Patricia Barroso Seano

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
• PostDoc Position at University of Leon

Animal tuberculosis (TB) is endemic in wild boar (Sus scrofa), red deer (Cervus elaphus), fallow deer (Dama dama) and cattle in south and central Spain. In order to clarify the processes that operate in the medium and long-term, we studied TB at the wildlife–livestock interface in Doñana National Park for 14 years (2006–2018) in relation to host de...

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) has become overabundant leading to significant ecological impact and human-wildlife conflicts. Thus, monitoring their populations has become essential. Human activities also influence ecological processes and disease dynamics. Therefore, understanding species interactions and community composition is crucial in habitats suffe...

The global biodiversity crisis is driven by habitat changes to meet escalating food demands and is particularly evident in Mediterranean Europe through agricultural intensification and rural abandonment. Commercial hunting of red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) may benefit biodiversity where hunting estates manage for habitat quality. This approa...

Outdoor farming contributes to biodiversity conservation and enhances animal welfare, but also raises biosafety concerns due to livestock contact with potentially infected wildlife. Thus, there is a need to assess the balance between vertebrate species richness on farms, visits by wildlife species posing a biosafety risk, and pathogen circulation i...

The western capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) is a species of conservation concern that has been experiencing a severe decline in many regions of Europe. The poor breeding success rather than mortality of full-grown birds has been suggested to be responsible for its decline, been the nest loss a potential driver of the low productivity (number of chi...

The random encounter model (REM) is a camera trapping method to estimate population density (i.e. number of individuals per unit area) without the need for individual recognition. The REM can be applied considering camera trap data only by tracking the passages of animals in front of the camera (i.e. sequences). However, it has not been assessed ho...

Despite enormous efforts, complete animal tuberculosis (TB) eradication has only been achieved in few regions. Epidemiological analyses are key to identify TB risk factors and set up targeted biosecurity measures. Here, we conducted an in-depth characterization of 84 extensive beef cattle farms from a high TB prevalence region in Western Spain, and...

Despite enormous efforts, complete animal tuberculosis (TB) eradication has only been achieved in few regions. Epidemiological analyses are key to identify TB risk factors and set up targeted biosecurity measures. Here, we conducted an in-depth characterization of 84 extensive beef cattle farms from a high TB prevalence region in Western Spain, and...

Camera-trapping-based social network analysis (SNA) is a valuable tool to characterize communities and identify species with an outstanding role in pathogen maintenance. This study provides new insights into the contentious debate on the effect of biodiversity on disease risk by combining SNA with the assessment of host diversity indicators and pat...

Multi-host communities are perfect scenarios for the emergence and spread of pathogens, threatening the recovery of endangered, isolated, or inbred populations, such as the brown bear (Ursus arctos) in northwestern Spain. The population recovery in recent years has forced bears to occupy highly anthropized areas, increasing their interaction with h...

The global biodiversity crisis, driven by habitat changes to meet escalating food demands, is particularly evident in Mediterranean Europe through agricultural intensification and rural abandonment. Counterintuitively, commercial hunting of red-legged partridge ( Alectoris rufa ) may benefit biodiversity managing estates for habitat quality rather...

The crested porcupine ( Hystrix cristata ) is a rodent present in Africa and southern Europe (Italy exclusively). The Italian population is expanding from the centre to the north and south, but little is known about the species' abundance. Reliable population density estimates are important for monitoring trends in wildlife populations and for deve...

Integrated wildlife monitoring (IWM) combines infection dynamics and the ecology of wildlife populations, including aspects defining the host community network. Developing and implementing IWM is a worldwide priority that faces major constraints and biases that should be considered and addressed when implementing these systems. We identify eleven m...

In dry climates, livestock farming contributes to waterhole creation and maintenance, thereby contributing to biodiversity conservation. However, these lentic water bodies also represent a critical environmental connection between microorganisms and their vertebrate hosts since the water can facilitate pathogen persistence and transmission. Therefo...

Since 2007, an ongoing African swine fever (ASF) pandemic has significantly impacted Eurasia. Extensive field evidence and modeling confirm the central role of wild boar in ASF epidemiology. To effectively control and eradicate the infection, rapid detection of the ASF virus (ASFV) is crucial for prompt intervention in areas of recent viral introdu...

We used primary care data to retrospectively describe the entry, spread, and impact of COVID-19 in a remote rural community and the associated risk factors and challenges faced by the healthcare team. Generalized linear models were fitted to assess the relationship between age, sex, period, risk group status, symptom duration, post-COVID illness, a...

Biosafety measures (BSMs) often aim at reducing the likelihood of cross-species interactions at the wildlife-livestock interface. Examples include means to segregate wild ungulates from cattle at waterholes or at feeders. Subsidies or incentives for BSM implementation are expected to contribute to improved BSM acceptance. However, several recent ex...

