Krzysztof Anusz

• PhD, Professor of WARSAW UNIVERSITY OF LIFE SCIENCES – SGGW
• Head of Department at Warsaw University of Life Sciences

Introduction Aujeszky’s disease is caused by suid herpesvirus-1, also called Aujeszky’s disease virus (ADV). The main reservoir host is the wild boar ( Sus scrofa ). The last data about ADV seroprevalence in wild boar in Poland came from over 10 years ago. There is a gap in knowledge about the current epidemiological situation. Therefore, this stud...

The European bison (Bison bonasus), also called wisent, is the largest terrestrial mammal in Europe, classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a “Near Threatened” species. Tuberculosis (TB) represents a well-known threat to wisent, especially nowadays when infectious diseases are emerging to this species, due to loc...

Background The origin of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains unknown. However, it is likely that the virus spillover occurred from an animal reservoir to humans. Identifying animal species susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for understanding cross-species transmission to humans. This study distinguishes itself by...

Wild carnivores may be important sources of emerging zoonotic pathogens worldwide, however, specific data concerning their presence in large carnivores are limited. The genus Trypanosoma (protozoan parasites) comprises numerous species adapted to all classes of vertebrates. This genus includes highly pathogenic species, such as T. brucei ssp., T. c...

Streptococcus dysgalactiae (S. dysgalactiae ) is a common pathogen of humans and various animals. However, the phylogenetic position of animal S. dysgalactiae isolates and their zoonotic potential remain unclear. Most molecular epidemiological studies explicate beta-hemolytic streptococci according to their MLST and M protein gene (emm) types. Alth...

The European Bison (Bison bonasus)is the largest mammal in Europe and is classifiedas an endangered species. Leishmaniosis is avector-borne disease caused by the protozoanLeishmania infantum. In general, this infectionhas been associated with dogs, cats, and humans.However, epidemiologic studies and reportsconfirm that the parasite is able to infec...

This study aimed to assess the occurrence of M. bovis antibodies and their risk factors in cattle in Poland. Serum samples were collected from 154 cattle from 13 Voivodeships during routine veterinary procedures from February to March 2024. The animals’ ages ranged from 6 months to 13 years. M. bovis antibodies were detected in serum samples by Mon...

Newly developed formulas of ready-to-eat (RTE) products, despite conforming to the latest nutritional trends involving low-processed and high-protein products, may pose a risk of promoting the growth of Listeria monocytogenes during shelf life. Food safety experts recommend challenge tests to assess the growth potential of L. monocytogenes, which w...

Background Infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) is a common ocular disease of ruminants worldwide. Recently, an outbreak of infectious keratoconjunctivitis was observed in the European bison in Poland. Hundreds of animals show conjunctival congestion, corneal opacity, and ulceration, leading to total blindness. The present study aimed to examine t...

Most studies concerning parasitic infections in European bison have been performed on free-ranging animals: comparatively little is known about the abomasal nematodes of captive wisents, which are widely used in reintroduction programmes. The aim of the study was to determine the infection level and species composition of abomasal nematodes in capt...

The material for drug resistance testing was 28 strains of Mycobacterium caprae isolated from tissue collected post mortem from a free-living Bieszczady Mountain European bison (Bison bonasus caucasicus) herd. All drug susceptibility tests were carried out on an automated Bactec mycobacterial growth indicator tube (MGIT) 960 system, using Bactec MG...

Simple Summary Unsatisfactory, erroneous, inadequate, or inapplicable laws can lead to negative effects on human and animal health. Such can be the case with the uncontrolled and legally unregulated spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) with possible zoonotic potential. This disease is spreading in cervids across Europe and other continents. In t...

Salmonella diarizonae (IIIb) is frequently isolated from reptiles and less frequently from birds and mammals. However, its isolation from invasive human infections has not been widely reported. Migratory mallard ducks are excellent bioindicators of pathogen presence and pathogen antibiotic resistance (AMR). We present the first isolation from a mal...

Hematological and biochemical blood parameters are important tools for evaluating animals’ health. They might be crucial in assessing the health of entire populations of wild animals, such as European bison (Bison bonasus). The aim of this study was to establish hematological and biochemical values for healthy European bison and to determine whethe...

