title: Molecular detection of emerging tick-borne pathogens in Vojvodina, Serbia.
abstract: Ticks play an important role in disease transmission globally due to their capability to serve as vectors for human and animal pathogens. The Republic of Serbia is an endemic area for a large number of tick-borne diseases. However, current knowledge on these diseases in Serbia is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of new emerging tick-borne pathogens in ticks collected from dogs and the vegetation from different parts of Vojvodina, Serbia. A total of 187 ticks, including 124 Rhipicephalus sanguineus, 45 Ixodes ricinus and 18 Dermacentor reticulatus were collected from dogs. In addition, 26 questing I. ricinus ticks were collected from the vegetation, using the flagging method, from 4 different localities in Vojvodina, Serbia. DNA was extracted from each tick individually and samples were tested by either conventional or real-time PCR assays for the presence of Rickettsia spp.-DNA (gltA and ompA gene fragments), Ehrlichia/Anaplasma spp.-DNA (16S rRNA gene fragment) and Hepatozoon spp./Babesia spp.-DNA (18S rRNA gene fragment). In addition, all I. ricinus DNA samples were tested for Bartonella spp.-DNA (ITS locus) by real-time PCR. In this study, the presence of novel emerging tick-borne pathogens including Rickettsia raoultii, Rickettsia massiliae, Babesia venatorum, Babesia microti, Hepatozoon canis and Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis was identified for the first time in Serbia. Our findings also confirmed the presence of Rickettsia monacensis, Babesia canis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in ticks from Serbia. The findings of the current study highlight the great diversity of tick-borne pathogens of human and animal importance in Serbia. Physicians, public health workers and veterinarians should increase alertness to the presence of these tick-borne pathogens in this country.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia. Electronic address: ale@polj.uns.ac.rs.
authors.forename: Aleksandar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Potkonjak
authors.affiliation: Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.affiliation: Scientific Veterinary Institute "Novi Sad", Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Savić
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors.forename: Vuk
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vračar
authors.affiliation: Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Yaarit
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nachum-Biala
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors.forename: Aleksandar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jurišić
authors.affiliation: Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kleinerman
authors.affiliation: Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrović
authors.affiliation: Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Gad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baneth
authors.affiliation: Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harrus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000145:classification* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D055771:Serbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Anaplasma; Babesia; Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis; Hepatozoon; Rickettsia; Ticks