Publications by authors named "Relja Beck"

Article Synopsis
  • The domestication process has been extensively studied, beginning with Belyaev's experiment on silver foxes, which showed that selecting for tameness disrupts systems controlling development, leading to typical domestication traits.
  • Additional hypotheses, like the thyroid rhythm and neural crest cell hypotheses, have been proposed, but the recent parasite-mediated domestication hypothesis (PMD) suggests that endoparasites may play a critical role in this process.
  • Research comparing parasite loads in wild boars and domestic pigs from Slovenia and Croatia found different parasite taxa in both populations, providing a basis to explore how parasite susceptibility may have contributed to domestication.
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  • Dirofilariosis is a parasite disease caused by Dirofilaria species, mainly affecting wild carnivores and raising concerns about animal health and potential transmission to domestic dogs and humans.
  • In a study in Croatia, researchers examined wild carnivores, finding D. immitis in 6.5% of golden jackals, but none in red foxes or European badgers.
  • Infected jackals showed varying parasite loads and possible health impacts, highlighting the need for further research on their role as potential infection reservoirs for other species.
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Background: Cats are the primary reservoirs of the bacterium Bartonella henselae, the main cause of cat-scratch disease in humans. The main vector of the bacterium is the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. In southeastern Europe, data are lacking on the prevalence of B.

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  • Echinococcus multilocularis is a parasitic cestode causing a deadly disease called alveolar echinococcosis, primarily spread by red foxes in Europe.
  • The study investigated genetic diversity among E. multilocularis isolates from 19 European countries, analyzing 4,968 base pairs from five mitochondrial genes and identifying 43 different haplotypes.
  • Findings indicated that most of the isolates shared four predominant haplotypes concentrated in mainland Europe, while Svalbard's isolates were genetically distinct, highlighting the need for more research in underrepresented eastern European regions to understand genetic variability.
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infections are common in dogs and are mainly caused by assemblages C and D. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the presence of and different assemblages detected in symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs and the occurrence of certain clinical signs. All the dogs included ( = 82) were clinically examined, and fecal samples were examined for other parasites and spp.

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Myiasis is one of the most common skin diseases found in travelers returning from tropical and subtropical regions, where humans living in or visiting the African continent are most commonly infested by during the rainy season in regions with a warm climate. Here, we present a case of furuncular myiasis caused by in a Serbian patient returning from temporary work in Kenya, where the initial histology of skin lesion mimicked hyperproliferative skin disorder.

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Viral enteric pathogens continuously burden intensive pig farming, causing gastrointestinal diseases of epidemic and endemic nature. The present study investigated two diarrhoea outbreaks on a large farrow-to-finish holding and subsequent circulation of outbreak-related enteric viruses. These viruses were characterised by whole genome sequencing, and statistical evaluation of the impact on specific production metrics was performed.

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Article Synopsis
  • Human alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) has been increasingly reported in central Croatia over the past two decades, marking a new epidemiological focus.
  • Between 2019 and 2022, six autochthonous HAE cases were identified, particularly in Bjelovar-Bilogora County, affecting mainly middle-aged individuals with significant liver lesions.
  • The prevalence of HAE in local red foxes was recorded at 11.24%, highlighting the need for health screening programs and preventive veterinary measures in the region.
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Background: Hepatozoon spp. are tick-borne parasites causing subclinical to clinical disease in wild and domestic animals. Aim of this study was to determine Hepatozoon prevalence and species distribution among wild mammals and ticks in Europe.

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Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is recognized as one of the most prevalent zoonotic diseases in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, no systemic investigation of the genetic diversity of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato circulating among animals and humans in the country has been performed to date.

Methods: In this preliminary study, we analysed one cyst each from 36 sheep, 27 cattle, 27 pigs, 11 wild boars and 16 human patients for amplification and partial sequencing of the adenosine triphosphate 6 (atp6) and cytochrome c oxidase 1 (cox1) genes.

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Background: The apicomplexan haemoparasite Theileria equi, a causative agent of equine piroplasmosis, is an established pathogen of significant welfare and economic concern within the Croatian equine population. A previous large surveillance study of T. equi has identified two distinct parasite populations, one in the north and one in the south, geographically separated by the Dinaric Alps, which traverse the country.

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There is now considerable evidence that in Europe, babesiosis is an emerging infectious disease, with some of the causative species spreading as a consequence of the increasing range of their tick vector hosts. In this review, we summarize both the historic records and recent findings on the occurrence and incidence of babesiosis in 20 European countries located in southeastern Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia), central Europe (Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland), and northern and northeastern Europe (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway), identified in humans and selected species of domesticated animals (cats, dogs, horses, and cattle). Recorded cases of human babesiosis are still rare, but their number is expected to rise in the coming years.

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Wild boars show increasing numbers and population densities throughout Europe, including Hungary. While their presence is appreciated as game animals, they are also responsible for significant agricultural damage, habitat degradation and water quality issues. In addition, wild boars may harbor ticks and can act as reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens, thus posing a risk of transmission towards humans and domestic animals.

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Introduction: is a vector-borne filaroid helminth of carnivorous animals, primarily domesticated dogs. Humans are considered to be accidental hosts in which rarely reach sexual maturity but induce local inflammation, mainly in subcutaneous and ocular tissues.

Methods: In the current study, we present the detection of multiple adults of , endosymbiont sp.

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Fascioloidosis is an allochthonous parasitic disease in Europe caused by the digenean trematode . The final hosts of in Europe are defined as definitive, aberrant and dead-end. Roe deer are aberrant hosts in which juvenile flukes permanently migrate through the liver parenchyma.

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Three Palearctic members of the subgenus Pholeoixodes, i.e., Ixodes canisuga, Ixodes hexagonus and Ixodes kaiseri are frequently collected from dogs, cats, red foxes, badgers and other carnivorous/insectivorous hosts in Europe.

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Background: Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) are caused by a wide range of pathogens transmitted by arthropods. They have been an issue of growing importance in recent years; however, there is limited information about the vector-borne pathogens circulating in Portugal. The aim of the present study was to detect canine vector-borne bacteria and protozoa of veterinary and zoonotic importance using molecular methods.

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Introduction: Human dirofilariasis is a disease historically linked to the Mediterranean area. For the last few decades, however, nematodes have been spreading, both in terms of prevalence and the geographical expansion in non-endemic areas. Currently, cases of human dirofilariasis are recorded in more than 40 countries worldwide.

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Noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) is an endemic species and the largest known bivalve in the Mediterranean Sea. By filtering large amounts of water, they maintain a high percentage of organic matter, hence playing an important role in the marine ecosystem. The ecological community of pen shells is impressive, and there are numerous microorganisms present in its soft tissues.

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Purpose: Here we present a case of human ophthalmomyasis due to Oestrus ovis in a patient living in an urban area. Dipterians of the Ostridae family may occasionally deposit larvae into the human eye and cause ocular parasitosis called ophthalmomyasis. Cases like this are mostly connected with people who live in close contact with animals, like shepherds, but are rarely presented in urban population.

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