Agalaxia contagiosa, lentivírus e doenças iceberg em pequenos ruminantes

As doenças que abordamos neste manual, agalaxia contagiosa e os lentivírus dos pequenos ruminantes, tal como outras doenças crónicas de caracter insidioso, não são fáceis de erradicar e têm grande importância social e económica. São doenças complexas e a sua presença pode passar despercebida, comprometendo seriamente o bem-estar animal e a viabilidade dos sistemas de produção de ovinos e caprinos. Assim é imperativo evitar o subdiagnóstico e implementar precocemente medidas eficazes para as combater. Este manual visa, de forma clara e simples, fornecer aos técnicos e produtores ferramentas para compreenderem como se comportam estas infeções nos rebanhos, os principais fatores de risco e alguns dos aspetos fundamentais para o seu diagnóstico e controlo.Elaborado no âmbito do programa POCTEP – Programa de Cooperação Transfronteiriça Portugal-Espanha. Projeto 0687_OVISPID_2_E – Projeto de promoção e desenvolvimento de explorações pecuárias de ovinos e caprinos através da aplicação de programas sanitários e reprodutivos inovadores.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Serological screening in the detection of small ruminant Lentivirus infection in Portugal: its importance

Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV) are a group of viruses that infect and transmit among ovine and caprine species. These inflict progressive and longstanding infections, the majority as asymptomatic or developing late onset clinical signs. The diagnosis is made up with laboratorial methods and given its importance ELISA tests are essential. Nowadays, in Portugal, there is few information about SRLV infection. The main purpose of this research was quantifying the seroprevalence of SRLV in Portugal.0687_OVISPID_2_E POCTEP – PROGRAMA DE COOPERAÇÃO TRANSFRONTEIRIÇO PORTUGAL – ESPANHAinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sheep Lentivirus Infection in different production systems

Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV) are a group of viruses that infect and transmit among ovine species. SRLV infection inflict progressive and longstanding infections, the majority as asymptomatic or developing late onset clinical signs. SRLV infection is a serious problem on ovine production, not only for animals’ wellbeing as well to the herd efficiency. Among other exams, laboratorial methods, essentially, are used for the diagnosis. Raising small ruminants has a great social and economic impact, being produced in different manners going from intensive to extensive care. The main aim of this research was quantifying the seroprevalence and associated risk factors to small ruminant lentivirus infection in different production systems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mycoplasma bovis in Spanish Cattle Herds: Two Groups of Multiresistant Isolates Predominate, with One Remaining Susceptible to Fluoroquinolones

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).This document is the Accepted version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Pathogens. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9070545Mycoplasma bovis is an important bovine pathogen causing pneumonia, mastitis, and arthritis and is responsible for major economic losses worldwide. In the absence of an efficient vaccine, control of M. bovis infections mainly relies on antimicrobial treatments, but resistance is reported in an increasing number of countries. To address the situation in Spain, M. bovis was searched in 436 samples collected from beef and dairy cattle (2016–2019) and 28% were positive. Single-locus typing using polC sequences further revealed that two subtypes ST2 and ST3, circulate in Spain both in beef and dairy cattle, regardless of the regions or the clinical signs. Monitoring of ST2 and ST3 isolates minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to a panel of antimicrobials revealed one major difference when using fluoroquinolones (FQL): ST2 is more susceptible than ST3. Accordingly, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) further identified mutations in the gyrA and parC regions, encoding quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDR) only in ST3 isolates. This situation shows the capacity of ST3 to accumulate mutations in QRDR and might reflect the selective pressure imposed by the extensive use of these antimicrobials. MIC values and detection of mutations by WGS also showed that most Spanish isolates are resistant to macrolides, lincosamides, and tetracyclines. Valnemulin was the only one effective, at least in vitro, against both STs

La COVID-19 evidencia la necesidad de incrementar las competencias en economía de los estudiantes de veterinaria