Introduction and Objective. Because of the armed conflict in Ukraine, companion, farm and captive wild animals have been moved in a simplified procedure across the Polish-Ukrainian border. For that reason, in 2022, Poznań Zoo provided support for almost 200 wild animals before movement to facilities in other countries. The aim of the study is to id...

Although meat and meat products are important sources of protein in the human diet, consumption appears to be a predisposing factor in the onset of several civilisation diseases, particularly red meat and its products. One way to reduce diet-related diseases is to guide consumers towards consciously purchasing healthier foods by including a nutriti...

Food business operators must include the results of shelf life testing in their HACCP plan. Ready-to-eat preservative-free meat products enriched with blood plasma are an unfathomable area of research in food safety. We tested modified atmosphere (80% N2 and 20% CO2) and vacuum packaged RTE preservative-free baked and smoked pork bars with dried bl...

Background The European bison (Bison bonasus), a symbol of Polish nature, is a protected species that requires active health monitoring. However, conservation efforts are made difficult by the zoonotic diseases such as brucellosis and tuberculosis. Objective The aim of this study was to screen the Polish European bison population for exposure to t...

Introduction and Objective. Pets infected with zoonotic pathogens might become a source of infections for their owners, especially those who are immuno-compromised. The aim of this report is to describe a case of chronic, untreatable pneumonia in a domestic ferret. Materials and method. The subject was a 5-year-old female ferret suffering from recu...

Dietary exposure assessments have been performed for nitrites, phosphates, erythorbic acid, and sodium erythorbate in processed meat in Poland. The exposure has been estimated based on the maximum level of use of additives contained in Regulation - tier 2 and the concentration of additives in processed meat - tier 3, additionally for nitrites. Dail...

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous organisms, of which some, especially those of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), may be opportunistic animal and human pathogens. Infection with NTM can interfere with tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and induce zoonoses, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Diseases caused by NTM have become...

Introduction Universally, in microbiological diagnostics the detection of live bacteria is essential. Rapid identification of pathogens enables appropriate remedial measures to be taken. The identification of many bacteria simultaneously facilitates the determination of the characteristics of the accompanying microbiota and/or the microbiological c...

Lungworms of the genus Dictyocaulus are causative agents of parasitic bronchitis in domestic and wild ungulates. This study investigates the distribution, morphology and genetic diversity of D. cervi and a new lungworm species, Dictyocaulus skrjabini n. sp. infecting red deer Cervus elaphus, fallow deer Dama dama and moose Alces alces in Poland and...

The increasing population of European bison (Bison bonasus) can contribute to the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens. The aim of the present study was to assess the presence of A. phagocytophilum infection in European bison tissues as well as ticks removed from European bison in Lithuania and Poland. A further objective of this work was to compare th...

Manufacturers are obliged to label processed meat products with information concerning the additives used and nutritional values. The aim of the study was to identify the dyes most frequently used in processed meat, evaluate their influence on specific food qualities, assess whether their use was correct and review their effect on health. The analy...

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, pork remains the most consumed meat in the world. Consequently, it is very important to ensure that it is of the highest microbiological quality. Many of the pathogens that cause lymph node lesions in pigs are zoonotic agents, and the most commonly isolated bacteria are Mycob...

Background The European bison (Bison bonasus) is a near threatened species and requires health monitoring. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of antibodies to pathogens known to cause respiratory and digestive illness in ruminants. Results In the studied 328 European bison, the highest seroprevalence was observed for Bovi...

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) has rarely been detected in bears (Ursidae). We describe detection of MTBC genetic material using a single-tube, high-multiplex PCR and fluorescence-based detection system in a throat swab collected from a free-living, problem individual during immobilization and telemetry collar deployment. Mycobacterial c...

Although little information exists on the efficacy of deworming in wild ruminants, gastrointestinal nematodes have been found to demonstrate increasing drug resistance. The spread of drug-resistant strains may be increased by transmission among livestock and susceptible wildlife species, thus posing a potential threat to endangered species, such as...

Simple Summary Between 1996–2012, two outbreaks of animal tuberculosis were noted in the free-living European bison population in the Bieszczady Mountains, Poland. As the European bison is an endangered species and is particularly susceptible to tuberculosis, not to mention a national icon, the decision was made to test all deceased bison for TB in...

Introduction Among large wild game in Poland, the most numerous cervids are red deer and roe deer. Although these species live free, they should be under veterinary supervision because they can transmit infectious agents and parasites to livestock. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biodiversity of the abomasal nematodes which parasitise cer...

