Principales patologías en grandes felinos

En las últimas décadas, los grandes félidos han conocido disminuciones importantes de sus poblaciones y de su diversidad, principalmente debidas a actividades antropogénicas tales como la caza furtiva, el comercio ilegal o la destrucción del hábitat. Mientras se están creando programas de conservación y adoptando leyes para luchar frente a este tipo de actividades, emergen enfermedades que representan otra amenaza significante para la supervivencia de dichas especies. La aparición de patologías y brotes epidémicos en poblaciones de grandes félidos puede tener consecuencias graves tanto en animales en libertad como en cautividad, sobre todo si surgen en poblaciones pequeñas. Con el fin de preservar las poblaciones de grandes félidos existentes a nivel mundial, de prevenir posibles extinciones y de minimizar la pérdida de biodiversidad es fundamental conocer y entender las enfermedades y patologías en cuestión, así como los factores que favorecen su aparición.<br /

Estudio epidemiológico sobre brucelosis por Brucella suis en jabalíes, liebres y perros de caza en Aragón

El objetivo de este trabajo ha consistido en definir la distribución espacial y temporal en Aragón de la infección por Brucella suis en el jabalí, así como determinar si la liebre (tanto europea como ibérica), puede intervenir en la epidemiología de la infección. Además, se ha tratado de determinar si esta infección afecta también a los perros de caza que intervienen en las cacerías. El periodo de estudio ha comprendido desde el 1 de septiembre del 2008 hasta el 31 de agosto del 2012, habiéndose analizado un total de 1.949 muestras de jabalí (1.936 de animales cazados y 13 de animales encontrados muertos), procedentes de 32 de las 33 comarcas aragonesas. Un total de 282 muestras de liebre, tanto ibérica Lepus granatensis (n= 247) como europea Lepus europaeus (n= 35), fueron analizadas. Finalmente se analizaron muestras de 575 perros de caza de diferentes localidades de Aragón. La determinación de la seroprevalencia de brucelosis en el jabalí fue realizada mediante un ELISA indirecto validado para detectar anticuerpos frente a Brucella spp. en ungulados silvestres. Un total de 341 de los 1.569 sueros de jabalí analizados resultaron positivos en el iELISA, obteniendo una seroprevalencia del 21,73% (IC 95%: 19,76-23,84). Muestras de los jabalíes seropositivos se sometieron a cultivo bacteriológico en los casos en los que se dispuso de ellas (n=329). Para el estudio bacteriológico se utilizó una combinación de los medios CITA y Farrell. Un total de 107 jabalíes fueron encontrados infectados y las cepas aisladas fueron todas ellas identificadas mediante métodos convencionales y moleculares como B. suis biovar 2. La bacteria se aisló en 28 comarcas, demostrándose su amplia distribución en Aragón. Los tejidos utilizados para el aislamiento de B. suis biovar 2 fueron linfonodos y bazo. Muestras de ADN de todas las cepas aisladas fueron analizadas mediante PCR multiplex y PCR-RFLP de los genes Omp2a, Omp2b y Omp31 para identificar los posibles haplotipos de B. suis biovar 2 existentes. De las 107 cepas aisladas, un total de 90 correspondieron al haplotipo centroeuropeo, mientras que tan solo 17 correspondieron al haplotipo ibérico mayoritario. El haplotipo centroeuropeo se aisló en todas las comarcas en las que hubo aislamiento de B. suis, mientras que la presencia del haplotipo ibérico quedó circunscrita a tan solo 7 comarcas, en las que, además, hubo siempre una co-existencia de los dos haplotipos. Dos de los jabalíes con cultivo positivo presentaron lesiones testiculares asociadas a la infección por B. suis biovar 2. Para realizar el estudio serológico en liebres fue preciso poner a punto un iELISA indirecto con LPS-S de B. melitensis 16M como antígeno y usando proteína A como conjugado. Como sueros control para la puesta a punto de dicho ELISA se utilizó los obtenidos de liebres europeas hiper-inmunizadas con bacterias completas de B. suis biovar 2 inactivadas, así como los de liebres europeas libres de infección. Todos los sueros de liebres de campo recogidos en nuestro estudio resultaron negativos. Para confirmar la validez de estos resultados serológicos, muestras de liebre de las diferentes comarcas fueron sometidas a estudio bacteriológico utilizado los mismos medios de cultivo que en el caso del jabalí. Todos los cultivos realizados tanto de liebres europeas como de liebres ibéricas resultaron negativos. Los sueros de perros se analizaron mediante la técnica de rosa de Bengala modificado. Un total de 43 (7,48%; IC 95%: 5,60-9,92) resultaron positivos en dicha técnica. Por otra parte, 16 de estos 43 sueros resultaron positivos también en la prueba de rosa de Bengala estándar, obteniéndose una seroprevalencia del 2,78% (IC 95%: 1,72-4,47) con dicha técnica. Ninguno de los perros sometidos a estudio serológico presentó signos clínicos compatibles con brucelosis. Tan solo se pudo realizar un estudio bacteriológico (hemocultivo) a 4 de los perros positivos en ambas pruebas, resultando todos ellos negativos. Nuestros resultados confirman una elevada seroprevalencia de brucelosis y una amplia distribución de la infección por B. suis biovar 2 en jabalíes en Aragón. La ausencia de casos seropositivos en las muestras de liebre analizadas sugiere el escaso papel que esta especie desempeña en la epidemiología de la infección por B. suis en Aragón. La seroprevalencia de brucelosis encontrada en perros de caza es muy difícil de interpretar y valorar debido al escaso número de animales que pudieron ser sometidos a estudio bacteriológico

