Inštitut za patologijo, sodno veterinarstvo, prostoživeče živali, čebele in akvakulturo

Gostujoče predavanje veterinarskega patologa prof. dr. Francisca A. Uzala

lukam — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 05:26:42 +0000

Guest lecture by veterinary pathologist Prof. Francisco A. Uzal lukam Wed, 07/22/2026 - 07:43 Inštitut za patologijo, sodno veterinarstvo, prostoživeče živali, čebele in akvakulturo patologija gostujoče predavanje Event Education

We invite you to attend two lectures by veterinary pathologist Professor Francisco A. Uzal, entitled Diseases of Horses and Cattle: Something Old (but Classic) and Something New... and Clostridial Diseases of Farm Animals.

When	Monday, 7 September 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Where	UL VF, Postgraduate Lecture Room, Gerbičeva 60, Ljubljana
What	9:00 - 9:45: Diseases of horses and cattle: something old (but classic) and something new… Part 1: horses 10:00 - 10:45: Diseases of horses and cattle: something old (but classic) and something new… Part 2: cattle 11:00 - 11:45: Clostridial diseases of farm animals
Registration	Registration is required to attend the free lectures: https://1ka.arnes.si/a/7d68858d

Francisco A. Uzal, DVM, FRVC, MSc, PhD, Dipl. ACVP

Francisco A. Uzal, DVM, FRVC, MSc, PhD, Dipl. ACVP, is a Distinguished Professor of Diagnostic Pathology, Branch Chief of the San Bernardino Laboratory of the California Animal Health and Food Safety, and Chair (interim) of the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, UCDavis.

He trained in Argentina (DVM), Sweden (FRVC and MSc) and Australia (PhD and Post-Doc). He is a leading expert on clostridial diseases of animals with special emphasis in enteric diseases, and a special interest in gastrointestinal diseases of horses, ruminants and other farm animals.

Dr. Uzal has published ~ 370 articles in peer reviewed journals. He is the senior author of the chapter on “Alimentary Diseases”, for the 6th and 7th edition of “Jubb, Kennedy and Palmer’s Pathology of Domestic Animals” (2016 and 2025) and the first author of the 1st and 2nd edition of Clostridial diseases of animals (2016 and 2026). He has also authored chapters on clostridial diseases in several traditional veterinary textbooks such as Diseases of Poultry, Diseases of Pigs and Textbook of Internal Medicine. He has an active NIH research program on clostridial diseases with special emphasis on enteric diseases produced by Clostridium perfringens.

He is a Diplomate and Distinguished Member of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, a member of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians and a member of the Argentinean Academy of Agronomy and Veterinary. He is the past-president (and founding member) of the Latin Comparative Pathology Group, the Chief Executive Officer of the Davis-Thompson Foundation, the President-elect of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians and Vicepresident of the Anaerobe Society of the Americas. Dr Uzal is a Section Editor and Photo Editor of the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, and Associate Editor of Anaerobe and Veterinary Research Communications, and member of the editorial board of several other journals. He is fully bilingual (Spanish and English).

Workshop on Liver Cytology With References to Its Histopathological Foundations

lukam — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 12:07:09 +0000

Workshop on Liver Cytology With References to Its Histopathological Foundations lukam Sat, 06/21/2025 - 14:07 Inštitut za patologijo, sodno veterinarstvo, prostoživeče živali, čebele in akvakulturo citologija delavnica Education

Workshop designed for veterinarians with experience in cytology who wish to deepen their expertise in the diagnostics of liver diseases.

This two-day workshop focuses on the diagnostic potential of hepatic cytology in small animal medicine. While cytology is widely used in diagnosing neoplastic diseases, its application in evaluating liver pathology remains underutilized.

