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Beneath the hot debate about the tempo and mode of the first human colonization of Europe is the perception that the record of human presence in the Early Pleistocene is sparse and fragmented. As a result, it is often implicitly assumed... more
Beneath the hot debate about the tempo and mode of the first human colonization of Europe is the perception that the record of human presence in the Early Pleistocene is sparse and fragmented. As a result, it is often implicitly assumed that hominins, if present, were scarce in the Early Pleistocene Eu-ropean ecosystems. Here we present a quantitative assessment of the rarity and commonness of the European large mammal species during the 1.4e0.8 Ma period, including hominins. Considering the palaeontological record only, Homo was not one of the most common species in Europe, but it may not be considered a rare species. In contrast, taking into consideration the archaeological record, hominins exhibit a wide geographical distribution and a high frequency of occurrence (occupancy) in comparison with other large mammals. It is speculated that hominins were frequent but not abundant in Europe during the late Early Pleistocene.
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Research Interests: Archaeology, Anthropology, Amber, Magdalenian, Mobility, and 4 moreRaw materials, Anthropologie, Marine Mammal, and Jet
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The first human settlement of Europe occurred around 1.6 Ma, although human populations were unable to cross parallel 45°N until 1.2 Ma We analyse the distribution of mammalian species during the early Pleistocene to evaluate the possible... more
The first human settlement of Europe occurred around 1.6 Ma, although human populations were unable to cross parallel 45°N until 1.2 Ma We analyse the distribution of mammalian species during the early Pleistocene to evaluate the possible existence of a climatic or ecological barrier that prevented the northern expansion of those early colonisers. Differences in the composition of the Mediterranean and northern
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Research Interests: Ancient History, Prehistoric Archaeology, Human Evolution, Technology, Western Europe, and 18 morePalaeoanthropology, Prehistoric Europe (Archaeology), Multidisciplinary, Nature, European Prehistory (Archaeology), Prehistory, Spain, Mammals, Hominin evolution, Atapuerca, Fossils, Animals, Mandible, first peoplement of Europe, Dental human remains, Hominidae, Cosmogenic Nuclides, and Geologic Sediments
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Research Interests: Public Health, Carnivora, Endangered Species, United Kingdom, Clinical Microbiology, and 18 moreBiological Sciences, Tuberculosis, Fallow deer, Red deer, Deer, Animals, Clinical, Wild Boar, New Zealand, Bovine Tuberculosis, Cervus elaphus, Cattle, Intervention study, Lynx lynx, Bos Taurus, Sus Scrofa, Mycobacterium bovis, and Wild animal
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Current methods for detection and identification of mycobacteria from clinical specimens, with particular interest in M avium and other nontuberculous mycobacteria, are reviewed. Traditional microbiological procedures, including... more
Current methods for detection and identification of mycobacteria from clinical specimens, with particular interest in M avium and other nontuberculous mycobacteria, are reviewed. Traditional microbiological procedures, including microscopy, comparison of the different pretreatment methods for decontamination and culture media, and DNA probes and high-performance liquid chromatography techniques are evaluated. New methods include the polymerase chain reaction, a new tool available for quick identification of mycobacteria. The protocol used for detection of the etiologic agent of six cases of bird mycobacteriosis is briefly described. Authors recommend this technique as a rapid and reliable diagnosic method.
