8 results on '"Pavle Banović"'
Search Results
2. Current Status and Challenges Associated with Tick-Borne Pathogens and Diseases: Where Do We Stand?
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Pavle Banović, Islay Rodríguez, and Dejan Jakimovski
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n/a ,Medicine - Abstract
Lyme Borreliosis (LB), caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s [...]
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- 2023
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3. Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus and Borrelia burgdorferi Seroprevalence in Balkan Tick-Infested Individuals: A Two-Centre Study
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Dejan Jakimovski, Sofija Mateska, Emilija Dimitrova, Mile Bosilkovski, Dragana Mijatović, Verica Simin, Ivana Bogdan, Jasmina Grujić, Zorana Budakov-Obradović, Eleftherios Meletis, Polychronis Kostoulas, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz, and Pavle Banović
- Subjects
TBEV ,Lyme borreliosis ,seroprevalence ,Medicine - Abstract
Lyme borreliosis (LB) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) are important tick-borne diseases in Europe. This study aimed to investigate the seroreactivity against Borrelia burgdorferi and TBE virus (TBEV) in tick-infested individuals in North Macedonia and Serbia. Serum samples were collected from tick-infested individuals and from healthy individuals in the same regions. Samples were tested for anti-Borrelia IgG reactivity and TBEV-neutralizing antibodies. Results showed higher seroreactivity against Borrelia antigens in patients and healthy donors from Novi Sad compared to those from the Skopje region. However, there was no statistically significant difference between tick-infested patients and healthy donors within each region. No TBEV-neutralizing antibodies were detected in participants from Novi Sad or in the control groups, except for one person from North Macedonia who had a moderate TBEV-neutralizing reaction. The study highlights the need for improved surveillance and diagnostic capabilities for LB and TBE in these regions. It also suggests the potential existence of TBEV foci in North Macedonia. The findings provide a complementary understanding of the LB and TBE epidemiology in the studied regions; however, further research is needed to investigate the presence and distribution of Borrelia spp. and TBEV in ticks to assess the significance of detected seroreactivity.
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- 2023
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4. Understanding Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Foci, a Tale of Two Mountains
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Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz and Pavle Banović
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n/a ,Medicine - Abstract
What factors influence the formation and disappearance of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) foci [...]
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- 2023
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5. Unexpected TBEV Seropositivity in Serbian Patients Who Recovered from Viral Meningitis and Encephalitis
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Pavle Banović, Adrian Alberto Díaz-Sánchez, Selena Đurić, Siniša Sević, Vesna Turkulov, Dajana Lendak, Sandra Stefan Mikić, Verica Simin, Dragana Mijatović, Ivana Bogdan, Aleksandar Potkonjak, Sara Savić, Dasiel Obregón, and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
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tick-borne encephalitis ,seroreactivity ,human encephalitis ,Ixodes ricinus ,Medicine - Abstract
The tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) causes a life-threatening disease named Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). The clinical symptoms associated with TBE range from non-specific to severe inflammation of the central nervous system and are very similar to the clinical presentation of other viral meningitis/encephalitis. In consequence, TBE is often misclassified by clinical physicians, mainly in the non-identified high-risk areas where none or only a few TBE cases have been reported. Considering this situation, we hypothesized that among persons from northern Serbia who recovered from viral meningitis or encephalitis, there would be evidence of TBEV infection. To test this hypothesis, in this observational study, we evaluated the seroreactivity against TBEV antigens in patients from northern Serbia who were hospitalized due to viral meningitis and/or viral encephalitis of unknown etiology. Three cases of seroreactivity to TBEV antigens were discovered among convalescent patients who recovered from viral meningitis and/or encephalitis and accepted to participate in the study (n = 15). The clinical and laboratory findings of these patients overlap with that of seronegative convalescent patients. Although TBE has been a notifiable disease in Serbia since 2004, there is no active TBE surveillance program for the serologic or molecular screening of TBEV infection in humans in the country. This study highlights the necessity to increase the awareness of TBE among physicians and perform active and systematic screening of TBEV antibodies among patients with viral meningitis and/or encephalitis.
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- 2022
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6. Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases in Central America and the Caribbean: A One Health Perspective
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Roxanne A. Charles, Sergio Bermúdez, Pavle Banović, Dasiel Obregón Alvarez, Adrian Alberto Díaz-Sánchez, Belkis Corona-González, Eric Marcel Charles Etter, Islay Rodríguez González, Abdul Ghafar, Abdul Jabbar, Sara Moutailler, and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
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ticks ,tick-borne diseases ,Central America ,Caribbean ,One Health ,Medicine - Abstract
Ticks have complex life cycles which involve blood-feeding stages found on wild and domestic animals, with humans as accidental hosts. At each blood-feeding stage, ticks can transmit and/or acquire pathogens from their hosts. Therefore, the circulation of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs), especially the zoonotic ones, should be studied in a multi-layered manner, including all components of the chain of infections, following the ‘One Health’ tenets. The implementation of such an approach requires coordination among major stakeholders (such as veterinarians, physicians, acarologists, and researchers) for the identification of exposure and infection risks and application of effective prevention measures. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge on the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases in Central America and the Caribbean and the challenges associated with the implementation of ‘One Health’ surveillance and control programs in the region.
