Leptospirosis is one of the most common zoonotic infections and a major problem in terms of both veterinary medicine and public health. However, the disease is under-recognised and under-diagnosed ...worldwide, particularly in horses. Clinical leptospirosis in horses is mainly associated with recurrent uveitis (ERU), which has recently been studied more intensively, and reproductive disorders, the epidemiology of which is still relatively poorly understood. To enhance our comprehension of abortions caused by leptospirosis in horses and to identify the causative strains, a serological study was carried out with subsequent molecular characterisation of the isolate obtained. Using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), serum samples from mares that aborted and foetal fluids (when available) were tested for antibodies against Leptospira spp. Furthermore, bacteria isolation from kidney cultures was conducted. Of 97 mare serum samples, 21 (21.64%) tested positive, with Grippotyphosa and Pomona being the most frequently detected serogroups. A significantly higher seroprevalence was found in aborting mares compared to the healthy horse population from the same geographical area, as well as a pronounced seasonal variation. Leptospiral antibodies were not detected in any of the foetal fluids, but isolation was successful in 1 case out of 39 (2.56%). Genotyping by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) identified the obtained isolate as Leptospira kirschneri, serogroup Pomona, serovar Mozdok. Further surveillance and molecular typing of Leptospira strains causing abortion in horses would be invaluable in understanding the prevalence and impact of leptospirosis on equine reproductive health in Europe.
Canine respiratory coronavirus is a relatively new addition to the list of pathogens causing canine infectious disease complex. The virus is highly contagious, with a high prevalence in the dog ...population worldwide, especially in shelters. This study aimed to establish the presence and risk factors associated with infection in privately owned dogs and breeding colonies. This study was the first to demonstrate the presence of canine respiratory coronavirus in Croatia. Out of the 257 serum samples, 35.03% of dogs from breeding kennels and 43% of pet dogs tested enzyme-linked immunoassay positive, but the difference was not statistically significant. Sex was not an important risk factor, but the seropositivity rate increased with age. Mixing of dogs during hunting, training and dog shows was not associated with a higher seroprevalence in the breeding colonies. Daily cleaning and disinfection showed little effect on the infection spread. The study was done on a limited sample. However, it still provides evidence that the epizootiology of this disease is complex. There is no available vaccine for canine respiratory coronavirus, and further studies on environmental and risk factors will give the valuable data needed to prevent this disease. Keywords: canine respiratory coronavirus; seroprevalence; breeding colonies; ELISA; Croatia Pseci respiratorni koronavirus nedavno je dodan na listu patogena koji uzrokuju zarazni kašalj legla. Zbog svoje izrazite kontagioznosti proširio se diljem svijeta, a osobito je cest u pasa u skloništima za nezbrinute životinje. Osnovni je cilj ovog istraživanja bio ispitati proširenost infekcije u pasa u privatnom vlasništvu i uzgajivacnicama te ustanoviti cimbenike rizika koji pogoduju infekciji. Ovo je bilo prvo istraživanje koje je dokazalo prisutnost pseceg respiratornog koronavirusa u Hrvatskoj. Od 257 pretraženih uzoraka seruma 35,03% uzoraka pasa privatnih vlasnika i 43% uzoraka pasa iz uzgajivacnica dalo je pozitivan rezultat imunoenzimnog testa. Važno je napomenuti da razlika u seroprevalenciji izmedu ovih dviju populacije nije bila statisticki znakovita. Spol takoder nije bio znakovit cimbenik rizika, ali je seroprevalencija rasla s porastom dobi životinja. Miješanje životinja iz razlicitih uzgoja, prilikom lova, dresure ili izložbi pasa, nije dovelo do porasta seroprevalencije u uzgajivacnicama. Ni provodenje dnevne dezinfekcije nije znakovito utjecalo na seroprevalenciju. Ovo je istraživanje provedeno na ogranicenom broju uzoraka, ali ipak dokazuje složenost epizootiologije infekcije psecim respiratornim koronavirusom. Kako cjepivo još uvijek nije dostupno, dodatna istraživanja cimbenika okoliša i domacina, važnih za epizootiologiju ove bolesti, dat ce važne podatke nužne za provodenje mjera prevencije. Kljucne rijeci: pseci respiratorni koronavirus; seroprevalencija; uzgajivacnice; ELISA; Hrvatska
•Leptospira spp. infections in horses are highly present in Croatia.•High seropositivity for the serovar Pomona in apparently healthy horses.•Possible evolutionary adaptation of pathogenic serovar ...Pomona as dominant for horses.•Horses are at risk of being convalescents and potential sources of infection.