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Research Interests: Genetics, Microbiology, Parasitology, Zoology, Technology, and 49 moreImmunology, Veterinary Microbiology, Dairy Science, Medical Microbiology, Toxoplasma, Japan, Carnivora, Rodentia, Czech Republic, Cats, India, Biological Sciences, Dogs, Virulence, Phylogeny, Cercopithecus aethiops, Animal Genetics, Humans, Mutation, Mice, Haplotypes, Birds, Female, Animals, Male, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Cluster Analysis, DNA fingerprinting, Bovine Tuberculosis, Clinical Sciences, Cattle, Anticancer, Aged, Middle Aged, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Swine, Linkage Disequilibrium, Captive Wild Animals, Veterinary Sciences, Rabbits, Base Sequence, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Mycobacterium bovis, Genetic Markers, Vero cells, Biochemistry and cell biology, Gene Expression Regulation, and Molecular Sequence Data
Objective To evaluate the usefulness of the gamma-interferon assay in the diagnosis of caprine tuberculosis in comparison with a single intradermal tuberculin test, and to obtain a group of animals free from this infection in a herd with... more
Objective To evaluate the usefulness of the gamma-interferon assay in the diagnosis of caprine tuberculosis in comparison with a single intradermal tuberculin test, and to obtain a group of animals free from this infection in a herd with a high prevalence.Design An immunological study involving four serial comparative gamma-interferon and single intradermal tuberculin tests.Animals A herd of 87 goats of Guadarrama breed.Procedure Serial testing and segregation of animals.Results We found that the number of infections detected by the gamma-interferon test was considerably greater than the number detected by the single intradermal tuberculin test. A group of 10 animals was negative to both tests in two consecutive rounds and three kids were negative in the last round of testing.Conclusions Gamma-interferon assay is appropriate for diagnosis and eradication of tuberculosis in goats. This test is able to detect early Mycobacterium bovis infection. Avian reactors with simultaneous increased reaction to bovine PPD in the gamma-interferon assay (designated as avianB reactors) should be considered test positive for M bovis. By serial testing with the gamma-interferon and the single intradermal tuberculin tests, and a policy of segregation of kids at birth, it is possible to achieve a group of animals test negative for tuberculosis from a herd of goats with high immunoreactivity to this infection.
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Tuberculosis in goats (caused by Mycobacterium caprae and M. bovis) has become a significant concern in recent years because of its high prevalence in certain caprine herds in Spain and other European countries, and also due to the... more
Tuberculosis in goats (caused by Mycobacterium caprae and M. bovis) has become a significant concern in recent years because of its high prevalence in certain caprine herds in Spain and other European countries, and also due to the potential transmission to other animals and human beings. In the present study, a transthoracic model of tuberculosis infection was performed on goats. Animals were selected based on the serological response used to detect paratuberculosis in goats (negative and positive results). The kinetics of the immune response was evaluated using the interferon-γ (IFN-γ) assay, skin tests and serology of paratuberculosis during nine months post-challenge. At the end of the study the animals were necropsied, tuberculosis-lesions were scored and culture (M. caprae and M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis) was performed to determine the true infection status. Animals were positive to the IFN-γ assay 15 days post-challenge and the values were fluctuating throughout the study. A varied performance of the assay was observed between tuberculosis and tuberculosis-paratuberculosis mixed infection regarding both the number of positive results and the OD values obtained after stimulation with bovine and avian PPDs. Furthermore, the single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin test did not detect all M. caprae-infected animals. At necropsy, a positive correlation between pathology score and bovine PPD specific IFN-γ response was found.
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The role of wildlife in tuberculosis epidemiology is being widely studied since it can affect the effectiveness of eradication campaigns in cattle. The health problem is enhanced when it concerns also wildlife welfare and biodiversity... more
The role of wildlife in tuberculosis epidemiology is being widely studied since it can affect the effectiveness of eradication campaigns in cattle. The health problem is enhanced when it concerns also wildlife welfare and biodiversity conservation. This study was performed to understand the epidemiology of Mycobacterium bovis population affecting livestock and wild animals in the Doñana National Park using bacteriology and molecular characterisation techniques. Tuberculosis research was performed on 1209 cattle and wild animals (artiodactyla and carnivore) collected over 6 years in the Park. One hundred and sixty-three animals were found to be infected with M. bovis, comprising 7.96% of the cattle and 20.53% of the wild animals tested. Spoligotyping revealed nine patterns, being SB1232 and SB1230 the most prevalent (77.30% and 15.34% of infected animals, respectively). MIRU-VNTR analysis of a selected panel of 92 isolates showed eight different profiles, including several spoligotypes within the same MIRU-VNTR profile. The discriminatory capacity of both techniques in this panel was similar. The results obtained by combination of both techniques corroborate that wildlife species are infected with the M. bovis strains which are more prevalent in cattle and reveal their persistence. Genotype variation between isolates strongly suggests micro-evolutionary events in the M. bovis population in the same area. This study in the Doñana National Park exposes the risk of introduction of domestic animals into wildlife areas when there is not a warranty of disease freedom, appropriate diagnostic techniques and control measures.
Research Interests: Microbiology, Veterinary Microbiology, Molecular Evolution, Veterinary, Spain, and 15 moreBiodiversity Conservation, Tuberculosis, Animals, Bacteria, DNA fingerprinting, Cattle, National Park, Genotype, Health Problems, Wild animals, Captive Wild Animals, Genetic variation, Veterinary Sciences, Mycobacterium bovis, and Wild animal
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A total of 129 Mycobacterium bovis strains from 5 different Spanish locations were fingerprinted using the IS6110 repetitive element. We demonstrated the presence of multiple copies (from 2 to 13) of IS6110 in a large proportion (47.4%)... more
A total of 129 Mycobacterium bovis strains from 5 different Spanish locations were fingerprinted using the IS6110 repetitive element. We demonstrated the presence of multiple copies (from 2 to 13) of IS6110 in a large proportion (47.4%) of the M.bovis strains isolated from cattle and we showed that these strains can be successfully differentiated by means of the RFLP with IS6110. All of the M. bovis strains isolated from goats had multiple copies of IS6110 and 4 bands of 2, 1.7, 1.4 and 1.3 kb were common in all the caprine RFLP patterns. The caprine strains formed a clearly separate cluster from the bovine strains.
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Research Interests: Microbiology, Veterinary Microbiology, Molecular Evolution, Veterinary, Spain, and 15 moreBiodiversity Conservation, Tuberculosis, Animals, Bacteria, DNA fingerprinting, Cattle, National Park, Genotype, Health Problems, Wild animals, Captive Wild Animals, Genetic variation, Veterinary Sciences, Mycobacterium bovis, and Wild animal
Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium caprae are zoonotic bacteria that cause tuberculosis with several clinical manifestations. We have evaluated the susceptibility to anti-tuberculosis drugs of a panel of Spanish isolates of animal... more
Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium caprae are zoonotic bacteria that cause tuberculosis with several clinical manifestations. We have evaluated the susceptibility to anti-tuberculosis drugs of a panel of Spanish isolates of animal origin. The analysis of the sequence of the main genes involved in resistance was performed in 41 M. bovis and five M. caprae. The katG, inhA, rpsL, embB and gyrA genes had single nucleotide polymorphisms, not previously described in other organisms of the complex. Thirty-two M. bovis and three M. caprae isolates were tested for susceptibility to isoniazid (INH), rifampin, streptomycin, ethambutol, and ofloxacin using the standard proportion method. The results revealed that the isolates were sensitive to the five drugs. However, interference caused by sodium pyruvate in the INH test was detected: 94.3% grew at 0.2 microg INH/ml and 68.6% grew at 1 microg INH/ml. In the medium without pyruvate, 34.3% of the isolates did not grow whereas growth of the others was poor and slow. Nine M. bovis isolates were also tested by ESP Culture System II test and were sensitive to INH. The susceptibility of M. bovis to INH cannot be reliably determined using the standard proportion method due to the M. bovis growth requirements and the interference of pyruvate with INH.
