Papers by Nikola Pantchev
Der Praktische Tierarzt, Mar 1, 2011
Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports, 2019
The current study investigated for the first time the occurrence of filarial infections in dogs i... more The current study investigated for the first time the occurrence of filarial infections in dogs in Cyprus. Blood samples of dogs from five districts of Cyprus (Lefkosia, Lemessos, Larnaka, Pafos and Ammochostos) were examined by the modified Knott's method and by serology, and the morphological classification of microfilariae was confirmed by molecular methods. A total of 200 dogs, 153 living in shelters and 47 owned dogs, were included in the study. Acanthocheilonema reconditum microfilariae were found in 9 (4.5%) samples and one (0.5%) sample was seropositive for D. immitis. No statistical significance was observed between microfilaraemic samples and the evaluated variables apart from the district (p = .005). The present study showed that dogs in Cyprus can be infected with blood circulating microfilariae and for the first time A. reconditum was reported as autochthonous infection in dogs in the country. No microfilariae of Dirofilaria spp. were detected. However, veterinarians should remain vigilant regarding Dirofilaria infections and should consider preventive protection to the animals, at least in case of travel in enzootic areas.
Parasitology Research, 2016
Skunks are popular carnivore species kept both in zoological institutions and in households where... more Skunks are popular carnivore species kept both in zoological institutions and in households where they are hand raised as exotic pets. These small carnivores are considered the main definitive hosts of the roundworm Baylisascaris columnaris. The purpose of this survey was to investigate the occurrence of Baylisascaris spp. in striped skunks kept as pets or in private zoo collections in some European areas. Copromicroscopic data from two laboratories, one in Italy and one in Germany, were used. A total of 60 animals were selected. Samples came from Germany (n = 30), Italy (n = 23), United Kingdom (n = 5), Austria (n = 1), and the Netherlands (n = 1). Twenty-eight animals were certainly kept as pets in private households in Italy and the UK. Fifteen out of 60 animals (25%) were positive for Baylisascaris spp. Molecular identification of adult parasites was performed in ten of those animals, revealing B. columnaris in all cases. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first survey of Baylisascaris spp. in captive skunks in Europe.
Kleintierpraxis, 2018
This article summarizes the criteria and algorithms for clinical diagnosis and monitoring in dogs... more This article summarizes the criteria and algorithms for clinical diagnosis and monitoring in dogs, including case history, direct detection (blood smears, molecular detection by species-specific PCR and DNA sequencing) and indirect methods (whole-cell and peptide-based antibody tests). Laboratory abnormalities (haematology, clinical chemistry, urine) are also presented. Annual fluctuations and reasons for changes in prevalence of Lyme borreliosis (especially for Borrelia) are discussed. The role of C6 antibody concentration (C6AC) and its correlation with proteinuria, SDMA and Lyme nephritis are assessed based on new data. Consideration is also given to the importance of blood smears, PCR and serology in the case of anaplasmosis and babesiosis, and the diagnostic value of combining these methods. The relevance of molecular differentiation of Anaplasma species (A. phagocytophilum versus A. platys) and Babesia spp. (large versus small forms) in cases of serological crossreaction is em...
Viruses
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Additional file 3: Figure S1. Phylogenetic tree calculated from the concatenated housekeeping gen... more Additional file 3: Figure S1. Phylogenetic tree calculated from the concatenated housekeeping gene sequences of 520 samples without ambiguous nucleotides. Tree construction was achieved by the NJ method using the Jukes-Cantor matrix with the complete deletion option. Bootstrap values ≥ 64% are shown next to the branches. The scale-bar indicates the number of nucleotide substitutions per site. The final data set contained 2877 positions. Identical ST are displayed only once per species. The number in parenthesis indicates the frequency with which the respective ST was found. Key: red circles, sequences from humans, dogs, horses and cats; dark blue diamonds, sequences from domestic ruminants; light blue diamonds, sequences from wild ruminants; green triangles, sequences from small mammals; yellow squares, sequences from wild boars; purple triangles, sequences from red foxes; white triangles, sequences from ticks.
Cp values retrieved from the endogenous quality control (18S rRNA gene) as well as Cp values for ... more Cp values retrieved from the endogenous quality control (18S rRNA gene) as well as Cp values for the detection of FCoV RNA (7b gene).
Cp values retrieved from the endogenous quality control (18S rRNA gene) as well as Cp values for ... more Cp values retrieved from the endogenous quality control (18S rRNA gene) as well as Cp values for the detection of FCoV RNA (7b gene).
