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- Seropositivity of Coxiella burnetii in wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in PortugalPublication . Pires, Humberto; Cardoso, Luís; Lopes, Ana Patrícia; Fontes, Maria da Conceição; Matos, Manuela; Pintado, Cristina Santos; Figueira, Luís; Mesquita, João Rodrigo; Matos, Ana Cristina; Coelho, Ana CláudiaCoxiella burnetii is a zoonotic microorganism that infects a wide range of wild and domestic species, causing the disease Q fever, frequently involving ticks as vectors. To better understand the occurrence of C. burnetii infection in wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus), an epidemiological study was conducted in the Centre region of Portugal.
- Prevalence and risk factors for hepatitis E virus in wild boar and red deer in PortugalPublication . Pires, Humberto; Cardoso, Luís; Lopes, Ana Patrícia; Fontes, Maria da Conceição; Silva, Sérgio Santos; Matos, Manuela; Pintado, Cristina Santos; Figueira, Luís; Matos, Ana Cristina; Mesquita, João Rodrigo; Coelho, Ana CláudiaHepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonotic foodborne virus with an annual infection prevalence of 20 million human cases, which seriously affects public health and economic development in both developed and developing countries. To better understand the epidemiology of HEV in Central Portugal, a cross-sectional study was conducted from 2016 to 2023 with sera samples from wild ungulates. The seroprevalence and risk factors for HEV seropositivity were evaluated in the present study. Specifically, antibodies against HEV were determined by a commercial enzyme-linked immunesorbent assay (ELISA). Our results show that in the 650 sera samples collected from 298 wild red deer and 352 wild boars in Portugal, 9.1% red deer and 1.7% wild boar were positive for antibodies to HEV. Regarding age, the seropositivity in juvenile wild ungulates was 1.3%, whereas it was 7.2% in adults. Logistic regression models investigated risk factors for seropositivity. The odds of being seropositive was 3.6 times higher in adults than in juveniles, and the risk was 4.2 times higher in red deer than in wild boar. Both wild ungulate species were exposed to HEV. The higher seroprevalence in red deer suggests that this species may make a major contribution to the ecology of HEV in Central Portugal. Further research is needed to understand how wildlife affects the epidemiology of HEV infections in Portugal.
- Seropositivity for Coxiella burnetii in wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in PortugalPublication . Pires, Humberto; Cardoso, Luís; Lopes, Ana Patrícia; Fontes, Maria da Conceição; Matos, Manuela; Pintado, Cristina Santos; Figueira, Luís; Mesquita, João Rodrigo; Matos, Ana Cristina; Coelho, Ana CláudiaQ fever is caused by the pathogen Coxiella burnetii and is a zoonosis that naturally infects goats, sheep, and cats, but can also infect humans, birds, reptiles, or arthropods. A survey was conducted for the detection of antibodies against C. burnetii in a sample of 617 free-ranging wild ruminants, 358 wild boar (Sus scrofa) and 259 red deer (Cervus elaphus), in east–central Portugal during the 2016–2022 hunting seasons. Only adult animals were sampled in this study. Antibodies specific to C. burnetii were detected using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; IDVet®, Montpellier, France) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The seroprevalence of C. burnetii infection was 1.5% (n = 9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.7–2.8%). Antibodies against C. burnetii were detected in 4/358 wild boar (1.1%; 95% CI: CI: 0.3–2.8%) and 5/259 red deer (1.9%; 0.6–4.5%). Results of the present study indicate that antibodies against C. burnetii were present in wild boar and red deer in Portugal. These findings can help local health authorities to focus on the problem of C. burnetii in wildlife and facilitate the application of a One Health approach to its prevention and control.