The Covid-19 pandemic led to extreme control measures around the world aiming to halting the number of new infections. Non-essential activities closures and population confinement had an economic impact on the small ruminant sector, highlighting the need for veterinarians to have some skills to assess the economic impact of diseases on flocks. Firstly, this study analyzed the economic training received by the veterinary students at the Spanish faculties, also comparing it with the ones received by students of the agricultural engineering degree. Secondly, a survey in reference to the acquisition of this type of competences and its application for animal health was designed and applied for graduates and final-year veterinary students. The data showed that the ECTS taken to acquire the economic skills of veterinarians is less (3-6 ECTS in 5 years) than that of agricultural engineers (12 ECTS in 4 years). The results of the survey also showed that, although there are significant differences between graduates and students, both them are largely in agreement on the little training received to assess the impact of diseases, and on the need for an additional training after completing their studies. Therefore, these skills should be reinforced in the degree. Among the graduates, the opinion is similar, regardless of the years of professional experience.La pandemia Covid-19 ha motivado la adopción de medidas excepcionales en todo el mundo, a efectos de limitar los contagios y el colapso de los sistemas sanitarios. El cierre de comercios y otras actividades consideradas no esenciales, o las limitaciones al movimiento, ha generado un impacto económico en el sector de los pequeños rumiantes, poniendo de manifiesto la necesidad del profesional veterinario de disponer de las competencias necesarias para valorar económicamente el impacto de las enfermedades en los colectivos. Este trabajo analiza, en primer lugar, la formación en economía que reciben los estudiantes del Grado de Veterinaria en las diferentes facultades españolas, comparándola con la que reciben los estudiantes en el Grado de Ingeniería Agrícola. En segundo lugar, se ha diseñado una encuesta para egresados y estudiantes de último curso de veterinaria, en referencia a este tipo de competencias, su aplicación en la sanidad animal y su repercusión en el desempeño profesional. Los datos evidencian que el tiempo empleado para adquirir las competencias en economía de los veterinarios es menor (3-6 créditos en 5 años) que el que disponen los ingenieros agrícolas (12 créditos en 4 años). Los resultados de la encuesta revelan que, si bien se registran diferencias significativas cuantitativamente entre egresados y estudiantes, ambos grupos coinciden en la escasa formación recibida para valorar el impacto de las enfermedades en los colectivos, así como en la necesidad de formarse en aspectos de gestión económica una vez finalizados sus estudios de grado para el desempeño de su labor profesional, competencias que deberían ser reforzadas en el grado. Entre los egresados, la opinión es similar, independientemente de los años de desempeño profesional

23S rRNA and L22 ribosomal protein are involved in the acquisition of macrolide and lincosamide resistance in Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum

© 2018. Elsevier. This document is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This document is the Accepted version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Veterinary Microbiology. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2018.02.014Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum (Mcc) is one of the causative agents of contagious agalactia, and antimicrobial treatment is the most commonly applied measure to treat outbreaks of this disease. Macrolides and lincosamides bind specifically to nucleotides at domains II and V of the 23S rRNA gene. Furthermore, rplD and rplV genes encode ribosomal proteins L4 and L22, which are also implicated in the macrolide binding site. The aim of this work was to study the relationship between these genes and the acquisition of macrolide and lincosamide resistance in Mcc. For this purpose, in vitro selected resistant mutants and field isolates were studied. This study demonstrates the appearance of DNA point mutations at the 23S rRNA encoding genes (A2058G, A2059G and A2062C) and rplV gene (Ala89Asp) in association to high minimum inhibitory concentration values. Hence, it proves the importance of 23S rRNA domain V and ribosomal protein L22 as molecular mechanisms responsible for the acquisition of macrolide and lincosamide resistance in both field isolates and in vitro selected mutants. Furthermore, these mutations enable us to provide an interpretative breakpoint of antimicrobial resistance for Mcc at MIC 0.8 µg/ml

Comparison of commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for diagnosis of contagious agalactia caused by Mycoplasma agalactiae

© 2022 A. Sánchez et al. This document is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This document is the Accepted version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Journal of Veterinary Research. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2022-0010Introduction: Contagious agalactia (CA) is a disease affecting small ruminants with worldwide distribution and caused by several mycoplasmas, especially M. agalactiae. The main option for systematic diagnosis under monitoring control programmes is the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. Material and Methods: This study was designed to appraise the performance of two commercial indirect ELISA tests using M. agalactiae p48 protein and one using total protein, for antibody detection in small ruminants after natural infection with different M. agalactiae strains. We carried out the test evaluation using sera of confirmed M. agalactiae-positive goats with clinical signs. In addition, test agreement was assessed by kappa between the three commercial ELISA tests. Results: All three ELISA tests showed high validity scores (Youden’s J: 72.9–84%). The sensitivity values for the P48 protein-based tests were 76.9% and 84.6%, and was 79% for the total protein-based test. The specificity of all tests was 100%. In addition, between the total protein-based ELISA test and the other two ELISA tests based on the P48 protein, the agreement was substantial (kappa: 0.762–0.763) and the agreement between the latter two tests was almost perfect (kappa: 0.93). Conclusion: The validity parameters for all tests allowed their application for diagnostic purposes in lactating goats excreting M. agalactiae in milk and presenting clinical signs

Antibacterial potential of commercial and wild lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from ovine and caprine raw milk against Mycoplasma agalactiae

