A case of equine multicentric lymphoma: Clinical, microscopical, and molecular findings.

Background: Although relatively uncommon, lymphoma is the most prevalent haematopoietic neoplasia in horses, and multicentric lymphoma remains the most common presentation of the disease. The pathogenesis of equine lymphoma is still poorly understood and the diagnosis is usually confirmed at an advanced stage of the disease, compromising the prognosis. This study investigated the clinical, pathological, and molecular features of a case of equine multicentric lymphoma.

Hunting for Answers: Assessing spp. Seroprevalence and Risks in Red Deer and Wild Boar in Central Portugal.

Between 2016 and 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the central region of Portugal in order to better understand the epidemiology and public health risks resulting from the handling and consumption of game animals infected with spp. The seroprevalence and risk factors for spp. seropositivity were evaluated.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Hepatitis E Virus in Wild Boar and Red Deer in Portugal.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonotic foodborne virus with an annual infection prevalence of 20 million human cases, which seriously affects public health and economic development in both developed and developing countries. To better understand the epidemiology of HEV in Central Portugal, a cross-sectional study was conducted from 2016 to 2023 with sera samples from wild ungulates. The seroprevalence and risk factors for HEV seropositivity were evaluated in the present study.

Seropositivity for in Wild Boar () and Red Deer () in Portugal.

Q fever is caused by the pathogen and is a zoonosis that naturally infects goats, sheep, and cats, but can also infect humans, birds, reptiles, or arthropods. A survey was conducted for the detection of antibodies against in a sample of 617 free-ranging wild ruminants, 358 wild boar () and 259 red deer (), in east-central Portugal during the 2016-2022 hunting seasons. Only adult animals were sampled in this study.

Serological Cross-Reactivity in Zoonotic Flaviviral Infections of Medical Importance.

Flaviviruses are enveloped RNA viruses from the family Flaviviridae that comprise many important human pathogenic arboviruses such as Yellow Fever, Dengue, and Zika viruses. Because they belong to the same genus, these viruses show sequence and structural homology among them, which results in serological cross-reactivity. Upon infection, the immune system produces both species-specific and cross-reactive antibodies, and depending on the virus, in a successive flavivirus infection, cross-reactive antibodies either enhance protection or exacerbate the disease-the latter usually due to antibody-dependent enhancement.

Draft Genome Sequence of a Leptospira kirschneri Serovar Mozdok Type 2 Strain Isolated from a Horse in Portugal.

Leptospira kirschneri is an agent causing leptospirosis in animals and humans. We report the draft genome sequence of Leptospira kirschneri serovar Mozdok type 2 strain Horse 112, comprising 485 contigs and having a genome size of 4,301,784 bp. This genome will facilitate studying important mechanisms for clinical outcomes.

Viral, host and environmental factors that favor anthropozoonotic spillover of coronaviruses: An opinionated review, focusing on SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2.

Environmental factors play a key role in the zoonotic transmission of emerging pathogenic viruses as mankind is constantly disturbing wildlife's ecosystems usually by cutting down forests to build human settlements or by catching wild animals for food, which deprives the viruses of their natural hosts and gives them opportunity to infect humans. In December 2019, a new coronavirus emerged from bats and was named SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee for Taxonomy of Viruses, and the disease it causes named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization. Disease outbreaks such as SARS in 2002-2003, MERS in 2012 and the current COVID-19 pandemic are the result of higher mutation rates of coronaviruses and their unique capacity for genetic recombination, resulting in adaptations that make them more suitable to cross the species barriers and infect other species.

Occupationally Acquired Q Fever in Shepherds and Sheep Milk Cheesemakers.

Q fever is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii, and transmission to humans is often associated with contact with ovine and caprine livestock. Those exposed to sheep are particularly at high risk of infection. Recent studies show that Q fever is increasing in sheep farms in Portugal raising alerts on spillover to humans.

Hepatitis E virus genotype 3 in echinoderms: First report of sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) contamination.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) deriving from manure application runoffs and faecal waste spill over of swine and human origin bypass wastewater treatment plants and contaminate coastal waters. Shellfish bioaccumulate enteric viruses such as HEV from fecally contaminated coastal waters and under current European Regulations, shellfish sanitary status surveillance is mandatory but only by means of bacterial faecal indicators. The sea urchins are under the same regulations and their vulnerability to fecal contamination has been pointed out.

Mumps antibodies in the cord blood: Association with maternal recall of mumps. Possible consequences for vaccination strategies.

The present study aims to contribute to the evaluation of the serological impact of vaccination against mumps in Portugal, measuring anti-mumps IgG (MuIgG) levels in cord sera and the corresponding proportions of seropositive newborns, and their association with potential predictive variables. The data from this study came from 198 umbilical cord sera. Detailed vaccination records were available for all mothers.

Prospective Serosurvey of Coxiella burnetii Antibodies in Selected Sheep of Portugal.

Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii that is highly prevalent across the world. In this study, a prospective serosurvey was performed to study C. burnetii circulation in a population of sheep in the central region of Portugal.

