Ongoing measles outbreak, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, December 2023 to February 2024.

We report on an ongoing measles outbreak in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with 141 cases notified between week 52 2023 and week 6 2024. Among those with known vaccination status, 97% were unvaccinated and the most affected group is children under the age of 5 years (n = 87) who were not vaccinated during the pandemic years. Sixty-eight cases were hospitalised, the most common complications were measles-related pneumonia and diarrhoea. The sequenced measles viruses from four cases belonged to genotype D8.

Diversity of Trichinella species in carnivores from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

BACKGROUND: In Bosnia and Herzegovina, domestic and wild carnivores represent a significant driver for the transmission and ecology of zoonotic pathogens, especially those of parasitic aetiology. Nevertheless, there is no systematic research of Trichinella species in animals that have been conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, even though trichinellosis is considered the most important parasitic zoonosis. The available results of the few studies carried out in Bosnia and Herzegovina are mainly related to the confirmation of parasitic larvae in the musculature of domestic pigs and wild boars or data related to trichinellosis in humans. The objective of our study was to present the findings of a comprehensive investigation into the species composition of Trichinella among 11 carnivorous species within the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as follows: red fox (Vulpes vulpes), grey wolf (Canis lupus), brown bear (Ursus arctos), wildcat (Felis silvestris), pine marten (Martes martes), European badger (Meles meles), weasel (Mustela nivalis), European polecat (Mustela putorius), Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), but also dog (Canis lupus familiaris) and cat (Felis catus). RESULTS: In the period 2013-2023, carnivore musculature samples (n = 629), each consisting of 10 g of muscle tissue, were taken post-mortem and individually examined using the artificial digestion method. In the positive samples (n = 128), molecular genotyping and identification of parasitic larvae of Trichinella spp. were performed using a PCR-based technique up to the species/genotype level. Positive samples were used for basic PCR detection of the genus Trichinella (rrnS rt-PCR technique) and genotyping (rrnl-EVS rt-PCR technique). The Trichinella infection was documented for the first time in Bosnia and Herzegovina among red foxes, grey wolves, brown bears, dogs, badgers and Eurasian lynx, with a frequency rate of 20.3%. Additionally, the presence of T. britovi infection was newly confirmed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, marking the initial documented cases. Furthermore, both T. britovi and T. pseudospiralis infections were observed in the wildcat population, whereas T. britovi and T. spiralis infections were detected in pine martens. Consistent with previous research, our findings align particularly regarding carnivores, with data from other countries such as Germany, Finland, Romania, Poland and Spain, where T. britovi exhibits a wider distribution (62.5-100%) compared to T. spiralis (0.0-37.5%). T. britovi is more common among sylvatic carnivores (89.0%), while T. spiralis prevails in wild boars (62.0%), domestic swine (82.0%) and rodents (75.0%). CONCLUSION: The results of our study represent the first molecular identification of species of the genus Trichinella in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Additionally, our findings underscore the necessity for targeted epidemiological studies to thoroughly assess trichinellosis prevalence across diverse animal populations. Considering the relatively high frequency of trichinellosis infection in investigated animal species and its public health implications, there is an evident need for establishing an effective trichinellosis surveillance system in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Evolution of seroprevalence to SARS-CoV-2 in blood donors in Sarajevo Canton, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.