Ticks and tick-borne diseases, 2021
Parasites & Vectors, 2020
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports, 2021
Canine angiostrongylosis is a potentially lethal parasitic disease that can manifest itself with ... more Canine angiostrongylosis is a potentially lethal parasitic disease that can manifest itself with a broad spectrum of clinical signs, including respiratory distress, neurological and bleeding disorders, or non-specific signs. The occurrence of Angiostrongylus vasorum is widely reported in Europe, but very little is known about its presence in Austria. In this first large-scale survey, 1279 sera were collected from Austrian dogs and tested by an ELISA for the detection of circulating antigen of A. vasorum (sensitivity: 95.7%, specificity 94.0%) and by a separate ELISA detecting specific antibodies (sensitivity 81.0%, specificity 98.8%). Furthermore, 1040 faecal samples were tested for the presence of lungworm first stage larvae (L1). One dog (0.1%, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.0-0.4%) was positive in both ELISAs, while 1.2% (n = 15, CI: 0.7-1.9%) of the tested dogs were antigen-positive and 1.5% (n = 19, CI: 0.9-2.3%) were positive for specific antibodies. Overall, 13 dogs (1.3%; CI: 0.7-2.1%) were positive for A. vasorum L1 while 31 dogs were positive for Crenosoma vulpis L1 (3.0%; CI: 2.0-4.2%). One dog shed L1 from both A. vasorum and C. vulpis (0.1%, CI: 0.0-0.5%). Dogs positive for A. vasorum originated from northeast, southeast and south Austria (antigen and/or antibody detection), but also from north, west and southwest Austria (antibody detection) and from northeast and west Austria (L1 detection). One of 88 blood samples (1.1%, CI: 0.0-6.2%) submitted from the eastern part of Austria was positive by a rapid assay for A. vasorum antigen detection (Angio Detect™). Crenosoma vulpis positive samples originated from northwest, north, northeast, south and west Austria. These results confirm the very sporadic occurrence of A. vasorum in the investigated areas of the country. However, due to the substantial infectious pressure from the surrounding countries and the free circulation of dogs and foxes acting as wildlife reservoirs and due to clinical relevance for infected dogs, it is crucial to maintain disease awareness also in areas where the parasite has not yet been detected.
Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2019
Objectives Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) emerges when feline coronaviruses (FCoVs) mutate w... more Objectives Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) emerges when feline coronaviruses (FCoVs) mutate within their host to a highly virulent biotype and the immune response is not able to control the infection. FCoV spike ( S) gene mutations are considered to contribute to the change in virulence by enabling FCoV infection of and replication in macrophages. This study investigated the presence of FCoV with and without S gene mutations in cats with FIP using two different real-time RT-PCRs on different samples obtained under clinical conditions. Methods Fine-needle aspirates (FNAs) and incisional biopsies (IBs) of popliteal and mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, spleen, omentum and kidneys (each n = 20), EDTA blood (n = 13), buffy coat smears (n = 13), serum (n = 11), effusion (n = 14), cerebrospinal fluid (n = 16), aqueous humour (n = 20) and peritoneal lavage (n = 6) were obtained from 20 cats with FIP diagnosed by immunohistochemistry. Samples were examined by RT-PCR targeting the FCoV 7b g...
Parasitology research, Aug 1, 2017
A cross-sectional study was designed to provide data on the detection of canine vector-borne dise... more A cross-sectional study was designed to provide data on the detection of canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) with special emphasis on leishmaniosis in Germany. For this purpose, results of blood or serum samples sent by local veterinarians to a veterinary diagnostic laboratory were retrospectively analysed. Samples were examined for Leishmania spp., Babesia spp., Ehrlichia canis, Dirofilaria immitis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum during the years 2004-2006 and 2014-2016 (Leishmania only). Erythrocyte stages of large Babesia spp. or Babesia DNA were found in 1.7 % of 9,966 blood smears and 3.3 % of 15,555 samples examined by PCR, respectively. Large Babesia merozoites were found more frequently in Giemsastained smears from dogs born in Germany when compared to blood samples of dogs originating from south or southeast European countries. A total of 15 blood samples of German dogs which have never been abroad were positive for Babesia DNA. Antibodies titres (>= 80) against Babesia canis were detected by IFAT in 11.5 % of 2,653 serum samples. Out of 570 samples 3.2 % were positive for E. canis using PCR. Antibodies against E. canis and A. phagocytophilum (both at titres >= 50) were detected by indirect IFAT in 15.1 % and 41.9 % of 18,652 and 794 serum samples, respectively. Using Knott's test 4.5 % of 440 blood samples were positive for microfilariae, and Dirofilaria immitis antigen was found by ELISA in 1.4 % of S132 Ectopar asitEs 9,381 serum samples. Leishmania spp. DNA was detected in 11 % of 301 whole blood or tissue samples examined by PCR. Antibodies against Leishmania were found in 23.5 % (23,665 samples) and 22.7 % (54,103 samples) of blood samples by IFAT (titres >= 50) and ELISA (>= 7 test units), respectively (2004-2006 versus 2014-2016). Antibodies against Leishmania (IFAT) were detected in 80.6 % (399/495) of dogs imported from endemic areas, in 57.6 % (34/59) of German dogs travelling outside Germany and in 4 (n = 8) German dogs without any history of travelling. Potential endemicity of leishmaniosis in Southern Germany was prospectively evaluated. For some of these infectious agents, sex or age of dogs and season were identified as risk factors.
