title: Presence of Leishmania and Brucella species in the golden jackal Canis aureus in Serbia.
abstract: The golden jackal Canis aureus occurs in south-eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Africa. In Serbia, jackals neared extinction; however, during the last 30 years, the species started to spread quickly and to increase in number. Few studies in the past have revealed their potential role as carriers of zoonotic diseases. Animal samples were collected over a three-year period (01/2010-02/2013) from 12 sites all over Serbia. Of the tissue samples collected, spleen was chosen as the tissue to proceed; all samples were tested for Leishmania species and Brucella species by real-time PCR. Of the 216 samples collected, 15 (6.9%) were positive for Leishmania species, while four (1.9%) were positive for B. canis. The potential epidemiologic role of the golden jackal in carrying and dispersing zoonotic diseases in Serbia should be taken under consideration when applying surveillance monitoring schemes.
authors: Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors: Duško
authors: D
authors: Cirović
authors: Regional Laboratory of Public Health of Crete, Heraklion, 71110 Crete, Greece.
authors: Dimosthenis
authors: D
authors: Chochlakis
authors: Laboratory for Medical Entomology, Department for Parasitology, Center of Excellence for Toxoplasmosis and Medical Entomology, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors: Snežana
authors: S
authors: Tomanović
authors: Laboratory for Medical Entomology, Department for Parasitology, Center of Excellence for Toxoplasmosis and Medical Entomology, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors: Ratko
authors: R
authors: Sukara
authors: Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors: Aleksandra
authors: A
authors: Penezić
authors: Regional Laboratory of Public Health of Crete, Heraklion, 71110 Crete, Greece ; Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology, Zoonoses and Geographical Medicine, Medical School, University of Crete, P.O. BOX 1393, Heraklion, 71110 Crete, Greece.
authors: Yannis
authors: Y
authors: Tselentis
authors: Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology, Zoonoses and Geographical Medicine, Medical School, University of Crete, P.O. BOX 1393, Heraklion, 71110 Crete, Greece.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Psaroulaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D041002:Brucella canis; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D046030:Jackals / Q000382:microbiology*; D007891:Leishmania; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology*