Coxiella burnetii is a worldwide zoonotic pathogen causing Q fever in various animal species and ... more Coxiella burnetii is a worldwide zoonotic pathogen causing Q fever in various animal species and humans. In Slovakia, cases of C. burnetii infection in both animals and humans are confirmed every year. The role of horses in the epidemiology of this neglected disease is still unclear. In our study, we focused on a serosurvey of C. burnetii in the equine population in Slovakia by the ELISA method. Subsequently, a nested PCR was performed to detect the 16S rRNA fragment of the genus Coxiella. Among 184 horse sera, the presence of specific antibodies to C. burnetii was detected in four samples, representing a 2.17% seropositivity. All the positive horses were mares; two originated from Central Slovakia and two from Eastern Slovakia. Although the number of positive samples was too small for a determination of statistical significance, our results provide the first confirmation of antibodies to C. burnetii in horses from Slovakia. Although no positive PCR result was obtained, these serolo...
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the causative agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis. It affects humans ... more Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the causative agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis. It affects humans and several wild and domesticated mammals, including horses. The aim of our study was a preliminary survey of the occurrence of these re-emerging pathogens in horses in Slovakia. The sera from 200 animals of different ages and both sexes were tested for the presence of A. phagocytophilum antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Subsequently, detection of the 16S rRNA gene fragment of A. phagocytophilum was attempted by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in each blood sample. Our results confirmed the presence of specific antibodies in 85 out of 200 individuals (42.5%), but no significant changes were found between the animals of different ages and sexes. However, the PCR analysis did not detect any positive animals. Our data represent one of the highest values of seropositivity to A. phagocytophilum in horses in Central Europe. These results may contribute to a better understanding ...
Anaplasmosis is a vector-borne, infectious and non-contagious disease. The disease is caused by v... more Anaplasmosis is a vector-borne, infectious and non-contagious disease. The disease is caused by various pathogens of the genus Anaplasma. The different species cause different types of anaplasmosis depending on which cells that are infected in the mammalian host. Anaplasmosis has a wide host range, including humans, and it is distributed worldwide. The zoonotic potential of some species is of great importance in regards to public health concerns. This review presents information about anaplasmosis in animals and its prevalence in Europe, and other countries in the world.
The genus Baylisascaris (order Ascaridida) includes numerous relatively host-specific nematodes, ... more The genus Baylisascaris (order Ascaridida) includes numerous relatively host-specific nematodes, which are common in intestines of wild mammals. Some of them may have impact on veterinary and public health, as their larvae have the potential to cause visceral, ocular, and/or neural larva migrans in a wide range of mammals, birds, and humans. Baylisascaris transfuga is a parasite occurring in a range of bear species throughout the world. We present the current data on B. transfuga occurrence in brown bears from a relatively restricted territory of the Poľana Protected Landscape Area in Central Slovakia, obtained by traditional methods (faecal examination, morphology). Species affiliation was confirmed by employing molecular markers generating nuclear 28S and mitochondrial cox1 sequences in adult worms. Based on 17 examined samples (15 excrements and two intestines of young bear females), the occurrence of B. transfuga in the surveyed area was assessed as 52.9%. Both bear females were...
The level of delayed skin hypersensitivity (DSH) was evaluated in vivo after dinitrofluorobenzene... more The level of delayed skin hypersensitivity (DSH) was evaluated in vivo after dinitrofluorobenzene induction (3rd and 7th week of the experimental) while the level of phagocytic activity (FA) of blood leucocytes (in weekly intervals during six weeks of observation) was evaluated in calves (4.5 to 5.5 months of age) after administration of particular fungal glucane (from oyster mushroom) at a dose of 10 mg/kg live weight. In calves which were administered glucane (abbr. G), a significantly stronger cell-mediated immune response was recorded by means of DSH test in the 3rd week of observation, namely in comparison with its starting value (P < 0.01) and also with the value of control animals (P < 0.01; K group)-Tab. I. In the seventh week of the experiment there was not a statistical difference in the average values of DSH any more (Tab. I). But at that time 100 percent of calves showed a skin reaction above 6.5 mm (mean = 7.64 +/- 0.55) evoked by the used sensibilizer in the G gr...
