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This study presents a temporal analysis aimed at identifying climatic patterns that influence precipitation behavior in the Middle and Lower Paraguay Basin, part of the Paraná River Basin in Paraguayan territory. This research utilizes satellite-based geospatial technologies to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of precipitation in the region. Satellite precipitation images were used for the period 2001–2023, available on NASA's GIOVANNI platform. The results from the classical exploratory statistical analysis allowed for the identification of data distribution, spatial and temporal variability of precipitation in the basin, areas with the highest accumulations, and drought periods, as well as extreme events associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, which impacts southern tropical America, including Paraguay. Through the use of remote sensing data and geomatics techniques, this study supports the goals of GEM24, which focus on applying geospatial technologies to address environmental monitoring challenges. The average monthly precipitation series shows a steady trend, with a decrease in recent years. The lowest average was in August 2004 (5.6 mm), and the highest was in December 2015 (345.22 mm). December is the month with the highest average precipitation, while August records the lowest value. The validation between the precipitation data obtained from the Giovanni platform and conventional weather station data, through correlation and linear regression analysis, revealed a strong and statistically significant relationship, indicating that the satellite model is suitable for predicting precipitation, although not perfect. Additionally, the study of temporal anomalies identified prolonged drought periods (2001–2013 and 2020–2022), with intensification in 2020, and periods of intense rainfall (2014–2019), highlighting the 2015 floods. The spatial precipitation anomalies during El Niño (2015) and La Niña (2020), using IMERG and CHIRPS data, allowed for the identification of precipitation spatial patterns. The areas with the highest precipitation were concentrated in the east and south of the country, while drier areas, such as the Paraguayan Chaco in the basin (west), recorded lower precipitation. This study underscores the role of satellite data and geomatics in environmental monitoring, demonstrating how these technologies can enhance our understanding of climatic patterns and extreme weather events. The findings highlight the importance of geospatial data in global environmental change assessments and the monitoring of regional climatic variability, which are central to the objectives discussed in GEM24.

Given the short span of instrumental precipitation records in the South American Altiplano, longer-term hydroclimatic records are needed to understand the nature of climate variability and to improve the predictability of precipitation, a key natural resource for the socioeconomic development in the Altiplano and adjacent arid lowlands. In this region grows Polylepis tarapacana, a long-lived tree species that is very sensitive to hydroclimatic changes and has been widely used for tree-ring studies in the central and southern Altiplano. However, in the northern sector of the Peruvian and Chilean Altiplano (16–19∘ S) still exists a gap of high-resolution hydroclimatic data based on tree-ring records. Our study provides an overview of the temporal evolution of the late-spring–mid-summer precipitation for the period 1625–2013 CE at the northern South American Altiplano, allowing for the identification of wet or dry periods based on a regional reconstruction from three P. tarapacana chronologies. An increase in the occurrence of extreme dry events, together with a decreasing trend in the reconstructed precipitation, has been recorded since the 1970s in the northern Altiplano within the context of the last ∼4 centuries. The average precipitation over the last 17 years stands out as the driest in our 389-year reconstruction. We reveal a temporal and spatial synchrony across the Altiplano region of dry conditions since the mid-1970s. Independent tree-ring-based hydroclimate reconstructions and several paleoclimatic records based on other proxies available for the tropical Andes record this synchrony. The influence of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the northern Altiplano precipitation was detected by our rainfall reconstruction that showed past drier conditions in our study region associated with ENSO warm events. The spectral properties of the rainfall reconstruction showed strong imprints of ENSO variability at decadal, sub-decadal, and inter-annual timescales, in particular from the Pacific NIÑO 3 sector. Overall, the recent reduction in precipitation in comparison with previous centuries, the increase in extreme dry events and the coupling between precipitation and ENSO variability reported by this work is essential information in the context of the growing demand for water resources in the Altiplano. This study will contribute to a better understanding of the vulnerability and resilience of the region to the projected evapotranspiration increase for the 21st century associated with global warming.

