Infectious Abortions in Small Ruminants: Challenges for Diagnosis and Public Health.

In this study, we report an abortion outbreak in a ruminant herd consisting of goats, sheep, and cows, with scenarios in two consecutive years. In early 2017, abortions occurred in ∼70% of goats and 66% tested positive for Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) and 40% of goats were positive for Chlamydophila abortus (C. abortus). In February 2018, the same herd reported an abortion rate of 75%, with 55% positive for C. burnetii, 36% for C. abortus, and 22% for Toxoplasma gondii. Six goat milk samples were positive for C. burnetii by molecular analysis. Three family members were positive for C. burnetii. C. burnetii could be considered as the main cause of abortions in the first and second year. Animals that undergo an infection and abortion are prone to secondary infections. Vaccination or other rapid interventions should be initiated to protect animals and humans.

A case report of sporadic ovine listerial meningoencephalitis in Kosovo.

In 2018, a case of neural disease suspected of listeriosis was reported in a flock of sheep in Kosovo with the death of ewes and 5 lambs. Samples from the brain of only three dead animals were subjected to histopathological and bacteriological analysis. MALDI-TOF MS was applied to confirm suspected Listeria spp. isolates from culture and multiplex PCR was applied for molecular serotyping. All isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by microdilution broth method. The histopathological analysis of the brain specimens showed typical changes for Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria spp. was isolated in brain samples from all three animals, and all the isolates were confirmed using MALDI-TOF MS and PCR down to the species level (Listeria monocytogenes). The molecular characterisation using multiplex PCR revealed all isolates as Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b. All L. monocytogenes isolates were found to be susceptible to penicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, streptomycin, trimethoprim/sulfamethosazole, quinupristin/dalfopristin, kanamycin, vancomycin, and gentamicin but resistant to nitrofurantoin and lincomycin. This study shows the emergence of a highly virulent strain in sheep farms in Kosovo and a possible threat to public health.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus clades V and VI (Europe 1 and 2) in ticks in Kosovo, 2012.

Despite being a small country, Kosovo represents one of the few foci of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Europe. The distribution of Kosovar tick vectors and the evolution of CCHF virus in ticks are both as yet unknown. A better description of the extent and the genetic diversity of CCHFV in ticks from endemic settings is essential, in order to be controlled. We investigated the 2012 distribution of Kosovar ticks alongside the prevalence and the phylogeography of tick-derived CCHFV. Hyalomma marginatum dominated in the endemic municipalities with 90.2% versus 24.3% in the non-endemic regions. Of 1,102 tested ticks, 40 (3.6%) were CCHFV-positive, belonging to H. marginatum (29), Rhipicephalus bursa (10), and Ixodes ricinus (1). The virus strains clustered with clade V and VI related sequences. They fell into two lineages: Kosovo I and II. Kosovo I comprised strains recovered exclusively from R. bursa ticks and was closely related to AP92 prototype strain. Kosovo II clustered into Kosovo IIa, including human-derived strains, and IIb including only strains detected in H. marginatum and I. ricinus. Our phylogeographic reconstruction suggests two temporally distinct CCHFV introductions: the most probable location of the most recent common ancestor of Kosovo I lineage was in Greece (63 years ago) and that of lineages IIa-b in Turkey (35 years ago). After each CCHFV introduction into Kosovo, subsequent lineage expansions suggest periods of in situ evolution. The study provides the first insight into the genetic variability and the origin of CCHFV in ticks from Kosovo. Our findings indicate the spreading of CCHFV to non-endemic areas, which underlines the importance of further studies in order to monitor and predict future CCHF outbreaks in Kosovo. The AP92-like strains appear to be more widespread than previously thought and may provide a promising target for experimental studies due to their assumed low pathogenicity.

Dermanyssus gallinae in layer farms in Kosovo: a high risk for Salmonella prevalence.

BACKGROUND: The poultry red mite (PRM), Dermanyssus gallinae (D.g.) is a serious ectoparasitic pest of poultry and potential pathogen vector. The prevalence of D. g. and the prevalence of Salmonella spp. within mites on infested laying poultry farms were investigated in Kosovo. FINDINGS: In total, 14 populated layer farms located in the Southern Kosovo were assessed for D. g. presence. Another two farms in this region were investigated 6 months after depopulation. Investigated flocks were all maintained in cages, a common housing system in Kosovo. A total of eight farms were found to be infested with D. g. (50%) at varying levels, including the two depopulated farms. The detection of Salmonella spp. from D. g. was carried out using PCR. Out of the eight layer farms infested with D. g., Salmonella spp. was present in mites on three farms (37.5%). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the high prevalence of D. g. in layer flocks in Kosovo and demonstrates the link between this mite and the presence of Salmonella spp. on infested farms.