Contribution to host diversity, genetic diversion, and epidemiology of Trichinella pseudospiralis in Slovakia, central Europe.

Trichinella pseudospiralis belongs to the non-encapsulated clade of the genus and its epidemiology is influenced by various biotic and abiotic factors. The role of different animal species in the spread and epidemiology of the parasite is still not well understood and further research is needed in the areas where its occurrence has been recorded. In Slovakia, T.

Micromammals as a reservoir for the zoonotic nematode (syn. ) in recreational areas of Slovakia.

The hepatic nematode is a zoonotic parasite primarily parasitising small mammals, but it can infect a wide range of mammal species, including humans. Due to its specific life cycle and transmission pattern, it is one of the least studied helminths in the world. The only documented findings of from Slovakia (former Czechoslovakia) come from the 60s and 70s of the 20th Century, including nine human cases of the infection reported .

An unexpected case of a dog from Poland co-infected with Dirofilaria repens and Dirofilaria Immitis.

Background: Dirofilariasis is a vector-borne disease caused by parasitic nematodes of the genus Dirofilaria spp., considered an emerging concern in both veterinary and human medicine. Climate changes and human activities, such as pet travel, contribute to the spread of diseases to new non-endemic regions.

Human alveolar echinococcosis in Slovakia: Epidemiology and genetic diversity of Echinococcus multilocularis, 2000-2023.

Human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a serious parasitic disease caused by larval stages of Echinococcus multilocularis. Between January 2000 and October 2023, 137 AE cases were confirmed in Slovakia. The average annual incidence increased from 0.

Dirofilaria immitis conquering the regions in Slovakia previously endemic for D. repens.

The present study was focused on the current state of Dirofilaria species distribution in the territory of the Slovak Danubian Lowland, a region previously identified endemic for Dirofilaria repens. For the research, blood samples of 330 dogs tested positive for dirofilariosis using concentration tests or "rapid heartworm tests" were sent by private veterinary practitioners for further DNA analyses and species determination. The results revealed an unquestionable change in the pattern of Dirofilaria species distribution with Dirofilaria immitis, diagnosed as the agent of mono- and co-infections with D.

Diversity and geographic distribution of haplotypes of Dirofilaria immitis across European endemic countries.

Background: Dirofilaria immitis, also known as heartworm, is one of the most important parasitic nematodes of domestic dogs, causing a potentially serious disease, cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis, which can be lethal. This species seems to be less 'expansive' than its sister species Dirofilaria repens, and it is believed that climate change facilitates the spread of this parasite to new non-endemic regions.

Methods: In total, 122 heartworm isolates were analysed from nine endemic countries in Europe (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine) and a single isolate from Bangladesh by amplification and sequencing of two mitochondrial (mt) DNA markers: cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and dehydrogenase subunit 1 (NADH).

Pilot research on gastrointestinal parasites of the Tatra chamois ().

Introduction And Objective: The Tatra chamois () is a significant representative of the High Tatra Mountains endemic fauna species. In terms of health hazards for these animals, an important role is played by parasitic infections that can lead to a significant depletion of the entire population.

Objective: The aim of the study was to describe the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites of Tatra chamois in the current environmental and climatic conditions of the High Tatra Mountains.

Clinical and Hematologic Findings in Babesia canis Infection in Eastern Slovakia.

Purpose: Babesia canis infection occurs in many locations throughout Europe. However, various studies report different clinicopathological findings in affected dogs. This study was focused on changes in clinical and hematologic parameters in dogs with B.

Thelazia callipaeda in Slovakia - From sporadic cases to endemic areas.

Spirurid nematode Thelazia callipaeda, transmitted by the fruit fly Phortica variegata, is a causative agent of an ocular parasitic disease called also canine thelaziosis. Dogs, cats, and wild canids are considered the primary definitive hosts for the parasite, but humans may also serve as aberrant definitive hosts. For long decades the geographic range of T.

spp. and : Current Risk of Spreading in Central and Northern Europe.