Background: Sarajevo Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has recorded several waves of high SARS-CoV-2 transmission and has struggled to reach adequate vaccination coverage. We describe the evolution of infection- and vaccine-induced SARS-CoV-2 antibody response and persistence. Methods: We conducted repeated cross-sectional analyses of blood donors aged 18-65 years in Sarajevo Canton in November-December 2020 and 2021. We analyzed serum samples for anti-nucleocapsid (anti-N) and anti-spike (anti-S) antibodies. To assess immune durability, we conducted longitudinal analyses of seropositive participants at 6 and 12 months. Results: One thousand fifteen participants were included in Phase 1 (November-December 2020) and 1152 in Phase 2 (November-December 2021). Seroprevalence increased significantly from 19.2% (95% CI: 17.2%-21.4%) in Phase 1 to 91.6% (95% CI: 89.8%-93.1%) in Phase 2. Anti-S IgG titers were significantly higher among vaccinated (58.5%) than unvaccinated infected participants across vaccine products (p < 0.001), though highest among those who received an mRNA vaccine. At 6 months, 78/82 (95.1%) participants maintained anti-spike seropositivity; at 12 months, 58/58 (100.0%) participants were seropositive, and 33 (56.9%) had completed the primary vaccine series within 6 months. Among 11 unvaccinated participants who were not re-infected at 12 months, anti-S IgG declined from median 770.1 (IQR 615.0-1321.7) to 290.8 (IQR 175.7-400.3). Anti-N IgG antibodies waned earlier, from 35.4% seropositive at 6 months to 24.1% at 12 months. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence increased significantly over 12 months from end of 2020 to end of 2021. Although individuals with previous infection may have residual protection, COVID-19 vaccination is vital to strengthening population immunity.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on overall and exams-related energy drinks consumption among students of the University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Background: A pilot study conducted in academic 2017/18 among undergraduates of the University of Sarajevo showed energy drinks to be most frequently consumed during academic activity, less frequently mixed with alcohol in leisure, and rarely in the sports activity. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy drinks consumption among undergraduates of the same University, with a focus on their consumption during exams. Study design: A cross-sectional study was conducted by an online questionnaire. Methods: The questionnaire, mainly based on the Consortium Nomisma-Areté questionnaire, was customized to compare energy drinks consumption before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and distributed among students between July 26th, 2020 and April 3rd, 2021. Results: Out of 1,045 students who chose to participate in the study (participation rate of 14.7%), 653 students, mostly women, attending the lower study years, reported energy drinks consumption. Both be-fore and during pandemic, overall energy drinks consumption was most frequently reported as rare [281 (43.9%) before, 326 (51.2%) during the pandemic], and exams-related energy drinks consumption as once or twice a week [156 (43.8%) before, 130 (42.1%) during pandemic]. The pandemic increased the number of frequent consumers (consumption of 4-5 energy drinks per week) in both overall [35 (5.5%) before, 46 (7.2%) during pandemic] and exams-related energy drinks consumption [42 (11.8%) before, 48 (15.5%) during pandemic]. Study year (OR=0.842; 95% CI 0.77-0.921; p<0.001), being single and living alone [OR=0.512; 95% CI 0.296-0.883; p=0.016), or living with a partner and children [OR=0.377; 95% CI 0.168-0.847; p=0.018) were identified as negative independent predictors for exams-related energy drinks consumption, while being a regular smoker (OR=0.429; 95% CI 0.223-0.875; p=0.011) appeared its new negative independent predictor during pandemic. Conclusions: The pandemic seemed to decrease both the overall and exam-related energy drinks consumption among undergraduates of the University of Sarajevo with the exception of a portion of already frequent energy drinks consumers.

Expansion of hantavirus infection during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2021.

Introduction. Bosnia and Herzegovina (B and H) has been recognized for decades as a country with a high risk of diseases caused by hantaviruses.Gap statement. The severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has diverted attention from many pathogens, including hantavirus.Aim. To provide a socio-demographic, temporal, geographical and clinical laboratory overview of the expansion of hantavirus infection cases during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in B and H in 2021.Methodology. The RecomLine HantaPlus IgG, IgM immuno-line assay (Mikrogen, Germany) was used to detect IgG and IgM antibodies to hantavirus serotypes in human sera from clinically suspected cases.Results. In 2021 (January-October), the number of confirmed cases of hantavirus infection and tested persons (92/140; 65,71 %) was higher than in the previous 2 years, 2020 (2/20; 10.00 %) and 2019 (10/61; 16.39 %). Most of the infected persons were men (84/92; 91.30 %). Hantavirus infections were recorded from January to October 2021, and the peak was reached in July (25/92; 27.17 %). Six out of 10 cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FB and H) were affected, namely Sarajevo Canton, Central Bosnia Canton, Neretva Canton, Zenica-Doboj Canton, Posavina Canton and Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Gorazde, in descending order. Of the 38/92 (41.30 %) infected patients with characteristic clinical manifestations of haemorrhagic fever, including renal (mainly) or pulmonary syndrome, 32/92 (34.78 %) were hospitalized in the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo. Two cases were detected with dual infection, hantavirus (Puumala) with Leptospira in one and SARS-CoV-2 in another case. The largest number of infections was related to Puumala (PUUV) (83/92; 90.22 %), while the rest of the infections were caused by the hantavirus Dobrava serotype (DOBV).Conclusion. The reported infections were probably caused by exposure of individuals to at-risk areas inhabited by contaminated rodents as natural reservoirs of hantavirus. As a highly endemic area, B and H requires continuous monitoring and increased awareness of this problem.

