Mačke kao sentinel životinje za hemoragijsku vrućicu s bubrežnim sindromom

master's thesis

• Author: Ema Cetušić Jakopović
• Mentor: Ljubo Barbić (mentor)
• Committee member: Vilim Starešina (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Vladimir Stevanović (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Matko Perharić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Ljubo Barbić (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2024-09, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Veterinary Medicine; Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety

Abstract

Hemoragijska vrućica s bubrežnim sindromom (HVBS) je virusna zarazna bolest ljudi
proširena diljem svijeta, a koja se kontinuirano pojavljuje na području Republike Hrvatske (RH).
Ova bolest može uzrokovati teške kliničke oblike, ponekad i sa smrtnim ishodima, a po
epidemiološkim značajkama je bolest prirodnog žarišta koja se održava na određenom području
pomoću mišolikih glodavaca kao rezervoara. Praćenje HVBS se sustavno ne provodi na području
RH osim bilježenjem oboljenja u ljudi. Zbog javno-zdravstvenog značaja, u svijetu su istraživani
sustavi praćenja proširenosti uzročnika preko glodavaca te u vrlo ograničenom broju preko
različitih sentinel životinja.
U ovom istraživanju pretraženo je 120 mačaka koje su držane kao vanjske ili kućno-vanjske,
odnosno mačaka lutalica, koje borave na endemskim područjima HVBS u RH. Uzorci seruma
životinja su pretraženi komercijalnim imunoenzimnim testom (ELISA) radi dokaza prisustva
protutijela za orthohantaviruse. U izvođenju ELISA metode načinjena je modificikacija
korištenjem sekundarnih protutijela označenih peroksidazom hrena za IgG protutijela mačaka
kako bi metodu prilagodili pretraživanju mačjih seruma.Sve pretražene životinje su bile serološki
negativne što iznenađuje s obzirom na epidemiološke prilike HVBS u ovom dijelu RH, a može biti
posljedica ograničenja istraživanja uslijed relativno malog broja pretraženih uzoraka i kratkog
razdoblja provođenja istraživanja, nepotpunih anamnestičkih podatke te nepostojanja službeno
validirane metode.
Iako ovim, prvim ovakvim istraživanjem na području RH, nije potvrđena mogućnost
korištenja mačaka kao sentinel životinja za HVBS, potrebno je nastaviti i proširiti započeto
istraživanje, uklanjajući uočene nedostatke, kao bi pouzdano istražili mogućnost uvođenja
sustava nadzora ove opasne zoonoze pretraživanjem mačaka, ili drugih domaćih životinja, u
skladu s principom Jednoga zdravlja.

Abstract (english)

Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a viral infectious disease of humans that
is widespread worldwide and also occurs repeatedly in Croatia. This disease can cause severe
clinical forms, sometimes with a fatal outcome, and according to its epidemiological
characteristics, it is a natural focal disease that is maintained in a specific area, with rodents serving
as a reservoir. Surveillance of HVBS is not carried out systematically in Croatia, except by
confirming the disease in humans. Due to the public health importance of the disease, different
surveilance systems for monitoring the spread of the pathogen by rodents and, to a very limited
extent, by various sentinel animals have been researched worldwide.
In this study, 120 cats from free-range, semi-free-range or stray cats from endemic HVBS areas
in Croatia were tested for the presence of orthohantaviruses antibodies using a commercially
available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). When performing the ELISA method, a
modification was made using secondary antibodies labelled with horseradish peroxidase for cat
IgG antibodies to adapt the method for cat sera.All tested animals were serologically negative,
which is surprising considering the epidemiological situation for HVBS in this part of Croatia.
This could be a consequence of research limitations due to a relatively small number of samples
tested and a short study period, incomplete anamnestic data and the lack of an officially validated
method.
Although this first study on cats as potential sentinel animals in Croatia has not confirmed the
possibility of using these animals as sentinel animals for HVBS, it is necessary to continue and
expand the investigation that has been started. Elimination of the identified shortcomings is
necessary to reliably investigate the possibility of introducing a surveillance system for this
important zoonosis by testing cats or other domestic animals in accordance with the One Health
approach.

• Keywords: Hemoragijska vrućica s bubrežnim sindromom; mačke; sustav nadzora; sentinel životinje; ELISA; Hrvatska
• Keywords (english): Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome; cats; surveillance system; sentinel animals; ELISA; Croatia
• Language: croatian
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:178:045851
• Study programme: Title: Veterinary Medicine; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: doktor/doktorica veterinarske medicine (doktor/doktorica veterinarske medicine)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-09-25 12:22:01