Knowledge of the physicochemical characteristics of organic moringa leaves, such as the color, the moisture control and water activity (aw) for biological control, as its basic composition, provides valuable starting data for its improvement and quality control through the selection of key parameters for the conservation of its multiple nutritional and antioxidant qualities in organic production systems adapted to local conditions. Objective: Describe the physicochemical characteristics and composition of macro- and micronutrients of Moringa oleifera leaves from a vivarium under controlled conditions and evaluate the antioxidant potential of dried moringa leaves from organic production in Paraguay under experimental conditions. A systematic sampling of moringa leaves from a vivarium was carried out. For color analysis, the CIEL*a*b* coordinates were determined. For physicochemical characteristics’ analysis and macro- and micronutrient composition, official methods were used, while Total Phenolics Compounds (TPC) were determined by the Folin Ciocalteau method, and the Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) was determined by the antioxidant inhibition test (Radical ABTS+). Under experimental conditions, the dried moringa leaves under experimental conditions presented a light green color and low levels of humidity (8.1 ± 0.4%) and aw (0.59), with high protein levels (27%), micronutrients such as minerals (Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Zn), vitamins B1, B2, Vit. C, TPC (5051 ± 168 g GAE/100 g) and antioxidants (468 ± 109 mMTEAC/g). Moringa leaves from Paraguay represent a source of micronutrients in the diet, and can be applied as ingredients in different culinary preparations within the framework of a healthy and sustainable diet, in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The fruit of Sarcomphalus mistol (Griseb.) is from the Great American Chaco, an important wild food resource. However, its composition and potential uses are unknown to a large part of the population. In this work, two mistol and peanuts-based products were prepared (a toasted mistol product “mistol coffee” and a mistol-peanuts-based vegan beverage), and its nutritional value and antioxidant potential was investigated. The chemical composition, total phenolics compounds (TPCs), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the two products were analyzed on a dry basis with AOAC, Folin–Ciocalteu, and ABTS+ radical inhibition methods, respectively. The toasted mistol product was high in dietary fiber (51.89 ± 0.65 g/100 g) and TPC (2729 ± 362 mgGAE/100 g), which was consistent with the observed high TAC (307 ± 14 mM TEAC/g). Minerals found in the toasted mistol product were mainly calcium and magnesium. The mistol-peanut-based vegan beverage presented 12.67 g/100 g of dry extract, and its main nutritional contributions are carbohydrates (8.16 ± 1.05 g/100 g db), lipids (2.33 ± 0.29 g/100 g db), magnesium (10.34 ± 1.40 mg/100 g db), and polyphenols (345 ± 4.58 mg GAE/100 g db) in agreement with their TAC in the lyophilized product (17.6 ± 5.25 mM/TEAC/g db). These products can be used according to their observed nutritional value and antioxidant potential as foods with healthy properties, especially for vegan populations.

Concerns over malnutrition, synthetic additives and post-harvest waste highlight the need for innovation in food technology, turning towards underutilized crops. Plant-based beverages offer sustainable dietary alternatives and the increasing demand for such products makes the exploration of native crops particularly relevant. This study focuses on the development of a beverage derived from the native South American fruit kurugua (Sicana odorifera), combined with chia oil (Salvia hispanica L.) and stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) as a natural sweetener, aiming to provide a nutritious, environmentally friendly option with appealing sensory attributes. The beverage was formulated using whole kurugua fruit flour (WKF) and chia oil (CO). Comprehensive analyses of the physicochemical properties, centesimal composition, caloric value, minerals, amino acid profile, and fatty acid content revealed that the beverage is rich in carbohydrates (2.16 ± 0.11 g/100 mL), dietary fiber (1.89 ± 0.04 g/100 mL), zinc (2.53 ± 0.16 mg/100 mL), polyunsaturated fatty acids (2.39 g/100 mL), AA (Glu + Gln, 248 g AA/g of WKF and WKCOB-L protein and 168 mg AA/ g of WKCOB protein/100 mL) and exhibits strong antioxidant activity. This is the first report on a product enriched with essential fatty acids with totally natural ingredients based on kurugua and chia oil, which has potential in healthy and vegan nutrition. This formulation supports the sustainable use and conservation of kurugua, offering a high-nutrient alternative for diets., Competing Interests: Declarations. The authors declare no conflict of interest. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Ethical Approval: The authors declare that for the sensory-affective analysis the study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, appropriate protocols were used to protect the rights and privacy of all participants. The research protocol was approved by Dictamen Number 1170 of the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Chemical Sciences of the National University of Asunción. Consent to Publish: Not aplicable. Consent to Participate: Informed consent was obtained from all participants. The objectives of the study were communicated, there was no coercion to participate, participants were provided with information about the requirements and risks of the study, and they had the possibility to withdraw from the study at any time. Written or verbal consent was obtained from participants, data collection instruments were anonymous. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In September 2024, bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) was first identified in Portugal, specifically in the Alentejo region (Évora District), using molecular diagnostic methods. The initial case involved a sheep exhibiting severe clinical symptoms, including head oedema, prostration, nasal discharge, and significant respiratory distress. A subsequent case was documented in another sheep from a different farm within the same district, which presented with high fever (41.5 °C), nasal discharge, and arthritis, ultimately resulting in mortality. Within one month of these initial detections, additional cases in both sheep and cattle were reported in neighbouring districts, indicating the virus rapid spread within the region. In response to this emerging threat, extensive monitoring efforts are being undertaken to delineate the distribution of BTV-3, and vaccination campaigns targeting this serotype have been initiated. These measures aim to mitigate the impact of the virus on livestock health and prevent further transmission.

In 2022-2024, three outbreaks of sheeppox (SPP) were reported in the European Union. These occurred in Spain, Bulgaria, and Greece and had serious economic consequences due to animal losses and trade restrictions. Five sheeppox virus (SPPV) whole-genome sequences (WGSs) were determined from samples collected during these outbreaks and analyzed in the context of all other published WGSs. Sheeppox virus strains can be divided in two, or possibly three, main groups. The isolates from the recent outbreaks belong to clade A2, which includes strains historically circulating in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Sequence divergence was low among the isolates that caused the recent European outbreaks. These results highlight the need for more regular and dense surveillance in under-sampled areas and the use of WGS to increase the chance of pinpointing the origin of an introduction, identifying potential introduction routes, and providing insights into SPPV evolution., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: To show donation data, number of keratoplasties and the changes in transplant indications and techniques that occurred in Andalusia in the period from 2013 to 2022., Materials and Methods: The present work is a retrospective and descriptive study that included all keratoplasties performed between January 2013 and December 2022 in Andalusia, as well as the evolution of the cornea donation and transplant activity of the public and private hospitals pertaining to the waiting list management system of the Public Health System of Andalusia. Transplants performed in private centers with corneas from outside Andalusia were excluded., Results: Cornea donation activity in Andalusia in the decade 2013-2022 has experienced a growth of more than 126%, while overall transplant activity has increased by 157% in public hospitals. Penetrating keratoplasty has decreased from 83% in 2013 to 43% in 2022, while lamellar techniques have increased from 17% to 57% in this same period. Since 2018, more lamellar transplants are performed than penetrating transplants. Regarding indications, endothelial conditions already represent the first cause of transplantation. In 2022 alone, the public Andalusian Eye Banks evaluated 1,054 corneas and prepared 281 endothelial grafts., Conclusion: In the decade from 2013 to 2022 in Andalusia there has been an increase in donation activity and the number of keratoplasties. The public Eye Banks implementation in this period has played a key role in the widespread adoption of lamellar keratoplasty techniques and has enabled the transition to perform a greater number of lamellar keratoplasties compared to penetrating keratoplasty., (Copyright © 2024 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: West Nile Virus (WNV) is a zoonotic arbovirus worldwide spread. Seasonal WNV outbreaks occur in the Mediterranean basin since the late 1990's with ever-increasing incidence. In Southern Spain WNV is endemic, as disease foci - caused by WNV lineage 1 (WNV-L1) strains - occur every year. On the contrary, WNV-L2 is the dominant lineage in Europe, so most European WNV sequences available belong to this lineage, WNV-L1 sequences being still scarce., Methods: To fill this gap, this study reports the genetic characterisation of 27 newly described WNV-L1 strains, involved in outbreaks affecting wild birds and horses during the last decade in South-Western Spain., Results: All strains except one belong to the Western Mediterranean-1 sub-cluster (WMed-1), related phylogenetically to Italian, French, Portuguese, Moroccan and, remarkably, Senegalese strains. This sub-cluster persisted, spread and evolved into three distinguishable WMed-1 phylogenetic groups that co-circulated, notably, in the same province (Cádiz). They displayed different behaviours: from long-term persistence and rapid spread to neighbouring regions within Spain, to long-distance spread to different countries, including transcontinental spread to Africa. Among the different introductions of WNV in Spain revealed in this study, some of them succeeded to get established, some extinguished from the territory shortly afterwards. Furthermore, Spain's southernmost province, Cádiz, constitutes a hotspot for virus incursion., Conclusion: Southern Spain seems a likely scenario for emergence of exotic pathogens of African origin. Therefore, circulation of diverse WNV-L1 variants in Spain prompts for an extensive surveillance under a One Health approach.