- High seroprevalence of Brucella spp. in wild boar and red deer in the Centre of PortugalPublication . Pires, Humberto; Matos, Manuela; Cardoso, Luís; Lopes, Ana Patrícia; Fontes, Maria da Conceição; Pintado, Cristina Santos; Figueira, Luís; Matos, Ana Cristina; Mesquita, João Rodrigo; Coelho, Ana CláudiaHigh seroprevalence of Brucella spp. in wild boar and red deer in the Centre of Portugal.
- Occurrence of Coxiella burnetii in red deer in PortugalPublication . Pires, Humberto; Cardoso, Luís; Lopes, Ana Patrícia; Fontes, Maria da Conceição; Matos, Manuela; Pintado, Cristina Santos; Figueira, Luís; Mesquita, João Rodrigo; Matos, Ana Cristina; Coelho, Ana CláudiaOccurrence of Coxiella burnetii in red deer in Portugal.
- Seroepidemiological study of Hepatitis E virus (Hev) infection in large game animals in the Centre of PortugalPublication . Pires, Humberto; Matos, Manuela; Cardoso, Luís; Lopes, Ana Patrícia; Fontes, Maria da Conceição; Pintado, Cristina Santos; Figueira, Luís; Matos, Ana Cristina; Mesquita, João Rodrigo; Coelho, Ana CláudiaSeroepidemiological study of Hepatitis E virus (Hev) infection in large game animals in the Centre of Portugal.
- Knowledge about COVID-19: best practices in the North of Portugal and the importance of health education in the prevention of pandemic eventsPublication . Oliveira, Joana; Rodrigues, Isilda; Matos, Manuela; Carvalho, Isabel; Matos, Ana Cristina; Figueira, Luís; Fontes, Maria da Conceição; Alegria, Nuno; Lopes, Ana Patrícia; Vale, Beatriz do; Cardoso, Luís; Coelho, Ana CláudiaThe rapid global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has made COVID-19 one of the biggest pandemics of all time, with several devastating public health challenges. In this study, we investigated the knowledge towards COVID-19 best practices in the north of Portugal. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed with a convenience sample of the population of northern Portugal to assess their knowledge about COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 and measures to prevent and mitigate pandemics. An online validated questionnaire was completed by 411 participants, from September to October 2020. Results: The overall correct knowledge was 81.3%, which indicates a good knowledge by the northern Portuguese respondents about COVID-19. The correct answer score differed considerably between men and women, being significantly higher among the latter (12.28 ± 1.22; p = 0.011). Moreover, the highest knowledge was observed in participants who attended high school or above (12.27 ± 1.21; p < 0.000). Conclusion: This study contributes to the analysis of COVID-19 knowledge by the northern Portuguese population, emphasizes the crucial role of health education in the control and mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic, and provides field-based evidence to prevent the next pandemic event.
- Serological evidence of antibodies to Flaviviridae in wild birds in PortugalPublication . Loureiro, Filipa; Cardoso, Luís; Matos, Ana Cristina; Pintado, Cristina Santos; Silva, Filipe; Ferreira, Mariana; Brandão, Ricardo; Lopes, Carolina; Lopes, Ana Patrícia; Mesquita, João Rodrigo; Matos, Manuela; Coelho, Ana CláudiaEmerging infectious diseases are a major threat to biodiversity and an important public health issue. Flaviviruses are the cause of several emerging vector-borne zoonotic arboviruses whose distribution is currently increasing in Europe. The evidence that West Nile virus (WNV) circulates in resident and migratory species has implications for both animal and public health and should therefore be studied in depth. USUTU (USUV), Bagaza (BAGV) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) are other viruses that are beginning to spread more widely. An integrated surveillance program, namely in birds, is essential for reducing the risk of infection in human populations within the One Health principles. In the present study, wild birds admitted to wildlife rehabilitation centers in Portugal were sampled. Two hundred eight blood samples were assayed serologically for antibodies to faviviruses by using a commercial ELISA kit. An overall seroprevalence of 19.6% (95% confdence interval [CI]: 13.7–26.7%) was observed. Antibodies against faviviruses were detected in 13 (35.1%) diferent species of wild birds. Accipitriformes (26.7%; 95% CI: 18.5–36.2%) and Strigiformes (26.7%; 95% CI: 14.6–42.0%) were the orders with the highest seroprevalence rates recorded. There were no statistically signifcant diferences (p=0.725) between the geographical regions (NUTS II) studied, but a statistically signifcant diference (p=0.017) was found between sex (male: 34.4%; female: 4.8%). A higher seroprevalence was detected in adults (32.1%) than in juvenile birds (9.3%) (p=0.014), and age was considered a risk factor for favivirus infection in wild birds (odds ratio 1.4; 95% CI: 0.5–4.0). More epidemiological studies are needed in Portugal since the actual spread of the genus Flavivirus throughout the country is unknown.
