Serological survey of leptospirosis in sheep in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Zinka Maksımovıć; Senka Babić; Glorija Milanović; Maid Rifatbegović

doi:10.33988/auvfd.1737403

Serological survey of leptospirosis in sheep in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Leptospirosis, a reemerging zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira, affects a wide range of domestic and wild animals. The only investigation into sheep leptospirosis in Bosnia and Herzegovina was conducted nearly 50 years ago. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of leptospirosis and to identify the most common serovars in sheep in Bosnia and Herzegovina, using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Leptospirosis seroprevalence was determined to be 2.16% at a cut-off titer of ≥1:100 (55/2542) and 8.10% at a cut-off of ≥1:25 (206/2542), with all positive cases related to a single serovar. The MAT titers were 1:25 and 1:100, with the majority of positive animals having low titer (1:25) (151/206; 73.3%). At a cut-off of ≥1:100, the sera most frequently reacted to Pomona (54.55%) and Hardjo (27.27%), and less commonly to Saxkoebing and Icterohaemorrhagiae (0.2%) (P<0.05). Odds of seropositivity were higher for Pomona and Hardjo than for Saxkoebing and Icterohaemorrhagiae. The results of this study showed for the first time in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the presence of serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae in sheep, with Pomona and Hardjo as the dominant serovars. Although the seroprevalence is low, the potential zoonotic risk requires continuous monitoring and control strategies to prevent the spread of leptospirosis.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Veterinary Bacteriology, Veterinary Epidemiology, Veterinary Microbiology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Zinka Maksımovıć
0000-0002-5988-8337
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Senka Babić ^*
0000-0001-9948-476X
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Glorija Milanović This is me
0009-0007-8062-0830
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Maid Rifatbegović
0000-0001-8948-618X
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Early Pub Date

February 19, 2026

Publication Date

February 19, 2026

Submission Date

July 8, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 23, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 73 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.33988/auvfd.1737403

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA92CK46YP

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Maksımovıć, Z., Babić, S., Milanović, G., & Rifatbegović, M. (2026). Serological survey of leptospirosis in sheep in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi, 73(2), 203-208. https://doi.org/10.33988/auvfd.1737403

AMA

1.Maksımovıć Z, Babić S, Milanović G, Rifatbegović M. Serological survey of leptospirosis in sheep in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ankara Univ Vet Fak Derg. 2026;73(2):203-208. doi:10.33988/auvfd.1737403

Chicago

Maksımovıć, Zinka, Senka Babić, Glorija Milanović, and Maid Rifatbegović. 2026. “Serological Survey of Leptospirosis in Sheep in Bosnia and Herzegovina”. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi 73 (2): 203-8. https://doi.org/10.33988/auvfd.1737403.

EndNote

Maksımovıć Z, Babić S, Milanović G, Rifatbegović M (April 1, 2026) Serological survey of leptospirosis in sheep in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi 73 2 203–208.

IEEE

[1]Z. Maksımovıć, S. Babić, G. Milanović, and M. Rifatbegović, “Serological survey of leptospirosis in sheep in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, Ankara Univ Vet Fak Derg, vol. 73, no. 2, pp. 203–208, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.33988/auvfd.1737403.

ISNAD

Maksımovıć, Zinka - Babić, Senka - Milanović, Glorija - Rifatbegović, Maid. “Serological Survey of Leptospirosis in Sheep in Bosnia and Herzegovina”. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi 73/2 (April 1, 2026): 203-208. https://doi.org/10.33988/auvfd.1737403.

JAMA

1.Maksımovıć Z, Babić S, Milanović G, Rifatbegović M. Serological survey of leptospirosis in sheep in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ankara Univ Vet Fak Derg. 2026;73:203–208.

MLA

Maksımovıć, Zinka, et al. “Serological Survey of Leptospirosis in Sheep in Bosnia and Herzegovina”. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 73, no. 2, Apr. 2026, pp. 203-8, doi:10.33988/auvfd.1737403.

Vancouver

1.Zinka Maksımovıć, Senka Babić, Glorija Milanović, Maid Rifatbegović. Serological survey of leptospirosis in sheep in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ankara Univ Vet Fak Derg. 2026 Apr. 1;73(2):203-8. doi:10.33988/auvfd.1737403