First report and genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in a cat (Felis catus) in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a virus of zoonotic origin that can bind to ACE2 receptors on the cells of many wild and domestic mammals. Studies have shown that the virus can circulate among animals mutate, lead to animal-to-human zoonotic jump, and further onward spread between humans. Infection in pets is unusual, and there are few human-to-pet transmission reports worldwide. OBJECTIVE: To describe the SARS-CoV-2 infection in a domestic animal in Córdoba, Colombian Caribbean region. METHODS: A cross-sectional molecular surveillance study was carried out, oral and rectal swabs were taken from cats and dogs living with people diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). RESULTS: SARS-CoV-2 was found in a cat living with a person with COVID-19. Genome sequencing showed that the B.1.111 lineage caused the infection in the cat. The owner's sample could not be sequenced. The lineage is predominant in Colombia, and this variant is characterised by the presence of the D614D and Q57H mutation. CONCLUSION: The present work is the first report of an infected cat with SARS-CoV-2 with whole-genome sequencing in Colombia. It highlights the importance of detecting SARS-CoV-2 mutations that could promote the transmissibility of this new coronavirus. There is still a significant information gap on human-to-cat-to-human infection; we encourage self-isolation measures between COVID-19 patients and companion animals. The findings of this study give a preliminary view of the current panorama of SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals in Colombia.

Frugivorous bats in the Colombian Caribbean region are reservoirs of the rabies virus.

BACKGROUND: Bats are an important ecological group within ecosystems. The rabies virus is a Lyssavirus, and haematophagous bats are the principal reservoir; however, the virus has also been detected in non-haematophagous bats. The objective was to determine the rabies virus in non-haematophagous bats in the Colombian Caribbean region. METHODS: In 2017, a cross-sectional study was carried out with a base-risk sampling in twelve geographic zones of the Colombian Caribbean area that included the main ecosystems of two departments. 286 bats were captured, which were euthanized with a pharmacological treatment following the ethical protocols of animal experimentation. The taxonomic identification was done with dichotomous keys. The necropsy was carried out at the capture site, and brain samples were kept in liquid nitrogen. The extraction of the RNA was carried out from the frozen brains with Trizol™; a fragment of 914 bp of the glycoprotein G of the rabies virus was amplified with RT-PCR. The amplicons were sequenced with the Sanger method. RESULTS: Twenty-three genera of bats were identified, and, in two frugivorous, Artibeus lituratus and Artibeus planirostris, amplicons were obtained and sequenced as the rabies virus. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first evidence of natural infection of the rabies virus in frugivorous bats in the Colombian Caribbean area; this result is important for the surveillance and control of rabies.

Leptospirosis in pigs, dogs, rodents, humans, and water in an area of the Colombian tropics.

Leptospirosis is a reemerging zoonosis of global distribution and is one of the causes of hemorrhagic fevers in the tropics. We sought to determine seroprevalence in humans and animals and isolate Leptospira interrogans sensu lato in domestic animals, rodents, and water sources. The study was conducted in a tropical area of the middle Sinú in Cordoba, Colombia. In a prospective descriptive study, we collected blood and urine from pigs and dogs, sera from rural human workers, sera and kidney macerates of rodents, and water samples from environmental sources. We used microagglutination to screen for antibodies to 13 serovars. Strains were cultured on the Ellinghausen-McCullough-Johnson-Harris medium and confirmed by PCR amplifying lipL32 gene. Seroprevalence was 55.9% in pigs, 35.2% in dogs, and 75.8% in humans; no antibody was detected, and no Leptospira were isolated from kidney macerates of rodents. Seven L. interrogans sensu lato strains were isolated: three from pigs, two from dogs, and two from water. High seroprevalence in pigs, dogs, and humans, concomitant to isolation of strains, demonstrates that in Cordoba, transmission exists among animals, the environment, and humans, which warrants the implementation of public health intervention measures to reduce the epidemiological impact of leptospirosis in the region.

Hard ticks (Ixodida: Ixodidae) in the Colombian Caribbean harbor the Jingmen tick virus: an emerging arbovirus of public health concern.

