Carlos Calvete

• Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon

The aim of this study was to characterise the effect of water restriction on ewes. Two hundred and two Rasa Aragonesa ewes were subjected to total water restriction for 5 days. Intake, body weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) were measured daily during the 5 days of restriction, as well as temperature and percent humidity. Blood samples were...

Heat stress and scarcity of drinking water for animals is a characteristic feature in the semi-arid region where the Rasa Aragonesa sheep breed is reared, especially during summer months with high temperatures. The aim of this study was to estimate the number, length, and frequency of runs of homozygosity (ROH) in Rasa Aragonesa ewes and identified...

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2/genotype GI.2 (RHDV2/GI.2; Caliciviridae, Lagovirus) causes a highly contagious disease with hepatic necrosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation in several Leporidae species. RHDV2 was first detected in European rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus) in France in 2010 and has since spread widely. We gather here...

Los sistemas ganaderos semiáridos de la cuenca Mediterránea se enfrentan a desafíos considerables debido al estrés hídrico y térmico durante los meses de verano. En Aragón, la raza predominante es la Rasa Aragonesa, que destaca por su rusticidad y su adaptación al entorno. El objetivo de este estudio es entender la base genética de la respuesta al...

Abstract The aim of this study is to identify candidate genes or genomic regions associated with ovine water stress biomarkers through genome-wide association analysis (GWAS). Two-hundred and one ewes from the Rasa Aragonesa breed were challenged with total water restriction for 5 days. Temperature and percentage of humidity was also measured, as w...

The efficacy of polymers (paints) enriched with microencapsulated insecticides against Aedes albopictus was evaluated under laboratory conditions using the forced contact technique (WHO). Three types of paints were evaluated: pyrethroids (PY), organophosphates (OP) and pyriproxyfen (PPF). These paints were applied on two types of surfaces and at tw...

European rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus, are affected by rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD), which is caused by a lagovirus responsible for significant mortality in European wild rabbit populations. Our study aimed to evaluate the potential for detecting viral RNA by duplex real-time PCR in rabbit fecal pellets collected in the field, as a noninvasiv...

European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations are severely affected by rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD), currently aggravated by the spread of the new lagovirus serotype RHDV2 that replaced the classical RHDV strains (RHDV/RHDVa). This virus causes high mortality in both adult and young rabbits and to date, there is no management tool t...

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) is caused by a lagovirus mainly affecting European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), although other European and North American lagomorph species are also susceptible to fatal infection by the new viral variant RHDV2/b. In the present work, direct mechanical transmission of the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV2...

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is caused by a lagovirus affecting European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Viral RNA is detected in tissues or faeces of convalescent rabbits, suggesting persistent infections; however, this RNA has not been shown to be related to infective viruses to date. In the present work, seven laboratory rabbits were chall...

Control of sheep gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections mostly relies on the use of anthelmintics. Refugia-based control strategies as targeted selective treatments (TST) can delay anthelmintic resistance development, but the optimal decision criteria for selecting individuals to be treated in subclinical infection scenarios remain unclear. The...

The European wild rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a key prey species on the Iberian Peninsula, and several predator species that are at risk of extinction are dependent on them as prey. A new rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) virus genotype (GI.2/RHDV2/b) emerged in 2010 and posed a threat to wild rabbit populations. During a survey aimed at inve...

A survey conducted from 2002 to 2012 of 759 customers from 84 veterinary practices allows us to examine the habits of dog and cat owners regarding the use of insecticides for flea control. The results indicate that the percentage of animals treated during the 12 mo prior to the survey was not very high (71% in dogs and 50% in cats), considering tha...

European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are severely affected by rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD). Caused by a lagovirus, the disease leads to losses in the rabbit industry and has implications for wildlife conservation. Past RHD outbreaks have been caused by GI.1/RHDV genotype viruses. A new virus belonging to the GI.2/RHDV2/b genotype emerged i...

Lagoviruses belong to the Caliciviridae family. They were first recognized as highly pathogenic viruses of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) that emerged in the 1970-1980s, namely, rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) and European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV), according to the host specie...

The study was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of a fipronil/(S)-methoprene formulation against fleas on naturally infested cats. The study involved a population of 89 cats distributed among 24 veterinary practices in 9 regions of Spain. The product was applied according to label instructions on days 0, 30 and 60. Animals underwent parasit...

Bovine besnoitiosis is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Besnoitia besnoiti. Described many decades ago, recent epidemiological studies reveal its important spread within Europe in the last years. To date, many epidemiological aspects related to life cycle, routes of transmission, incidence rates and associated risk factors are lacking; h...