The workshop aims to:

Strengthen understanding of primary and secondary liver diseases through cytological interpretation
Improve diagnostic skills of experienced cytopathologists
Provide tools for accurate reporting and clinical decision-making
Correlate cytological findings with clinical, biochemical, and histopathological data

Participants will:

Learn key cytological features of hepatocytes and biliary cells
Perform microscopic examination of real cases, supported by relevant clinical data
Compare cytological findings with corresponding histological slides and final diagnoses

Topics include:

Non-neoplastic hepatocellular changes
Inflammatory and chronic hepatic diseases
Biliary tract disorders
Hepatic neoplasms

Full workshop details:

Brochure (1.1 MB)

Meeting program

	Thursday, 11 December
8.15-8.45	Registration and Coffee
8.45-9.00	Welcome speech
9.00-10.15	Interpretation of hepatic cytology - Part 1
10.15-10.30	Comfort Break
10.30-12.00	Interpretation of hepatic cytology - Part 2
12.00-13.30	Lunch break
13.30-15.30	Hands-on at the microscope: evaluation of cases of hepatic cytology
15.30-16.00	Tea/Coffee break
16.00-17.30	Hands-on at the microscope: evaluation of cases of hepatic cytology
19.30	Gala dinner
	Friday, 12 December
8.30-10.00	Hands-on at the microscope: evaluation of cases of hepatic cytology
10.00-10.15	Comfort Break
10.15-12.00	Hands-on at the microscope: evaluation of cases of hepatic cytology
12.00-13.00	Lunch break
13.00-15.30	Discussion of the cases
15.30-16.00	Tea/Coffee break
16.00-17.30	Discussion of the cases
17.30	End of the course

Lecturer

Dr. Carlo Masserdotti graduated in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Milan in 1990. Since 1993, he has specialized in clinical pathology with a particular focus on diagnostic cytopathology, attending advanced training courses both in Italy and abroad. He has authored several scientific papers and delivered lectures at national and international conferences.

From 1998 onwards, Dr. Masserdotti has been a lecturer in cytology courses organized by SCIVAC. He served as President of the Italian Society of Veterinary Cytology (SICIV) from 2001 to 2004 and as Vice President of the European Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology from 2003 to 2006. In 2005, he was recognized as a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ECVCP). He also earned a postgraduate specialization in Clinical Biochemistry at the University of Brescia in 2008.

Currently, Dr. Masserdotti works as a consultant in anatomic and clinical pathology at IDEXX Laboratories. His research focuses primarily on the cytological features of spontaneous tumors and inflammatory diseases in companion animals, with a particular emphasis on hepatic cytology and histopathology.

He is also the author of the book "Canine and Feline Liver Cytology" published by Wiley Blackwell in 2023.

Registration

Registration fee:	390 €*
Registration link:	https://1ka.arnes.si/a/87297f8d

*The registration fee includes coffee breaks, lunch, and the gala dinner.

The number of participants is limited to 15.

Registration is available until 30 September 2025. Cancellation with a full refund is possible until 30 October 2025.

After completing the registration, you will receive the payment details for the registration fee at the email address you provided.

Registration is completed after confirmed payment of the registration fee.

Organizing committee

Assist. Kristina Tekavec, DVM, PhD
Assist. Tamara Dolenšek, DVM, MVetMed, DACVP
Assoc. Prof. Tanja Švara, DVM, PhD
Assist. Sabina Šturm, DVM, PhD
Assoc. Prof. Mitja Gombač, DVM, PhD

Venue

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is a vibrant city where history, culture, and innovation meet. Known for its welcoming atmosphere, rich architectural heritage, and dynamic cultural scene, it offers the charm of a small town with the energy of a modern European capital. With over 50,000 students and a strong academic and research tradition, Ljubljana is also a hub of knowledge and creativity - an ideal setting for international workshops and scientific exchange.

The Veterinary Faculty of the University of Ljubljana is Slovenia’s leading institution for veterinary education, research, and clinical services. As a member of the University of Ljubljana, it offers accredited undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs, and is recognized for its strong international collaborations. The faculty is fully accredited by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE), affirming its compliance with the highest European standards in veterinary training. Committed to excellence, it plays a vital role in advancing animal health, public health, and biomedical sciences both nationally and internationally.

