14 results on '"Verica Simin"'
Search Results
2. One health approach to study human health risks associated with Dermanyssus gallinae mites
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Pavle Banović, Angélique Foucault-Simonin, Luka Papić, Sara Savić, Aleksandar Potkonjak, Aleksandar Jurišić, Marko Radenković, Dragana Mijatović, Verica Simin, Ivana Bogdan, Zbigniew Zając, Joanna Kulisz, Aneta Woźniak, David Hartmann, Jan Perner, Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez, Sara Moutailler, and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
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Red mites ,Allergy ,One health ,Pathogens ,Science (General) ,Q1-390 ,Social sciences (General) ,H1-99 - Abstract
Despite the significant health risks associated with Dermanyssus gallinae infestations in humans, they are often overlooked. This study investigated a household case of D. gallinae infestation and explored the resulting clinical manifestations and risk of infection in family members. Microfluidic PCR was employed for high-throughput screening of pathogens in collected mites and blood samples from both chickens and family members. Morphological and molecular examinations confirmed the identity of the mites as D. gallinae sensu stricto (s.s.), with evidence indicating recent blood feeding. Results indicated that the mites exclusively harbored various pathogens, including Bartonella spp., Ehrlichia spp., Apicomplexa, and Theileria spp. Blood samples from family members and poultry tested negative for these pathogens, suggesting a potential reservoir role for D. gallinae. The study further identified haplotypes of D. gallinae, classifying them into D. gallinae s.s., cosmopolitan haplogroup A. Serological analysis revealed elevated IgE seroreactivity against mite proteins in the family member with bite lesions. Antibodies against Bartonella spp. were detected in this individual, indicating exposure to the pathogen. In summary, this study sheds light on the clinical manifestations, pathogen detection, and genetic characterization of D. gallinae infestations, underscoring the necessity of adopting comprehensive approaches to manage such infestations effectively.
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- 2024
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3. Real-world evidence of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis in Serbia: Nation-wide observational study (2017–2019)
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Pavle Banović, Dragana Mijatović, Verica Simin, Nenad Vranješ, Eleftherios Meletis, Polychronis Kostoulas, Dasiel Obregon, and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
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Rabies ,Post-exposure prophylaxis ,Essen regimen ,Seroconversion ,Rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies ,Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine ,RC955-962 ,Infectious and parasitic diseases ,RC109-216 - Abstract
Background: Rabies remains a deadly zoonotic disease, primarily prevalent in Eastern European countries, with a significant global burden in Asia and Africa. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is critical to prevent clinical rabies. Serbia, a country with a relatively low animal rabies incidence, has been implementing a 4-dose Essen PEP regimen for 13 years. This real-world study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the 4-dose Essen regimen, considering demographic and clinical factors, after WHO Category III exposure. Method: The study included 601 patients who received the 4-dose Essen PEP and 79 who received an additional 5th dose. Results: Age emerged as a critical factor influencing seroconversion rates after the 4-dose regimen, with older individuals exhibiting lower RVNA titers. Logistic regression indicated a 3.18% decrease in seroconversion odds for each added year of age. The Cox proportional hazards mixed model highlighted age-related risks, with age groups 45–60 and 75–92 at the highest risk of non-seroconversion. Human Rabies Immune Globulin (HRIG) administration was associated with lower RVNA values after the 4-dose regimen, suggesting interference with vaccine immunogenicity among people who received larger doses of HRIG. Conclusions: This study provides valuable real-world evidence for rabies PEP in a non-homogeneous population with potential comorbidities. The results underscore the importance of optimizing PEP strategies, particularly in older individuals, and reconsidering HRIG dosing to improve seroconversion rates.
