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. repens, responsible for 60.00% of all cases. The results showed that in the course of the last 5 years, D. immitis has spread significantly in Slovakia and has become the dominant causal agent of dirofilariosis in the former endemic areas of D. repens distribution, which increases infection risk for both dogs and humans.

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. callipaeda was strictly limited to the territory of Asia, but after the year 2000, the parasite began to spread rapidly through Europe. The first autochthonous infections of dogs and foxes in Slovakia were recorded in 2016. In the present study, the results of a whole-area surveillance for canine thelaziosis are reported. Altogether, 142 cases of infection caused by T. callipaeda were diagnosed by veterinarians in dogs between 2016 and the first quarter of 2021, and two cases of feline thelaziosis were recorded. The majority of the dogs showed mild ocular signs manifested by conjunctivitis; 8.5% of them suffered from more serious mucopurulent discharge, and in two dogs corneal ulceration was recorded. The screening revealed increasing trends in the occurrence of canine thelaziosis from both a temporal and spatial point of view and unambiguously confirms the endemic status of T. callipaeda in Slovakia with the prospect of its further expansion.

Mosquito surveillance of West Nile and Usutu viruses in four territorial units of Slovakia and description of a confirmed autochthonous human case of West Nile fever, 2018 to 2019.

BackgroundDespite the known circulation of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) in Slovakia, no formal entomological surveillance programme has been established there thus far.AimTo conduct contemporaneous surveillance of WNV and USUV in different areas of Slovakia and to assess the geographical spread of these viruses through mosquito vectors. The first autochthonous human WNV infection in the country is also described.MethodsMosquitoes were trapped in four Slovak territorial units in 2018 and 2019. Species were characterised morphologically and mosquito pools screened for WNV and USUV by real-time reverse-transcription PCRs. In pools with any of the two viruses detected, presence of pipiens complex group mosquitoes was verified using molecular approaches.ResultsAltogether, 421 pools containing in total 4,508 mosquitoes were screened. Three pools tested positive for WNV and 16 for USUV. USUV was more prevalent than WNV, with a broader spectrum of vectors and was detected over a longer period (June-October vs August for WNV). The main vectors of both viruses were Culex pipiens sensu lato. Importantly, WNV and USUV were identified in a highly urbanised area of Bratislava city, Slovakias' capital city. Moreover, in early September 2019, a patient, who had been bitten by mosquitoes in south-western Slovakia and who had not travelled abroad, was laboratory-confirmed with WNV infection.ConclusionThe entomological survey results and case report increase current understanding of the WNV and USUV situation in Slovakia. They underline the importance of vector surveillance to assess public health risks posed by these viruses.

Trichinellosis in Slovakia - epidemiological situation in humans and animals (2009-2018).

INTRODUCTION: Trichinella spp. are zoonotic parasitic nematodes with almost worldwide distribution. The infection can be transmitted through the foodborne route and can cause serious health problems in infected human patients. It is also an economically important issue due to the high financial cost connected with prevention of the disease. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to discover trends in the epidemiological situation in people and animals in Slovakia in 2009-2018. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data on human trichinellosis originated from the Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic, and data on Trichinella infection in animals from the State Veterinary and Food Administration of the Slovak Republic. A seroepidemiological study on 655 voluntary respondents was performed. RESULTS: Altogether, 29 human cases were reported between 2009-2018, with a maximum of 13 cases in 2011. Males were affected more often (19 cases) than females (10 cases); the average age of patients was 45.1 years. Antibodies to Trichinellawere detected in two sera (0.3%): in a serum from one hunter and one veterinarian. In the monitored period, the average prevalence of Trichinella infection was 9.6% in 2,295 red foxes, and 0.04% in 165,643 wild boars. Three (1.7%) of 178 surveyed brown bears were positive. Within the compulsory monitoring of trichinellosis in domestic pigs, none from a total of 1,632,688 pigs were positive. The presence of three species, Trichinellabritovi, T. spiralis and T. pseudospiralis, was documented, with T. britovi representing 93.9% of identified isolates. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that the prevalence of Trichinella infection has not changed considerably with time in Slovakia, and the risk of human infection outbreaks is connected mainly with the consumption of wild boar meat.

Urbanization impact on mosquito community and the transmission potential of filarial infection in central Europe.

BACKGROUND: Despite long-term research on dirofilariosis in Slovakia, little attention has thus far been paid to Dirofilaria vectors. The particular aim of the present study was molecular screening for filarioid parasites in two different habitats of Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia. In addition, the effect of urbanisation on mosquito species abundance and composition, associated with the risk of mosquito-borne infections, was studied and discussed. METHODS: Mosquitoes were identified by morphological features, and molecular methods were also used for determination of selected individuals belonging to cryptic species from the Anopheles maculipennis and Culex pipiens complexes. The presence of filarioid DNA (Dirofilaria repens, Dirofilaria immitis and Setaria spp.) was detected using standard PCR approaches and sequencing. RESULTS: A total of 6957 female mosquitoes were collected for the study. Overall, the most abundant mosquito species was Aedes vexans, closely followed by unidentified members of the Cx. pipiens complex and the less numerous but still plentiful Ochlerotatus sticticus species. Further investigation of mosquito material revealed 4.26% relative prevalence of Dirofilaria spp., whereby both species, D. repens and D. immitis, were identified. The majority of positive mosquito pools had their origin in a floodplain area on the outskirts of the city, with a relative prevalence of 5.32%; only two mosquito pools (1.26%) were shown to be positive in the residential zone of Bratislava. Setaria spp. DNA was not detected in mosquitoes within this study. CONCLUSIONS: The study presented herein represents initial research focused on molecular mosquito screening for filarioid parasites in urban and urban-fringe habitats of Bratislava, Slovakia. Molecular analyses within the Cx. pipiens complex identified two biotypes: Cx. pipiens biotype pipiens and Cx. pipiens biotype molestus. To our knowledge, Dirofilaria spp. were detected for the first time in Slovakia in mosquitoes other than Ae. vexans, i.e. D. repens in Anopheles messeae and unidentified members of An. maculipennis and Cx. pipiens complexes, and D. immitis in Coquillettidia richiardii and Cx. pipiens biotype pipiens. Both dirofilarial species were found in Och. sticticus. The suitable conditions for the vectors' biology would represent the main risk factor for dirofilariosis transmission.

GIS-based environmental analysis of fox and canine lungworm distribution: an epidemiological study of Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis in red foxes from Slovakia.

Over a period of intervening years, the distribution of two canine cardiopulmonary metastrongylid nematodes, Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis, has been recognised in Central Europe. Here, we report the first epidemiological research conducted in red foxes from Slovakia and the potential influence of selected environmental variables on the parasites' occurrence, quantified by logistic regression. The environmental models revealed that distribution of C. vulpis is not significantly influenced by any environmental variables, and the parasite is present in the whole area under study. Models for A. vasorum revealed some weak influence of environmental variables, as it tends to occur in drier areas with lower proportion of forest. Moreover, A. vasorum shows a typical spatial clustering and occurs in endemic foci identified mainly in the eastern part of Slovakia. A cluster of A. vasorum infection foci was also found in the north-eastern region, where the average winter air temperature regularly falls below - 10 °C.