Attila D. Sándor

• PhD, MSc, BSc
• Principal Investigator at University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca

Rodents (Mammalia: Rodentia) are among the ubiquitous hosts of Giardia duodenalis , as they can harbour at least six assemblages of this species, including the zoonotic assemblages A and B. However, studies targeting a broad spectrum of rodents and rabbits sampled in the same region are scarce, even in Europe. During this study, 164 samples were co...

Background Potentially zoonotic pathogens have been previously detected in bat-associated ticks, but their role in disease transmission and their frequency of feeding on non-bat hosts is poorly known. Methodology/Principal findings We used molecular blood meal analysis to reveal feeding patterns of the bat-associated tick species Ixodes ariadnae,...

Research into various bacterial pathogens that can be transmitted between different animals and may have zoonotic potential has led to the discovery of different strains of Bartonella sp. in bats and their associated ectoparasites. Despite their enormous species diversity, only a few studies have focussed on the detection of bacterial pathogens in...

Vine disease detection is considered one of the most crucial components in precision viticulture. It serves as an input for several further modules, including mapping, automatic treatment, and spraying devices. In the last few years, several approaches have been proposed for detecting vine disease based on indoor laboratory conditions or large-scal...

Birds are long-known as important disseminators of ixodid ticks, in which context mostly their latitudinal, south-to-north migration is considered. However, several bird species that occur in the eastern part of the northern Palaearctic are known to migrate westward. In this study, a female tick collected from the sedge warbler, Acrocephalus schoen...

Background Fleas are important hematophagous insects, infesting mammals and birds with a worldwide distribution. Fleas of medical importance have been reported from various carnivores worldwide, such as felids, canids, or mustelids. Romania hosts a wide carnivore diversity, but very little is known about flea species that parasitize these animals i...

Most Palearctic bats spend the winter in hibernation, with reduced metabolic rate (including body temperature, circulation, heart-rate, etc.), while descending into a motionless stasis. They select particular sites for roosting, sites which show similar characteristics independent of bat species or geographical location: thermally stable and inacce...

Evidence for divergent selection and adaptive variation across the landscape can provide insight into a species' ability to adapt to different environments. However, despite recent advances in genomics, it remains difficult to detect the footprints of climate‐mediated selection in natural populations. Here, we analysed ddRAD sequencing data (21,892...

Large-bodied mole rats (Spalax) are a speciosus genus among obligate subterranean rodents, with seven currently recognized species, ranging from the Carpathians to the North Caucasus and further into the Caspian basin. Several conflicting hypotheses were proposed to explain the phylogenetic relationship among these taxa, mostly based on the subject...

Bat flies are one of the most abundant ectoparasites of bats, showing remarkable morphological adaptations to the parasitic habit, while the relationship with their hosts is characterized by a high level of specificity. By collecting bat flies from live hosts, our intention was to elucidate the seasonal differences in bat fly occurrence and to desc...

Background: Arthropods parasites of bats play a crucial role in both ecological and public health contexts, as they have the potential to transmit zoonotic agents. The study aims to identify the distribution, and host-parasite associations of bat ectoparasites in the Grand Maghreb region (Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia), which has...

Background Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects a large spectrum of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Small rodents and insectivores play an important role in the epidemiology of T. gondii and may serve as a source of infection for both, domestic and wild definitive felid hosts. Factors influencing the occurrence of T. gondi...

Among the most studied mammals in terms of their role in the spread of various pathogens with possible zoonotic effects are bats. These are animals with a very complex lifestyle, diet, and behavior. They are able to fly long distances, thus maintaining and spreading the pathogens they may be carrying. These pathogens also include vector-borne paras...

Large-bodied mole rats (Spalax) are a specious genus among obligate subterranean rodents, with seven currently recognised species, ranging from the Carpathians to the North Caucasus and further into the Caspian basin. Several conflicting hypotheses were proposed to explain the phylogenetic relationship among these taxa, mostly based on the subjecti...

Bat flies are the most abundant ectoparasites of bats, showing remarkable morphological adaptations to the parasitic habit, while the relationship with their hosts is characterized by a high level of specificity. By collecting bat flies from live hosts, our intention was to elucidate the seasonal differences in bat fly occurrence and to describe fa...