Veterinary clinical pathology, Jan 5, 2017
Positive PCR alone should not be considered sufficient to establish Dirofilaria repens as the cau... more Positive PCR alone should not be considered sufficient to establish Dirofilaria repens as the cause of subcutaneous nodular lesions in the absence of a clear cytologic picture We recently read with interest the article "Marked subcutaneous mast cell and eosinophilic infiltration associated with the presence of multiple Dirofilaria repens microfilariae in 4 dogs." 1 In that report, a total of 4 dogs were presented for subcutaneous masses, which were cytologically characterized by a massive mast cell and eosinophil infiltration. Fine-needle aspirates from those lesions tested positive by a specific PCR for Dirofilaria repens, therefore this filarial nematode was considered the etiologic agent of the masses.
Parasites & vectors, Jan 28, 2017
Angiostrongylus vasorum infections are the cause of severe cardiopulmonary diseases in dogs. In t... more 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 recent studies indicated an expansion of historically known endemic areas, a phenomenon that might also apply to Crenosoma vulpis. The aim of the present study was to analyse temporal and spatial trends of canine A. vasorum and C. vulpis infections and to perform GIS-supported risk factor analysis to evaluate the role of landscape, age and seasonality in the life-cycle of these nematodes. A total of 12,682 faecal samples from German dogs (collected in 2003-2015) with clinical suspicion for lungworm infection were examined for the presence of A. vasorum and C. vulpis larvae by the Baermann funnel technique and respective epidemiological data (location and age of the sampled dogs, date of sampling) were subjected to GIS-supported risk factor analysis. Overall, A. vasorum and C. vulpis larvae were detected...
Acta Parasitologica, 2015
Over the last decade a significant spread of Canine Vector Borne Diseases has been recorded in Ce... more Over the last decade a significant spread of Canine Vector Borne Diseases has been recorded in Central Europe. The aim of the study described here, was to collect current data on the occurrence and distribution of three major canine vector-borne pathogens in the veterinary clinical practice by a newly-developed commercial ELISA test for the detection of Dirofilaria immitis antigen as well as specific circulating antibodies to Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. Circulating D. immitis antigen was detected in five of 180 investigated sera samples. Two of D. immitis seropositive dogs revealed also microfilariae of D. repens in the blood and three of them were negative for the presence of microfilariae in the Knott´s test. From the practical point of view, the finding of D. immitis occult infections might influence existing knowledge about distribution of this species among dogs in Central European countries. In 11.7% of the tested dogs the presence of specifi...
Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery, 2015
BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting... more BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research.
Parasite, 2013
The aim of the present study was to diagnose the presence of Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oo... more The aim of the present study was to diagnose the presence of Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts in household animals using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis. One hundred faecal samples obtained from 81 dogs and 19 cats were investigated. The Cryptosporidium genotypes were determined by sequencing a fragment of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene, while the Giardia Assemblages were determined through analysis of the glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) locus. Isolates from five dogs and two cats were positive by PCR for the presence of Giardia, and their sequences matched the zoonotic Assemblage A of Giardia. Cryptosporidium spp. isolated from one dog and one cat were both found to be C. parvum. One dog isolate harboured a mixed infection of C. parvum and Giardia Assemblage A. These findings support the growing evidence that household animals are potential reservoirs of the zoonotic pathogens Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. for infections in humans.
Results of the full multivariable logistic regression model for A. vasorum and C. vulpis. (DOCX 1... more Results of the full multivariable logistic regression model for A. vasorum and C. vulpis. (DOCX 14 kb)
Additional file 2 : Table S2. Risk factor analysis for dogs with urinary shedding of Leptospira d... more Additional file 2 : Table S2. Risk factor analysis for dogs with urinary shedding of Leptospira determined by PCR. Univariate and multivariate analysis for risk factors associated with positive urine PCR results in 12/273 dogs. For multivariate analysis, backward stepwise selection based on Wald was performed for the following categories: age, breed, sex, neutering status, origin, and environment.
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Papers by Nikola Pantchev