High infection rate of zoonotic Eucoleus aerophilus infection in foxes from Serbia.

The respiratory capillariid nematode Eucoleus aerophilus (Creplin, 1839) infects wild and domestic carnivores and, occasionally, humans. Thus far, a dozen of human infections have been published in the literature but it cannot be ruled out that lung capillariosis is underdiagnosed in human medicine. Also, the apparent spreading of E. aerophilus in different geographic areas spurs new studies on the epidemiology of this nematode. After the recognition of the first human case of E. aerophilus infection in Serbia, there is a significant merit in enhancing knowledge on the distribution of the nematode. In the present work the infection rate of pulmonary capillariosis was investigated in 70 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from the northern part of Serbia by autopsy. The estimated infection rate with Eucoleus aerophilus was 84%. In contrast, by copromicroscopic examination only 38% of foxes were positive. In addition, 10 foxes were investigated for the closely related species in nasal cavity, Eucoleus boehmi, and nine were positive. Our study demonstrates one of the highest infection rates of pulmonary capillariosis in foxes over the world

The first record of <i>mcr-1</i> gene for colistin resistance in pigs from Serbia: should we be worried?

Colistin is being used as a last-resort drug to treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in humans. In veterinary medicine, colistin has been used for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. In the first study of mcr genes by multiplex PCR in healthy pigs from Serbia, we discovered mcr-1 in 4.85% out of 350 fecal samples. The presence of mcr-1 gene was detected on three farms located less than 100 km apart from each other, predominantly in piglet samples. The results point to the necessity of monitoring of colistin resistance and the mcr genes in food producing animals as well as restricting colistin usage on farms

Respiratory and cardiopulmonary nematode species of foxes and jackals in Serbia

As part of routine monitoring of foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and jackals (Canis aureus) on the territory of Vojvodina province (northern Serbia), an analysis of respiratory and cardiopulmonary parasitic nematodes was conducted. Both host species harbored Eucoleus aerophilus, E. boehmi and Crenosoma vulpis, whereas Angiostrongylus vasorum was found only in foxes. A high prevalence of infection (72.6 %) was noted for E. aerophilus in foxes. The remaining parasite species occurred less frequently in both host species. In all species where it could be quantified, a high degree of parasite aggregation within host individuals was noted. Single species infections were most common, whereas two and three species infections occurred less frequently in both host species. The distribution of abundance of E. aerophilus was affected by host sex, with abundances higher in male foxes. Sampling site and year influenced abundance variation in E. boehmi