engleski

Selected vector–borne zoonoses in grazing cattle in Slovenia –review of existing reports and current research

Granulocytic anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum), babesiosis (Babesia divergens) and Lyme borreliosis (Borrelia burgdorferi s.l.) are tick-borne diseases of cattle that are transmitted by the tick Ixodes ricinus in Europe. These infections appear in wide range of hosts. All of them are zoonoses and can be transmitted from cattle to humans via ticks. The disease course of mentioned illnesses is nonspecific and may be difficult to diagnose, except for babesiosis, without running specific laboratory tests. These infections may have impact on welfare and productivity in affected cattle. However, very few studies tackled vector borne diseases in animals in Slovenia so far. A. phagocytophilum was confirmed in game animals and in dogs. Clinical reports of B. divergens in cattle exist at the Veterinary faculty, while B. burgdorferi s. l. was confirmed serologically in dogs, horses and game animals, and Lyme spirochete has been confirmed in cattle in one study. The lack of relevant studies in animals in an area where the Ixodes ticks are abundant, where Lyme borreliosis is endemic in humans as well as occasional anaplasmosis, support the need to proceed with more systematic study of cattle vector-borne infections. Existence of cattle-specific strains of the above-mentioned causative agents is expected. Grazing cattle can serve as sentinels for human infections as they live close to human settlements, where outdoor activities of people take place as well. In the study, which will begin in May 2016 grazing cattle after turning out for one to two months will be sampled for presence of these three vector-borne pathogens in known hot spots of diseases in Slovenia. Detection of specific antibodies and pathogens is going to be performed in blood samples. Cattle will also be checked for ticks at predilection sites and collected ticks for the presence of pathogens.In addition, data (breed, age, pasturing history, location of pasture, presence of ticks) of cattle involved will be collected.

Anaplasma; Babesia; catlle

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