Vector-borne pathogens and vector-borne diseases

In this issue of the journal Veterinarski Glasnik [2020, Vol 74 (2)], there are four review articles, four original research papers and one case report. An exhaustive description of epidemiology/epizootiology and main diagnostic challenges of canine tick-borne pathogens (TBP) and diseases (TBD) (Potkonjak et al., 2020) combine expediently with the article that discusses the main TBP/TBD in wild canids (Sukra et al., 2020), giving us the wider picture on how man and nature interact when TBP/TBD are in question. Then, two reviews and one case report on mosquito-borne diseases point to the clinical problems the nematode, Dirofilaria immitis, poses to veterinarians (Spasojević Kosić et al., 2020a, 2020b) and paint for us a picture of the fast spread of Thelazia callipaeda on the Balkan peninsula (Tasić-Otašević et al., 2020). The newest information about current seroprevalence of Leishmania spp. in dogs (Marčić et al., 2020), Borrelia spp. in humans in Vojvodina (Simin et al., 2020) and West Nile virus in horses in the Belgrade region (Veljović et al., 2020) enable us to understand the situation in real-time and to design preventative measures or to be ready to expect patients harbouring these pathogens. Finally, concerning multiple dilemmas related to the risks for dogs of encountering specific pathogens and becoming infected within this region, we have provided the readers of Veterinarski Glasnik with a consensus statement that covers those risks. We hope you will enjoy reading this issue’s collection focused on vectors, pathogens, and consequences of infection that we have noted in our corner of the world.

Prof. Milica Kovačević Filipović, DVM, MVSc, PhD
Editor, Article collection: Vector-borne pathogens and Vector-borne diseases
Veterinarski Glasnik, 2020, Vol 74 (2)