COVID-19 in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Strengthening the public health surveillance using a web-based system to inform public health response, March 2020 - March 2022.

In response to the significant public health threat caused by coronavirus disease (COVID-19), real-time surveillance, containment, and mitigation measures were implemented in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH). Our objective was to describe the surveillance methodology, response measures, and epidemiology of COVID-19 cases in FBiH from March 2020 to March 2022. The surveillance system implemented across FBiH enabled health authorities and the population to monitor the development of the epidemiological situation, the daily number of reported cases, as well as basic epidemiological characteristics and geographic distribution of cases. As of 31 March 2022, 249,495 cases of COVID-19, and a total of 8,845 deaths were recorded in FBiH. Upkeeping of real-time surveillance, maintaining non-pharmaceutical interventions, and speeding up the vaccination roll-out were paramount for controlling COVID-19 in FBiH.

Food waste perceptions and reported behaviours during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

An increasing corpus of data demonstrated the disruptive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food consumption habits, particularly food waste, but the Balkan area is often overlooked. Accordingly, this study investigates the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer knowledge and reported behaviours linked to food waste in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research was based on an online survey with 2425 participants using the Google forms platform from 10 April to 10 May 2020. This period coincided with the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Consumers' behaviours regarding where and how often they buy food, their attitude towards food labels, food provision and particularly the amounts and values of food waste and how they handle it were investigated. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics methods, and the significance of the association between variables was determined using nonparametric and multivariate statistical tests. The study's findings revealed that (i) Bosnia has a low rate of household food waste and a favourable attitude towards food waste prevention, (ii) the majority of the respondents are familiar with the most common expiry labels, notably 'use by' and 'best before' and (iii) consumers adjusted their buying and consumption patterns due to the pandemic. The findings of this research are essential for developing evidence-based policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the post-pandemic recovery period since they are unique to that country. Indeed, the crisis' lessons and insights may be used to help move towards more sustainable consumption habits.

Guidelines for breast cancer management in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, accurate data on the status of breast cancer are lacking due to the absence of a central registry. Multiple international guidelines imply that institutions that monitor breast cancer patients should have optimal therapeutic options for treatment. In addition, there have been several international consensus guidelines written on the management of breast cancer. Application of consensus guidelines has previously been demonstrated to have a positive influence on breast cancer care. The importance of specialty breast centers has previously been reported. As part of the 2021 Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences (BHAAAS) conference in Mostar, a round table of multidisciplinary specialists from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the diaspora was held. All were either members of BHAAAS or regularly participate in collaborative projects. The focus of the consortium was to write the first multidisciplinary guidelines for the general management of breast cancer in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Guidelines were developed for each area of breast cancer treatment and management. These guidelines will serve as a resource for practitioners managing breast cancer in the Bosnia and Herzegovina region. This might also be of benefit to the ministry of health and any future investors interested in developing breast cancer care policies in this region of the world.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on patterns of cigarette, hookah and marijuana consumption among undergraduate students of University of Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina: a repeated cross-sectional study.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on patterns of cigarette, hookah and marijuana consumption among undergraduate students of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods: The first part of the double cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students of the University of Sarajevo from 22nd to 26th January 2020, prior to the first COVID-19 case in the country (study period 1), and the second part from March 25th to August 26th 2021, during the third wave of COVID-19 outbreak (study period 2). Results: The majority of the 1,230 respondents were women (N1 70.9%, N2 70.1%), pursuing medical sciences (N1 60.0%, N2 55.0%), in their 3rd year of study (N1 26.3%, N2 26.7%), and living in urban environment (N1 84.9%, N2 86.4%). Similar proportion of cigarette smokers (N1 38.5%, N2 39.2%), and smaller, similar portions of hookah smokers (N1 19.3%, N2 21.1%) were classified in both study periods, while the smallest portion of marijuana smokers (N2 8.0%) was classified during COVID-19. Similar number of cigarettes per day, types of cigarettes consumed and consumption frequency in the last 30 days, with the similar independent predictors of cigarette consumption (being woman and living in rural environment associated with decreased risk, and age older than 22 associated with increased risk) were identified both before and during COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to before COVID-19 pandemic, increased trends in intentions (73.6% vs. 81.2%) and attempts (51.9% vs. 75.1%) to smoking cessation among cigarette smokers, but decreased determination not to smoke in the coming year among cigarette non-smokers (N1 72.2%, N2 51.6%) and decreased awareness of smoking harmfulness among both cigarette smokers (N1 68.0%, N2 46.5%) and especially cigarette non-smokers (N1 60.9%, N2 22.9%) were seen during COVID-19 pandemic. Also, risky behavior among hookah smokers was evident during COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: COVID-19 pandemic seemed to positively affect intentions and attempts to smoking cessation among cigarette smokers while negatively affecting attitudes towards cigarette smoking among cigarette non-smokers.