In the past few decades, the relevance of and , causing cardiopulmonary and subcutaneous dirofilariosis in dogs and cats, and of , causing canine angiostrongylosis, has steadily increased in Central and Northern Europe. In this review, a summary of published articles and additional reports dealing with imported or autochthonous cases of these parasites is provided for Central (Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Luxemburg, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland) and Northern (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) Europe. Research efforts focusing on spp.

Molecular Study of Echinococcus granulosus Cestodes in Ukraine and the First Genetic Identification of Echinococcus granulosus Sensu Stricto (G1 Genotype) in the Country.

Introduction: Cystic echinococcosis is a globally distributed zoonotic disease of great medical and veterinary importance, which is caused by the cestode Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. In Ukraine, two areas of the prominent circulation of the parasite are established, the southern steppe zone with sheep as the main transmitter, and the northern forest-steppe zone and Polissia, where pigs are mainly responsible for maintaining the E. granulosus transmission.

Unravelling the genetic diversity and relatedness of Echinococcus multilocularis isolates in Eurasia using the EmsB microsatellite nuclear marker.

The cestode Echinococcus multilocularis is the causative agent of alveolar echinococcosis, a severe helminthic zoonotic disease distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. The lifecycle of the parasite is mainly sylvatic, involving canid and rodent hosts. The absence of genetic data from most eastern European countries is a major knowledge gap, affecting the study of associations with parasite populations in Western Europe.

Different epidemiological pattern of canine dirofilariosis in two neighboring countries in Central Europe-the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The known data resulting from individual surveys of canine dirofilariosis point to the great differences in the epidemiological situation among countries where Dirofilaria parasites emerged approximately at the same time. In this regard, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, neighboring countries situated in Central Europe, could serve as an illustrative example of such a situation. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of canine dirofilariosis in both countries and to discuss the reasons for potential differences shown.

Bartonella species in medically important mosquitoes, Central Europe.

Here, we provide the first mass molecular screening of medically important mosquitoes for Bartonella species using multiple genetic markers. We examined a total of 72,115 mosquito specimens, morphologically attributed to Aedes vexans (61,050 individuals), Culex pipiens (10,484 individuals) and species of the Anopheles maculipennis complex (581 individuals) for Bartonella spp. The initial screening yielded 63 Bartonella-positive A.

Ocular Dirofilariasis after Clinically Manifested Subcutaneous Migration of the Parasite: A Case Report.

is the causative agent of human subcutaneous or, less often, ocular dirofilariasis. The work presents a rare case of ocular dirofilariasis manifested by previous subcutaneous migration accompanied by severe headache symptoms. In February 2017, a 58-yr-old man from Trnava region, western Slovakia, noticed red and itchy stripes on his left leg.

Fifteen years since the first record of Trichinella pseudospiralis in Slovakia: What's new?

The presence of Trichinella pseudospiralis has been increasingly reported in Europe in the last decade. The parasite was recorded for the first time in Central Europe in 2003-2004, in eastern Slovakia, in pigs, rats and a cat from a pig breeding farm. In the following years, it was also repeatedly diagnosed in co-infection with T.

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Parasitizing Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Slovakia and New Data About Subgenus Pholeoixodes Occurrence.

Background: Distribution and biology of Pholeoixodes ticks is not very well understood. The goal of the study was to collect new data on the Pholeoixodes tick occurrence in Slovakia.

Methods: Tick infestation of red foxes in the regions of Košice, Prešov, Bratislava and Žilina was studied during the period 2017-2018.

Pseudo-Tumor of the Epididymis, a Rare Clinical Presentation of Human Dirofilaria repens Infection: a Report of Autochthonous Case of Dirofilariasis in Southwestern Slovakia.

Purpose: Dirofilariasis caused by the filarial nematode Dirofilaria repens is mainly a disease of dogs and other carnivores. Also, humans can be accidentally infected with this parasite. The infective third-stage filariform larvae are transmitted by various species of mosquitoes.