Seroprevalencija infekcija Maedi-visna virusom u ovaca u Zadarskoj županiji

master's thesis

• Title (english): Seroprevalence of Maedi-visna Virus Infection in Sheep in Zadar County
• Author: Branimir Šuto
• Mentor: Ljubo Barbić (mentor)
• Mentor: Maja Maurić Maljković (mentor)
• Committee member: Matko Perharić (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Vilim Starešina (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Maja Maurić Maljković (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2025-01-23, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Veterinary Medicine; Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety

Abstract

Maedi-visna je kronična, kontagiozna, virusna bolest koja zahvaća primarno ovce.
Uzročnik je Maedi-visna virus, iz porodice Retroviridae, roda Lentivirus. Uzrokuje respiratorne
poremećaje, mastitis, artritis te neurološke poremećaje. Bolest nije zoonoza, ali uzrokuje
značajne gospodarske gubitke u zahvaćenim stadima, izravno zbog obolijevanja i uginuća
životinja te prije svega neizravno značajnim negativnim utjecajem na kondiciju, proizvodnju
mlijeka te posljedičnog slabljenja i ugibanja janjadi. Kako se Maedi-visna ne nadzire na
području RH, tako nije redovito praćena niti na području Zadarske županije, u kojoj se nalazi
najveći broj ovaca u cijeloj Republici Hrvatskoj. Stoga je cilj ovog istraživanja bio odrediti
trenutnu seroprevalenciju bolesti te ustanoviti čimbenike rizika infekcije.
U tu svrhu smo prikupili 319 uzoraka seruma ovaca iz četrnaest različitih stada, koje
smo potom pretražili koristeći komercijalni imunoenzimni test (ELISA). Potvrđeno je da je
trenutna seroprevalencija 31,35%, što je trostruko povećanje u usporedbi sa zadnjim
istraživanjem iz 2015. godine, kada je seroprevalencija u županiji bila 10,06%. Također smo
ustanovili značajnu poveznicu između seroprevalencije MVV te načina držanja ovaca i dobi
životinja, kao i udaljenosti od vodenih površina. Sve navedeno ukazuje na mogući veći značaj
horizontalnog prijenosa uzročnika od do sada opisivanoga.
Ustanovljena visoka seroprevalencija s jasnim trendom porasta, uz istovremeni dokaz
negativnih stada na istraživanom području, potvrđuje potrebu za trenutnim uvođenjem
sustavnog nadzora i suzbijanja ove gospodarski značajne bolesti na području Zadarske županije
kako epizootiološke prilike ne bi postale još nepovoljnije, a suzbijanje i eradikacija gotovo
nemoguća.

Abstract (english)

Maedi-visna is a chronic, contagious viral disease that mainly affects sheep. It is caused
by the Maedi-visna virus from the Retroviridae family, genus Lentivirus. It causes respiratory
symptoms, mastitis, arthritis and neurological symptoms. The disease is not a zoonosis, but it
causes considerable economic losses in the affected flocks, directly through illness and death
of the animals, but above all through the indirect effects on condition, milk production and the
subsequent weakening and death of the lambs. As the Maedi-visna is not monitored in the
Republic of Croatia, it is also not regularly monitored in Zadar County, which has the highest
number of sheep in the entire Republic of Croatia. The aim of this study was therefore to
investigate the current seroprevalence of the disease and to determine the risk factors for
infection.
To this end, we collected 319 serum samples from sheep from 14 different flocks, which
we then tested using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The current
seroprevalence was confirmed to be 31.35%, a threefold increase compared to the last survey
in 2015, when the seroprevalence in the county was 10.06%. We also confirmed a significant
correlation between the seroprevalence of MVV and the type of sheep farming as well as the
age of the sheep and the distance to water bodies. All this suggests that horizontal transmission
of the pathogen may play a greater role than previously described.
The detected high seroprevalence with a clear upward trend and the simultaneous
detection of negative herds in the investigated area confirms the need for the immediate
introduction of systematic surveillance and control of this economically important disease in
the area of Zadar County, so that epidemiological conditions do not deteriorate further and
control and eradication in this situation becomes almost impossible.

• Keywords: Maedi-visna; seroprevalencija; čimbenici rizika; ovce; Zadarska županija
• Keywords (english): Maedi-visna; seroprevalence; risk factors; sheep; Zadar County
• Language: croatian
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:178:230934
• 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: 2025-01-24 09:49:02