Ursula Höfle

University of Castilla-La Mancha · Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC)

This study determined the carriage rates and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes of enterococci from nasotracheal samples of three healthy animal species and in-contact humans. Nasal samples were collected from 27 dog-owning households (34 dogs, 41 humans) and 4 pig-farms (40 pigs, 10 pig-farmers), and they were processed for enterococci recovery...

The range of Red-legged Partridge populations is very wide from natural ones, through those managed for maximum hunting yields, up to completely artificial captive-reared ones. Within this scenario, the Red-legged Partridge has become an interesting model species for studying disease dynamics and host-pathogen evolution. Indeed, exposure to pathoge...

Bagaza virus emerged in Spain in 2010 and was not reported in other countries in Europe until 2021, when the virus was detected by molecular methods in a corn bunting and several red-legged partridges in Portugal. Sequencing revealed high similarity between the 2021 strains from Portugal and the 2010 strains from Spain.

Flaviviruses such as West Nile (WNV), Usutu (USUV) and Bagaza (BAGV) virus and avian malaria parasites are vector borne pathogens that circulate naturally between avian and mosquito hosts. WNV and USUV and potentially also BAGV constitute zoonoses. Temporal and spatial co‐circulation and co‐infection with Plasmodium spp., and West Nile virus has be...

Flaviviruses West Nile (WNV), Usutu (USUV) and Bagaza (BAGV) virus and avian malaria parasites are vector borne pathogens that circulate naturally between avian and mosquito hosts. WNV and USUV and potentially also BAGV constitute zoonoses. Temporal and spatial co-circulation and co-infection with Plasmodium spp., and West Nile virus has been docum...

Bagaza virus (BAGV) emerged in Spain, in 2010. Since then, BAGV was not reported in other European countries until September 2021, when BAGV was diagnosed by molecular methods in one corn bunting and several red-legged partridges, after abnormal mortality in Southern Portugal. Sequencing revealed high similarity with strains reported previously.

The mosquito-borne flaviviruses USUV and WNV are known to co-circulate in large parts of Europe. Both are a public health concern, and USUV has been the cause of epizootics in both wild and domestic birds, and neurological cases in humans in Europe. Here, we explore the susceptibility of magpies to experimental USUV infection, and how previous expo...

West Nile virus (WNV) is the most widespread flavivirus in the world with a wide vertebrate host range. Its geographic expansion and activity continue to increase with important human and equine outbreaks and local bird mortality. In a previous experiment, we demonstrated the susceptibility of 7-week-old red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) to Me...

Most methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates harboring mecC gene belong to clonal complex CC130. This lineage has traditionally been regarded as animal-associated as it lacks the human specific immune evasion cluster (IEC), and has been recovered from a broad range of animal hosts. Nevertheless, sporadic mecC -MRSA human infecti...

The use of landfills as foraging areas by white storks (Ciconia ciconia) is a recent well-known behaviour. While several studies have highlighted positive effects at a populational level others suggest that the presence of pollutants, pathogens and the lower presence of antioxidants in the food could pose a health risk for individuals. The objectiv...

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and diversity of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) species from wild birds in Spain, as well as to analyze the antimicrobial resistance phenotype/genotype and the virulence gene content. During 2015–2016, tracheal samples of 242 wild birds were collected in different regions of Spain...

White stork (Ciconia ciconia) may act as a reservoir and vehicle of cephalosporin resistant (CR) Escherichia coli. Between 2011 and 2014, we sampled white storks from colonies exposed to different degrees of anthropic pressure across the major areas of natural distribution of white storks in Spain. Cloacal swab samples (n = 467) were obtained from...

Colistin has become the last-line antimicrobial for the treatment of multidrug resistant (MDR) Enterobacterales in human medicine. To date, several colistin resistance genes have been described. Of them mcr-1 is disseminated worldwide in Escherichia coli of human and animal origin. The aim of this study was to characterize mcr-mediated resistance p...