Two Mediterranean horseshoe bats Rhinolophus euryale were observed in Romanian Dobrudja on the 12 January 2016. This observation is the first record in Romania of the species away from its Carpathian Range. The two specimens were found hibernating in an abandoned mine shaft in the Pădurea și Valea Canaraua Fetii, Iortmac Natural Reserve, near Bănea...

In August 2018 remains of several birds of prey were recorded at one Eagle Owl Bubo bubo eyrie in southeast Romania. Among these, still articulated wings and leg bones of an adult female Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, feathers and several bone fragments of one adult Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus and several individuals of Common Buzzards Buteo bu...

Most wild mammals can serve as hosts both for tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) and for the ticks themselves. Among these, wild boars, due to their large body size, habitat and life span, show high exposure to ticks and TBPs. These species are now one of the widest-ranging mammals in the world, as well as the most widespread suid. Despite the fact that c...

Evidence for spatially varying selection and adaptive variation can provide insight into a species’ ability to adapt to different environments. However, despite recent advances in genomics, it remains difficult to detect footprints of spatially varying selection in natural populations. Here we analysed ddRAD sequencing data (21,892 SNPs) in conjunc...

Bat gut microbiomes are adapted to the specific diets of their hosts. Despite diet variation has been associated with differences in bat microbiome diversity, the influence of diet on microbial community assembly have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we used available data on bat gut microbiome to characterize the microbial communit...

Reports on adult Hyalomma ticks in certain regions of the Carpathian Basin date back to the 19th century. These ticks were thought to emerge from nymphs dropping from birds, then molting to adults. Although the role of migratory birds in carrying ticks of this genus is known from all parts of Europe, in most countries no contemporaneous multiregion...

Background The subgenus Pholeoixodes contains Ixodes species typically associated with birds that nest in cavities or with carnivorous mammals that are burrow-dwelling. Among ticks infesting the latter, Ixodes rugicollis is regarded as the rarest species in the western Palearctic. Despite the unique morphology of this species, its identification (e...

To obtain new data on the species diversity, host associations and spatiotemporal occurrence of flies and blood-sucking lice of veterinary importance in Malta, ectoparasites were collected at cattle, sheep and goat, pig farms, as well as dog shelters, and in two places in the absence of domestic animals. The species were identified morphologically,...

African swine fever (ASF) is a contagious viral disease of swine that causes significant economic damage. The summer peaks and river courses have triggered the hypothesis that vectors may be involved in the transmission of the virus. In temperate climates, insect numbers increase in the late summer. Low temperatures and frosts decrease the number o...

Background Reports on adult Hyalomma ticks in certain regions of the Carpathian Basin date back to the 19 th century. These ticks were thought to emerge from nymphs dropping from birds, then molting to adults. Although the role of migratory birds in carrying ticks of this genus is known from all parts of Europe, in most countries no contemporaneous...

Trichomonas gallinae is a geographically widespread protozoan parasite of birds. In this study, oropharyngeal swab samples were collected in Hungary and Romania from 99 columbiform birds, including 76 feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica: 42 kept for racing, 32 with urban and two with rural habitat), four common wood pigeons (C. palumbus), 16 rin...

Abstract. In the Biosphere Reserve of the Danube Delta - Romania, in the period 2003-2006, a series of Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia L., 1758) markings took place in the north of the Razim lake, in the only colony in the reserve where these birds nest at ground level. 219 nestlings were marked with metallic and coloured plastic rings. T...

This study was initiated to assess the seasonality and to investigate the morphology of questing ixodid ticks in an urban habitat in Central Europe, Hungary. A neglected part of a large cemetery, with sparse tree covering and dense lower vegetation, was sampled monthly from February 2019 to May 2021. All ticks were analyzed morphologically, and sel...

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the causative agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis in humans, dogs, cats, horses and tick-borne fever in ruminants. In Europe, its main vector is the tick species Ixodes ricinus . In this study, spleen and liver samples, as well as ticks from 18 wild-living mammals (belonging to seven species) were analysed for the presen...

Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are considered the most important transmitters of pathogens in the temperate zone that covers most of Europe. In the era of climate change tick-borne diseases are predicted to undergo geographical range expansion toward the north through regions that are connected to southern areas of the continent by bird migration. Th...

The Maltese Archipelago is situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Basin, between Europe and Africa, therefore representing an important stopover site for migratory birds between these two continents. Despite of this, up-to-date information is not available on tick species associated with birds in Malta. Therefore, in this study, birds mist-net...

Ecdysteroids are steroid hormones involved in moulting and development of arthropods. Blood samples of 32 individual bats of eight insectivorous species were analysed for the presence of ecdysteroids, using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Nine ecdysteroids were detected. The spectrum of these ecdysteroids was similar in bat species whi...

Background Among live wild mammals adapted to urban and peri-urban habitats in Europe, members of the families Felidae, Mustelidae and Sciuridae deserve special attention as pathogen reservoirs because all of these families include members that are kept as pets. We report here the results of our study on two important groups of tick-borne protozoan...

Bat flies (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea: Nycteribiidae, Streblidae) are obligate, blood-feeding, highly specialized ectoparasites of bats (Chiroptera). Of the 17 nycteribiid species present in Europe, 11 have been recorded in Romania. Here, we present a checklist with all the previously published data and new records from recent years, for a total of 22...

Wild boars show increasing numbers and population densities throughout Europe, including Hungary. While their presence is appreciated as game animals, they are also responsible for significant agricultural damage, habitat degradation and water quality issues. In addition, wild boars may harbor ticks and can act as reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens...

The tritrophic association of bats, bat flies, and Laboulbeniales microfungi is a remarkably understudied system that may reveal patterns applicable to community ecology theory of (hyper)parasites. Laboulbeniales are biotrophic microfungi, exclusively associated with arthropods, with several species that are specialized on bat flies, which themselv...

The lesser horseshoe bat has a broad distribution in warm temperate regions of Europe and Western Asia, and a patchy distribution in Africa. Common in the north-western part of North Africa, the species is missing more to the east. Hereby we report the first record in Libya, considerably extending its known geographic range. Additionally, we perfor...

All species of hard ticks associated with reptiles as hosts throughout their life cycle, are currently assigned to genera including Amblyomma and Africaniella. Among these species, based on literature data, Africaniella transversale has never been investigated for the presence of tick-borne pathogens. In this study, seven DNA extracts (two from A....

The current status of tick species, important tick-borne bacteria and protozoan parasites is well-documented in Switzerland. However, reports on the genetic diversity and geographical relationships of tick species in this country appear to be in part lacking or outdated. Thus, the aim of this study was to collect ticks from various host species in...

White-tailed Sea Eagle is the largest raptor that inhabits the Danube Delta and its surroundings. Perfectly adapted, with hereditary hunting strategies, but also mastered in its long life that can exceed two decades, this top predator can use almost any prey in the studied area. Between 2016 and 2018, we harvested food scraps from the Danube Delta...

Background An entomological study was conducted in the Canaraua Fetii Special Protection Area in the Dobrogea region, South-Eastern Romania. Four sand fly species were recorded at this location between 1968 and 1970: Phlebotomus neglectus , Ph . balcanicus , Ph . sergenti and Sergentomyia minuta . The most abundant sand fly species recorded at that...

Introduction Rhipicephalus bursa is a common tick parasite of small-to-medium size ungulates, principally in warm, temperate, and subtropical areas. Although common in livestock and showing a wide geographic distribution, its epidemiological role in tick-borne bacterial disease is barely known. This study addressed the knowledge gap and aimed to sc...

Background Birds are major hosts for many tick species (Acari: Ixodidae, Argasidae), and their role is especially important in transporting ticks over large distances along their seasonal migratory routes. Accordingly, most studies across Europe focus on the importance of avian hosts in tick dispersal, and less emphasis is laid on resident birds an...

The soft ticks (Ixodida: Argasidae) are ectoparasites of terrestrial vertebrates with a wide geographic distribution, occurring on all continents. These ticks are obligate blood-feeders, most of them show high degrees of host-specialization and several species in arid and tropical regions are important parasites of livestock and men. Species common...