The lectures will take place in the “Postgraduate Lecture Room” (Podiplomska predavalnica) located in the main building of the Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, at Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

General information

Accommodation in the city centre offers good public transport connections to the venue.
You can take the city bus line 1 (direction DOLGI MOST P+R) and get off at the Gerbičeva bus stop.

For additional questions, please contact: kristina.tekavec@vf.uni-lj.si or tamara.dolensek@vf.uni-lj.si.

Prostoživeče živali so dober pokazatelj onesnaženosti okolja

lukam — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:24:00 +0000

Wild Animals are a Good Indicator of Environmental Pollution lukam Thu, 03/14/2024 - 14:28 Inštitut za patologijo, sodno veterinarstvo, prostoživeče živali, čebele in akvakulturo lisica pesticidi prostoživeče živali Current Research Professional

In foxes, we conducted the first study on the occurrence of poisons for rodent control in non-target species in Slovenia and the Western Balkans.

Preserving the environment is one of the fundamental priorities of the European Union. Nature and biodiversity have been protected for many years by several laws that are now integrated into the broader framework of the European Green Deal, which is one of the six overarching priorities of the European Commission for the period 2019‒2024. Interest in environmental research is high in Europe and worldwide, which also offers great opportunities for veterinary medicine to contribute to these efforts.

Wild animals are a good bioindicator of environmental pollution that affect the entire ecosystem. For this reason, we have started research at the Veterinary Faculty to determine the presence of environmental pollutants in representative animal species in Slovenia and to assess their toxic effects in order to make a holistic assessment of the risk of poisoning.

In foxes (Vulpes vulpes), we conducted the first study on the occurrence of poisons for rodent control in non-target species in Slovenia and the Western Balkans. In the liver, we found statistically higher concentrations of rodenticide pesticide residues with anticoagulant effects than in comparable studies in Europe and the world, which revealed and drew attention to a significant environmental problem of secondary poisoning in our country and region. The research results are related to the results of a survey of disinfection, disinsection and pest control (DDD) operators, which showed that the use of increasingly toxic second-generation rodenticides is increasing, mainly due to the increasing resistance of rodents to these less toxic and more commonly used substances in the past. We have linked the detected concentrations of rodenticides to regional and local urbanization and agronomic factors. The research results will contribute to knowledge about the protection of European ecosystems, as wildlife is not limited by national borders.

Article link in the journal Science of the Total Environment: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170400

Authors: Vesna Cerkvenik-Flajs, Detlef Schenke, Diana Žele-Vengušt, Simona Korenjak-Černe, Anton Perpar, and Gorazd Vengušt

Participating institutions:

University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty, Slovenia
Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) – Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Berlin, Germany
University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business, Slovenia
University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Slovenia
Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Mechanics, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Kemijski povzročitelji hormonskih motenj ‒ naše raziskave bisfenola A na modelu ovce

lukam — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 09:05:08 +0000

Endocrine disrupting chemicals ‒ our investigations of bisphenol A in the sheep model lukam Mon, 02/27/2023 - 10:17 Inštitut za patologijo, sodno veterinarstvo, prostoživeče živali, čebele in akvakulturo Bisfenol A ovce hormonske motnje toksikokinetika Research

Toxicokinetics of bisphenol A in sheep and its effects on bones and reproductive organs of rams in puberty.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an anthropogenic chemical and one of the best known endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that cause imbalances in the endocrine system. Due to its massive global production and widespread use, it is constantly present in the environment. It is mainly used in the production of polycarbonate plastic for packaging. Its use in baby bottles was banned some time ago.

Harmful effects of EDCs, including BPA, at high doses have been demonstrated, such as effects on the incidence of cancer, obesity, and heart disease, but the effects of low doses to which both humans and animals are exposed in daily life remain controversial. Exposure can be particularly problematic during critical periods of organismal development when the endocrine system is developing, such as during pregnancy, childhood, and puberty. Due to the actuality and lack of clarity in this area, BPA is one of the most studied compounds today.