Telomere length (TL) and shortening is increasingly shown to predict variation in survival and lifespan, raising the question of what causes variation in these traits. Oxidative stress is well known to accelerate telomere attrition in vitro, but its importance in vivo is largely hypothetical. We tested this hypothesis experimentally by supplementin...

The Poultry Red Mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, is an ectoparasite which is considered the major pest for the egg-laying industry. The mite hides in crevices and cracks during daylight and feed on the blood of the hens in the darkness. It can also parasitize other bird and mammal species, including man that can develop gamasoidosis when bitten at work...

The poultry red mite (PRM), Dermanyssus gallinae, is a hematophagous ectoparasite considered as the major pest in the egg-laying industry. Its pesticide-based control is only partially successful and requires the development of new control interventions such as vaccines. In this study, we follow a vaccinology approach to identify PRM candidate prot...

Las aves, participan en la epidemiología de diversas enfermedades zoonóticas, y muestras procedentes anillamientos son de interés para los programas de vigilancia sanitaria. La toma de muestras biológicas, en aves de pequeño tamaño, puede resultar dificultosa o peligroso para el ejemplar. Este trabajo resume la experiencia de un muestreo de campo y...

The poultry red mite (PRM), Dermanyssus gallinae, is a hematophagous ectoparasite of birds with worldwide distribution that causes economic losses in the egg-production sector of the poultry industry. Traditional control methods, mainly based on acaricides, have been only partially successful, and new vaccine-based interventions are required for th...

Objectives: To analyse the presence of Blastocystis in some protected steppe bird species and its proportion in the microbiome. In addition, to test what Blastocystis STs appear in these birds and their importance. We analysed faecal samples of 6 steppe bird species by flocks; 6 flocks of Great Bustard (Otis tarda), 15 flocks of Little Bustard (Te...

The aim of this study was to determine the carriage rate of coagulase-positive staphylococci (CoPS) in wild birds and to characterize recovered isolates. Tracheal samples from 324 wild birds, obtained in different Spanish regions during 2015–2016, were screened for CoPS carriage. The antimicrobial resistance profile and the virulence gene content w...

In this study, we use metabarcoding analysis, with broad‐spectrum 18S primers, to detect Blastocystis parasite in game species and in protected steppe bird species, and determine which subtypes (ST) appear in these birds as well as their importance. We analysed fresh faecal samples of six species grouped by flocks or origin; six flocks of great bus...

The mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) is a highly neurovirulent Flavivirus currently representing an emergent zoonotic concern. WNV cycles in nature between mosquito vectors and birds that act as amplifier hosts and play an essential role in virus ecology, being, thus, WNV a threat to many species. Availability of an efficient avian vaccine woul...

Wild birds often harbor infectious microorganisms. Some of these infectious microorganisms may present a risk to domestic animals and humans through spillover events. Detections of certain microorganisms have been shown to increase host susceptibility to infections by other microorganisms, leading to coinfections and altered host-to-host transmissi...

During 2007–2009 and 2012–2014, avian influenza virus (AIV) was studied in a wild avian community of a northern Spanish wetland using non-invasive sampling methods and host identification by COI barcoding. The aim of this longitudinal study was to evaluate AIV dynamics in a natural wetland ecosystem, taking into account both virological aspects and...

The white stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a traditional trans- saharian migrant. Recently storks have adapted to rubbish dumps as reliable food source and have reduced migratory distance or become sedentary. Thus, nests formerly empty during winter are occupied continuously. Stork nests provide microhabitats for mite communities including parasitic hem...

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...

West Nile virus (WNV), a zoonotic pathogen naturally transmitted by mosquitoes whose natural hosts are birds, has spread worldwide during the last few decades. Resident birds play an important role in flavivirus epidemiology, since they can serve as reservoirs and facilitate overwintering of the virus. Herein, we report the first experimental infec...

The red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) is a competent host for West Nile virus (WNV) replication and highly susceptible to WNV disease. With the aim to assess in this species whether the inoculation of non-structural protein NS1 from WNV elicits a protective immune response against WNV infection, groups of partridges were inoculated with recombi...

