Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. in dogs and red foxes in the entity of the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, after heavy rainfall and floods in 2014 and for the two years thereafter. The seroepidemiological study involved testing serum samples from dogs (n = 98) and foxes (n = 112) using MAT (microscopic agglutination test). Antibodies to at least one Leptospira spp. serovar were found in 52.04% of the tested dogs. The dog seroprevalence in 2014 (81.25%) was significantly higher than in 2015 (51.42% p <0.0001) and 2016 (22.5% p<0.05). The highest seroprevalences were for serovars Australis (76.47%), Bratislava (70.58%), Sejroe (66.67%) and Autumnalis (45.09%). Antibodies to at least one Leptospira spp. serovar were detected in 34.82% of the examined red foxes. In 2015, the fox seroprevalence was significantly higher (52.94%) than in 2016 (6.82%) (p <0.0001). The highest seroprevalences were for serovars Sejroe (64.10%), Bratislava (48.72%), Australis (43.59%) and Bataviae (25.64%). The high seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. in dogs and foxes determined during this study indicates the importance of these carnivores in maintaining leptospirosis in the study area, and the potential risk of infection for humans and other animal species that come into contact with these canids. The results obtained indicate that heavy rainfall and intense floods can result in increased Leptospira spp. infection in these canids.

There is no doubt that milk and dairy products have a high nutritional value. However, their current consumption is increasingly dependent on their dietary and health properties. It is noticeable that in recent years, increasing popularity is given to those dairy products that have a positive effect on the human body. The aim of this study was to determine the fatty acid composition of sheep's milk from the area of Livno and Travnik (Vlašić), with special reference to the content of bioactive fatty acids that have a positive effect on human health. The fatty acid composition of the tested milk samples was specific due to the content of fatty acids which have been proven to have an extremely beneficial effect on human health. Concentrations of most bioactive fatty acids varied between areas, and the differences were statistically significant for arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, docosahexaenoic, and rumenic. Milk samples from the tested areas had an almost ideal ratio of n-6/n-3 fatty acids, which makes them very favorable foods from a health point of view.

| The aim of this study was to morphologically describe the air sac system in Rosy-faced parrots (Agapornis roseicollis) and provide useful data for future veterinary care and treatment of respiratory system diseases in these pets. The research was conducted on five birds. In order to obtain the casts of the air sacs, we applied the corrosion cast technique, where we used the 26% solution of Vinylite mass. The research showed that the anatomy of the air sacs in these parrots was very similar to that in other birds, but there was some specific characteristic regarding the arrangement and connection between the air sacs. In Rosy-faced parrots we identified nine air sacs, the one unpaired, saccus clavicularis and paired saccus cervicalis, thoracicus cranialis, thoracicus caudalis and abdominalis. The casts showed that clavicular and cranial thoracic air sacs established a connection through the diverticula sternalia. These anatomical characteristics can be common to birds from Psittaciformes order and additional research need to be performed to confirm these findings.

Amina HRKOVIĆ-POROBIJA*, DVM, PhD, Assistant Professor (Corresponding author, e-mail: amina. hrkovic@vfs.unsa.ba), Aida HODŽIĆ, DVM, PhD, Full Professor, Husein OHRAN, DVM, Teaching Assistant, Nejra HADŽIMUSIĆ, DVM, PhD, Assistant Professor, Dinaida TAHIROVIĆ, DVM, MSc, Research Fellow, Almira SOFTIĆ, DVM, PhD, Associate Professor, Lejla VELIĆ, DVM, PhD, Associate Professor, Aida KUSTURA, DVM, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Sarajevo, Veterinary faculty of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Vinko BATINIĆ, DVM, PhD, Teaching Assistant, University of Mostar, Faculty of Agriculture and Food technology, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina Abstract The indigenous Travnik (Vlasic) cheese is produced in central Bosnia in the area of Mt. Vlasic. This cheese belongs to the group of white soft cheeses, ripened in brine under anaerobic conditions, and made from raw, thermally untreated sheep’s milk. The production technology is very simple and is adapted to mountainous conditions. Cheese is an important source of essential nutrients, in particular proteins, fat, vitamins and minerals. The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of macroelements (Ca, Na, K, Mg, P) and microelements (Zn, Fe, Cu) in 15 samples of Travnik sheep cheese using the atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and ultraviolet–visible spectrometry (UV-VIS) methods. A tendency of increasing Mg and K, Fe and Ca, Fe and Mg, and Fe and P was determined in the examined samples, but without statistical significance. The correlation coefficient values showed statistical validity at the level of high significance of differences (P<0.01).

Leptospirosis is an acute, subacute and chronical contagious disease of animals and humans. Causative agents of this disease belong to the genus Leptospira, family Leptospiraca. As a disease of wild animals, leptospirosis is widespread through Europe. Certain wild animals (rodents, fox and wild boars) are important reservoirs and highly probable vectors for the spread of infection into domestic animals and humans. During the hunting season, hunting dogs are often in direct or indirect contact with wild animals that could be carriers of this disease, and the possibility of appearance and spreading within this cohort of dogs is very high. The main reasons for this study on the prevalence of Leptospirosis in Bosnia and Herzegovina are the regular contact between hunting dogs and wild animals (carriers), and the lack of dataaboutLeptospirosisinhuntingdogs.In total, 175 serum samples from 15 towns of Bosnia and Herzegovina were tested. Twelve serovars of L. interrogans were used in the microscopic agglutination test. Presence of antibodies of four serovars was confirmed. Prevalence of seropositive dogs was 15.4% (27/175). Most positive dogs had a reaction to the Pomona serovar 51.8% (n=14), while the prevalence of the Sejroe serovar was 33.3%, Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar 11.1% and Bratislava serovar 3.7%. The highest number of positive reactions 55.5% (n=15) was with serum dilution of 1:200. This study showed that most infections in dogs were caused by serovars that are currently not included in commercial vaccines. One of the most efficient preventive measure could be vaccination with the serovars most often found in wild animals, as they appear to be the most common source of the infection.

Reptiles, especially turtles, are becoming increasingly popular as pets. The haematological evaluation of turtles is an irreplaceable diagnostic tool in veterinary practice. However, the morphologic distinctiveness of turtle blood limits the use of electronic cell-counting devices, making time-consuming, manual counting techniques and evaluation of blood smears necessary. Many samples are dispatched to a laboratory over long distances, where a delay of 24 h or more may occur. At weekends, this interval may exceed 48 h. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of storage duration at refrigerator temperature (4 °C) on the counts of red blood cells (RBC) and white blood cells (WBC), and on the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and packed cell volume (PCV) in blood samples from healthy adult red-eared sliders. Blood samples were collected by venipuncture from the occipital venous sinus from six apparently healthy adult red-eared sliders, aged 2 to 4 years. Blood samples were analysed immediately after sampling to obtain the baseline value (BV) of the red blood cell count, white blood cell count and packed cell volume percentage. Blood was stored at 4 °C and the haematological analyses were performed after 24h, 48h and 72h. The results showed the same level of stability for RBC and WBC count, and MCV values during 72 hours of storage at 4 °C and for PCV during 48 hours. Handling of blood samples, and duration of storage of the blood samples can significantly influence the results/values of haematological tests. Consequently, the obtained values of the determined haematological parameters of improperly stored or handled blood samples can give a misleading interpretation of the results on the animal’s health status.