Cross-sectional serosurvey of selected infectious diseases in wild ruminants in Serbia

Milićević, Vesna; Sapundžić, Zorana Zurovac; Glišić, Dimitrije; Kureljušić, Branislav; Vasković, Nikola; Đorđević, Milutin; Mirčeta, Jovan

doi:10.1016/j.rvsc.2024.105183

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 22 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In the review by Olos et al [67], it is stated that domestic species such as sheep, goats, cattle, and horses are also potentially at risk [85][86][87][88]. Over the last decade, the populations of wild ruminants and wild boars have increased across Europe [89,90]. This expansion is accompanied by an apparent negative relationship between their abundance in the wild and their health status [91].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dirofilaria sp. and Blood Meal Analysis in Mosquitoes Collected in Vojvodina and Mačva, and the First Report of Setaria tundra (Issaitshikoff & Rajewskaya, 1928) in Serbia

Šiljegović,

Mouillaud,

Jiolle

et al. 2024

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens are the two most widespread and important species of mosquito-borne nematodes, posing a significant threat to veterinary health and particularly affecting canines and felines. While D. immitis causes cardiopulmonary dirofilariasis, D. repens causes subcutaneous infections in dogs and other carnivores. Despite the extensive knowledge on these parasites, little is known about their natural vectors in Serbia. The parasite Setaria tundra, known to infect deer, has not yet been detected in Serbia but has been documented in neighboring countries. Thus, the aim of this study was to (i) further map out Dirofilaria sp. hotspots in the Vojvodina Province and detect S. tundra for the first time, (ii) detect positive mosquito species that can provide insights into how the nematodes spread in Serbia, and (iii) analyze the blood-fed female mosquitoes of species found to be infected, in order to identify the potential source of parasite infection. A total of 2902 female mosquitoes were collected across 73 locations during 2021 and 2022. Molecular biology methods, based on conventional PCR, were used to analyze non-blood-fed (2521 specimens) and blood-fed (381 specimens) female mosquitos, in order to detect filarial nematode presence and identify blood-meal sources, respectively. When the parasite genome was detected, the amplicon (cox1 gene, 650 bp fragment) was sent for Sanger sequencing, further confirming the presence of nematodes and species assignation. D. immitis was detected in three Culex pipiens mosquitoes collected in Zrenjanin (August 2021) and Glogonj and Svetozar Miletić (both in July 2021). Additionally, Setaria tundra was detected in Aedes vexans collected in Iđoš (mid-August 2021) and Aedes caspius, which was collected in Mali Iđoš (end of July 2021). This work identifies two new locations where D. immitis occurs in Vojvodina, and is the first report of S. tundra in Serbian territory. Blood-meal analysis provided insights into the preferences of mosquitoes that were positive for Dirofilaria sp. and S. tundra.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dirofilaria sp. and Blood Meal Analysis in Mosquitoes Collected in Vojvodina and Mačva, and the First Report of Setaria tundra (Issaitshikoff & Rajewskaya, 1928) in Serbia

Šiljegović,

Mouillaud,

Jiolle

et al. 2024

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In the review of Olos et al [58] it was stated that domestic species such as sheep, goats, cattle, and horses are also potentially at risk [80][81][82][83]. Over the past decade, the populations of wild ruminants and wild boars have increased across Europe [84,85]. This expansion is accompanied by an apparent negative relationship between their abundance in the wild and their health status [86].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

<em>Dirofilaria</em> sp. and Blood Meal Analysis in Mosquitoes Collected in Vojvodina and Mačva, and the First Report of<em> Setaria tundra</em> (Issaitshikoff &Amp; Rajewskaya, 1928) in Serbia

