Mascotas silvestres en la práctica veterinaria de Guatemala

Veterinary practitioners of small species are often faced with the challenge of treating wild species patients. This situation requires that the clinicians of animals of these species have special skills and knowledge that allow them to solve cases. To generate information about wild species that are taken to veterinary clinics in Guatemala, an opinion survey was conducted to veterinary practitioners in small animal clinics. A total of 143 professionals participated (1:1 gender ratio). The participants indicated that the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the turtle (Trachemys sp and Kinosternon sp), the Australian parakeet (Melopsittacus undulatus), the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) and the hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) are the most frequent species. In addition, veterinarians noted that 92.3% of patients are received and treated and 5.6% were referred to other clinics. Only 18% knows with certainty the animal species of the wild patients that they treat and 47% declared to know the animal species in most of the cases.El médico veterinario de especies menores se enfrenta, a menudo, con el reto de atender pacientes silvestres. Esta situación requiere que los clínicos de animales de especies menores tengan competencias y conocimientos especiales que les permitan resolver los casos. Con el objeto de generar información sobre las especies silvestres que son llevadas a las clínicas veterinarias en Guatemala, se realizó una encuesta de opinión a médicos veterinarios que practican la clínica de especies menores. Participaron 143 profesionales en proporción de género 1:1. Los participantes indicaron que el conejo (Oryctolagus cuniculus), la tortuga (Trachemys sp y Kinosternon sp), la perica australiana (Melopsittacus undulatus), el cuy (Cavia porcellus) y el hámster (Mesocricetus auratus) son las especies más frecuentes. Además, los veterinarios señalaron que el 92.3% de los pacientes son atendidos y tratados y 5.6% fueron referidos a otras clínicas. Solo el 18% conoce con certeza la especie animal de los pacientes silvestres que tratan y el 47% manifestaron conocer la especie animal en la mayoría de los casos.

Distribución de Aedes aegypti y Aedes albopictus en Guatemala 2016

Los recientes brotes de zika y chikungunya en Guatemala, y el continuo padecimiento de dengue, hacen necesario generar preguntas respecto a la presencia de los vectores de arbovirus, Aedes aegypti y A. albopictus, en este país. Los reportes publicados previamente, señalan la presencia de estos vectores en cuatro departamentos de Guatemala. El objetivo de este estudio fue actualizar los reportes de A. aegypti y A. albopictus en Guatemala para informar con datos robustos a las agencias de salud. Se utilizaron datos del Programa de Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vectores del Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social, que contiene principalmente información sobre la presencia de estadios larvales de los vectores. Los sitios de colecta de los mosquitos fueron validados usando herramientas de Sistemas de Información Geográfica, generando mapas de distribución de ambas especies de vectores en todo el país. Los resultados incluyen la presencia de A. aegypti en 21 departamentos y A. albopictus en 11. Aedes aegypti fue reportado en zonas bajas con tolerancias a altas temperaturas (32.3 – 34.8°C), mientras A. albopictus se reportó en zonas con mayor precipitación y en mayores altitudes (2301m). Se concluye en un notable incremento en la distribución de estas dos especies en Guatemala, basados en los informes del primer trimestre 2016 del Programa de Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vectores colectados en época seca. Se discuten la oportunidad de integrar a la academia con los programas actuales de vigilancia epidemiológica para abordar las necesidades de investigación de estos vectores a nivel nacional

Optical and AFM microscopy of grape juices treated with UHPH: Effects of microstructure and nanostructure

UHPH treatment of Vitis vinifera must for winemaking leads to fragmentation of colloidal particles into smaller structures. The shear and fracture forces experienced by grape juice during valve pressurization are sufficient to reduce the particle size of grape juice to below 500 nm. As a result, the applied force can disrupt bacterial and yeast cell structures, altering or breaking down proteins, polysaccharides and enzymes. This effect is not observed for low molecular weight compounds such as monomeric pigments and phenolic structures, varietal aroma precursors, fermentable sugars, etc. Treated and untreated samples can be compared using optical and atomic force microscopy. Optical microscopy images show reduction or elimination of bacteria and yeast and changes in microstructure. On the other hand, in addition to describing topography in the nanometer range, AFM can also measure particles in comparison to other techniques such as laser diffraction (LD). This work contributes to the characterization and better understanding of the effects of UHPH on grape juice for winemaking

Reporte de Pseudosuccinea columella infectados con Fasciola hepatica en Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, Guatemala