The level of cell-mediated immune response in vivo was investigated using the test of delayed hyp... more The level of cell-mediated immune response in vivo was investigated using the test of delayed hypersensitive reaction (DHR) to DNFB, along with the phagocytic activity (PA) of blood leucocytes in mice after subcutaneous implantation of fungal and yeast glucan and levamisol in dependence on the dose and administration schedule. The soluble form of fungal glucan (Pleurotus ostreatus) potentiated the DHR significantly at a dose of 10 mg/kg (but not at a dose of 50 mg/kg) while it was administered during DNFB sensitization (P < 0.05)-Tab. I and when its pre-medication effect was investigated (days -7 and -14; P < 0.05) with regard to the time of sensitization (Tab. II). The identical dose of glucan also had a positive effect (P < 0.05 or 0.01) on the percentual proportion of phagocytic cells (PC) reaching the maximum in the 2nd and 3rd week of investigation, as well as on the phagocytic activity index (P < 0.05; 3rd week) and percentage of neutrophil granulocytes (P < 0.0...
Some parameters of cell-mediated immunity (phagocytic activity PA and phagocytic index PI, metabo... more Some parameters of cell-mediated immunity (phagocytic activity PA and phagocytic index PI, metabolic activity and migration-inhibitive factor MIF of blood leucocytes) were investigated in calves experimentally infected with IBR virus (group II) and in calves premedicated with glucan seven days before infection (group I). A significant increase in the percentage of phagocytizing cells was observed in both groups of animals on days 2-4 of the experiment (P < 0.01) in comparison with the values before infection. If the two groups of animals were confronted with each other, there was a significant difference in the percentage of phagocytizing cells on days 1 and 2 after infection (P < 0.05), with the higher average values in the calves which were only infected. An evaluation of PI showed a statistically significant difference only in the glucan-treated calves on day 7 after its administration (P < 0.05), i.e. on day zero of the experiment. The inhibition of leucocyte migration ...
Zentralblatt für Veterinärmedizin. Reihe B. Journal of veterinary medicine. Series B
The effect of fungal and yeast glucan on different immune functions in mice was examined and comp... more The effect of fungal and yeast glucan on different immune functions in mice was examined and compared. The simultaneous administration of glucan and a sensitizing dose of DNFB on the different sites significantly stimulated delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response only when using fungal glucan. Both glucans tested, when administered before sensitization, significantly increased DTH response, but with a significantly higher level at the beginning of the investigation (on day 7) when using fungal glucan. The increase in phagocytic activity by the blood leucocytes started in the 1st week after fungal-glucan treatment, and in the 2nd week after yeast-glucan treatment, and took longer after administration of fungal glucan. The values of the phagocytic-activity index were significantly influenced only after fungal-glucan injection. The results of the study indicate that fungal glucan isolated from Pleurotus ostreatus could be a prospective immunomodulating substance.
The immunomodulatory effect of levamisole (Decaris tbl.) in the course of acaricide therapy with ... more The immunomodulatory effect of levamisole (Decaris tbl.) in the course of acaricide therapy with amitraz (Taktic) on the functional activity of blood neutrophils (% of phagocytizing cells and ingestion capacity) and lymphocytes (blastogenic response to Con A) in dogs with uncomplicated generalized demodicosis (NGD) was studied. The level of examined parameters was evaluated before treatment, week 3 and 7 after the first application of these preparations; and compared with the values of NGD dogs treated only with amitraz and with those in clinically healthy dogs. In comparison with healthy dogs the initial level of examined activities of both cell populations was significantly depresed. A significantly earlier (4 weeks earlier) increase (when compared with values before treatment) of investigated activities of neutrophils and lymphocytes occurred in dogs treated with amitraz and levamisole in comparison with those in dogs treated only with amitraz. It was manifested especially signif...
