Lower Austria Research Articles

PREVALENCE AND DETERMINANTS OF VASCULAR AGING IN AUSTRIA – A HOLISTIC VIEW: THE LEAD STUDY

Objective: Vascular aging (VA) is an important and prognostically relevant aspect of biological aging. Its determinants are incompletely understood, and a holistic view is missing. Design and method: The LEAD (Lung, Heart, Social, Body) study is an ongoing, longitudinal, population-based observational study, which started in 2011 in Vienna and six villages from Lower Austria. As part of the study, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) was measured non-invasively using applanation tonometry. In a predefined healthy normal population (non-smokers without known hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia or cardiovascular disease, free from antihypertensive and lipid-lowering medication, blood pressure below 130/85 mmHg), age-specific Z-scores for cfPWV were calculated. Healthy (HVA), normal (NVA) and early (EVA) VA was defined as cfPWV value < 10th, 10th-90th, and >90th percentile, respectively. Results: In the overall population (n = 7924, 54.2% women, age 6-82 years), the prevalence of HVA/NVA/EVA was 7.3/70.3/22.4%, respectively, with EVA prevalence increasing in older age. NVA and EVA, as compared to HVA, were independently associated with age, hemodynamic parameters (blood pressure, heart rate), metabolic factors (diabetes), body composition (lean mass index), psychosocial (marital status), and socio-economic (socioeconomic status score, income, educational level) factors. Conclusions: In this large population-based study we observed a high percentage of early vascular aging in Austria. Besides age itself, hemodynamic factors and diabetes, body composition, psychosocial and socio-economic factors play an independent role in vascular aging. Cardiovascular prevention clearly needs to be improved and should be targeted towards high blood pressure on the one hand, but be holistically oriented on the other side.

Health Hotline 1450: Potentials in Urban Areas of Lower Austria. A Retrospective Analysis.

Societal changes (in expectations), efficiency efforts in the health systems and, in some cases, a high need for individual counselling due to low health literacy are difficult to align. Triage hotlines that refer callers to best points of care (POC) are possible solutions. The aim of this study was to analyze the potentials of the Austrian triage hotline 1450 in order to recognize patterns and suggest improvements. Data from 01.01.-31.12.2019 from two urban areas of Lower Austria with their top five system diagnoses and five most frequent best POC per city were retrospectively analysed and compared. The five most common reasons for calling the hotline differed by city, resulting in six in the total sample (n=4376): vomiting (4,8%), back pain (3,0%), dizziness/vertigo (2,5%), abdominal pain (2,4%), chest pain (1,5%) and headache (1,4%). In absolute terms, the best POC was ambulance service with 38,7% (ambulance transport and emergency mission). In addition to the recommendation to visit an emergency department (18,5%), this resulted in a high proportion (57,2%) of patients being referred to ambulance service and hospitals. The best POC allocations in both cities (City A 89,8%/City B 92,0%) covered the available care points in urban areas to a large extent. In terms of the type of illness complaints, a more comprehensive referral to the primary care seems possible (headache, back pain, abdominal pain). Since the five most frequent reasons for calling only add up to 15,6% (n=682) of all documented counselling calls of the total sample, further investigations are necessary, taking into consideration the degree of urgency and the time the calls were made.

Possible Projection of the First Military Survey of the Habsburg Empire in Lower Austria and Hungary (Late 18th Century)—An Improvement in Fitting Historical Topographic Maps to Modern Cartographic Systems

Map mosaics of the First Military Survey showing Lower Austria and Hungary (two separate zones and coordinate systems of 1:28,800 survey sections) were georeferenced. Compared to the previous fitting carried out in the framework of the publicly available MAPIRE project, an attempt was made here to determine the true native projections, despite the assumption, according to the literature, that these map works have no real geodetic basis and no real cartographic projection. In the case of Lower Austria, the native coordinate system of the Brno–Wien–Varaždin degree measurement of Father Joseph Liesganig, the Cassini projection centred on Stephansdom in Vienna, proved to be the survey’s own projection. In Hungary, in addition to the centre of a similar degree measurement, a fundamental point of the also documented Budapest-surrounding network of Colonel Neu proved to be a possible starting point of the Cassini projection used. Thus, with these centres, the Cassini projection is a good mathematical model for the native coordinate system of the surveys in these provinces. This achievement opens the possibility of better georeferencing of old maps of the survey, providing a database of land use and environmental change analyses and a step forward in understanding the survey technology of the 18th century.

Analyzing Trends in Material Culture Evolution—a Case Study of Gravettian Points from Lower Austria and Moravia

Identifying, analyzing, and explaining trends in the development of material culture is one of the major concerns in prehistoric archaeology. The traditional recording of data in typologies, however, is not optimal for answering the question of diachronic change because typological data capture variability poorly and are often incompatible with multivariate statistics. To overcome these problems, we present PyREnArA (Python-R-Environment for Artifact Analysis), a trait-based tool that allows for a systematic recording of diversity and variability in a way that is applicable to quantitative analysis and multivariate statistics. Using Gravettian assemblages from Lower Austria and Moravia as a case study, we analyze changes in the morphology as well as the design of lithic projectiles and statistically determine the amount of variation that correlates with the progression of time. We identify a slow trend towards slenderer and more pointed projectiles and a shift from laterally to latero-frontally hafted implements. Most of the analyzed traits, however, appear not to experience selective pressure and seem to be unrelated to the passage of time. We discuss these results with regard to different scales of selection, in particular individual choice vs. macroevolutionary group selection over longer periods of time and thus beyond the realm of individual intend, and we raise questions for future research.

The state of HEMA in 2021: The German & Austrian HEMA census

To understand the Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) community, its weapon disciplines, organisational structure and gender, a HEMA census was conducted in 2021 for Germany and Austria and in 2019 for Germany. The 2021 census captures 3186 HEMA practitioners training in 124 locations in Germany and 801 practitioners training in 34 locations in Austria. It is the most comprehensive and detailed dataset of its kind to date. It shows that most HEMA groups are organised as an independent Verein or as part of an umbrella Verein.1 The pandemic had an average effect on the number of practitioners and primarily impacted commercial schools with a 20% reduction in membership. 20% (Germany) and 27.5% (Austria) of all practitioners are identified as female, while 0.75% (Germany) and 3.9% (Austria) of practitioners are identified as nonbinary. Longsword is the most popular weapon discipline, being trained at over 88% of locations in both countries. Runner-up disciplines trained at 40% to 44% of locations include Long Knife, Dagger, Sword & Buckler, Historical Wrestling (Germany), and Dagger, Sword & Buckler and Polearms (Austria). Two-handed swords saw the biggest increase in training locations during the pandemic. HEMA hotspots are in South Germany (Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg), where nearly 39% of all German practitioners train, and in Eastern Austria (Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland), where over 55% of all Austrian practitioners train.

Euonymus latifolius im Böhmischen Massiv

Abstract Euonymus latifolius in the Bohemian Massif – In the present study, scattered and mainly previously unpublished distribution data of Euonymus latifolius for the Bohemian Massif are aggregated and presented in tabular and graphical form. In Lower Austria, the otherwise pre- to perialpine distribution pattern extends northwards to the area of the Bohemian Massif, becomes isolated and represents the European northern range edge of autochthonous occurrences with an exposed range outpost in the Lower Austrian Freiwald region. So far there is evidence from 10 quadrants. Although siliceous growth sites are also colonized, the ecological assemblage remains species-typical and includes deciduous forests, but also copses. The discussion is mainly devoted to the topics of floristic status, cultivation and dispersal ecology. Contradictions in the reference material concerning range and status data are pointed out.

Joseph II’s 1782 Edict of Toleration for the Jews of Lower Austria and its Economic and Secular Underpinnings and Effects

Joseph II’s 1782 Edict of Toleration is an important piece of legislation within Austrian and Jewish history. The Edict was a series of statements issued regarding the inclusion of Jewish citizens into larger towns, marking what was permitted, what was to change, and what was prohibited. Created by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, son of the notoriously anti-Jewish Empress Maria Theresia, the legislation was institutionalized in order to make Jewish people more useful economically to the state by granting them access to cities and towns, Christian schools and universities, and by allowing them to set up their own factories. It created secular subjects to achieve economic gains. The Edict can be analyzed for its economic underpinnings and effects, which can be further examined through a micro- and macroscopic lens, as well as viewing the role it had in promoting the toleration and assimilation of Jews. The Edict, despite its failure to achieve its steep economic goals or to fully assimilate Austria’s Jewish community, nonetheless is key to understanding the political, economic, and religious climate of Lower Austria at this time.