Fate of an Infectious ERV in Wild and Domestic Cats

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) of domestic cats (ERV-DCs) are one of the youngest feline ERV groups in domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus); some members are replication competent (ERV-DC10, ERV-DC18, and ERV-DC14), produce the antiretroviral soluble factor Refrex-1 (ERV-DC7 and ERV-DC16), or can generate recombinant feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Here, we investigated ERV-DC in European wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris) and detected four loci: ERV-DC6, ERV-DC7, ERV-DC14, and ERV-DC16. ERV-DC14 was detected at a high frequency in European wildcats; however, it was replication defective due to a single G → A nucleotide substitution, resulting in an E148K substitution in the ERV-DC14 envelope (Env). This mutation results in a cleavage-defective Env that is not incorporated into viral particles. Introduction of the same mutation into feline and murine infectious gammaretroviruses resulted in a similar Env dysfunction. Interestingly, the same mutation was found in an FeLV isolate from naturally occurring thymic lymphoma and a mouse ERV, suggesting a common mechanism of virus inactivation. Refrex-1 was present in European wildcats; however, ERV-DC16, but not ERV-DC7, was unfixed in European wildcats. Thus, Refrex-1 has had an antiviral role throughout the evolution of the genus Felis, predating cat exposure to feline retroviruses. ERV-DC sequence diversity was present across wild and domestic cats but was locus dependent. In conclusion, ERVs have evolved species-specific phenotypes through the interplay between ERVs and their hosts. The mechanism of viral inactivation may be similar irrespective of the evolutionary history of retroviruses. The tracking of ancestral retroviruses can shed light on their roles in pathogenesis and host-virus evolution

Reseñas

1º RESEÑA de : Gozalbes Cravioto, Enrique. La Ciudad Antigua de Rusadir. Aportaciones a la Historia de Melilla en la Antigüedad. Melilla : Ayuntamiento. Servicio de Publicaciones, 1991. 2º RESEÑA de : Bravo Nieto, Antonio; Moga Romero, Vicente. Melilla, Imágenes de su Historia : Álbum de cromos. Melilla : Ayuntamiento, 1991. 3º RESEÑA de : Moga Romero, Vicente; Rodríguez Picazo, Julia; Reyes López, Amelia. Melilla. Las edades históricas de una ciudad mediterránea : Historia ilustrada de Melilla. Melilla : Ayuntamiento, 1991. 4º RESEÑA de : Carcaño Mas, Francisco. Melilla. Rifeñerías; Las Plazas Menores de África. Melilla : Ayuntamiento, 1991. 5º RESEÑA de : López-Casanova, Arcadio. Razón de Iniquidad. Melilla : Ayuntamiento-UNED, 1991

Is serology a realistic approach for monitoring red deer tuberculosis in the field?

