Radioactive contamination of the environment is one of the greatest threats after a nuclear accident due to released radionuclides. From a radiotoxicological point of view, the most important radionuclide is caesium-137. Formed mainly during nuclear explosions, caesium-137 can persist in the soil for many years, from where it constantly enters the food chain. One of the elements of ensuring food safety is the monitoring of its radioactive contamination, mainly with radioactive caesium isotopes. The aim of the study was to determine the content of caesium-137 in food of animal origin.

Penconazole (PEN) is a widely applied triazole fungicide. This study sought to define the efficacy of N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) in mitigating PEN-triggered hepatorenal toxicity in rats.

Maedi-visna virus and caprine arthritis encephalitis virus are two closely related lentiviruses which cause multisystemic, progressive and persistent infection in goats and sheep. Because these viruses frequently cross the species barrier, they are considered to be one genetic group called small-ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV). They have in vivo tropism mainly for monocytes and macrophages and organ tropism with unknown mechanisms. Typical clinical signs are pneumonia in sheep, arthritis in goats, and mastitis in both species. Infection with SRLV cannot currently be treated or prevented, and control programmes are the only approaches to avoiding its spread. These programmes rely mainly on annual serological testing and elimination of positive animals. However, the high genetic and antigenic variability of SRLV complicate their early and definitive diagnosis. The objective of this review is to summarise the current knowledge of SRLV genetic variation and its implications for tropism, the development of diagnostic tests and vaccines and the effectiveness of control and eradication programmes.

In the light of the problem of antibiotic resistance, the use of combined alternative therapies in combatting bacteria-related disorders has gained popularity. Bacteriophages are one element implemented in new combination therapy. Stevia rebaudiana is known to have antimicrobial activity and regarded as potentially having a synergistic effect with bacteriophages. Therefore, possible interactions of lytic bacteriophages (MS2, T4 and Phi6) with acetone and methanol S. rebaudiana extracts (SRa and SRm) in the bacterial environment were examined.

Testin is a protein involved in cell mobility, adhesion and colony formation. In rats, testin presence has been reported in the testes, and its possible role in spermatogenesis has been suggested. Studies in humans also suggest a possible role of testin as a cancer suppressor protein. In the dog, which represents both an important pet species and a good animal model for studying biological and pathological testicular processes, the presence of testin has never been reported.

Mast cell tumours (MCTs) arise in the dermis and subcutaneous tissues in animals and humans and are one of the most common neoplasms of the skin in dogs. Cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2R), cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (p21) and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) are potential targets for novel anti-tumour therapeutic strategies. This study evaluated by immunohistochemical means the reactivity of p21, MMP-1 and CB2R proteins in association with a three-tier grading system in cutaneous canine MCTs.

Gastrointestinal nematodes pose a threat to animal health and affect farmers by negatively impacting farm management.

Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most dangerous food-borne pathogens and is responsible for human listeriosis, a severe disease with a high mortality rate, especially among the elderly, pregnant women and newborns. Therefore, this bacterium has an important impact on food safety and public health. It is able to survive and even grow in a temperature range from -0.4°C to 45°C, a broad pH range from 4.6 to 9.5 and at a relatively low water activity (aW < 0.90), and tolerates salt content up to 20%. It is also resistant to ultraviolet light, biocides and heavy metals and forms biofilm structures on a variety of surfaces in food-production environments. These features make it difficult to remove and allow it to persist for a long time, increasing the risk of contamination of food-production facilities and ultimately of food. In the present review, the key mechanisms of the pathogen’s survival and stress adaptation have been presented. This information may grant better understanding of bacterial adaptation to food environmental conditions.

Bovine herpesvirus 6 (BoHV6) belongs to the Herpesviridae family, Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily and Macavirus genus. It is common in cattle, but was also detected in American bison (Bison bison) and water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). The aim of the experiment was to develop an ELISA for serological examination of cattle sera for the presence of anti-BoHV6 specific antibodies.

Strains of Leptospira interrogans belonging to two very closely related serovars, Icterohaemorrhagiae and Copenhageni, have been associated with disease in mammalian species and are the most frequently reported agents of human leptospirosis. They are considered the most pathogenic serovars and represent more than half of the leptospires encountered in severe human infections.