Evaluating the impacts of sustainable land management practices on water quality in an agricultural catchment in Lower Austria using SWAT

Managing agricultural watersheds in an environmentally friendly manner necessitate the strategic implementation of well-targeted sustainable land management (SLM) practices that limit soil and nonpoint source pollution losses and translocation. Watershed-scale SLM-scenario modeling has the potential to identify efficient and effective management strategies from the field to the integrated landscape level. In a case study targeting a 66-hectare watershed in Petzenkirchen, Lower Austria, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was utilized to evaluate a variety of locally adoptable SLM practices. SWAT was calibrated and validated (monthly) at the catchment outlet for flow, sediment, nitrate-nitrogen (NO3–N), ammonium nitrogen (NH4–N), and mineralized phosphorus (PO4–P) using SWATplusR. Considering the locally existing agricultural practices and socioeconomic and environmental factors of the research area, four conservation practices were evaluated: baseline scenario, contour farming (CF), winter cover crops (CC), and a combination of no-till and cover crops (NT + CC). The NT + CC SLM practice was found to be the most effective soil conservation practice in reducing soil loss by around 80%, whereas CF obtained the best results for decreasing the nutrient loads of NO3–N and PO4–P by 11% and 35%, respectively. The findings of this study imply that the setup SWAT model can serve the context-specific performance assessment and eventual promotion of SLM interventions that mitigate on-site land degradation and the consequential off-site environmental pollution resulting from agricultural nonpoint sources.

The Role of Historical Data to Investigate Slow-Moving Landslides by Long-Term Monitoring Systems in Lower Austria

Landslides are one of the most significant natural hazards worldwide. They can have far-reaching negative impacts on societies in different socio-economic sectors as well as on the landscape. Among the different types and processes that can also affect infrastructure and land use planning, slow-moving landslides are often underestimated. Therefore, studying areas affected by slow movements provide an opportunity to better understand the spatial and temporal patterns of these processes, their forcings, mechanisms, and potential risks. This study aims to investigate the importance of historical data for improving landslide hazard assessment in Lower Austria (Austria), which is particularly prone to landslides. This paper focuses on how historical information formed the basis for the establishment of three long-term landslide monitoring observatories in this region. The analysis conducted highlights the importance of using historical data to better assess the frequency and magnitude relationships and phases of landslide activity. In particular, they can extend the temporal window and provide relevant information on past events and accelerations to improve knowledge of landslide dynamics and the resulting socio-economic impacts. In order to better assess the landslide hazard associated, it is necessary to integrate historical data and monitoring datasets obtained by surface and subsurface methods. Both components allow for the characterization of the spatio-temporal evolution of slow movements and the analysis of the hazard over time. Based on a variety of historical sources, it was possible to install the instruments constituting the long-term landslide monitoring observatories in a meaningful manner. The results demonstrate the influential role of human impact on the stability conditions, which may also contribute to landslide occurrence. In this regard, the attempt to combine historical data and long-term, continuous monitoring systems in the presented landslide observatories can improve landslide risk reduction measures in the region. The integration of different techniques and tools, along with ongoing research and collaboration with local authorities, will further improve our understanding of these slow-moving processes and the development of effective management strategies.

Monitoring of Paenibacillus larvae in Lower Austria through DNA-Based Detection without De-Sporulation: 2018 to 2022

American foulbrood is caused by the spore-forming Paenibacillus larvae. Although the disease effects honey bee larvae, it threatens the entire colony. Clinical signs of the disease are seen at a very late stage of the disease and bee colonies are often beyond saving. Therefore, through active monitoring based on screening, an infection can be detected early and bee colonies can be protected with hygiene measures. As a result, the pressure to spread in an area remains low. The cultural and molecular biological detection of P. larvae is usually preceded by spore germination before detection. In this study, we compared the results of two methods, the culture detection and RT-PCR detection of DNA directly isolated from spores. Samples of honey and cells with honey surrounding the brood were used in a five-year voluntary monitoring program in a western part of Lower Austria. DNA-extraction from spores to speed up detection involved one chemical and two enzymatic steps before mechanical bashing-beat separation and additional lysis. The results are comparable to culture-based methods, but with a large time advantage. Within the voluntary monitoring program, the proportion of bee colonies without the detection of P. larvae was high (2018: 91.9%, 2019: 72.09%, 2020: 74.6%, 2021: 81.35%, 2022: 84.5%), and in most P. larvae-positive bee colonies, only a very low spore content was detected. Nevertheless, two bee colonies in one apiary with clinical signs of disease had to be eradicated.

Teaching resilience in fragile times

Teaching resilience in fragile times

“The Lute of Wisdom”

Abstract This article is the first interdisciplinary study of excavated early modern lute, a paste that alchemists wrapped around vessels, contextualising its relevance for the history of science. We explore the material epistemology of the alchemical laboratory by opening a conversation between archaeological sciences and the history of the body, medicine, and science. In an age that valued embodied epistemologies, we argue, medicine mattered for cultures of making and affected alchemists’ material practices. This article combines the scientific analysis of luted glass remains from the sixteenth century Oberstockstall alchemical laboratory in Kirchberg am Wagram, Lower Austria, with the in-depth study of recipe collections, alchemical, botanical, medical, and metallurgical treatises, and visual sources. Based on this methodology, we argue that the alchemist’s material practices were strongly linked to early modern Paracelsian thought and medical understandings of the body. In methodological terms, this article shifts boundaries between historians, archaeologists, and materials scientists.

Dental wear and oral pathology among sex determined Early Bronze-Age children from Franzhausen I, Lower Austria.

The physical properties of diet and oral health throughout childhood play an important role in the development of human dentition, and differed greatly before the industrial revolution. In this study we examined dental wear and oral pathology in a sample of children from the Early Bronze-Age to investigate the physical and mechanical properties of childhood diet and related oral health. We explore cross-sectional age and sex-based variation of children in the sample. The analysis was carried out on the dentitions of 75 children, 978 teeth, excavated from the Early Bronze-Age cemetery Franzhausen I in Lower Austria. Presence of dental caries and calculus was recorded. Dental wear was measured using dentine exposure, occlusal topography, and dental microwear texture analysis. Sex determination was carried out using amelogenin peptide analysis. Caries were found in only 4 individuals (crude prevalence rate-5%, 95% CI 1% to 13%), affecting only 5 teeth (true prevalence rate-less than 1%). Dentine exposure was observed in over 70% of deciduous molars and dental wear measurements indicate a comparatively strong dental wear accumulation especially, among younger children, when compared to modern-day and later pre-industrial populations. Microwear textures presented a high complexity (Asfc > 2)/low anisotropy (epLsar < 1) profile, especially in older children. Differences between male and female children were not generally significant but increased dentine exposure was observed in the lower molars of younger female children. Our results suggest that the Early Bronze-Age children at Franzhausen I consumed a non-cariogenic diet, more abrasive and inclusive of harder/polyhedral foodstuffs than present-day children and some later Medieval children. Differences in dental wear accumulation were observed between children within the population, but with minimal variation between the sexes mostly occurring among younger children.

Strong intraspecific phylogenetic and karyotypic diversification in Isophya modestior (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae)

Abstract Isophya modestior (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) is a species distributed in central and south-eastern Europe, where its distribution is largely separated by two large rivers (Sava and Danube). Since previous studies on the song and morphology of the stridulatory file across its complete geographic range showed that the species is separated into two main groups, we decided to use phylogenetic and karyological analyses in order to evaluate the status of the previously analysed populations. Phylogenetic analyses showed the existence of two major clades within I. modestior with very high bootstrap values and posterior probabilities—Clade A: present on the Balkan Peninsula, Slovenia (Inner Carniola), Italy, Pannonian Serbia (Vršac Mts and Deronje) and Austria (Burgenland and Lower Austria); Clade B: present in Slovenia (Upper Carniola), Croatia and Austria (Carinthia), Pannonian Serbia (Fruška Gora Mt.) and Hungary. A comparison of chromosomes of 51 specimens revealed discrete differences between their karyotypes. The physical characteristics of the karyotypes included chromosome number (2n), sex chromosome (X) morphology and C-banding patterns. The standard chromosome complement of 50 specimens from different localities is characterized by 2n = 30 + X0 in males. In one male collected in Fruška Gora Mt. (Andrevlje), the chromosome number was reduced to 2n = 28 + neo-XY. Therefore, further cytogenetic studies involving larger samples, especially from Fruška Gora Mt., are needed in order to gain a more comprehensive view of the chromosome evolution in this group of Isophya species.

