Monitoring of hepatitis E virus in zoo animals from Spain, 2007–2021

Hepatitis E virus (HEV, family Hepeviridae) is an important emerging and zoonotic pathogen. In recent decades, the number of human cases of zoonotic hepatitis E has increased considerably in industrialized countries and HEV has been detected in an expanding range of mammal species. Although domestic pigs and wild boar are considered the main reservoirs of zoonotic HEV genotypes, the role of other susceptible animals in the epidemiology of the virus is still poorly understood. A large-scale, long-term study was carried out (1) to assess HEV exposure in captive zoo animals in Spain and (2) to determine the dynamics of seropositivity in individuals that were sampled longitudinally during the study period. Between 2007 and 2021, serum samples from 425 zoo animals belonging to 109 animal species (including artiodactyls, carnivores, perissodactyls, proboscideans and rodents) were collected from 11 different zoological parks in Spain. Forty-six of these animals at seven of these zoos were also longitudinally sampled. Anti-HEV antibodies were detected in 36 (8.5%; 95% CI: 5.8–11.1) of 425 sampled zoo animals. Specific antibodies against HEV-3 and HEV-C1 antigens were confirmed in ELISA-positive animals using western blot assay. Two of 46 longitudinally surveyed animals seroconverted during the study period. Seropositivity was significantly higher in carnivores and perissodactyls than in artiodactyls, and also during the period 2012–2016 compared with 2007–2011. HEV RNA was not detected in any of the 262 animals that could be tested by RT-PCR. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first large-scale, long-term surveillance on HEV in different orders of zoo mammals. Our results indicate exposure to HEV-3 and HEV-C1 in zoo animals in Spain and confirm a widespread but not homogeneous spatiotemporal circulation of HEV in captive species in this country. Further studies are required to determine the role of zoo species, particularly carnivores and perissodactyls, in the epidemiology of HEV and to clarify the origins of infection in zoological parks

Spread of a SARS-CoV-2 variant through Europe in the summer of 2020

[EN] Following its emergence in late 2019, the spread of SARS-CoV-21,2 has been tracked by phylogenetic analysis of viral genome sequences in unprecedented detail3,4,5. Although the virus spread globally in early 2020 before borders closed, intercontinental travel has since been greatly reduced. However, travel within Europe resumed in the summer of 2020. Here we report on a SARS-CoV-2 variant, 20E (EU1), that was identified in Spain in early summer 2020 and subsequently spread across Europe. We find no evidence that this variant has increased transmissibility, but instead demonstrate how rising incidence in Spain, resumption of travel, and lack of effective screening and containment may explain the variant’s success. Despite travel restrictions, we estimate that 20E (EU1) was introduced hundreds of times to European countries by summertime travellers, which is likely to have undermined local efforts to minimize infection with SARS-CoV-2. Our results illustrate how a variant can rapidly become dominant even in the absence of a substantial transmission advantage in favourable epidemiological settings. Genomic surveillance is critical for understanding how travel can affect transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and thus for informing future containment strategies as travel resumes.S

Actividad física en el agua para mejorar la psicomotricidad de los bebés sanos. Protocolo del estudio Babyswimming.

Introduction: According to some authors, aquatic environment offers advantages for motor development, which can be used from the first months of life. The current research reviewed support physical exercise in water is favorable for the neurodevelopment of the baby. At present there are few studies with a scientific methodology that have developed a physical activity programme in babies in the first 3 years of life. Therefore, in this study, an aquatic physical activity programme will be performed to check how it affects the sensorymotor development and affectivity of healthy babies in their first years of life.Objectives: To determine the relationship between physical activity in water and the development of psychomotricity in healthy babies in their first three years of life.Material and methods: A case-control study was accomplished with 74 infants in the intervention group and 71 in the control group. The programme is carried out twice a week and lasts for 20 min in the water. It starts at 3 months and lasts three years of age. The activity is performed in the therapeutic swimming pool of the Complejo Hospitalario Universitario of Granada. In the first trimester, between the 3 and 6 months of life, we join in the adaptation to the aquatic environment, the interrelation between the babies and their parents, the first motor skills, supine and prone positions,  flips and the beginning of sedestation and dives. In the second trimester, between the 6 and 9 months of life, we intervene on displacements and crawling. And in the third quarter, between the 9 months and the first year of life, we participate on the equilibria-imbalances, displacements, standing, march and dips. The second and third year will be carried out group aquatic activities to encourage, through play, motor skills in the water.Expected results: Aquatic physical activity improves neurodevelopment, sleep and affectivity in healthy babies.Introducción: Según algunos autores, el medio acuático ofrece ventajas para el desarrollo motor y puede ser utilizado desde los primeros meses de vida. Las investigaciones actuales revisadas apoyan que el ejercicio físico en el agua es favorable para el neurodesarrollo del bebé.En la actualidad, existen pocos estudios con una metodología científica que desarrolle un programa de actividad física para los bebés durante los 3 primeros años de vida. Así pues, en el presente estudio se lleva a cabo un programa de actividad física en el agua, que permita comprobar el efecto sobre el desarrollo sensitivo-motor y la afectividad en los primero años de vida de los bebés sanos.Objetivos: Determinar la relación entre la actividad física en el agua y el desarrollo de la psicomotricidad en los tres primeros años de vida de los bebés sanos.Material y métodos: Se realiza un estudio de casos y controles con 74 bebés en el grupo estudio y 71 en el grupo control. El programa se lleva a cabo 2 veces por semana y con una duración de 20 minutos dentro del agua. Se inicia a los 3 meses y dura hasta los tres años de edad. La actividad se tiene lugar en la piscina terapéutica del Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Granada. En el primer trimestre, entre los 3 y los 6 meses de vida, se actúa sobre la adaptación al medio acuático, la interrelación entre los bebés y sus padres, las primeras habilidades motrices, las posiciones en decúbito supino y prono, los volteos y el inicio de la sedestación y las inmersiones.En el segundo trimestre, entre los 6 y 9 meses de vida, sobre desplazamientos, reptación y gateo. Y en el tercer trimestre, entre los 9 meses y el año de vida, sobre los equilibrios-desequilibrios, desplazamientos, bipedestación, marcha y zambullidas. El segundo y tercer año ya se practican actividades acuáticas grupales como fomento, a través del juego, de la motricidad en el agua.Resultados esperados: La actividad física acuática mejora el neurodesarrollo, el sueño y la afectividad de los bebés sanos

