Publications by authors named "Oscar Cabezon"

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the presence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in an isolated indigenous community in rural Amazonia, focusing on the human-wildlife interactions and potential health risks.
  • Researchers found HBV antibodies in three wildlife species as well as in 9.1% of human samples, while HEV IgG was detected in 17.1% of humans, suggesting significant exposure levels.
  • The findings emphasize the need for improved food handling, sanitation, and hygiene practices to mitigate health risks related to zoonotic transmission in this vulnerable region.
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), considered a zoonotic agent of wildlife origin, can infect various animal species, including wildlife in free-range and captive environments. Detecting susceptible species and potential reservoirs is crucial for preventing the transmission, spread, genetic evolution, and further emergence of viral variants that are major threats to global health. This study aimed to detect exposure or acute infection by SARS-CoV-2 in 420 animals from 40 different wildlife species, including terrestrial and aquatic mammals, from different regions of Spain during the 2020-2023 coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic.

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is a generalist zoonotic parasite that involves a wide range of warm-blooded animals as intermediate hosts and felines as definitive hosts. Recent studies have proved significant positive associations between human population density and seroprevalence in wildlife. However, there is limited data regarding wildlife in urban areas, where the highest human density occurs.

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is a ubiquitous zoonotic protozoan parasite that infects a wide variety range of warm-blooded animals. This study describes the epidemiological scenario of in an indigenous community that relies on subsistence hunting in a well-conserved and isolated area of the Peruvian Amazon. The high seropositivity against in humans (83.

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is a zoonotic protozoan parasite distributed worldwide that is transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies. Dogs are the main reservoir for human infections. However, in recent years, the capacity of lagomorphs to contribute to transmission has been confirmed.

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Adiaspiromycosis is a nontransmissible infectious pulmonary disease caused by the inhalation of propagules from fungal species belonging to the family Ajellomicetaceae, especially Emergomyces crescens. Adiaspiromycosis caused by E. crescens has been recorded in a broad number of species worldwide, with small burrowing mammals being considered the main hosts for this environmental pathogen.

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Identifying the role that host species play in pathogen transmission and maintenance is crucial for disease control, but it is a difficult task, in particular for vector-borne and multi-host pathogens, and especially when wildlife species are involved. This is the case for a Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) hotspot in north-eastern Spain, where Iberian ibex () and wild boar () are involved, but their roles in disease transmission are unclear. In this context, we studied the dynamics of CCHFV transmission in these two species during the collapse of an Iberian ibex population due to a sarcoptic mange outbreak.

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Serosurvey results for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus antibodies in dromedary camels in Algeria indicate that the pathogen is circulating endemically in desertic areas, despite the hostile environment. Thus, dromedaries are suitable sentinels for detecting human risk for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in desertic areas.

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Since 2001, high-mortality outbreaks of border disease (BD) have negatively affected populations of Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica). Studies in the affected areas determined that sympatric wild ruminants did not seem to have an epidemiologic role in the circulation of border disease virus (BDV). However, the recent increase in European mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) densities might enhance the risk of pathogen transmission among chamois and mouflons.

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Foodborne pathogens are an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. To assess the presence of Salmonella, Campylobacter and Arcobacter spp. in livestock, wildlife, and humans from different regions across western Uganda, 479 faecal samples were tested by PCR.

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Human activities are causing dramatic declines in ecosystem health, compromising the functioning of the life-support system, economic activity, and animal and human health. In this context, monitoring the health of ecosystems and wildlife populations is crucial for determining ecological dynamics and assessing management interventions. A growing body of evidence indicates that microbiome provides a meaningful early indicator of ecosystem and wildlife health.

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Background: Anthropogenic disturbance has the potential to negatively affect wildlife health by altering food availability and diet composition, increasing the exposure to agrochemicals, and intensifying the contact with humans, domestic animals, and their pathogens. However, the impact of these factors on the fecal microbiome composition of wildlife hosts and its link to host health modulation remains barely explored. Here we investigated the composition of the fecal bacterial microbiome of the insectivorous bat Kuhl's pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhlii) dwelling in four environmental contexts with different levels of anthropogenic pressure.

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infection in healthy animals is often asymptomatic. However, some species with little history of contact with the parasite, such as marsupials and New World primates, present high mortality rates after infection. Despite its potential conservation concern, infection in insectivorous bats has received little attention, and its impact on bat populations' health is unknown.

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Chytridiomycosis, caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), has had an unprecedented impact on amphibian biodiversity. Although Bd is globally widespread, Bsal is currently spreading, increasing the probability that these pathogens will co-occur in individual amphibians. Interactions among coinfecting parasites can have significant outcomes on disease dynamics and impact and, therefore, may have important consequences for amphibian conservation.

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We conducted a retrospective serosurvey for antibodies against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in wild ungulates along the eastern Mediterranean Coast of Spain. The virus has been endemic in this region since 2010 but is mainly restricted to geographic clusters with extremely high seropositivity associated with high density of bovids.

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As one of the most relevant foodborne diseases, it is essential to know the factors related to the transmission, persistence and prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection. Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) might play a relevant role in T.gondii's life cycle.

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We conducted a serosurvey for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus antibodies in various wildlife species in Catalonia, northeastern Spain. We detected high seroprevalence in southern Catalonia, close to the Ebro Delta wetland, a key stopover for birds migrating from Africa. Our findings could indicate that competent virus vectors are present in the region.

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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has spread worldwide due to the inappropriate use of antimicrobial drugs in human and veterinary medicine, becoming a public health problem. However, little is known about its occurrence and maintenance in wild animals, and very few studies have been carried out in ecosystems subjected to low human pressure. In our study, nasal and lung swabs were collected from hunted Pyrenean chamois (), and nasal swabs from sympatric domestic sheep were also collected.

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Infections by Chlamydiae are associated with ocular disease in humans and animals. In this study, the presence and diversity of spp. was assessed in diseased and healthy eyes of domestic sheep and wild ruminants that share mountain habitats in northern Spain.

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Background: Livestock play an important role as reservoir of enteric pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a health and economic concern worldwide. However, little is known regarding the transmission and maintenance of these pathogens at the wildlife-livestock interface. In this study, we assessed the occurrence, genetic diversity and AMR of Campylobacter spp.

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The presence of respiratory viruses and pestiviruses in sheep has been widely demonstrated, and their ability to cause injury and predispose to respiratory processes have been proven experimentally. A longitudinal observational study was performed to determine the seroprevalence of bovine parainfluenza virus type 3 (BPIV-3), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1) and pestiviruses in 120 lambs at the beginning and the end of the fattening period. During this time, the animals were clinically monitored, their growth was recorded, and post-mortem examinations were performed in order to identify the presence of pneumonic lesions in the animals.

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Fasciola hepatica is a liver parasite of ruminants whose distribution is determined by its intermediate host, the freshwater snail Galba truncatula. In Europe, F. hepatica is mostly associated with lowlands.

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A large-scale study was carried out to determine the prevalence of antibodies against Pestivirus species in wild ruminants and describe their spatial variation in mainland Spain. Serum samples of 1,874 wild ruminants from different regions of this country were collected between the years 2000 and 2017. A total of 6.

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Porcine circovirus 3 (PCV-3) is the third member of the family , genus , able to infect swine. A high prevalence of viral DNA has been recorded in wild boars. Recently, PCV-3 DNA was identified in Italian wild ruminants.

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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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