Publications by authors named "Jorge Lopez-Olvera"

Knowledge of pathogen epidemiological dynamics and habitat ecological features is essential for wildlife population and health monitoring and management. Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are two broadly distributed multi-host parasites that affect both wild and domestic animals and, in the case of T. gondii, cause zoonosis.

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Fiber is essential for rumen health, microbial fermentation, and the energy supply of herbivores. Even though the study of fecal fiber contents (neutral detergent fiber NDF, acid detergent fiber ADF, and acid detergent lignin ADL) using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) has allowed investigating nutritional ecology of different herbivore species, NIRS calibrations are species-specific and require a large number of samples for predictions. A multispecies calibration would be an advantage since samples from different herbivores could be used to calibrate a model capable of predicting the fecal fiber content of other herbivores.

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The prevalence of respiratory nematodes in domestic animals has increased in Europe in recent decades. is the most common parasitic nematode of the respiratory tract in felids, and an increase in its prevalence has been suggested in different European countries including Spain, with values ranging from 0% to 30%. The Baermann technique was used to detect metastrongyloid larvae in 93 faecal samples from cats living in colonies (n = 29), cats living in shelters (n = 30), and owned cats (n = 34).

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Background: Sarcoptic mange is an emerging and neglected contagious skin disease caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, affecting humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Mange is the main disease and a major concern for the management and conservation of populations of Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica), a medium-sized mountain ungulate endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and Northern Pyrenees. Differences in host-parasite interaction and host immune response determine mange clinical outcome, but little is known about the related differences in gene expression.

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Hepatitis E virus (HEV), shared by humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, is an emerging global public health threat. Because wild boars are a major reservoir of HEV, the new zoonotic interfaces resulting from wild boar population increase and synurbization significantly contribute to increasing the risk of zoonotic transmission of HEV. This study characterizes HEV strains of synurbic wild boars and assesses their relationship with sympatric human and domestic swine HEV strains.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates injuries caused by wild boar encounters in urban areas, focusing on a systematic literature review and the creation of a wound management protocol.
  • A total of 14 relevant studies were reviewed, and data from 34 patients treated for wild boar injuries between 2020-2022 was analyzed, revealing that most injuries were superficial, primarily occurring on the lower limbs.
  • The proposed management protocol resulted in a low complication rate, with recommendations for specific treatments including antibiotics, tetanus vaccinations, and individualized care plans based on injury type.
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Home range and home range overlap can be used to describe use of space and movement of wildlife. During the last years, advancements in technology have greatly improved our understanding of animal movement, especially among large herbivores. Wild ungulate abundance and distribution have increased in temperate areas.

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Wild ungulates are expanding in range and number worldwide leading to an urgent need to manage their populations to minimize conflicts and promote coexistence with humans. In the metropolitan area of Barcelona (MAB), wild boar is the main wildlife species causing a nuisance, from traffic accidents to health risks. Selective harvesting of specific sex and age classes and reducing anthropogenic food resources would be the most efficient approach to dealing with overpopulation.

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Infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) is an eye disease caused by that affects domestic and wild caprines, including Iberian ibex (), a medium-sized mountain ungulate. However, its role in IKC dynamics in multi-host communities has been poorly studied. This study assessed in Iberian ibex and seasonally sympatric domestic small ruminants in the Natural Space of Sierra Nevada (NSSN), a mountain habitat in southern Spain.

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Urbanization is an ongoing global environmental change. Wildlife may respond using anthropized environments and resources, which is known as synurbization, creating human-wildlife interactions. Wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations have become common in urban areas, including the metropolitan area of Barcelona.

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Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus (CCHFV) is a tick-borne zoonotic pathogen that can cause a lethal haemorrhagic disease in humans. Although the virus appears to be endemically established in the Iberian Peninsula, CCHF is an emerging disease in Spain. Clinical signs of CCHFV infection are mainly manifested in humans, but the virus replicates in several animal species.

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  • Sarcoptic mange significantly impacts the health of Iberian ibex, with variations in disease severity linked to individual immune responses.
  • The study involved infesting fourteen ibexes with S. scabiei and analyzing skin immune responses over time, focusing on different types of immune cells.
  • Findings indicate that a strong Th1-type immune response correlates with better recovery outcomes, highlighting how local immune responses influence mange severity in these animals.
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Iberian ibex ( ) is an ecologically and economically relevant medium-sized emblematic mountain ungulate. Diseases participate in the population dynamics of the species as a regulating agent, but can also threaten the conservation and viability of vulnerable population units. Moreover, Iberian ibex can also be a carrier or even a reservoir of pathogens shared with domestic animals and/or humans, being therefore a concern for livestock and public health.