Epidemiology and risk factors of trichinellosis in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1961 to 2021.

This study is a retrospective analysis of social, economic, political, and cultural events on the annual incidence of trichinellosis in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). It highlights the importance of specific regulations, which have been incorporated into developing preventive protection against this human disease for the last 61 years since it has been monitored by law. In the period, 1961-2021, 3828 people became infected. The first outbreak of trichinellosis was documented in 1965, and the incidence peaked during the war and post-war period at the end of the twentieth century. At that time, outbreaks with hundreds of cases and five deaths were recorded. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, the incidence decreased, and at the end of the second decade, two consecutive years without trichinellosis cases were finally registered. The analysis shows that a significantly higher incidence rate was recorded between the two political entities of BiH, the Republic of Srpska (4.97% 000) versus the Federation of BiH (0.9% 000) and that the occurrence of trichinellosis in humans in BiH is related to the presence of Trichinella spp. in animals, of a degree of biosecurity on pig farms, population's awareness of safe food, the impact of tradition and religion on eating habits, doctors' awareness of the symptomatology, and the Trichinella spp. larva detection method in muscle samples. The spread risk of trichinellosis requires meat inspection for Trichinella spp. larvae to be mandatory in BiH.

Women's perspectives on the quality of hospital maternal and newborn care around the time of childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from the IMAgiNE EURO study in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) in countries of the former Yugoslavia. METHOD: Women giving birth in a facility in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina between March 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021 answered an online questionnaire including 40 WHO standards-based quality measures. RESULTS: A total of 4817 women were included in the analysis. Significant differences were observed across countries. Among those experiencing labor, 47.4%-62.3% of women perceived a reduction in QMNC due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 40.1%-69.7% experienced difficulties in accessing routine antenatal care, 60.3%-98.1% were not allowed a companion of choice, 17.4%-39.2% reported that health workers were not always using personal protective equipment, and 21.2%-53.8% rated the number of health workers as insufficient. Episiotomy was performed in 30.9%-62.8% of spontaneous vaginal births. Additionally, 22.6%-55.9% of women received inadequate breastfeeding support, 21.5%-62.8% reported not being treated with dignity, 11.0%-30.5% suffered abuse, and 0.7%-26.5% made informal payments. Multivariate analyses confirmed significant differences among countries, with Slovenia showing the highest QMNC index, followed by Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia. CONCLUSION: Differences in QMNC among the countries of the former Yugoslavia during the COVID-19 pandemic were significant. Activities to promote high-quality, evidence-based, respectful care for all mothers and newborns are urgently needed. CLINICALTRIALS: gov Identifier: NCT04847336.