Obesity and its relationship with blood pressure in children

Background: Childhood obesity is one of the most important problems in public health in 21st century. The high level of adiposity is associated with hypertension in early childhood, which could be related to a cardiovascular risk in different periods of life. Aim: To identify the relationship between obesity and hypertension in children Materials and methods: A systematic review of the PUDMED, CINAHL and SCOPUS databases have been done. The keywords or search terms used were: obesidad/obesity, presión arterial/blood pressure, hipertensión/hypertension, infancia/childhood, pediátrico/pediatric y niño/children. Results: For this bibliographic review, 23 specific articles on childhood obesity and their relationship with arterial hypertension have been selected. To describe the relationship between these two pathologies and their impact on adulthood. Conclusion: The obesogenic epidemic increases in developed and developing countries, which elevate cardiovascular factors. In the medium and long term, they can produce diseases in adult health. It is difficult the clinical management of hypertension in children. Nowadays, there are few actions, in terms of prevention, promotion and treatment of these pathologies

Whole exome sequencing identifies PLEC, EXO5 and DNAH7 as novel susceptibility genes in testicular cancer.

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are a clinically and pathologically heterogeneous disease, and little is known of its genetic basis. Only low susceptibility risk loci have been identified for both sporadic and familial cases. Therefore, we tried to identify new susceptibility genes responsible for familial testicular cancer that may contribute to increasing our knowledge about the genetic basis of the disease. Nineteen Spanish families with at least two affected individuals with TGCT were selected. WES was performed on those individuals using an Illumina Hiseq2000 sequencing platform. Data were analyzed under a monogenic and polygenic model of inheritance, and candidate variants were evaluated in a case-control association study performed on 391 Spanish sporadic cases and 1,170 healthy Spanish controls. Results were replicated in a second series consisting of 101 TGCTs from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TGCA) and 27,000 controls from the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC) database. Logistic regression was carried out to analyze the association strength (risk) of candidate variants obtained among cases and controls in different populations. Despite the sample size, we detected a significant earlier age of onset in familial TGCT (28y) than sporadic cases (33y), using a Mann-Whitney U test. We identified significant variants in the comparative study of TGCT cases (391) versus controls (almost 1,170), and three of them [PLEC (OR = 6.28, p = 6.42 × 10-23 ) (p.Arg2016Trp), EXO5 (OR = 3.37, p = 4.82 × 10-09 ) (p.Arg344AlafsTer10) and DNAH7 (OR = 1.64, p = 0.048)] were replicated as potential candidates that may contribute to explaining the genetic basis of TGCT

Whole exome sequencing identifies PLEC

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are a clinically and pathologically heterogeneous disease, and little is known of its genetic basis. Only low susceptibility risk loci have been identified for both sporadic and familial cases. Therefore, we tried to identify new susceptibility genes responsible for familial testicular cancer that may contribute to increasing our knowledge about the genetic basis of the disease. Nineteen Spanish families with at least two affected individuals with TGCT were selected. WES was performed on those individuals using an Illumina Hiseq2000 sequencing platform. Data were analyzed under a monogenic and polygenic model of inheritance, and candidate variants were evaluated in a case-control association study performed on 391 Spanish sporadic cases and 1,170 healthy Spanish controls. Results were replicated in a second series consisting of 101 TGCTs from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TGCA) and 27,000 controls from the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC) database. Logistic regression was carried out to analyze the association strength (risk) of candidate variants obtained among cases and controls in different populations. Despite the sample size, we detected a significant earlier age of onset in familial TGCT (28y) than sporadic cases (33y), using a Mann-Whitney U test. We identified significant variants in the comparative study of TGCT cases (391) versus controls (almost 1,170), and three of them [PLEC (OR = 6.28, p = 6.42 × 10-23 ) (p.Arg2016Trp), EXO5 (OR = 3.37, p = 4.82 × 10-09 ) (p.Arg344AlafsTer10) and DNAH7 (OR = 1.64, p = 0.048)] were replicated as potential candidates that may contribute to explaining the genetic basis of TGCT