Monitorizarea unor parametri microbiologici și a compoziției algale în apele de suprafață ale unor emisari din Bazinul Dornelor

The objective of this study was to establish the microbiological and algal load of surface waters from the streams that cross the Dorna’s Basin. In order to carry out this study, 10 sampling stations were established over four streams, the study taking place during the period of two years, 2017 and 2018, between May and October. The samples were analyzed in the laboratory using specific methods for each monitored indicator, observing the fluctuations which are determined by the sampling location, weather phenomena, and the influence of anthropogenic factors that are relevant for the streams that were studied. Therefore, microbiological parameters are strongly influenced by contamination with faeces from both animals (wild and domestic), as well as from households, that are not connected to a centralized sewer system, especially the ones which use septic tanks that are, in many cases, inappropriately built. All microbiological indicators showed significant variations between sampling stations along the same stream, upstream the values recorded being much lower than downstream. The samples that presented the lowest values, for all the evaluated parameters, were those collected upstream of the Călimănel brook. The absence of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa indicator from all samples taken during the study was recorded at two of the stations, Călimănel-sus (stream) and Secu-sus and the spores of sulfite-reducing anaerobic bacteria (Clostridium) were not identified in the samples collected from Călimănel-sus station (stream). The samples with the highest degree of contamination were those taken from Arinu-jos station and those from Călimănel-jos, the anthropic influence being evident through the economic activities that were carried out. Similar values were obtained following the analyzes performed for each type of algae, recording higher levels of parameters in the case of samples taken from the Arini-jos station. The maximum values were recorded from the samples taken from the stations on the Arinu rivulet in August 2018, after a torrential rain, when large quantities of organic substances were entrained. The main conclusion obtained from the interpretation of the results is that the surface waters have a significant microbial load and that it multiplies exponentially from the source to the collector

Monitorizarea unor parametri fizico-chimici pentru apele de suprafață ale unor emisari din Bazinul Dornelor

The objective of this study was to establish the quality of surface water from streams that cross the Dorna’s Basin, following some defining physico-chemical indicators. In order to conduct this study, 10 sampling stations were established over four streams, the study taking place for two years, 2017 and 2018, between the months of May and October. The samples were analyzed in the laboratory using specific methods for each indicator monitored - temperature, pH, oxidizable substances, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, hardness, anions and cations. The results obtained varied depending on the sampling site, weather phenomena, as well as the geological structure of the mountain ranges from which the streams -that were under study- spring. The conclusions of this study demonstrate that the targeted streams have physico-chemical properties that are close to the standards imposed for natural mineral waters, the main geological resource for the Dorna’s Basin, discovered and used for over 300 years. Thus, the anthropic activity represented mainly by animal husbandry, mostly in an extensive-ecological system, does not have a negative effect on the quality of watercourses in the area

Characterisation of the parasite load of river Bistrita tributaries, in Dornelor Basin, Romania

Dornelor Basin is characterised by numerous high quality water sources, which is proven by the fact that the main mineral waters on the Romanian market come from this area. The study aimed to provide data on the occurrence and human infective potential of Giardia and Cryptosporidium, as the most important water-borne parasites, from Bistrița river tributaries of Dornelor basin, North-Eastern Romania. Water samples were collected from 10 tributaries of the Bistrita river, from the level of sampling stations set upstream and downstream from the anthropic communities. The harvested water samples were further processed using nonmolecular methods in order to isolate (oo)cysts. Subsequently, the isolated Cryptosporidium and Giardia (oo)ccyst were molecularly characterized through PCR and genomic sequencing, which led to the identification of Giardia in order to identify them at species level. The outcomes revealed the fact that the waters of the emissaries under study have a low parasite load and that, upstream from the human settlements, the water is highly pure when related to the protozoa under study. The increased load of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. corresponded to important animal husbandry activity. The obtained results underline a potential public health risk

Prevalence of parasitical infestations in sheep from the Didactic Station of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Iaşi, during 2003-2005

The parasitical cases were monitored in sheep from the Experimental Didactic Station of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Iaşi, during 2003-2005. Cestode (Thysaniezia giardi), trematodes (Dicrocoelium lanceatum), nematode (Trichostrongyloidea/Trichostrongylidae family, Dictyocaulida family; Metastrongyloidea/Protostrongylidae family) and arthropods from Arachnida classes (Acari subclass) and Insecta caused the parasitoses diagnosed in that period. Every year, psoroptic scabies has affected sheep during stable period, when the lowest temperatures of the season were reached. Grazing after the prophylactic autumn disinfection developed a trichostrongili population in the body of hosts, which was sufficient to pollute grassland and perpetuate parasitosis. The interruption of biological cycle by adult or one of the intermediary host systematic destroying has resulted in the diminution of dicroceliosis incidenc