BACKGROUND: Ticks are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites involved in transmitting viruses of public health importance. The objective of this work was to identify the Jingmen tick virus in hard ticks from the Colombian Caribbean, an arbovirus of importance for public health. METHODS: Ticks were collected in rural areas of Córdoba and Cesar, Colombia. Taxonomic identification of ticks was carried out, and pools of 13 individuals were formed. RNA extraction was performed. Library preparation was performed with the MGIEasy kit, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) with MGI equipment. Bioinformatic analyses and taxonomic assignments were performed using the Galaxy platform, and phylogenetic analyses were done using IQ-TREE2. RESULTS: A total of 766 ticks were collected, of which 87.33% (669/766) were Rhipicephalus microplus, 5.4% (42/766) Dermacentor nitens, 4.2% (32/766) Rhipicephalus linnaei, and 3.0% (23/766) Amblyomma dissimile. Complete and partial segments 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Jingmen tick virus (JMTV) were detected in the metatranscriptome of the species R. microplus, D. nitens, and A. dissimile. The JMTVs detected are phylogenetically related to JMTVs detected in Aedes albopictus in France, JMTVs detected in R. microplus in Trinidad and Tobago, JMTVs in R. microplus and A. variegatum in the French Antilles, and JMTVs detected in R. microplus in Colombia. Interestingly, our sequences clustered closely with JMTV detected in humans from Kosovo. CONCLUSIONS: JMTV was detected in R. microplus, D. nitens, and A. dissimile. JMTV could pose a risk to humans. Therefore, it is vital to establish epidemiological surveillance measures to better understand the possible role of JMTV in tropical diseases.

Borrelia puertoricensis in opossums (Didelphis marsupialis) from Colombia.

BACKGROUND: The genus Borrelia comprises pathogenic species of bacteria that pose a significant risk to public health. Borrelia spp. are emerging or reemerging infectious agents worldwide with complex transmission cycles, and many species use rodents as vertebrate reservoir hosts. Spirochetes morphologically compatible with Borrelia have been recurrently observed in opossums; however, there is currently a lack of genetic evidence confirming infection or supporting that these marsupials are hosts of Borrelia spirochetes. METHODS: During 2017, 53 serum samples of Didelphis marsupialis from the municipality of Colosó (department of Sucre, Colombia) were collected and allocated in a serum bank. DNA extracted from the serum samples was submitted to a Borrelia genus-specific real-time PCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Positive samples were subsequently derived from semi-nested PCR protocols to obtain large fragments of the 16S rRNA and flaB genes. Obtained amplicons were subjected to Sanger sequencing. One positive sample was randomly selected for next-generation sequencing (NGS). Obtained reads were mapped to genomes of Borrelia spp. and sequences of two genes used in a multilocus sequence typing scheme retrieved for taxonomic assignment and phylogenetic analyses. RESULTS: Overall, 18.8% (10/53) of the samples were positive by qPCR. Of them, 80% (8/10) and 60% (6/10) were positive for the 16S rRNA and flaB genes after semi-nested PCRs, respectively. Bioinformatic analysis of one sample sequenced with NGS yielded 22 reads of genus Borrelia with different sizes. Two housekeeping genes, rplB and pyrG, were recovered. Nucleotide pairwise comparisons and phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA, flaB, rplB and pyrG genes showed that the Borrelia sp. found in opossums from Colosó corresponded to Borrelia puertoricensis. CONCLUSIONS: We describe the first molecular evidence to our knowledge of B. puertoricensis in Colombia, specifically in opossums, and the first detection of this spirochete in a vertebrate host since its isolation from Ornithodoros puertoricensis in Panama. This detection is also relevant because of the epidemiological importance of opossums as reservoirs of zoonotic diseases to humans.

Molecular evidence of Borrelia spp. in bats from Córdoba Department, northwest Colombia.

