Mongolian Part of the Transboundary Sailugem Natural Plague Focus in 2017. Communication 1. Epizootic condition

Objective – estimation of current epizootic condition of Mongolian part of transboundary Sailugem natural plague focus. Materials and methods. Epizootiological survey was performed for the area of 2335 km2, 277 mammals and 516 ectoparasites were investigated for plague. Results and conclusions. Eight Yersinia pestis subsp. pestis strains were isolated, including 7 strains – from grey marmots (6 – from the remains of meals of predatory birds, 1 from a corpse) and 1 – from long-tailed souslik (corpse). Y. pestis DNA was detected in 52 objects. Serological samples showed 40 positive results. Epizootic manifestations, confirmed by isolation of Y. pestis cultures, detection of plague microbe DNA, and positive serological results, were observed across the area of 1611 km2 covering 69 % of the inspected territory. Epizootic results indicated high infection rate of mass mammal species and first of all grey marmots. The data demonstrated that the extended plague epizooty caused by Y. pestis of the main subspecies occurred in the inspected territory in the carrier settlements. For the first time the circulation of Y. pestis subsp. pestis was registered in the Mongolian part of the transboundary Sailugem focus

Reporting of <i>Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus</i> (Skuse, 1895) in the Territory of Crimea

Abstract. Detection of epidemiologically significant mosquitoes Ae. аlbopictus in the south of Russia (the Greater Sochi region, the Black Sea coast of Caucasus) suggested the possibility of their introduction into Crimea.Objective was to determine the possibility of existence of epidemically significant vector – mosquito Ae. albopictus inCrimea.Materials and methods. Within the frames of entomological monitoring, mosquitoes were collected during May-October, 2018 and May-September, 2019 in different regions of Crimea: Bakhchisaray, Dzhankoy, Razdolnensky, Saksky, Black Sea regions, urban areas ofSimferopol,Sevastopol and Feodosiya. Fully-grown mosquitoes were caught by automatic trap Mosquito Magnet Executive (USA) with octenol-based bait. Actively attacking females were collected with an aspirator by Gutsevich method. The survey was conducted in the evening and night hours. A total of 26 visits were made, 77 hours were spent, and 8463 mosquitoes (adult and larvae) were captured.Results and discussion. During entomological monitoring of the territory of Crimean Peninsula for the first time bloodsucking mosquitoes Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse, 1895) were found. Given the favorable climatic conditions in Crimea, the trend towards global warming, the adaptation of mosquitoes to the periods of cold, biology of Aedes albopictus, the distribution of this species in the European part of southern Russia, the formation and dissemination of sustainably replicating vector population on the Crimea Peninsula is possible. To confirm the circulation of independent Ae. albopictus population inCrimea, not a random import of adult specimens who die in winter, further entomological surveys are required on a regular basis

Gorno-Altai Natural Plague Focus Epizootical and Epidemical Activity in 2012 - 2016

The data, describing epizootical and epidemical activity of the Gorno-Altai natural plague focus in 2012 - 2016 are shown. The wide dissemination of the major Yersinia pestis subtype in Marmota baibacina’s settlements led to the focus epidemical potential growth and became the reason of epidemical complications in Kosh-Agatch district of the Republic of Altai in 2012 - 2016