ABSTRACT
Bovine brucellosis is a worldwide zoonotic contagious disease. According to World Animal Health Information System reports Ecuador has presented an increasing number of bovine brucellosis outbreaks in the continental territory over the past years (756 in 2018 versus 964 in 2021), generating economic losses for producers and causing a risk to public health. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis and associated risk or protective factors between May and June 2018. This stratified random study was implemented in 290 cattle herds located in the 23 provinces of continental Ecuador, which represents a total of 3737 cows aged 24 months or older. A competitive ELISA was used to detect Brucella antibodies. Simultaneously, an epidemiological survey was implemented to assess the brucellosis risk or protective factors. The apparent prevalence of bovine brucellosis at the herd level was 21.3% (95% CI: 16.8-26.6) and 6.2% (95% CI: 5.5-7) at the animal level. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship between the potential factors associated with the presence of bovine brucellosis. The risk factors identified after multivariate analysis were a surface in ha per herd > 70 ha (OR = 2.73; 95% CI: 1.18-6.32) and the number of parturitions per animal (two or more with OR ≥ 1.8 and p-value ≤ 0.047). On the contrary, the protective factors were the region (farms located in the eastern region) and the absence of reported clinical signs. In addition, in herds where extensive production predominates, farmers have a low level of knowledge, and the farm biosecurity level is low. These results can guide the authorities in managing the risk factors identified, understanding the current epidemiological situation in Ecuador, improving the bovine brucellosis control program and food safety, as well as increase the one-health approach.
ABSTRACT
In 2010, new Chinese strains of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), clinically more severe than the classical strains, emerged. These strains were spread to United States in 2013 through an intercontinental transmission from China with further spreading across the world, evidencing the emergent nature of these strains. In the present study, an analysis of PEDV field sequences from Ecuador was conducted by comparing all the PEDV S gene sequences available in the GenBank database. Phylogenetic comparisons and Bayesian phylogeographic inference based on complete S gene sequences were also conducted to track the origin and putative route of PEDV. The sequence from the PED-outbreak in Ecuador was grouped into the clade II of PEDV genogroup 2a together with other sequences of isolates from Mexico, Canada, and United States. The phylogeographic study revealed the emergence of the Chinese PEDV strains, followed by spreading to US in 2013, from US to Korea, and later the introduction of PEDV to Canada, Mexico, and Ecuador directly from the US. The sources of imports of live swine in Ecuador in 2014 were mainly from Chile and US. Thus, this movement of pigs is suggested as the main way for introducing PEDV to Ecuador.
