Epidemiology and diagnostics of visceral leishmaniasis in Serbia

Dakić, Zorica; Pelemiš, Mijomir; Stevanović, Goran; Poluga, Jasmina; Lavadinović, Lidija; Milošević, Ivana; Indjic, N.K.; Ofori-Belić, Irena; Pavlović, Milorad

doi:10.1111/j.1469-0691.2009.02768.x

Cited by 17 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Many cases of imported CanL have been identified in the Vojvodina region, the northern part of Serbia where the disease was not endemic previously [86], followed by autochthonous cases [87]. Simultaneously, first imported and subsequently autochthonous sporadic cases have been reported in the south and southeast of Serbia in the previously both endemic and non-endemic regions [61,88]. As we mentioned above, numerous studies on sand fly fauna were previously performed by different entomologists also in Serbia.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in eight Balkan countries: historical review and region-wide entomological survey

et al. 2020

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Background Sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are medically important vectors of human and veterinary disease-causing agents. Among these, the genus Leishmania (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), and phleboviruses are of utmost importance. Despite such significance, updated information about sand fly fauna is missing for Balkan countries where both sand flies and autochtonous leishmaniases are historically present and recently re-emerging. Therefore, a review of historical data on sand fly species composition and distribution in the region was followed by a large-scale entomological survey in eight Balkan countries to provide a recent update on local sand fly fauna. Methods The literature search involved the period 1910–2019. The entomological survey was conducted at 1189 sampling stations in eight countries (Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia), covering 49 settlements and 358 sampling sites between June and October in the years 2014 and 2016, accumulating 130 sampling days. We performed a total of 1189 trapping nights at these stations using two types of traps (light and CO2 attraction traps) in each location. Sampling was performed with a minimal duration of 6 (Montenegro) and a maximal of 47 days (Serbia) between 0–1000 m.a.s.l. Collected sand flies were morphologically identified. Results In total, 8490 sand fly specimens were collected. Morphological identification showed presence of 14 species belonging to genera Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia. Historical data were critically reviewed and updated with our recent findings. Six species were identified in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2 new records), 5 in Montenegro (2 new records), 5 in Croatia (2 new records), 9 in Bulgaria (5 new records), 11 in North Macedonia (1 new record), 10 in Serbia (no new records), 9 in Kosovo (3 new records) and 4 in Slovenia (no new records). Conclusions This study presents results of the first integrated sand fly fauna survey of such scale for the Balkan region, providing first data on sand fly populations for four countries in the study area and presenting new species records for six countries and updated species lists for all surveyed countries. Our findings demonstrate presence of proven and suspected vectors of several Leishmania species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in eight Balkan countries: historical review and region-wide entomological survey

et al. 2020

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“…Despite the relatively low number of collected specimens, implication of leishmaniasis circulation in Vojvodina, and Serbia as a whole, seems to be accumulating. New cases of human autochthonous VL were recently registered in both past-endemic [ 35 ] and non-endemic areas of south-east Serbia [ 36 ]. Along with human and canine leishmaniasis cases, the presence of Leishmania spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sand fly and Leishmania spp. survey in Vojvodina (Serbia): first detection of Leishmania infantum DNA in sand flies and the first record of Phlebotomus (Transphlebotomus) mascittii Grassi, 1908

et al. 2017

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BackgroundLeishmaniasis in Serbia was an endemic disease, and is considered to be eradicated for more than 40 years. In the past decade sporadic cases of canine leishmaniasis started to emerge for the first time in Vojvodina Province (previously non-endemic region of Serbia). Reports of introduced, and later on autochthonous cases of leishmaniasis alerted the possibility of disease emergence. The aim of this study was to bridge more than a half a century wide gap in entomological surveillance of sand fly vectors in Vojvodina, as well as to verify the presence of the vector species that could support Leishmania spp. circulation.ResultsDuring the period 2013–2015, a total of 136 sand flies were collected from 48 of 80 surveyed locations. Four sand fly species of the genus Phlebotomus were detected: P. papatasi, P. perfiliewi, P. mascittii and P. neglectus. Detection of P. mascittii represents the first record of this species for the sand fly fauna in Vojvodina and in Serbia. All female specimens (n = 80) were tested for Leishmania spp. DNA, and three blood-fed P. papatasi specimens were positive (4%). One positive DNA sample was successfully amplified by ITS1 nPCR. The RFLP analysis of the resulting 350 bp fragment showed a typical pattern of L. infantum, and the ITS1 partial sequence blasted in GenBank confirmed 100% identity with L. infantum and L. donovani complex sequences. This result represents the first record of both Leishmania spp. and L. infantum DNA from sand flies in Vojvodina, and in Serbia.ConclusionsPresence of autochthonous canine leishmaniasis cases, records of Phlebotomus (Larroussius) species proven vectors of L. infantum (P. perfiliewi and P. neglectus) and detection of L. infantum DNA from wild caught (non-competent) vectors, prove that L. infantum is present in Vojvodina and indicates a probable circulation in the region.

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“…In fact the disease had been characterized as endemic in southern Serbia even when Yugoslavia still existed. During the 90s, 39 cases of leishmaniasis were recorded in Serbia and Montenegro, with the incidence rate in the range of 0.01/100.000 [27]. Nevertheless, the animal reservoirs are still unknown.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Presence ofLeishmaniaandBrucellaSpecies in the Golden JackalCanis aureusin Serbia

Ćirović

Chochlakis²,

Tomanović

et al. 2014

BioMed Research International

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The golden jackal Canis aureus occurs in south-eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Africa. In Serbia, jackals neared extinction; however, during the last 30 years, the species started to spread quickly and to increase in number. Few studies in the past have revealed their potential role as carriers of zoonotic diseases. Animal samples were collected over a three-year period (01/2010–02/2013) from 12 sites all over Serbia. Of the tissue samples collected, spleen was chosen as the tissue to proceed; all samples were tested for Leishmania species and Brucella species by real-time PCR. Of the 216 samples collected, 15 (6.9%) were positive for Leishmania species, while four (1.9%) were positive for B. canis. The potential epidemiologic role of the golden jackal in carrying and dispersing zoonotic diseases in Serbia should be taken under consideration when applying surveillance monitoring schemes.

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Epidemiology and diagnostics of visceral leishmaniasis in Serbia

Cited by 17 publications

References 12 publications

Sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in eight Balkan countries: historical review and region-wide entomological survey

Sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in eight Balkan countries: historical review and region-wide entomological survey

Sand fly and Leishmania spp. survey in Vojvodina (Serbia): first detection of Leishmania infantum DNA in sand flies and the first record of Phlebotomus (Transphlebotomus) mascittii Grassi, 1908

Presence ofLeishmaniaandBrucellaSpecies in the Golden JackalCanis aureusin Serbia

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