Arben Sinani

Small ruminant production in Kosovo is predominantly extensive, and biosecurity practices remain poorly characterized. The emergence of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in Europe (beginning in 2024) and the first confirmed case in Kosovo (July 2025) highlight the urgent need for baseline biosecurity data to inform disease control. A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted on 63 small ruminant farms (53 meat-producing, 10 dairy-producing) across seven municipalities in Kosovo between September 2025 and February 2026. Biosecurity practices were assessed using the Biocheck.UGent™ questionnaire during direct on-farm visits. External (Ext) biosecurity scores (preventing pathogen introduction) were higher (p < 0.0001) than internal (Int) scores (limiting spread within farms). For external biosecurity, the highest scores were observed for purchase and reproduction (Ext A), intermediate scores existed for feed and water (Ext C) and visitors and farm workers (Ext D), and the lowest scores were found for transport and carcass removal (Ext B) and infrastructure (Ext E). For internal biosecurity, the highest scores were observed for lamb/kid management (Int H) and dairy management (Int I), followed by the management of adult animals (Int J); work organization (Int K) and reproduction management (Int G) formed an intermediate-low cluster, whereas disease management (Int F) scored the lowest. Benchmarking against the Biocheck.UGent™ worldwide database (predominantly intensive systems, thus not directly comparable) indicated that internal biosecurity and overall biosecurity levels were lower than the benchmark, while external biosecurity was comparable for some components. Given the convenience sample (36.4% response rate), findings are exploratory and are not directly generalizable. Larger herd size was positively correlated with external (ρ = 0.54, p < 0.0001), internal (ρ = 0.35, p = 0.005), and overall (ρ = 0.57, p < 0.0001) biosecurity scores. This first empirical biosecurity assessment of small ruminant farms in Kosovo reveals critical gaps in transport hygiene, disease management, and reproductive management pathways that enable PPR spread and perpetuate endemic zoonoses. The positive association between herd size and biosecurity may indicate structural barriers and/or knowledge gaps for small farms. Current biosecurity tools, designed for intensive systems, require adaptation for extensive production systems. These findings provide a baseline for targeted interventions, policy development, and validation of context-appropriate biosecurity instruments in Kosovo and similar extensive systems globally.

Background/Objectives: Cervical cancer is a prominent source of morbidity and mortality among women, particularly in low- and middle-income nations. Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL), a glycoprotein involved in cancer-related activities, has been proposed as a biomarker; however, its involvement in cervical cancer remains unknown. The study aim is to evaluate the prognostic significance of serum NGAL levels in cervical cancer patients in relation to International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, operability, and HPV subtype distribution before and after treatment. Methods: The study involved 130 women, 100 with histologically proven cervical cancer and 30 healthy controls. The serum NGAL levels were determined before and after treatment using an ELISA test. HPV genotyping was carried out using real-time PCR on 21 high- and low-risk subtypes. Results: NGAL levels increased marginally during therapy (from 134 to 144 ng/mL; p = 0.28), but the rise was significant in inoperable patients (p = 0.02) and increased with advanced FIGO stage, although this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.07). HPV 16 was the most common subtype (26.0%), while women aged 51–60 had the highest overall HPV positive rate (72.7%). There was no significant association between NGAL levels and HPV subtypes (p = 0.17). Conclusion: NGAL does not appear to be an accurate short-term indicator of therapy response. However, increased levels in advanced-stage and inoperable instances indicate prognostic significance. NGAL most likely represents tumor-associated inflammation rather than HPV subtype. These findings support its possible inclusion in future biomarker panels, subject to validation in bigger investigations. Persistent HPV infection in midlife women highlights the significance of ongoing screening.

Biosecurity plays a central role in preventing disease transmission in dairy production systems and animal welfare. However, quantitative data on biosecurity implementation in smallholder and medium-scale dairy farms remains inconsistent, especially in developing countries. This study provides a structured assessment of on-farm biosecurity practices in northern Kosovo using a standardized, risk-based scoring approach. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 55 dairy farms using the unmodified Biocheck.UGent™ dairy questionnaire. External and internal biosecurity scores were calculated through predefined, weighted algorithms and analyzed using non-parametric descriptive statistics. Farm-level results were subsequently compared with international reference values derived from the Biocheck.UGent™ global database. The median biosecurity scores for Kosovo farms were 47.8% for external biosecurity and 29.0% for internal biosecurity, indicating uneven implementation with pronounced weaknesses in measures designed to limit within-herd transmission. The lowest-scoring domains were purchase and reproduction and feed and water within external biosecurity, and working organization and equipment, calf management, and calving management within internal biosecurity. In contrast, visitors and farmworkers, control of vermin and other animals among external measures, and adult cattle management among internal measures, showed relatively higher scores, although all remained below international reference levels. When compared with the global overall biosecurity reference median of 76.7% derived from the Biocheck.UGent™ database, the biosecurity performance of the surveyed dairy farms in Kosovo was substantially lower. This gap does not indicate a complete absence of biosecurity measures but rather an uneven application, with the most pronounced deficiency observed in routine practices that govern within-herd disease transmission. The use of a risk-based scoring system allowed these weaknesses to be identified in a structured manner and placed the Kosovo results within an international benchmarking framework. In this context, the approach functions as a practical diagnostic tool, enabling farmers and veterinarians to prioritize feasible, epidemiological-relevant improvements within small- and medium-scale dairy production settings.