Wild griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) fed at supplementary feeding stations: Potential carriers of pig pathogens and pig-derived antimicrobial resistance?

The carriage of two important pathogens of pigs, that is enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and Clostridioides difficile, was investigated in 104 cloacal samples from wild griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) fed on pig carcasses at supplementary feeding stations (SFS), along with their level of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). E. coli was isolated from 90 (86.5%) samples, but no ETEC was detected, likely because ETEC fimbriae confer the species specificity of the pathogen. Resistance to at least one antimicrobial agent was detected in 89.9% of E. coli isolates, with AMR levels being extremely high (>70%) for tetracycline and streptomycin and very high (>50%) for ampicillin and sulfamethoxazole–trimethoprim. Resistance to other critically important antimicrobials such as colistin and extended-spectrum cephalosporins was 2.2% and 1.1%, respectively, and was encoded by the mcr-1 and blaSHV-12 genes. Multidrug resistance was displayed by 80% of the resistant E. coli, and blaSHV-12 gene shared plasmid with other AMR genes. In general, resistance patterns in E. coli from vultures mirrored those found in pigs. Clostridioides difficile was detected in three samples (2.9%); two of them belonged to PCR ribotype 078 and one to PCR ribotype 126, both commonly found in pigs. All C. difficile isolates were characterized by a moderate-to-high level of resistance to fluoroquinolones and macrolides but susceptible to metronidazole or vancomycin, similar to what is usually found in C. difficile isolates from pigs. Thus, vultures may contribute somewhat to the environmental dissemination of some pig pathogens through their acquisition from pig carcasses and, more importantly, of AMR for antibiotics of critical importance for humans. However, the role of vultures would likely be much lesser than that of disposing pig carcasses at the SFS. The monitoring of AMR, and particularly of colistin-resistant and ESBL-producing E. coli, should be considered in pig farms used as sources of carcasses for SFS

Correlación fenotípica y estimación del peso vivo en bovinos criollos

The aim of this study was to determine the phenotypic correlations between bodyweight (PV) and the biometric measurements of 90 Creole cattle, of both sexes and diverse ages, from the Conayca Community in Huancavelica, Peru, to define prediction equations of PV. Head width (AC), head length (LC), chest width (ATO), chest height (ALT), body length (LCU), chest perimeter (PT), height at the withers (ACR), rump width (AGR), rump length (LGR), anterior fetlock perimeter (PCA), lumbar back distance (DDL), rump height (ALG), chest length (LTO), body length (LAC) and abdominal perimeter (PAB) were measured. The observations were analysed using linear models, including the effect of sex and age based on teeth growth. The biometric measurements were adjusted in a first order multiple linear regression to obtain the prediction equations of PV of the animals. Dental age was the most important source of variation in each of the characteristics, except for ALT. Sex only significantly affected PCA and ALG. High and significant phenotypic correlations (p<0.001) were detected between the PV and the measurements of PT (0.91), LC (0.79), ACR (0.77), ALG (0.78) and LAC (0.89). The PT + ACR + LAC presented the most accurate prediction equation (R2 = 1.0000), followed by the PT + LAC (R2 = 0.9775) and the PT (R2 = 0.9274). It is concluded that the PV of the Creole cattle studied can be satisfactorily predicted from the PT, or PT + LAC or PT + ACR + LAC, where dental age is the factor that most influences predictions.El objetivo del estudio fue determinar las correlaciones fenotípicas entre el peso vivo (PV) y las medidas biométricas de 90 bovinos criollos, de ambos sexos y edades diversas, procedentes de la Comunidad de Conayca en Huancavelica, Perú, para definir ecuaciones de predicción del PV. Se hicieron mediciones de ancho de cabeza (AC), longitud de cabeza (LC), ancho de tórax (ATO), altura de tórax (ALT), longitud de cuerpo (LCU), perímetro torácico (PT), altura de cruz (ACR), ancho de grupa (AGR), longitud de grupa (LGR), perímetro de caña anterior (PCA), distancia dorso lumbar (DDL), altura de grupa (ALG), longitud de tórax (LTO), largo de cuerpo (LAC) y perímetro abdominal (PAB). Las observaciones fueron analizadas utilizando modelos lineales, incluyendo el efecto del sexo y la edad dentaria de los animales. Las medidas biométricas fueron ajustadas en una regresión lineal múltiple de primer grado para obtener las ecuaciones de predicción de PV de los animales. La edad dentaria fue la fuente de variación más importante en cada una de las características, excepto para ALT. El sexo solamente afectó significativamente al PCA y ALG. Se detectaron correlaciones fenotípicas altas y significativas (p<0.001) entre el PV y las medidas de PT (0.91), LC (0.79), ACR (0.77), ALG (0.78) y LAC (0.89). El PT + ACR + LAC presentó la ecuación de predicción más precisa (R2 = 1.0000), seguido por la participación del PT + LAC (R2 = 0.9775) y del PT (R2 = 0.9274). Se concluye que el PV de los bovinos criollos estudiados se puede predecir satisfactoriamente a partir del PT, o PT + LAC o PT + ACR + LAC, donde la edad dentaria es el factor que influye en mayor grado en las predicciones