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- 2021
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7. Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Seropositivity among Tick Infested Individuals in Serbia
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Pavle Banović, Dasiel Obregón, Dragana Mijatović, Verica Simin, Srdjan Stankov, Zorana Budakov-Obradović, Nevenka Bujandrić, Jasmina Grujić, Siniša Sević, Vesna Turkulov, Adrian Alberto Díaz-Sánchez, and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
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TBEV ,risk factors ,seroprevalence ,Medicine - Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), caused by the TBE virus (TBEV), is a life-threatening disease with clinical symptoms ranging from non-specific to severe inflammation of the central nervous system. Despite TBE is a notifiable disease in Serbia since 2004, there is no active TBE surveillance program for the serologic or molecular screening of TBEV infection in humans in the country. This prospective cohort study aimed to assess the TBEV exposure among tick-infested individuals in Serbia during the year 2020. A total of 113 individuals exposed to tick bites were recruited for the study and screened for anti-TBEV antibodies using a commercial indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFA) test. Blood samples from 50 healthy donors not exposed to tick bites were included as a control group. Most of the enrolled patients reported infestations with one tick, being I. ricinus the most frequent tick found in the participants. The TBEV seroprevalence was higher (13.27%, 15 total 113) in tick-infested individuals than in healthy donors (4%, 2 total 50), although the difference was not significant. Notably, male individuals exposed to tick bites showed five times higher relative risk (RR) of being TBEV-seropositive than healthy donors of the same gender (RR= 5.1, CI = 1.6–19; p = 0.007). None of the seropositive individuals developed clinical manifestations of TBE, but the first clinical-stage of Lyme borreliosis (i.e., erythema migrans) was detected in seven of them. Potential TBEV foci were identified in rural areas, mostly in proximity or within the Fruška Gora mountain. We conclude that the Serbian population is at high risk of TBEV exposure. Further epidemiological studies should focus on potential TBEV foci identified in this study. The implementation of active surveillance for TBEV might contribute to evaluating the potential negative impact of TBE in Serbia.
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- 2021
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8. Shared Odds of Borrelia and Rabies Virus Exposure in Serbia
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Pavle Banović, Adrian Alberto Díaz-Sánchez, Dragana Mijatović, Dragana Vujin, Zsolt Horváth, Nenad Vranješ, Zorana Budakov-Obradović, Nevenka Bujandrić, Jasmina Grujić, Abdul Ghafar, Abdul Jabbar, Verica Simin, Dasiel Obregón, and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
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rabies ,Borrelia ,seroprevalence ,exposure ,relative odds ,Medicine - Abstract
Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common tick-borne disease in Serbia and other European countries. Rabies is a fatal zoonosis distributed worldwide and is caused by the rabies virus. Professionals at risk of rabies—including veterinarians, hunters, communal service workers, and forestry workers—overlap with some professions at a higher risk of exposure to tick bites and tick-borne pathogen infections. We hypothesized that individuals identified by the public health system as at risk of rabies virus infection, and consequently vaccinated against rabies virus, also share a higher likelihood of Borrelia exposure. To test our hypothesis, a case-control study was carried out during 2019 in Serbia to determine the seroprevalence of anti-Borrelia antibodies in two case groups (individuals at risk and vaccinated against rabies virus) and a control group (individuals without risk of rabies). Individuals vaccinated against rabies following either “pre-exposure protocol” (PrEP, n = 58) or “post-exposure protocol” (PEP, n = 42) were considered as rabies risk groups and healthy blood donors (n = 30) as the control group. The results showed higher Borrelia seroprevalence in PrEP (17.2%; 10/58) and PEP (19.0%; 8/42) groups compared with the control group (6.67%; 2/30). Furthermore, odds ratio (OR) analysis showed that risk of rabies (in either the PrEP (OR = 2.91) or PEP (OR = 3.29) groups) is associated with increased odds of being seropositive to Borrelia. However, the difference in Borrelia seroprevalence between groups was not statistically significant (Chi-square (χ²) test p > 0.05). The shared odds of LB and rabies exposure found in this study suggest that, in countries where both diseases occur, the common citizen can be at risk of both diseases when in a risky habitat. These findings are important to guide physicians in targeting high-risk groups, and diagnose LB, and to guide decision-makers in targeting control and prevention measures for both infections in risk areas.
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- 2021
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