Browsing by Author "Bernardino, Rui"
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- Animal-to-human transmission of Mycobacterium pinnipediiPublication . Macedo, Rita; Isidro, Joana; Gomes, Maria Conceição; Botelho, Ana; Albuquerque, Teresa; Sogorb, Arlete; Bernardino, Rui; Fernandes, Teresa Lobo; Mourato, Teresa; Durval, Mário; Gomes, João PauloExtract: Mycobacterium pinnipedii, the known causative agent of tuberculosis (TB) in marine mammals, was only recognised as a member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in 2003 [1] and is believed to cause TB in several species, including nonmarine mammals [2, 3] and even humans [4]. The assumption of zoonotic transmission has been strongly reinforced by a disruptive study published in 2014 by a team of archaeologists from Tübingen, Germany [5]. Based on archaeological and genomic investigations on millennial human skeletons, the authors implicated sea mammals infected with M. pinnipedii as a source of New World human TB. Considering that this phenomenon pre-dates the human migrations to South America by several centuries, they refuted the previous scientific hypothesis of TB driven by human contact [6].
- Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Fauna of a Zoological Park in an Urban Setting: Analysis of Culex pipiens s.l. and Their BiotypesPublication . Madeira, Sara; Bernardino, Rui; Osório, Hugo Costa; Boinas, FernandoSimple Summary: Mosquitoes are known for being a nuisance but also as important vectors of disease agents that affect not only humans but also animals. Zoological gardens are special places where humans and animals are found in close proximity, and where mosquitoes can also find the conditions required for their life cycle. This can be especially true for zoos located in urban areas. In this study, we characterized, for the first time, the mosquito fauna of Lisbon Zoo, and we found a low mosquito density and diversity. We found an average of 2.4 mosquitos per trap/night, and five different species were identified. The most common species was the northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens, with sympatric occurrence of the two biotypes and their hybrids in most collections. Mosquitoes were present year-round, with activity detected in winter months, in which mosquitoes usually diapause. This co-occurrence and activity during winter can have implications in terms of disease transmission, namely, flavivirus, which can affect both animals and humans.