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a widespread disease known to affect livestock and wildlife, as well as humans. However, its incidence in wildlife remains poorly recognized on the global level. In Europe, the majority of TB cases have been confirmed in red deer, badgers and wild boar. Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the occurre...

Simple Summary Paratuberculosis is a bacterial infection occurring globally in ruminants. Although it has a known impact on animal health and welfare, diagnosis is complicated by high animal densities, the chronic nature of the disease, the variable course of infection, and the immune response. The aim of the current study was to confirm whether My...

Salmonella is a common foodborne infection. Many serovars belonging to Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica are present in the gut of various animal species. They can cause infection in human infants via breast milk or cross-contamination with powdered milk. In the present study, Salmonella BO was isolated from human milk in accordance with ISO 6579...

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is a dangerous zoonosis which presents a serious problem for endangered species such as European bison ( Bison bonasus). Little is known about the influence of parasitic co-infections on the course and diagnosis of tuberculosis in animals. The best known co-infection in cattle is Fasciola hepatica and Mycobacterium bovis....

Introduction Animal tuberculosis (TB) is a zoonotic disease caused by acid-fast bacteria belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). Both animals and humans are susceptible to infection by the MTBC. Interspecies transmission is also possible, including to livestock and humans. In the years 1997–2013, many tuberculosis cases were rec...

Comparing to the former regulations, the methods of combating infectious animal diseases established in the Animal Health Law has undergone significant changes in many aspects, including the categorization of diseases, and the need to apply the provisions of this regulation directly may raise doubts both as to their interpretation and to the conduc...

Tuberculosis in animals is an infectious and contagious disease, caused by acid-fast bacilli of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. The disease has been confirmed in Poland in farm and wild animals. Among the latter the largest number of cases was diagnosed in free-ranging European bison in the Bieszczady Mountains. The disease has also been pr...

The regaining of independence by Poland in 1918 brought freedom, but it also posed many challenges for the state administration, including the reconstruction of a uniform veterinary service. It was not an easy task, considering that already in early 1920 an epizootic of rinderpest crossed the Caucasus and spread in the European part of Soviet Russi...

Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the field of animal health, ‘Animal Health Law’, changed the rules for combating infectious diseases of animals, in particular of non-domesticated species. An in-depth legal research by t...

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, European bison (Bison bonasus) is a vulnerable species. European bison is susceptible to mycobacterial infections, as evidenced by numerous confirmed tuberculosis cases in this species. Diagnostic methods for tuberculosis have developed significantly in recent years, but performing se...

Mycobacteria infections in cats include tuberculosis (caused by Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium microti) and mycobacteriosis caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). The aim of the paper is to present the latest reports on mycobacterial infections in cats and place emphasis on their impact on the health of their owners. The reviewers loo...

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak led to a global ventilator shortage. Hence, various strategies for using a single ventilator to support multiple patients have been considered. A device called Ventil previously validated for independent lung ventilation was used in this study to evaluate its usability for shared ventilation. We performed experiments...

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) in sheep (Ovis aries) is caused by Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium caprae. Even though sheep have been considered less sensitive to BTB than other ruminants, they have been subject to increasing numbers of tuberculosis cases and it has been suggested that they may act as a disease reservoir in some regions. Aim of th...

In Poland, bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is most often detected in cattle, although some cases have also been reported in pigs and in other non-domestic species. BTB is believed to be mainly present in the Bieszczady region, in the south-eastern part of the country. The present study analyses the practical applications of the law regarding the eradicat...

Introduction The alpaca ( Vicugna pacos ) is a camelid native to South America, but the species has wide distribution outside its natural habitat and is found in various countries on other continents, Poland being one in Europe. Parasitic infections affect the productivity and health of alpacas. The aim of the study was to estimate the parasite loa...

Simple Summary In the European bison, Trueperella pyogenes is associated with different suppurative infections of mainly the urogenital tract or with abscesses in various tissues. Our research showed that in the studied population of European bison in Poland, the prevalence of T. pyogenes infections is relatively high. The significant genetic diver...

The Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) comprises a widespread group of slowly-growing bacteria from the Mycobacteriaceae. These bacteria are responsible for opportunistic infections in humans and animals, including farm animals. The aim of the study was to determine whether it is possible to predict the presence of M. avium in pig lymph nodes based...

