{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T23:52:08Z","timestamp":1791935528917,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":90,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,29]],"date-time":"2025-08-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1756425600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"University of Zagreb, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine","award":["402-06\/21-01\/30"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["402-06\/21-01\/30"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Wild animals often serve as reservoirs for vector-borne zoonoses, which are on the rise worldwide but have not yet been sufficiently researched. Vector-borne zoonoses, such as those caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and Dirofilaria immitis, are a growing public health concern due to their increasing incidence and broad host range. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors for vector-borne bacterial (borreliosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis) and parasitic (dirofilariasis) pathogens and to detect some of these pathogens in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) population in Croatia. A total of 179 blood samples from foxes from nine districts were analysed. The SNAP \u00ae 4Dx \u00ae Plus rapid test was used to detect circulating D. immitis antigen and antibodies against B. burgdorferi, A. phagocytophilum\/Anaplasma platys, and Ehrlichia canis\/Ehrlichia ewingii. Circulating D. immitis antigen was detected in 6.70% of the samples (95% CI: 3.20\u201310.19%), while antibodies against A. phagocytophilum\/A. platys were found in 10.06% (95% CI: 5.8\u201314.25%). Only one sample was positive for B. burgdorferi, while no antibodies were detected for E. canis\/E. ewingii. Spatial analysis revealed statistically significant differences in prevalence by geographical region (district) and age, while no significant correlations were found. In the standard PCR analysis, DNA of D. immitis was not detected in any of the eight positive and eight negative SNAP \u00ae 4Dx \u00ae Plus samples. D. repens, A. reconditum, or co-infections were also not detected by PCR. Of the nine samples that tested positive for A. phagocytophilum\/A. platys antibodies, four were confirmed to be positive for A. phagocytophilum by nested and semi-nested PCR targeting the 16S rRNA and GroEL genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed similarities with various European strains, including zoonotic strains. This study is the first molecular detection of A. phagocytophilum from blood samples of red foxes in Croatia. The results show that red foxes are not free from infections such as anaplasmosis and dirofilariasis, emphasising their possible role in the maintenance and transmission of these pathogens in certain regions of Croatia. These results underline the need for further research to better understand the epidemiological importance of red foxes in the spread of vector-borne diseases.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens14090858","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,29]],"date-time":"2025-08-29T16:42:21Z","timestamp":1756485741000},"page":"858","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Epidemiological Significance of the Fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the Spread of Vector-Transmitted Zoonoses in the Area of Northern Croatia"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Marina","family":"Pavlak","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Economics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7333-267X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jelena","family":"Prpi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory for Diagnosis of Classical Swine Fever, Molecular Virology and Genetics (Z-III-1), Croatian Veterinary Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7495-1392","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ioana A.","family":"Matei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kre\u0161imir","family":"Trnini\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Paying Agency in Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Snje\u017eana","family":"\u0106urkovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3363-2341","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"\u017deljko","family":"Mihaljevi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pathology Laboratory (Z-IV-1), Croatian Veterinary Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zrinka","family":"\u0160tritof","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-8810-7803","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ksenija","family":"Vlahovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"\u017darko","family":"Udiljak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8379-4787","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lorena","family":"Jemer\u0161i\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory for Diagnosis of Classical Swine Fever, Molecular Virology and Genetics (Z-III-1), Croatian Veterinary Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"259","DOI":"10.1051\/parasite\/2009164259","article-title":"Update on tick-borne bacterial diseases in Europe","volume":"16","author":"Socolovschi","year":"2009","journal-title":"Parasite"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"648","DOI":"10.3201\/eid2604.191382","article-title":"Ecology and Epidemiology of Tickborne Pathogens, Washington, USA, 2011\u20132016","volume":"26","author":"Dykstra","year":"2020","journal-title":"Emerg. 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