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Aspergillus fumigatus is a known opportunistic pathogen of penguins. Most reports of penguin aspergillosis have focused on clinical, histopathological and microbiological findings. The molecular characterization of A. fumigatus isolates... more
Aspergillus fumigatus is a known opportunistic pathogen of penguins. Most reports of penguin aspergillosis have focused on clinical, histopathological and microbiological findings. The molecular characterization of A. fumigatus isolates involved in invasive infections in penguins has yet to be addressed. The aim of this work was to study the possible coexistence of different A. fumigatus genotypes in five clinical cases of invasive aspergillosis in captive penguins. Differences in other relevant characteristics of the isolates, including mating type and invasiveness, were also considered.Alkaline protease and elastase production by the A. fumigatus isolates was evaluated by plate assays. Random amplified polymorphic DNA, and microsatellite analysis techniques were used for molecular typing, and mating type (MAT1-1 or MAT1-2) was determined by multiplex PCR. Although all isolates showed protease activity, differences in elastase activity were observed. The typing techniques indicated different genotypes in all the penguins, although one genotype was predominant in some cases. Fungal strains of different mating type were found in two different penguins, confirming infection polyclonality.In conclusion, captive penguins are susceptible to infection by multiple strains of A. fumigatus that differ not only in their genotype, but also in mating type and invasiveness. This finding has important consequences for the diagnosis and treatment of avian aspergillosis.
Research Interests: Microbiology, Veterinary Microbiology, Veterinary, Molecular Epidemiology, Molecular typing, and 13 moreFemale, Animals, Male, multiplex PCR, Aspergillus fumigatus, Genotype, Molecular Characterization, Fungal genome size, Veterinary Sciences, Aspergillosis, Spheniscidae, Invasive aspergillosis, and Random amplified polymorphic DNA
The aim of this study was to evaluate the specificity of the most widely used tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic tests, single intradermal tuberculin (SIT) and single comparative intradermal tuberculin (SCIT) tests and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)... more
The aim of this study was to evaluate the specificity of the most widely used tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic tests, single intradermal tuberculin (SIT) and single comparative intradermal tuberculin (SCIT) tests and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) assay in 937 animals from eight TB-free caprine flocks under different epidemiological situations. Maximum specificity was found using SCIT test (99.4-100% depending on the interpretation criteria) while SIT test and IFN-γ assay showed a slightly lower overall specificity (97.6-99.2% and 96.4-98.4% respectively). Specificity of the SIT test in a Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infected flock was significantly (P<0.05) lower if a severe interpretation criterion was applied. Similarly, specificity values of SIT test and particularly IFN-γ assay in a paratuberculosis (PTB)-vaccinated flock were lower than those observed in non-vaccinated flocks. Higher proportion of false positive reactors to TB tests (SIT and IFN-γ assay) were observed among animals positive in the PTB-ELISA in PTB vaccinated flock. These results demonstrate that TB diagnostic tests show an adequate specificity when performed in goats from TB-free flocks in most situations. However, certain factors such as C. pseudotuberculosis infection and paratuberculosis vaccination can have a negative impact in the most sensitive tests.
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Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) detection assay is being applied as an ancillary test to tuberculin tests in the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis to detect the maximum number of infected animals. Among possible factors influencing the... more
Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) detection assay is being applied as an ancillary test to tuberculin tests in the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis to detect the maximum number of infected animals. Among possible factors influencing the performance of tuberculosis-diagnostic tests, paratuberculosis, a widespread disease in Spain and other European countries, has been pointed out as a cause of false positive reactions. Still, its effect on the sensitivity of these tests in cattle has yet to be fully characterized. The impact of paratuberculosis in the apparent sensitivity of IFN-γ assay was studied in a bullfighting cattle herd with a mixed tuberculosis–paratuberculosis infection, using culture of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis as the gold standard to determine the infection status of every animal. A total of 218 animals were slaughtered and sampled for bacteriology after blood sampling. IFN-γ assay showed a lower apparent sensitivity in animals with a mixed infection (50%) compared to all animals suffering tuberculosis (78.3%). This finding indicates that the presence of paratuberculosis in tuberculosis-infected herds could imply a serious impairment in the sensitivity of IFN-γ detection test.