Black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) are a suitable host species to study the epidemiology of low pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAIV) infection in wild waterbirds because they are a common colony-breeding species in which LPAIV infection is detected frequently, limited mainly to the H13 and H16 subtypes. However, the sites of virus...

Los nidos de cigüeña pueden formar microhábitats habitados por comunidades de invertebrados. Entre ellos ácaros parasitarios de vertebrados que pueden tener efectos negativos sobre las aves. En nidos plurianulaes utilizados en años consecutivos el vacío durante la migración pueden ayudar a reducir la cantidad de especies de ácaro parasitarias. Para...

La “crisis de las vacas locas” causó un escenario muy desfavorable para las aves necrófagas, dando lugar a la recogida del ganado muerto en el campo para reducir el riesgo de transmisión de enfermedades. Al mismo tiempo, debido al colapso de las poblaciones de buitres en Asia y África, Europa y especialmente España tiene el deber de conservar estas...

Aquatic wild birds have been intensively studied to better understand their role in avian influenza virus (AIV) maintenance and spread. To date, AIV surveillance has primarily focused on natural aquatic environments where different bird species aggregate and viral survival is enhanced. However, artificial habitats such as landfills are attracting s...

The Poultry Red Mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) is the most relevant ectoparasite in layer farms, and highly prevalent in European farms. This situation is a serious challenge for the poultry industry as the biology of the Poultry Red Mite (PRM) and the lack of effective tools make its control complicated. Depending on the level of infestation, PRM cau...

Poultry Red Mites (PRM) pose a threat to the egg industry worldwide. It causes serious economic losses due to reduction in egg production, higher costs (treatments and prevention), potential disease transmission and hens welfare. In addition, producers are facing the lack of effective control tools because of the development of resistance against s...

Biological control is an increasingly used tool for pest containment. Because of the limitations in chemical control against the Poultry Red Mite (PRM, Dermanyssus gallinae), using predatory mites could be a promising alternative. In order to identify indigenous predatory mites, we decided to characterize the communities of mites living in nests of...

Background During the last decade, the spread of many flaviviruses (Genus Flavivirus) has been reported, representing an emerging threat for both animal and human health. To further study utility of wild ruminant samples in West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance, we assessed spatio–temporal trends and factors associated with WNV and cross-reacting flav...

Infections shared with wildlife matter because many are zoonotic; because of their impact on animal health and in consequence on livestock production; and because of their adverse effects on conservation and on the sustainable use of wildlife. We describe recent environmental and societal changes that contribute to explain the current wildlife dise...

The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is one of the most widely distributed urban birds and has successfully expanded its range to all continents. Recent population declines of this and other garden bird species in central and Northern Europe have raised a concern and are considered due to several factors, including pathogens such as the protozoan...

More than 70% of new human pathogens are zoonotic and many originate from the wildlife reservoir. Wildlife rehabilitation centres (WRC) are an easily accessible source for sample and data collection for preventive surveillance, but data collected this way may be biased. We use white storks (Ciconia ciconia) as a model to compare pathogen prevalence...

This chapter intends to identify research priorities and current trends in wildlife diseases. This is an ever-growing field where veterinary science has important overlaps and interactions with many related scientific fields such as molecular biology, wildlife ecology, human medicine and animal science, among others. This emerging research field is...

The preoccupying decline of red kite (Milvus milvus) populations across Southern and Central Europe has been attributed mostly to pesticide and rodenticide exposure, changes in landuse, carrion, rubbish availability, and direct persecution. However, pathogens have also been involved in declines of wild bird populations. In this context, feeding sit...

After the introduction of West Nile virus (WNV) into North America, bird mortalities associated with West Nile disease have dramatically increased in this continent and, to a lesser extent, in Europe. The different West Nile disease incidence in birds in these 2 continents demands an explanation, and experimental studies can provide important infor...

Objectives The objective of this study was to analyse the prevalence of tracheal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus/MRSA in storks and to study the resistance and virulence genes in the obtained isolates. Methods Tracheal samples from 92 stork nestlings of two landfill-associated and two natural-habitat colonies were inoculated in specific media fo...

