Contact
Neglected and Emerging Diseases Unit
VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre
Universidad Complutense
Av. Puerta de Hierro s/n. 28040 Madrid. Spain
e-mail:
Head office phone: (+34) 913 944 096
Laboratory phone: (+34) 913 944 083
Fax: (+34) 913 943 795
NED Unit performs epidemiological surveillance and monitoring of emerging pathogens and / or ignored in different host species (and potential vectors in their case). Some of these infectious agents have a low apparent prevalence, which makes not taken into account as priorities in most animal health programs despite the serious consequences that may involve their presence. The reality is that the real situation of many of these diseases is unknown, due to changes in climate and the increase in migratory movements have created favorable conditions for propagation in environments initially free of them. Epidemiological surveillance is a useful and effective tool in preventing and controlling outbreaks. The service works with local government and autonomous communities in the monitoring of various diseases.
Research
Research lines:
- Integrated monitoring and control of Toxoplasma gondii and Hepatitis E virus in food supply chains (NED)
- Diagnosis of leishmaniasis in the animal reservoir (NED)
- Diagnosis of Q fever in livestock and wildlife using direct and indirect tests. (NED)
- Diagnosis of swine brucellosis (NED)
- New strategies for diagnosis and control of bovine, ovine and caprine brucellosis (NED)
- Epidemiological surveillance of zoonotic tick-borne pathogens (NED)
- Design of methods for detection of biological threat agents (NED)
Last scientific publications:
- Santamaria-Palacios J., Garcia N. and Rodriguez-Lazaro D.. An Efficient, Organic Solvent-Free Method for Extraction and Concentration of Hepatitis E Virus from Pig Liver. Food Analytical Methods, 1-9. 2025. (A)
- Polo C., Garcia-Seco T., Garcia N., Fernandez-Benito V., Briones V., Diez-Guerrier A., Alvarez J., Dominguez L. and Perez-Sancho M.. Time, temperature and media: the three keys to improve the recovery of Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis from preputial bull samples. Veterinary Research Communications, 48(4):2109-2119. 2024. (A)
- Rebollada A., Martinez I., Duque C., Garcia-Seco T., Escacena C., Dominguez L., Rodriguez-Bertos A. and Garcia N.. Detection of Brucella in Dermacentor ticks of wild boar with brucellosis. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 2024:5517000, 12 pag. 2024. (A)
- Barroso-Arevalo S., Barneto A., Ramos AM., Rivera B., Sanchez R., Sánchez-Morales L., Perez-Sancho M., Buendia A., Ferreras E., Ortiz-Menendez JC., Moreno I., Serres C., Vela C., Risalde MA., Dominguez L. and Sanchez-Vizcaino JM.. Large-scale study on virological and serological prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in cats and dogs in Spain. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 69(4):e759-e774. 2022. (A)
- Hegazy Y., Abdel-Hamid N., Eldahiey M., Oreiby A., Algaabary M., Hamdy M., Beleta E., Martinez I., Shahein M., Garcia N. and Eltholth M.. Trans-species transmission of Brucellae among ruminants hampering brucellosis control efforts in Egypt. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 132(1):90-100. 2022. (A)
Last PhD thesis:
- Alejandro Navarro Gómez. Hepatitis E in the pig production chain: from farm to fork. 2022.
- Mª Victoria Ortega García. Detection of Leishmania spp. in atypical reservoirs and molecular characterisation. 2021.
- Mª Luisa de la Cruz Conty. Application of quantitative analytic methods for the epidemiological study of zoonotic diseases. 2018. (Doctorado Europeo)
- María Teresa García-Seco Romero. Epidemiology of Q fever in domestic ruminants in the central zone of the Iberian peninsula. 2017.
- Marta Pérez Sancho. Aplicación de nuevas estrategias en el diagnóstico y profilaxis de la brucelosis producida por Brucella melitensis en rumiantes domésticos. 2014. (Doctorado Europeo)
Outreach
Last outreach publications:
- Garcia N., Alunda JM., Azami-Conesa I., Carrion J., Domenech A., Dominguez-Bernal G., Gomez-Muñoz MT., Gonzalez S., de Juan L., Miro G., Muller A., Olías-Molero AI. and Ortega-García MV.. Leishmaniosis. Revelando una enfermedad olvidada. Red de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (RISA), Agencia estatal de Investigación. 2020.
- Martinez I.. Taeniasis and cysticercosis: neglected diseases. Blog Madri+d de Seguridad Alimentaria y Alimentación, Fundación para el Conocimiento madri+d. 2020.
- Garcia N., Navarro A. and Goyache J.. HEPATITITS E: un riesgo emergente a estudio. Revista Alimentaria, 499, Ediciones y Publicaciones Alimentarias. 2019.
- Garcia N., Gonzalez S., Navarro A., Duque C., Polo C., Fernandez-Manzano A., Martinez I. and Goyache J.. El virus de la Hepatitis E: un patógeno zoonósico emergente en Europa. Badajoz Veterinaria, 13:6-15, Colegio Oficial de Veterinarios de Badajoz. 2018.
- Garcia N., Navarro A. and Goyache J.. Hepatitis E: un riesgo emergente a estudio. Revista Alimentaria, 499(2018):32-34, Ediciones y Publicaciones Alimentarias. 2018.
Last communications:
- Lopez-Sanchez C.. Detection of Coxiella burnetti in wild lagomorphs in the Community of Madrid. XVII Congreso de Investigación de Estudiantes de Grado en Ciencias de la Salud. XXI Congreso de Ciencias Veterinarias y Biomédicas. II Congreso de Ciencias Experimentales en el Campo de la Salud. 2025. (Oral communication)
- Garcia N.. Principales zoonosis transmitidas por garrapatas en España y Fiebre Q. Jornada de Prevención de Riesgos Biológicos-Bioseguridad. 2025. (Oral communication)
- Galvez-Esteban R., Bermejo-Alvarez P., Garcia N. y Moraleda-Berral P.. Construcción de trampas Flebocollect para la captura de flebotomos. FLEBOCOLLECT: Control de la leishmaniosis y los flebotomos bajo una mirada One Health y STEM. Talleres precongreso ENZOEM I. 2025. (Oral communication)
- Garcia N., Martinez I., Iriso A., Moreno I., Dominguez M., Gonzalez S. y Fuster-Loran F.. Vigilancia de zoonosis en rumiantes salvajes y jabalís de la Comunidad de Madrid (2017-2023). I International Congress ENZOEM. 2025. (Poster communication)
- Garcia N.. Presentación y evaluación del juego de cartas No todo loCura enfocado a la concienciación y el uso adecuado de antibióticos. Asignatura: El papel de las didácticas de las ciencias experimentales en la sociedad. Máster Universitario en Innovación en Didácticas Específicas. MUIDE. 2024. (Oral communication)
