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Angiostrongylus vasorum is a metastrongyloid nematode that may cause cardiopulmonary disease, neurological signs and coagulopathies in dogs. The parasite has an indirect life cycle with molluscs as intermediate hosts, in which the infective third larval stage develops. Recently, A. vasorum has been repeatedly reported in dogs outside the endemic areas, indicating that this parasite is widely distributed over Europe. This is the first record of an autochthonous infection in a dog from Slovakia that was casually diagnosed during routine preventive parasitological examination. A. vasorum first-stage larvae were recovered using the Baermann technique and identified by length and characteristic tail morphology. The animal originated from Slovakia and had not travelled abroad. The dog had been regularly walked on grass fields with a concentrated presence of common species of Gastropoda and frogs. The owner reported that the dog had been licking and eating grass and it had shown curiosity for molluscs and frogs. The first finding of A. vasorum-infected dog in Slovakia has confirmed that the parasite is spreading beyond the traditional hyperendemic foci, which accentuates the need for monitoring and increasing of disease awareness in primary care clinical practice.

SummaryA potential protective effect of probiotic strains against zoonotic Trichinella spiralis infection was investigated in the framework of a new therapeutic strategy aimed at using probiotics to control parasitic zoonoses. The study was focused on the impact of six selected probiotic (bacteriocinogenic) strains on the intensity of T. spiralis infection and female fecundity ex vivo and in vitro. Bacterial strains of different origin (Enterococcus faecium EF55, Enterococcus faecium 2019 = CCM7420, Enterococcus faecium AL41 = CCM8558, Enterococcus durans ED26E/7, Lactobacillus fermentum AD1 = CCM7421, Lactobacillus plantarum 17L/1) were administered daily in a dose of 109 CFU/ml in 100 μl, and mice were infected with 400 T. spiralis larvae on day 7 of treatment. Female adults of T. spiralis were isolated on day 5 post infection (p.i.) and subsequently were used in fecundity test ex vivo. E. faecium CCM8558, E. faecium CCM7420 and E. durans ED26E/7 strains significantly reduced the number of adults in the intestine. The application of L. fermentum CCM7421, L. plantarum 17L/1, E. faecium CCM8558 and E. durans ED26E/7 caused a significant decrease in the number of muscle larvae. The treatment with E. faecium CCM8558 and E. durans ED26E/7 showed the highest inhibitory effect on female fecundity (94 %). The number of newborn larvae (NBL) was also significantly decreased after administration of L. fermentum CCM7421 and L. plantarum 17L/1 (80 %). A direct impact of probiotic strains on female reproductive capacity was examined in vitro in females isolated from untreated infected mice on day 5 p.i. A correlation was found between the inhibitory effect and the concentration of probiotic strains. The reduction effects of the strains manifested as follows: L. fermentum CCM7421 (93 %), E. faecium CCM8558, L. plantarum 17L/1, E. faecium EF55 (about 80 %), E. faecium CCM7420 and E. durans ED26E/7 (about 60 %).

The first systematic research on canine dirofilariosis in Slovakia started in February 2007. In total 287 dogs of various age, sex, breeds, and utilization from southern Slovakia were examined within the study until September 2007. Microfilariaemia was detected in 99 (34.5 %) blood samples. Histochemical staining and PCR approach were used for Dirofilaria species identification. Dirofilaria repens was confirmed in all infected dogs; it occurred in 92 (32.1 %) dogs as a single infection and in 6 (2.1 %) dogs in mixed infection with Dirofilaria immitis. For the first time both species were detected in Eastern Slovakia. Outdoor keeping and age higher 3 years become evident as important risk factors. Male individuals and dogs with long hair were significantly more frequently infected when compared with females and short hair breeds. The present study revealed the occurrence of highly endemic area of dirofilariosis in Slovakia and certified that climatic conditions in the country are favourable for development of the parasite and for further spread of this zoonotic infection.