Coxiella burnetii is a worldwide zoonotic pathogen causing Q fever in various animal species and ... more Coxiella burnetii is a worldwide zoonotic pathogen causing Q fever in various animal species and humans. In Slovakia, cases of C. burnetii infection in both animals and humans are confirmed every year. The role of horses in the epidemiology of this neglected disease is still unclear. In our study, we focused on a serosurvey of C. burnetii in the equine population in Slovakia by the ELISA method. Subsequently, a nested PCR was performed to detect the 16S rRNA fragment of the genus Coxiella. Among 184 horse sera, the presence of specific antibodies to C. burnetii was detected in four samples, representing a 2.17% seropositivity. All the positive horses were mares; two originated from Central Slovakia and two from Eastern Slovakia. Although the number of positive samples was too small for a determination of statistical significance, our results provide the first confirmation of antibodies to C. burnetii in horses from Slovakia. Although no positive PCR result was obtained, these serolo...
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the causative agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis. It affects humans ... more Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the causative agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis. It affects humans and several wild and domesticated mammals, including horses. The aim of our study was a preliminary survey of the occurrence of these re-emerging pathogens in horses in Slovakia. The sera from 200 animals of different ages and both sexes were tested for the presence of A. phagocytophilum antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Subsequently, detection of the 16S rRNA gene fragment of A. phagocytophilum was attempted by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in each blood sample. Our results confirmed the presence of specific antibodies in 85 out of 200 individuals (42.5%), but no significant changes were found between the animals of different ages and sexes. However, the PCR analysis did not detect any positive animals. Our data represent one of the highest values of seropositivity to A. phagocytophilum in horses in Central Europe. These results may contribute to a better understanding ...
Anaplasmosis is a vector-borne, infectious and non-contagious disease. The disease is caused by v... more Anaplasmosis is a vector-borne, infectious and non-contagious disease. The disease is caused by various pathogens of the genus Anaplasma. The different species cause different types of anaplasmosis depending on which cells that are infected in the mammalian host. Anaplasmosis has a wide host range, including humans, and it is distributed worldwide. The zoonotic potential of some species is of great importance in regards to public health concerns. This review presents information about anaplasmosis in animals and its prevalence in Europe, and other countries in the world.
The genus Baylisascaris (order Ascaridida) includes numerous relatively host-specific nematodes, ... more The genus Baylisascaris (order Ascaridida) includes numerous relatively host-specific nematodes, which are common in intestines of wild mammals. Some of them may have impact on veterinary and public health, as their larvae have the potential to cause visceral, ocular, and/or neural larva migrans in a wide range of mammals, birds, and humans. Baylisascaris transfuga is a parasite occurring in a range of bear species throughout the world. We present the current data on B. transfuga occurrence in brown bears from a relatively restricted territory of the Poľana Protected Landscape Area in Central Slovakia, obtained by traditional methods (faecal examination, morphology). Species affiliation was confirmed by employing molecular markers generating nuclear 28S and mitochondrial cox1 sequences in adult worms. Based on 17 examined samples (15 excrements and two intestines of young bear females), the occurrence of B. transfuga in the surveyed area was assessed as 52.9%. Both bear females were...
The level of delayed skin hypersensitivity (DSH) was evaluated in vivo after dinitrofluorobenzene... more The level of delayed skin hypersensitivity (DSH) was evaluated in vivo after dinitrofluorobenzene induction (3rd and 7th week of the experimental) while the level of phagocytic activity (FA) of blood leucocytes (in weekly intervals during six weeks of observation) was evaluated in calves (4.5 to 5.5 months of age) after administration of particular fungal glucane (from oyster mushroom) at a dose of 10 mg/kg live weight. In calves which were administered glucane (abbr. G), a significantly stronger cell-mediated immune response was recorded by means of DSH test in the 3rd week of observation, namely in comparison with its starting value (P < 0.01) and also with the value of control animals (P < 0.01; K group)-Tab. I. In the seventh week of the experiment there was not a statistical difference in the average values of DSH any more (Tab. I). But at that time 100 percent of calves showed a skin reaction above 6.5 mm (mean = 7.64 +/- 0.55) evoked by the used sensibilizer in the G gr...
