Herbal products such as essential oils may play a promising role in the treatment of infections caused by gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro potential of 11 essential oils (EOs) and one binary combination of isolated EO compounds, as well as the in vivo anthelmintic efficacy of two EO formulations. Four GIN genera were identified in the coproculture examination: Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Teladorsagia and Chabertia. The in vitro egg hatch test (EHT) was performed at six different concentrations (50, 12.5, 3.125, 0.781, 0.195 and 0.049 mg/mL) for each EO, whereas in the in vivo faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), each EO sample was diluted in sunflower oil and orally administrated at a dose of 100 mg/kg to the different group of animals. In the EHT, the EOs of Origanum vulgare, Foeniculum vulgare, Satureja montana, Satureja hortensis and two types of Thymus vulgaris were the most effective. The dominant compounds of these EOs were carvacrol, thymol, anethol, p-cymene and γ-terpinene, indicating their importance for the anthelmintic activity. In the FECRT, both T. vulgaris EO type 1 and linalool:estragole combination show an anthelmintic potential with a mean effect on FECR of approximately 25%. The results suggest the possible role of tested EOs as anthelmintic agents in sheep farms, although further in vivo tests are needed.

Raccoon dog and fox amdoparvovirus (RFAV) has been reported in raccoon dogs and foxes, but natural infection in domestic dogs has not previously been documented. During March–April 2026, samples from four affected Dobermann dogs from a kennel near Novi Sad, Serbia, were submitted for laboratory investigation. After negative testing for canine adenovirus, canine coronavirus, herpesvirus, parvovirus, distemper virus, influenza A virus, and leptospirosis, metagenomic sequencing was performed on selected tissues, followed by bioinformatic analysis and targeted RFAV PCR screening of additional outbreak-associated samples. Affected dogs had prolonged illness characterized by conjunctivitis with ocular and nasal discharge, occasional blue eye appearance, progressive weight loss, poor coat quality, jaundice and biochemical evidence of hepatic injury, and neurologic signs including paraplegia in advanced cases. Sequencing generated 434,220 reads and identified multiple RFAV hits; pooled assembly produced a 4799 bp consensus genome with approximately 97% similarity to known RFAV strains and genome organization consistent with the genus Amdoparvovirus. RFAV DNA was subsequently detected by virus-specific PCR in an epidemiologically linked dog and across diverse specimen types including blood, urine, kidney, spleen, brain, lung, testicle, ileocecal lymph node, and throat swabs, whereas clinically healthy unrelated dogs were PCR-negative.

Raccoon dog and fox amdoparvovirus (RFAV) has been reported in raccoon dogs and foxes, but natural infection in domestic dogs has not previously been documented. During March-April 2026, samples from affected Dobermann dogs from a kennel near Novi Sad, Serbia, were submitted for laboratory investigation. After negative testing for canine adenovirus, canine coronavirus, herpesvirus, parvovirus, distemper virus, influenza A virus, and leptospirosis, metagenomic sequencing was performed on selected tissues, followed by bioinformatic analysis and targeted RFAV PCR screening of additional outbreak-associated samples. Affected dogs had prolonged illness characterized by conjunctivitis with ocular and nasal discharge, occasional blue eye appearance, progressive weight loss, poor coat quality, biochemical evidence of hepatic injury, and neurologic signs including paraplegia in advanced cases. Sequencing generated 434,220 reads and identified multiple RFAV hits; pooled assembly produced a 4,799-bp consensus genome with approximately 97% similarity to known RFAV strains and genome organization consistent with the genus Amdoparvovirus. RFAV DNA was subsequently detected by virus-specific PCR in a epidemiologically linked dog and across diverse specimen types including blood, urine, kidney, spleen, brain, lung, testicle, ileocecal lymph node, and throat swabs, whereas clinically healthy unrelated dogs were PCR-negative.

