Timea Kiss

Tick prevention at a crossroad: new and renewed solutions.

Ticks have major economic impact through diseases they transmit, direct losses due to their detrimental effect and the efforts invested in prevention measures directed against them. Chemical acaricides represent the main line of anti-tick defense in both humans and domestic animals, but increasing concerns regarding development of acaricide resistance, especially in the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus, and environmental safety issues indicate the need for other, less aggressive but equally efficient methods. This paper aims to evaluate the potential, the scientific and economical limitations and future research directions regarding different alternative methods of tick control and their use in integrated pest management, with a separate reference to the pet industry. New research data in each field is presented and the economical aspects for each approach are individually emphasized.

Human impact on the microbiological water quality of the rivers

Microbiological contamination is an important water-quality problem worldwide. Human impact on this category of contamination is significant and several human-related activities, and also the population explosion, have affected and are still affecting dramatically the aquatic environment. Extensive industrialization and agriculture have led to increased pollution and hydromorphological changes in many river basins. The Danube river is one of the most affected by these changes where human involvement is undeniable, and subsequently, the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve became one of the most vulnerable ecosystems. This review is an attempt to analyse the microbiological contamination and to identify the major role human activities play in altering the water quality of the rivers.

Phylogeny and evolutionary genetics of porcine parvovirus in wild boars

Porcine parvovirus (PPV) is widespread among swine and is responsible for reproductive failure of susceptible sows, characterized by embryonic and fetal death. Studies showed that PPV in domestic pig is genetically diverse and some strains differ from the ones used for vaccination. Organ samples from wild boars and domestic pigs were collected in Transylvania (Romania) and tested for the presence of PPV by polymerase chain reaction. Positive samples were grouped and 14 from the wild boar and 1 from the domestic pig PPVs were selected for VP1/VP2 sequence analysis and comparison with available GenBank data. The molecular clock analysis revealed that PPV has a relatively recent evolutionary history, originated approximately 120 years ago and the main divergence occurred in the last 20-60 years. Phylogenetic and residue substitution analysis showed that the viruses could be divided into 6 distinct clusters and that wild boar PPVs were partially different and independent from domestic pig PPVs. PPVs of wild boars proved to be more diverse than viruses of domestic pigs. The presence of the highly virulent 27a-like PPV strains in wild boars was also detected.

Serological Reactivity to Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato in Dogs and Horses from Distinct Areas in Romania

Lyme disease is a perfect model of the complex relationship between host, vector, and the vector-borne bacteria. Both dogs and horses in Romania are exposed to infection. The aim of the present study was to assess the seroreactivity against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in dogs and horses from different regions of Romania. 276 samples from dogs and 260 samples from horses located in different regions of Romania were analyzed by ELISA and IFA, respectively. The effect of several factors potentially affecting seroreactivity (location, age, gender, occupation, and vector exposition risk) was evaluated using Fishers exact test (R 2.12.0). The overall prevalence of anti-Borrelia antibodies was 6.52% (18/276) in dogs, with a significantly higher positivity (46.15%, 6/13, p = 0.0005) recorded in a midcountry region. Seroreactivity was correlated with occupation, with working dogs being more exposed. The results may indicate that Lyme borreliosis foci are restricted to small areas, but further studies on Borrelia prevalence in tick populations are needed to confirm this hypothesis. In horses, a global seroprevalence of 11.92% (31/260) was observed. No correlations were found between positive results and age, sex, county, or occupation. This is the first serological survey on antibodies to B. burgdorferi sensu lato in Romanian dogs and horses.