Tuberculosis (TB) is a zoonotic mycobacterial infection with great importance in human health, animal production, and wildlife conservation. Although an ambitious eradication programme in cattle has been implemented for decades, TB-free status has not yet been achieved in most of Spain, where animal TB persists in a multi-host system of domestic and wild hosts, including the red deer (Cervus elaphus). However, information on long time series and trends of TB prevalence in wildlife is scarce. The diagnosis of TB in wild red deer is often based on gross pathology and bacteriological culture confirmation, although recently serological assays have been developed to detect anti- Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex (MTC) antibodies. Particularly, protein complex P22 has demonstrated to yield good specificity and sensitivity in the serological diagnosis of MTC for red deer, as well as cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, wild boar, and European badger. Thus, the objective of the present study was to compare the performance of the P22-ELISA with TB-compatible lesion detection, as well as to assess the potential application of each technique for determining spatiotemporal trends and risk factors of MTC infection in wild red deer from low and high TB prevalence areas of Spain over the last two decades. We tested 5095 sera from 13 wild populations by indirect ELISA using P22 as antigen. Mean seroprevalence (13.22%, CI95: 12.32–14.18) was compared with the prevalence of macroscopic TB-compatible lesions (6.94%, CI95: 6.18–7.79). The results evidenced a poor agreement between both techniques (K < 0.3), although generalized TB-lesions and anti-P22 antibodies showed a positive association (¿² = 9.054, P = 0.004). Consequently, TB-lesion based prevalence and seroprevalence cannot be considered as equivalent for TB surveillance in red deer. Regarding the spatiotemporal trend of TB in red deer in Spain, we observed a North-South gradient of TB occurrence North: 1.23% (CI95: 0.77–1.97) of TB-lesions and 12.55% (CI95: 10.91–14.41) of P22-ELISA; Centre: 7.10% (CI95: 6.04–8.33) and 8.74% (CI95: 7.57–10.08); South: 21.04% (CI95:17.81–24.69) and 23.09% (CI95: 19.73–26.84), respectively]. Overall, there was a stability over time, with higher prevalence in adults belonging to densely populated sites. We conclude that the P22-ELISA alone is not sufficiently reliable for TB surveillance in red deer at large spatiotemporal scales. Instead, we recommend combining gross pathology and P22-ELISA

Dynamics of an infectious keratoconjunctivitis outbreak by Mycoplasma conjunctivae on Pyrenean chamois Rupicapra p. pyrenaica

Between 2006 and 2008, an outbreak of Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) affected Pyrenean chamois Rupicapra p. pyrenaica, an endemic subspecies of mountain ungulate that lives in the Pyrenees. The study focused on 14 mountain massifs (180,000 ha) where the species’ population is stable. Cases of IKC were detected in ten of the massifs and, in five of them, mortality was substantial. The outbreak spread quickly from the first location detected, with two peaks in mortality that affected one (2007) and three (2008) massifs. In the latter, the peak was seasonal (spring to autumn) and, in the former, the outbreak persisted through winter. To identify the outbreak’s aetiology, we examined 105 Pyrenean chamois clinically affected with IKC. TaqMan rt-PCR identified Mycoplasma conjunctivae in 93 (88.5%) of the chamois. Another rt-PCR detected Chlamydophila spp. in 14 of chamois, and 12 of those had mixed infections with mycoplasmas. In the period 2000–2007, the chamois population increased slightly (¿ 1.026) but decreased significantly during the IKC outbreak (¿ 0.8, 2007–2008; ¿ 0.85, 2008–2009) before increasing significantly after the outbreak (¿ 1.1, 2009–2010). Sex-biased mortality shifted the adult sex ratio toward males (from 0.6 to 0.7 males per female) and reduced productivity slightly. Hunting was practically banned in the massifs where chamois experienced significant mortality and allowed again after the outbreak ended. Long-term monitoring of wild populations provides a basis for understanding the impacts of disease outbreaks and improves management decisions, particularly when species are subject to extractive exploitation

Myxomatosis and rabbit Haemorrhagic disease: A 30-year study of the occurrence on commercial farms in Spain

In this retrospective study, we describe the relative occurrence of clinical myxomatosis, and rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD), on 1714 commercial farms visited in Spain, between 1988 and 2018. We determined the annual prevalence based on 817 visits to 394 farms affected by myxomatosis. Myxomatosis was more prevalent from August to March, being lowest in June (3%) and highest in September (8.9%). With regard to RHD, we assessed 253 visits to 156 affected farms. We analyzed mean annual and monthly incidence. Two important RHD epidemics occurred; the first in 1988-1989 due to RHDV GI.1 (also known as RHDV), and the second from 2011 to 2013 due to RHDV GI.2 (RHDV2 or RHDVb). These epidemics occurred at times when effective vaccination had not been carried out. Relative monthly incidence in 2011-2018 was higher from April to August (p < 0.001). The results we obtained from 1404 necropsies on 102 farms did not clearly relate serosanguinous nasal discharge in rabbits with disease caused by GI.2 infection. We also assessed vaccination schedules used on 200 doe farms visited from the end of 2014 to 2018; 95.5% vaccinated against myxomatosis and 97.5% against RHD. Both diseases remain prevalent; however, effective vaccination has produced a steady decline in myxomatosis and RHDV GI.1 and GI.2 on-farm detection. The maintenance of high hygienic standards will be needed to continue and improve this control. However, further studies are required to investigate the causes of sustained virus presence and vaccine breaks.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Distribution of Pestivirus exposure in wild ruminants in Spain