An International Comparative Study on the Resilience of Urban Communities after COVID-19 Pandemic: A One-Year Case Study between Lanzhou, China and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

After the prevailing of the COVID-19 pandemic, urban communities around the world took initiatives to bring their cities back to life. In this research, 45 indicators and 55 elements were selected to make comparisons between urban communities in Lanzhou, China and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from five dimensions of social resilience, economic resilience, institutional resilience, infrastructural resilience, and community capital resilience. At the same time, the ArcGIS platform tool was used for spatial interpolation analysis. In this paper, the inverse distance weighting (IDW) method was used to carry out the spatial analysis of the perceived resilience of the two cities. Due to the heterogeneity of the neighborhood physical environment, operation and management mode, individual attribute characteristics, and internal relations, the resilience of the two urban communities showed disparity in different dimensions. Overall, the communities with good urban property management services, high-income owners, and the convenient transportation have stronger resilience in the face of pandemic. On the contrary, scattered communities, which are scattered in the inner cities, lack effective management, and based on unstable employment, people become the most affected by the epidemic with the lowest resilience power. The importance of social capital, represented by community understanding, identity, and mutual help and cooperation between neighbors, is highlighted in the resilience assessment of the two cities, respectively, in the East and West, indicating that to build more resilient cities, in addition to improving government management and increasing investment in urban infrastructure, building the residents' sense of belonging, identity, and enduring community culture is even more important in the construction of resilient cities.

Prevalence of burnout among health care workers in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of burnout syndrome among health care workers in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in May and June 2021 using an online survey based on Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. The questionnaire underwent forward and backward translation, preliminary pilot testing, and was assessed for reliability and validity. Personal burnout, work-related burnout, and patient-related burnout were assessed. The survey was sent to the members of the Union of Physicians and Dentists in FBIH, who were asked to forward the link to their medical technicians and nurses. RESULTS: A total of 77% of participants experienced some form of burnout. As many as 32% experienced all three forms of burnout. Those actively involved in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic more often experienced burnout. In personal and work-related burnout domains, higher level of burnout was reported among female respondents. Higher work-related and patient-related burnout was reported by physicians compared with medical technicians/nurses. Higher level of patient-related burnout was reported in health care workers aged 30-39 and 50-59 years, among respondents working in primary care, and among physicians. CONCLUSION: The majority of health care workers showed moderate or high levels of personal and work-related burnout, with a lower level of patient-related burnout. There is a need for further research into the causes of burnout, as well as for the implementation of organizational interventions aimed to minimize workplace burnout.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Paediatric Dental Treatment: A Retrospective Study in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Dentists are at significant risk of COVID-19 infection. It was difficult to find a balance between dental care, especially preventive and other non-urgent dental procedures, and prevention of potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental treatment in children in the Dental Clinic of the University of Banja Luka, and to compare it before and during the first and second years of the pandemic. All dental records of paediatric patients who attended the Dental Clinic (for the period March 2019 to March 2022) were analysed. The data on selected dental treatment procedures were divided into three groups per year and compared. The results during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic showed a reduction in single treatments compared to the year before, while in the second year there was an increase in some interventions such as oral hygiene training and patient motivation, deciduous tooth extraction, and glass ionomer filling. Although the number of dental treatments in the clinic in the second year nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, preventive and restorative interventions are the most appropriate strategy to improve the oral health of children after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The presence of malignant ovine babesiosis in Bosnia and Herzegovina indicates a possible emerging risk for Balkan region.

Malignant ovine babesiosis or ovine babesiosis caused by Babesia ovis is an important hemoprotozoan tick-borne disease of sheep. After 70 years, a study was conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the geographical areas of Podrinje and Eastern Herzegovina, aiming to molecularly identify and determine the presence of B. ovis infection in the sheep population. From 2019-2021, a clinical and molecular study was conducted in 53 flocks, and 192 sheep were examined, divided into two groups: clinically suspected and asymptomatic sheep. The presence of B. ovis was confirmed by PCR in blood samples of 75 % and 11.21 % of clinically affected and asymptomatic sheep, respectively. The majority of clinical cases of malignant ovine babesiosis were confirmed in the Rudo epidemiological unit (78.78 %) within the Podrinje region indicating typical seasonal pattern of disease occurrence and endemic focus. Rhipicephalus bursa was only tick species identified in Podrinje and Eastern Herzegovina. Acute form of disease was observed with dominant clinical signs of depression, fever, loss of appetite and respiratory distress. Fatal outcome was recorded in 12.28 % of cases. This study describes the molecular detection of B. ovis in sheep in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the first time. To the authors knowledge, this survey represents a report of the highest number of clinical cases of malignant ovine babesiosis in Europe. Since the disease has been recorded in the south-eastern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is a high risk of disease transmission to a wider area of the Balkan region.