Un total de 21 especies del género Culicoides Latreille, 1809 (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) han sido identificadas dentro del Programa Nacional de Vigilancia Entomológica frente a la Lengua Azul en Castilla-La Mancha durante el periodo 2007-2009, de las cuales 10 son nuevas citas para la comunidad autónoma. Se ha llevado a cabo una descripción y discu...

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Bartonella henselae, Rickettsia felis, and Rickettsia typhi in fleas and companion cats (serum and claws) and to assess their presence as a function of host, host habitat, and level of parasitism. Eighty-nine serum and claw samples and 90 flea pools were collected. Cat sera were assayed by IF...

The use of distance variables expressing the likelihood of species occurrence at a given site in relation to the distance to observed species presence is demonstrated to improve species distribution models, especially when combined with environmental variables which relate species occurrence to the environmental habitat characteristics. In this stu...

The egg hatch assay (EHA) is one of the main in vitro methods for detection of benzimidazole resistance in nematode parasites of small ruminants. However, although the EHA has been standardised at the laboratory level, the diagnostic performance of this method has not been fully characterised for field screenings. In the present work, monthly varia...

In this study a survey (232 small ruminant farms) about gastro-intestinal nematodes control management was carried out in three regions of Spain (central, northwest and northeast areas). In the areas sampled the size of the farms is small-medium, with sheep as the main exploited specie, low reposition mostly own and with a semi-extensive system of...

Resumen: Se presenta el primer estudio faunístico sobre los Culicoides (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) de la comunidad autónoma de Aragón, noreste de España. En este trabajo se han identificado 19 especies, de las cuales 17 son primeras citas para esta comunidad, pertenecientes a 7 subgéneros diferentes más un grupo misceláneo. El material se recogió du...

SUMMARY Bluetongue is a disease of major economic concern in Europe. Its causative agent, bluetongue virus (BTV), is transmitted by several Culicoides species (mainly Culicoides imicola and Culicoides obsoletus in Europe). The application of insecticides on animals may reduce transmission of BTV, however, no formulation is currently licensed specif...

In this paper we present a novel methodology applied in Spain to model spatial abundance patterns of potential vectors of disease at a medium spatial resolution of 5 x 5 km using a countrywide database with abundance data for five Culicoides species, random regression Forest modelling and a spatial dataset of ground measured and remotely sensed eco...

Fleas are a common cause of feline skin disorders as well as vectors of zoonotic diseases. This study evaluated the flea species infesting domestic cats in Spain and assessed factors influencing their distribution. Fleas from 217 cats from 57 localities in Spain were identified and associations between abundance, and host-dependent, host habitat an...

The faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) is the main method of detection of anthelmintic resistance (AR) in nematodes of veterinary importance. However, although the FECRT is standardised, the diagnostic performance of this method has not been fully characterised. In this survey Monte Carlo routines were used to simulate the estimation of faecal...

Bluetongue (BT) is a viral disease that affects ruminants, being especially pathogenic in certain breeds of sheep. Its viral agent (bluetongue virus; BTV) is transmitted by several species of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Different models of suction light traps are being used in a number of countries for the collection of BTV...

The ability of livestock to breed, grow, and lactate to their maximal genetic potential, and their capacity to maintain health is affected by climatic features. Climate affects animals both indirectly and directly. Indirect effects include those that climate exerts on grassland and crops, and on water availability. Additionally, climate may also af...

Blood meal identification can provide information about the natural host-feeding patterns or preferences of Culicoides species. Such information could indirectly provide data indicating which reservoirs are significant in associated vector-borne diseases. We positively identified the host species through DNA sequencing of the cytochrome b gene in 1...

European wild rabbit populations are declining in Mediterranean ecosystems, where the species is of special conservation interest, and translocations are one of the most-used tools to recover populations. We evaluated the effects of habitat and physiological and immune condition on the short- and long-term survival of translocated adult wild rabbit...

Bluetongue (BT) is an infectious disease of ruminants that has spread northwards in Europe during the last decade. The aetiological agent of the disease is an arbovirus [bluetongue virus (BTV)] that belongs to the genus Orbivirus (family Reoviridae). The virus is transmitted by certain species of biting midge within the genus Culicoides (Diptera: C...

A survey to determine the level of parasite resistance to benzimidazoles (BZ) under field conditions was performed on 107 commercial sheep farms located in the Aragon region of northeast Spain. Resistance was measured using the discriminant dose, a simplified form of the in vitro egg hatch assay (EHA). Taking into account the spatial structure of t...

