Adnan Jažić

Culicoides obsoletus (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Bosnia and Herzegovina—first report

The first occurrence of bluetongue disease in Bosnia and Herzegovina was registered in 2002 in the area of Kalesija municipality. Entomological investigation of the presence of Culicoides species in that area was conducted in 2007. The aim of the research was to establish the presence of the main vector of bluetongue virus. Collections and analyses of Culicoides midges were performed in accordance with the protocols of the National Reference Centre for Exotic Diseases (Centro Studi Malattie Esotiche) in Teramo, Italy. Traps for capturing midges were placed next to four sheep farms. During the investigation, a total of 2,256 Culicoides midges were collected and only one species was identified, Culicoides obsoletus Meigen, 1818.

First molecular detection of Babesia canis in dogs from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Babesia spp. are tick-transmitted protozoan haemoparasites of great economic, veterinary and medical impact worldwide. Herein we reported the very high prevalence of autochthonous babesiosis in symptomatic dogs from Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period from 2014 to 2016. Eighty dogs that did not leave the country were examined using parasitological and molecular analyses and babesiosis was diagnosed in 82.5% and 85.0% of them, respectively (p < 0.001). One species, Babesia canis was identified using molecular methodology (PCR and sequence analysis). Statistical analyses showed that epizootiological characteristics have no influence on the possibility of infection. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) analyses used for comparing the symptoms and clinical signs of infection in dogs pointed out that a high degree of anemia, followed by thrombocytopenia (89%), lethargy (100%), loss of appetite (95%), fever (66%) and icterus (61%) was dominant. In addition, results of the statistical analysis performed showed that more dogs with no data of tick prophylaxis (70%) were found Babesia infected. Those results point to further intensified epizootic surveys in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.