BACKGROUND: The genus Borrelia is composed of two well-defined monophyletic groups, the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex (Bb) and the relapsing fever (RF) group borreliae. Recently, a third group, associated with reptiles and echidnas, has been described. In general, RF group borreliae use rodents as reservoir hosts; although neotropical bats may also be involved as important hosts, with scarce knowledge regarding this association. The objective of this study was to detect the presence of Borrelia spp. DNA in bats from the department of Córdoba in northwest Colombia. METHODS: During September 2020 and June 2021, 205 bats were captured in six municipalities of Córdoba department, Colombia. Specimens were identified using taxonomic keys and DNA was extracted from spleen samples. A Borrelia-specific real-time PCR was performed for the 16S rRNA gene. Fragments of the 16S rRNA and flaB genes were amplified in the positive samples by conventional PCR. The detected amplicons were sequenced by the Sanger method. Phylogenetic reconstruction was performed in IQ-TREE with maximum likelihood based on the substitution model TPM3+F+I+G4 with bootstrap values deduced from 1000 replicates. RESULTS: Overall, 10.2% (21/205) of the samples were found positive by qPCR; of these, 81% (17/21) and 66.6% (14/21) amplified 16S rRNA and flaB genes, respectively. qPCR-positive samples were then subjected to conventional nested and semi-nested PCR to amplify 16S rRNA and flaB gene fragments. Nine positive samples for both genes were sequenced, and seven and six sequences were of good quality for the 16S rRNA and flaB genes, respectively. The DNA of Borrelia spp. was detected in the insectivorous and fruit bats Artibeus lituratus, Carollia perspicillata, Glossophaga soricina, Phyllostomus discolor, and Uroderma sp. The 16S rRNA gene sequences showed 97.66-98.47% identity with "Borrelia sp. clone Omi3," "Borrelia sp. RT1S," and Borrelia sp. 2374; the closest identities for the flaB gene were 94.02-98.04% with "Borrelia sp. Macaregua." For the 16S rRNA gene, the phylogenetic analysis showed a grouping with "Candidatus Borrelia ivorensis" and "Ca. Borrelia africana," and for the flaB gene showed a grouping with Borrelia sp. Macaregua and Borrelia sp. Potiretama. The pathogenic role of the Borrelia detected in this study is unknown. CONCLUSIONS: We describe the first molecular evidence of Borrelia spp. in the department of Córdoba, Colombia, highlighting that several bat species harbor Borrelia spirochetes.

Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 variants during the first two years of the pandemic in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants has led to surges in cases and the need for global genomic surveillance. While some variants rapidly spread worldwide, other variants only persist nationally. There is a need for more fine-scale analysis to understand transmission dynamics at a country scale. For instance, the Mu variant of interest, also known as lineage B.1.621, was first detected in Colombia and was responsible for a large local wave but only a few sporadic cases elsewhere. METHODS: To better understand the epidemiology of SARS-Cov-2 variants in Colombia, we used 14,049 complete SARS-CoV-2 genomes from the 32 states of Colombia. We performed Bayesian phylodynamic analyses to estimate the time of variants' introduction, their respective effective reproductive number, and effective population size, and the impact of disease control measures. RESULTS: Here, we detect a total of 188 SARS-CoV-2 Pango lineages circulating in Colombia since the pandemic's start. We show that the effective reproduction number oscillated drastically throughout the first two years of the pandemic, with Mu showing the highest transmissibility (Re and growth rate estimation). CONCLUSIONS: Our results reinforce that genomic surveillance programs are essential for countries to make evidence-driven interventions toward the emergence and circulation of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Colombia reported its first COVID-19 case on 6th March 2020. By April 2022, the country had reported over 6 million infections and over 135,000 deaths. Here, we aim to understand how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spread through Colombia over this time and how the predominant version of the virus (variant) changed over time. We found that there were multiple introductions of different variants from other countries into Colombia during the first two years of the pandemic. The Gamma variant was dominant earlier in 2021 but was replaced by the Delta variant. The Mu variant had the highest potential to be transmitted. Our findings provide valuable insights into the pandemic in Colombia and highlight the importance of continued surveillance of the virus to guide the public health response.

Immunogenicity and safety of a RBD vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 in a murine model.

