West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging pathogen in Hungary, causing severe outbreaks in equines and humans since 2007. The aim of our study was to provide a comprehensive report on the clinical signs of West Nile neuroinvasive disease (WNND) in horses in Hungary. Clinical details of 124 confirmed equine WNND cases were collected between 2007 and 2019. Data about the seasonal and geographical presentation, demographic data, clinical signs, treatment protocols, and disease progression were evaluated. Starting from an initial case originating from the area of possible virus introduction by migratory birds, the whole country became endemic with WNV over the subsequent 12 years. The transmission season did not expand significantly during the data collection period, but vaccination protocols should be always reviewed according to the recent observations. There was not any considerable relationship between the occurrence of WNND and age, breed, or gender. Ataxia was by far the most common neurologic sign related to the disease, but weakness, behavioral changes, and muscle fasciculation appeared frequently. Apart from recumbency combined with inappetence, no other clinical sign or treatment regime correlated with survival. The survival rate showed a moderate increase throughout the years, possibly due to the increased awareness of practitioners.

Wood pastures have been characteristic farming types in the Pannonian biogeographical region over the centuries. In the present work, we studied wood-pastures of typical geographical locations in the North Hungarian Mountain Range of Hungary characterized by similar environmental conditions but grazed by different livestock. The sample area of Cserépfalu was grazed by Hungarian Grey Cattle, while the Erdőbénye was grazed by Hungarian Racka Sheep. Coenological records of the sites were collected from 2012 to 2021 in the main vegetation period according to the Braun-Blanquet method with the application of 2 × 2 m sampling quadrats, where the coverage estimated by percentage for each present species was also recorded. To evaluate the state of vegetation, ’ecological ordering’ distribution, diversity, and grassland management values were used. Between the two areas, the grazing pressure of the two studied livestock produced different results. Based on the diversity values, woody–shrubby–grassland mosaic diversity values were high (Shannon diversity: 2.21–2.87). Cattle grazing resulted in a variable and mosaic-like shrubby area with high cover values. Based on our results, grazing by cattle provides an adequate solution for forming and conserving wood-pasture habitats in the studied areas of Hungary. However, if the purpose is to also form valuable grassland with high grassland management values, partly sheep grazing should be suggested.

The Szekler horse was a small-sized mountain horse of the Carpathian Mountains whose official stud book ceased to exist after WWII. Despite that, individual horses preserving all the characteristics of the Szekler horse remained scattered in remote areas. This study aims to evaluate the mitochondrial D-loop sequence (608 bp) of the founder population (n = 59) in 2021 of a breed reconstruction project started in 2012. D-loop showed 68 polymorphic sites. The number of haplotypes was 34, with haplotype diversity (Hd) 0.966 and nucleotide diversity (π) 0.02232. The value of Fu’s Fs statistic (−6.566) was significant (p < 0.001), which rejects a stable population status. Thirteen haplogroups (HG) were found with a nearly equal number of representatives (HG(n)—A (5), D (1), E (2), G (4), I (4), J–K (1), M (4), N (2), O’P (4), and R (1)). In contrast, the Q, L, and B HGs occurred in more horses (15, 9, and 7, respectively). Based on a large number of polymorphic sites and haplotypes, the founder stock is considered diverse. Since the HG Q is characteristic of Asian horses, the examined stock haplotype distribution reflects the eastern origin of the Hungarian horses brought from the East in 896 AD. It is complemented by the gene pool of horses from Europe (e.g., L) and the Middle East (e.g., B).

The fallow deer (Dama dama) represents significant game management value globally, and human activities are significantly impacting the species. Besides the positive effects, these activities can threaten its existence, health, and value. The aim of the authors was to develop a tetranucleotide microsatellite panel that could be clearly interpreted and used for genetic testing of fallow deer. Such a panel did not exist until now and could be particularly useful in the field of conservation genetics and forensics. A total of 99 tetrameric microsatellites, originally designed for related deer species, were tested on 20 fallow deer individuals from five Hungarian sampling areas. Original and newly designed primers were used to amplify the microsatellite regions using previously published or optimized PCR protocols. The lengths and sequences of specific amplicons were detected using capillary electrophoresis, and the rate of polymorphism was determined. Altogether, 80 markers provided PCR products of adequate quality and quantity. Among them, 15 markers proved to be polymorphic (2–5 alleles/locus), and 14 tetrameric markers were selected for further analysis. Statistical calculations showed that the selected polymorphic microsatellites can potentially enable key individualization in many areas of wildlife and population genetics, thus protecting the species.

Background: According to the One Health concept, the physical proximity between pets and their owners facilitates the interspecies spread of bacteria including those that may harbor numerous antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Methods: A shotgun sequencing metagenomic data-based bacteriome and resistome study of 1830 canine saliva samples was conducted considering the subsets of ARGs with higher public health risk, ESKAPE pathogen relatedness (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species), and survey results on the physical and behavioral characteristics of the participating dogs. Results: A total of 318 ARG types achieved sufficiently high detection rates. These ARGs can affect 31 antibiotic drug classes through various resistance mechanisms. ARGs against tetracyclines, cephalosporins, and, interestingly, peptides appeared in the highest number of samples. Other Critically Important Antimicrobials (CIAs, WHO), such as aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, or macrolides, were among the drug classes most frequently affected by ARGs of higher public health risk and ESKAPE pathogen-related ARGs of higher public health risk. Several characteristics, including coat color, sterilization status, size, activity, or aggressiveness, were associated with statistically significant differences in ARG occurrence rates (p < 0.0500). Conclusions: Although the oral microbiome of pet owners is unknown, the One Health and public health implications of the close human–pet bonds and the factors potentially underlying the increase in salivary ARG numbers should be considered, particularly in light of the presence of ARGs affecting critically important drugs for human medicine.

In this study, we analyzed the phytosociological data from four sample sites located in the Pannonian region. The study areas, ranging from 2.4 to 2.5 hectares, have been subjected to goat grazing and mowing for 24 years. N1: Nagyréde, an overgrazed pasture with 24 goats; N2: Nagyréde, a mown field; C1: Csokvaomány, a lightly grazed pasture with 12 goats; and meadow C2: Csokvaomány, a site that is both mown and grazed. Six phytosociological surveys were conducted randomly in each area. We also considered the conservation value, biomass production, and forage values. Phytosociological data were processed using hierarchical cluster analysis and the non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test. The overgrazed pasture (N1) exhibited the most degraded vegetation community, dominated by weeds and disturbance-tolerant species. The overgrazed (N1) pasture had a low forage value because of the different timing of treatments. Even in the lightly grazed pasture (C1), the proportion of species indicative of degradation was significant. The species composition of the areas indicated that the mown and subsequently grazed area (C2) had outstanding values. The species richness of C2 was twice that of the mown field (N2). Based on the present study, a combination of light grazing pressure and mowing is the most suitable approach for managing and economically utilizing these grasslands.