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- 2024
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4. Evidence of tick-borne encephalitis virus neutralizing antibodies in Serbian individuals exposed to tick bites
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Pavle Banović, Dragana Mijatović, Ivana Bogdan, Verica Simin, Eleftherios Meletis, Polychronis Kostoulas, Katarina Resman Rus, Nataša Knap, Miša Korva, Tatjana Avšič-Županc, and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
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ticks ,TBEV ,seroprevalence ,TBEV-neutralizing antibodies ,Serbia ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
IntroductionTick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an emerging vector-borne and food-borne disease caused by the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV; Orthoflavivirus encephalitidis), with a distribution spanning the Eurasian continent. Despite its significant public health impact in various European regions, TBE remains largely underdiagnosed in Serbia due to limited awareness and diagnostic challenges. In response to this, our study aimed to comprehensively assess TBEV exposure in individuals infested with ticks and to identify potential TBEV foci within Serbia.Materials and methodsFrom 2019 to 2021, we conducted an observational study involving 450 patients who reported tick infestations.ResultsOur demographic analysis revealed a median age of 38 years, with a slight male predominance among the participants. We documented tick infestations in 38 municipalities across 14 districts of Serbia, with a notable concentration in proximity to Fruška Gora Mountain. The ticks most frequently removed were Ixodes ricinus, with nymphs and adult females being the predominant stages. On average, nymphs were removed after about 27.1 hours of feeding, while adult females remained attached for approximately 44.4 hours. Notably, we found age as a significant predictor of infestation time for both nymphs and adult females. Furthermore, we detected TBEV-neutralizing antibodies in 0.66% of the serum samples, shedding light on potential TBEV foci, particularly in Fruška Gora Mountain and other regions of Serbia.ConclusionOur study emphasizes the urgent need for active TBE surveillance programs, especially in areas suspected of hosting TBEV foci, in order to assess the true TBE burden, identify at-risk populations, and implement effective preventive measures.
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- 2023
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5. 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
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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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6. Clinical Aspects and Detection of Emerging Rickettsial Pathogens: A 'One Health' Approach Study in Serbia, 2020
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Pavle Banović, Adrian A. Díaz-Sánchez, Verica Simin, Angélique Foucault-Simonin, Clemence Galon, Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Dragana Mijatović, Dasiel Obregón, Sara Moutailler, and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
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ticks ,tick-borne pathogens ,coinfections ,rickettsial pathogens ,One Health ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
Ticks carry numerous pathogens that, if transmitted, can cause disease in susceptible humans and animals. The present study describes our approach on how to investigate clinical presentations following tick bites in humans. To this aim, the occurrence of major tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in human blood samples (n = 85) and the ticks collected (n = 93) from the same individuals were tested using an unbiased high-throughput pathogen detection microfluidic system. The clinical symptoms were characterized in enrolled patients. In patients with suspected TBP infection, serological assays were conducted to test for the presence of antibodies against specific TBPs. A field study based on One Health tenets was further designed to identify components of a potential chain of infection resulting in Rickettsia felis infection in one of the patients. Ticks species infesting humans were identified as Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.), Dermacentor reticulatus, and Haemaphysalis punctata. Five patients developed local skin lesions at the site of the tick bite including erythema migrans, local non-specific reactions, and cutaneous hypersensitivity reaction. Although Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Babesia microti, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Candidatus Cryptoplasma sp. DNAs were detected in tick samples, different Rickettsia species were the most common TBPs identified in the ticks. The presence of TBPs such as Rickettsia helvetica, Rickettsia monacensis, Borrelia lusitaniae, Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii, A. phagocytophilum, and B. microti in ticks was further confirmed by DNA sequencing. Two of the patients with local skin lesions had IgG reactive against spotted fever group rickettsiae, while IgM specific to B. afzelii, Borrelia garinii, and Borrelia spielmanii were detected in the patient with erythema migrans. Although R. felis infection was detected in one human blood sample, none of the components of the potential chain of infection considered in this study tested positive to this pathogen either using direct pathogen detection in domestic dogs or xenodiagnosis in ticks collected from domestic cats. The combination of high-throughput screening of TBPs and One Health approaches might help characterize chains of infection leading to human infection by TBPs, as well as prevalence of emerging rickettsial pathogens in the Balkan region.