Bats have deserved much scientific attention due to their biological-ecological properties and increasingly recognized epidemiological significance. Ecdysteroids are insect-molting hormones that (under experimental conditions) have stimulating and anabolic effects in mammals, including humans. Therefore, these biologically active compounds are curr...

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Here we present the methodology for the first checklist of Romanian bat flies. The article contains data from 21 already published articles from 1921 to 2021 and our field data from 2017 to 2021.

Ixodes simplex is a bat tick species, a common parasite of the Schreibers' bent-winged bat, Miniopterus schreibersii. Its distribution is linked to the range of its host, free stages occurring exclusively inside the underground bat shelters. Here we present the first case of human infestation with I. simplex. An adult female tick was found attached...

Despite the increasingly recognized eco-epidemiological importance of ticks as vectors for numerous zoonotic pathogens in urban areas, data regarding the pathogen diversity and co-infection rates in ticks and wildlife hosts in urban and peri-urban Romania are scanty. We aimed to establish the risk of human exposure to co-infected ticks in Cluj-Napo...

Background Among Dermanyssoidea, the chicken red mite ( Dermanyssus gallinae ) and the northern fowl mite ( Ornithonyssus sylviarum ) are considered to be the cause of high economic losses endured by the poultry industry in the Holarctic region, with O. sylviarum predominating in North America and D. gallinae in Europe. Both species have a short li...

Three Palearctic members of the subgenus Pholeoixodes, i.e., Ixodes canisuga, Ixodes hexagonus and Ixodes kaiseri are frequently collected from dogs, cats, red foxes, badgers and other carnivorous/insectivorous hosts in Europe. While a pictorial identification key has been reported for female Pholeoixodes ticks, a similar work has not been done on...

Background Spotted fever group rickettsiae represent one of the most diverse groups of vector-borne bacteria, with several human pathogenic species showing an emerging trend worldwide. Most species are vectored by ticks (Ixodidae), with many zoonotic reservoir species among most terrestrial vertebrate groups. While the reservoir competence of many...

Malaria is responsible for major diseases of humans, while associated haemosporidians are important factors in regulating wildlife populations. Polychromophilus, a haemosporidian parasite of bats, is phylogenetically close to human-pathogenic Plasmodium species, and their study may provide further clues for understanding the evolutionary relationsh...

Bat flies are haematophagous ectoparasites, highly specialised to bats and are also considered to have vectorial potential for several pathogens like Bartonella spp. or Polychromophilus spp. In Romania, past studies mostly focused on the ectoparasitic fauna of cave-dwelling bats, listing the occurrence of 10 bat fly species in the country, with onl...

Host associated microbiome not only may affect the individual health-status or provide insights into the species- or group specific bacterial communities but may act as early warning signs in the assessment of zoonotic res-ervoirs, offering clues to predict, prevent and control possible episodes of emerging zoonoses. Bats may be carriers and reserv...

Parasitism is one of the most diverse and abundant modes of life, and of great ecological and evolutionary importance. Notwithstanding, large groups of parasites remain relatively understudied. One particularly unique form of parasitism is hyperparasitism, where a parasite is parasitized itself. Bats (Chiroptera) may be parasitized by bat flies (Di...

Background: Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is one of the most interesting regions in Europe from an epidemiological point of view due to its great biodiversity, local climatic conditions and various types of habitats. Moreover, there is no data regarding the ectoparasite communities of dogs from this area. In this frame, the aims of our study were...

Fungal Systematics and Evolution (FUSE) is one of the journal series to address the “fusion” between morphological data and molecular phylogenetic data and to describe new fungal taxa and interesting observations. This paper is the 6th contribution in the FUSE series—presenting one new genus, twelve new species, twelve new country records, and thre...

Background: Ticks are increasingly acknowledged as significant vectors for a wide array of pathogens in urban environments with reports of abundant tick populations in recreational areas. The study aims to contribute to a better knowledge of the abiotic and biotic factors which impact the ecology of hard ticks in urban and peri-urban habitats in R...

Recently, the occurrence of Ixodes ( Pholeoixodes ) kaiseri has been reported for the first time in several European countries, but data on the molecular analysis of this hard tick species are still lacking. Therefore, in this study DNA extracts of 28 I. kaiseri (collected from dogs and red foxes in Germany, Hungary and Romania) were screened with...