INTRODUCTION: Although more than half of the world's population is already vaccinated, the appearance of new variants of concern puts public health at risk due to the generation of new immunogens against the virus as a crucial and relevant strategy in the control of these new variants. METHODS: A preclinical study used a potential vaccine candidate (RBD, SARS-CoV-2). Four groups of BALB/c mice were used, a control group, an adjuvant group, a group inoculated with one dose of RBD subunit protein, and the fourth group inoculated with two doses of RBD subunit protein. RESULTS: No inflammatory or cellular changes were shown in the mice's anatomopathological evaluation. Higher kinetics and 75% seroconversion were obtained in the mice inoculated with two doses of RBD (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The application of two doses of the RBD vaccine candidate in BALB/c mice proved safe and immunogenic against SARS-CoV-2.

Human-to-dog transmission of SARS-CoV-2, Colombia.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the current COVID-19 pandemic, has evolved to have a wide range of hosts, including non-human primates, wild and domestic animals. The ACE2 protein has a high level of conservation and is the common receptor invertebrate species for a viral infection to occur; this receptor could give rise to anthroponotic events. This article describes the first event of symptomatic transmission in Latin America from a human to a dog by the B.1.625 lineage of SARS-CoV-2. We found 21 shared mutations in the complete genomes of viral sequences from owners and dogs. Further phylogenetic and molecular analysis showed that 100% co-localization of the clade helps to understand human-animal transmission. Prediction of the Spike protein structure of the sequenced virus and docking analyzes showed that the E484K mutation in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) could contribute to the viral affinity of dACE2. Therefore, close contact between SARS-CoV-2-infected humans and pets should be avoided to prevent the emergence of novel mutations of public health importance from anthroponotic events.

The potential role of UV and blue light from the sun, artificial lighting, and electronic devices in melanogenesis and oxidative stress.

Our exposure to blue light from artificial sources such as indoor lights (mainly light-emitting diodes [LEDs]) and electronic devices (e.g., smartphones, computer monitors, and television screens), has increased in recent years, particularly during the recent coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown. This radiation has been associated to skin damage across its potential in generating reactive oxygen species in both the epidermis and the dermis, skin water imbalances and of potential activating melanin production. These circumstances make it important to determine whether current blue light exposure levels under artificial illumination and electronic devices exposure can cause the previously indicated disorders as compared to solar UV and visible radiation in a typical summer day. Blue light accounted for 25% of the sun's rays, approximately 30% of radiation emitted by electronic devices, and approximately from 6% to 40% of that emitted by indoor lights. The reference equations showed that the sun was the main source of effective irradiance for immediate and persistent pigmentation as well as for potential oxidative stress in our skin. Effective blue light exposure to artificial devices is significantly lower than the solar contribution. However, its contribution must be considered as accumulative dose effect, and especially in people with hypersensitivity promoting skin hyperpigmentation.

SARS-CoV-2 in eight municipalities of the Colombian tropics: high immunity, clinical and sociodemographic outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Serological evaluation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an alternative that allows us to determine the prevalence and dynamics of this infection in populations. The goal of this study was to determine the clinical and sociodemographic dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a region of the Colombian Caribbean. METHODS: Between July and November 2020, a cross-sectional observational study was carried out in Córdoba, located in northeast Colombia in the Caribbean area. Eight municipalities with the largest populations were chosen and 2564 blood samples were taken. A commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used with the recombinant protein antigen N of SARS-CoV-2. The people included in the study were asked for sociodemographic and clinical data, which were analysed by statistical methods. RESULTS: A seroprevalence of 40.8% was obtained for SARS-CoV-2 in the Córdoba region. In the bivariate analysis, no differences were observed in seropositivity against SARS-CoV-2 for gender or age range (p>0.05). Higher seropositivity was found in low socio-economic status and symptomatic patients (p<0.0001). A total of 30.7% of the asymptomatic patients were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2, which could be linked to the spread of this infection. In the multivariate analysis, seroconversion was related to poverty and clinical manifestations such as anosmia and ageusia (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The high seropositivity in Córdoba is due to widespread SARS-CoV-2 in this population. The relationship between seropositivity and socio-economic status suggests a higher exposure risk to the virus caused by informal economic activities in low-income groups. Clinical manifestations such as anosmia and ageusia could be clinical predictors of infection by the new emergent coronavirus.

Analysis and evaluation of the operational characteristics of a new photodynamic therapy device.