The cerebral cortex has long been thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The impaired cortical function is believed to be a direct and immediate effect of pathologically patterned basal ganglia output, mediated to the cerebral cortex by way of the ventral motor thalamus. However, recent studies in humans with Parkinson's disease and in animal models of the disease have provided strong evidence suggesting that the involvement of the cerebral cortex is much broader than merely serving as a passive conduit for subcortical disturbances. In the present review, we discuss Parkinson's disease-related changes in frontal cortical motor regions, focusing on neuropathology, plasticity, changes in neurotransmission, and altered network interactions. We will also examine recent studies exploring the cortical circuits as potential targets for neuromodulation to treat Parkinson's disease., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

In September 2022, more than 50 years after its eradication from Spain, Sheep pox virus was confirmed by laboratory analysis in sheep showing characteristic lesions. This was the start of an outbreak that lasted 9 months and infected 30 farms dispersed over two different areas, Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha. Early after the initial confirmation, an active surveillance based on clinical inspection with laboratory confirmation of sheep with clinical signs was started in restricted areas. This allowed the confirmation of Sheep pox in 22 out of 28 suspected farms, where limited numbers of sheep with mainly erythema and papules were found, indicative of early detection. Nevertheless, to improve active surveillance and stop the outbreak, clinical inspection was reinforced by laboratory analysis in all inspected farms, even when no clinically diseased sheep were detected. Although more than 35,000 oral swabs from 335 farms were analysed by real-time PCR in pools of five, only two out of six reported outbreaks in this period were detected by laboratory analysis before clinical signs were observed. Furthermore, additional insights were gained from the extensive laboratory surveillance performed on samples collected under field conditions. No evidence of Sheep pox virus infection was found in goats. Oral swabs proved to be the sample of choice for early detection in the absence of scabs and could be tested in pools of five without extensive loss in sensitivity; serology by ELISA was not useful in outbreak detection. Finally, a non-infectious genome of the virus could be detected months after cleaning and disinfection; thus, real-time PCR results should be interpreted with caution in sentinel animals during repopulation. In conclusion, the outbreak of Sheep pox virus in Spain showed that active clinical inspection with laboratory confirmation of clinically diseased sheep via oral swab testing proved a sensitive method for detection of infected farms, providing insights in laboratory surveillance that will be helpful for other countries confronted with Sheep pox outbreaks.

The serological surveillance of bluetongue in bulk tank milk is an efficient and cost-effective method for the early detection of bluetongue virus incursions in unvaccinated free areas of the disease. In addition, the availability of standardized and reliable reagents and refined diagnostic procedures with high sensitivity and specificity are essential for surveillance purposes. However, no available reference materials for bluetongue virus serological surveillance in bulk tank milk exist. This study shows the production and characterization of reference material for the implementation of a commercially available bluetongue milk ELISA test in official laboratories, as well as the evaluation of a procedure to increase the sensitivity in samples with low levels of antibodies. This procedure, based on milk protein concentration, allowed us to notably increase the ELISA test's analytical sensitivity, which is useful for milk samples from farms with low within-herd prevalence or pools of bulk tank milk samples. The standardized milk reference material produced here, together with the evaluated procedure to improve analytical sensitivity, could be applied as tools to ensure an accurate diagnosis by official laboratories in bluetongue unvaccinated free areas.