Šiljegović,

Mouillaud,

Jiolle

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens are the two most widespread and important species of mosquito-borne nematodes, posing a significant threat to veterinary health, particularly affecting canines and felines. While D. immitis causes cardiopulmonary dirofilariasis, D. repens causes subcutaneous infections in dogs and other carnivores. Despite extensive knowledge about the aforementioned parasites, little is known about their natural vectors in Serbia. Thus, the aim of this study was to: i) further map out Dirofilaria sp. hotspots in the Vojvodina Province, ii) detect positive mosquito species which can provide insights in how the nematodes spread and adapt to the environmental conditions, and iii) analyze the blood fed mosquitoes females of species found infected to identify the potential source of parasite infection. A total of 2,902 female mosquitoes were collected across 73 locations during 2021 and 2022. Molecular biology methods, based on conventional PCR, were used to analyze non-blood fed (2,521 specimens) and blood fed (381 specimens) mosquito females, in order to detect filarial nematode presence and identify blood meal sources respectively. When the parasite genome was detected, the amplicon (COI gene, 650 bp fragment) was sent for Sanger sequencing, further confirming the presence of nematodes and species assignation. D. immitis was detected in three Culex pipiens mosquitoes collected in XXXX (location and date), while Setaria tundra was detected in Aedes vexans and Aedes caspius. This work adds two new locations where D. immitis occurs in Vojvodina, and is the first report of S. tundra on the territory of Serbia. Blood meal analysis provided insights into the preferences of mosquitoes that were positive for Dirofilaria sp. and S. tundra.

show abstract

Complex patterns of WNV evolution: a focus on the Western Balkans and Central Europe

Šolaja,

Goletić,

Veljović

et al. 2024

Front. Vet. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionWest Nile Virus, an emerging zoonotic pathogen, has been circulating in Serbia for over a decade, with its first detection in mosquitoes in 2010. Since then, the virus has led to increasing cases in both animals and humans, peaking in 2018 with 415 human cases and 36 fatalities. This study aimed to explore the phylogenetic relationships between previously sequenced West Nile virus strains from Serbia and those sequenced in this study, while also identifying possible virulence factors.Materials and methodsWhole genome sequencing was conducted using a targeted approach on the MinION Mk1C platform, following a two-step process involving cDNA synthesis and amplification. Bioinformatics analysis included demultiplexing, primer trimming, and sequence mapping using tools such as iVar, Minimap2, and Samtools. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using MAFFT alignment and the Maximum Likelihood method with the Tamura Nei model in MEGA X software. Virulence factors were assessed in both structural and nonstructural proteins, focusing on key glycosylation motifs and specific mutations. Homology modeling of the E protein was also performed to evaluate potential structural changes due to mutations.ResultsPhylogenetic analysis revealed two major sublineages within the E subclade, representing the majority of strains from Western and Central Europe. These sublineages likely originated from Austria, Serbia, and Hungary between 2008 and 2012. The study also identified three distinct sublineages within the D subclade, which includes more diverse strains from Southern Europe. The E protein exhibited significant variations, particularly at the E159 site, which is crucial for virulence. The EI159T aa change has become dominant in recent years, replacing the previously prevalent EI159M. Additionally, changes in the NS1 glycoprotein and NS3 protein, both of which are involved in immune modulation and viral replication, were identified, with potential implications for the virus’s virulence.ConclusionThe study’s findings highlight the Western Balkans and Central Europe as key regions for the mixing and dissemination of West Nile virus strains from both Western-Central and Southern Europe. These results underscore the importance of continuous surveillance and phylogenetic analysis to monitor the evolution and spread of West Nile virus, particularly in light of the frequent mutations observed in virulence-associated sites.

show abstract

Cross-sectional serosurvey of selected infectious diseases in wild ruminants in Serbia

Cited by 3 publications

References 22 publications

Dirofilaria sp. and Blood Meal Analysis in Mosquitoes Collected in Vojvodina and Mačva, and the First Report of Setaria tundra (Issaitshikoff & Rajewskaya, 1928) in Serbia

Dirofilaria sp. and Blood Meal Analysis in Mosquitoes Collected in Vojvodina and Mačva, and the First Report of Setaria tundra (Issaitshikoff & Rajewskaya, 1928) in Serbia

<em>Dirofilaria</em> sp. and Blood Meal Analysis in Mosquitoes Collected in Vojvodina and Mačva, and the First Report of<em> Setaria tundra</em> (Issaitshikoff &Amp; Rajewskaya, 1928) in Serbia

Complex patterns of WNV evolution: a focus on the Western Balkans and Central Europe

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About