One of the key aspects of photodynamic therapy is the light source that is used to irradiate the lesion to be treated. The devices used must ensure that their emission spectrum matches the absorption spectrum of the photosensitizer, so that treatment radiation is delivered only on the target area, without irradiating healthy tissue at superficial or deep levels. Irradiance values must be adequate in order to avoid thermal damage, exceed the oxygen replenishment rate and avoid long treatment times. Furthermore, the device should be user-friendly, inexpensive, and able to be adapted to different photosensitizers. We have developed an easy-to-use and highly customizable device based on LED technology. Its innovative geometric design allows radiation to be delivered to a small treatment surface, since the LEDs are arranged in three arms, the configuration of which directs their radiation on the treatment point. Different high-power color LEDs are disposed on the arms, and can be independently selected based on the most effective wavelengths for exciting the different photodynamic therapy photosensitizers. We have tested the prototype in 5 different patients (1 actinic keratose, 1 actinic cheilitis, 1 superficial basal cell carcinoma and 2 Bowen's disease) and after 1-2 sessions of total cumulative dose of 25-50 J / cm2, 100% clearance of lesions were obtained. Our device can be used by any professional in the field, whether for medical or research purposes. It facilitates the development of treatment protocols and trials with different photosensitizers.

First report of tilapia lake virus emergence in fish farms in the department of Córdoba, Colombia.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: In 2016, the tilapia-producing farms in the department of Córdoba, Colombia, had witnessed outbreaks of disease with clinical signs compatible with those caused by the tilapia lake virus (TiLV). This study was conducted to confirm the presence of TiLV in some fish farms in the department of Córdoba. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in seven farms using a non-random sampling method from July 2016 to December 2017. A total of 66 fish, including 33 healthy fish and 33 fish with clinical signs, were caught, from which 178 tissue samples of spleen, liver, and brain were collected. RNA was extracted from each organ using TRIzol®. cDNA was synthesized using a retrotranscriptase and a universal amplification primer. The polymerase chain reaction was performed using primers specific to TiLV, in which the primers were amplified in a 491 bp region in segment 3 of TiLV, and the amplicons were sequenced using the Sanger method. RESULTS: Of the seven farms surveyed, 3 (42.85%) had TiLV in the collected fish. Of the 66 collected fish, 18 (27.27%) were infected with TiLV. The virus was detected in the brain (64.3%, 18/28), spleen (61.9%, 13/21), and liver (35.7%, 10/28). The sequences were recorded in GenBank with the codes MH338228, MH350845, and MH350846. Nucleotide homology analyses revealed that this study's circulating strains exhibited 97% identity with the Israeli strain (GenBank KU751816.1). CONCLUSION: This is the first official report of TiLV in the department of Córdoba, Colombia. The circulating strains detected in this study exhibited 97% identity with the Israeli strain.

Two Cases of Natural Infection of Dengue-2 Virus in Bats in the Colombian Caribbean.

Dengue, a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease, is the most common vector-borne disease in tropical and subtropical areas. In this study, we aim to demonstrate biological evidence of dengue virus infection in bats. A cross-sectional study was carried out in the departments of Cordoba and Sucre, Colombia. A total of 286 bats were captured following the ethical protocols of animal experimentation. The specimens were identified and euthanized using a pharmacological treatment with atropine, acepromazine and sodium pentobarbital. Duplicate samples of brain, heart, lung, spleen, liver, and kidney were collected with one set stored in Trizol and the other stored in 10% buffered formalin for histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis using polyclonal antibodies. Brain samples from lactating mice with an intracranial inoculation of DENV-2 were used as a positive control. As a negative control, lactating mouse brains without inoculation and bats brains negative for RT-PCR were included. Tissue sections from each specimen of bat without conjugate were used as staining control. In a specimen of Carollia perspicillata captured in Ayapel (Cordoba) and Phylostomus discolor captured in San Carlos (Cordoba), dengue virus was detected, and sequences were matched to DENV serotype 2. In bats RT-PCR positive for dengue, lesions compatible with viral infections, and the presence of antigens in tissues were observed. Molecular findings, pathological lesions, and detection of antigens in tissues could demonstrate viral DENV-2 replication and may correspond to natural infection in bats. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the exact role of these species in dengue epidemics.