Objective: To describe long-term outcomes of the Ross procedure in a single center and retrospective series after 25 years follow-up., Methods: From 1997-2019 we included all consecutive patients who underwent Ross procedure at our center. Clinical and echocardiographic evaluations were performed at least yearly. Echocardiographic valvular impairment was defined as at least moderate autograft or homograft dysfunction. Reintervention outcomes included surgical and percutaneous approach., Results: 151 Ross procedures were performed (mean age 28±12years, 21 %<16years, 70 %male). After 25 years follow-up (median 18 years, interquartile range 9-21, only 3 patients lost) 12 patients died (8 %); Autograft, homograft or any valve dysfunction were present in 38(26 %), 48(32 %) and 75(51 %), respectively; and reintervention in 22(15%), 17(11%) and 38(26 %) respectively. At 20 years of follow-up, probabilities of survival free from autograft, homograft or any valve dysfunction were 63 %, 60 % and 35 %; and from reintervention, 80 %, 85 % and 67 %, respectively. The learning curve period (first 12 cases) was independently associated to autograft dysfunction (HR 2.78, 95 %CI:1.18-6.53, p = 0.02) and reintervention (HR 3.76, 95 %CI: 1.46-9.70, p = 0.006). Larger native pulmonary diameter was also an independent predictor of autograft reintervention (HR 1.22, 95 %CI:1.03-1.45, p = 0.03). Homograft dysfunction was associated with younger age (HR 5.35, 95 %CI: 2.13-13.47, p<0.001) and homograft reintervention, with higher left ventricle ejection fraction (HR 1,10, 95 %CI:1.02-1.19, p<0.02)., Conclusions: In this 25 years' experience after the Ross procedure, global survival was high, although autograft and homograft dysfunction and reintervention rates were not negligible. Clinical and echocardiographic variables can identify patients with higher risk of events in follow up., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The African horse sickness virus (AHSV) belongs to the Genus Orbivirus, family Sedoreoviridae, and nine serotypes of the virus have been described to date. The AHSV genome is composed of ten linear segments of double-stranded (ds) RNA, numbered in decreasing size order (Seg-1 to Seg-10). Genome segment 2 (Seg-2) encodes outer-capsid protein VP2, the most variable AHSV protein and the primary target for neutralizing antibodies. Consequently, Seg-2 determines the identity of the virus serotype. An African horse sickness (AHS) outbreak in an AHS-free status country requires identifying the serotype as soon as possible to implement a serotype-specific vaccination program. Considering that nowadays 'polyvalent live attenuated' is the only commercially available vaccination strategy to control the disease, field and vaccine strains of different serotypes could co-circulate. Additionally, in AHS-endemic countries, more than one serotype is often circulating at the same time. Therefore, a strategy to rapidly determine the virus serotype in an AHS-positive sample is strongly recommended in both epidemiological situations. The main objective of this study is to describe the development and validation of three triplex real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) methods for rapid AHSV serotype detection. Samples from recent AHS outbreaks in Kenia (2015-2017), Thailand (2020), and Nigeria (2023), and from the AHS outbreak in Spain (1987-1990), were included in the study for the validation of these methods.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of death and disability in the world. Among all CVD, the most common is coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD results from the complications promoted by atherosclerosis, which is characterized by the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaques that limit and block the blood flow of the arteries involved in heart oxygenation. Atherosclerotic disease is usually treated by stents implantation and angioplasty, but these surgical interventions also favour thrombosis and restenosis which often lead to device failure. Hence, efficient and long-lasting therapeutic options that are easily accessible to patients are in high demand. Advanced technologies including nanotechnology or vascular tissue engineering may provide promising solutions for CVD. Moreover, advances in the understanding of the biological processes underlying atherosclerosis can lead to a significant improvement in the management of CVD and even to the development of novel efficient drugs. To note, over the last years, the observation that inflammation leads to atherosclerosis has gained interest providing a link between atheroma formation and oncogenesis. Here, we have focused on the description of the available therapy for atherosclerosis, including surgical treatment and experimental treatment, the mechanisms of atheroma formation, and possible novel therapeutic candidates such as the use of anti-inflammatory treatments to reduce CVD., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Barungi, Hernández-Camarero, Moreno-Terribas, Villalba-Montoro, Marchal, López-Ruiz and Perán.)

