The canine distemper virus (CDV), a paramyxovirus that is closely related to the human measles virus and rinderpest virus of cattle, is a highly contagious viral disease in dogs and wild carnivores ...worldwide. CDV represents a serious threat to domestic and wild animals, especially to the conservation of endangered wild carnivores. Our study aims to investigate the occurrence of CDV in free-living wild canines in Croatia. For this purpose, 176 red foxes and 24 jackal brain samples collected in the frame of the active surveillance of rabies during winter 2021/2022 were tested. This study provided the first comprehensive overview of the prevalence and spatial distribution of CDV in the wildlife of Croatia, including the molecular phylogenetic analysis of the H gene sequence of field CDV strains circulating in red fox and jackal populations of Croatia. The molecular characterization of hemagglutinin gene genomic regions confirmed the phylogenetic clustering of obtained sequences into the Europa 1 genotype. The obtained CDV red fox sequences were mutually very similar (97.60%). This study indicates the high genetic similarity of Croatian CDV red fox sequences and CDV red fox sequences from Italy and Germany, badger sequences from Germany, polecat sequences from Hungary, and dog sequences from Hungary and Germany.
Since the role of wild rodents/small mammals in hepatitis E virus (HEV) epidemiology has been a subject of considerable debate, this study was conducted to investigate the potential presence of HEV ...RNA in small rodents collected within their natural habitats and to detect if they can be potential reservoirs of the virus. A total of 483 small rodents were captured using snap traps placed at 11 regions in Croatia. Sampling was undertaken in 2008 and repeated from 2010 to 2014. Liver samples were tested for the presence of HEV RNA. HEV RNA was detected in only one liver sample (0.21%) originated from Apodemus flavicollis from the location Medvednica, nearby Zagreb collected in 2014. According to the sequence analysis, the isolate has shown to be a member of Orthohepevirus A species, genotype HEV-3. The genotyping results confirmed grouping into subtype 3a, general cluster 3abchij.The detected HEV strain showed to be genetically highly related to strains found in humans and/or domestic pigs and wild boars from Croatia. Our finding indicates that wild small mammals could play a role in the epidemiology of HEV-3 infection and therefore should be taken under consideration as potential reservoirs or/and transmitters of the disease. However, further investigation is needed to recognize their potential for maintaining the infection in natural conditions.
•Porcine astroviruses (PAstV) are prevalent in the faeces of domestic pigs in Croatia, regardless of the age, the type of holding or its geographical location.•There is wide genetic heterogeneity of ...PAstV sequences in Croatia, with all five known lineages being detected.•This is the first report of the PAstV-3 lineage outside North America.
Porcine astroviruses (PAstVs) are common and genetically diverse viruses of domestic pigs. In the present study, the prevalence of PAstV in healthy domestic pigs in Croatia was 89%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed genetic heterogeneity among PAstV sequences; five lineages were detected, with PAstV-2 being predominant, while PAstV-3 was detected for the first time outside North America.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) can infect a wide range of domestic and wild animals, and the identification of new host species is reported successively worldwide. Nevertheless, its zoonotic potential and ...natural transmission, especially in wildlife remains unclear, primarily due to the discrete nature of HEV infections. Since the red fox (Vulpus vulpus) is the most widespread carnivore worldwide, and has been recognized as a potential HEV reservoir, its role as a potent host species is of increasing interest. Another wild canine species, the jackal （Canis aureus moreoticus）, is becoming more important within the same habitat as that of the red fox since its number and geographical distribution have been rapidly growing. Therefore, we have chosen these wild species to determine their potential role in the epidemiology and persistence of HEV in the wilderness. The main reason for this is the finding of HEV and a rather high HEV seroprevalence in wild boars sharing the same ecological niche as the wild canine species, as well as the risk of the spread of HEV through red foxes into the outskirts of cities, where possible indirect and even direct contact with people are not excluded. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the possibility of natural HEV infection of free-living wild canines, by testing samples for the presence of HEV RNA and anti-HEV antibodies to gain better epidemiological knowledge of the disease. For this purpose, 692 red fox and 171 jackal muscle extracts and feces samples were tested. Neither HEV RNA nor anti-HEV antibodies were detected. Although HEV circulation was not detected in the tested samples, to our knowledge, these are the first results that include jackals as a growing and important omnivore wildlife species for the presence of HEV infection in Europe.
The circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in the environment has been confirmed numerous times, whilst research on the bioaccumulation in bivalve molluscan shellfish (BMS) has been rather scarce. The present ...study aimed to fulfil the knowledge gap on SARS-CoV-2 circulation in wastewaters and surface waters in this region and to extend the current knowledge on potential presence of SARS-CoV-2 contamination in BMS. The study included 13 archive wastewater and surface water samples from the start of epidemic and 17 influents and effluents from nine wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) of different capacity and treatment stage, sampled during the second epidemic wave. From that period are the most of 77 collected BMS samples, represented by mussels, oysters and warty venus clams harvested along the Dalmatian coast. All samples were processed according to EN ISO 15216-1 2017 using Mengovirus as a whole process control. SARS-CoV-2 detection was performed by real-time and conventional RT-PCR assays targeting E, N and nsp14 protein genes complemented with nsp14 partial sequencing. Rotavirus A (RVA) real-time RT-PCR assay was implemented as an additional evaluation criterion of virus concentration techniques. The results revealed the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in nine influents and two secondary treatment effluents from eight WWTPs, while all samples from the start of epidemic (wastewaters, surface waters) were negative which was influenced by sampling strategy. All tertiary effluents and BMS were SARS-CoV-2 negative. The results of RVA amplification were beneficial in evaluating virus concentration techniques and provided insights into RVA dynamics within the environment and community. In conclusion, the results of the present study confirm SARS-CoV-2 circulation in Croatian wastewaters during the second epidemic wave while extending the knowledge on wastewater treatment potential in SARS-CoV-2 removal. Our findings represent a significant contribution to the current state of knowledge that considers BMS of a very low food safety risk regarding SARS-CoV-2.
•The first report of SARS-CoV-2 circulation in wastewaters in Croatia.•Wastewater treatment contributes to the SARS-CoV-2 reduction and removal.•The first SARS-CoV-2 study in bivalves during autumn-winter and 2nd epidemic wave.•All bivalves were SARS-CoV-2 negative indicating very low food safety risk.
Aujeszky disease is a viral disease, primarily of suids, caused by Suid-alphaherpesvirus 1, also known as the Aujeszky disease virus. The potential transmission of virus from wild boars to domestic ...pigs underlines the necessity of studying the epidemiology of Aujeszky disease in wild boars. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of demographic, environmental and population management predictors in predicting that ELISA tested animals will be seropositive. We used 222 wild boar blood samples, collected from 10 different hunting grounds and Medvednica Nature Park. In total, 12 predictors were used in this study, three of which were demographic (age category, sex, population density), two represented population management (hunting method, relative hunting bag) and seven environmental characteristics (altitude, watercourses, meadows, scrublands, forests, agricultural area and infrastructure area). The model selection was based on the Akaike Information Criterion, corrected AIC and Akaike weight. The model with the lowest value (ΔAIC <2 units) was selected as representing the better model fit. Predictors were selected using logistic forward stepwise regression. The age of the wild boars proved to be positively correlated with prediction of seropositive animals, while altitude and population density proved to be negatively correlated. The selected models were shown to be able to predict ADV seropositive animals with an average accuracy between 77.12 and 78.67%, and seronegative animals between 82.46 % and 85.09. The odds ratio values ranged between 12.53 and 14.52. Our results are in accordance with previous studies, and the impact of population density in the case of Aujeszky disease in wild boars remains unclear.
Divlja je svinja jedna od najstarijih preživjelih vrsti životinja na euroazijskom području. Danas je proširena u Europi, Aziji, Africi, a uvedena je i na područje Sjeverne Amerike. Zbog svoje visoke ...prilagodljivosti, klimatskih promjena, načina gospodarenja lovištima i malog broja prirodnih neprijatelja, divlja je svinja najmanje ugrožena vrsta životinja i njezin broj sustavno raste. Danas ona predstavlja ugrozu poljoprivrednicima kojima nanosi štete, a zbog hrane ulazi i u prigradska te gradska okružja. Prepoznata je za jednog od najznačajnijih rezervoara virusnih infekcija životinja, ali i nekih zoonoza. Naime, divlja svinja može doći neposredno i posredno u dodir s domaćim životinjama te na taj način prenijeti uzročnike virusnih infekcija. Obzirom da je lov jedna od važnijih turističkih ponuda Hrvatske, a divlja svinja jedna od najtrofejnijih divljih životinja, dodir divlje svinje s ljudima može ugroziti i zdravlje ljudi. U ovom smo radu opisali ulogu divljih svinja pri prijenosu najznačajnijih virusnih infekcija u svinjogojskoj industriji Europe, poput šireće afričke svinjske kuge te nama poznate klasične svinjske kuge i za druge vrste životinja poput bolesti Aujeszkoga. Opisali smo i značenje divlje svinje kao rezervoara virusa hepatitisa E, danas sve značajnije zoonoze. Ujedno je dat osvrt na moguću pojavnost navedenih infekcija ili njihovu prisutnost u divljih svinja s područja Republike Hrvatske.