Leptospirosis is re-emerging zoonotic bacterial disease of global importance that affects domestic and wild animals and humans. Due to the public health importance, control of disease in Croatia is being implemented by monitoring the seroprevalence of equine leptospirosis and it is regulated by the law. In the period from 2012 to 2022, a total of 61,724 serum samples from apparently healthy horses were admitted to the Laboratory for leptospires, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb. Serum samples were tested for Leptospira spp. antibodies using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Samples were considered seropositive with a cut-off titre 1:200 for Bratislava and 1:400 for other Leptospira spp. serovars. Out of 61,724 serum samples tested, 6,665 (10.80%) were found seropositive for at least one Leptospira serovar. In the studied period, seroprevalence varied between 5.00% and 15.94%. The highest seroprevalence was found for serovar Pomona (41.98%) and serovar Grippotyphosa (31.34%), followed by Sejroe (8.03%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (7.05%) and Bratislava (6.47%). Results indicated that horses in Croatia are particularly exposed to Leptospira spp. infections. The most prevalent presumed infective serovar was Pomona increasing each year. Investigated horses were randomly selected and healthy and most seropositive horses have anamnestic titre due to previous infection. This is the first study in Europe reporting such high seropositivity for the serovar Pomona in apparently healthy horses. According to the results of the present study, the question arises of the possible evolutionary adaptation of the pathogenic serovar Pomona as dominant for horses.
A 19-month-old female common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) was presented with a 4-day history of anorexia and behavioral changes. At presentation, a combination of neurological signs, erosions, and ...ulcerations of the mucous membranes of the oral mucosa and mucocutaneous junction of the lips were observed, suggesting herpesvirus infection. Although etiological and symptomatic therapy was initiated immediately, the animal died the next day. A necropsy was performed, and gross pathology and pathohistology findings indicated a systemic viral infection. Definitive diagnosis was based on the results of molecular testing that demonstrated the presence of human herpes simplex virus type 1. In conclusion, marmosets are a highly susceptible host for human herpes simplex virus. To reduce the risk of infection and prevent this highly lethal disease in monkeys, contact with humans who have symptomatic or asymptomatic forms of HSV-1 should be limited and accompanied by appropriate hygiene measures.
Over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, there is growing evidence that SARS-CoV-2 infections among dogs are more common than previously thought. In this study, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies ...was investigated in two dog populations. The first group was comprised of 1069 dogs admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital for any given reason. The second group included dogs that shared households with confirmed COVID-19 cases in humans. This study group numbered 78 dogs. In COVID-19 infected households, 43.9% tested ELISA positive, and neutralising antibodies were detected in 25.64% of dogs. Those data are comparable with the secondary attack rate in the human population. With 14.69% of dogs in the general population testing ELISA positive, there was a surge of SARS-CoV-2 infections within the dog population amid the second wave of the pandemic. Noticeably seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the dog and the human population did not differ at the end of the study period. Male sex, breed and age were identified as significant risk factors. This study gives strong evidence that while acute dog infections are mostly asymptomatic, they can pose a significant risk to dog health. Due to the retrospective nature of this study, samples for viral isolation and PCR were unavailable. Still, seropositive dogs had a 1.97 times greater risk for developing central nervous symptoms.
The aim of this study was to determine the level of self-harm behaviors among adolescents in the general population (students of secondary schools in Zagreb, Croatia), as well as to determine if the ...level of self-harm behaviors differed according to financial circumstances of the family and marital status of the parents. The study was conducted in 701 adolescents (male and female, age range 14 to 19 years). A specially designed questionnaire that included family and demographic data was used to determine the family financial circumstances. The Scale of Auto-Destructiveness measuring instrument was used to assess the level self-harm. Study results revealed that 87.3% of adolescents indicated average levels of self-harm, whereas above-average and high above-average self-harm was indicated in 12.7% of the adolescents. Results also showed that single-parent families significantly differentiated the level of self-harm among adolescents of both genders, whereas financial deprivation (perception of financial stress) partially differentiated these levels. Practical implications of this study emphasize the importance of social support to parents of adolescents grown up in single-parent and/or financially challenged families.