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- 2022
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7. A One Health approach to study the circulation of tick-borne pathogens: A preliminary study
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Pavle Banović, Adrian Alberto Díaz-Sánchez, Clemence Galon, Angélique Foucault-Simonin, Verica Simin, Dragana Mijatović, Luka Papić, Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Dasiel Obregón, Sara Moutailler, and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
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One Health ,Ticks ,Tick-borne-pathogens ,Anaplasma bovis ,Rickettsia helvetica ,Medicine (General) ,R5-920 - Abstract
Tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) have complex life cycles involving tick vectors and vertebrate hosts. However, there is limited empirical evidence on the zoonotic circulation of TBPs. In this study, we used a One Health approach to study the possible circulation of TBPs in ticks, animals and humans within a rural household in the foothills of the Fruška Gora mountain, northern Serbia. The presence of TBP DNA was assessed using microfluidic PCR (25 bacterial species, 7 parasite species, 5 bacterial genera, 3 parasite genera) in animal, human and tick samples and the presence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) RNA was screened for using RT-qPCR on tick samples. In addition, Lyme borreliosis serology was assessed in patients sera. Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Ixodes ricinus ticks were identified on dogs and Haemaphysalis punctata was identified on house walls. Rickettsia helvetica was the most common pathogen detected in pooled R. sanguineus and I. ricinus tick samples, followed by Hepatozoon canis. None of the H. punctata tick samples tested positive for the presence of TBPs. Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia monacensis were the most frequent pathogens detected in dogs, followed by Rickettsia felis, whereas Anaplasma bovis was the only pathogen found in one of the goats tested. None of the human blood samples collected from family members tested positive for the presence of TBPs. Although microfluidic PCR did not detect Borrelia sp. in any of the tested tick or blood samples, a family member with a history of Lyme disease was seropositive for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.). We conclude that, despite the presence of TBPs in tick and vertebrate reservoirs, there is no evidence of infection with TBPs across various components of the epidemiological chain in a rural Fruška Gora household.
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- 2021
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8. Fatal Case of Imported Tick-Borne Encephalitis in South Serbia
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Lidija Popović Dragonjić, Miodrag Vrbić, Aleksandar Tasić, Verica Simin, Ivana Bogdan, Dragana Mijatović, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz, and Pavle Banović
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tick-borne encephalitis ,tick ,Serbia ,Switzerland ,fatal ,Medicine - Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is vaccine-preventable neglected zoonotic neuroinvasive disease, caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). Many of the Central and Eastern European countries are affected by TBE, which is often poorly perceived by tourists visiting endemic territories. Here we are reporting a fatal case of imported TBE in Serbian resident who was exposed to a tick bite during a visit to Switzerland.
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- 2022
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9. 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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10. Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus and Borrelia burgdorferi Seroprevalence in Balkan Tick-Infested Individuals: A Two-Centre Study
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Banović, 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
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TBEV ,Lyme borreliosis ,seroprevalence - 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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11. Differential detection of tick-borne pathogens in human platelets and whole blood using microfluidic PCR
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Pavle Banović, Elianne Piloto-Sardiñas, Dragana Mijatović, Angélique Foucault-Simonin, Verica Simin, Ivana Bogdan, Dasiel Obregón, Lourdes Mateos-Hernández, Sara Moutailler, and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
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Infectious Diseases ,Insect Science ,Veterinary (miscellaneous) ,Parasitology - Abstract
The tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) with adhesive phenotype can use platelets for dissemination and colonization of distant tissues and organs, and it has been shown that they can be found concentrated in the platelet fraction of blood. This study shows the differential presence of TBPs in samples of human platelet fraction (n = 68), whole blood samples (n = 68) and ticks collected (n = 76) from the same individuals, using an unbiased high-throughput pathogen detection microfluidic system. The clinical symptoms were characterized in enrolled patients. In patients with suspected TBP infection, serological assays were conducted to test for the presence of antibodies against specific TBPs. Tick species infesting humans were identified as Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor reticulatus, and Haemaphysalis punctata. Eight patients developed local skin lesions at the site of the tick bite including non-specific lesions, itching sensation at the lesion site, and eschar. Most common TBPs detected in platelet fraction were Borrelia spielmanii and Rickettsia sp., followed by Borrelia afzelii and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Multiple infections with three TBPs were detected in platelet fraction. In whole blood, most common TBPs detected were Anaplasma spp. and A. phagocytophilum, followed by Rickettsia spp. and B. afzelii. In ticks, the most common TBP detected was Rickettsia spp., followed by Borrelia spp. and Anaplasma spp. Overall, nine different pathogens with variable prevalence were identified using species-specific primers, and the most common was Rickettsia helvetica. In three patients, there were no coincidences between the TBPs detected in whole blood and tick samples. Only in one patient was detected A. phagocytophilum in both, whole blood and tick samples. These results suggest the unequal detection of TBPs in whole blood, platelet fraction and ticks collected, from the same individual. The results justify the use of both whole blood and platelet fraction for molecular diagnosis of TBPs in patients.