Body condition (BC), is a measure to assess the health status of domestic and wild animals. When food resources are abundant, a decrease in BC may indicate an increase in the energetic expenditure due to the effects of growth, reproduction, or disease. BC impoverishment is one of the most common clinical effects of diseases progressing chronically,...

In the One Health context, Integrated Wildlife Monitoring (IWM) merges wildlife health monitoring (WHM) and host community monitoring to early detect emerging infections, record changes in disease dynamics, and assess the impact of interventions in complex multi-host and multi-pathogen networks. This study reports the deployment and results obtaine...

Multiple infections or co-exposure to pathogens should be considered systematically in wildlife to better understand the ecology and evolution of host-pathogen relationships, so as to better determine the potential use of multiple pathogens as indicators to guide health management. We describe the pattern of co-exposure to several pathogens (i.e. s...

Crimean‐Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an emerging tick‐borne human disease in Spain. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics and exposure risk determinants of CCHF virus (CCHFV) in animal models is essential to predict the time and areas of highest transmission risk. With this goal, we designed a longitudinal survey of two wild ungulate spec...

The EU‐Commission is setting up a coordinated surveillance system under the One Health approach for cross‐border pathogens that threaten the Union, for which EFSA is assessing the prioritization of pathogens to be targeted by surveillance. To support in prioritizing pathogens, this report reviews the literature on existing frameworks, describes the...

Tick abundance is an essential demographic parameter to infer tick-borne pathogen transmission risks. Spatiotemporal patterns of tick abundance are heterogeneous, so its determinants at small spatial scales need to be understood to reduce their negative effects on hosts. Current knowledge of these determinants is scarce, especially in Mediterranean...

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an emerging tick-borne human disease in Spain. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics and exposure risk determinants of CCHF virus (CCHFV) in animal models is essential to predict the time and areas of highest transmission risk. With this goal, we designed a longitudinal survey in two wild ungulate spec...

Population density estimates are important for wildlife conservation and management. Several camera trapping‐based methods for estimating densities have been developed, one of which, the random encounter model (REM), has been widely applied due to its practical advantages such as no need for species‐specific study design. Nevertheless, most of the...

A cross‐sectional study was carried out to assess the circulation of bluetongue virus (BTV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV) within the wild and domestic ungulate host community in Doñana National Park (southwestern Spain). A total of 440 animals, including 138 cattle, 102 red deer (Cervus elaphus), 101 fallow deer (Dama dama) and 99 wild boar (Sus sc...

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis which results in a significant economic cost to cattle industries and governments where it is endemic. In Ireland, the European badger is the main wildlife reservoir of infection. In this study, we investigated whether (motorway) road construction was associated...

Tick abundance is an essential demographic parameter to infer tick-borne pathogen transmission risks. Spatiotemporal patterns of tick abundance are heterogeneous, so its determinants at small spatial scales need to be understood to reduce their negative effects on hosts. Current knowledge of these determinants is scarce, especially in Mediterranean...

Stephanurus dentatus is a nematode that parasitizes the urinary tract of domestic and wild Suidae, especially in tropical areas. However, there is a lack of information about stephanurosis in wild boar (Sus scrofa), thus making it necessary to develop sensitive techniques with which to diagnose this pathogen in order to carry out further research....

El Grupo Operativo Supra-autonómico Tuberculosis (GOSTU) presenta la “Guía de Inspección de Carne y Subproductos procedentes de actividades cinegéticas de caza mayor. Singularidad de lesiones por tuberculosis animal” una herramienta práctica para todos aquellos que trabajan en la cadena de producción de la carne de caza. El aprovechamiento cárnico...

This book, aimed at professionals in the sector such as veterinarians, livestock farmers or wildlife managers, is the first volume of a manual that lists and details the different sources of risk of tuberculosis for cattle. In each section, the risk is described, its epidemiological role is detailed and control measures are proposed, providing a co...

This book, aimed at professionals in the sector such as veterinarians, ranchers or wildlife managers, is the second volume of a manual that lists and details the different sources of risk of tuberculosis for wildlife. In each section, the risk is described, its epidemiological role is detailed and control measures are proposed, providing a complete...

Bluetongue is a vector-borne disease affecting domestic and wild ruminants, with a major socioeconomic impact. Endemic circulation of the bluetongue virus serotype 4 (BTV-4) and BTV-1 have occurred in Spain since 2004 and 2007, respectively. However, epidemiological studies have seldom been approached from a long-term perspective in wild ruminants....

Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) are notifiable diseases which are highly transmissible and have the potential for rapid spread regardless of national borders. Many TADs are shared between domestic animals and wildlife, with the potential to affect both livestock sector and wildlife conservation and eventually, public health in the case of zoon...

The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen whose main reservoir is suids. Most of the ecological and epidemiological aspects of its sylvatic cycle remain unknown. Thus, in this work, we study the drivers of HEV exposure in the wild boar population of Doñana National Park (DNP, southwest Spain) operating in the medium and long-term...