Research Interests: Microbiology, Veterinary Microbiology, Veterinary, Tuberculosis, Animals, and 14 moreBlood sampling, Bovine Tuberculosis, Differential Diagnosis, Cattle, Gold Standard, Veterinary Sciences, Diagnostic Test, Mycobacterium bovis, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Mycobacterium avium, Paratuberculosis, Serotyping, Interferon gamma, and False Positive
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Molecular characterization of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (M. a. paratuberculosis) isolates classifies them into three groups: cattle or Type II, sheep or Type I, and intermediate or Type III. To avoid problems associated... more
Molecular characterization of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (M. a. paratuberculosis) isolates classifies them into three groups: cattle or Type II, sheep or Type I, and intermediate or Type III. To avoid problems associated with characterization of extremely slow growth strains, PCR-based techniques that divide the M. a. paratuberculosis strains in two main groups (cattle or Type II, and sheep or Types I/III) can be performed. The objectives of this study were to characterize the M. a. paratuberculosis isolates identified by different PCR-based tests (IS1311-PCR and restriction endonuclease analysis, PCR test based on a DNA sequence difference, and a PCR aimed at three Type I-specific loci), and to determine the clinical and epidemiological implications of Types I/III M. a. paratuberculosis strains in livestock. One hundred and fifty-eight M. a. paratuberculosis strains from domestic ruminants were analyzed. One hundred and six M. a. paratuberculosis isolates (61 from goats and 45 from cattle) were classified as Type II strains; and 52 (29 from cows, 20 from goats, and three from sheep) were included in the Types I/III. The Types I/III M. a. paratuberculosis strains were associated to Spanish native breeds. The majority of these animals had not been in direct or indirect contact with sheep flocks infected with M. a. paratuberculosis. This fact should be taken into account when implementing paratuberculosis control programs.
Research Interests: Microbiology, Epidemiology, Veterinary Microbiology, Veterinary, Spain, and 19 moreMolecular Epidemiology, Molecular, Phylogeny, Sheep, Animals, Bacteria, Polymerase Chain Reaction, DNA sequence design, Goats, Cattle, Genotype, Molecular Characterization, Strain, SHEEP DISEASES, Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), Veterinary Sciences, Base Sequence, Paratuberculosis, and DNA sequence
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Detection of infected animals is a key step in eradication programs of tuberculosis. Paratuberculosis infection has been demonstrated to compromise the specificity of the diagnostic tests. However, its effect on their sensitivity has not... more
Detection of infected animals is a key step in eradication programs of tuberculosis. Paratuberculosis infection has been demonstrated to compromise the specificity of the diagnostic tests. However, its effect on their sensitivity has not been clarified. In the present study, skin tests and the interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) assay were evaluated in a goat flock (n = 177) with a mixed tuberculosis–paratuberculosis infection in order to assess the possible effect of paratuberculosis on their sensitivity. Culture of mycobacteria was performed as the gold standard to determine the true infection status. All techniques showed lower sensitivities than previously described; the single intradermal tuberculin (SIT) test and the IFN-γ assay detected 71% (62.4–78.6, 95% C.I.) of the infected animals; the single intradermal cervical comparative tuberculin (SICCT) test detected only 42.7% (34.1–51.7, 95% C.I.) of infected animals. The highest level of sensitivity was obtained when SIT test and IFN-γ assay were combined in parallel (90.8%, 84.5–95.2, 95% C.I.). Sensitivities of the tests were also assessed by comparing animals suffering tuberculosis and animals with a mixed infection; tests were found to be more effective in the former group. Paratuberculosis seems to have a major effect in the sensitivity of the diagnostic tests under study, and therefore must be taken into account; in particular, the use of the SICCT test should be questioned when both tuberculosis and paratuberculosis are present.