Sarcoptic mange was recently described in the wild European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in north-eastern Mediterranean Spain, the first such infection reported in this species anywhere in the world. This finding has created concern in conservationists and game managers given that an outbreak of mange after a translocation would have catastrophic...

Vector-borne diseases are among those most sensitive to climate because the ecology of vectors and the development rate of pathogens within them are highly dependent on environmental conditions. Bluetongue (BT), a recently emerged arboviral disease of ruminants in Europe, is often cited as an illustration of climate's impact on disease emergence, a...

Data-driven models for the prediction of bluetongue vector distributions are valuable tools for the identification of areas at risk for bluetongue outbreaks. Various models have been developed during the last decade, and the majority of them use linear discriminant analysis or logistic regression to infer vector-environment relationships. This stud...

Contrasting dried herbage diets were offered to lambs to evaluate their effects on Haemonchus contortus infection and on subsequent development of larvae in faeces. Artificially infected lambs (n=24, 4 months old) were allocated to one of four treatment groups (n=6) and fed on hay of lucerne (Medicago sativa; Lu), sulla (Hedysarum coronarium; Su),...

The protection of livestock against Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) using physical barriers or chemically treated barriers is difficult owing to the small size of these biting midges and animal welfare concerns associated with the reduction of air flow. Culicoides imicola Kieffer is the main bluetongue virus vector in the Mediterranea...

Culicoides imicola is the main vector for bluetongue (BT) and African horse sickness (AHS) viruses in the Mediterranean basin and in southern Europe. In this study, we analysed partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene to characterize and confirm population expansion of Culicoides imicola across Spain. The data were analysed a...

Slaughterhouse surveys to determine the prevalence and intensity of larval Oestrus ovis Linnaeus (Diptera: Oestridae) in sheep, were conducted monthly for 1 year in northeastern Spain. The prevalence of O. ovis in 120 sheep in northeast Spain was 84.2%. The monthly prevalence ranged from 62.5% in January to 100% in June and October. Of the 3,831 la...

European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are frequently translocated for hunting and conservation purposes. Quarantining these animals prior to release reduces the risk of releasing rabbits incubating field infections of myxomatosis or viral haemorrhagic disease (RHD), and it provides a way to vaccinate these animals against both diseases. How...

The capture and handling of live European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are unavoidable initial steps for immunization by vaccination against viral hemorrhagic disease (VHD) and myxomatosis as a management tool aimed at enhancing wild rabbit populations. We investigated the short-term effects of vaccination campaigns against VHD and myxomato...

Bluetongue is a viral disease that is mainly transmitted among their vertebrate hosts (mainly ruminants) by several species of biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Currently, bluetongue is still spreading across peninsular Spain where the main vector species incriminated in viral transmission are Culicoides imicola and...

Culicoides imicola Kieffer is considered to be the main vector of bluetongue disease (BT) and African horse sickness (AHS) in the Mediterranean basin. It has been assumed that this midge species is exophilic and, consequently, that stabling of livestock should provide effective protection against these diseases. This study presents the results of s...

Bluetongue (BT) is an infectious disease that is spreading northwards in Europe. Knowing the infection rates of the different virus serotypes present in a region and of those that have the potential to enter that region is critical to respond adequately to the disease and set up preventive measures such as vaccination. The present study shows that...

Several types of light traps are being used in different European countries to help determine the potential vector species of blue­tongue virus (BTV). The four traps compared in this study were: i) the Onderstepoort trap – black light trap, with 8 W ultraviolet light tube used in the United Kingdom and Italy; ii) mini-CDC – black light, model 912,...

Using data from bluetongue (BT) outbreaks caused by viral serotype 4 (BTV-4) in Spain during 2004-2005, a predictive model for BTV-4 occurrence in peninsular Spain was developed. An autologistic regression model was employed to estimate the relationships between BTV-4 presence and bioclimatic-related and host-availability-related variables. In addi...

Data obtained by a Spanish national surveillance programme in 2005 were used to develop climatic models for predictions of the distribution of the bluetongue virus (BTV) vectors Culicoides imicola Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and the Culicoides obsoletus group Meigen throughout the Iberian peninsula. Models were generated using logistic regre...

SIR, — During the current outbreak of bluetongue virus serotype 8 (btv-8), the Culicoides species of the Obsoletus complex, mainly Culicoides obsoletus sensu stricto and Culicoides scoticus , have been shown to act as the main vectors of this serotype in Europe. Accordingly, btv-8 has expanded

In addition to their importance to veterinary clinical practice as ectoparasites, fleas of domestic dogs are of special concern because they can be vectors of disease, including zoonoses. Flea assemblages parasitizing domestic dogs usually comprise several flea species whose distribution is determined by factors acting at several scales. Knowledge...