73 SummaryDue to specific geographical localization, climatic and geomorphologic conditions, several serious parasitic diseases circulate in the territory of the Slovak Republic that makes this area an ideal model territory of the central European red fox system. The red fox is an important reservoir host of parasites, which can be spread to another animals and humans. Our study was aimed at determining the current prevalence of certain parasites in red foxes from the entire territory of the Slovak Republic and identifies some ecological factors influencing their epidemiology. Within the first systematic investigation of red foxes carried out between the years 2000 and 2006 in total 4026 foxes were examined for Echinococcus multilocularis (prevalence 31.1 %) and 4699 foxes were investigated for the presence of Trichinella spp. larvae (10.4 % infected). The results of the next separate study revealed that 83.3 % of 1198 red foxes in the Slovak Republic had coccidian oocysts and helminth eggs in their faeces. Fifteen helminth species including two trematode, four cestode and nine nematode species were detected by coprological examination. Nine of these parasite taxa have zoonotic potential: Capillaria spp. (prevalence 22.4 %), Ancylostoma caninum (18.1 %), Toxocara canis (12.5 %), Taenia spp. (12.2 %), Mesocestoides spp. (5.8 %), Strongyloides stercoralis (1.6 %), Hymenolepis diminuta (0.6 %), Dipylidium caninum (0.4 %) and Opisthorchis felineus (0.3 %). Toxascaris leonina was the most common helminth species found in this survey (42.9 %).

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A monitoring programme aimed at the diagnosis of subcutaneous dirofilariasis and heartworm disease in working (police and military) dogs in Slovakia has been performed during the period of September 2007 to February 2008. In co-operation with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Defence, in total, 710 dogs (591 police dogs and 119 military dogs) were investigated for the presence of microfilariae in blood. All police and military dogs in active service held on the territory of Slovakia were included. Microfilariae were detected in 118 (20.0%) police dogs and 10 (8.4%) military dogs. The most infected individuals originated from southern parts of Slovakia (Trnava region 53.6% and Nitra region 39.6%); the prevalence was low in northern regions (Zilina 3.1% and Presov 6.6%). In several districts of southern Slovakia, the prevalence of subcutaneous dirofilariasis in working dogs exceeded 40%. In all infected animals, the autochthonous origin of the disease was confirmed; however, due to the frequent movement of working dogs, it was not possible to identify the exact locality of infection. At present, a dog living in Nemsová village in Trencín district (north-western part of the country) is regarded as the northernmost localized autochthonous case of subcutaneous dirofilariasis in Slovakia. In three dogs, co-infection of Dirofilaria repens and Dirofilaria immitis was detected. High prevalence rates in working dogs and the zoonotic characteristic of the disease represent an undoubtedly important veterinary and medical problem that requires the urgent introduction of prophylactic and control measures.

The murine cellular immune response to the infection with ten larvae of encapsulating (Trichinella spiralis, Trichinella britovi) and non-encapsulating species (Trichinella pseudospiralis) was studied. Both T. spiralis and T. britovi stimulated the proliferation of splenic T and B lymphocytes during the intestinal phase of infection, but T. spiralis activated the proliferative response also at the muscle phase, particularly in B cells. Non-encapsulating T. pseudospiralis stimulated the proliferation of T and B cells only on day 10 post-infection (p.i.) and later at the muscle phase. The numbers of splenic CD4 and CD8 T cells of T. spiralis infected mice were significantly increased till day 10 p.i., i.e., at the intestinal phase, and then at the late muscle phase, on day 60 p.i. T. britovi infection increased the CD4 and CD8 T cell numbers only on day 30 p.i. Decreased numbers of CD4 and CD8 T cells after T. pseudospiralis infection suggest a suppression of cellular immunity. Both encapsulating Trichinella species induced the Th2 response (cytokines interleukin-5 (IL-5) and interleukin-10) at the intestinal phase and the Th2 dominant response at the advanced muscle phase. Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production (Th1 type) started to increase with migrating newborn larvae from day 15 p.i. till the end of the experiment. IL-5 production was suppressed during the intestinal phase of T. pseudospiralis infection. The immune response to T. pseudospiralis was directed more to the Th1 response at the muscle phase, the high IFN-γ production was found on day 10 p.i. and it peaked on days 45 and 60 p.i.