Children’s perspective on fears connected to school transition and intended coping strategies

The transition from primary to secondary school comes with major changes in the lives of children. There is a shortage of in-depth analyses of young people’s perspectives concerning their fears and strategies to address these. This qualitative study aims to gain first-hand understanding of children’s fears and the intended coping strategies used during school transition. Data from 52 workshops were analysed, with a total of 896 students (M age = 10.40, SD = .839) in lower Austria. First, in the classroom setting, a vignette story about a child facing fears about school transition from primary to secondary school was developed with pupils in a brainstorming session. This was followed by self-selected small group discussions, where pupils proposed strategies to help cope with these fears. A thematic analysis was carried out. Major thematic clusters distinguished between four types of fears: peer victimisation, being alone, victimisation by authority figures, and academic failure. Three additional thematic clusters described strategies for countering the fears: enacting supportive networks, personal emotion regulation, and controlling behaviour. In addition to these connected clusters, two further themes were identified: strategy outcomes and consequences, i.e., personal experiences with using specific strategies, and the discussion of participants about contradictions and questionable usefulness of identified strategy outcomes. In conclusion, the children in our study reported more social fears as compared to academic fears. Children seem reasonably competent at naming and identifying strategies; however, maladaptive strategies, as well as controversies within the described strategies may indicate a lack of certainty and competence at engaging with these strategies on a practical level.

Materialographic investigations of plate slags from the Late Bronze Age copper production site of Prigglitz-Gasteil (Lower Austria)

This paper presents the microstructures and chemical analyses of 10 plate slags from the Late Bronze Age copper production site of Prigglitz-Gasteil in Lower Austria. The analytical results of overview measurements (XRF) and local measurements on metallographic samples (SEM-EDX) are compared. The samples belong to the category of thin plate slags (PS-C, thickness < 0.5 cm) and the newly defined category of very thin plate slags (PS-D, thickness < 0.2 cm). From their chemical and phase composition, three groups could be distinguished. These different groups did not indicate separate stages during the working process but rather haphazard variations. The amount of residual Cu observed in all the plate slags was small (average Cu content 0.59 wt%), indicating an efficient process of copper smelting, comparable with other prehistoric copper production sites in the Eastern Alps. Remarkably, some of the investigated plate slags contained Sn as a trace element which most likely came into the slag through contamination from the nearby bronze processing. In line with previous archaeometallurgical investigations, the analysis of plate slags confirms that primary and secondary metallurgy were carried out in immediate vicinity at the Prigglitz-Gasteil site.

Statistical analysis of karst springs in Lower Austria

Abstract Karst springs play a central role in Austria’s water supply. This paper aims to provide an overview of the karst springs of Lower Austria, analysing statistical correlations of spatial distribution, discharge, electrical conductivity (EC), and temperature. As part of a project with the provincial government of Lower Austria, older data from numerous studies have been combined with the self-generated data in a GIS database. This database contains data on 2056 karst springs. Most of the recorded springs are located in the Northern Calcareous Alps, although karst springs also occur in the Central Alpine Permomesozoic, the Waschberg zone and the Bohemian Massif, some of which are also of regional importance for drinking water supply. Chemical analyses show that limestone, dolomite and mixed springs are widespread in Lower Austria and occur with similar frequency. Gypsum springs, which are characterised by a significantly higher total mineral-isation, are also of regional importance. The statistical analysis shows that spring water temperatures correlate well with the mean annual air temperature at the mean catchment elevation. The temperature decrease with increasing elevation corresponds to the air temperature gradient in the Eastern Alps (0.47 °C/100 m). In addition, the springs show a negative correlation of the EC with the mean catchment elevation, which can be explained by a decrease in soil cover and thus reduced CO2 uptake of the water, as well as dilution by rainwater. This leads to less carbonate dissolution, which is also reflected in less HCO3 − contents. Corrected for the elevation effect, the investigated dolomite springs, have on average a 2.7% higher EC than limestone springs. A difference was also found between the Hauptdolomit and the Wettersteindolomit rock types, which are widespread in Lower Austria, with the latter displaying higher values on average by 2.2%. This indicates longer residence times of the spring water due to less karstification of the Wettersteindolomit.

The Lower - Middle Miocene transition (Karpatian – Badenian) in the Krems Embayment (Central Paratethys, Lower Austria): a multistrati-graphic approach and the role of the Diendorf-Boskovice Fault System.