Objective. Identify the natural infection of freshwater snails as an intermediate host of Fasciola hepatica in Guatemala. Materials and methods. Freshwater snails were collected in a high-altitude village (3.000 mamsl) from Huehuetenango department, where fasciolasis is endemic. The identification of the snail species was based on the morphological characteristics observed under the stereoscope using an identification key. The trematode phases were searched externally by visual inspection using a light source, and internally by dissection and visual inspection of the tissues under a stereoscope and microscope. Results. 260 snails were found and identified as Pseudosuccinea columella. Two of them were found naturally infected with larval phases of F. hepatica. Conclusions. This is the first report of P. columella carrying phases of F. hepatica in the highlands of Guatemala. It is necessary to increase the research of the ecology of this parasite in other understudied areas in Guatemala and Central America, due to the latent risk of infection for populations of herbivorous animals and humans.Objetivo. Identificar la infección natural de caracoles de agua dulce con Fasciola hepatica en una localidad del altiplano de Guatemala. Materiales y métodos. Se colectaron caracoles de agua dulce en una aldea endémica de fascioliasis, en la localidad de Paquix, en el departamento de Huehuetenango, ubicado a ~3.300 msnm. La identificación de la especie de caracol se basó en las características morfológicas observadas por estereoscopio usando una clave de identificación. La búsqueda de fases del trematodo se realizó mediante la inspección visual externa con fuente de luz y la disección e inspección visual dentro del molusco bajo estereoscopio y microscopio. Resultados. 260 caracoles fueron encontrados e identificados como Pseudosuccinea columella. Se examinaron los especímenes colectados y se encontraron dos caracoles infectados de forma natural con fases larvarias de F. hepatica. Conclusiones. Este es el primer reporte de este hospedero intermediario portando formas de F. hepatica en Guatemala. Es necesario aumentar los reportes de este parásito y de sus interacciones ecológicas en otras áreas no estudiadas de Guatemala y Centro América, debido al riesgo latente de infección para poblaciones de animales herbívoros y humanos

Use of red grape juice (concentrated and treated by UHPH) as a base to produce isotonic drinks

The physical-chemical composition, sensory characteristics, and nutritional value of the grape juice can provide sports drink (isotonic beverage) with antioxidant compounds that complement the beneficial effect of these drinks to the rehydration and replacement of minerals and carbohydrates, during physical activity. Grape juice contains mainly water, sugars, organic acids, and phenolic compounds. By diluting the sugar content of the must to 40-50 g/L, it will allow us to obtain a drink with beneficial properties for health, avoiding the addition of sweeteners. Phenolic compounds play an important role in the prevention of various diseases through their biological activities related to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-aging, antimicrobial and cardioprotective properties. Several studies have shown that grape juice allows to improve the performance of the activity, protect against oxidative damage, and reduce inflammation during, sports activities. The polyphenolic substances present in grape musts provide sensory characteristics of interest, mainly color and aroma, important indicators for consumers when choosing this type of beverage. The anthocyanin content of musts from red varieties, gives the drink a more natural and attractive character for the consumer without the use of synthetic dyes. It is important to recognize the demand of consumers for new innovative, and healthy products, so we focus on the development of a natural, functional drink using red grape musts as a base (concentrated or treated with UHPH) as a source of polyphenols and sugars, showing interesting organoleptic properties without chemical additives, and that allows to replenish electrolytes and energy

Improving the implantation of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in winemaking by UHPH processing

The use of unconventional yeasts, also called non-Saccharomyces yeasts, is a hot topic in current enology due to the improvement that can be produced in the sensory profile during fermentation. However, the use of these yeasts have problems due to difficulties in the implantation and competition with wild Saccharomyces yeasts. Ultra-High Pressure Homogenization (UHPH) has demonstrated to be a powerful tool to eliminate microorganisms in grape must, specially yeast and bacteria even at low in-valve temperatures. UHPH can be considered a non-thermal technology with protective effect on sensitive molecules as terpenes and anthocyanins. The preprocessing of must by UHPH leaves it free of yeast with an optimal sensory quality, being this a perfect situation to inoculate non-Saccharomyces yeasts. We have fermented UHPH musts and controls with several non-Saccharomyces species (Lachancea thermotolerans, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Hanseniaspora vineae), reaching in most of the UHPH treatments better implantations of the inoculated yeasts and a complete elimination of wild yeasts. The impact of the UHPH treatment is a better expression of the metabolic and enzymatic activities of the non-Saccharomyces yeasts. That effect enhances the sensory quality and facilitates the use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts at industrial scale

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

SARS-CoV-2 viral load in nasopharyngeal swabs is not an independent predictor of unfavorable outcome

