First report of molecular taxonomic analyses of European beaver metazoan parasites from Hungary.

European beaver (Castor fiber L. 1758) is the biggest rodent species living in Europe. Beavers are semi-aquatic animals; they are defecating directly into the water; thus, they have an important role in spreading parasites related to water (e.

Emerging human alveolar echinococcosis in Hungary (2003-2018): a retrospective case series analysis from a multi-centre study.

Background: Human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) caused by Echinococcus multilocularis is an underreported, often misdiagnosed and mistreated parasitic disease mainly due to its low incidence. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of human AE patients in Hungary for the first time.

Method: Between 2003 and 2018, epidemiological and clinical data of suspected AE patients were collected retrospectively from health database management systems.

Methane supplementation improves graft function in experimental heart transplantation.

Background: Maintenance of cell viability during cold storage is a key issue in organ transplantation. Methane (CH) bioactivity has recently been recognized in ischemia/reperfusion conditions; we therefore hypothesized that cold storage in CH-enriched preservation solution can provide an increased defense against organ dysfunction during experimental heart transplantation (HTX).

Methods: The hearts of donor Lewis rats were stored for 60 minutes in cold histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (Custodiol [CS]) or CH-saturated CS solution (CS-CH) (n = 12 each).

Rapid spread and emergence of heartworm resulting from climate and climate-driven ecological changes in Hungary.

In Europe, Dirofilaria immitis persists mainly in the southern countries with a Mediterranean climate. Because spreading of heartworms from these countries towards the northern ones could be observed in the past decades, necropsy records of 4076 Hungarian dogs were reviewed for heartworm infections. The first autochthonous canine D.

Prevalence and genetic characterization of Echinococcus spp. in cattle, sheep, and swine in Hungary.

A study was conducted to investigate genetic diversity of Echinococcus isolates collected in Hungarian slaughterhouses between 2015 and 2018. Organs of 219 animals with suspected hydatidosis were collected during routine meat inspection and sent to our laboratory. Echinococcus infection was confirmed in 65 animals.

Retrospective study on the distribution of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs in Hungary.

Europe has experienced the spreading of vector-borne helminths including heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) from the Mediterranean countries towards the northern ones in the past decades. Recently, the establishment of D. immitis was confirmed in Hungary on the basis of period prevalence studies involving dogs, red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and golden jackals (Canis aureus).

Environmental determinants of the spatial distribution of Mesocestoides spp. and sensitivity of flotation method for the diagnosis of mesocestoidosis.

Mesocestoides spp. are zoonotic cestodes of wild and domesticated carnivores. Although the adult stages are relatively harmless intestinal parasites, the metacestode stages (tetrathyridia) can be responsible for life-threatening peritonitis and pleuritis in several species including dogs, cats, non-human primates and probably man.

Environmental determinants of the spatial distribution of Angiostrongylus vasorum, Crenosoma vulpis and Eucoleus aerophilus in Hungary.

Angiostrongylus vasorum, Crenosoma vulpis and Eucoleus aerophilus (syn. Capillaria aerophila) are the most important lungworm species infecting wild and domesticated canids in Europe. To investigate the spatial distribution of these parasites and the factors influencing their circulation in the fox populations, 937 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were tested for lungworm infection in Hungary.

Environmental determinants of the spatial distribution of Trichinella britovi and Trichinella spiralis in Hungary.

Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella britovi are the two most common species of the genus Trichinella persisting in the European wildlife. To investigate the spatial distribution of these Trichinella spp. and the factors influencing their circulation in Hungary, 3304 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and 0.

Evaluation of faecal flotation methods followed by species-specific PCR for detection of Echinococcus multilocularis in the definitive hosts.

Echinococcus multilocularis is one of the most pathogenic zoonotic parasites in the temperate and arctic region of the Northern Hemisphere. For estimating the potential risk of human infection in endemic areas, reliable antemortem methods are needed to detect the parasite in carnivore definitive hosts. The sensitivity of routine flotation techniques for detection of E.

Dirofilaria immitis: an emerging parasite in dogs, red foxes and golden jackals in Hungary.

Hungary was not considered to be a heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) endemic country until 2007, when the first autochthonous canine infection was described. Herein we report additional autochthonous heartworm infections in two dogs (Canis familiaris), twenty red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) (n=534; prevalence: 3.7%; 95% CI=2.

Environmental determinants of the spatial distribution of Echinococcus multilocularis in Hungary.

Human alveolar echinococcosis, caused by the metacestode stage of Echinococcus multilocularis, is one of the most pathogenic zoonoses in the temperate and arctic region of the Northern Hemisphere. To investigate the spatial distribution of E. multilocularis and the factors influencing this distribution in the recently identified endemic area of Hungary, 1612 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) carcasses were randomly collected from the whole Hungarian territory from November 2008 to February 2009 and from November 2012 to February 2013.

Environmental determinants of the spatial distribution of Alaria alata in Hungary.

