Biology subjects

Baska, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Baska, F..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

First record of Argulus japonicus infestation onCyprinus carpio in Hungary, and the first descriptionof Argulus japonicus subsp. europaeus subsp. nov.Keve, 2025

Species belonging to the genus Argulus are globally distributed fish parasites. Their veterinary significance primarily lies in their disruptive presence and their role as mechanical vectors. Although Argulus japonicus Thiele, 1900 is a widely distributed representative of this genus that feeds on freshwater fish, only Argulus foliaceus (Linnaeus, 1758) had previously been reported in Hungary. The aim of this study was to investigate the fish louse fauna in a local common carp (Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758) population. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the occurrence of A. japonicus in Hungary. Our detailed molecular analyses, including the complete mitochondrial genome, revealed for the first time that the A. japonicus specimens found in Hungary differ significantly from their Far Eastern counterparts. Furthermore, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) sequence analysis -- a region known to be stable within the species -- showed that while our sequences were nearly identical to those of other European specimens, they differed markedly from the available Asian isolates. The phylogenetic analysis also confirmed this divergence. The European A. japonicus sequences form a clearly distinct sister group to the Asian lineages. In light of these findings, and based on thorough morphological examinations, the authors propose that the specimens found in Hungary represent a new subspecies, Argulus japonicus subsp. europaeus subsp. nov. Keve, 2025.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2019

Family aggregation analysis reveals a heritable background of equine grass sickness (dysautonomia)

Equine grass sickness (also known as dysautonomia) is a life-threatening polyneuropathic disease affecting horses with approx. 80% mortality. Since its first description over a hundred years ago, several factors including phenotypic, environmental, management, climate, and intestinal microbiome) have been associated with increased risk of dysautonomia. But despite the extensive research on dysautonomia, its causative factors have yet been identified. A retrospective pedigree and phenotype based genetic epidemiological study was performed to analyze the associations of disease occurrence and the kinship in a Hungarian large scale stud. The pedigree data set containing 1233 horses with 49 affected animals was used in the analysis. The first finding was that among the descendants of some stallions the proportion of affected animals are unexpectedly high, with a maximum of 25% of a stallions descendants affected. Animals with affected siblings have higher odds to be a case (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.01-1.57, p=0.033). Among males in the affected population the odds of dysautonomia is higher than in females (OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 0.95-3.29, p=0.057). Significant familial clustering was observed among the affected animals (GIF p=0.001). Further subgroups were identified with significant (p<0.001) aggregation among close relatives using kinship-based methods. Our analysis of the data and the observed higher disease frequency in males suggests that dysautonomia may have X-linked recessive inheritance as a causal factor. This is the first study providing ancestry data and suggesting a genetic contribution to the likely multifactorial causes of the disease.

genetics↗