Since April 2020, when the first SARS-CoV-2 infection was reported in mink and subsequently in mink farm workers in the Netherlands, it has been confirmed that human-to-mink and mink-to-human transmission can occur. Later, SARS-CoV-2 infections in mink were reported in many European and North American countries. Samples from 590 mink from a total of 28 farms were tested by real-time RT-PCR. Whole genome sequences from one positive farm were generated and genetic relatedness was established. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected on a breeder farm with stock of 5,850 mink. Active viraemia was confirmed in individually tested samples with Ct values respectively between 19.4 and 29.6 for E and N gene fragments. Further testing of samples from culled animals revealed 70% positivity in throat swabs and 30% seropositivity in blood samples. Phylogenetic analysis of full-length nucleotide sequences of two SARS-CoV-2 isolates revealed that they belong to the 20B Nextstrain clade. Several nucleotide mutations were found in analysed samples compared to the reference Wuhan HU-1 strain and some of them were nonsynonymous. We report the infection of mink with SARS-CoV-2 on one farm in Poland and the results of subsequent analysis of virus sequences from two isolates. These data can be useful for assessment of the epidemiological situation of SARS-CoV-2 in Poland and how it endangers public health.

Q fever in dairy cattle has been investigated in Latvia since 2012. In 2015, 10.7% of farms tested positive for the DNA of C. burnetii, its aetiological agent, in bulk tank milk. The presence of C. burnetii DNA and infectious bacteria in dairy products has been assessed in several countries, and because Latvian milk may contain them, parallel assessment in this country is recommended. Accordingly, the present study tested shop and farm retail dairy products from Latvia and included foreign products for comparison. Investigation was carried out of 187 samples of a diverse range of dairy products from 41 Latvian milk producers. Twenty-six comparable samples pooled from Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain were also included. The all-countries total number of fermented milk products was 160. Special attention was paid to products that could be more attractive to children because of their added chocolate, cacao, berry and fruit content. DNA was extracted and amplification of C. burnetii IS1111 was performed using a commercial PCR kit. Overall positivity was 60.56%. Domestic products were positive more often (60.96%) than foreign ones (57.69%). Only 26.67% of unpasteurised Latvian cow’s milk samples were positive whereas 76.47% of pasteurised equivalents and 63.13% of fermented milk products were. Sweetened and fruit-containing samples were 71.43% positive. The shedding of C. burnetii via milk should be monitored and only milk from healthy animals allowed for sale for direct human consumption without pasteurisation. Raw milk quality and the effectiveness of industrial heat treatment and pasteurisation methods in Latvia and other countries should be carefully assessed to ensure adequate consumer health protection.

Feline foamy virus (FFVfca) is widespread and its prevalence in naturally infected domestic cats ranges between 30% and 80% worldwide. The infection is persistent, with a sustained antibody response in FFVfca-positive cats; however to date, no defined disease or clinical symptoms have been proved to be associated with it. The goal of the presented study was to determine the prevalence of FFVfca infection in domestic cats in Poland. A total of 223 serum samples collected from domestic cats were tested with a glutathione S-transferase capture ELISA test to detect antibodies specific to capsid (Gag), accessory (Bet) and envelope (Env) FFVfca antigens. A Western blot test was used to confirm the ELISA results. The cut-off value for the Gag antigen was established by calculation and evaluation with the immunoblotting assay. The cut-off values for Bet and Env were calculated from the reactivity of Gag-negative samples. The sera of 99 cats (44%) showed reactivity to Gag, those of 80 did so (35.9 %) to Bet, while only 56 samples (25%) were reactive to Env. Only 51 (22.9%) sera were positive for all antigens. The main diagnostic antigen was selected to be Gag. A statistically significant association was found between FFVfca status and the age of the cat. This study proved the high seroprevalence of FFVfca in domestic cats in Poland for the first time and confirmed that adult cats are at higher FFVfca infection risk than preadult cats. Its results correspond to those reported from other countries.

Many consumers seek long-ripening meat products. The availability of these highly distinctive cured pork varieties is continuously expanding and their safety should be subject to monitoring. One of potentially harmful substances in these products is histamine. The presence of this toxic amine is reported in many countries, even in high concentrations. However, the EU has not regulated the permissible histamine content in meat, in a situation at odds with that of regulated fish and fish products. This study established the usefulness of biogenic amine testing in long-ripening pork and furnished indicative concentrations potential useful as a background for future research in preparation for EU regulative intervention. A total of 97 samples of long-ripening meat products untreated by heat were bought from various shops in the Puławy and Lublin regions of Poland and tested for the presence of histamine using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array. The histamine concentration ranged from below limit of detection to 346.64 mg/kg, where 3.47 mg/kg was the lowest in a positive sample. Histamine was detected in 48 samples (49.5%). The maximum amount of histamine was identified in dry ham and the minimum in traditional salami. The results of this study suggest that testing meat products for biogenic amines should be a very good indicator of the food safety of long-ripening meats. In half of the tested products, levels of biogenic amines potentially toxic to consumers were determined.