The aim was to assess the ability of nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral load at first patient’s hospital evaluation to predict unfavorable outcomes. We conducted a prospective cohort study including 321 adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 through RT-PCR in nasopharyngeal swabs. Quantitative Synthetic SARS-CoV-2 RNA cycle threshold values were used to calculate the viral load in log10 copies/mL. Disease severity at the end of follow up was categorized into mild, moderate, and severe. Primary endpoint was a composite of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and/or death (n = 85, 26.4%). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral load over the second quartile (≥ 7.35 log10 copies/mL, p = 0.003) and second tertile (≥ 8.27 log10 copies/mL, p = 0.01) were associated to unfavorable outcome in the unadjusted logistic regression analysis. However, in the final multivariable analysis, viral load was not independently associated with an unfavorable outcome. Five predictors were independently associated with increased odds of ICU admission and/or death: age ≥ 70 years, SpO2, neutrophils > 7.5 × 103/µL, lactate dehydrogenase ≥ 300 U/L, and C-reactive protein ≥ 100 mg/L. In summary, nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral load on admission is generally high in patients with COVID-19, regardless of illness severity, but it cannot be used as an independent predictor of unfavorable clinical outcome

Effectiveness of Fosfomycin for the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli Bacteremic Urinary Tract Infections

IMPORTANCE The consumption of broad-spectrum drugs has increased as a consequence of the spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli. Finding alternatives for these infections is critical, for which some neglected drugs may be an option. OBJECTIVE To determine whether fosfomycin is noninferior to ceftriaxone or meropenem in the targeted treatment of bacteremic urinary tract infections (bUTIs) due to MDR E coli. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This multicenter, randomized, pragmatic, open clinical trial was conducted at 22 Spanish hospitals from June 2014 to December 2018. Eligible participants were adult patients with bacteremic urinary tract infections due to MDR E coli; 161 of 1578 screened patients were randomized and followed up for 60 days. Data were analyzed in May 2021. INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized 1 to 1 to receive intravenous fosfomycin disodium at 4 g every 6 hours (70 participants) or a comparator (ceftriaxone or meropenem if resistant; 73 participants) with the option to switch to oral fosfomycin trometamol for the fosfomycin group or an active oral drug or pa renteral ertapenem for the comparator group after 4 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was clinical and microbiological cure (CMC) 5 to 7 days after finalization of treatment; a noninferiority margin of 7% was considered. RESULTS Among 143 patients in the modified intention-to-treat population (median [IQR] age, 72 [62-81] years; 73 [51.0%] women), 48 of 70 patients (68.6%) treated with fosfomycin and 57 of 73 patients (78.1%) treated with comparators reached CMC (risk difference, -9.4 percentage points; 1-sided 95% CI, -21.5 to infinity percentage points; P = .10). While clinical or microbiological failure occurred among 10 patients (14.3%) treated with fosfomycin and 14 patients (19.7%) treated with comparators (risk difference, -5.4 percentage points; 1-sided 95% CI. -infinity to 4.9; percentage points; P = .19), an increased rate of adverse event-related discontinuations occurred with fosfomycin vs comparators (6 discontinuations [8.5%] vs 0 discontinuations; P = .006). In an exploratory analysis among a subset of 38 patients who underwent rectal colonization studies, patients treated with fosfomycin acquired a new ceftriaxone-resistant or meropenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria at a decreased rate compared with patients treated with comparators (0 of 21 patients vs 4 of 17 patients [23.5%]; 1-sided P = .01). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study found that fosfomycin did not demonstrate noninferiority to comparators as targeted treatment of bUTI from MDR E coli; this was due to an increased rate of adverse event-related discontinuations. This finding suggests that fosfomycin may be considered for selected patients with these infections

Estudio de gasterópodos en fuentes de agua para consumo animal y su papel como potenciales hospederos de Fasciola hepatica en la aldea Paquix, Chiantla, Huehuetenango, del 15 al 17 de marzo de 2008

Se estudiaron los moluscos gasterópodos de la Aldea Paquix, Huehuetenango, con el fin de generar información sobre su papel en el ciclo evolutivo de Fasciola hepática. La Aldea Paquix es un área geográfica donde se ha reportado casos de Fasciolasis en ovejas y en humanos. Para verificar el papel de los gasterópodos del área se tipificaron con claves morfológicas y busque fases larvarias de Fasciola hepática dentro de cada caracol de la muestra. Se colectaron manualmente 530 caracoles lográndose mantener con vida 260 para el estudio. Se tipificaron varios ejemplares de caracol con claves morfológicas y de disección de Burch (1982) hallándose que todos los ejemplares pertenecían a Pseudosuccinea columella. Se examinaronb con el método de disección bajo estereoscopio y con el método de cortes histológicos, hallando con este ultimo fases larvarias de Fasciola hepática en un ejemplar de Pseudosuccinea columella