Velika porodica Parvoviridae rasprostranje- na je diljem svijeta i uvelike ugrožava zdravlje ljudi i životinja, posebice domaćih životinja, mačka, pasa i konja. Znaci zaraze pripadnici- ma porodice ...Parvoviridae variraju od posve ne- zamjetljivih do po život opasnih stanja pa osim opsežnog pobola nastaju i golemi gospodarski gubitci. Zbog osmišljavanja djelotvornije ob- rane danas su u središtu pozornosti veterinar- ske medicine nastojanja da se te bolesti bolje upoznaju. Stoga su autori nastojali načiniti sažet, ali iscrpan prikaz najznačajnijih infek- cija parvovirusima u naših domaćih životinja. Ponajprije izložiti osnovne značajke parvovi- rusa, a potom opisati podporodicu Parvovirine
koja prouzroči zaraze kralješnjaka. S obzirom da se učestalošću posebno ističu rodovi Bo- caparvovirus i Protoparvovirus, oni su detaljno izloženi. Rod Bocaparvovirus je izložen kroz nji- hove značajke, životni ciklus, dijagnozu i pa- tofiziologiju te liječenje i preventivu. Opisane su i glavne značajke roda Protoparvovirus s posebnim naglaskom na povijest, obilježja, inačice virusa, kliničku sliku i patofiziologiju, dijagnozu te zaštitu od zaraze. Samo dobrim poznavanjem mehanizma djelovanja opisanih virusa moguće je u budućnosti uspješno suz- bijati ove bolesti.
We determined prevalence of antibody to selected viral pathogens important for domestic pigs and livestock in 556 wild boar (Sus scrofa) sera collected during 2005-06 and 2009-10 in four counties in ...Croatia. These counties account for an important part of the Croatian commercial pig production and have a high density of wild boars. Samples were tested for antibodies to porcine parvovirus (PPV), Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV), porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), swine influenza virus, porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus (PRRSV), porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCV), transmissible gastroenteritis virus, and swine vesicular disease virus (SVDV). Antibodies to all of the infectious pathogens except SVDV were detected. There was a statistically significant difference in prevalence between the two periods for PPV, ADV, PCV2, PRRSV, and PRCV, with a higher prevalence of PPV and ADV in the 2009-10 period (P<0.05). During the same period, the prevalence of PCV2, PRRSV, and PRCV was lower (P<0.05). Our results provide information on the current disease exposure and health status of wild boars in Croatia and suggest that wild boars may act as a reservoir for several pathogens and a source of infection for domestic pigs and other livestock as well as humans, especially for ADV.
Hepatitis E is becoming a growing health concern in European countries as an increase of sporadic human cases of unknown origin has been recorded lately. Its causative agent, Hepatitis E virus (HEV), ...is known to have zoonotic potential and thus the role of domestic and wild animals in the chain of viral spread should be considered when investigating risk factors and the epidemiology of the disease. A comprehensive survey based on viral RNA detection was carried out in Croatia including blood, spleen and liver samples originating from 1816 different domestic and wild animals and digestive gland samples from 538 molluscs. A high HEV prevalence was detected in domestic pigs (24.5 %) and wild boars (12.3 %), whereas cattle, molluscs, ruminant and carnivore wildlife samples tested negative. Molecular characterization of both ORF1 and ORF2 genomic regions confirmed the phylogenetic clustering of the obtained sequences into genotype 3, previously reported in Europe. Furthermore, our results proved the presence of identical sequence variants in different samples, regardless of their origin, age or habitat of the host, suggesting transmission events between domestic swine, as well as between domestic swine and wild boars in the country. Moreover, a close genetic relationship of Croatian animal strains and known human HEV strains from GenBank opens the question of possible cross-species HEV transmission in Croatia, especially in the areas with an intensive swine production.
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