Madalena Vieira-Pinto

During routine meat inspection, eosinophilic myositis–like lesions were detected in the masseter muscles of a 55‐month‐old bovine, leading to partial condemnation of the head. The lesions appeared as multiple round, yellowish‐green areas, suggestive of a parasitic aetiology. Histopathological and molecular analyses were performed, and PCR sequencing identified Sarcocystis hominis , S. cruzi and S. heydorni . Of these, S. hominis and S. heydorni are zoonotic. Humans may acquire infection by consuming raw or undercooked beef containing viable sarcocysts. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of zoonotic Sarcocystis in cattle in Portugal. These findings underscore the importance of meat inspection as a tool for active surveillance and for protecting both animal and public health.

Coxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of Q fever, is a globally distributed zoonotic pathogen and a One Health priority. Despite increasing recognition of wildlife as potential reservoirs, data on C. burnetii circulation in European wild ungulates remain scarce. This study estimated exposure to C. burnetii in free-ranging wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) from two major hunting regions in east-central and northeastern Portugal and evaluated the performance of a commercial multi-species ELISA in these hosts. Between 2011 and 2021, 279 serum samples (162 wild boar; 117 red deer) from legally hunted animals in Portugal were tested using an indirect multi-species ELISA using an empirical species-specific threshold derived from a Gaussian mixture model. Overall seroprevalence was 6.8% (CI 95%; 3.4–11.8) in wild boar and 13.7% (CI 95%; 8.0–21.3) in red deer, with higher exposure in wild boar from Beira Baixa (east-central Portugal) than from Trás-os-Montes (northeastern Portugal). The manufacturer’s ruminant cut-off classified almost no animals as seropositive (0.6% and 2.6%, respectively) and showed slight to fair agreement with the species-specific thresholds, underscoring the need for validated, wildlife-appropriate diagnostic criteria. These findings confirm exposure to C. burnetii in both species, suggesting their possible involvement in local maintenance of the pathogen at the wildlife–livestock–human interface. The results reinforce the value of integrating wildlife surveillance into national Q fever surveillance and control strategies to safeguard both public health and livestock production within a One Health context.

Q fever, caused by Coxiella burnetii, is a globally distributed zoonosis that remains substantially underdiagnosed, despite increasing reports of human and animal infections across Europe. Within the Zoonoses Working Group of the Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro Academic Clinical Center (CAC TMAD), which integrates human and animal health professionals, an apparent discrepancy emerged. Although no official human notifications had been recorded in Trás-os-Montes in recent years, three clinical cases, at hospital level, were identified in the Bragança district between 2021 and 2024. This unexpected finding prompted an evaluation of local veterinary awareness of Q fever in livestock, given that no cases had ever been reported. A structured, simple questionnaire was provided to all livestock veterinarians in the district, achieving an 88.5% response rate (23/26). Among respondents, 43.5% (10/23) reported laboratory-confirmed C. burnetii-positive results in clinically suspected livestock (both serology and PCR). All reported clinical cases occurred in small ruminants, with abortion as the predominant clinical manifestation. These results provide local evidence of active C. burnetii circulation in both humans and livestock in Bragança, suggesting potential underreporting. This gap supports the need to strengthen clinical recognition and reporting practices among medical and veterinary professionals, firmly embedded within a One Health framework.

Animal tuberculosis caused by mycobacteria of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) represents a significant challenge to both public and animal health. Although eradication programs focus predominantly on cattle, small ruminants, especially goats, may play a relevant role as reservoirs. This study aimed to characterize tuberculosis cases in small ruminants in Portugal diagnosed at the national reference laboratory for Tuberculosis (Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária) over the period from April 2012 to July 2023. In this study, samples from 79 animals suspected of TB (64 goats and 15 sheep) were analyzed by integrating histopathology; bacteriology; and, when applicable, PCR results, thereby allowing the distribution by species to be described, MTBC agents to be identified, and diagnostic agreement to be assessed. Of these samples, 29 positive cases (36.7%) were identified, all of them in goats (45.3% of goats tested), whereas no cases were confirmed in sheep. Mycobacterium caprae was the most frequently identified species (89.7%), followed by Mycobacterium bovis (10.3%). Geographic distribution was concentrated in the Alentejo (48.3%) and Norte (44.8%) regions, where 93.1% of cases occurred. Topographical analysis of lesions revealed respiratory tract involvement (lung and/or thoracic lymph nodes) in 82.7% of positive cases, with gross patterns including caseous/caseocalcified lesions (n = 11), necrosis (n = 9), and nodular granulomatous lesions (n = 10). Agreement between histopathology and bacteriology was 81.5%. Parasitic coinfections were observed in 24.1% of positive cases, complicating histopathological interpretation. The results of this study indicate goats, as opposed to sheep, as non-negligible reservoirs of TB, suggesting species-level differences that warrant targeted investigation. The predominance of respiratory lesions and the detection of extensive cavitary forms indicate potential aerogenous transmission with implications for multi-host systems. Diagnostic discordance and parasitic interference reinforce the need for combined testing methodologies. It is therefore advisable to consider the integration of goats into tuberculosis surveillance and control programs, with greater relevance in Alentejo and Norte.

