CANINE VECTOR-BORNE ZOONOSES IN VOJVODINA

Abstract

Research on vectors and zoonozes in Serbia has been going on for more than a decade now. Due to the climate changes during the last years, the presence of vectors has changed and also the presence of zoonotic agents inside them has changed, too. Vectors that can be found are ticks, mosquitoes, flies, etc. Ticks that can be found in Vojvodina are Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor marginatus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Rhipicephalus bursa, Haemaphysalis punctata. The most common diseases known as tick borne in Vojvodina are piroplasmosis, Q fever and Lyme disease. The study done recently has shown that the presence of ticks can be found throughout the whole year in Northern part of Serbia (Vojvodina province). During the last five years different surveys have shown that ticks in Serbia are infected with B. burgdorferi s.l. at a rate of 25-30%, depending on the region. Also, a number of clinical cases of Lyme disease has been registered in humans and dogs. The percentage of ticks infected with B. burgdorferi s.l. in the province of Vojvodina ranges from 25-28%. An analysis of ticks in selected urban regions performed during a three-year period revealed an infection rate of 25%. During the three-year study period, a total of 1224 ticks were collected from different locations in Vojvodina. The dominant species was Ixodes ricinus, accounting for 62% of all collected ticks. Mosquitoes are another vectors that can be found in Vojvodina very often during the warm period of the year (June-October). Diseases that they can carried are blue tongue disease, equine infectious anemia, dirofilariosis in humans and dogs, etc. Diagnostic of dirofilariosis in Serbia begun some 4 years ago when Dirofilaria were found (Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens) in dogs and later on in humans. First cases of dirofilariosis were found in dogs during the autopsy as a side finding. The presence of Phlebotominae has been detected in southern Serbia long time ago and they are known as vectors for leishmaniosis. Their presence has still not been detected in Vojvodina. Three years ago ago several dogs were found with clinical signs (epistaxys, cachexia, pale mucosa, skin leisures, blindness, lethargy) and seropositive finding for leishmaniosis in the central part of Serbia and Vojvodina. At first, all of the dogs were infected abroad, but since 2010, few dogs have been found that have never left their homes. During the period 2008-2010 in Scientific Veterinary Institute „Novi Sad“ 23 dogs vere examined for the presence of antibodies against leishmania by ELISA serological method.

Keywords

• vector borne zoonozes
• lyme borreliosis
• dirofilariasis
• leishmaniasis