Academic Journal
Non-zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in Western Balkan
| Title: | Non-zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in Western Balkan |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Kapo, Naida, Zuber Bogdanović, Ivana, Gagović, Ema, Jurković Žilić, Daria, Sukara, Ratko, Adžić, Bojan, Kadriaj, Përparim, Naletilić, Šimun, Vodica, Ani, Cvetkovikj, Aleksandar, Djadjovski, Igor, Potkonjak, Aleksandar, Savić, Sara, Tomanović, Snežana, Omeragić, Jasmin, Hodžić, Adnan, Beck, Relja |
| Source: | Parasit Vectors Parasites & Vectors, Vol 18, Iss 1, Pp 1-24 (2025) Parasites & Vectors |
| Publisher Information: | Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2025. |
| Publication Year: | 2025 |
| Subject Terms: | Non-zoonotic diseases, Ixodidae, Anaplasma/isolation & purification, Animals, Wild, Infectious and parasitic diseases, RC109-216, Review, non-zoonotic diseases, Theileria/isolation & purification, Dogs, Ticks, Tick-Borne Diseases/veterinary, Sheep/parasitology, Animals, Wild/parasitology, Ixodidae/microbiology, 106026 Ecosystem research, Hard ticks, 106022 Mikrobiologie, Tick-borne pathogens, western balkans, hard ticks, Balkan Peninsula, Western Balkans, Tick Infestations, Domestic/parasitology, Babesia/isolation & purification, Balkan Peninsula/epidemiology, 106026 Ökosystemforschung, Tick-Borne Diseases, Animals, Domestic, 106022 Microbiology, Cattle, Ticks/microbiology |
| Description: | Ixodid ticks are present throughout the Western Balkan countries, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, with many species serving as vectors for pathogens of both veterinary and medical importance. We have conducted a thorough examination of existing literature, encompassing historical documents, to collect information on all documented non-zoonotic tick-borne pathogens found in ticks, pets, farm animals and wild animals across the Western Balkan region. A comprehensive review was necessary due to the scarcity and scattered nature of available data from this area. The tick fauna in the Western Balkans consists of 32 species across five genera: Ixodes, Haemaphysalis, Dermacentor, Rhipicephalus and Hyalomma. Various pathogens responsible for diseases in animals, including bacteria and parasites, have also been documented, many of which can cause important diseases and significant reductions in animal productivity. Initial efforts were directed towards pathogen surveillance and the characterisation of non-zoonotic tick-borne pathogens, resulting in the identification of Theileria orientalis, Anaplasma bovis and Anaplasma marginale in cattle, although significant gaps remain in the current research. Studies on small ruminants have been sparse, with confirmed cases of Anaplasma ovis and Babesia ovis in sheep, but no comprehensive and systematic research on pathogens in goats. In contrast, research on canine piroplasms has identified several species, including Babesia canis and Babesia vulpes. Studies on wild animals, however, have predominantly focused on wild canines and carnivores, with limited attention given to non-zoonotic pathogens. Notably, only one study has reported non-zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in artiodactyl species and wild felids. This review is a much needed overview of existing research on non-zoonotic tick-borne diseases in the Western Balkans, including the historical context, current data and research gaps. Given the significant impact of these diseases on animal health and productivity, as well as their potential biodiversity, further comprehensive studies and the establishment of national surveillance systems for tick-borne diseases are essential for a better understanding and mitigation of their impact. Graphical abstract |
| Document Type: | Article Other literature type |
| Language: | English |
| ISSN: | 1756-3305 |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s13071-025-06740-z |
| Access URL: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40087740 https://doaj.org/article/6ca52ab686274a91b0e21b873afd0ce1 https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/94aa6536-f4b9-46fa-ab5f-6527b81ddcb5 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06740-z https://rimi.imi.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/1649 http://rimi.imi.bg.ac.rs/bitstream/id/4002/Non-zoonotic_tick-borne_pathogens_pub_2025.pdf |
| Rights: | CC BY URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) . The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. |
| Accession Number: | edsair.doi.dedup.....2f7a3ea61ef3f39ec6896280dcfd15cb |
| Database: | OpenAIRE |
| ISSN: | 17563305 |
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| DOI: | 10.1186/s13071-025-06740-z |