The study was conducted in 2006 on 20 French alpine goat farms in Croatia. Milk samples were taken from each udder half, for the mastitis test and the bacteriological test, 2120 samples in total. Subclinical mastitis was diagnosed in 211 out of 1060 goats, or in 20% of the studied population. Mastitis of one udder half was diagnosed in 84% of the affected population, while mastitis of both udder halves was diagnosed in 16% of the affected goats. A positive mastitis test reaction was identified in 605 samples (28%), and the pathogenic bacterium was isolated from 244 of these samples (36%). From 22 samples (1.5%) which were negative to mastitis test, pathogenic bacteria, namely S. aureus (21 samples) and Streptococcus D (1 sample), were isolated. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 72% mastitis test positive samples, coagulase-negative staphylococci in 16%, other bacteria were isolated from a smaller number of samples: Streptococcus D (6%), Bacillus spp. (2%), and E. coli (2%). The results of the study lead to the conclusion that the subclinical mastitis in goats has a prevalence of 20% on average which increases with higher lactation number. Staphylococcus aureus is the primary causative agent of the inflammations.

Wood ash from biomass power plants and coarse, low-grade sheep wool from farming are underutilized biowastes that are often landfilled. Their valorization could reduce waste and emissions, decrease reliance on virgin materials, and support the circular economy and European Green Deal targets. However, both materials may contain naturally occurring radionuclides, primarily ⁴⁰K, as well as trace uranium and thorium isotopes, with higher concentrations typically found in wood ash due to combustion processes. Assessing their activity concentrations and bioavailability is therefore essential to ensure regulatory compliance and protect public health. This study quantified radionuclide levels in wood ash and sheep wool samples collected in Croatia and evaluated their suitability for agricultural applications. Natural radionuclides (⁴⁰K, ²³²Th, ²³⁸U, ²¹⁴Pb, ²¹⁴Bi, ²²⁶Ra, ²¹⁰Pb, ²¹⁰Po) and ¹³⁷Cs were determined using high-resolution gamma-ray and alpha spectrometry. The influence of different factors on radionuclide content was discussed, and transfer factors within the soil–hay–wool pathway were calculated to assess bioavailability. Measured activity concentrations were consistently low, and transfer factors indicated minimal radionuclide mobility. The results support the safe agricultural reuse of these materials and provide baseline data for radiological safety assessments in sustainable waste management practices.

Hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) are uncultivable, cell wall-less bacteria that parasitizeon the surface of red blood cells of mammals, potentially causing anemia and other systemic signs. While widely distributed among domestic and wild animals, their occurrence in equids remains poorly understood, and no species has been identified as host-specific to horses or donkeys. This study presents the first systematic survey of hemoplasmas in equids from southeastern Europe and only the second molecularly confirmed case in horses in Europe. A total of 843 equids (817 horses and 26 donkeys) from different regions of Croatia, representing various ages, uses, and husbandry systems, were screened for hemoplasmas by PCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Only one horse tested positive, identified as Mycoplasma wenyonii, a hemoplasma typically associated with cattle. The estimated prevalence was 0.12% (95% CI: 0.003–0.68%). No donkeys were infected. The extremely low prevalence observed here—the lowest reported in any study detecting hemoplasma-positive horses—supports the hypothesis that equids do not harbor host-specific hemoplasma species and may only sporadically acquire infections from other hosts via spillover. This finding underscores the apparent absence of persistent hemoplasma lineages adapted to equids and highlights the need for further research on their epidemiology, host specificity, and transmission dynamics.

The purpose of our research was to determine which groups and species of internal parasites endanger the health of sheep on the islands of Rab and Pag. The research was carried out in 10 flocks on both islands taking the fresh dung out of 30% of the total number of sheep in each flock. It was ascertained that the gastrointestinal parasites and protozoa of Eimeria genus are present in most flocks on both islands. The presence of the fluke Dicrocoelium dendriticum was ascertained in considerably larger number of flocks on the island of Rab than on the island of Pag. On the other hand, the presence of parasites of Moniezia and Nematodirus genus was ascertained in larger number of flocks on the island of Pag. In two flocks on Rab parasites of Protostrongylus genus were ascertained while on the island of Pag they were not found in any flock.

Tick-borne pathogens remain insufficiently investigated in donkeys, particularly in southeastern Europe. This study investigated the occurrence of piroplasms, Anaplasmataceae, and hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. in donkeys from Croatia and assessed the genetic diversity of detected Theileria equi. Blood samples from 135 apparently healthy donkeys originating from 15 herds in six Croatian counties were examined using PCR. Positive T. equi samples were further characterized by sequencing, haplotype determination, and phylogenetic analysis. Theileria equi DNA was detected in 31/135 animals (22.96%; 95% CI: 15.99–29.94%), whereas no Anaplasmataceae or hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. DNA was detected. Infection showed marked geographical and herd-level variation. The highest prevalence was recorded in Šibensko-Kninska County (17/34; 50.0%), while all positive animals originated from three herds in the Croatian littoral region. Prevalence differed significantly among herd-size categories (p = 0.012), with no positive animals detected in small herds. Sequence analysis identified three T. equi haplotypes: D was predominant (22/31; 70.97%), followed by A (8/31; 25.81%) and E (1/31; 3.23%). Phylogenetic analysis confirmed all Croatian sequences as T. equi and indicated the presence of multiple genetic lineages within the sampled donkey population. These findings provide new molecular epidemiological data on T. equi in Croatian donkeys and demonstrate a heterogeneous distribution of infection among the investigated regions and herds. Among the selected tick-borne pathogens investigated, T. equi was the only pathogen detected. Further studies integrating larger and longitudinal datasets with detailed management, environmental, and tick-vector data are needed to better understand the factors underlying the observed epidemiological patterns.