Abstract The Krems Embayment contains the westernmost fully marine depositional environments of the Karpatian and Bade-nian transgressions in the Central Paratethys. Four drill cores were investigated to analyse the bio- and lithostratigraphic, and tectonic relations. The investigated core sections cover the Karpatian Laa Formation (bio-zones M4, NN4) and the Badenian Gaindorf Formation (M5b-M6, NN4-NN5). Important biostratigraphic indicators identified are Praeorbulina glomerosa glomerosa, Praeorbulina glomerosa circularis and Orbulina suturalis for the Gaindorf Formation. The Laa Formation is indicated by the absence of Praeorbulina, Orbulina and Globigerina falconensis, low numbers of Globorotalia bykovae, and a prominent peak in Helicosphaera ampliaperta abundance at the end of the Karpatian. Cibicidoides lopjanicus and Cassigerinella spp. occur with high percentages in Badenian samples and show much longer stratigraphic ranges than known from literature data. The depositional gap at the Karpatian-Badenian boundary has a minimum duration of 0.41 My in the Krems Embayment. The combination of bio- and lithostratigraphic data allows the correlation across major faults. The Diendorf-Boskovice Fault System played an important role during basin formation and was identified as very active during the early to middle Badenian Stage. The results of this study show the complex interaction of sedimentation, tectonic activity and paleobiological developments in this peripheral part of a marginal sea.

СИМВОЛІКА ГЕРБОВОГО ФРИЗУ СЕРЕДИНИ ХІІІ ст. НА ПРИКЛАДІ ГЕРБОВОГО ЗАЛУ ГОЦЦОБУРГУ, КРЕМС, НИЖНЯ АВСТРІЯ

Since in the Middle Ages the ability to read and write was mainly reserved for monks and thus only for a very small part of the population, there was a need for an alternative form of identification. This was expressed in the spread of coats of arms. Heraldic signs were used in different ways and found application on armor and shields in military conflicts, as well as at festivals, tournaments, and competitions, on houses, flags, and fabrics. If someone wore a coat of arms, they could be assigned to a certain group. Family coats of arms had legal significance as a symbol of the status and legal rights of their bearers. In addition, coats of arms became an integral part of imperial and royal courts. Since the late Middle Ages, coats of arms have been used to publicly mark property rights, for example, on buildings, boundary stones or maps, and as decor. Armorial halls were and still are partly representative rooms. One example of such a hall of arms from the early thirteenth century is the Gozzoburg in Krems, Lower Austria. The process of identifying coats of arms, their dating, affiliation, and place in the visual concept is the central issue of this study. As we will see, the core of the coat of arms frieze is the figure of King Otokar II, although Gozzoburg never belonged to him. The western wall shows the lands that belonged to the king, and the other three walls show his spheres of influence. Thus, on the North wall are the coats of arms of the Holy Roman Empire, on the South wall – coats of arms from outside the empire. The concept on the Eastern Wall, as well as several unidentified coats of arms, remains an open question even after identification. Comparing the scarce information about the owner of the house with the heraldic program, we realize that Gozzo was one of the king’s closest associates and owed him his status and position. He wanted to emphasize this connection publicly to demonstrate his authority to visitors to the house. The analysis of coats of arms is a valuable auxiliary tool in understanding this medieval hierarchy.

Canine babesiosis in Austria in the 21st century – A review of cases

A retrospective study on 699 cases of canine babesiosis presented to veterinary clinics in eastern Austria were evaluated for the location where infection had presumably taken place. Of these, 542 (77.54%) had acquired the infection in Austria, while the majority of non-autochthonous cases came from neighboring countries, most notable Hungary. Both groups were recorded primarily in Vienna, eastern Lower Austria and Burgenland, but cases from the southern (Styria, Carinthia) and western (Upper Austria, Tyrol, Salzburg) provinces of the country were also recorded. Records were made all year round, with most cases in spring (46.6%) and fall (48.4%). The annual cases ranged from four to 58 (mean: 31.8) with large fluctuations and no visible trend for an in- or decrease. The tick vector of Babesia canis, Dermacentor reticulatus, is present in Austria but displays a very patchy distribution, and its occurrence and activity are not readily foretold, which might be a reason why its presumably increasing density in Europe is not reflected by increased incidences of canine babesiosis. Another factor that may influence the numbers of cases per year could be the application (or non-application) of acaricidal or repellent compounds. A limitation of this study is that bias is exerted by the location of the participating clinics, and by the unknown rate of infections that does not induce clinical symptoms and is likely not presented in veterinary practices and clinics. The data, however, clearly show that at least the lowlands of Austria are endemic for B. canis, and appropriate tick control must be advised all year round.