Short communication: detection and molecular characterization of hepatitis E virus in domestic animals of São Tomé and Príncipe.

As in most of the African continent, the status of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in domestic animals in São Tomé and Príncipe, an archipelago off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa, is also completely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the presence of HEV among domestic animals in São Tomé and Príncipe. A total of 93 stool samples from different animal species (goat, cow, pig, chicken, duck, and monkey) were tested for HEV RNA using two real-time RT-PCR assays, followed by a nested RT-PCR assay for sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.

The use of Escherichia coli total antigens as a complementary approach to address seropositivity to Leishmania antigens in canine leishmaniosis.

Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is a major veterinary concern and a public health issue. Serological data are essential for disease management. Several antigens used in serological assays have specificity related problems preventing relevant seropositivity values establishment.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis E Virus Antibodies in Portuguese Children.

Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has become a growing public health concern in industrialized countries. Most of the HEV seroprevalence studies have focused on adult populations, and reports regarding HEV seroepidemiology among children are scarce in these countries. The aims of this work were to perform a nationwide seroprevalence study on HEV infection in Portuguese children and to compare the HEV seropositivity in this 2015 children cohort with results in sera performed 20 years earlier.

Reassortment among picobirnaviruses found in wolves.

We conducted a viral metagenomics study in diarrheic free-ranging wolves in Portugal, revealing for the first time the presence of reassortant picobirnaviruses. These viruses shared identical capsid segments together with diverse RNA-dependent RNA polymerase segments. Even though causality between these picobirnaviruses and diarrhea could not be established, the study nonetheless confirms for the first time that wolves are a potential reservoir for picobirnaviruses, which might play a role as enteric pathogens.

Measles antibodies in cord blood in Portugal: Possible consequences for the recommended age of vaccination.

The optimum age to give the first dose of measles vaccine must balance the risks of disease and vaccine failure. Both are influenced by the levels of transplacentally acquired maternal antibodies. This study was conducted in the Obstetric service of Portuguese hospital, in 2012-2013.

Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Hunted Wild Boars (Sus scrofa): Heart Meat Juice as an Alternative Sample to Serum for the Detection of Antibodies.

Toxoplasmosis is a global zoonosis caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Detection of antibodies to T. gondii in serum samples from hunted animals may represent a key step for public health protection.

Unraveling Sarcocystis miescheriana and Sarcocystis suihominis infections in wild boar.

Sarcocystis species are worldwide spread cyst-forming protozoa that can infect wild boar but little is known about the prevalence of these parasites. In this study we assessed the prevalence of Sarcocystis spp. infections in wild boars from northeastern Portugal, for which novel PCR testing assays targeting Sarcocystis genus, S.

Persistence of measles antibodies, following changes in the recommended age for the second dose of MMR-vaccine in Portugal.

In populations vaccinated with two doses of combined measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR), the serum levels of antibodies against measles depend on the vaccination schedule, time elapsed from the last dose and the area-specific epidemiological situation. Variables measuring "schedule" are age at first and second doses of MMR and intervals derived from that. Changes in vaccination schedules have been made in Portugal.

Fecal virome analysis of three carnivores reveals a novel nodavirus and multiple gemycircularviruses.

Background: More knowledge about viral populations in wild animals is needed in order to better understand and assess the risk of zoonotic diseases. In this study we performed viral metagenomic analysis of fecal samples from three healthy carnivores: a badger (Meles meles), a mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) and an otter (Lutra lutra) from Portugal.

Results: We detected the presence of novel highly divergent viruses in the fecal material of the carnivores analyzed, such as five gemycircularviruses.

First report of chronic hepatitis E in renal transplant recipients in Portugal.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection can be responsible for chronic hepatitis in immunocompromised patients, and can rapidly evolve into fibrosis and/or hepatic cirrhosis. We present two cases of chronic hepatitis E, emphasizing the need to be aware of this entity as a growing etiology of hepatitis in transplant and immunocompromised patients.

First report of a norovirus outbreak associated with the variant Sydney 2012 in Portugal.

Introduction: This study describes the investigation of a gastroenteritis outbreak in a group of students, associated with a dinner reunion in February 2013 in Porto, Portugal.

Methodology: An anonymous structured questionnaire was developed and sent to 34 students who attended the dinner reunion. Eighteen students completed the questionnaire and thirteen met the case definition (attack rate of 72%).

Norovirus GII.4 antibodies in the Portuguese population.

Introduction: Norovirus GII.4 is the leading cause of outbreaks of acute and sporadic acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Information on the prevalence of norovirus in Portugal is scarce or null.

Feline fecal virome reveals novel and prevalent enteric viruses.

Humans keep more than 80 million cats worldwide, ensuring frequent exposure to their viruses. Despite such interactions the enteric virome of cats remains poorly understood. We analyzed a fecal sample from a single healthy cat from Portugal using viral metagenomics and detected five eukaryotic viral genomes.