Silvia Úbeda Jiménez defendió este Trabajo Fin de Grado

21 de julio de 2022

Infectious pathogens which are present in wildlife have become increasingly important in our society as they have a substantial impact on Public Health due to their ability to be transmitted to humans, known as zoonotic diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out an appropriate surveillance and control programs for these diseases. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of different zoonotic pathogens of relevance in wild ruminants and wild boars in the Community of Madrid during the year 2021, within the framework of the wildlife surveillance system of this region. For this purpose, the diagnosis of diseases such as leishmaniosis, Q Fever, toxoplasmosis, Hepatitis E and Lyme disease in different samples of wild animals was carried out using immunological and molecular techniques (ELISA and PCR). In wild ruminants, prevalence of 8.47% for Q Fever and toxoplasmosis was found, whereas this prevalence was 7.81% for Q Fever, 3.92% for Hepatitis E and 35.2% for toxoplasmosis in wild boars. Through a retrospective longitudinal study (since 2017) it was possible to conclude the constant negativity for Leishmania infantum, confirming that the evaluated species in this region are not reservoirs of this pathogen. Positive samples for Borrelia burdogferi have not been detected either, probably because the main vector of this disease (Ixodes ricinus) barely circulate in the Community of Madrid. However, tests for Coxiella burnetii and Toxoplasma gondii have shown the highest positivity values to date. Surprisingly, the incidence of Hepatitis E virus in the Community of Madrid is below the expected values in wild boars in relation to data published in Spain, whereas in wild ruminants it remains negative. The prevalence of Q Fever found is striking because it is above the data obtained in other articles in the country, although there are very few previous studies on the subject, so it would be advisable to carry out more exhaustive analyses to monitor the evolution and transmission of this disease in both animals and humans. The reality is that the real situation of many of these diseases is unknown, so epidemiological surveillance is a useful and effective tool in the prevention and control of possible outbreaks, increasing the likelihood of responding efficiently to future new or re-emerging zoonoses