Examinando por Autor "Escobar, L.E."

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    Distributional ecology of Andes hantavirus: A macroecological approach
    (BioMed Central, 2018-06) Astorga, F.; Escobar, L.E.; Poo-Muñoz, D.; Escobar-Dodero, J.; Rojas-Hucks, S.; Alvarado-Rybak, M.; Duclos, M.; Romero-Alvarez, D.; Molina-Burgos, B.E.; Peñafiel-Ricaurte, A.; Toro, F.; Peña-Gómez, F.T.; Peterson, A.T.
    Background: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is an infection endemic in Chile and Argentina, caused by Andes hantavirus (ANDV). The rodent Oligoryzomys longicaudatus is suggested as the main reservoir, although several other species of Sigmodontinae are known hosts of ANDV. Here, we explore potential ANDV transmission risk to humans in southern South America, based on eco-epidemiological associations among: six rodent host species, seropositive rodents, and human HPS cases. Methods: We used ecological niche modeling and macroecological approaches to determine potential geographic distributions and assess environmental similarity among rodents and human HPS cases. Results: Highest numbers of rodent species (five) were in Chile between 35° and 41°S latitude. Background similarity tests showed niche similarity in 14 of the 56 possible comparisons: similarity between human HPS cases and the background of all species and seropositive rodents was supported (except for Abrothrix sanborni). Of interest among the results is the likely role of O. longicaudatus, Loxodontomys micropus, Abrothrix olivaceus, and Abrothrix longipilis in HPS transmission to humans. Conclusions: Our results support a role of rodent species' distributions as a risk factor for human HPS at coarse scales, and suggest that the role of the main reservoir (O. longicaudatus) may be supported by the broader rodent host community in some areas. © 2018 The Author(s).
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    Domestic horses within the maya biosphere reserve: A possible threat to the central american tapir (tapirus bairdii)
    (Universidad Nacional de Colombia, 2018-06) Lepe-López, M.; García-Anleu, R.; Fountain-Jones, N.M.; Ponce, G.; Gonzalez, M.; Escobar, L.E.
    The Central American tapir (Tapirus bairdii) is the largest herbivore in the Neotropics classified as “endangered.” It has been proposed that Equine Infectious Anemia virus (EIA) is a disease of horses with potential to lead to further decline of T. bairdii populations. In this study, we used domestic horses as sentinels for EIA in the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala. In total, 40 % (13) horses tested were seropositive to EIA. This study may inform wildlife management strategies inside protected areas by considering the threat from incursions of domestic animals inside core areas of natural reserves. © 2018, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. All rights reserved.
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    Spatial and temporal trends of bat-borne rabies in Chile
    (Cambridge University Press, 2015-05) Escobar, L.E.; Restif, O.; Yung, V.; Favi, M.; Pons, D.J.; Medina-Vogel, G.
    In Chile, while dog rabies has decreased markedly over the last 30 years, bat rabies is still reported frequently. In order to shed new light on the spatiotemporal trends of these reports, we analysed active and passive data from years 1985 and 2012, which included 61 076 samples from 289 counties of Chile. We found that from 1994 to 2012, more than 15 000 bat samples were submitted for diagnostics through passive surveillance, 9·5% of which tested positive for rabies. By contrast, the prevalence of infection was only ∼0·4% among the nearly 12 000 bat samples submitted through active surveillance. We found that the prevalence of dog rabies dropped steadily over the same period, with just a single confirmed case since 1998. None of the 928 samples from wild animals, other than bats, were positive for rabies. Although there has been only one confirmed case of human rabies in Chile since 1985, and a single confirmed case in a dog since 1998, bats remain a reservoir for rabies viruses. While active surveillance indicates that rabies prevalence is low in bat colonies, the high proportion of positive bats submitted through passive surveillance is a concern. To prevent human rabies, local public health agencies should increase research on the basic ecology of bats and the role of stray dogs and cats as potential rabies amplifiers. © 2014 Cambridge University Press.
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    Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild mustelids and cats across an urban-rural gradient
    (Public Library of Science, 2018-06) Barros, M.; Cabezón, O.; Dubey, J.P.; Almería, S.; Ribas, M.P.; Escobar, L.E.; Ramos, B.; Medina-Vogel, G.
    The increase in human population and domestic pets, such as cats, are generating important consequences in terms of habitat loss and pathogen pollution of coastal ecosystems with potential to generate negative impacts in marine biodiversity. Toxoplasma gondii is the etiological agent of zoonotic disease toxoplasmosis, and is associated with cat abundance and anthropogenic disturbance. The presence of T. gondii oocysts in the ocean has negatively affected the health status of the threatened Southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) populations. The present study analyzed seroprevalence and presence of T. gondii DNA in American mink (Neovison vison), Southern river otters (Lontra provocax) and domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) in four different areas in Southern Chile comprising studies in rivers and lakes in Andean foothills and mountains, marine habitat and island coastal ecosystems. Mean seroprevalence of T. gondii in the study was 64% of 151 total animals sampled: 59% of 73 American mink, 77% of 13 Southern river otters, 68% of 65 domestic cats and in two of two kodkods (Leopardus guigna). Toxoplasma gondii DNA was detected in tissues from one American mink and one Southern river otter. The present study confirms the widespread distribution of T. gondii in Southern Chile, and shows a high exposure of semiaquatic mustelids and domestic cats to the parasite. Cats and anthropogenic disturbance have a role in the maintenance of T. gondii infection in ecosystems of southern Chile. © 2018 Barros et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.