Alaria alata is a potential zoonotic parasite, which is widely distributed in Eurasia. To assess the risk of human infection, it is important to know the spatial distribution pattern of the parasite and factors influencing this pattern. To investigate these relationships, 1612 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) carcasses were randomly collected from the whole Hungarian territory, and the intestines were examined by sedimentation and counting technique.

Echinococcus multilocularis and Trichinella spiralis in golden jackals (Canis aureus) of Hungary.

Over the last decades the distribution area of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) has increased significantly in Europe, particularly in the Balkan Peninsula and in Central Europe. Vagrant individuals were described in many European countries. Herein, we report Echinococcus multilocularis (total worm count: 412) and Trichinella spiralis (101 larvae/g for muscles of the lower forelimb) infections in two golden jackals shot in Hungary.

Seasonal activity and tick-borne pathogen infection rates of Ixodes ricinus ticks in Hungary.

Ixodes ricinus is the most important tick species in Europe as it is most widely distributed and transmits the majority of tick-borne zoonotic pathogens. As limited data are available for Hungary, the aim of the present study was to investigate the seasonal timing of questing by I. ricinus and the infection rate of this tick species with all major tick-borne zoonotic pathogens.

Spatial distribution of Trichinella britovi, T. spiralis and T. pseudospiralis of domestic pigs and wild boars (Sus scrofa) in Hungary.

Trichinellosis is a foodborne disease caused by the consumption of raw meat and raw meat-derived products from swine, horse and some game animals infected with nematode worms of the genus Trichinella. Between June 2006 and February 2011, 16 million domestic pigs and 0.22 million wild boars (Sus scrofa) were tested for Trichinella sp.

Spatial distribution and genetic diversity of Echinococcus multilocularis in Hungary.

Human alveolar echinococcosis, caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, is the most pathogenic helminthic zoonosis in the temperate and arctic region of Europe. Between November 2008 and February 2009, 840 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) carcasses, were randomly collected from the whole Hungarian territory. The intestinal mucosa from all the foxes was tested by sedimentation and counting technique.

Detection of a novel Francisella in Dermacentor reticulatus: a need for careful evaluation of PCR-based identification of Francisella tularensis in Eurasian ticks.

Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, has been detected in ixodid ticks in some regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. In the present study, 245 Dermacentor reticulatus, 211 Ixodes ricinus, and 194 Haemaphysalis concinna adults from Hungary were tested for the presence of F. tularensis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays based on 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rDNA) and T-cell epitope of a Francisella membrane protein (TUL4).

Spatial distribution of Trichinella britovi, T. pseudospiralis and T. spiralis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Hungary.

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is considered one of the main reservoir of Trichinella spp. in Europe. As limited information on Trichinella infection in wildlife of Hungary is available, 2116 red foxes, representing more than 3% of the estimated fox population of the country, were screened to detect Trichinella larvae by a digestion method.

Onchocercosis: a newly recognized disease in dogs.

In the past 15 years, onchocercosis has been reported with increasing frequency in dogs in Europe and the United States, and 64 cases have been described so far. According to some authors, the Onchocerca sp. responsible for canine cases spills over from domestic or wild ungulates into dogs.

Molecular genetic comparison of Onchocerca sp. infecting dogs in Europe with other spirurid nematodes including Onchocerca lienalis.

In the past 15 years, subconjunctival onchocercosis has been reported from 63 dogs in south-western United States (Arizona, California, Utah) and Southern and Central Europe (Germany, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Switzerland). To reveal the taxonomic status of the parasite responsible for these infections, fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5) genes of three European strains of canine Onchocerca sp. and the 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene of their Wolbachia endosymbionts were sequenced and compared to the homologous sequences of other spirurid nematodes.

Bartonella infections in fleas (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) and lack of bartonellae in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) from Hungary.

Fleas (95 Pulex irritans, 50 Ctenocephalides felis, 45 Ctenocephalides canis) and ixodid ticks (223 ixodes ricinus, 231 Dermacentor reticulatus, 204 Haemaphysalis concinna) were collected in Hungary and tested, in assays based on PCR, for Bartonella infection. Low percentages of P. irritans (4.

Temporal distribution of Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor reticulatus and Haemaphysalis concinna in Hungary.

A survey was carried out over a 4-year period to describe the temporal distribution of three 'anthropophilic' tick species, Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor reticulatus and Haemaphysalis concinna in Hungary. Altogether 4658 adult ticks belonging to the three species were collected from 1931 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) killed in an area of about 70,000 km(2) representing all major climatic areas of the country. The seasonal activity of the three species was different.

Rickettsiae of the spotted-fever group in ixodid ticks from Hungary: identification of a new genotype ('Candidatus Rickettsia kotlanii').

Three common European 'anthrophilic' ticks, Ixodes ricinus, Haemaphysalis concinna and Dermacentor reticulatus, were collected in Hungary and tested, in assays based on nested PCR, for rickettsiae of the spotted-fever group. Low percentages of I. ricinus (2.