The diagnose of Borrelia afzelii infections in dogs

The aim of this study was to recognize an etiological factor of diseases with symptoms of lameness and subcutaneous tissues oedema, which occurred in 4 dogs after invasions of the ticks. The serological examinations [ELISA and Western blot] were done. In the samples of all 4 sera a presence of specific anti-Borrelia afzelii antibodies (IgG) were detected. The results of serological examinations, and the reaction of sick animals on tetracycline therapy showed, that in all four cases an etiological factor of the diseases were spirochetes Borrelia afzelii. In the light of the research, veterinary practitioners should keep in mind the presence of Lyme disease in dogs in Poland and include it in differential diagnosis for lameness

Relationships between pulmonary hypertension risk, clinical profiles, and outcomes in dilated cardiomyopathy

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with heart failure (HF) contributes to a poorer prognosis. However, in those with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), the true prevalence and role of PH is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the profile of DCM patients at various levels of PH risk, determined via echocardiography, and its impact on outcomes. The 502 DCM in- and out-patient records were retrospectively analyzed. Information on patient status was gathered after 45.9 ± 31.3 months. Patients were divided into 3 PH-risk groups based on results from echocardiography measurements: low (L, n = 239, 47.6%), intermediate (I, n = 153, 30.5%), and high (H, n = 110, 21.9%). Symptom duration, atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachyarrhythmia, ejection fraction, right atrial area, and moderate or severe mitral regurgitation were found to be independently associated with PH risk. During the follow-up period, 83 (16.5%) DCM patients died: 29 (12.1%) in L, 31 (20.3%) in I, and 23 (20.9%) in H. L-patients had a significantly lower risk of all-cause death (L to H: HR 0.55 (95%CI 0.32–0.98), p = 0.01), while no differences in prognosis were found between I and H. In conclusion, over one in five DCM patients had a high PH risk, and low PH risk was associated with better prognoses

LETTERS ON BIRCH BARK: HISTORY ANDCONSERVATION OF OBJECTS FROM THE MUSEUMOF REV. JÓZEF JARZĘBOWSKI IN LICHEŃ STARY

Artefacts made of and from untypical materialswith the use of sophisticated techniques preserved in museumsconstitute an exceptional challenge to museum curators. Suchis the case of two letters described in the paper, written onbirch bark by someone signed as the female: Janka and Jaśkadispatched to her mother from the Soviet Polovinka Gulag inthe Urals in 1946 and 1947. Currently, the artefacts are in thecollection of the Museum of Rev. Józef Jarzębowski in LicheńStary, while their history was explained only in the 2010s. In2022, the letters underwent museum conservation, whichallowed to find out what material they were written on andwhat technique was used for the execution, following whichthey were appropriately preserved so that they can last thelongest possible minimizing their deterioration

Genetic variability among canine parvovirus strains currently circulating in Poland

The aim of the study was to perform a molecular analysis of the CPV VP2 gene fragment isolated from faeces samples of 46 dogs (vaccinated, as well as non-vaccinated against parvovirosis) with clinical parvovirosis. In all animals, the infection was confirmed by PCR. The purified PCR products (fragment VP2 gene) were sequenced and compared to each other and to the sequences of CPV VP2 gene from NCBI GenBank. Readable sequences of the VP2 gene were obtained for 46 samples. In 23 out of 30 non-vaccinated dogs, the most frequently isolated CPV strain was 2b. In the remaining cases the dogs were infected with CPV-2a. The parvovirus strains isolated from faeces of vaccinated dogs were classified in most cases (14/16) as CPV-2b, one as CPV-2a and one as CPV-2c. Continuous monitoring of parvovirosis in dogs in Poland plays an important role in updating vaccines against the disease and developing effective methods of its prevention.</jats:p

Occurrence of different strains of Babesia canis in dogs in eastern Poland

Introduction: The aim of this study was to carry out a genetic analysis of Babesia canis isolates detected in dogs in eastern Poland and to study the correlation of the protozoa variant with a specific geographical region. Material and Methods: PCR was used to identify strains of B. canis from naturally infected animals (240 dogs from four provinces: Mazowieckie, Lublin, Podlasie, and Podkarpacie) by amplifying and sequencing a fragment of the 18S rRNA gene. Results: Sequencing the PCR products led to the identification of four variants of B. canis. Two previously described protozoa variants (18S rRNA-A and 18S rRNA-B) were observed in all provinces. Additionally, in the Mazowieckie and Lublin provinces a B. canis variant which contributed to the development of acute or atypical babesiosis was observed. The fourth variant of B. canis was detected only in dogs from the Lublin province, and the course of the disease was subclinical in all dogs infected with this variant. Conclusion: These results indicate the appearance of a new fourth B. canis genotype in Poland and confirm that it is still necessary to study the relationships between the genetic structure of protozoa, geographical distribution of the parasites, and clinical course of the disease