With our ecotoxicological research, for which we previously obtained all necessary permits and which took place in 2017, we studied the pathway of BPA through the organism of a sheep as a model animal, its effects on bones and male reproductive organs during puberty, and its excretion into the environment. Sheep are mammals intended for human consumption, and as grazing animals they are also a bioindicator of environmental pollution. Usually, animal experiments are conducted on laboratory rodents, but we conducted the research on an alternative animal model - small ruminants housed in the Center for Sustainable Recultivation Vremščica, which is part of the Veterinary Faculty. We used sheep of the autochthonous Slovenian dairy breed Istrska pramenka, which we repeatedly administered very low doses of BPA that are possible in the environment and yet can be chemically detected. First, we performed a pilot experiment where we used a sheep with a suckling lamb and found that BPA was excreted mainly through urine and to a lesser extent through milk and feces. To evaluate BPA concentrations in complex biological samples, we developed chemical methods to determine BPA in blood plasma, milk, urine, and feces, and toxicokinetic parameters were evaluated using toxicokinetic models. The second experiment was conducted with a group of 14 pubescent rams, half of which were administered with BPA daily for two months, and at the end of the experiment, all the animals in the experiment were euthanized. We concluded that BPA at a lower dose did not affect the reproductive organs of rams significantly, because we did not detect histopathological changes in the testes of rams that had received BPA. BPA could affect sperm concentration and morphology, but the differences in our study were not statistically significant. Further studies with larger numbers of animals would be needed to confirm the effect of BPA on reproductive organs of rams. Also, no effects were detected on bone morphology of growing rams. We studied macro- and microstructrue of bone tissue; however, a low dose of BPA seemed not to affect bone geometry and biomechanics. Only mineral analysis showed decreased manganese and increased copper content in the femurs of the BPA-exposed rams, which could affect bone properties in the long term of BPA exposure. Analysis of BPA residues in edible tissues taken at the end of the trial also showed a low proportion of total potential daily intake relative to the European Food Safety Agency's (EFSA) tolerable daily intake currently in force. With the expected drastic reduction of this limit, the health risk for consumers would increase significantly.

The research presented is enriched by the interdisciplinary nature of the research areas involved, inter-institutional (including the Clinic of Reproduction and Farm Animals ‒ Infrastructure Centre for Sustainable Recultivation Vremščica and the Institute of Preclinical Sciences of the Veterinary Faculty of University of Ljubljana, and the Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry of the University Clinical Center in Ljubljana), inter-faculty (including the Faculty of Pharmacy, the Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, and the Biotechnical Faculty – Department of Animal Science of the University of Ljubljana), and international (including Switzerland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Iran) collaboration. By choosing sheep as model animals, veterinary medicine as a profession contributes to solving the issue of the impact of pollutants on living beings with which we share the environment.

Funding: This research was funded by the Slovenian Research Agency programs (Javna agencija za raziskovalno dejavnost Republike Slovenije, ARRS) P4-0092, P4-0053. Tch. Asst. Dr. Sabina Šturm was a recipient of the ARRS Postgraduate Doctoral Program Fellowship to fund young researchers.

We successfully presented the results of our study in five articles published in renowned international journals in 2020-2022. The results of the pilot experiment and the findings on the toxicokinetics of BPA in rams and the effects on testes were presented in three articles (Scientific Reports - IF 4.38, Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B - IF 1.99 and Toxics – IF 4.47) and are part of the doctoral dissertation of Tch. Asst. Dr. Sabina Šturm (under the supervision of Sr. Res. Fell. Vesna Cerkvenik-Flajs and co-supervision of Assist. Prof. Dr. Tanja Švara). We have published the results of the examination of the bones in the journal Animals - IF 3.23 and the results of the residues in tissues in the journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research - IF 5.19.