Despite evidence that children of male war veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at particularly high risk for behavior problems, very little is currently known about ...suicidal behaviors in this population of youth. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and psychosocial correlates of suicide attempts among psychiatrically hospitalized adolescent offspring of Croatian male PTSD veterans. Participants were psychiatric inpatients, ages 12–18 years. Self-report questionnaires assessed demographics, suicide attempts, psychopathology, parenting style, and family functioning. The prevalence of suicide attempts was 61.5 % (65.2 % for girls and 58.0 % for boys). Internalizing symptoms, family dysfunction, lower levels of maternal and paternal care, and paternal overcontrol were significantly associated with suicide attempts. Our findings suggest that suicide attempts are common among inpatient adolescent offspring of male PTSD veterans and that interventions targeting both adolescent psychopathology and family relationships are needed for adolescents who have attempted suicide.
Vezikularni stomatitis (VS) reemergentna je virusna zarazna bolest prije svega konja, goveda i svinja, ali i ovaca, koza, ljama i alpaka. Uzročnik bolesti je virus vezikularnog stomatitisa, arbovirus ...iz porodice Rhabdoviridae, u koju su uključeni različiti virusi kralježnjaka, beskralježnjaka i mnogih biljnih vrsta. Zbog nemogućnosti kliničkog razlikovanja od slinavke i šapa, vezikularni stomatitis u goveda i svinja iziskuje posebnu pozornost, iznimno kontagiozne zarazne bolesti papkara. Kliničkom slikom bolesti u konja i goveda dominira ptijalizam kao posljedica formiranja, a potom pucanja vezikula na dorzalnoj strani jezika, mekom nepcu, dentalnoj ploči i mukokutanom spoju usana. Lezije se nalaze i na krunskom djelu kopita, papaka, a u goveda i na sisama. Zbog erozija koje nastaju na mjestu rupturiranih vezikula bolesna životinja odbija hranu, a opiru se i mužnji. Za razliku od konja i goveda u kojih je obilno slinjenje, prvi simptom bolesti u svinja je šepanje koje izaziva lezije na krunskom djelu papaka. Bolest se unutar stada širi izravnim kontaktom, kontaminiranim predmetima, opremom i površinama, a veliku ulogu u širenju virusa VS imaju i insekti (komarci, pješčane muhe, mušice svrbljivice i komarčići), mehanički i/ili kao biološki vektori. Prevencija vezikularnog stomatitisa temelji se na izolaciji zaraženih stada, ograničenom kretanju primljivih životinja u zaraženom području, kontroli insekata (vektora) i uporabi cjepiva, dostupnih u nekim endemskim regijama Srednje i Južne Amerike. Povremena pojava infekcije u ljudi predstavlja određeno javno-zdravstveni problem. U ljudi bolest je blaga i slična je gripi te se smatra manje opasnom zoonozom.
Canine respiratory coronavirus is a relatively new addition to the list of pathogens causing canine infectious disease complex. The virus is highly contagious, with a high prevalence in the dog ...population worldwide, especially in shelters. This study aimed to establish the presence and risk factors associated with infection in privately owned dogs and breeding colonies. This study was the first to demonstrate the presence of canine respiratory coronavirus in Croatia. Out of the 257 serum samples, 35.03% of dogs from breeding kennels and 43% of pet dogs tested enzyme-linked immunoassay positive, but the difference was not statistically significant. Sex was not an important risk factor, but the seropositivity rate increased with age. Mixing of dogs during hunting, training and dog shows was not associated with a higher seroprevalence in the breeding colonies. Daily cleaning and disinfection showed little effect on the infection spread. The study was done on a limited sample. However, it still provides evidence that the epizootiology of this disease is complex. There is no available vaccine for canine respiratory coronavirus, and further studies on environmental and risk factors will give the valuable data needed to prevent this disease.
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