Infektionen mit arthropodenübertragenen Parasiten bei Hunden im Kosovo und in Albanien unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Leishmanieninfektionen

Abstract

Currently no information is available regarding canine arthropod-borne parasites in Albania and the Kosovo, especially the zoonotic protozoan Leishmania infantum. Presumably autochtonous cases of human leishmaniosis have been described for some areas (Kosovo: Ferizaj, Gjakovo, Pec, Malisevo; Albania: Tirana, Durres, Elbasan, Shkodra, Vlore). In order to investigate the infection status of dogs of different origin sera from 272 animals (151 from Albania - Tirana, Kamza and Durres; 121 from the Kosovo - Gjakovo, Ferizaj and Prishtina) were obtained. Corresponding blood samples were available from 36 Albanian stray dogs. Antibody titres were determined by Indirect Immunofluorescence Test against L. infantum and Babesia canis. Antigens of Dirofilaria immitis were determined using the DiroCheck-Test. Blood samples were tested for L. infantum, B. canis, Hepatozoon canis, D. immitis and Dirofilaria repens by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Specific antibodies against Babesia were found in 7.3% of the animals, against Leishmania in 3.3% and 7.0% were positive for D. immitis antigen. DNA of Babesia, Leishmania or D. repens was detected in 11.1%, respectively. H. canis was found in 52.8% of the blood samples. D. immitis DNA was not detected. Since the Babesia- and Leishmania-PCR-positive animals were all serologically negative it can be assumed that infections were acquired only recently. All Leishmania-positive animals were stray dogs. These animals contribute to the maintenance of Leishmania transmission in endemic areas, and a control of the canine stray population should be considered.

Seroprevalence of canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) infection in Albania

“…Several mosquito species which constitute suitable vectors for D. immitis (Cancrini and Gabrielli 2007), including the so-called tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, which was discovered for the first time in Europe in the district of Krujë, Albania in 1979, are abundant in the country (Danielova and Adham 1960;Adhami 1974;Adhami and Murati 1987;Adhami and Reiter 1998). In two recently conducted studies (Lazri et al 2008;Hamel et al 2009), 151 and 30 serum samples collected in 2007 and 2008, respectively, from dogs originating mainly from Tirana and to a lesser extent from cities along the sea side of Albania were tested with the DiroChek® Canine/ Feline Heartworm Antigen Test (Synbiotics). The combined seroprevalence of these two studies (5%) was significantly (chi-square 8.543, p<0.01) lower than the average 13.5% seroprevalence found in this survey from 1995/1996, but similar low seroprevalences were seen in some districts in this survey too (cf.…”

“…Popovici 1916;Popesco 1933Popesco , 1935; however, no recovery of filarial parasites from the heart/pulmonary arteries of dogs was reported, and the clinical symptoms described were not indicative for heartworm disease. Apart from Greece, canine heartworm infections were described later only sporadically as necropsy findings from the former Yugoslavia including cases which might not be considered autochthonous infections (Brglez and Šenk 1987;Milosavljević and Kulišić 1989) but have now been reported with increasing frequency from Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Serbia and the Kosovo (Kanev et al 1996;Olteanu 1996;Geogieva et al 1997Geogieva et al , 1999Geogieva et al , 2001Coman et al 2007;Juric et al 2007;Kirkova et al 2007;Kostadinov 2007;Pavlović et al 2007Pavlović et al , 2009Savic-Jevdenic et al 2007;Zivicnjak et al 2007;Lazri et al 2008;Paşca et al 2008;Tasić et al 2008;Tudor et al 2008Tudor et al , 2009.…”

“…Makedonia (Ježić and Simić 1929) and Greece (e.g. Himonas 1968;Himonas and Lazarides 1974;Rallis et al 1986;Paschaleris 1988;Papazahariadou et al 1994) and environmental conditions are favourable for heartworm transmission, occurrence of D. immitis infection in Albania has been reported only recently (Lazri et al 2008;Hamel et al 2009). In the mid1990s, a survey studying the seroprevalence of canine heartworm infection was carried out in that country.…”

Ectoparasites of dogs and cats in Albania

“…Both R. sanguineus and I. ricinus have been implicated as vectors for a range of pathogens in Europe with some of them causing zoonoses with the potential to cause considerable public health problems (Estrada-Peña and Jongejan 1999; Shaw et al 2001;Parola 2004;Parola et al 2005;Brouqui et al 2007;Rovery et al 2008). The presence of several of those tick-borne disease agents in Albania has been proven through serological surveys or direct detection of the antigens in hosts or ticks, e.g., tick-borne encephalitis and Mediterranean spotted fever (Bárdoš et al 1959;Gina et al 1986;Eltari et al 1993;Berxholi et al 1995;Christova et al 2003), granulocytic anaplasmosis, canine monocytic ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and hepatozoonosis (Christova et al 2003;Petrovec et al 2003;Dhamo et al 2006;Hamel et al 2008;Lazri et al 2008).…”

“…Scarce information is available on the parasites of dogs from Albania, and in most cases, it dates back to papers published in the 1960s and 1970s (Moskvin 1958;Danielova 1960;Prokopič 1960;Rosický and Gjini 1960;Luli 1963;Gina 1973;Gina and Kastrati 1974;Gina et al 1975;Adhami and Murati 1977), except for some recent reports on canine arthropod-borne diseases, and in particular leishmaniosis, because of its association to human visceral leishmaniosis (Kero and Xinxho 1998;Cicko et al 1999;Sotira 2000;Cani et al 2001;Dhamo et al 2006;Lazri et al 2008).…”