Cofactors facilitate bona fide prion misfolding in vitro but are not necessary for the infectivity of recombinant murine prions.

Prion diseases, particularly sporadic cases, pose a challenge due to their complex nature and heterogeneity. The underlying mechanism of the spontaneous conversion from PrPC to PrPSc, the hallmark of prion diseases, remains elusive. To shed light on this process and the involvement of cofactors, we have developed an in vitro system that faithfully mimics spontaneous prion misfolding using minimal components.

Nasal microbial diversity is associated with survival in piglets infected by a highly virulent PRRSV-1 strain.

Background: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a major threat to swine industry worldwide, especially virulent variants arising during the last years, such as Spanish PRRSV-1 Rosalia strain. The role of the nasal microbiota in respiratory viral infections is still to be unveiled but may be promisingly related with the health status of the animals and thus, their susceptibility. The goal of this project was to study the nasal microbiota composition of piglets during a highly virulent PRRSV-1 outbreak comparing animals that died due to the infection with animals that survived it.

Pig nasal and rectal microbiotas are involved in the antibody response to Glaesserella parasuis.

Vaccination stands as one of the most sustainable and promising strategies to control infectious diseases in animal production. Nevertheless, the causes for antibody response variation among individuals are poorly understood. The animal microbiota has been shown to be involved in the correct development and function of the host immunity, including the antibody response.

Scoring of swine lung images: a comparison between a computer vision system and human evaluators.

Cranioventral pulmonary consolidation (CVPC) is a common lesion observed in the lungs of slaughtered pigs, often associated with Mycoplasma (M.) hyopneumoniae infection. There is a need to implement simple, fast, and valid CVPC scoring methods.

Monitoring of Selected Swine Viral Diseases in Peruvian Amazon Peccaries.

Peccaries (collared peccary-CP-and white-lipped peccary-WLP) are an essential source of protein and income for rural communities in the Amazon region. Since 1980s, researchers in the Amazon have reported recurrent local disappearances of WLP populations. Although such disappearances impact the species conservation and the food security of rural societies, no studies have drawn consistent conclusions about the causes of these population collapses.

A proposal of a fecal scoring system based on physicochemical analyses of suckling pig feces.

Background: Digestive disorders are one of the main health problems in suckling piglets. The correct visual identification of feces in suckling piglets is an important tool for the diagnosis of enteric diseases. The aim of the present observational study was to analyze different physicochemical parameters of the feces of suckling piglets aged 0 to 21 days: visual appearance (color and consistency), fecal dry matter (FDM) content and pH.

Boosting Vaccine Research: The 16-Year Journey of TRANSVAC Vaccine Infrastructure.

TRANSVAC represents a long-running effort to accelerate the development of novel vaccines by integrating institutions from across Europe under a single collaborative framework. This initiative has empowered the global vaccine community since 2009 including contributing toward the development and optimization of vaccine candidates as well as the provision of new adjuvants, research protocols, and technologies. Scientific services were provided in support of 88 different vaccine development projects, and 400 professionals attended TRANSVAC training events on various vaccine-related topics.

Urban yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) and peri-urban Audouin's gull (Larus audouinii) as a source of Campylobacter and Salmonella of public health relevance.

Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. are the leading cause of human enteric infections in the European Union.

infection on European farms is associated with an altered tonsil microbiome and resistome.

is a Gram-positive opportunistic pathogen causing systemic disease in piglets around weaning age. The factors predisposing to disease are not known. We hypothesized that the tonsillar microbiota might influence disease risk via colonization resistance and/or co-infections.

Automated age grading of female Culex pipiens by an optical sensor system coupled to a mosquito trap.

Background: The age distribution of a mosquito population is a major determinant of its vectorial capacity. To contribute to disease transmission, a competent mosquito vector, carrying a pathogen, must live longer than the extrinsic incubation period of that pathogen to enable transmission to a new host. As such, determining the age of female mosquitoes is of significant interest for vector-borne diseases surveillance and control programs.

Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in exotic pets in Spain.

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in different animal species raises concerns about the potential for animal reservoirs and transmission to humans. Here, we evaluate the exposure of exotic pet species to this virus throughout the early years of the pandemic (2020 - 2022) in southern Spain. A total of 180 exotic pets (126 domestic rabbits, 31 ferrets, and 23 rodents) were analyzed for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 using two different ELISAs.

