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 divjad ribe in čebele 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.

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 divjad ribe in čebele 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