Introduction Bovine tuberculosis is one of the most dangerous zoonotic diseases. Despite the near-complete elimination of the disease from cattle breeding in Poland achieved in 2009, its re-emergence is now observed. Globally, the number of human cases is underestimated and the importance of free-living animals as reservoirs of tuberculosis is grow...

Salmonella spp. is the most frequent cause of foodborne diseases, and the increasing occurrence of MDR strains is an additional and increasing problem. We collected Salmonella spp. strains isolated from meat (poultry and pork) and analysed their antibiotic susceptibility profiles and the occurrence of resistance genes. To determine the susceptibili...

Q fever as a potential cause of abortions in sheep (Ovis aries) in the Malopolskie Voivodeship-a preliminary study. Ann Agric Environ Med. Abstract Q fever is a dangerous zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii. The disease occurs mainly in ruminants and may cause reproductive system disorders, including abortions in sheep. Therefore, following an inc...

No regulations currently require the excision of lymph nodes from pig carcasses or the thermal processing of pork before consumption. Therefore, the presence of anatomopathological lesions with signs of coagulation necrosis in lymph nodes from pigs during post-mortem inspection is concerning, as is the increasing incidence of mycobacteriosis in hum...

The “One Health” approach increasingly demonstrates the global spread of pathogenic microorganisms and their antimicrobial resistance in the environment, both in animals and humans. Salmonella enterica subsp. diarizonae is nowadays very often isolated from cold-blooded reptiles to a lesser extent from sheep, but unfortunately more and more often fr...

It is important to monitor the level of parasitic loads in herds of European bison and to identify threats early enough to prevent their spread to other populations or species. The aim of the present study was to compare the detection sensitivity of two fecal flotation techniques, viz. the modified Willis method (WM) with centrifugation and modifie...

This paper describes a fatal case of nontuberculosis mycobacteriosis in a four-year-old brown caiman kept in captivity. Although the clinical signs were asymptomatic, severe gross lesions were observed, namely necrotic inflammation of the intestines and granulomatous hepatitis. Microbiological and histopathological examination performed on the tiss...

Despite the threat posed by tuberculosis (TB) to the protected European bison (Bison bonasus), no validated TB tests exist for this species. This pilot study evaluates two tests based on detecting cellular immunity for this purpose: interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) and tuberculin skin test (TST). Ten animals were subjected to ante-mortem and p...

Background: The consumption of raw or undercooked meat, especially pork, and offal containing infective tissue cysts is suspected to be a significant route of infection with Toxoplasma gondii. Although the use of "animal-friendly pig production systems" ensuring direct contact with the natural environment offers ethical benefits, it limits the abi...

The aim of the present article is to describe the specific nature of the zoonoses associated with alpacas. Of the potential zoonoses, it is known that tuberculosis (TB), cryptosporidiosis and dermal mite have been transmitted to humans. In addition, associations have been noted between the South American Camelids (SAC) and Escherichia coli human ve...

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak led to a global ventilator shortage. Hence, different strategies to use a single ventilator to support multiple patients are considered. A mechatronic system Ventil divides and automatically controls gas volume pumped through two channels and was successfully validated in independent lung ventilation. We used Ventil i...

Background The European bison is an endangered species, and as such it is extremely important to monitor herds for pathogens which can lead to reproductive failure. The aim of the present study was to determine the current prevalence of antibodies to pathogens known to potentially influence reproduction in European bison. Serum samples from 183 bis...

Introduction and objective: One of the main health threats to the endangered European bison (Bison bonsasus) is bovine tuberculosis, the pathogenesis of which in this species is not fully known. The aim of the study was to confirm a possible case of vertical transmission from a pregnant European bison with generalized tuberculosis to its 12-week-o...

Background: Globally, Salmonella enterica is one of the leading causes of foodborne illness in humans. Food of animal origin is obligatorily tested for the presence of this pathogen. Unfortunately, in meat and meat products, this is often hampered by the presence of background microbiota, which may present as false-positive Salmonella. Methods: For...

Both bovine tuberculosis (BTB) and paratuberculosis (paraTB) continue to cause significant economic losses in cattle breeding; in addition, their etiological agents have zoonotic potential. Although the diagnostics of both diseases are still being improved, problems still remain, such as the potential for cross-reactivity to the antigens used in te...