Effect of LED Lighting on Physical Environment and Microenvironment on In Vitro Plant Growth and Morphogenesis: The Need to Standardize Lighting Conditions and Their Description.

In the last decades, lighting installations in plant tissue culture have generally been renewed or designed based on LED technology. Thanks to this, many different light quality advances are available but, with their massive implementation, the same issue is occurring as in the 1960s with the appearance of the Grolux (Sylvania) fluorescent tubes: there is a lack of a methodological standardization of lighting. This review analyzes the main parameters and variables that must be taken into account in the design of LED-based systems, and how these need to be described and quantified in order to homogenize and standardize the experimental conditions to obtain reproducible and comparable results and conclusions. We have designed an experimental system in which the values of the physical environment and microenvironment conditions and the behavior of plant tissue cultures maintained in cabins illuminated with two lighting designs can be compared. Grolux tubes are compared with a combination of monochromatic LED lamps calibrated to provide a spectral emission, and light irradiance values similar to those generated by the previous discharge lamps, achieving in both cases wide uniformity of radiation conditions on the shelves of the culture cabins. This study can help to understand whether it is possible to use LEDs as one standard lighting source in plant tissue culture without affecting the development of the cultures maintained with the previously regulated protocols in the different laboratories. Finally, the results presented from this caparison indicate how temperature is one of the main factors that is affected by the chosen light source.

Molecular and cellular evidence of natural Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus infection in frugivorous bats in Colombia.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is an alphavirus that causes encephalitis with a high impact on public health in Latin America. However, only in Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mexico have found antibodies in VEEV in bats, using immunohistochemistry, the sensitivity and specificity are improved; thus, it is better for demonstrating natural infection in bats as potential hosts. This study aimed to determine the presence of VEEV in tissues of frugivorous bats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective descriptive cross-sectional study with a non-probabilistic sampling was carried out in 12 localities of Córdoba and Sucre area of the Colombian Caribbean. Two hundred and eighty-six bats were captured using fog nets, and the specimens according to taxonomic keys were classified. According to the Ethics Committee of the University of Córdoba, the bats were treated with analgesics and anesthetics. Blood samples were taken and then euthanized to obtain tissues and organs which were preserved in liquid N2 at -196°C. A portion of each organ was fixed in 10% buffered formalin for the detection of antigens by immunohistochemistry. Several pathological anatomy analyses were performed to determine the histological characteristics of tissue lesions of frugivorous bats naturally infected with the VEEV. RESULTS: Of the 286 bats captured, 23 species were identified. In samples of the brain, spleen, and lung of two frugivorous bats (2/286=0.70%) Artibeus planirostris and Sturnira lilium, the presence of VEEV was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSION: A fragment of the nsP4 non-structural protein gene corresponding to the alphavirus was amplified. Two samples were positive (2/286=0.70%) in frugivorous bats; A. planirostris (code GenBank: MG820274) and S. lilium (code GenBank: MG820275). The present study showed the first molecular evidence and cellular evidence (histopathology and immunohistochemistry) of natural VEEV infection in frugivorous bats in Colombia; these bats could be a host of this zoonosis.

Effect of Nail Thickness on Visible Radiation Transmittance: Implications for New Photodynamic Therapy Technologies in Onychomycosis.

Photodynamic therapy is taking importance as a nonintrusive treatment for nail onychomycosis. Knowledge of true transmittance values across nails could lead to qualitative and quantitative improvements in light-based treatments. We have characterized the spectral transmittance of healthy and fungally infected human fingernails and toenails according to nail thickness, and we propose a surface transmittance model for the small-scale optimization of light-based treatments. Transmittance of fingernails and toenails was analyzed by means of spectroradiometric measurements under solar-simulated visible light radiation (400 nm to 750 nm). The nail thickness was measured by means of microscope measurement. Transmittance was highest at longer wavelengths and decreased gradually as the wavelengths became shorter but with a significant nail transmittance of around 20% in the blue region of the spectrum. In the case of nails affected by onychomycosis, transmittance fell to under 10% because of the thickness of the nails, with no changes in spectral characteristics of transmitted light. Nail thickness is the main variable controlling exponentially light transmission in the visible spectrum and not only red radiation is effective for nail onychomycosis PDT. Blue light, the spectral band more effective for PPIX absorption is also effectively transmitted.

