Molecular Survey of Dirofilaria and Leishmania Species in Dogs from Central Balkan

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Current high mobility of pets in Europe demands a safe management and more detailed knowledge of the geographical distribution and prevalence of major health threatening pathogens. Amongst them are Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens, respectively, the causative agents of cardio-pulmonary and subcutaneous dirofilariosis in dogs and cats. Both Dirofilaria species can cause human infections. In addition, leishmaniosis is the only tropical vector-borne disease that has been considered endemic in southern Europe, primarily in the Mediterranean. Results of this survey show that Central Balkan is an endemic region for Dirofilaria immitis. Coupled with our detection of the Leishmania infantum infection in dogs from North Macedonia and its ability to spread to neighboring countries, results of this study warn us that adequate preventive measures are needed to combat the spread of dirofilariosis and leishmaniosis and preserve the health of both dog and human population of this region. ABSTRACT: Dirofilariosis and leishmaniosis are severe parasitic diseases in dogs, and their causative agents can also be pathogenic to humans. In this study, we conducted a multicentric survey in the regions of Serbia and North Macedonia with the goal to establish an epidemiological scenario of dirofilariosis and leishmaniosis in the territory of Central Balkan. Using molecular analyses, a total of 535 dogs from Northern Serbia (NS), Southern Serbia (SS) and North Macedonia (NM) were screened for the presence of Dirofilaria spp. and Leishmania spp. We confirmed that Central Balkan is an endemic region for Dirofilaria (D.) immitis, as it was found to be the dominant species in this area, with the highest prevalence of 8.75% in NM, followed by NS (6.68%) and a significantly lower prevalence in SS (1.51%). Two dogs (2.5%) from NM were positive for Leishmania (L.) infantum infection. None of the dogs from Serbia tested positive for Leishmania spp. High prevalence and dominance of D. immitis species, and the rising threat of L. infantum spread to the territory of Serbia, suggest that preventive measures are of a great necessity to combat the spread of these vector-borne zoonoses.