Avian Paramyxovirus -1 (aPMV-1) transmission risk in game-bird farms by nuisance species in central Spain.

Importance: Low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIV) circulate mainly in wild waterbirds, but are occasionally transmitted to other species including humans, where they cause subclinical to fatal disease. To date, the effect of LPAIV-specific immunity on the epidemiology of LPAIV in wild birds is poorly understood. In this study, we investig...

In the mid-twentieth century, White storks (Ciconia ciconia) suffered a marked decline along entire Europe due to the destruction of their natural habitat by human activities. Since several decades ago, its populations have been recovered impressively due to the occurrence of a new food source, rubbish dumps. It is well established that the use of...

The objectives were to evaluate the presence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci with acquired (VRE-a) and intrinsic (VRE-i) resistance mechanisms in fecal samples from different wild animals, and analyze their phenotypes and genotypes of antimicrobial resistance. A total of 348 cloacal/ rectal samples from red-legged partridges (127), white storks...

In 2011, neurological disease was reported in a herd of goats (Capra hircus) in Asturias, Spain. Initial sequencing identified the causative agent as louping ill virus (LIV). Subsequently, with the application of whole genome sequencing and phylogenic analysis, empirical data demonstrates that the LIV-like virus detected is significantly divergent...

Tras cuatro años de funcionamiento del programa Migra ya se tiene bastante información de varias especies y se comienzan realizar las primeros publicaciones. Se presentan los primeros resultados con tres de las especies objetivo del proyecto en este periodo. Las águilas calzadas abandonan sus zonas de cría a mediados de septiembre y tras unos 25 dí...

##Assembly-Data-START## Assembly Method :: SeqMan v. Lasergene 10 Sequencing Technology :: Sanger dideoxy sequencing ##Assembly-Data-END##

##Assembly-Data-START## Assembly Method :: SeqMan v. Lasergene 10 Sequencing Technology :: Sanger dideoxy sequencing ##Assembly-Data-END##

Anseriformes and Charadriiformes are known to be the main reservoirs for Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) in which the transmission within these occurs via faecal/oral contact in contaminated water. Understanding the Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) persistence and transmission dynamics is crucial for predicting disease outbreaks and improving surveillance s...

Using eye samples of nine 9-week-old experimentally West Nile virus (WNV)-infected red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa), time course of lesions and WNV antigen appearance in ocular structures were examined. In addition, eye samples of 6 red-legged partridges and 3 common pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) naturally infected with Bagaza virus (BAGV)...

West Nile virus (WNV) is maintained in nature in an enzootic transmission cycle between birds and mosquitoes, although it occasionally infects other vertebrates, including humans, in which it may result fatal. To date, no licensed vaccines against WNV infection are available for birds, but its availability would certainly benefit certain population...

: West Nile virus (WNV) is a globally distributed arthropod-borne flavivirus capable of infecting a wide variety of vertebrates, with birds as its natural reservoir. Although it had been considered a pathogen of little importance for birds, from the 1990's, and especially after its introduction in the North American continent in 1999, thousands of...

Between 1978 and 2008, 13 avian botulism outbreaks were recorded in the wetlands of Mancha Húmeda (Central Spain). These caused the deaths of around 20,000 birds from over 50 species, including globally endangered white-headed ducks (Oxyura leucoceophala). Here, a significant association was found between the number of dead birds recorded in each b...

European quail (Coturnix c. coturnix) may share with Japanese quail (Coturnix c. japonica) its potential as an intermediate host and reservoir of avian influenza viruses (AIV). To elucidate this question, European quail were experimentally challenged with two highly pathogenic AIV (HPAIV) (H7N1/HP and H5N1/HP) and one low pathogenic AIV (LPAIV) (H7...

Colibacillosis in different forms is responsible for significant economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide. Escherichia coli strains frequently implicated in poultry disease are designated as avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC). Natural infections and disease due to APEC have been described in wild birds, but not as yet in red-legged partridges...