Publications by authors named "Zbigniew Zajac"

Background: Migratory birds serve as potential hosts for ticks and can be reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs). The aim of our study was to investigate the prevalence of TBPs in juvenile Ixodes ricinus collected from Erithacus rubecula, Turdus merula, and Turdus philomelos passing through the Vistula River Valley, Poland - one of the most important European north-south routes for migratory birds.

Methods: To detect TBPs in collected ticks we used a high-throughput microfluidic real-time PCR method.

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An infection with the tick-borne has been associated with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations in humans, but patients are only seldomly reported. Understanding its disease etiology necessitates well-stablished infection models, improving to recognize and diagnose patients with infection and facilitating the development of effective control strategies. In this study, we used C3H/HeN mice as a model to establish infection, achieving a high infection prevalence (89-100 %).

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Article Synopsis
  • Research identified different strains of Bartonella sp. in bats and their ectoparasitic mites, highlighting a gap in studies focused on bacterial pathogens in insectivorous bats of boreal forests.
  • Molecular analysis of mite samples from bats across the Palearctic region revealed Bartonella DNA in several mite species, with larger mite pools showing a higher prevalence of these bacteria.
  • The presence of Bartonella spp. was linked to cave-dwelling bats and generalist mites, suggesting that these mites could act as reservoirs, maintaining and potentially spreading Bartonella infections within bat populations.
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Objectives: The Balkan Peninsula, acting as a crossroad between central Europe and the Middle East, presents diverse ecosystems supporting various tick species capable of transmitting TBDs. This study focuses on Serbia and North Macedonia, both endemic for TBDs, aiming to investigate human-biting ticks' prevalence, TBD prevalence, and major TBPs in blood samples.

Patients And Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in 2022 at two medical centers, involving 45 patients from Novi Sad, Serbia, and 17 patients from Skopje, North Macedonia.

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Despite the significant health risks associated with infestations in humans, they are often overlooked. This study investigated a household case of infestation and explored the resulting clinical manifestations and risk of infection in family members. Microfluidic PCR was employed for high-throughput screening of pathogens in collected mites and blood samples from both chickens and family members.

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Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most commonly diagnosed tick-borne disease in the northern hemisphere. Since an efficient vaccine is not yet available, prevention of transmission is essential. This, in turn, requires a thorough comprehension of the spatiotemporal dynamics of LB transmission as well as underlying drivers.

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Ticks and tick-borne diseases have gained increasing attention in recent years due to their impact on public health and significant losses in livestock production. The use of synthetic compounds for tick control is becoming problematic, mainly due to the resistance to commercially available products as well as their toxicity. Therefore, new alternative control methods are required.

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Background: Ixodid ticks, particularly Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l., are important vectors of various disease-causing agents in dogs and humans in Cuba.

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Article Synopsis
  • Dirofilarioses are diseases caused by mosquito-borne nematodes, notably Dirofilaria immitis, which primarily affects dogs in America; past studies in Cuba relied on non-specific methods for identification.* -
  • This study provided a molecular characterization of nematodes from a dog in Cuba, confirming they were D. immitis using specific gene analysis, with sequences matching those from other animals and mosquito vectors.* -
  • Further research is needed to understand the spread of canine dirofilariosis in Cuba and to identify which mosquito species are effective vectors for these parasites.*
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Ticks (Acari: Ixodida) are hematophagous ectoparasitic arachnids that feed on the blood of vertebrate hosts, posing significant concern due to their unrivaled capacity to transmit various pathogens, which surpasses those of all other known arthropod vectors [...

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In mountainous regions, diverse ecosystems provide a habitat for numerous species of organisms. In this study, we focused on ixodid ticks and their presence in the Western Carpathians, Poland. Our objectives were to investigate the impact of environmental factors on tick occurrence and activity, the prevalence of vectored pathogens, and tick hosts, and their role as reservoir organisms for tick-borne pathogens (TBPs).

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Ticks of the Rhipicephalus sanguineus complex are known as the brown dog ticks. This complex groups at least 12 species of ticks that are distributed worldwide. On the American continents, R.