To understand the importance of host’ habitat choice in determining parasite burden, we studied the distribution of two helminth parasites of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in south-eastern Europe (Romania): Crenosoma vulpis and Eucoleus aerophilus, both widely distributed respiratory nematodes parasitic in various carnivores. Even though the life cyc...

Host associated microbiome not only may affect the individual health-status or provide insights into the species- or group specific bacterial communities but may act as early warning signs in the assessment of zoonotic reservoirs, offering clues to predict, prevent and control possible episodes of emerging zoonoses. Bats may be carriers and reservo...

Background: Parasites may actively seek for hosts and may use a number of adaptive strategies to promote their reproductive success and host colonization. These strategies will necessarily influence their host specificity and seasonality. Ticks are important ectoparasites of vertebrates, which (in addition to directly affecting their hosts) may tr...

The authors add new information to the previously published information on the recovery of the rings of the 219 spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758), marked in the north of Sinoie lagoon, Romania, in 2003-2005. Up to now 33 individual birds were resighted (15.7%). One of the marked birds was observed 5 times at a breeding colony ca 75 km...

Bats are well adapted to inhabit human settlements and are suitable reservoirs of a high number of vector-borne pathogens with veterinary-medical importance. Owing to these eco-epidemiological traits, the importance of studying bat ectoparasites is increasingly recognized. However, relevant molecular-phylogenetic data are missing from several count...

Among reptiles only snakes are known to frequently feed on bats and even inside this group chiropterophagy is rare, with most records being noted in the tropics. In the temperate region and especially in Europe, only a handful of cases have been described. Here, we report further cases of bat predation in underground habitats of Bulgaria, highlight...

Hippobosca longipennis (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), the dog fly or dog louse fly, is an obligate blood‐feeding ectoparasite of wild and domestic carnivores in Africa and the Middle East. Outside its typically known geographic range, H. longipennis has been reported occasionally on mainly domestic dogs in Asia and southern Europe, and infrequently in o...

In this work we present some of the data about the nesting ecology of the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) collected during 2018 in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and its surroundings. During the research a total of 67 different nests (ocuppied or not) were recorded. 49 of these were actively use for nesting. We also recorded 7 breedin...

Background: Small mammals play an important role in the life-cycle of ticks and are reservoirs for several zoonotic pathogens. The aim of this study was to provide epidemiological data regarding the presence of Borrelia spp. in tissues of small mammals from Romania. Methods: We examined 401 individuals belonging to 11 small mammal species collec...

The poster gives information about the host specificity level of different bat fly species in SE Europe and about the influencing factors.

In this work we present some of the data about the nesting ecology of the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) collected during 2009-2018 in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and its surroundings. A total of 144 different nests (occupied, unoccupied and destroyed) were recorded in this period. We also recorded 7 breeding pairs (territories) w...

A series of bird markings were performed in nesting colonies from the northern part of the Sinoie lagoon in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. We marked with colour plastic and metal rings nestlings of breeding species as Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus Bruch, 1832), Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo Linnaeus, 1758) and the Eurasian Spoonb...

Host specificity of bat flies in South-Eastern Europe Bat fly species categorized based on host specificity Seasonality of specificity Factors determining the level of host specificity at batflies

How multitrophic relationships between wildlife communities and their ectoparasitic vectors interact to shape the diversity of vector-borne microorganisms is poorly understood. Nested levels of dependence among microbes, vectors, and vertebrate hosts may have complicated effects on both microbial community assembly and evolution. We examined Barton...

This article presents data on the nesting ecology of the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) collected during 2009-2017 in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and its surroundings. A total of 127 different nests were recorded in this period. The preferred tree species for nesting in the area were the White Willow (Salix alba) with 64 % of all...

Background Despite the increasingly recognized eco-epidemiological significance of bats, data from molecular analyses of vector-borne bacteria in bat ectoparasites are lacking from several regions of the Old and New Worlds. Methods During this study, six species of ticks (630 specimens) were collected from bats in Hungary, Romania, Italy, Kenya, S...