Neke kemijske vrijednosti u serumu jelena lopatara (Dama dama L.) iz lovišta u Sloveniji.

Some serum constituents of shot fallow deer (n = 52) in Slovenia have been studied and the means of various biochemical parameters have been determined for sex and age groups and the place where blood has been taken. The samples were taken from two hunting enclosures in Upper Carniola (Gorenjska) and Lower Carniola (Dolenjska) during the 2000/01 winter season. Recorded mean values were: aspartate aminotransferase (145.6 ± 73,5 U/L), alanine aminotransferase (49.4 ± 13.5 U/L), lactate dehydrogenase (1155 ± 535 U/L), gamma glutamyltransferase (38.7 ± 19.9 U/L), urea (6.23 ± 2.39 mmol/L), creatinine (150.9 ± 36.5 μmol/L), total proteins (60.9 ± 7.7 g/L), albumin (38.3 ± 8.6 g/L) and glucose (5.1 ± 3.9 mmol/L). Only minor significant differences in biochemical parameters were found between groups.Istraživani su određeni sastojci seruma odstrjeljenog jelena lopatara (n=52). Utvrđene su prosječne vrijednosti za spol i starost životinja te razlitičo mjesto uzimanja krvi. Tijekom zime 2000./01. godine uzeta je krv iz lovišta na Gorenjskem i Dolenjskem. Utvrđene su prosječne vrijednosti slijedećih parametara: aspartat aminotransferaze (AST), alanin aminotransferaze (ALT), laktat dehidrogenaze (LDH), gama glutamiltransferaze (GGT), mokraćevine, kreatinina, ukupnih proteina, albumina i glukoze. Dobiveni rezultati pokazuju da postoje samo neka statistički značajna odstupanja između različitih skupina. Cilj ovog rada je pokazati niz biokemijskih podataka kod odstrjeljenog jelena lopatara u Sloveniji i uspoređivanje podataka s ostalim sličnim istraživanjima, što je od važnosti za laboratorijsku dijagnostiku

Cervids as Babesiae Hosts, Slovenia

We describe cervids as potential reservoir hosts of Babesia EU1 and B. divergens. Both babesial parasites were found in roe deer. Sequence analysis of 18S rRNA showed 99.7% identity of roe deer Babesia EU1 with the human EU1 strain. B. divergens detected in cervids was 99.6% identical to bovine B. divergens

Morphological indicators of growth and development of chamois in two different biotopes in Slovenia

Morfološki kazalci rasti in razvoja gamsov v dveh različnih biotopih v Slovenij

Cervids as Babesiae hosts

We describe cervids as potential reservoir hosts of Babesia EU1 and B. divergens. Both babesial parasites were found in roe deer. Sequence analysis of 18S rRNA showed 99.7 % identity of roe deer Babesia EU1 with the human EU1 strain. B. divergens detected in cervids was 99.6 % identical to bovine B. divergens. Human babesiosis is an emerging tick-transmitted disease caused by intraerythrocytic parasites of the genus Babesia. A bovine parasite, Babesia divergens has been implicated as the most common agent of this dangerous zoonosis in Europe (1). The life cycle of B. divergens is determined by cattle, the vertebrate host, and by European sheep ticks, Ixodes ricinus. Ticks are not only the vectors of B. divergens but also its most important nonbovine reservoir (2). Many questions regarding parasite epidemiology and biology and the host response to infection remain to be answered. Furthermore, molecular data for B. divergens are scarce; only 1 DNA sequence of this parasite from humans from mainland Europe has been recently deposited (3). Recently, 2 cases of human babesiosis have been reported in Italy and Austria. The etiologic agent was identified as Babesia EU1, a pathogen closely related to, but clearly distinct from, B. divergens (4). The distinction was based on analysis of the complete babesial 18S rRNA gene, which also showed that EU1 is most closely related to B. odocoilei, a parasite of whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the United States (5). I. ricinus, the most prevalent and widely distributed tick species in Europe, has already been implicated as the vector of EU1 (4,6). Moreover, I. ricinus has a wide range of vertebrate hosts and readily bites humans. Rapidly and accurately identifying the reservoir of Babesia EU1 will enable appraisal of the full range of disease control options

Experiences with rabies eradication programs

Oral vaccination as a method of rabies eradication in the field was first started in Switzerland in 1978 and after 1984 several other EU countries followed this practice. Due to oral vaccination some European countries are now rabies-free in terrestrial animals. In Slovenia, after the first experimental oral vaccination and study of vaccination models from 1988 -1992, the spring-autumn campaigns have been carried out since 1995. The model of oral vaccination of wildlife requires 16-20 baits per km2 in the vaccination area. The baits were distributed by plane. They were dispersed from a height of 300-500 m. The aeroplanes' paths were 1000 metres apart. In the vaccination campaigns two vaccines were used. Lysvulpen®, produced by the Bioveta company at the Czech Republic, was laid down in the southwestern part of the country, and Fuchsoral®, produced by the German company Impfstoffwerk Dessau-Tornau, was placed in the eastern part of Slovenia. A rapid decline of rabies was evidenced from 1995 to 1999, when the oral vaccination program in the whole territory using the aircraft baits distributing system was practiced. In 1999, only 6 rabies cases were laboratory-confirmed, whereas in 1995, 1089 rabies cases were documented. Of the 14 rabies cases detected in 1998, 12 were found as an island in a circle with a radius of 30 km in the centre of the vaccinated area. In 2000 and 2001, rabies incidence increased again, so it was decided to change the baits distribution system in the year 2001. The vaccination by crossing flights in certain areas was introduced. In the next year (2002), after changing the vaccination strategy, positive cases rapidly dropped and only 15 cases in 2002, and 8 cases were found in 2003, near the non-vaccinated border with Croatia

Detection of trace amounts of abamectin used as an antiparasitic agent in fallow deer tissues

A sensitive and reliable method for the determination of trace amounts of abamectin in muscles, kidneys and fat tissue of fallow deer is presented. Abamectin was extracted from the tissues with acetonitrile and the extract was cleaned up on a C8 solid-phase extraction cartridge. Abamectin residue was derivatised with trifluoroacetic acid anhydride and 1-methylimidazole, and determined using reversed- phase high-performance liquid chromatography under isocratic conditions and fluorescence detection. The recoveries of the method were high and consistent, ranging from 78% to 90%. The limit of detection of the method was below 1 μg/kg when analysing muscle, kidney and fat tissue. Matrix-matched calibration was used in order to obtain accurate values and to avoid matrix interference