Links to published articles

Pilot experiment with one sheep:

Rams ‒ toxicokinetics and effects on testes:

https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/5/224

Rams ‒ bones (in cooperation with the Institute for Preclinical Sciences):

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/17/2179

Rams – edible tissues:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-022-21154-5

Prepared by:

Tch. Asst. Dr. Sabina Šturm
Tch. Asst. Dr. Jana Brankovič
Sr. Res. Fell. Vesna Cerkvenik Flajs

Nevarna razmerja: Zveri na našem dvorišču

lukam — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 08:36:48 +0000

Dangerous affairs: Carnivores in our backyards lukam Fri, 02/10/2023 - 09:44 Inštitut za patologijo, sodno veterinarstvo, prostoživeče živali, čebele in akvakulturo Echinococcus multilocularis Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto Echinococcus canadensis PCR v realnem času lisica šakal prostoživeče živali Research

Echinococcosis in Wild carnivores of Slovenia

In the 5^th century, Hippocrates, the ambitious physician, wants to find out what accually killed his patients despite his many attempts at treatment. He carefully examines their organs and notices cysts of various sizes filled with water, and he decides to call the disease "fluid-filled liver." Even then he knew that animals were somehow involved in the disease, but he didn't know how. Thousands of years later, we know that Hippocrates actually discovered two diseases, cystic and alveolar echinococcosis, caused in humans by dog and fox tapeworms. Infection occurs when humans accidentally come into contact with infected feces from wild (foxes, wolves, martens, badgers) or domestic carnivores (dogs or cats) that contain tapeworm eggs. The risk of infection can be significantly reduced simply by deworming our dogs and cats regularly, especially if they hunt small rodents or eat unexamined offal of omnivores (i.e. pig) and ruminants. During our study we sought answers directly from the addressee, i.e. foxes, martens, wolves, jackals, lynxes and otters (https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/17/2223).

Using molecular methods, we investigated the prevalence of the tapeworms Echinococcus multilocularis (EM), E. canadensis, and E. granulosus sensu stricto in the feces of populations of foxes, wolves, jackals, martens, lynx, badgers, and otters in Slovenia. Genetic material of the parasite EM was found in 29.1% of the examined foxes and 18% of the examined jackals. However, other tapeworm species could not be detected. The prevalence of EM depends on the region from which the sample originated, but not on the species, age or sex of the animal. In central and southern Slovenia, the prevalence of EM and thus the risk of infection is highest. However, due to the expansion of the habitat and the growing population, we believe that the jackal could become an important source of infection for EM in the future.

Authors: Petra Bandelj, Rok Blagus, Gorazd Vengušt in Diana Žele Vengušt

DT Meeting

lukam — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 10:36:54 +0000

DT Meeting lukam Fri, 04/03/2020 - 13:47 Institute of Pathology Wild Animals Fish And Bees Event

International Expert Meeting of Veterinary Pathologists

International Expert Meeting of Veterinary Pathologists.

This year, for the first time, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, in collaboration with the Charles Louis Davis Foundation and the Samuel Wesley Thompson DVM Foundation of the United States, is hosting an international expert meeting of veterinary pathologists. The meeting will take place from 29 to 31 May 2019 at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. More information about the event and instructions for registration can be found on the website.

Veterinarska fakulteta, Ljubljana 29.-31. maj 2019

Inštitut za patologijo, sodno veterinarstvo, prostoživeče živali, čebele in akvakulturo

Gostujoče predavanje veterinarskega patologa prof. dr. Francisca A. Uzala

When

Where

What

Registration

Francisco A. Uzal, DVM, FRVC, MSc, PhD, Dipl. ACVP

Workshop on Liver Cytology With References to Its Histopathological Foundations

Meeting program

Thursday, 11 December

Friday, 12 December

Lecturer

Registration

Registration fee:

Registration link:

Organizing committee

Venue

General information

Prostoživeče živali so dober pokazatelj onesnaženosti okolja

Kemijski povzročitelji hormonskih motenj ‒ naše raziskave bisfenola A na modelu ovce

Links to published articles

Prepared by:

Nevarna razmerja: Zveri na našem dvorišču

DT Meeting