Cryptosporidium spp. is a widely distributed gastrointestinal pathogen in vertebrates, such as the European wild boar. Furthermore, with a fecal–oral pathway, they might spread through tainted food and water or by direct contact. Related to the presence of this parasite in wild boar populations, the handling of hunted carcasses may be a source of zoonotic transmission. This work aims to evaluate the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. in 10 Portuguese hunting areas in two different locations (Northern and Central Portugal) and to preliminarily assess the risk factors of zoonotic transmission to hunting stakeholders. Cryptosporidium spp. antigens were confirmed by an immunochromatography test in the wild boars’ fecal samples from four of the 10 hunting areas analyzed (one in the North and three in the Southeast of Central Portugal). A qualitative assessment of various potential factors contributing to the persistence of infection in this wild population, but also of zoonotic risk factors related to hygiene procedures and handling of carcasses after hunting actions, was also carried out. With these potentially risky practices, it is imperative to raise awareness and establish a surveillance network in the hunting areas in order to mitigate the potential zoonotic transmission of these pathogenic agents to hunting stakeholders.

Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) are one of the most common foodborne pathogens worldwide, and pork is a major food vehicle together with eggs and poultry meat. Contamination of pork within food processing facilities, such as slaughterhouses, can be associated with persistence of Salmonella in the environment due to biocide resistance. In this study, we assessed the susceptibility of NTS isolates from pig carcasses to a QAC-based commercial formulation according to the EN 1656/2009 standard and the presence of QAC resistance genes through PCR. The qacEΔ1 and qacF genes were found in 31.8% and 29.5% of the isolates respectively, while qacE was absent. All isolates were found to be susceptible at a tested concentration 10 times lower (0.1%) than the minimum in-use recommended concentration, with MIC values below 0.1% (≈70 mg/L of Benzalkonium Chloride). Our findings point towards the importance of correct cleaning and disinfection protocols and the role of good hygiene practices as corrective and/or preventive measures to avoid cross-contamination.

The assessment of pig welfare and health at abattoirs is crucial for ensuring both animal well-being and food safety. Traditional assessment methods often rely on human observation, which is time-consuming, subjective, and difficult to scale in high-throughput facilities. This systematic review addresses a crucial gap by identifying and evaluating non-invasive human-free diagnostic methods applicable in commercial settings. Following PRISMA guidelines, a total of 102 articles met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen distinct methods were identified and classified into three categories: biological sample analysis (5 methods; n = 80 articles), imaging and computer vision systems (4 methods; n = 19), and physiological and other sensors (4 methods; n = 24). Some articles assessed more than one method and are therefore counted in multiple categories. While no method achieved both high implementation and practicality, blood analysis for glucose and lactate, convolutional neural networks for lesion detection, and automated camera-based systems emerged as the most promising for practical integration into the slaughter flowline. Most techniques still face challenges related to automation, operator independence, and standardisation. Overall, this review highlights the growing potential of non-invasive methods in pig welfare evaluation and underscores the need for continued development and validation to facilitate their adoption into routine abattoir practices.

This study aims to assess the current situation of the main nasal bot flies (Cephenemyia stimulator and Oestrus ovis) affecting roe deer in Spain and to identify the factors influencing their spread. Between 2018 and 2025, 1600 roe deer heads were examined. The overall prevalence of C. stimulator was 39.9% (CI 95% 37.5–42.3), with a mean larval intensity of 44.1 (SD 71.99). In contrast, a low mean larval burden of O. ovis (2.6; SD 1.90) was found in 1.6% of the animals (CI 95% 1.0–2.3). Our findings revealed the first case of mixed myiasis caused by both oestrids. Roe deer abundance was the main risk factor for the prevalence of C. stimulator, whereas larval burden was significantly highest in young animals. In addition, the percentage of infested animals and larval intensity was generally higher in northern areas. The high prevalence of C. stimulator in Spain and its notable increase in recent years indicate that control measures must be taken. Our results reveal that preventing roe deer overpopulation, especially in northern regions of the country, would be key to decreasing the likelihood of nasal bot fly infestation.