- Molecular evidence of sporadic Coxiella burnetii excretion in sheep milk, central PortugalPublication . Pires, Humberto; Silva, Sérgio Santos; Cruz, Andreia V.S.; Cardoso, Luís; Lopes, Ana Patrícia; Pereira, Maria A.; Nóbrega, Carmen; Mega, Ana Cristina; Santos, Carla; Cruz, Rita; Esteves, Fernando; Vala, Helena; Matos, Ana Cristina; Barradas, Patrícia F.; Coelho, Ana Cláudia; Mesquita, João RodrigoCoxiella burnetii is the etiologic agent of Q fever, a worldwide zoonosis. Cattle, sheep and goats are considered the main reservoirs of the disease. Transmission to humans occurs mainly through the inhalation of infectious aerosols from milk, faeces, urine, and birth products from infected ruminants. In this study, a 2-year longitudinal approach was performed to ascertain the excretion of C. burnetii in bulk tank milk samples of sheep from a mountain plateau in central Portugal, with sampling conducted during the years 2015 and 2016. From a total of 156 bulk tank milk samples tested by qPCR, only one showed to be positive for C. burnetii (1.28% [95%CI: 0.03–6.94]), from 2015, the first year of collection. Bidirectional sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of IS1111 transposase partial region confirmed the presence of C. burnetii DNA. The presence of C. burnetii in raw milk samples highlights the necessity for additional research to determine if raw milk is a potential source for human infection. Animal health surveillance and prevention measures against this zoonotic disease should be considered.
- Hunting for answers: Assessing Brucella spp. seroprevalence and risks in red deer and wild boar in Central PortugalPublication . Pires, Humberto; Cardoso, Luís; Lopes, Ana Patrícia; Fontes, Maria da Conceição; Silva, Sérgio Santos; Matos, Manuela; Pintado, Cristina Santos; Roque, Natália; Fonseca, Leonardo Filipe; Morgado, Inês; Dias, Ana Sofia; Figueira, Luis; Matos, Ana Cristina; Mesquita, João Rodrigo; Coelho, Ana CláudiaBetween 2016 and 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the central region of Portugal in order to better understand the epidemiology and public health risks resulting from the handling and consumption of game animals infected with Brucella spp. The seroprevalence and risk factors for Brucella spp. seropositivity were evaluated. Antibodies against Brucella spp. were determined using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Results showed that in the 650 serum samples collected from red deer (n = 298) and wild boars (n = 352) in Portugal, 21.7% (n = 141; 95% CI: 18.6–25.1%) tested positive. Wild boar had a significantly higher prevalence (35.5%; 95% CI: 30.5–40.8%) than red deer (5.4%, 95% CI: 3.1–8.6%; p ≤ 0.001). Risk factors for seropositivity were investigated using multivariable logistic regression models. The odds of being seropositive was 8.39 (95% CI: 4.75–14.84; p ≤ 0.001) times higher in wild boar than in red deer. Correlations between sex, age, body condition, and seropositivity could not be observed. The higher seroprevalence in wild boar suggests that this species may primarily contribute to the Brucella spp. ecology in central Portugal