EFFECTIVE DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES IN BORRELIA BURGDORFERI INFESTATION IN DOGS

Borreliosis or Lyme disease is a disease transmitted by ixodidae ticks during feeding on blood (Ixodes pacificus and Ixodes scapularis in the USA, Ixodes persulcatus in Asia, Ixodes ricinus in Europe) and is widespread in the entire northern hemisphere. In Romania, the geographic distribution and prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was 1.4% in 41 counties, with a prevalence between 0.75–18.8%. B. burgdorferi sensu lato. had a prevalence of 3.8%, being found inside ticks in 55 of 183 localities. Successful treatment and full recovery can only be achieved through early diagnosis. The clinical and serologic diagnosis of Lyme disease is particularly difficult because of the phenotypic heterogeneity within and among spirochete species. A case study is presented in this paper: an eight-year-old male Yorkshire terrier dog, which was diagnosed positive for Lyme disease, based on a test which uses a peptide called C6 and which comes from the VlsE protein of B. burgdorferi, used to detect antibodies in dogs. The results demonstrate the reliability of the commercial SNAP 4Dx Plus Test for B. burgdorferi, which uses C6 to differentiate antibodies produced by natural infection from antibodies formed after vaccination. In addition, using real-time PCR, the diagnosis was negative, confirming the results from the literature, according to which the PCR technique is only recommended for research, the positivity percentage being low, especially when the sample is blood (0.1%). We conclude that the tests for the detection of antibodies specific to Lyme disease are recommended and useful

Effective diagnostic techniques in Borrelia burgdorferi infestation in dogs

Borreliosis or Lyme disease is a disease transmitted by ixodidae ticks during feeding on blood (Ixodes pacificus and Ixodes scapularis in the USA, Ixodes persulcatus in Asia, Ixodes ricinus in Europe) and is widespread in the entire northern hemisphere. In Romania, the geographic distribution and prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was 1.4% in 41 counties, with a prevalence between 0.75–18.8%. B. burgdorferi sensu lato. had a prevalence of 3.8%, being found inside ticks in 55 of 183 localities. Successful treatment and full recovery can only be achieved through early diagnosis. The clinical and serologic diagnosis of Lyme disease is particularly difficult because of the phenotypic heterogeneity within and among spirochete species. A case study is presented in this paper: an eight-year-old male Yorkshire terrier dog, which was diagnosed positive for Lyme disease, based on a test which uses a peptide called C6 and which comes from the VlsE protein of B. burgdorferi, used to detect antibodies in dogs. The results demonstrate the reliability of the commercial SNAP 4Dx Plus Test for B. burgdorferi, which uses C6 to differentiate antibodies produced by natural infection from antibodies formed after vaccination. In addition, using real-time PCR, the diagnosis was negative, confirming the results from the literature, according to which the PCR technique is only recommended for research, the positivity percentage being low, especially when the sample is blood (0.1%). We conclude that the tests for the detection of antibodies specific to Lyme disease are recommended and useful

Epidemiological risk of toxocarosis in humans and animals in Iași County

The increasing number of dogs is a determining factor in the occurrence of toxocarosis in humans, as they are the source of environmental contamination with Toxocara sp. eggs. During a single year, 2018-2019, the number of stray dogs increased from 0.068 to 0.0709 per capita. Contamination of dogs with Toxocara canis in the conditions of our country has increased in recent years from 21.4% to 50.2% and is identified as the most common parasitosis in these animals. For the study of Tococara spp. infection in dogs, the period 2017-2020 was considered, representing cases present at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iasi. Thus, more than 75% of infections are recorded in young dogs under one year old, while 89% of them are males. The study on the prevalence of Toxocara canis cases at the Animal shelters in Tomești showed a prevalence of Toxocara sp. of 60% of the total samples analysed; the study on toxocarosis in humans was carried out during 2020, the information being provided by the Praxis medical tests laboratory. Result on the presence of specific IgG antibodies to Toxocara canis/cati. It included a group of 95 cases during one year, of which 3, namely 3.25% were under 3 years old and 14.8% were over 35 years old. Of the total samples, only 2 were positive in the male gender, which represents 2.1% of the total samples. Fifteen cases were positive in females, representing 15.8% of all samples analysed. Considering that we are talking about a parasite specific to dogs, the presence of such a large number of cases during a single year reveals a very high load of Toxocara eggs in the environment, which raises an alarm about the distribution of this parasite in nature and the high risk of human contamination

