Bariatric surgery has become the preferred treatment for individuals with morbid obesity. Nutrition is key in optimizing surgical outcomes by reducing risks and enhancing recovery. Preoperative strategies, such as reducing body fat, decreasing liver size, and improving metabolic profiles, have been shown to facilitate safer surgical procedures with fewer complications. This narrative review aims to provide an analysis of the fundamental role of preoperative nutritional management in improving bariatric surgery outcomes, emphasizing the importance of addressing specific nutritional challenges to enhance surgical safety, recovery, and overall health. Preoperative nutritional interventions focus on correcting comorbidities and nutritional deficiencies, particularly hypovitaminosis and micronutrient imbalances, through a multidisciplinary approach involving nutritionists and other healthcare professionals. These interventions not only prepare patients for the physiological demands of surgery but also initiate a period of adaptation to new dietary habits, aiming to improve long-term compliance and mitigate risks such as postoperative weight regain and dumping syndrome. Adopting dietary changes, such as very low-calorie or ketogenic diets 6–12 weeks before surgery, enhances adherence to postoperative restrictions and overall surgical success. Future research should focus on developing comprehensive guidelines for preoperative nutritional care to improve patient outcomes globally.

Introduction: Strongyloides venezuelensis is a nematode whose natural host is rats. It is used as a model for the investigation of human strongyloidiasis caused by S. stercoralis. The latter is a neglected tropical disease in Ecuador where there are no specific plans to mitigate this parasitic illness.Objective: To evaluate the stages of S. venezuelensis in an experimental life cycle using Wistar rats.Materials and methods: Male Wistar rats were used to replicate the natural biological cycle of S. venezuelensis and describe its morphometric characteristics, as well as its parasitic development. Furthermore, the production of eggs per gram of feces was quantified using two diagnostic techniques and assessment of parasite load: Kato-Katz and qPCR.Results: Viable larval stages (L1, L2, L3) could be obtained up to 96 hours through fecal culture. Parthenogenetic females were established in the duodenum on the fifth day postinfection. Fertile eggs were observed in the intestinal tissue and fresh feces where the production peak occurred on the 8th. day post-infection. Unlike Kato-Katz, qPCR detected parasitic DNA on days not typically reported.Conclusions: The larval migration of S. venezuelensis within the murine host in an experimental environment was equivalent to that described in its natural biological cycle. The Kato-Katz quantitative technique showed to be quick and low-cost, but the qPCR had greater diagnostic precision. This experimental life cycle can be used as a tool for the study of strongyloidiasis or other similar nematodiasis.

Echinococcosis is a zoonotic parasitic illness that can cause significant disabilities, and even death for sick people. The disease is caused by the larval stage of cestodes belonging to the Echinococcus genus. In this study, multiple hydatid cysts were excised from an infected porcine liver. The identification of the parasitic species was made by the morphometric assessment of rostellar hooks and molecular detection of ribosomal DNA extant in protoscoleces of the hydatid sand. Rostellar hooks presented an average length of 27.4 µm by optical microscopy. Parasite DNA were detected in samples of hydatid sediment and positive controls by polymerase chain reaction. In conclusion, Echinococcus granulosus was recognized in samples of porcine hydatid cysts by microscopic observation, and the E. granulosus sensu lato strain E. canadensis G6/G7 was identified by molecular assay.

Introduction. Microplastics, particles smaller than 5 mm, are an environmental and public health concern due to their widespread presence in domestic environments. They affect humans and animals that share water, food, and environments. In Santo Domingo (Ecuador), companion dogs can act as environmental sentinels, reflecting exposure to these contaminants and their potential association to health problems.Objective. To evaluate microplastics in dog feces in Santo Domingo and their possible relationship with domestic plastic waste and gastrointestinal diseases in their human tutors. Materials and methods. Feces from 27 domestic dogs were analyzed using potassium hydroxide (KOH) digestion and microscopy to identify and quantify microplastics. Daily production of plastic waste in contact with food and the presence of gastrointestinal diseases in tutors were recorded. Statistical analyses were applied to evaluate correlations and associations, considering a significance level of α = 0.05.Results. Fecal samples from 21 dogs contained microplastic particles, with an average of 288.89 microplastic particles per gram, predominantly plastic fibers. The northeastern and northwestern areas showed the highest levels. No significant correlation was found between plastic waste generation and microplastics load (p = 0.194), but a significant association was found with gastrointestinal diseases in tutors (p = 0.027; Cramer’s V = 0.463).Conclusions. Dogs reflect domestic exposure to microplastics, and its study provides evidence of shared risks to both human and animal health. The need to control plastic pollution and promote inter-sectorial preventive research and actions under the One Health approach is reinforced.

Espécies virais da família Coronaviridae apresentam transmissão zoonótica e causam infecções respiratórias e gastrointestinais em aves e mamíferos. Três espécies dessa família conseguiram infectar várias populações humanas: SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV e SARS-CoV-2. Este último vírus é o agente causador da doença chamada covid-19, declarada pela Organização Mundial da Saúde como uma pandemia devido ao seu modo de transmissão, período de latência e relatos em todo o mundo. No Equador, o primeiro caso de covid-19 foi diagnosticado em 28 de fevereiro de 2020 e as medidas sanitárias concentraram-se na suspensão de eventos massivos localmente. Vários dias depois, o isolamento começou com o decreto de Estado de Emergência Sanitária no qual o governo central e o Município de Quito inovaram em medidas de contingência e prevenção. Imediatamente depois, começou a imposição da quarentena e do toque de recolher nacional com a declaração do Estado de Exceção, mas o município de Guayaquil não foi capaz de enfrentar a contumácia do cidadão. Como resultado disso, Guayaquil registrou um crescimento exorbitante de mortes em hospitais, residências e ruas da cidade. Por outro lado, o modelo de gestão estabelecido em Quito minimizou o impacto da nova doença.

Microplastics (MPs) pose an emerging threat to aquaculture, yet their accumulation dynamics across shrimp production stages remain poorly characterized. This study evaluated MPs accumulation in Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) between the nursery and grow-out stages of a commercial aquaculture system in Guayas Province, Ecuador. Twenty ponds (ten per stage) were sampled using a five-point (X-shaped) spatial scheme, and intestinal tissue pools (n = 50 per group) were processed via alkaline digestion, density separation, and optical and scanning electron microscopy. MPs were detected in all analytical units, with fibers as the dominant morphotype (>90%). Total MPs load increased significantly from nursery to grow-out (63.9%; accumulation factor = 1.64; p < 0.001). A quasi-Poisson model identified culture stage, rather than body weight, as the primary determinant of MPs load (rate ratio = 1.64; p < 0.001); the crude weight-load correlation reflected a Simpson's paradox artifact rather than a within-stage relationship. Normalizing load by body mass revealed a growth dilution effect, with the bioaccumulation index 81.6-fold higher in nursery-stage shrimp, indicating greater relative exposure and potential physiological vulnerability during early development. Particle size was independent of body weight, consistent with non-selective, detritivorous ingestion. These findings identify culture stage as the key driver of MPs accumulation, reveal a growth dilution phenomenon in cultured shrimp, and underscore food-safety implications given the potential translocation of MPs to edible tissues. Under a One Health framework, these results establish a baseline for microplastic surveillance in aquaculture and support targeted mitigation during the grow-out phase.