Macrocyclic lactones and ectoparasites control in livestock: Efficacy, drug resistance and therapeutic challenges.

Macrocyclic lactones (MLs) are the cornerstone of parasite control in livestock due to their broad-spectrum activity against endo (nematodes) and ecto (lice, ticks, mites) parasites. These molecules, introduced into the veterinary pharmaceutical market 40 years ago, have substantially improved animal welfare and productivity by offering extended high efficacy, reducing treatment frequency, and displaying a favorable safety profile. However, their widespread and intensive use has led to a significant challenge nowadays: the development of parasite resistance.

Interaction between bacterial microbiota and nematode parasite communities in sheep's gastrointestinal tract.

The economic impact of gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infections on livestock production is well documented worldwide. Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that parasite colonization induces significant changes in the GI tract environment and, therefore, in the landscape where the microbiota and parasites occur. Understanding the interactions between bacterial and parasite populations in the digestive tract of livestock may be useful to design parasite control strategies based on microbiota modification.

Evaluation of a Lung Ultrasound Score in Hospitalized Adult Patients with COVID-19 in Barcelona, Spain.

: During the COVID-19 pandemic and the burden on hospital resources, the rapid categorization of high-risk COVID-19 patients became essential, and lung ultrasound (LUS) emerged as an alternative to chest computed tomography, offering speed, non-ionizing, repeatable, and bedside assessments. Various LUS score systems have been used, yet there is no consensus on an optimal severity cut-off. We assessed the performance of a 12-zone LUS score to identify adult COVID-19 patients with severe lung involvement using oxygen saturation (SpO)/fractional inspired oxygen (FiO) ratio as a reference standard to define the best cut-off for predicting adverse outcomes.

Albendazole metabolites excretion in human saliva as a biomarker to assess treatment compliance in mass drug administration (MDA) anthelmintic programs.

Soil-transmitted-helminth (STH) infections continue to be a persistent global public health problem. Control strategies for STH have been based on the use of mass drug administration (MDA). Coverage and compliance assessment is critical to understanding the true effectiveness of albendazole (ABZ) in those MDA programs.

Ivermectin antiviral activity against Varicellovirus bovinealpha 1: assessment of intracellular drug accumulation in virus-infected cells.

Varicellovirus bovinealpha 1 (formerly bovine alphaherpesvirus type 1, BoAHV-1) is associated with several syndromes in cattle, including respiratory disease and is one of the main agents involved in the bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC). Its infectious cycle is characterized by latent infections with sporadic virus reactivation and transmission. Although the acute disease can be prevented by the use of vaccines, specific therapeutic measures are not available.