Publications by authors named "Diaz-Cao J"

Although , and some species are frequently involved in neonatal calf diarrhoea (NCD), detailed studies on their interactions are scarce. Therefore, a cross-sectional study including faecal samples from 404 diarrhoeic calves aged 0-30 days was performed. oocysts and cysts were detected by immunofluorescence antibody test and positive samples were molecularly characterized.

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  • Q fever is a disease linked to reproductive issues in animals, and a study aimed to understand its prevalence in dairy herds in northwest Spain, focusing on risk factors and impacts on reproduction.
  • The research involved collecting bulk tank milk samples from 262 herds and using tests to detect antibodies, alongside data on farm management and location.
  • Results showed that 60.1% of farms were positive for coxiellosis, with identified risk factors including herd size and livestock purchasing, and affected farms had lower conception rates and higher instances of endometritis, highlighting the need for further research on the disease.
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Postweaning diarrhea (PWD) and PRRS are two major concerns in swine production, which association has not been consistently explored. In the current scenario of restrictions in the use of antibiotics and ZnO, vaccination is more relevant to control PWD, but PRRS virus circulation may compromise the immune protection conferred by postweaning colibacillosis vaccines. We evaluated the efficacy of two postweaning colibacillosis vaccines (parenteral and oral) in a commercial herd affected by an outbreak of PWD and with PRRS circulation in postweaning.

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Anomaly detection methods have a great potential to assist the detection of diseases in animal production systems. We used sequence data of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) to define the emergence of new strains at the farm level. We evaluated the performance of 24 anomaly detection methods based on machine learning, regression, time series techniques and control charts to identify outbreaks in time series of new strains and compared the best methods using different time series: PCR positives, PCR requests and laboratory requests.

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To identify the questing tick populations in urban and suburban areas from the city of Lugo (NW Spain), ticks were collected monthly by flagging. The presence of Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp.

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Vaccination against Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) even over several years has proven as an insufficient measure to eradicate the infection from farms, possibly due to not producing sterilizing immunity. Viral persistence in the farm environment has been proposed as a possible cause of reinfection, and for that reason, the main objective of this study was to identify potential critical points where PCV2 could persist in farrow-to-wean farms which had been vaccinating piglets for years. Surface samples were collected from different farm facilities with and without animals and analyzed by qPCR to detect and quantify the viral load.

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A long-term active epidemiological surveillance programme was conducted to determine seroprevalence to myxoma virus (MYXV), infection prevalence and spatiotemporal patterns and factors associated with MYXV circulation in wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Spanish Mediterranean ecosystems. A total of 2376 animals were sampled over four study periods: 2009-2012 (P1), 2012-2015 (P2), 2015-2018 (P3) and 2018-2021 (P4). Antibodies against MYXV were detected by a commercial indirect ELISA in 59.

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  • Research highlights the importance of registry data from veterinary hospitals in understanding cancer in dogs and cats, revealing patterns and risk factors.
  • The study aims to define hospital catchment areas (CAs) using a Bayesian method to prevent biases when analyzing patient data.
  • Findings indicate that only a small percentage of census tracts contribute to cancer case records, with distance to the hospital and household income being significant factors influencing these areas.
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Metastrongyloid and trichuroid cardiorespiratory nematodes of dogs and cats are considered emergent in several European countries, and an increase in the number and extent of endemic foci has been described. Since data on their prevalence are limited in this continent, faecal samples from new arrivals (365 dogs and 65 cats) at two animal shelters in North-western Spain were analysed using both floatation and Baermann techniques. In order to confirm the microscopic identification of Metastrongylidae first stage larvae, molecular characterization based on the sequence of the ITS-2 was performed.

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Enterotoxigenic (ETEC) is one of the major pathogens involved in neonatal calf diarrhoea (NCD) causing high economic losses in dairy farms. Antibiotic treatment is common in cases of systemic illness caused by NCD, but antimicrobial susceptibility tests (AST) are usually not performed. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize the antimicrobial susceptibility of ETEC strains obtained from calves with diarrhoea between 2018-2020.

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  • The study examined the presence and distribution of various Anaplasma species in roe deer from Spain, testing 224 spleen samples using qPCR techniques.
  • Anaplasma DNA was found in 50.9% of the samples, identifying four species, with Anaplasma phagocytophilum being the most common.
  • This research highlights not only the widespread occurrence of Anaplasma spp. in roe deer but also suggests the potential role of these animals in spreading bacteria harmful to humans and domestic animals through co-infections.
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A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and associated risk factors in pigs in the largest pork-producing region in Cuba. Serum samples from 420 pigs, including 210 sows and 210 post-weaning pigs, were tested for antibodies against T. gondii using a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

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Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) and are economically important pathogens in swine farms. Vaccination is the main preventive measure for both infections. In order to test two ready-to-use bivalent vaccines, 646 piglets from a herd actively infected with both pathogens were stratified according to the sow parity number and randomly assigned to three groups: A and B were vaccinated with two different vaccines, respectively, while C remained as the unvaccinated control.