The aim of the study was to carry out epizootic assessment of male roe deer to detect the presence of Cephenemyia stimulator larvae and determine the influence of the parasite on the carcass and antler weight in animals living in different habitats. The investigations were based on post-mortem analysis of Cephenemyia stimulator infestations of the nasal passages and throat of 177 male roe deer culled between May 11 and September 30, 2020 in hunting districts of the Lublin region in Poland. The individual quality of the animals was assessed by weighing the gutted carcasses after cooling, and the antlers were weighed after dissection and their total weight was determined. The parasite prevalence ranged from18 to 48% according to habitat type, with a mean value of 33%. The highest prevalence was detected in bucks living in grassland ecosystems. The presence of the parasites exerted influence on the individual condition of the animals, which was reflected in reduced carcass and antler weight. The differences were found both in young individuals and in somatically fully developed animals, but they were not statistically significant in all age groups. Although the parasitic infestations impaired the individual condition traits, their parametric values in most cases were not lower than those reported from other regions of Poland. Despite the Cephenemyia stimulator infestation, male roe deer from the Lublin region are characterised by high carcass and antler weight.

Globally, genetically modified (GM) crops were grown on 191.7 million hectares in 2018, which were mostly sown with soybean, maize, cotton, oilseed rape, and rice. The most popular traits introduced through genetic modification include herbicide and pest insect resistance. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify genetically modified soybean used in animal feed in Poland. This research was based on the real-time PCR technique. All methods for GM soybean events were adopted from the EURL GMFF database of methods and previously verified to meet the minimum criteria of acceptance. Over 15 years of research, 665 samples were examined in total. The most common GM soybean event was MON40-3-2, tested for from the beginning of the investigation. Next, in decreasing order of frequency, were MON89788, MON87701, and A2704-12. In the majority of samples (606; 91%) GM soybeans were identified at a content level above the 0.9% GM content threshold for mandatory labelling. Only 59 soybean samples (9%) were identified as GM negative. GM negative results were mainly identified during the analyses in the last three years of the study, from 2017 to 2019. Our data clearly indicate that the majority of soybean used in Poland for animal feeding was genetically modified.

Histamine is one of the most important and toxic biogenic amines which may be present in food and may cause food poisoning in humans when contained at a high level. It is produced during bacterial decarboxylation of histidine in fish muscles. The aim of the study was to investigate the presence of histamine in fish and fish products available in Poland during 2014–2018. A total of 421 samples of raw (248), smoked (107), canned (50), and marinated fish (16) were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. Histamine was detected in 14.1% samples of raw fish, 29% of smoked fish, 22% of canned fish and 93.8% of marinated fish in concentrations ranging from 3.4 to 156.4 mg/kg. Content of this amine above 100 mg/kg was found in four samples: raw Atlantic salmon, smoked European sprat and two samples of marinated Atlantic herring. The study showed that fish and fish products on the Polish market generally meet the food safety criteria for histamine and are safe for consumers.

Marine biotoxins are toxic substances that may cause illness and death in marine organisms and humans. This article disseminates the results of a 4-year study on the occurrence of marine biotoxins in raw bivalve molluscs purchased from Polish suppliers. A total of 256 samples of 8 different molluscs species were analysed for the presence of biotoxins using the ELISA method for paralytic shellfish poison, diarrhoetic shellfish poison, and amnaesic shellfish poison. The permitted limits of marine biotoxin content were not exceeded in any of the analysed samples and the majority of them were free from these compounds. The results of the study indicate that the tested raw bivalve molluscs available in Poland were safe for consumers.

Porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) of the Coronaviridae family causes significant economic losses in the pig industry worldwide. Wild boars contribute to the transmission of different viral, bacterial and parasitic infections to livestock animals and humans. However, their role in the maintenance and transmission of PEDV has not been established. In this study, blood and faecal samples from 157 wild boars were collected from 14 provinces of Poland during the 2017–2018 hunting season. RNA was extracted from the faecal homogenate supernatant and subjected to quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR), while clotted blood samples were used for detection of antibodies against PEDV by ELISA. Five blood samples (3.2%) were seropositive in ELISA, while none of the faecal samples were found positive using RT-qPCR assays. The results of this analysis indicate the need for additional studies incorporating a larger number of samples and preferably comparing different serological methods, to confirm whether wild boars in Poland act as PEDV reservoirs.

Introduction of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) into a country and its further spread may have a devastating impact on the poultry industry and lead to serious economic consequences. Various risk factors may increase the probability of HPAI outbreak occurrence but their relative influence is often difficult to determine. The study evaluates how the densities of selected poultry species and proximity to the areas inhabited by wild birds impacted HPAI outbreak occurrence during the recently reported epidemics in Poland. The analysis was developed using these risk factors in the locations of affected and randomly chosen unaffected commercial farms. Generalised linear and non-linear models, specifically logistic regression, classification tree and random forest, were used to indicate the most relevant risk factors, to quantify their association with HPAI outbreak occurrence, and to develop a map depicting spatial risk distribution. The most important risk factors comprised the densities of turkeys, geese and ducks. The abundance of these species of poultry in an area increased the probability of HPAI occurrence, and their farming intensity in several areas of central, western, eastern and northern Poland put these areas at the highest risk. The results may improve the targeting of active surveillance, strengthen biosecurity in the areas at risk and contribute to early detection of HPAI in outbreak reoccurrences.