COVID-19 Impact on Public Dental Healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Current Situation and Ongoing Perspectives.

BACKGROUND: As the pandemic time went by in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), various patterns toward COVID-19 itself and its impacts, implementation of prescribed preventive measures among the team members, and those of their patients, including immunization process, have been revealed. These patterns were of both empirical and evidence-based kind and consequently formed dental personnel behavior. The aim was to evaluate and compare the COVID-19 status of dentists in B&H, implementation of prescribed preventive measures, and usage of various kinds of PPE, at the beginning of the pandemics and now, 2.5 years later, including dentists' current vaccination status, and their opinions and attitudes toward the national COVID-19 economic impact on dental practice. METHODOLOGY: Study research was in a form of a cross-sectional longitudinally designed online survey and was conducted in two parts. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Dental professionals in B&H had a high frequency of COVID-19 symptoms in the second pandemic year. The vaccination status of dentists in B&H was in line with the global average values of vaccinated professionals. Dentists used patient management preventive measures and PPE recommended by WHO, but some preventive measures have been changed and prioritized recently. The economic impact of pandemics on dentistry was predominantly negative.

First confirmation of salmonid alphavirus infection in rainbow trout in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

Sleeping disease is a highly infectious viral disease caused by salmonid alphavirus subtype 2 (SAV2 FW), affecting mainly rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss farmed in freshwater. During March to May 2014, disease episodes with clinical signs of sleeping disease in rainbow trout fingerlings occurred almost simultaneously in 2 trout farms located in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Serbia. The infection of rainbow trout with SAV2 FW in 2 farms was confirmed by virus isolation and molecular methods. This is the first isolation and molecular characterization of SAV2 FW in BiH and Serbia.

Serologic and molecular evidence for circulation of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in ticks and cattle in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus is a tick-borne zoonotic agent of the genus Orthonairovirus, and the causal agent of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in humans. The study is aimed at investigating the presence of CCHFV RNA in ticks and cattle in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), as well as the exposure of cattle to CCHFV in this country. Only one pool of three male Hyalomma marginatum ticks tested positive for viral RNA (3/760, 0.39%). No viral RNA was detected in 206 bovine blood samples using real-time reverse-transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR). The overall seroprevalence of CCHFV in the cattle population was estimated as 14.97% (72/481). The results indicate the presence and the established circulation of CCHFV in B&H. Considering the endemic character of CCHFV in the Balkans as well as our results, the possibility that CCHFV is endemic in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina is considered to be very high.

High-throughput microfluidic real-time PCR for the simultaneous detection of selected vector-borne pathogens in dogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A scarcity of information on the occurrence of zoonotic vector-borne pathogens (VBPs), alongside a lack of human and animal health authorities' awareness of pre-existing data, augment the risk of VBP infection for local people and limit our ability to establish control programs. This holds especially true in low-middle income countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). This dearth of information on zoonotic VBPs is bolstered by the inability of previously used diagnostic tests, including conventional molecular diagnostic methods, to detect the full spectrum of relevant pathogens. Considering this, we set out to apply a microfluidic qPCR assay capable of detecting 43 bacterial and protozoan pathogens from blood to accrue critical baseline data for VBPs occurrence in BiH. A total of 408 dogs were tested of which half were infected with at least one VBP of zoonotic or veterinary importance. Leishmania infantum was found in 18% of dogs, reaching a prevalence as high as 38% in urbanized areas of Sarajevo. These data highlight substantially higher levels of L. infantum prevalence when compared to that previously reported using conventional methods using the same samples. Additionally, this high-throughput microfluidic qPCR assay was able to detect pathogens rarely or never reported in canines in BiH, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum (3%), Anaplasma platys (0.2%), haemotropic Mycoplasma (1%) and Hepatozoon canis (26%). Our report of the endemicity of important zoonotic pathogens and those of clinical significance to dogs emphasizes the need for urgent implementation of surveillance and control for VBPs in BiH, targeting both animal and human infections within the country.