Population genomics and antimicrobial resistance dynamics of Escherichia coli in wastewater and river environments

Aquatic environments are key niches for the emergence, evolution and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. However, the population diversity and the genetic elements that drive the dynamics of resistant bacteria in different aquatic environments are still largely unknown. The aim of this study was to understand the population genomics and evolutionary events of Escherichia coli resistant to clinically important antibiotics including aminoglycosides, in anthropogenic and natural water ecosystems. Here we show that less different E. coli sequence types (STs) are identified in wastewater than in rivers, albeit more resistant to antibiotics, and with significantly more plasmids/cell (6.36 vs 3.72). However, the genomic diversity within E. coli STs in both aquatic environments is similar. Wastewater environments favor the selection of conserved chromosomal structures associated with diverse flexible plasmids, unraveling promiscuous interplasmidic resistance genes flux. On the contrary, the key driver for river E. coli adaptation is a mutable chromosome along with few plasmid types shared between diverse STs harboring a limited resistance gene content

Small bowel enteroscopy - A joint clinical guideline from the spanish and portuguese small bowel study groups

The present evidence-based guidelines are focused on the use of device-assisted enteroscopy in the management of small-bowel diseases. A panel of experts selected by the Spanish and Portuguese small bowel study groups reviewed the available evidence focusing on the main indications of this technique, its role in the management algorithm of each indication and on its diagnostic and therapeutic yields. A set of recommendations were issued accordingly.Estas recomendações baseadas na evidência detalham o uso da enteroscopia assistida por dispositivo no manejo clínico das doenças do intestino delgado. Um conjunto de Gastrenterologistas diferenciados em patologia do intestino delgado foi selecionado pelos grupos de estudos Espanhol e Português de intestino delgado para rever a evidência disponível sobre as principais indicações desta técnica, o seu papel nos algoritmos de manejo de cada indicação e sobre o seu rendimento diagnóstico e terapêutico. Foi gerado um conjunto de recomendações pelos autores

Coping with uncertainty: breeding adjustments to an unpredictable environment in an opportunistic raptor