Toxoplasmosis-a disease with high epidemiological risk in humans and animals

Infections produced by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii are widespread in humans and animals. Due to its lack of host specificity, this parasite is able to infect a large number of hosts as well as different cell types. Although toxoplasmosis is the most reported parasitic zoonosis in Europe, the incidence of the disease in humans and the presence of the parasite in animals, food and water is underestimated. If acquired as an acute infection during pregnancy, Toxoplasma gondii infection can have serious adverse effects on mothers, foetuses and newborns. Latent toxoplasmosis also causes a variety of pathologies and has been linked to serious adverse effects on pregnancy. The study was conducted over a 2-year period, 2019-2020, in the Parasitology Clinic of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iasi, following the prevalence of reported cases of toxoplasmosis in cats. Thus, out of 33 tests worked, no case of toxoplasmosis was recorded in cats, all serological tests being done upon request. During 2020, 226 AB. ANTI TOXOPLASMA GONDII- IgM (ELISA) tests were performed in the Praxis laboratory, of which only 15 were positive. All positive tests were identified only in women, of which 10 in the age category 25-34 years, 4 in the age category 35-44 years and 1 case in the age category 15-19 years. In the Praxis laboratory during 2020, 220 more AB. ANTI TOXOPLASMA GONDII- IgG (ELISA) tests were performed, out of which 72 positive cases were identified, 5 being positive in males in the age categories 0-12 months, 1 year and 15-19 years, and the remaining 67 were identified in women in the following age categories: 0-12 months, 15-19 years, 20-24 years, 25-34 years, 35-44 years, 45-54 years and 55-64 years. The lack of positive cases in animals during the 2-year study, but the high number of positive cases in humans during a single year, shows the major public health importance of the study, as this very serious disease in pregnant women and immunosuppressed people is under-diagnosed in veterinary medicine

Co-infection with Babesia canis and Borrelia burgdorferi S.L. in a dog from Northeastern Romania: a case report

This study describes a clinical case of a 9-year-old mixed-breed dog coinfected with Babesia canis and Borrelia burgdorferi. This dog was referred to a private clinic in northeastern Romania for a recurrent perianal tumour and a mild inflammation in the right elbow. The dog showed mild haemolytic anaemia, as well as increased alkaline phosphatase and glucose levels. Despite surgery and therapy, after four days, the patient had developed hyperthermia, severe anaemia and an inflammatory syndrome. The blood smear revealed the presence of piroplasm organisms identified as ‘large’ Babesia spp. On the 9th day of hospitalization the patient died during the blood transfusion, before applying the specific therapy for babesiosis. The blood collected before blood transfusion was tested for the following vector-borne diseases: Babesia spp., Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., Hepatozoon spp. and Borrelia spp. using molecular analysis. The final outcome indicated a co-infection with Babesia canis and Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. In conclusion, the introduction of vectorborne disease screening approach prior any surgical procedure can prevent lifethreatening events and improve diagnostic accuracy in dogs infected/co-infected simultaneously with different vector-borne diseases

An Overview on Leishmaniasis in Romania: Diagnosis and Therapeutics

Leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease considered to be one of the twenty neglected diseases by the World Health Organization, represents one of the public health concerns in endemic countries. In humans, as well as in animal counterparts, the infection can evolve with different clinical localizations, such as those that are cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral. Romania has been traditionally considered a nonendemic country for Leishmania species infection and has had sporadic positive human cases; however, the climate change recorded in recent decades has created potentially optimal conditions for the preponderant vectors of Phlebotomus spp., which has lately been identified in various parts of country. Moreover, with people and dogs (the prevailing hosts) traveling in endemic countries, the disease was imported and diagnosed in both species, and became a medical concern. In this review, we focused on the: (1) epidemiological data of leishmaniasis cases, both in humans and animals, reported by Romania; (2) diagnostic tools available for confirmation since there is a lack of gold-standard laboratory methods for human and dog patients; and (3) conventional antileishmanial therap