RESUMEN La Lengua Azul es una enfermedad vírica transmisible con gran capacidad de difusión debido a las peculiaridades de los insectos vectores que la transmiten. Estos son pequeños dípteros del Género Culicoides, que en castellano se conocen con el nombre de jejenes. Tienen un pequeño tamaño, entre 2 y 3 mm, con patas muy cortas y alas con diseño...

Serum samples from 1034 non-carnivorous wildlife from Spain were tested for antibodies to Neospora caninum by competitive screening enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and confirmed by an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). High agreement was observed between results in both techniques (kappa value higher than 0.9). Prevalences of N. c...

255 ejemplares de Culicoides imicola (Diptera Ceratopogonidae) fueron recogidos de 58 localizaciones en España, extrayéndose su DNA y realizándose el análisis del gen mitocondrial citocromo oxidasa I. Los índices de variación nucleotídica, estructura haplotípica, y test de neutralidad fueron calculados usando DnaSP 4.0 (Rozas et al., 2003). MEGA 2....

Oestrus Ovis is a common sheep parasite in the Mediterranean region. This study was carried out in the Ebro River Valley near Zaragoza (northeast Spain) using tracer animals to describe the seasons when infestation is more likely. Based on that information and an analysis of the evolution of the parasite within the host, we suggest the most appropr...

The European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is an introduced pest species in Australia and New Zealand. Rabbits have a devastating negative impact on agricultural production and biodiversity in these countries, and Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD) is currently included in control strategies for rabbit populations. On the other hand, the Europ...

The European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is the main prey for several endangered species and an importantgame species in the Iberian Peninsula. However, over the last several decades 2 diseases, myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD), have contributed to a decline in rabbit populations. In Spain, vaccination campaigns against both...

The European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a staple prey species in Mediterranean ecosystems. The arrival and subsequent spread of rabbit hemorrhagic disease throughout southwestern Europe, however has caused a decline in rabbit numbers, leading to considerable efforts to enhance wild rabbit populations, especially through habitat manageme...

Vaccination programs are occasionally used on wild mammal populations with conservation goals. In the case of the European wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, vaccination campaigns against rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) have been widely applied to enhance rabbit populations, but their overall effects have not been compared. I used a modelling appr...

This short communication describes the first extensive survey aimed at detecting the presence of Culicoides imicola across the whole of Spain; the results show that the species is more widely distributed than had been previously recorded. Sarto i Monteys and others (2003, 2005) suggested that the distribution of C. imicola is currently expanding ac...

Several predator species at risk of extinction in Southwestern Europe are dependent on the population density of European wild rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus. Rabbit populations in the region, however, have recently undergone dramatic decreases in population density, which may be exacerbated by hunting. Current hunting policies set the autumn–winter...

Translocation of European wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus L. is one of the most frequent management tools to increase rabbit density in Spain, both as prey of several predators that are threatened with extinction and for sport hunting. Nevertheless the elevated short-term mortality by predation makes translocations unsuccessful and increases thei...

The effects of vaccination against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD) on long-term mortality rates in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were studied from 1993 to 1996 by radiotracking a free-living population of wild rabbits. During the three months after immunisation, unvaccinated young rabbits weighing between 180 and 600 g w...

Sera from 456 wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) collected between 1992 and 2003 from five geographical regions of Spain were examined for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii by the modified agglutination test. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 65 (14.2%) wild rabbits. Prevalence of infection was significantly higher in samples collected from wil...

Parasite community ecology has recently focused on understanding the forces structuring these communities. There are few surveys, however, designed to study the spatial repeatability and predictability of parasite communities at the local scale in one host. The purpose of our study was to address the relationship between infracommunity and componen...

Populations of European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have been decreasing since the 1950s. Changes in agricultural practices have been suggested as reasons for their decline in Mediterranean landscapes. We evaluated the environmental variables affecting rabbit distribution in a semiarid agricultural landscape of Northeastern Spain. Sampling...

Between 1992 and 1996, 587 wild red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) from 16 Spanish provinces were examined to study the variations of helminth communities in this game species across a broad geographical area. The survey revealed 13 species of helminth parasites. Dicrocoelium sp.. Rhabdometra nigropunctata, and Cheilospirura gruweli were the mo...

