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Background  Red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) have recently been recognized as potential reservoirs of several vector-borne pathogens and a source of infection for domestic dogs and humans, mostly due to their close vicinity to urban areas and frequent exposure to different arthropod vectors. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and distribution of  Babesia  spp.,  Hepatozoon canis ,  Anaplasma  spp.,  Bartonella  spp., ‘ Candidatus  Neoehrlichia mikurensis’,  Ehrlichia canis ,  Rickettsia  spp. and blood filaroid nematodes in free-ranging red foxes from Bosnia and Herzegovina.    Methods  Spleen samples from a total of 119 red foxes, shot during the hunting season between October 2013 and April 2014 throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, were examined for the presence of blood vector-borne pathogens by conventional PCRs and sequencing.    Results  In the present study, three species of apicomplexan parasites were molecularly identified in 73 red foxes from the entire sample area, with an overall prevalence of 60.8%. The DNA of  B. canis ,  B.  cf.  microti  and  H. canis  was found in 1 (0.8%), 38 (31.9%) and 46 (38.6%) spleen samples, respectively. In 11 samples (9.2%) co-infections with  B.  cf.  microti  and  H. canis  were detected and one fox harboured all three parasites (0.8%). There were no statistically significant differences between geographical region, sex or age of the host in the infection prevalence of  B.  cf.  microti , although females (52.9%; 18/34) were significantly more infected with  H. canis  than males (32.9%; 28/85). The presence of vector-borne bacteria and filaroid nematodes was not detected in our study.    Conclusion  This is the first report of  B. canis ,  B.  cf.  microti  and  H. canis  parasites in foxes from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the data presented here provide a first insight into the distribution of these pathogens among the red fox population. Moreover, the relatively high prevalence of  B.  cf.  microti  and  H. canis  reinforces the assumption that this wild canid species might be a possible reservoir and source of infection for domestic dogs.

A molecular survey of vector-borne pathogens in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Bosnia and Herzegovina