitting those areas where such precedents did not exist… Leer más

Estudio histopatológico e inmunohistoquímico en cerdos infectados por la cepa Pol/DP/OUT21 de peste porcina africana

Javier de Pablo Moreno defended this Degree Final Project

El virus de la peste porcina africana (PPA) induce una enfermedad letal tanto en cerdos domésticos como salvajes, provocando graves pérdidas económicas en la producción porcina. Las cepas que afectan actualmente a Europa pertenecen al genotipo II. Por tanto, es necesario realizar estudios patogénicos con diferentes cepas de PPA, debido a la variabilidad entre ellas. Se realizó un estudio anatomopatológico completo en 12 cerdos infectados por la cepa del virus de la PPA Pol16/DP/OUT21 con puntuaciones tanto macroscópicas como histológicas. El cuadro agudo-subagudo que indujo es compati… Leer más