Eco-epidemiology of the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus in bats of Córdoba and Sucre, Colombia.

Alphavirus infection associated encephalitis is an emerging infectious disease with a high impact on public health in Latin America. OBJECTIVE: To study the eco-epidemiology of alphaviruses in bats of departments of Córdoba and Sucre, Colombia. METHODOLOGY: A prospective descriptive cross-sectional study with a non-probabilistic sampling, in 12 localities of Córdoba and Sucre was carried out. Using mist nets capture of the specimens was carried out. The size of the sample was 286 bats, each specimen captured was taxonomically classified. The bats were immobilized with anesthetic and analgesic treatment according to the ethics committee of the University of Córdoba, morphometric measurements and blood samples were taken, later they were necropsied in the field to obtain a collection of tissues which were preserved in liquid N2 -190 °C. The averages of the climatic conditions of the sampling sites were extracted from the WorldClim database (http://www.worldclim.org/). The open source software QGIS (Quantum GIS Development Team.2015) was used to map and visualize bioclimatic regions of Córdoba. We used descriptive and retrospective information about the equine population and reports of foci of equine encephalitis. RESULTS: In Córdoba and Sucre, 286 bats were captured and 23 species were classified, Artibeus and Phyllostomus discolor were the most frequent captured genus. The geographic ranges of the captured species were variable, some had a wide distribution and others were restricted to some areas. Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus RNA was detected in Artibeus planirostris and Sturnira lilium (2/286 = 0.70%) from Cordoba - Colombia. The univariate descriptive analysis showed no significant association for any of the analyzed variables climatic. CONCLUSIONS: Frugivorous bats from the Caribbean area of Colombia may be involved in the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus enzootic cycle.

Dengue Virus in Bats from Córdoba and Sucre, Colombia.

Natural infection of dengue virus (DENV) in bats is an unexplored field in Colombia. To detect the presence of DENV in bats, a descriptive prospective study using a nonprobabilistic sampling was carried out; 286 bats in 12 sites were caught. Sample tissues of different animals were obtained; the RNA was obtained from tissues and a nested-RT-PCR was carried out and detected amplicons of 143 fragment of the NS5 gene were sequenced by the Sanger method. In nonhematophagous bats Carollia perspicillata and Phyllostomus discolor captured in Ayapel and San Carlos (Córdoba), respectively, an amplicon corresponding to NS5 was detected. The amplicons showed a high similarity with serotype-2 dengue virus (DENV-2). This is the first evidence of the DENV-2 genome in bats in from the Colombian Caribbean.

First report and genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in a cat (Felis catus) in Colombia

BACKGROUND Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a virus of zoonotic origin that can bind to ACE2 receptors on the cells of many wild and domestic mammals. Studies have shown that the virus can circulate among animals mutate, lead to animal-to-human zoonotic jump, and further onward spread between humans. Infection in pets is unusual, and there are few human-to-pet transmission reports worldwide. OBJECTIVE To describe the SARS-CoV-2 infection in a domestic animal in Córdoba, Colombian Caribbean region. METHODS A cross-sectional molecular surveillance study was carried out, oral and rectal swabs were taken from cats and dogs living with people diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). RESULTS SARS-CoV-2 was found in a cat living with a person with COVID-19. Genome sequencing showed that the B.1.111 lineage caused the infection in the cat. The owner's sample could not be sequenced. The lineage is predominant in Colombia, and this variant is characterised by the presence of the D614D and Q57H mutation. CONCLUSION The present work is the first report of an infected cat with SARS-CoV-2 with whole-genome sequencing in Colombia. It highlights the importance of detecting SARS-CoV-2 mutations that could promote the transmissibility of this new coronavirus. There is still a significant information gap on human-to-cat-to-human infection; we encourage self-isolation measures between COVID-19 patients and companion animals. The findings of this study give a preliminary view of the current panorama of SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals in Colombia.