During the 1992-1993 and 1993-1994 shooting seasons, 212 wild red-legged partridge, Alectoris rufa (Galliformes: Phaisanide) were captured in 18 Spanish provinces and examined for chewing lice and ticks. Three tick species and six species of chewing lice were found. Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Haemaphysalis punctata Canestrini & Fanzago, Hyalomma lusit...

From January 1993 to June 1996, the epidemiology of myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD) was studied in a free-living population of wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Spain by means of serological surveys and radiotracking. Myxomatosis was endemic and associated with the breeding period. Its serological pattern was characterised by...

During 1992, the population dynamics of rabbit fleas were compared at two sites in north-eastern Spain. The sites differed mainly in terms of annual rainfall and soil type. All flea species showed seasonal cycles of abundance, although peaks in numbers occurred at different times, reflecting their specific adaptations for coping with climatic varia...

This paper reports the annual dynamics of wild rabbit fleas in a study site located in the Middle Ebro Valley, northeastern Spain. Fleas collected directly from wild rabbits included the species Spilopsyllus cuniculi (Dale), Xenopsylla cunicularis (Smit), Echidnophaga iberica (Ribeiro, Lucientes, Osácar, and Calvete), Caenopsylla laptevi (Beaucourn...

Gastrointestinal helminths were collected from 58 necropsied stray cats (Felis catus) in the mid-Ebro Valley, North-East Spain, from December 1989 to March 1992. The prevalence was 89.7%, with those of individual parasites being Toxocara cati 55.2%C, Ancylostoma tubaeforme 29.3% Joyeuxiella pasqualei 55.2%, Diplopylidium acanthotetra 20.7%, Dipylid...

Since myxomatosis, around half a million rabbits are restocked annually in France and the Iberian Peninsula. The effectiveness of this approach to restoration is still unknown. In this study, the efficacy of traditional restocking was evaluated by marking rabbits with radiocollars and reproducing the methodology usually employed in Spain. The estim...

Genetic distances and phylogenetic clustering are calculated for sympatric populations of Rhipicephalus pusillus (Gil Collado) 1939 ticks, using cuticular hydrocarbon analysis and several statistical tools (stepwise discriminant analysis. Nei's genetic distance using different sets of compounds, and Cavalli-Sforza's Brownian motion model). Discrimi...

The current distribution and rate of spread of rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) has been studied in Spain using interviews with hunters and conservationists and field surveys. The disease is currently present throughout Spain. A low rate of expansion (2-15 km per month), yet long distances between simultaneous outbreaks, suggests human-related tran...

The male holotype and female allotype of Echidnophaga iberica Ribeiro, Lucientes, Osacar & Calvete, a new species of rabbit flea from the Zaragoza area, northeastern Spain, is described on the basis of examination of a type series of six males and 13 females. Similarities of the new species with other species of the genus Echidnophaga are discussed...

We determined the prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis (Nematoda, Filariidae) among 433 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in northeastern Spain, between 1990 and 1992. Forty-six (11%) of 433 foxes were infected; the intensity ranged from 1 to 36 (mean +/- SE; 4.39 +/- 0.92) nematodes per host. The prevalence of D. immitis was higher in foxes inhabiting ripari...

The first known epizootic of rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) occurred in two free-living wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations at Doñana National Park, Spain. Rabbit population density was not correlated to RHD mortality. Only adult animals were affected; males and females had similar mortality rates.

The authors analysed 42 stray dogs in north-eastern Spain. Of these, 29 dogs were parasitised by one or more helminth species. The parasites found were intestinal nematodes (59.52%) and cestodes (47.61%). Differences between urban stray dogs and feral dogs are discussed.

The tick species commonly collected at the Northeast of Spain are reported in this paper. Data on hosts, temperature and humidity requirements, vegetation relationships, altitudinal distribution, and seasonal activity are included. R. sanguineus is commonly collected in areas with Mediterranean vegetation, esteppe, and semi-desertic esteppe, rangin...

Etude de la variation interspecifique entre deux especes de tiques (Rhipicephalus sanguineus et R. pusillus) a l'aide de la chromatographie gazeuse des hydrocarbones cuticulaires. Differents composes permettent de separer les souches «pures» des deux especes des specimens supposes hybrides recoltes uniquement sur les renards. Les caracteristiques d...

RESUMEN La Lengua Azul es una enfermedad vírica transmisible con gran capacidad de difusión debido a las peculiaridades de los insectos vectores que la transmiten. Estos son pequeños dípteros del Género Culicoides, que en castellano se conocen con el nombre de jejenes. Tienen un pequeño tamaño, entre 2 y 3 mm, con patas muy cortas y alas con diseño...