No environment is truly constant in time. As a result, animals have evolved multiple adjustments to cope with such fluctuations. However, the allocation of ffort to costly activities that imply long-term commitments, such as breeding, may be extremely challenging when future resources change constantly and unpredictably, a context that has received little investigation. To fill this gap, we studied the breeding response by a wetland-dependent raptor, the black kite Milvus migrans, to within and between-years fluctuations in resource availability (inunda- tion levels). The breeding performance of the population was decomposed into reproductive components expressed in a sequence of successive tasks along the breeding cycle (e.g. timing of laying, clutch size, hatching success, brood reduction). Variation in each component was related to resource levels observed at different key dates of the season in order to test whether and when population-level reproduction was adjusted to available resources. Along a 22-year time-series, inundation levels fluctuated unpredictably within and among years, and mostly affected the later components of kites’ reproduction, such as hatching success and the incidence of brood reduction, which were the main determinants of the population yearly breeding output. Results were consistent with multiple adjustments to cope with uncertainty. As the season progressed and resources became easier to assess, a bet-hedging waiting strategy based on a conservatively small, invariant and asynchronous clutch gave way to real-time resource-track- ing mechanisms mediated by progressive adjustments to current prey availability, so that population-level breeding rates were determined and tuned to resources rather late in the season. Such adjustments were the likely outcome of the interaction between parental tactics and environmental constraints. Behavioural flexibility, such as dietary opportunism, probably promoted further resistance to resource oscillations. Given that all ecosystems show some degree of unpredictability, resource-tracking adjustments, such as the ones depicted here, are likely to be commonplace in most communities.Peer reviewe

Índice de Mayo Endoscópico e Índice de Severidad Endoscópica de la Colitis Ulcerosa: ¿son igual de válidos?

[Introducción] la endoscopia tiene un papel fundamental en el manejo de los pacientes con colitis ulcerosa (CU), ya que permite la visualización y evaluación de la gravedad de la enfermedad. No obstante, dicha evaluación no es siempre algo objetivo, por lo que se han desarrollado diferentes escalas que pretenden homogeneizar los hallazgos.[Objetivo] el objetivo del estudio fue evaluar la variabilidad interobservador entre el Índice de Mayo Endoscópico (IME) y el Índice de Severidad Endoscópica de la Colitis Ulcerosa (UCEIS), al analizar la gravedad de las lesiones endoscópicas en pacientes con CU. El objetivo secundario fue analizar si la preparación catártica afectaba al grado de concordancia entre los endoscopistas.[Material y métodos] se trata de un estudio observacional comparativo de una única cohorte a la cual se realiza una colonoscopia bajo guía de práctica clínica habitual a pacientes con CU y se estadifica según el IME y el UCEIS por tres endoscopistas expertos. Para valorar el grado de correlación interobservador se utilizaron el índice de Kappa para el IME y el coeficiente de correlación intraclase para el UCEIS. Se incluyeron 67 pacientes, con edad media de 51 años (DE ± 16,7) e índice de Mayo clínico medio de 3,07 (DE ± 2,54).[Resultados] el índice de Kappa ponderado entre los endoscopistas A y B para el IME fue de 0,8; entre el A y el C, de 0,52; y entre el B y el C, de 0,49. Para el UCEIS, el coeficiente de correlación intraclase fue del 0,922 entre los tres endoscopistas (IC 95 %: 0,832-0,959). Se encontró una mejor correlación interobservador cuando la preparación catártica era ≥ 8 según la escala de Boston.[Conclusión] existe, por tanto, una superior correlación entre los diferentes endoscopistas para el UCEIS que para el IME, por lo que debería ser considerado como el mejor índice a utilizar en la práctica clínica. Una buena preparación catártica es importante para mejorar la correlación interobservador

Small bowel enteroscopy - A joint clinical guideline from the spanish and portuguese small bowel study groups

The present evidence-based guidelines are focused on the use of device-assisted enteroscopy in the management of small-bowel diseases. A panel of experts selected by the Spanish and Portuguese small bowel study groups reviewed the available evidence focusing on the main indications of this technique, its role in the management algorithm of each indication and on its diagnostic and therapeutic yields. A set of recommendations were issued accordingly.Estas recomendações baseadas na evidência detalham o uso da enteroscopia assistida por dispositivo no manejo clínico das doenças do intestino delgado. Um conjunto de Gastrenterologistas diferenciados em patologia do intestino delgado foi selecionado pelos grupos de estudos Espanhol e Português de intestino delgado para rever a evidência disponível sobre as principais indicações desta técnica, o seu papel nos algoritmos de manejo de cada indicação e sobre o seu rendimento diagnóstico e terapêutico. Foi gerado um conjunto de recomendações pelos autores