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The “Merino de los Montes Universales” (MMU) is a variety still involved in traditional long distance transhumance: these herds walk for 24 days to complete a 580 km journey, twice a year, between the summering province of Teruel (Aragon, Northern Spain) and Jaen (Andalucia, Southern Spain), where they spend the winter. MMU morphology is adapted to this breeding system: for instance, the mean weight is limited to 81.5 kg in rams and 56. 62 kg in ewes while they present short longitudinal diameter (83.44 cm in rams and 68.81 cm in ewes) and large height at withers (80.55 cm and 65.21 cm for rams and ewes, respectively). In all, this morphology ensures MMU ability to carry out the long walking journeys. The walking transhumance allows MMU feeding by extensive grazing throughout the year, promotes natural lactation, protects the animals from extreme temperatures, and keeps the herds in close contact with the environment. It therefore promotes an existence similar to that of wild small ruminants in the Iberian Peninsula, while not requiring high annual replacement rates (15%, compared to 16–18% in stationary flocks in the same region). It also reduces stress by avoiding mechanical transport and by making claws trimming unnecessary, since claws growth and wastage cancel each other along the year. The changes in the claws associated to the walk have been directly measured in a set of 18 ewes: even if some modifications are statistically significant in the forelimb, they are not associated to lameness or discomfort in the animals.

Coxiella ( C. ) burnetii is an obligate intracellular microorganism which causes Q fever, an important zoonotic disease. C. burnetii can be excreted in birth products, feces, urine and milk. It is known that C. burnetii can be shed in milk during several lactation periods. The PCR based on the transposon-like element IS1111a genes target has been proved to be highly sensitive and specific. In this study we present an adaptation of the primer set designed for conventional PCR targeting the multicopy IS1111 repeat element to be used in real-time PCR (real time trans-PCR) and the design of a mathematical model for calculating the sensitivity of a real-time trans-PCR analysis for C. burnetii in goat milk. The adaptation of the trans-PCR into real time was evaluated and positive goat milk samples were analyzed with it. With the aim of estimate the probability of false negative, we fit a probability distribution to the threshold cycle values. Several probability distributions have been considered. In all cases the goodness of fit has been assessed by using Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Anderson–Darling Quadratic tests. Using real time trans-PCR, it was possible to obtain a clear positive reading for 8.01 × 10 3 cells/ml. From the 56 milk samples tested, the real time trans-PCR assay revealed real positivity for C. burnetii in all of them. The logistic fit leads to an estimation of the rate of false negatives of 8.07%, which would have a sensitivity of 91.93% (using 41 cycles in the protocol). The primers for IS111 region described could be used and they are effective to detect C. burnetii in milk samples.

The Canary Islands have been considered as Q fever endemic territory for humans and livestock, but those studies were carried out 20 years ago. In order to evaluate the current status of the disease in livestock, a cross-sectional survey was performed evaluating 22 milking goat farms and 550 goats throughout all the 7 Canary Islands. A questionnaire to collect epidemiological data was also included. Blood sera were analyzed using a commercial Q fever antibody ELISA test kit. The overall animal seroprevalence was 42%, with significant differences among the islands, their climate zones, and local particularities. These findings would confirm the endemic character of the disease 20 years later and would indicate the need to implement an urgent control plan as well as surveillance measures by the Official Veterinary Services.

Hypospadias are the most frequent human penile abnormality. They have a genetic basis, even if environmental factors such as low birth weight, and exposure to hormones and to endocrine disruptors during pregnancy are not totally discarded. In sheep, the variable incidence in different breeds and a coincident occurrence in a couple of twins have suggested a possible genetic origin. We are presenting a detailed study of hypospadia in two rams. In both cases, high inbreeding supports a genetic origin for this pathology. A preliminary analysis on the second exon of the 5α-reductase 2 did not provide evidences for mutations in these individuals, even if they are often responsible for hypospadias in humans.

Natural Trypanosoma evansi infection in the Canary Islands has only been diagnosed in the camel population, but dissemination of the disease in other hosts has not been excluded. To evaluate the role of the goats in the dissemination of the disease, 8 goats were inoculated and examined during 6 months using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with a primer targeting a repetitive region specific for Trypanozoon subgenus used to amplify a 227 bp fragment from the genomic DNA. PCR was able to detect parasitemia in all tested samples; therefore it was considered as gold standard test in this study. The results were compared with those obtained using the micro-hematocrit centrifugation technique showing a sensitivity of 92.7%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 1 and negative predictive value of 0.87. Both techniques seem to be adequate to detect T. evansi from infected goats.