The level of cell-mediated immune response in vivo was investigated using the test of delayed hyp... more The level of cell-mediated immune response in vivo was investigated using the test of delayed hypersensitive reaction (DHR) to DNFB, along with the phagocytic activity (PA) of blood leucocytes in mice after subcutaneous implantation of fungal and yeast glucan and levamisol in dependence on the dose and administration schedule. The soluble form of fungal glucan (Pleurotus ostreatus) potentiated the DHR significantly at a dose of 10 mg/kg (but not at a dose of 50 mg/kg) while it was administered during DNFB sensitization (P < 0.05)-Tab. I and when its pre-medication effect was investigated (days -7 and -14; P < 0.05) with regard to the time of sensitization (Tab. II). The identical dose of glucan also had a positive effect (P < 0.05 or 0.01) on the percentual proportion of phagocytic cells (PC) reaching the maximum in the 2nd and 3rd week of investigation, as well as on the phagocytic activity index (P < 0.05; 3rd week) and percentage of neutrophil granulocytes (P < 0.0...
Some parameters of cell-mediated immunity (phagocytic activity PA and phagocytic index PI, metabo... more Some parameters of cell-mediated immunity (phagocytic activity PA and phagocytic index PI, metabolic activity and migration-inhibitive factor MIF of blood leucocytes) were investigated in calves experimentally infected with IBR virus (group II) and in calves premedicated with glucan seven days before infection (group I). A significant increase in the percentage of phagocytizing cells was observed in both groups of animals on days 2-4 of the experiment (P < 0.01) in comparison with the values before infection. If the two groups of animals were confronted with each other, there was a significant difference in the percentage of phagocytizing cells on days 1 and 2 after infection (P < 0.05), with the higher average values in the calves which were only infected. An evaluation of PI showed a statistically significant difference only in the glucan-treated calves on day 7 after its administration (P < 0.05), i.e. on day zero of the experiment. The inhibition of leucocyte migration ...
Zentralblatt für Veterinärmedizin. Reihe B. Journal of veterinary medicine. Series B
The effect of fungal and yeast glucan on different immune functions in mice was examined and comp... more The effect of fungal and yeast glucan on different immune functions in mice was examined and compared. The simultaneous administration of glucan and a sensitizing dose of DNFB on the different sites significantly stimulated delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response only when using fungal glucan. Both glucans tested, when administered before sensitization, significantly increased DTH response, but with a significantly higher level at the beginning of the investigation (on day 7) when using fungal glucan. The increase in phagocytic activity by the blood leucocytes started in the 1st week after fungal-glucan treatment, and in the 2nd week after yeast-glucan treatment, and took longer after administration of fungal glucan. The values of the phagocytic-activity index were significantly influenced only after fungal-glucan injection. The results of the study indicate that fungal glucan isolated from Pleurotus ostreatus could be a prospective immunomodulating substance.
The immunomodulatory effect of levamisole (Decaris tbl.) in the course of acaricide therapy with ... more The immunomodulatory effect of levamisole (Decaris tbl.) in the course of acaricide therapy with amitraz (Taktic) on the functional activity of blood neutrophils (% of phagocytizing cells and ingestion capacity) and lymphocytes (blastogenic response to Con A) in dogs with uncomplicated generalized demodicosis (NGD) was studied. The level of examined parameters was evaluated before treatment, week 3 and 7 after the first application of these preparations; and compared with the values of NGD dogs treated only with amitraz and with those in clinically healthy dogs. In comparison with healthy dogs the initial level of examined activities of both cell populations was significantly depresed. A significantly earlier (4 weeks earlier) increase (when compared with values before treatment) of investigated activities of neutrophils and lymphocytes occurred in dogs treated with amitraz and levamisole in comparison with those in dogs treated only with amitraz. It was manifested especially signif...
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