Using the FVB strain of mice for the evaluation of clinical and experimental ketamine (IP) associated with phenothiazines, benzodiazepines and α2-agonists

El objetivo de este trabajo ha consistido en evaluar el estado fisiológico de los animales mediante el control de las frecuencias respiratoria y cardiaca así como la tasa de saturación de oxígeno durante la anestesia con ketamina asociada a otros fármacos. Para ello hemos utilizado 40 ratones FVB consanguíneos (20 machos y 20 hembras) de 11 semanas de edad, a los que se les administró por vía intraperitoneal ketamina asociada a un depresor del sistema nervioso central: acepromazina, diazepam, medetomidina, midazolam o xilazina. Obtuvimos resultados que difirieron mucho entre sexos, concluyendo que en machos los mejores resultados obtenidos fueron con la asociación a los α2-agonistas, mientras que en las hembras, al menos a las dosis empleadas, no pudimos afirmar que ninguna de las asociaciones fuese óptima.The aim of this work has been to evaluate the physiological status of animals by controlling the respiratory rate and heart rate and oxygen saturation during anesthesia with ketamine in combination with other drugs. We have used 40 consanguine FVB mice (20 males and 20 females) from 11 weeks of age, who were administered intraperitoneally with a ketamine-associated central nervous system depressant:acepromazina, diazepam, medetomidine, midazolam or xylazine. We obtained results that differed greatly between the sexes, in males, concluding that the best results were obtained with the association of α2- agonists, while in females, at least at the doses employed, did not say that none of the associations were optima

Evaluation of the clinical evolution and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection in cats by simulating natural routes of infection

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the current pandemic disease denominated as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Several studies suggest that the original source of this virus was a spillover from an animal reservoir and its subsequent adaptation to humans. Of all the different animals affected, cats are one of the most susceptible species. Moreover, several cases of natural infection in domestic and stray cats have been reported in the last few months. Although experimental infection assays have demonstrated that cats are successfully infected and can transmit the virus to other cats by aerosol, the conditions used for these experiments have not been specified in terms of ventilation. We have, therefore, evaluated the susceptibility of cats using routes of infection similar to those expected under natural conditions (exposure to a sneeze, cough, or contaminated environment) by aerosol and oral infection. We have also evaluated the transmission capacity among infected and naïve cats using different air exchange levels. Despite being infected using natural routes and shed virus for a long period, the cats did not transmit the virus to contact cats when air renovation features were employed. The infected animals also developed gross and histological lesions in several organs. These outcomes confirm that cats are at risk of infection when exposed to infected people, but do not transmit the virus to other cats with high rates of air renovation

Spatiotemporal interactions between wild boar and cattle: implications for cross-species disease transmission

Authors’ contributions JAB, JV contributed to the conception, design, data collection, laboratory work, data analysis, drafting and writing of the manuscript. MCL, PA, ADML contributed to design, data análisis and drafting of the manuscript. JAA, CG, FC, RCS participated in the data collection and drafting of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.Controlling infectious diseases at the wildlife/livestock interface is often difficult because the ecological processes driving transmission between wildlife reservoirs and sympatric livestock populations are poorly understood. Thus, assessing how animals use their environment and how this affects interspecific interactions is an important factor in determining the local risk for disease transmission and maintenance. We used data from concurrently monitored GPS-collared domestic cattle and wild boar (Sus scrofa) to assess spatiotemporal interactions and associated implications for bovine tuberculosis (TB) transmission in a complex ecological and epidemiological system, Doñana National Park (DNP, South Spain). We found that fine-scale spatial overlap of cattle and wild boar was seasonally high in some habitats. In general, spatial interactions between the two species were highest in the marsh-shrub ecotone and at permanent water sources, whereas shrub-woodlands and seasonal grass-marshlands were areas with lower predicted relative interactions. Wild boar and cattle generally used different resources during winter and spring in DNP. Conversely, limited differences in resource selection during summer and autumn, when food and water availability were limiting, resulted in negligible spatial segregation and thus probably high encounter rates. The spatial gradient in potential overlap between the two species across DNP corresponded well with the spatial variation in the observed incidence of TB in cattle and prevalence of TB in wild boar. We suggest that the marsh-shrub ecotone and permanent water sources act as important points of TB transmission in our system, particularly during summer and autumn. Targeted management actions are suggested to reduce potential interactions between cattle and wild boar in order to prevent disease transmission and design effective control strategies.Junta de Comunidades Castilla-La Mancha (PEII10-0262-7673)Unión Europea (FP7 grant 613779 WildTBVac)Ministerio de Economía y CompetitividadUniversidad de Castilla La ManchaAPHAEA (219235-FP7-ERA-NET-EMIDA)Depto. de Sanidad AnimalFac. de VeterinariaTRUEpu