Linked to major volcanic eruptions around 536 and 540 CE, the onset of the Late Antique Little Ice Age has been described as the coldest period of the past two millennia. The exact timing and spatial extent of this exceptional cold phase are, however, still under debate because of the limited resolution and geographical distribution of the available proxy archives. Here, we use 106 wood anatomical thin sections from 23 forest sites and 20 tree species in both hemispheres to search for cell-level fingerprints of ephemeral summer cooling between 530 and 550 CE. After cross-dating and double-staining, we identified 89 Blue Rings (lack of cell wall lignification), nine Frost Rings (cell deformation and collapse), and 93 Light Rings (reduced cell wall thickening) in the Northern Hemisphere. Our network reveals evidence for the strongest temperature depression between mid-July and early-August 536 CE across North America and Eurasia, whereas more localised cold spells occurred in the summers of 532, 540-43, and 548 CE. The lack of anatomical signatures in the austral trees suggests limited incursion of stratospheric volcanic aerosol into the Southern Hemisphere extra-tropics, that any forcing was mitigated by atmosphere-ocean dynamical responses and/or concentrated outside the growing season, or a combination of factors. Our findings demonstrate the advantage of wood anatomical investigations over traditional dendrochronological measurements, provide a benchmark for Earth system models, support cross-disciplinary studies into the entanglements of climate and history, and question the relevance of global climate averages., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Science China Press. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: Climate change is expected to impact mountain biodiversity by shifting species ranges and the biomes they shape. The extent and regional variation in these impacts are still poorly understood, particularly in the highly biodiverse Andes. Regional syntheses of climate change impacts on vegetation are pivotal to identify and guide research priorities. Here we review current data, knowledge and uncertainties in past, present and future climate change impacts on vegetation in the Andes. Location: Andes. Taxon: Plants., Methods: We (i) conducted a literature review on Andean vegetation responses to past and contemporary climatic change, (ii) analysed future climate projections for different elevations and slope orientations at 19 Andean locations using an ensemble of model outputs from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5, and (iii) calculated changes in the suitable climate envelope area of Andean biomes and compared these results to studies that used species distribution models., Results: Future climatic changes (2040-2070) are projected to be stronger at high-elevation areas in the tropical Andes (up to 4°C under RCP 8.5), while in the temperate Andes temperature increases are projected to be up to 2°C. Under this worst-case scenario, temperate deciduous forests and the grasslands/steppes from the Central and Southern Andes are predicted to show the greatest losses of suitable climatic space (30% and 17%-23%, respectively). The high vulnerability of these biomes contrasts with the low attention from researchers modelling Andean species distributions. Critical knowledge gaps include a lack of an Andean wide plant checklist, insufficient density of weather stations at high-elevation areas, a lack of high-resolution climatologies that accommodates the Andes' complex topography and climatic processes, insufficient data to model demographic and ecological processes, and low use of palaeo data for distribution modelling., Main Conclusions: Climate change is likely to profoundly affect the extent and composition of Andean biomes. Temperate Andean biomes in particular are susceptible to substantial area contractions. There are, however, considerable challenges and uncertainties in modelling species and biome responses and a pressing need for a region-wide approach to address knowledge gaps and improve understanding and monitoring of climate change impacts in these globally important biomes., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Biogeography published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This study described the clinical, virological, and serological responses of immunologically naïve and vaccinated horses to African horse sickness virus (AHSV) serotype 9. Naïve horses developed a clinical picture resembling the cardiac form of African horse sickness. This was characterized by inappetence, reduced activity, and hyperthermia leading to lethargy and immobility-recumbency by days 