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Open AccessThe diffusion metrics of African swine fever in wild boar
To control African swine fever (ASF) efficiently, easily interpretable metrics of the outbreak dynamics are needed to plan and adapt the required measures. We found that the spread pattern of African Swine Fev...
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Article
Open AccessThe perceptions of Lithuanian hunters towards African swine fever using a participatory approach
African swine fever (ASF) has been present in Lithuania since 2014. The disease affects mainly the wild boar population. Thus, hunters play a key role in the performance of disease surveillance and control mea...
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Article
Open AccessClustering of Cryptosporidium species infections among sheep and cattle but not children in remote highland communities of Madagascar
The aim of this study was to identify local transmission patterns of Cryptosporidium spp. infections among livestock and humans in four extremely rural and remote highland communities in Madagascar.
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Article
Open AccessRed foxes harbor two genetically distinct, spatially separated Echinococcus multilocularis clusters in Brandenburg, Germany
Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a clinically serious zoonosis caused by the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. We studied the diversity and the distribution of genotypes of E. multilocularis isolated from...
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Article
Open AccessMolecular analysis suggests that Namibian cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are definitive hosts of a so far undescribed Besnoitia species
Besnoitia darlingi, B. neotomofelis and B. oryctofelisi are closely related coccidian parasites with felids as definitive hosts. These parasites use a variety of animal species as intermediate hosts. North Americ...
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Open AccessA real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction for the specific detection of Hammondia hammondi and its differentiation from Toxoplasma gondii
Hammondia hammondi and Toxoplasma gondii are closely related protozoan parasites, but only T. gondii is zoonotic. Both species use felids as definitive hosts and cannot be differentiated by oocyst morphology. In
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Open AccessSpatial distance between sites of sampling associated with genetic variation among Neospora caninum in aborted bovine foetuses from northern Italy
Neospora caninum, a coccidian protozoan, represents an important cause of bovine abortion. Available N. caninum strains show considerable variation in vitro and in vivo, including different virulence in cattle. T...
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Article
Open AccessFluorescent bead-based serological detection of Toxoplasma gondii infection in chickens
Free-ranging chickens are often infected with Toxoplasma gondii and seroconvert upon infection. This indicates environmental contamination with T. gondii.
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Open AccessAuthor Correction: The potential role of scavengers in spreading African swine fever among wild boar
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
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Open AccessResearch paper on abiotic factors and their influence on Ixodes ricinus activity—observations over a two-year period at several tick collection sites in Germany
Tick-borne diseases are a public health issue. To predict vector tick abundance and activity, it is necessary to understand the driving factors for these variables. In this study, the activity of Ixodes ricinus w...
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Article
Open AccessModelling the monthly abundance of Culicoides biting midges in nine European countries using Random Forests machine learning
Culicoides biting midges transmit viruses resulting in disease in ruminants and equids such as bluetongue, Schmallenberg disease and African horse sickness. In the past decades, these diseases have led to importa...
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Article
Open AccessToxoplasma gondii in small exotic felids from zoos in Europe and the Middle East: serological prevalence and risk factors
Toxoplasma gondii infections and cases of clinical toxoplasmosis have been recorded in zoo animals. Wild felids in human care can serve as definitive hosts that shed oocysts, but also as intermediate hosts for th...
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Article
Open AccessThe potential role of scavengers in spreading African swine fever among wild boar
Understanding the transmission patterns of African swine fever (ASF) among wild boar (Sus scrofa) is an issue of major interest, especially in the wake of the current ASF epidemic. Given the high stability of ASF...
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Article
Open AccessMonthly variation in the probability of presence of adult Culicoides populations in nine European countries and the implications for targeted surveillance
Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are small hematophagous insects responsible for the transmission of bluetongue virus, Schmallenberg virus and African horse sickness virus to wild ...
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Article
Open AccessSpatial and temporal variation in the abundance of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in nine European countries
Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of bluetongue virus (BTV), African horse sickness virus and Schmallenberg virus (SBV). Outbreaks of both BTV and SBV have affected larg...
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Article
Open AccessSwarm incursions of reassortants of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus strains H5N8 and H5N5, clade 2.3.4.4b, Germany, winter 2016/17
The outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5Nx viruses in winter 2016/2017 was the most severe HPAI epizootic ever reported in Germany. The H5N8 and H5N5 viruses detected in birds in Germany in 2016/20...
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Article
Open AccessDevelopment of African swine fever epidemic among wild boar in Estonia - two different areas in the epidemiological focus
African swine fever (ASF) in wild boar emerged in Estonia for the first time in September 2014. The first affected region was located in the South of Estonia close to the border with Latvia. It was considered ...
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Open AccessDistribution of ticks infesting ruminants and risk factors associated with high tick prevalence in livestock farms in the semi-arid and arid agro-ecological zones of Pakistan
Tick infestation is the major problem for animal health that causes substantial economic losses, particularly in tropical and subtropical countries. To better understand the spatial distribution of tick specie...
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Open AccessSurveillance strategies for Classical Swine Fever in wild boar – a comprehensive evaluation study to ensure powerful surveillance
Surveillance of Classical Swine Fever (CSF) should not only focus on livestock, but must also include wild boar. To prevent disease transmission into commercial pig herds, it is therefore vital to have knowled...
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Article
Open AccessGIS-supported epidemiological analysis on canine Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis infections in Germany
Angiostrongylus vasorum infections are the cause of severe cardiopulmonary diseases in dogs. In the past, canine angiostrongylosis has largely been neglected in Europe, although some r...