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The Apennine chamois () is one of the rarest subspecies in Italy, listed in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive and currently included as a vulnerable subspecies in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The Maiella National Park population has recently been defined as a source population for reintroduction into other parks. Since collective captures allow for better selection of target animals for the establishment of new colonies, the aim of this study is to evaluate the physiological conditions and animal welfare in free-ranging Apennine chamois after collective physical capture followed by chemical immobilization with medetomidine 0.

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Applying contemporary trapping standards when managing wildlife should no longer be an option, but a duty. Increasing wild boar populations originate a growing number of conflicts and hunting is the only cost-effective management option in most cases. However, new scenarios where hunting is unfeasible emerge and trapping necessities cope with lacking regulatory frameworks and technical guidelines.

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Sarcoptic mange is considered the main driver of demographic declines occurred in the last decades in Iberian ibex () populations. Mass treatment campaigns by administration of in-feed acaricides are used as a measure to mitigate the impact of mange in the affected populations. However, there are no data on ivermectin (IVM) pharmacokinetics in this wild caprine, and the treatment through medicated feed is not endorsed by evidence on its effectiveness.

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  • Urban wildlife ecology is increasingly important due to urbanization, with a lack of understanding about how species like wild boars adapt to urban environments and their population dynamics.
  • This study focuses on the genetic structure of urban wild boars in Barcelona to determine if they are isolated or connected to rural populations, revealing that they form a distinct island population despite gene flow from rural areas.
  • Findings suggest that urban wild boars act as a species that benefits from urban environments, leading to potential human-wildlife conflicts, and management strategies should aim to reduce their migration to cities and prevent habituation to human presence.
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  • Iberian wild goats faced severe genetic bottlenecks in the 19th and 20th centuries due to overhunting and habitat loss, leading to low genetic diversity.
  • Augmentation translocations were implemented from the 1970s to the 1990s to help restock their populations, but these efforts were poorly planned and recorded.
  • Recent analysis shows limited signs of hybridization with domestic goats, but it indicates potential threats to the genetic integrity of Iberian wild goats, emphasizing the need for protective measures against uncontrolled domestic goat herds in their habitats.
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  • Some countries in Europe have programs to keep track of wildlife health, but not all do it the same way, and many lack important information about their wildlife.
  • A workshop was held to share ideas and experiences from countries with better wildlife health programs so others can learn from them.
  • Key challenges like funding, sharing information, and needing expert help were discussed, along with recommendations to improve wildlife health monitoring across Europe.
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  • * Diagnosis was confirmed through necropsy, skin examinations, and genetic analysis of the sarcoptic mange-causing mite, Sarcoptes scabiei, found in the wild boar.
  • * This case marks the first documentation of sarcoptic mange in wild boars in Spain and highlights the potential for cross-transmission of the parasite between species.
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  • Tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) are becoming a significant public health issue due to global changes, and wild boars are a major concern as they can host zoonotic pathogens and increase tick populations.
  • A study in the metropolitan area of Barcelona from 2014 to 2016 involved sampling wild boars and identifying tick species, finding a prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in tick pools but none in the wild boar spleens.
  • The findings indicate a transmission risk of Rickettsia spp. to local residents and suggest that while wild boars aren't direct reservoirs for Rickettsia, their presence may increase the risk of human infection through ticks.
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  • * A study in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona analyzed fecal samples from 200 wild boars, revealing an 8.0% prevalence of β-lactam antimicrobial resistance genes and the detection of the toxigenic pathogen TcdA+ in two individuals, marking a first for Spain.
  • * The findings suggest that urban foraging wild boars are more exposed to antimicrobial resistant bacteria (AMRB) sources, indicating their role as indicators of environmental AMRB and potential public health threats, necessitating further investigation and control measures.
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The diet composition of ungulates is important to understand not only their impact on vegetation, but also to understand the consequences of natural and human-driven environmental changes on the foraging behavior of these mammals. In this work, we evaluated the use of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy analysis (NIRS), a quick, economic and non-destructive method, to assess the diet composition of the Pyrenean chamois . Fecal samples ( = 192) were collected from two chamois populations in the French and Spanish Pyrenees.

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Urbanisation is a global human-induced environmental change and one of the most important threats to biodiversity. To survive in human-modified environments, wildlife must adjust to the challenging selection pressures of urban areas through behaviour, morphology, physiology and/or genetic changes. Here we explore the effect of urbanisation in a large, highly adaptable and generalist urban adapter species, the wild boar (Sus scrofa, Linnaeus 1758).

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