BackgroundTaenia solium and Taenia saginata are food-borne parasites of global importance. In eastern Europe only fragmented information is available on the epidemiology of these zoonotic parasites in humans and animal populations. In particular for T. solium, on-going transmission is suspected. The aim of this systematic review was to collect the available data and describe the current knowledge on the epidemiology of T. solium and T. saginata in eastern Europe.MethodsLiterature published in international databases from 1990 to 2017 was systematically reviewed. Furthermore, local sources and unpublished data from national databases were retrieved from local eastern European experts. The study area included 22 countries.ResultsResearchers from 18 out of the 22 countries provided data from local and unpublished sources, while no contacts could be established with researchers from Belarus, Kosovo, Malta and Ukraine. Taeniosis and human cysticercosis cases were reported in 14 and 15 out of the 22 countries, respectively. Estonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia reported cases of porcine cysticercosis. Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine reported bovine cysticercosis.ConclusionsThere is indication that taeniosis and cysticercosis are present across eastern Europe but information on the occurrence of T. solium and T. saginata across the region remains incomplete. Available data are scarce and species identification is in most cases absent. Given the public health impact of T. solium and the potential economic and trade implications due to T. saginata, notification of taeniosis and human cysticercosis should be implemented and surveillance and notification systems in animals should be improved.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-3153-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis and avian chlamydiosis are zoonotic diseases in which birds have been suggested to play an important role as reservoirs. We have investigated the prevalence of Campylobacter and Salmonella spp. and Chlamydophila sp. in 107 freeliving birds belonging to 25 species from 13 families from Croatia in order to examine the natural infections caused by these agents. Campylobacter jejuni-like organisms were isolated from 2 of 107 free-living bird species examined (1.9%). Salmonella was isolated from 8 fresh fecal specimens from free-living bird species (7.4%). These isolates were identified as S. typhimurium in 4 (3.7%), and S. enteriditis in 4 (3.7%) free-living birds. These samples originated from feral pigeons (Columba livia domesticus; n=14; 28.6%), rook (Corvus frugilegus; n=13; 15.4%), buzzard (Buteo buteo; n=12; 16.7%), black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus; n=8; 12.5%) and tawny owl (Strix aluco; n=8; 12.5%). The presence of Chlamydophila sp. was not detected in the free-living birds examined during this study. Epidemiological aspects and possible significance of the examined birds as a source of infections for domestic animals and humans are discussed.

lenka DovcˇAE Ž eljko Ž upancˇicÁ ge, sexual and seasonal differences of haematological values and antibody status to Chlamydophila sp. in feral and racing pigeons (Columba livia forma domestica) from an urban environment (Zagreb, Croatia)Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the basic haematological parameters in feral and racing pigeons and to compare these parameters according to age, sex and season in healthy feral pigeons as well as between Chlamydophila-serologically positive and negative feral pigeons. Red blood cells (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb), mean cell volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), white blood count (WBC), thrombocyte count and differential WBC, were determined in 366 pigeons (Columba livia forma domestica) captured in the City of Zagreb between 1999 and 2002. Of these, 232 feral (179 adult and 53 juvenile, 104 male and 75 female) and 57 racing pigeons (25 male and 32 female) were clinically healthy and bacteriologically and serologically negative, but 77 birds had antibody titres against Chlamydophila sp.Significantly lower values of RBC, PCV, Hb, MCH, WBC and thrombocyte (P<0.05) were observed in young compared to adult pigeons, while the differences in MCV and MCH were not significant between age classes. In differential WBC of young pigeons, a significantly higher percentage of heterophils, eosinophils, basophils and monocytes and a significantly smaller percentage of lymphocytes (P<0.01) was found than in adult pigeons. Significant sex-related differences were seen only in MCV values and in the percentage of lymphocytes (higher in females) and neutrophils (higher in males). PCV, Hb, MCV and MCH increased, while WBC decreased during wintertime (P<0.05). In differential WBC, percentage of heterophils was low in summer and autumn. At the same time, a higher percentage of basophils was found. Low numbers of monocytes were found in summer and low values of eosinophils in winter. In racing pigeons, values of eosinophils and basophils were significantly lower than in feral pigeons. Pigeons which had antibodies against Chlamydophila sp. possessed a higher percentage of monocytes and less lymphocytes than sero-negative animals, while WBC was significant lower than in sero-negative feral pigeons.

New N-1-sulfonylpyrimidines showed potent growth inhibitory activity against human and mouse tumour cells of different origin. 1-(p-toluenesulfonyl)cytosine (TsC) and 1-(p-toluenesulfonyl)cytosine hydrochloride (TsC × HCl) inhibited the growth of human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa), and had no significant cytotoxic effects on normal human foreskin fibroblasts (BJ). TsC and TsC × HCl interfered with the HeLa cell cycle progression bringing about the accumulation of G1 phase cells and the induction of apoptosis. Antiproliferative effects of TsC and TsC × HCl were additionally confirmed by investigating de novo synthesis of RNA, DNA and proteins in HeLa cells. Monitoring gene expression using DNA Chip Analysis and quantitative PCR showed that TsC × HCl affects the expression of several cell-cycle regulating genes implying that cell cycle arrest and DNA damage-induced apoptosis might account for the observed cellular effects. In vivo experiments revealed low toxicity of TsC × HCl, as demonstrated by unaltered haematological and metabolic blood parameters. In conclusion, potent antitumour efficacy and low toxicity of new compounds in comparison with the common chemotherapy drug 5-FU make them promising anticancer agents. Additional pre-clinical and clinical studies are warranted to illuminate the mode of action of these newly synthesized compounds in vivo, which would lay the groundwork for their further optimization.

In this work it has been found that N-1-sulfonylcytosine derivatives have strong antitumor activity against mouse mammary carcinoma which is a good reason for further research of these compounds both in experimental and preclinical studies.