Simple Summary The European bison (Bison bonasus) is an endangered species which faces a number of health threats. One potentially dangerous disease is paratuberculosis, which can cause diarrhea and cachexia in animals and is a potentially dangerous disease for humans. The aim of this study was to conduct a serological survey of paratuberculosis in...

Distomum musculorum suis (DMS), the mesocercariae of Alaria alata, is typically found accidently during examination of wild boar meat for Trichinella spp. The aim of the study was to compare DMS detection methods. Briefly, 232 wild boar meat samples were tested by mesocercariae migration technique (AMT) as a reference method; of these, 104 were fou...

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is one of the most common zoonotic diseases in Europe transmitted by Ixodidae vectors. While small mammals such as bank voles and ticks constitute the main reservoirs for virus transmission, large sylvatic species act as a food source for ticks. Cervids such as roe deer and red deer are considered sentinel species for...

Introduction and objective: The Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is a group of acid-resistant bacteria within the Mycobacteriaceae. Their cell walls have a specific structure impervious to many disinfectants. Mycobacteria are widespread in the environment and can also be found in food. This aim of the article is to review the current state of kno...

Although Poland is officially tuberculosis (TB) free, meaning that less than 0.1% of her cattle herd is TB-positive, the problem of bovine TB in Poland may be re-emerging: its presence has recently been confirmed in domestic and companion animals, wildlife such as the European bison, and even humans. The aim of this chapter was to review all report...

Simple Summary Caprine arthritis encephalitis, caused by small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV), is a disease that develops with various signs in adult goats, e.g., arthritis, mastitis, and progressive weight loss, while in goat kids, the disease presents with only neuropathy and extremely rarely. The disease results in reduced milk production and econom...

Simple Summary Q fever is one of the important diseases transmissible from animals to humans. The source of infection can be numerous species of animals including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians as well as ticks. The role of wildlife in its epidemiology is poorly understood. Therefore, we examined 523 sera samples obtained from European bison...

The European bison (Bison bonasus, EB) is an endangered species, and as about 1/3 of its global population is found in Poland, it is particularly important that Polish herds should be monitored. One particular concern is tuberculosis, which is not a marginal problem in wildlife in Poland, and has been microbiologically confirmed in EB, wolves (Cani...

Nanotechnology is a rapidly developing field of science. Scientific results and obtained nanomaterials offer the opportunity for innovations, also in the food sector—nanofood, the usage of nano techniques to modify food and package, displaying new functional properties. In the food sector, FBOs are mainly interested in safe, fresh-keeping products,...

The European bison (Bison bonasus) is an endangered species whose restitution requires systematic health monitoring. The most practical way to test clinical material from large wildlife is by serological methods. Recently, the most serious health hazard faced by the European bison population was tuberculosis. However, climate change and globalizati...

The study was aimed at assessment of the usefulness of a digestion method, a standard procedure for routine examination of wild boar meat for Trichinella, in detecting the presence of Distomum musculorum suis (DMS) in the population of wild boars from the Eastern Lublin province. The study material included 500 samples collected from the diaphragm...

Introduction and objective: In recent years, bovine tuberculosis (BTB) has become one of the major health hazards facing the European bison (EB, Bison bonasus), a vulnerable species that requires active protection, including regular and effective health monitoring. Monitoring of zoonotic disease in wildlife is also an important part of public heal...

Mycobacterium caprae, a member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, infects humans and animals causing lesions and disease like that of Mycobacterium bovis. The aim of this study was to evaluate antibody responses in European Bison (EB, Bison bonasus; a vulnerable species) naturally infected with M. caprae using dual path platform (DPP) Bovid...

Although the Dictyocaulus lungworm, the agent of dictyocaulosis, is one of parasitological threats to European bison, its systematic position remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the morphological features of the lungworm and the pathological lesions it induces, and to analyse mitochondrial (mt) genetic markers for systemat...

Fast and efficient homing and engraftment of hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs) is crucial for positive clinical outcomes from transplantation. We found that this process depends on activation of the Nlrp3 inflammasome, both in the HSPCs to be transplanted and in the cells in the recipient bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. For the first t...

Background: The majority of animal tuberculosis (TB) cases reported in wildlife in Poland over the past 20 years have concerned the European bison inhabiting the Bieszczady Mountains in Southeast Poland: an area running along the border of Southeast Poland. As no TB cases have been reported in domestic animals in this region since 2005, any occurr...