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Air and surfaces of swine farms are the two alternative samples to obtain information about the health status of the herd. The aim of this study was to assess air and surface sampling for the detection of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) in vaccinated and unvaccinated fattening farms, studying the relationship between the viral load in these samples with the viremia at herd level. Three swine fattening batches (one unvaccinated; two vaccinated) were monitored at 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 weeks old; at each stage, blood, air and different surfaces were sampled and analysed by qPCR.

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  • A survey conducted in southern Spain evaluated tick-borne pathogens in 1,132 wild ungulates over a six-year period, revealing a 14.7% infection rate among the animals tested, including red deer and mouflon with specific pathogens present.
  • Specific pathogens detected included Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia divergens, with no infections found in wild boar, highlighting a significant species-related prevalence of infections.
  • The study indicates that wild ruminants may play a crucial role in maintaining these pathogens in Mediterranean ecosystems, while the impact of wild boars is minimal in this setting.
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  • The study investigates the link between Bovine gammaherpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4) exposure and reproductive health in dairy cattle in northwestern Spain, analyzing 2,022 sera from 50 farms.
  • A high seroprevalence of 66.6% individually and 98% at the herd level was found, with older cattle (26-36 months) showing increased exposure.
  • Although BoHV-4 didn't significantly affect herd fertility or abortion rates, seropositive cows in the 26-36 month age group had longer time periods between calving and insemination, as well as higher chances of unsuccessful insemination attempts.
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  • * Analysis of 1,796 ruminant blood samples revealed a 29.8% seroprevalence overall, with 31.1% in sheep and 28.6% in goats, and a substantial farm prevalence of 76.7%.
  • * Findings indicated that SBV exposure in ruminants was influenced by management practices (extensive), higher temperatures (>14ºC), and lower altitudes (<400 metres), with notable spatial clusters of high ser
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Cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) is a severe cardiac disease of Atlantic salmon caused by the piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV), which was first reported in Ireland in 2012. In this paper, we describe the use of data-driven network modeling as a framework to evaluate the transmission of PMCV in the Irish farmed Atlantic salmon population and the impact of different mitigation measures. Input data included live fish movement data from 2009 to 2017, population dynamics events and the spatial location of the farms.

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  • AMDV causes significant economic losses in fur production, making it essential to identify infection sources using phylogenetic analysis.
  • The study focused on Spanish AMDV strains from 2012-2019, sequencing 37 strains from 17 farms to better understand the infection routes.
  • Results indicated that most outbreaks were likely due to internal farm reservoirs, with some cases linked to international trade, highlighting the importance of combining phylogenetic and epidemiological data for effective disease control.
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An epidemiological surveillance programme was carried out to assess exposure and spatiotemporal patterns of selected pathogens (Brucella spp., Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), Mycoplasma agalactiae, Pestivirus and bluetongue virus (BTV)) in Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) from Andalusia (southern Spain), the region with the largest population of this species.

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Bluetongue (BT) is a reportable re-emerging vector-borne disease of animal health concern. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) are frequently used in BT surveillance programs in domestic ruminants, but their diagnostic accuracy has not been evaluated for wild ruminants, which can play an important role as natural reservoirs of bluetongue virus (BTV). The aim of this study was to assess two commercial ELISAs for BT diagnosis in wild ruminants using control sera of known BTV infection status and field samples.

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Pigs reared under extensive farming conditions are currently in high commercial demand because they are associated with high-quality products. Nevertheless, the risk of contact with different pathogens of animal and public health concern is also higher in extensive production systems. Toxoplasma gondii is a widely prevalent zoonotic pathogen and transmission by contaminated pork is likely one of the main routes of human toxoplasmosis.

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  • Tick-borne diseases, particularly rickettsioses from the spotted fever group, are emerging concerns in the context of zoonotic diseases.
  • A study in north-western Spain found Rickettsia DNA in various ticks, with a significant 20.7% of Ixodes ricinus testing positive, especially from coastal regions and during winter months.
  • Five Rickettsia species were identified, highlighting potential health risks, and further research is needed to understand the role of I. ricinus as a vector for these pathogens.
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Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the aetiological agent of PCV2-Systemic Disease (PCV2-SD) and PCV2-Subclinical Infection (PCV2-SI). PCV2 is highly resistant to environmental conditions, being able to remain in the farm environment and thus represent a risk for infection maintenance. The aim of this study was to identify, under field conditions, the possible critical points in the environment of non-vaccinated farrow-to-weaning swine farms where PCV2 could accumulate and persist.

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Toxoplasma gondii is a widely distributed zoonotic protozoan parasite, which can affect most warm-blooded species. Some species of non-human primates (NHPs) are highly susceptible to T. gondii infection.

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