Extensive pig production represents a significant segment of livestock production in Serbia. Due to the continuous presence of African swine fever (ASF) in Serbia since 2019, with the predominant number of outbreaks diagnosed on this type of holdings, the level of biosecurity measures applied on them is of particular importance. However, the impact of sociodemographic and structural characteristics of holdings on the level of applied biosecurity measures has not been sufficiently studied. The aim of this study was to assess the level of biosecurity measures on extensive pig holdings in Vojvodina using the Biocheck.UGent tool, and to examine the relationship between biosecurity level and farmer experience and holding size. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2026 and included 26 rural holdings and small extensive-type farms in 12 municipalities within 4 districts in Vojvodina. A total of 3,592 pigs were recorded, with an average of 138 animals per holding (range 12-600). The average working experience of farmers in pig production was 25.5 years (range 5-50). Biosecurity was evaluated using the Biocheck.UGent questionnaire. Pearson correlation analysis was applied to examine the relationship between biosecurity scores, number of animals, and years of farmer experience. The mean overall biosecurity score was 65.5% (range 35-83%), with external biosecurity (64.0%) being lower than internal biosecurity (68.8%). Correlation analysis showed no statistically significant relationship between years of farmer experience and overall biosecurity score (r=0.078; p>0,05), nor between experience and external (r=0.158; p>0,05) or internal biosecurity (r=-0.078; p>0,05). Similarly, no significant correlation was found between the number of animals per holding and overall biosecurity score (r=-0.137; p>0,05). The results indicate that neither long-term farmer experience nor holding size significantly determine the level of biosecurity. This finding suggests that empirical experience without structured education is insufficient for adequate implementation of biosecurity measures. Implementation of educational and advisory programs represents a necessary prerequisite for improving biosecurity on extensive-type holdings in Vojvodina.

The aim of this report is to inform the scientific and professional community about the outbreak of a new previously unrecognized disease in dogs in Serbia but also detected and spreading in the other counties. The first discovered cases of the disease, available to the authors of this paper, which were accompanied by a severe clinical picture, were found in the dog shelter of a professional dog trainer near the City of Novi Sad (town of C ortanovci, municipality of Inđija). Epizootiological research on the route of infection established that the outbreak of infection occurred after the importation of two dogs from Russia. Clinical signs first appeared in one of the two imported Doberman bitches, which was 7 months old, 10 days after arrival at the shelter. During March and April 2026, samples from affected Dobermann dogs from afore mentioned kennel were submitted for laboratory investigation to Scientific Veterinary Institute "Novi Sad". In affected animals, the disease followed a chronic course, and the dominant clinical syndrome was mucopurulent conjunctivitis with or without rhinitis, subscleral hemorrhages, progressive weight loss accompanied by abnormal liver function tests, and corneal opacity known as 'blue eye'. Among the other symptoms observed are arthritis, hyperkeratosis of the nasal planum mucosa, with or without rhagades, hyperkeratosis of the paw pads ('hard pad'), and in the final stage of the disease, cachexia and neurological disorders including paraplegia. After negative testing for canine adenovirus, canine coronavirus, herpesvirus, parvovirus, distemper virus, influenza A virus, leptospirosis and leishmaniasis, NGS-metagenomic sequencing was performed on selected tissues from succumbed adult animals and puppies, followed by bioinformatic analysis. Sequencing generated 434,220 reads and identified multiple raccoon dog and fox amdoparvovirus (RFAV) hits. Pooled assembly produced a 4,799-bp consensus genome with approximately 97% similarity to known RFAV strains and genome organization consistent with the genus Amdoparvovirus. RFAV has been reported in raccoon dogs and foxes, but natural infection in domestic dogs has not previously been documented. The constructed full genome was published in NCBI GenBank (Access No: PZ348355). In addition, according to the known virus genome and available literature data RFAV specific PCR protocol was designed. During period from May to July, RFAV DNA was subsequently detected by virus-specific PCR in a epidemiologically linked dogs and across diverse specimen types including blood, urine, kidney, spleen, brain, lung, testicle, ileocecal lymph node, and throat swabs, but also in different type of samples of other Dobermans with clinical signs that were not epidemiologically connected to the kennel where study started, whereas clinically healthy unrelated Dobermans and dogs in cohabitation and other animals of different species were PCR-negative. The obtained data and knowledge acquired until now clearly suggest the spillover and cross-species transmission of RFAV from wildlife or wild animals kept in captivity to dogs. Among dog breeds, probably due to their genetic predisposition, the Doberman breed seems susceptible to this disease for now. Until this moment, after more than 100 tested animals and among them a lot of dogs from other breeds that were in contact/cohabitation with infected Dobermans, only the dogs of Doberman breed were found positive for virus presence, infected with or without visible clinical signs of disease. A lot of questions are still not answered, both more time and research are needed. Our research is still in progress, and more data will be available soon.