A large‐scale study was carried out to determine the prevalence of antibodies against Pestivirus species in wild ruminants and describe their spatial variation in mainland Spain. Serum samples of 1,874 wild ruminants from different regions of this country were collected between the years 2000 and 2017. A total of 6.6% (123/1,874) animals showed antibodies against Pestivirus by both blocking ELISA (bELISA) and virus neutralization tests (VNT). The prevalence of antibodies against pestiviruses was different both among species and regions. Seroprevalence by species was 30.0% (75/250) in Southern chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica), 7.0% (25/357) in fallow deer (Dama dama), 2.5% (10/401) in red deer (Cervus elaphus), 2.4% (8/330) in Iberian wild goat (Capra pyrenaica), 1.1% (4/369) in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and 0.8% (1/130) in mouflon (Ovis aries musimon), not detecting seropositivity (0/37) in Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia). The results confirm that exposure to pestiviruses was detected throughout mainland Spain, with significantly higher seroprevalence in Northern regions associated with the presence of Southern chamois. This indicates an endemic circulation of pestiviruses in Southern chamois and a limited circulation of these viruses in the remaining wild ruminant species during the last two decades, thus suggesting that non‐chamois species are not true Pestivirus reservoirs in Spain. Nonetheless, the high spatial spread of these viruses points out that new epidemic outbreaks in naïve wild ruminant populations or transmission to livestock may occur, evidencing the usefulness of monitoring pestiviruses in wild ruminants, especially at the wildlife–livestock interface.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Complementary roles of wild boar and red deer to animal tuberculosis maintenance in multi-host communities

[EN] The contribution of wildlife species to pathogen maintenance in multi-host communities has seldom been quantified. To assess the relative contribution of the main wildlife hosts of animal tuberculosis (TB) to its maintenance, we estimated the basic reproduction number (R0) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in wild boar and red deer at 29 sites in the Iberian Peninsula. Host abundance and true TB prevalence were estimated for each species at each site by sampling from distributions incorporating the uncertainty in the proportion of the population harvested each year, sensitivity, and specificity of the diagnostic methods, while excretion of mycobacteria was estimated using site-occupancy models. The distributions of these parameters were then used to estimate, at each site, the R0,wild boar (range 0.1 – 55.9, average 8.7, standard deviation 11.8), and the R0,red deer (0.1 – 18.9, 2.2, 3.9). Animal TB is maintained in epidemiological scenarios ranging from any single species acting as a maintenance host (the wild boar in 18 sites and the red deer in 5), to facultative multi-host disease (6 sites). The prevalence of TB in the red deer is likely an important driver of the epidemiology in multi-host communities. The wild boar was the main maintenance host of TB in most of the study sites and could have an epidemiological role linking the wildlife multi-host community and livestockSIThis work was supported by Fundaç˜ao para a Ciˆencia e Tecnologia [project grant EXPL/CVT-CVT/1525/2021 and fellowship SFRH/BPD/ 116596/2016 to N.S.]. FCT/MCTES for the financial support to CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020 +UIDB/50017/2020), through national fund

Spatial distribution and risk factors of Brucellosis

Background: The role of wildlife as a brucellosis reservoir for humans and domestic livestock remains to be properly established. The aim of this work was to determine the aetiology, apparent prevalence, spatial distribution and risk factors for brucellosis transmission in several Iberian wild ungulates. Methods: A multi-species indirect immunosorbent assay (iELISA) using Brucella S-LPS antigen was developed. In several regions having brucellosis in livestock, individual serum samples were taken between 1999 and 2009 from 2,579 wild bovids, 6,448 wild cervids and4,454 Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa), and tested to assess brucellosis apparent prevalence. Strains isolated from wild boar were characterized to identify the presence of markers shared with the strains isolated from domestic pigs. Results: Mean apparent prevalence below 0.5% was identified in chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica), Iberian wild goat (Capra pyrenaica), and red deer (Cervus elaphus). Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), fallow deer (Dama dama), mouflon (Ovis aries) and Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) tested were seronegative. Only one red deer and one Iberian wild goat resulted positive in culture, isolating B. abortus biovar 1 and B. melitensis biovar 1, respectively. Apparent prevalence in wild boar ranged from 25% to 46% in the different regions studied, with the highest figures detected in South-Central Spain. The probability of wild boar being positive in the iELISA was also affected by age, age-by-sex interaction, sampling month, and the density of outdoor domestic pigs. A total of 104 bacterial isolates were obtained from wild boar, being all identified as B. suis biovar 2. DNA polymorphisms were similar to those found in domestic pigs. Conclusions: In conclusion, brucellosis in wild boar is widespread in the Iberian Peninsula, thus representing an important threat for domestic pigs. By contrast, wild ruminants were not identified as a significant brucellosis reservoir for livestock