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- 2022
12. Mediterranean spotted fever-like illness caused by
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Dejan, Jakimovski, Sofija, Mateska, Verica, Simin, Ivana, Bogdan, Dragana, Mijatović, Agustín, Estrada-Peña, Lourdes, Mateos-Hernández, Angélique, Foucault-Simonin, Sara, Moutailler, Alejandro, Cabezas-Cruz, and Pavle, Banović
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Humans ,Animals ,Rickettsia Infections ,Rickettsia ,Boutonneuse Fever ,Republic of North Macedonia - Abstract
Mediterranean spotted fever-like illness (MSF-like illness) is a tick-borne disease caused by
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- 2022
13. Emerging tick-borne spotted fever group rickettsioses in the Balkans
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Pavle Banović, Adrian Alberto Díaz-Sánchez, Angélique Foucault-Simonin, Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez, Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Clemence Galon, Verica Simin, Dragana Mijatović, Ivana Bogdan, Belkis Corona-González, Liani Coronado Báez, Joanna Kulisz, Aneta Woźniak, Zbigniew Zając, Dasiel Obregón, Sara Moutailler, and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
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Microbiology (medical) ,Infectious Diseases ,Genetics ,Molecular Biology ,Microbiology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
The impact of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) on human health has increased in the last decades, since the incidence of emerging and re-emerging infectious and zoonotic tick-borne diseases has increased worldwide. Tick-borne rickettsiae of the Spotted Fever group (SFGR) are considered as emerging pathogens that can infect humans and cause a variety of non-specific clinical symptoms. Here, we report nine cases of atypical tick-borne diseases (9/460; 1.95%) that occurred over a period of four months (from 15 April 2021 to 16 August 2021) in Serbia, from which five cases were classified as confirmed SFGR infection, two cases as probable SFGR infection and two cases as suspected SFGR infection. Within cases of confirmed SFGR infection, R. helvetica was detected as the causative agent in two cases. The most common clinical finding was non-expanding persistent circular redness, followed by eschar and enlargement of regional lymph nodes, and pain at lesion site. Rickettsia outer membrane protein B (ompB) and citrate synthase (gltA) gene fragments were amplified from clinical samples and ticks attached to patients and IgG reacting with Rickettsia conorii antigen were detected in sera samples of patients, which are highly suggestive of exposure to SFGR. Surveillance and monitoring of rickettsial diseases in Serbia should continue and extended to new areas due to the increasing trend of clinical infections caused by SFGR in the country.
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- 2023
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14. Demographic and Clinical Factors Associated with Reactivity of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Serbian Convalescent Plasma Donors
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Jasmina Grujić, Nevenka Bujandrić, Zorana Budakov-Obradović, Vladimir Dolinaj, Damir Bogdan, Nebojša Savić, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz, Dragana Mijatović, Verica Simin, Nikola Anđelić, and Pavle Banović
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Male ,therapy ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Immunization, Passive ,COVID-19 ,Blood Donors ,Antibodies, Viral ,convalescent plasma ,Serbia ,donors ,Article ,Medicine ,Humans ,skin and connective tissue diseases ,COVID-19 Serotherapy ,Aged ,Demography - Abstract
Passive immunotherapy with convalescent COVID-19 plasma (CCP) is used as a therapeutic procedure in many countries, including Serbia. In this study, we analyzed the association between demographic factors, COVID-19 severity and the reactivity of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (Abs) in Serbian CCP donors. Individuals (n = 468) recovered from confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, and who were willing to donate their plasma for passive immunization of COVID-19 patients were enrolled in the study. Plasma samples were tested for the presence of IgG reactive to SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (S1) and nucleocapsid antigens. Individuals were characterized according to age, gender, comorbidities, COVID-19 severity, ABO blood type and RhD factor. Total of 420 candidates (420/468; 89.74%) reached the levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG that qualified them for inclusion in CCP donation program. Further statistical analysis showed that male individuals (p = 0.034), older age groups (p < 0.001), existence of hypertension (p = 0.008), and severe COVID-19 (p = 0.000) are linked with higher levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 Abs. These findings will guide the selection of CCP donors in Serbia. Further studies need to be conducted to assess the neutralization potency and clinical efficiency of CCP collected from Serbian donors with high anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG reactivity.
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- 2021
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