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The prevalence of Dirofilaria repens in dogs in countries bordering Slovenia ranges from 1.5% to 47.3%. The aim of this study was to estimate its prevalence in Slovenian dogs and to present the cases of dirofilariasis diagnosed in humans from 2010 to 2020.

Helminth infections are ubiquitous in grazing ruminant production systems, and are responsible for significant costs and production losses. Anthelmintic Resistance (AR) in parasites is now widespread throughout Europe, although there are still gaps in our knowledge in some regions and countries. AR is a major threat to the sustainability of modern ruminant livestock production, resulting in reduced productivity, compromised animal health and welfare, and increased greenhouse gas emissions through increased parasitism and farm inputs. A better understanding of the extent of AR in Europe is needed to develop and advocate more sustainable parasite control approaches. A database of European published and unpublished AR research on gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) and liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) was collated by members of the European COST Action “COMBAR” (Combatting Anthelmintic Resistance in Ruminants), and combined with data from a previous systematic review of AR in GIN. A total of 197 publications on AR in GIN were available for analysis, representing 535 studies in 22 countries and spanning the period 1980–2020. Reports of AR were present throughout the European continent and some reports indicated high within-country prevalence. Heuristic sample size-weighted estimates of European AR prevalence over the whole study period, stratified by anthelmintic class, varied between 0 and 48%. Estimated regional (country) prevalence was highly heterogeneous, ranging between 0% and 100% depending on livestock sector and anthelmintic class, and generally increased with increasing research effort in a country. In the few countries with adequate longitudinal data, there was a tendency towards increasing AR over time for all anthelmintic classes in GIN: aggregated results in sheep and goats since 2010 reveal an average prevalence of resistance to benzimidazoles (BZ) of 86%, macrocyclic lactones except moxidectin (ML) 52%, levamisole (LEV) 48%, and moxidectin (MOX) 21%. All major GIN genera survived treatment in various studies. In cattle, prevalence of AR varied between anthelmintic classes from 0–100% (BZ and ML), 0–17% (LEV) and 0–73% (MOX), and both Cooperia and Ostertagia survived treatment. Suspected AR in F. hepatica was reported in 21 studies spanning 6 countries. For GIN and particularly F. hepatica, there was a bias towards preferential sampling of individual farms with suspected AR, and research effort was biased towards Western Europe and particularly the United Kingdom. Ongoing capture of future results in the live database, efforts to avoid bias in farm recruitment, more accurate tests for AR, and stronger appreciation of the importance of AR among the agricultural industry and policy makers, will support more sophisticated analyses of factors contributing to AR and effective strategies to slow its spread.

First larval stage (L1) of Oestrus ovis was recovered by flushing of the nasal cavity during rhinoscopy in an urban living dog. The dog was taken to the Small animal clinic after an acute onset of sneezing and bilateral nasal discharge. In Europe, there are sporadic reports of nasal myiasis in dogs caused by sheep bot flies, and the overall prevalence of O. ovis is high in Mediterranean countries. Because of its habitat expansion due to climate change, it should be considered as a differential diagnosis when an animal patient presents with signs of rhinitis in areas bordering the Mediterranean climate. This is the first report of a dog infested by sheep nasal bot fly in Slovenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farm animals have been suggested to play an important role in the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in the community. The purpose of this study was to evaluate risk factors associated with C. difficile dissemination in family dairy farms, which are the most common farming model in the European Union. Environmental samples and fecal samples from cows and calves were collected repeatedly over a 1 year period on 20 mid-size family dairy farms. Clostridium difficile was detected in cattle feces on all farms using qPCR. The average prevalence between farms was 10% (0-44.4%) and 35.7% (3.7-66.7%) in cows and calves, respectively. Bacterial culture yielded 103 C. difficile isolates from cattle and 61 from the environment. Most C. difficile isolates were PCR-ribotype 033. A univariate mixed effect model analysis of risk factors associated dietary changes with increasing C. difficile prevalence in cows (P = 0.0004); and dietary changes (P = 0.004), breeding Simmental cattle (P = 0.001), mastitis (P = 0.003) and antibiotic treatment (P = 0.003) in calves. Multivariate analysis of risk factors found that dietary changes in cows (P = 0.0001) and calves (P = 0.002) increase C. difficile prevalence; mastitis was identified as a risk factor in calves (P = 0.001). This study shows that C. difficile is common on dairy farms and that shedding is more influenced by farm management than environmental factors. Based on molecular typing of C. difficile isolates, it could also be concluded that family dairy farms are currently not contributing to increased CDI incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giardiosis is a parasitic disease prevalent worldwide that affects humans, domestic and wild animals and can be responsible for chronic diarrhoea. Diarrhoea started in the time of wintering at the stables of the Institute for the Health Care of Pigs. Two sows (Krsko polje breed), and four piglets aged two months (the Krsko polje breed) were affected. Rectal smears were sent for bacteriological examination. Faecal samples were examined by microscopy using the SAF method for concentrating protozoa and by direct immunofluorescence (DIF). No pathogenic bacteria were isolated at the first bacteriological examination but the second examination confirmed the presence of Campylobacter coli. Giardia sp. was detected by SAF and DIF at the first test. The pigs were treated with Monil®5% (Pliva d.d., Croatia) with 20 mg/kg albendazole, per os, once daily, for 3 days. After 3 days therapy the diarrhoea stopped and the pigs were clinically healthy and remained without diarrhoea for the next four months. Seven days, ten days and eleven days after the treatment all tested samples were negative by SAF and DIF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3-month-old dog originating from a Slovenian animal shelter presented with acute bloody, soft, foamy and malodorous diarrhoea. The clinical examination, haematology and serum biochemistry were unremarkable. Ultrasonography of the abdomen showed prominent mesenteric lymph nodes and the presence of echogenic content within the small intestine. Light microscopy of a native smear and a wet mount darkfield microscopy examination of the faecal material showed motile trichomonad-like organisms with a particular circular motion. The flotation and SAF (Sodium acetate - acetic acid - formalin solution) method using light microscopy revealed eggs of nematode Toxocara canis and protozoan oocysts of Isospora spp. Trichomonad-like organisms were successfully isolated and cultivated in axenic culture. Light microscopy of Giemsa-stained trichomonads showed the presence of five flagella, and Pentatrichomonas hominis (P. hominis) was presumptively diagnosed. The diagnosis was confirmed by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) followed by DNA sequencing and the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) of cultured trichomonad isolates. The PCR and sequencing results confirmed a 99% homology of the P. hominis isolates with isolates from other studies, originating both from humans and animals, which suggests that P. hominis could have zoonotic potential and have been transmitted from animals to people via the per-oral route. This is also the first report on P. hominis involvement in clinical diseases in dogs in Slovenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]