Long-Term Effects of Early Low-Phosphorous Nutritional Conditioning on Broiler Chicken Performance, Bone Mineralization, and Gut Health Under Adequate or Phosphorous-Deficient Diets.

Phosphorous is essential for many metabolic functions and the constitution of bones. Poultry have limited ability to use phosphorous from diets, which is mainly excreted and causes environmental concern. For this reason, diets are commonly supplemented with inorganic phosphorus and phytases.

A dynamic framework for calculating the biomass of fattening pigs with an application in estimating the burden of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome in the Netherlands.

Gaining insight into the size and composition of national pig populations can support decisions on disease control, welfare, and environmental sustainability. However, if one needs to draw meaningful comparisons between the performance of various production systems or countries, a method for standardization is required. One approach to achieve this is by means of biomass estimation.

An updated phylogeography and population dynamics of porcine circovirus 2 genotypes: are they reaching an equilibrium?

Introduction: Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) emerged more than three decades ago as one of the most impactful pathogens in the swine industry. Despite being a DNA virus, one of the hallmarks of PCV2 is its high evolutionary rate, which has led to the emergence of different genotypes, each exhibiting varying degrees of evolutionary success. Current knowledge suggests the occurrence of three main waves of genotype dominance, alternating over time (i.

Positive impact of early-probiotic administration on performance parameters, intestinal health and microbiota populations in broiler chickens.

Minimizing the utilization of antibiotics in animal production is crucial to prevent the emergence of antimicrobial resistances. Thus, research on alternatives is needed to maintain productivity, sustainability, and animal health. To gain a comprehensive understanding of probiotics' modes of action on performance, intestinal microbiota, and gut health in poultry, 3 probiotic strains (Enterococcus faecalis CV1028 [EntF], Bacteroides fragilis GP1764 [BacF], and Ligilactobacillus salivarius CTC2197 [LacS]) were tested in 2 in vivo trials.

Retrospective Analyses of Porcine Circovirus Type 3 (PCV-3) in Switzerland.

Porcine circovirus 3 (PCV-3) has emerged as a significant pathogen affecting global swine populations, yet its epidemiology and clinical implications remain incompletely understood. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the prevalence and histopathological features of PCV-3 infection in pigs from Switzerland, focusing on archival cases of suckling and weaner piglets presenting with suggestive lesions. An in-house qPCR assay was developed for detecting PCV-3 in frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, enhancing the national diagnostic capabilities.

Identification of Antimicrobial-Resistant Zoonotic Bacteria in Swine Production: Implications from the One Health Perspective.

Antimicrobial resistance poses a major threat to global health and food security and is primarily driven by antimicrobial use in human and veterinary medicine. Understanding its epidemiology at farm level is crucial for effective control measures. Despite the significant reduction in antibiotic use in conventional livestock production, the swine sector traditionally has a higher level of antibiotic use in veterinary medicine.

Experimental and theoretical studies of the electronic transport of an extended curcuminoid in graphene nano-junctions.

Exploiting the potential of curcuminoids (CCMoids) as molecular platforms, a new 3.53 nm extended system (pyACCMoid, 2) has been designed in two steps by reacting a CCMoid with amino-terminal groups (NH-CCMoid, 1, of 1.79 nm length) with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) aldehydes.

Tissue distribution and transmission of Rift Valley fever phlebovirus in European and mosquitoes following intrathoracic inoculation.

Rift Valley fever virus (, RVFV) poses significant economic challenges, particularly in African nations, causing substantial livestock losses and severe haemorrhagic disease in humans. In Europe, the risk of RVFV transmission is deemed moderate due to the presence of competent vectors like and , along with susceptible animal vertebrate hosts across member states. This study investigates RVFV infection dynamics in European mosquito populations, aiming to enhance our understanding of their vectorial capacity and virus transmission, which can be useful for future investigations to improve RVFV surveillance, control programmes, and preventive treatments.

Lack of detection of Porcine circovirus 3 (PCV-3) in formalin-fixed, paraffin- embedded tissues from porcine abortions in Switzerland.

The novel Porcine circovirus 3 (PCV-3) has been associated in the past years to different porcine diseases, including reproductive failure. The potential occurrence of PCV-3 in abortions from Swiss pig herds has not been investigated so far. Thus, we conducted a retrospective study on pig aborted cases submitted to our laboratory in the University of Bern during the last 10 years with the main aim of investigating the possible presence of PCV-3 in foetal and/or placental tissue.