Phylogeny, spatio-temporal phylodynamics and evolutionary scenario of Torque teno sus virus 1 (TTSuV1) and 2 (TTSuV2) in wild boars: Fast dispersal and high genetic diversity

Torque teno sus viruses (TTSuV1-2), members of the newly established family Anelloviridae are considered non-pathogenic emerging viral agents of Suidae species. However, the genetic diversity, phylogeny and evolutionary processes responsible for the emergence and spread of TTSuVs in wild boars remain poorly understood. Here we implemented phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses to address key questions on the genetic diversity, evolutionary scenario and spatio-temporal dynamics of emerging TTSuVs in wild boars of the Western region (Transylvania) of Romania. High levels of genetic diversity of wild boar origin TTSuV1-2 have been found as well as a new TTSuV1 genotype and several new subtypes. Phylogenies suggest that several wild boar viral strains in both TTSuV species are likely to have emerged from a well-defined ancestor approximately 40 (TTSuV1) and 18 (TTSuV2) years ago and showed independent evolutionary trajectories. Bayesian phylogeography showed an intense flow of viral strains throughout the Transylvanian counties possibly related to wild host migrations, facilitating the rapid spread of TTSuVs. The intra-genotype and inter- and intrahost level recombination, intense spatio-temporal viral flow and the positively selected sites found in the ORF2 genes should be considered important driving forces shaping TTSuVs evolution. The first reported rates of nucleotide substitution for porcine anelloviruses, estimated to be 5.29-5.51 × 10(-4)subs site(-1)year(-1), are in line with those measured previously for mammalian ssDNA viruses and RNA viruses. These high evolutionary rates of TTSuVs, independent of recombination, are reflections of adaptive evolution, an important factor in the emergence of novel viral variants which may explain their ability to emerge in Suidae hosts.

Emerging novel porcine parvoviruses in Europe: origin, evolution, phylodynamics and phylogeography

To elucidate the spatiotemporal phylodynamics, dispersion and evolutionary processes underlying the emergence of novel porcine parvovirus 2 (PPV2), PPV3 and PPV4 species, we analysed all available complete capsid genes, together with ours, obtained in Europe. Bayesian phylogeography indicates that Romania (PPV2 and PPV4) and Croatia (PPV3) are the most likely ancestral areas from which PPVs have subsequently spread to other European countries and regions. The timescale of our reconstruction supported a relatively recent history of the currently circulating novel PPV species (1920s to 1980s) in the domestic or sylvatic host. While PPV2 strains exhibited a large genetic exchange characterized by significant recombination and gene flow between distinct regions and hosts, PPV3 and PPV4 showed a diversification reflected by the accumulation of geographically structured polymorphisms. The RNA-like evolutionary rates detected inter- and intrahost recombination and the positive selection sites provided evidence that the PPV2-4 capsid gene plays a prominent role in host adaptation.

Prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in European wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations from Transylvania, Romania.

Between 2007-2008 and 2010-2012, 870 organ samples were collected from wild boars in 16 Transylvanian counties. Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA was identified using a nested PCR protocol that amplifies a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene. Prevalence was compared between sampling periods and counties using Fishers exact test. In total, 39 (4·48%) samples tested positive, with significantly higher values recorded in the second period, caused by an increased infection rate in boars from Sibiu county. Positive cases tended to concentrate in the central part of the country. During the second sampling period, A. phagocytophilum was detected in two additional counties, suggesting a spatial spreading of the pathogen. The results confirm that Transylvanian wild boars are naturally infected with A. phagocytophilum, thus raising awareness concerning a potential zoonotic cycle. This is the first study to evaluate spatial and temporal variations of A. phagocytophilum distribution in wild boar populations from Transylvania.

Seasonal Evolution of Total Antioxidative Status in Two Species of Semi-aquatic Turtles

The intention of this study it was to monitoring the seasonally evolution of Total Antioxidative Status in two semi aquatic turtle species: Trachemys scripta elegans and Emys orbicularis. In both studied tortoise species the total antioxidant status was maximum during hibernation, realized a delicate balance between hibernal stress and protective antioxidant system. The reference values of Total Antioxidative Status for active human population in Europe are between 1.30 - 1.77 mmol/l, thus we can consider that in semi aquatic turtles the antioxidant system is very efficient and this directs us to formulate the next question: Is the operational efficiency of the antioxidant system the reason that makes it possible for these animals to reach high ages? To our knowledge this is the first time when the total antioxidant status was monitored in semi aquatic turtles.