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Tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) pose a significant threat to livestock, including bovine species. This study aimed to investigate TBPs in cattle and ticks across four sampling points, utilizing real-time microfluidic PCR. The results revealed that ticks were found infesting all animals.

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Article Synopsis
  • Bats are crucial in the study of zoonotic pathogens due to their complex lifestyles and ability to travel long distances, spreading various bacteria and parasites, including those carried by ectoparasites like ticks.
  • The study employed high-throughput screening and identified multiple bacterial pathogens and a protozoan parasite in samples from bats and their associated ectoparasites, highlighting the significant role of bats in maintaining the spread of these pathogens.
  • These findings stress the importance of increased surveillance and research on zoonotic pathogens from bats, as emerging threats pose risks to both human and animal health.
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Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus ticks are important reservoirs and vectors of pathogens. The aim of the present study was to investigate the dynamic of the prevalence and genetic diversity of microorganisms detected in these tick species collected from two ecologically diverse biotopes undergoing disparate long-term climate condition. High-throughput real time PCR confirmed high prevalence of microorganisms detected in sympatrically occurring ticks species.

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Article Synopsis
  • * In a study conducted in Serbia over four months, nine atypical cases of tick-borne diseases were reported, with five confirmed and two probable cases of SFGR infection.
  • * Common symptoms among patients included persistent circular redness, eschar, and swollen lymph nodes, and genetic testing confirmed the presence of Rickettsia, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and surveillance of these diseases in the region.
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Migratory birds play an important role in the eco-epidemiology of tick-borne diseases due to their ability to carry ticks for long distances. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and factors influencing the intensity of tick infestation in migratory birds. The study was conducted in a locality situated in the Vistula River valley, eastern Poland, during autumn, when the high migratory activity of birds is registered in the region.

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In tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world the most damaging pest of the livestock sector are cattle tick, The current study was aimed to generate phytochemical derived acaricides to control populations, to maintain livestock herd production, minimize economic losses and to reduce uses of man-made chemicals acaricides. To achieve this goal, Adult immersion and larval package test were used to determine the feasibility of and against ticks. Further, an technique was employed to discover biologically active substances from both plants using docking method.

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Livestock industry is an essential part of Pakistan's economy, and a variety of ruminants (including sheep and goats) are reared for the increasing demand of milk, meat and hide products. Haemoparasitic illnesses such as , and are a significant health risk for small ruminants in our country. Information regarding distribution patterns, the tick species involved and effective strategies to control tick-borne diseases (TBD) in goats and sheep of Pakistan is limited.

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Anaplasmosis, caused by intracellular gram-negative bacteria is one of the most frequently reported tick-borne disease (TBDs) in tropical and sub-tropical countries, including Pakistan. In the present study, a total of 428 cattle blood samples were collected to examine the prevalence and phylogenetic origin of in two important livestock regions of Punjab Province in Pakistan, i.e.

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Despite advancement in modern medicines, plant derived medicines have still wide range utilities as they have less side effects and are cheap and biocompitable. is an extensively used plant in traditional medicinal formulations. Plant roots are used to cure various diseases including cancer, rheumatic pain, abdominal and nervous disorders.

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ticks are one of the most important vectors and reservoirs of infectious diseases in Europe, and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is one of the most dangerous human diseases transmitted by these vectors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the TBE incidence in some European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, we analyzed the data published by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and Eurostat on the number of reported TBE and COVID-19 cases in 2020 and TBE cases in 2015-2019 (reference period).

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Pediculosis capitis is a current and neglected health issue worldwide. The lack of screening programs contributes to the marginalization of the problem and delays therapeutic measures. Our study aimed to analyze the occurrence of this parasitosis in primary schools in Poland and to determine factors contributing to the persistence of its foci.

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Dermacentor reticulatus ticks are one of the most important vectors and reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens in Europe. Changes in the abundance and range of this species have been observed in the last decade and these ticks are collected in areas previously considered tick-free. This may be influenced by progressive climate change.

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