© 2023 Toquet, Bataller, Gomis, Sánchez, Toledo-Perona, De la Fe, Corrales and Gómez-Martín. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC-BY license, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by /4.0/ This document is the Published version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1197701Introduction: The complexity of fighting contagious agalactia (CA) has raised the necessity of alternative antimicrobial therapies, such as probiotics. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are present in the mammary gland of small ruminants and their antimicrobial effect have been previously described against species like Mycoplasma bovis but never against Mycoplasma agalactiae (Ma). This in vitro study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial activity against Ma of ovine and caprine LAB strains and a human commercial probiotic (L2) of Lactobacillus spp. Methods: A total of 63 possible LAB strains were isolated from nine ovine and caprine farms in Spain, three isolates (33B, 248D, and 120B) from the 63 strains were selected, based on their capacity to grow in a specific medium in vitro, for an in vitro experiment to assess their antimicrobial activity against Ma in Ultra High Temperature (UHT) processed goat milk (GM). A women commercial vaginal probiotic was also included in the study. The inoculum of L2 was prepared at a concentration of 3.24 × 108  CFU/mL and the average concentration of the inoculum of the wild LAB varied from 7.9 × 107 to 8.4 × 108  CFU/mL. Results: The commercial probiotic L2 significantly reduced the concentration of Ma to 0.000 log CFU/mL (p < 0.001), strain 33B reduced it from 7.185 to 1.279 log CFU/mL (p < 0.001), and 120B from 6.825 to 6.466 log CFU/mL (p < 0.05). Strain 248D presented a bacteriostatic effect in GM. Moreover, the three wild strains and the commercial probiotic produced a significative reduction of the pH (p < 0.001). Discussion: This is the first in vivo report of the antimicrobial potential of LAB strains against Ma and its interaction. Our results support possible future alternative strategies to antibiotic therapy, previously not contemplated, to fight CA in small ruminants. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the action mechanisms through which these LAB are able to inhibit Ma and to assess the safety of using these strains in possible in vivo studies

The addition of Lactobacillus spp. negatively affects Mycoplasma bovis viability in bovine cervical mucus

© The Author(s). 2020 Open Access This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This document is the Published version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in BMC Veterinary Research. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-020-02454-9Background Mycoplasma bovis is an important pathogen for the cattle industry worldwide causing significant economic losses. Several transmission routes, including those related to reproduction, have been described. Indeed, the pathogen can colonize the female reproductive tract after artificial insemination (AI) with contaminated semen. Lactobacillus spp.-based probiotics have been used for vaginal dysbiosis treatment in women and cows although their role in controlling cervico-vaginal infections due to M. bovis is unknown. The objective of the present work is to assess the viability of M. bovis (PG45, NCTC 10131) in experimentally contaminated cervical mucus after the addition of Lactobacillus spp. at different concentrations as a competing agent and pH acidifier. Results The addition of probiotic at a concentration higher than 108 colony forming units (CFU/mL had a detrimental effect (P < 0.05) on mycoplasma viability in cervical mucus. This coincided with a significant LAB growth and an important decrease in pH from 8.4 to 5.6 (P < 0.05). However, after the addition of less concentrated probiotic, M. bovis survival was not affected and there was no significant LAB growth despite the drop of pH from 8.4 to 6.73 (P < 0.05). Conclusion The addition of concentrations higher than 108 CFU/mL of Lactobacillus spp. negatively affects M. bovis viability in bovine cervical mucus under in vitro conditions. Although the effect observed on the pathogen viability seems to be related to the pH decrease after LAB proliferation in cervical mucus, further studies are necessary to elucidate if other factors are implicated. Nevertheless, the administration of Lactobacillus spp.-based probiotics might be used in the future to control M. bovis proliferation in the cervico-vaginal tract of cows

Metodología(s) : perspectivas, prácticas y desafíos

Background of INCASI Project H2020-MSCA-RISE-2015 GA 691004. WP1: CompilationDesde la revista Encrucijadas me encargaron un texto, más bien provocativo, sobre los debates actuales en metodología, a modo de reflexión colectiva. De provocación no se mucho, pero sí tengo claras unas cuantas preguntas en torno a lo que es (y lo que no es) la metodología en Sociología, y sobre las relaciones existentes entre teoría y empiria. En este sentido, aprovecho para presentar algunas reflexiones sobre las prácticas académicas, las divergencias y convergencias entre distintas disciplinas y perspectivas metodológicas o los nuevos desafíos tecnológicos y sociales, y al mismo tiempo presento ocho preguntas abiertas que han suscitado respuestas de varios colegas: Teresa Torns (Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona), Raimundo Cuesta (Fedicaria), Carlos Lozares (Universitàt Autónoma de Barcelona), Christian Orgaz (Cooperativa de Investigación Social Indaga), Josep Lobera (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), Cristina Santamarina (CIMOP), Fernando Aguiar (IESA-CSIC), Gloria Domínguez Alegría (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Tomás Cano-López (Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona y Universidad Pompeu Fabra) y Teresa González de la Fe (Universidad de la Laguna)