9-10 post-infection, an end-point criteria for euthanasia. After challenge, unvaccinated horses were viremic from days 3 or 4 post-infection till euthanasia, as detected by serogroup-specific (GS) real time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) and virus isolation. Virus isolation, antigen ELISA, and GS-rRT-PCR also demonstrated high sensitivity in the post-mortem detection of the pathogen. After infection, serogroup-specific VP7 antibodies were undetectable by blocking ELISA (b-ELISA) in 2 out of 3 unvaccinated horses during the course of the disease (9-10 dpi). Vaccinated horses did not show significant side effects post-vaccination and were largely asymptomatic after the AHSV-9 challenge. VP7-specific antibodies could not be detected by the b-ELISA until day 21 and day 30 post-inoculation, respectively. Virus neutralizing antibody titres were low or even undetectable for specific serotypes in the vaccinated horses. Virus isolation and GS-rRT-PCR detected the presence of AHSV vaccine strains genomes and infectious vaccine virus after vaccination and challenge. This study established an experimental infection model of AHSV-9 in horses and characterized the main clinical, virological, and immunological parameters in both immunologically naïve and vaccinated horses using standardized bio-assays.

We present the first report of parasitism by Sarcoptes scabiei (Linnaeus, 1758), in a sechuran fox "Lycalopex sechurae". Sarcoptes scabiei is a mite that produces sarcoptic mange, which can lead to the death of the animal host and can cause epidemic episodes in wildlife communities. The sechuran fox was collected by the environmental police from a citizen who reported the animal. It was sent to a veterinarian specializing in wildlife, "Clinica Mansion Mascota", in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Immediate physical examination showed crusts on its skin, and samples of skin and blood were collected and analyzed. The skin samples were analyzed using a microscope at 40x magnification in the clinic. In addition, skin and blood samples were sent to a private laboratory for further analyses. Both analyses were positive for S. scabiei infection. It is the second report of S. scabiei in a new wildlife species in the Guayas province of Ecuador within less than a year. These events cause concern due the possibility of biological community transmission. Since domestic and feral animals are considered habitual spreaders of this disease, management through ethical procedures such as adoption, medical treatment and neutering campaigns, and awareness-raising projects with empathetic approach are recommended.

This retrospective study provides an analysis of the prevalence and detectability of canine distemper virus (CDV), feline leukemia virus (FeLV), and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) sheltered in a wild animal recovery center in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Blood samples of 19 rescued ocelots from 2019-20 were analyzed using FeLV p27 antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and commercial insulated isothermal reverse transcriptase PCR (iiRT-PCR) kits. Using this PCR we detected positive results for CDV (4/ 17; 23.5%) and FeLV (14/16; 87.5%), but not for FIV (0/8). Three previously positive cases of CDV and two of FeLV showed negative results on retesting 6 mo later. Moreover, a third analysis was conducted and was negative for CDV. Our results suggest that ocelots can recover from the local CDV and FeLV strains. An ELISA for the FeLV p27 antigen showed no capability to detect FeLV in ocelots that were confirmed positive by iiRT-PCR. Regional lineages, viral virulence, and host immune response capabilities should be addressed in further research to inform management and decision making for wildlife conservation., (© Wildlife Disease Association 2022.)

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a small non-enveloped single stranded RNA virus whose genotypes 3 and 4 have been associated with zoonotic transmission in industrialized countries. HEV infection is considered the main cause of acute hepatitis worldwide. In some cases, transfusion of blood components or organ transplantation have been reported as the source of infection. We have conducted a literature review on the risk of transmission through cell and tissue allografts. Although no case was found, measures to control this risk should be taken when donor profile (based upon geographical and behavioural data) recommended it. Issues to be considered in donor screening and tissue processing to assess and to reduce the risk of HEV transmission are approached., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)