Stephanurus dentatus is a nematode that parasitizes the urinary tract of domestic and wild Suidae, especially in tropical areas. However, there is a lack of information about stephanurosis in wild boar (Sus scrofa), thus making it necessary to develop sensitive techniques with which to diagnose this pathogen in order to carry out further research....

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan which infects warm-blooded vertebrates, including humans, worldwide. In the present study, the epidemiology of T. gondii was studied in the wild ungulate host community (wild boar, red deer, and fallow deer) of Doñana National Park (DNP, south-western Spain) for 13 years (2005–2018). We asses...

Long-term wildlife disease research (LTWDR) and its interfaces with humans and domestic animals provide perspective to understand the diseases’ main drivers and how they operate. In a systematic review, we analysed the temporal trend of the studies on LTWDR, their aims, and the hosts, pathogens and geographic areas studied. We also evaluated the ad...

It is essential to know the temporal dynamics of infection in wild hosts in order to understand the epidemiology and ecology of shared diseases. Studies which have this aim require systematically monitoring that compile information with a broad time and space perspective to understand the involved factors. This review describes the purposes, main s...

Day range (DR), the distance travelled by an individual during the day, is an important metric in movement ecology that recently gained interest by its relevance for estimating population density through the random encounter model (REM). Traditionally, DR has been estimated using GPS technology and considering raw straight-line distances between co...

Knowledge about distribution and abundance of European wild mammals is essential for their conservation and management. ENETWILD consortium (www.enetwild.com) has been collecting presence and abundance data of wild boar, which will be completed with other wild mammals in the next years. Using the wild boar as a example, we develop a general framewo...

Stephanurus dentatus es un nematodo que parasita el aparato urinario de suidos domésticos y silvestres, sobre todo en áreas tropicales. Existe muy poca información acerca de la estefanurosis en el jabalí (Sus scrofa). En un estudio reciente realizado en varias poblaciones de jabalíes del centro-sur de España, se detectó una elevada prevalecía (76,5...

In the period from October 2016 to February 2017, the urinary tracts of 390 wild boar (Sus scrofa) from four areas of south central Spain (102 from Doñana National Park; 150 from Sierra Morena and the Toledo Mountains; 84 from Sierra Nevada; 54 from Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park) were examined for the presence of adult specime...

Understanding the role that facultative scavenger species may play in spreading infectious pathogens, and even becoming reservoirs for humans, domestic and wild ungulates or, on the contrary, preventing the spread of disease, requires a prior understanding of the pattern of carrion scavenging in specific scenarios. The objectives of this paper are...

El rango diario de desplazamiento (RD), entendido como la distancia recorrida por un individuo a lo largo del día, es un parámetro ecológico que ha sido tradicionalmente calculado mediante telemetría, asumiendo para ello trayectorias lineales entre localizaciones consecutivas. Sin embargo, la trayectoria que siguen los individuos entre dos localiza...

Day range (DR) is an ecological parameter that indicates the distance travelled by one animal over the day. DR is needed to estimate density of wildlife populations through random encounter model (REM), one of the most promising methods for monitoring wildlife since: i) produces population density values, and ii) based in camera trapping, allows us...

Los estudios multidisciplinares que combinan la componente espacial con la epidemiología molecular son cruciales para determinar cuáles son los factores que determinan la persistencia de la infección por el Complejo Mycobacterium tuberculosis (CMTB), causante de la tuberculosis (TB) en ganado y reservorios silvestres. En la Península Ibérica, el ja...

Day range and travel speed are important ecological variables that are usually measured by telemetry assuming straight-line distances between intermittent relocations of tagged animals. However, recent studies showed that telemetry can notably underestimate these parameters, mainly due to high tortuosity in animal paths. Here, we estimated travel s...

La transmisión de la tuberculosis animal (TB) entre fauna silvestre y ganado domestico es relevante para el sector ganadero y la conservación de especies en diferentes situaciones a lo largo del mundo. Recientemente, se ha constatado la capacidad de supervivencia de la principal micobacteria causante de la enfermedad (Mycobacterium bovis, Complejo...

In spring 2016, we analyzed the skull of 44 aoudads (Ammotragus lervia) from Sierra Espuña Regional Park (SE Spain) for the presence of oestrid larvae. Oestrus ovis larvae were found in 27.3% of sampled hosts, with a mean intensity of 1.5 ± 6.1 larvae/per parasitized host (range 1-21). To our knowledge, this is the first report of oestrosis affecti...

In spring 2016, we analyzed the skull of 44 aoudads (Ammotragus lervia) from Sierra Espuña Regional Park (SE Spain) for the presence of oestrid larvae. Oestrus ovis larvae were found in 27.3% of sampled hosts, with a mean intensity of 1.5 ± 6.1 larvae/per parasitized host (range 1–21). To our knowledge, this is the first report of oestrosis affecti...