This work presents the results of findings for brucellosis in wild boars and domestic swine in two regions of Croatia. In the region of Djakovo the blood samples of 211 wild boars were analysed and in 29.4% of the samples serologically positive reactions were established. In the same region the blood samples of 1080 domestic swine on pastures were also analysed and positive serological reactions were established in 12.3%. In the regions around Lonjsko Polje the blood samples of 53 wild boars were analysed and in 22.6% of them positive serological reactions were established. On several locations around Lonjsko Polje the blood samples of 901 domestic swine were serologically analysed and 13.5% of the swine were found to be seropositive. Bacteriological analyses of submitted materials from 24 wild boars resulted in isolation of Brucella from seven (29.2%) samples, and from 43 samples originating from domestic swine that had aborted and had been serologically positive, Brucella were isolated from 25 (58.1%) swine, as well as from 10 (62.5%) out of 16 aborted piglets. In all the isolates Brucella suis biovar 2 was identified. Wild boars are carriers and reservoirs of Brucella suis biovar 2 in Croatia.

SummaryIn order to detect thermotolerant Campylobacter spp., 241 samples of fresh chicken meat, at retail in Croatia, were analysed according to a standard method, followed by biochemical test and molecular polymerase chain reaction/restriction enzyme analysis for exact species determination. Campylobacter spp. prevalence was 73.86 %. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli were isolated from 53.53 and 15.35 % of the samples, respectively. In 4.98 % of isolates thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. were not determined. The multi locus sequence typing method was used to evaluate genetic diversity of eight Campylobacter jejuni and four Campylobacter coli isolates. To our knowledge, these results of genotyping provided the fi rst data on the presence of sequence types (STs) and clonal complexes (CCs) of Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli isolates in Croatia. By applying the multilocus sequence typing, a new allele of tkt gene locus was discovered and marked tkt508. The C. jejuni ST 6182 and C. coli ST 6183 genotypes were described for the fi rst time, and all other identifi ed genotypes were clustered in the previously described sequence types and clonal complexes. These fi ndings provide useful information on the prevalence and epidemiology of Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli in Croatia.

During the years 2001 and 2002 on seven localities in Croatia a survey on the prevalence of brucellosis in wild boar was carried out. The survey included 271 (52.7%) female and 243 (47.3%) male animals between 7 months and 4 years of age and weighing from 14 to 135 kg. On that occasion 514 blood samples of wild boar were serologically analysed. For serological analysis indirect enzyme immunoassay (iELISA), Rose Bengal test (RBT), complement fixation test (CFT) and slow agglutination test (SAT) were used. In all of the wild boar from all of the localities investigated positive reactions to brucellosis were established. Most of the positive reactions were established by iELISA (13.6%), then by RBT (11.5%), CFT (10.5%) and SAT (8.9%). Tissue samples of 106 animals: testes samples from 67 animals, uterus tissue from 38 animals and 5 fetuses of piglets from 1 mother were analysed bacteriologically. Brucella suis biovar 2 was isolated from 18 (17.0%) animals that originated from all of the localities investigated. Isolates were identified by PCR using BRU-UP and BRU-LOW primers specific for genus Brucella and primers specific for IS711. Based on our results it could be concluded that in Croatia wild boar are natural vector and/or reservoirs of B. suis biovar 2. This permanent risk factor is hazardious for domestic and wild animals in the Republic of Croatia.

ABSTRACT:In total the samples of blood and kidneys of 379 small rodents and 154 wild swine were analysed. The antibodies to different serovars of leptospires were determined in 12.7% of small rodents, most o�en in the species Mus musculus (34.4%), A. agrestis (14.8%), A. flavicolis (10.8%), C. glareolus (9.4%) and A. sylvaticus (6.5%). Most frequent were the findings of antibodies to sv. pomona (27.1%), sv. sejroe (20.8%), and sv. australis (14.6%), and the antibodies to sv. hardjo, sv. saxkoebing, sv. tarassovi, sv. grippotyphosa, sv. bataviae and sv. icterohaemorrhagiae were also established. Seventeen (4.5%) isolates were identified, belonging to the serogroups sejroe (10 isolates), pomona (4 isolates) and australis (1 isolate) and one isolate was not identified. In wild swine positive reactions were established in 26% of the blood sera analysed. Most frequently the antibodies to sv. pomona (47.5%), sv. australis (40%), sv. grippotyphosa (10%) and sv. icterohaemorhagiae (2.5%) were established. Thirteen (8.4%) isolates belonging to the serogroups pomona (10 isolates), australis (2 isolates) and icterohaemorhagiae (1 isolate) were identified.

No abstract