{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]],"date-time":"2025-12-15T13:40:00Z","timestamp":1765806000488,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":15,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,23]],"date-time":"2021-07-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1626998400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004329","name":"Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["P4-0092"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["P4-0092"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004329","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The repeated occurrence of anthrax in grazing animals should be a reminder of a widespread presence of Bacillus anthracis spores in the environment. Its rapid diagnosis is critical to protect public health. Here, we report a case of anthrax in cattle that was investigated using conventional and molecular methods. In 2015, six cows suddenly died within three days and the number of dead animals increased to a total of 12 within two weeks. At necropsy, anthrax was suspected. Therefore, spleen tissue samples were collected (from 6\/12 animals) and laboratory tests (microscopy, cultivation, and real-time PCR) performed. The results of tissue staining for microscopy and cultivation were in congruence, while B. anthracis real-time PCR outperformed both. Spleen tissues from all six animals were real-time PCR-positive, while B. anthracis was successfully cultivated and detected by microscopy from the spleen of only three animals. Additionally, the ear tissue from another (1\/12) cow tested positive by real-time PCR, supporting the suitability of ear clippings for molecular confirmation of B. anthracis. Genotyping of the isolates using multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) revealed a common source of infection as all three typed isolates had an indistinguishable MLVA genotype, which has not been observed previously in Europe. The results indicate that molecular testing should be selected as the first-line tool for confirming anthrax outbreaks in animals to ensure timely protection of public health.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms9081567","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,23]],"date-time":"2021-07-23T04:29:14Z","timestamp":1627014554000},"page":"1567","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["A Suggested Diagnostic Approach for Sporadic Anthrax in Cattle to Protect Public Health"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2107-7763","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jana","family":"Avber\u0161ek","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbi\u010deva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jasna","family":"Mi\u0107unovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbi\u010deva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vasilij","family":"Cociancich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Veterinary Institute, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbi\u010deva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tomislav","family":"Paller","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Veterinary Institute, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbi\u010deva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8583-5901","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Darja","family":"Ku\u0161ar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbi\u010deva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ur\u0161ka","family":"Zajc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbi\u010deva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Matja\u017e","family":"Ocepek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbi\u010deva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Silvio","family":"\u0160pi\u010di\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska cesta 143, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1308-267X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sanja","family":"Duvnjak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska cesta 143, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mateja","family":"Pate","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbi\u010deva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (2008). The disease and its importance. Anthrax in Humans and Animals, WHO Press. [4th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2016). Anthrax Outbreaks: A Warning for Improved Prevention, Control and Heightened Awareness, Empres Watch."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Martin, G.J., and Friedlander, A.M. (2010). Bacillus anthracis (anthrax). Mandell, Douglas and Bennett\u2019s Principles and Practice of Infectious Disease, Churchill Livingstone.","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-443-06839-3.00208-3"},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) (2021, July 16). Disease Data from ECDC Surveillance Atlas\u2014Anthrax. Available online: https:\/\/www.ecdc.europa.eu\/en\/anthrax\/surveillance\/atlas."},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (2021, May 26). World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS). 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Methods"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Aminu, O.R., Lembo, T., Zadoks, R.N., Biek, R., Lewis, S., Kiwelu, I., Mmbaga, B.T., Mshanga, D., Shirima, G., and Denwood, M. (2020). Practical and effective diagnosis of animal anthrax in endemic low-resource settings. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis., 14.","DOI":"10.1101\/2020.03.24.004382"}],"container-title":["Microorganisms"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2607\/9\/8\/1567\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T06:33:46Z","timestamp":1760164426000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2607\/9\/8\/1567"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,23]]},"references-count":15,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,8]]}},"alternative-id":["microorganisms9081567"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/microorganisms9081567","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-2607"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2076-2607"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,23]]}}}