Molecular Characterization of Dermanyssus gallinae in Türkiye Based on 16S and 18S rDNA

The poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer, 1778), is widely regarded as the significant ectoparasite of egg-laying hens worldwide. Since many molecular studies on poultry red mites have focused on analyzing COI and ITS1-2 genes, the present study aimed to identify 16S rDNA and the relatively understudied nuclear 18S rDNA genes of Turkish D. gallinae populations. Twenty-eight different D. gallinae populations were collected from henhouses throughout Türkiye, and the target genes were amplified using conventional PCR after morphological analysis. Haplotype analyses of the 16S rDNA sequences revealed 14 different haplotypes, with Turkish D. gallinae grouped into two of these haplotypes. The intra-species genetic variation of the 18S rDNA and 16S rDNA sequences examined in the present study and the available sequences in public GeneBank were determined as 0.17% and 0.53%, respectively. The obtained sequences belonging to D. gallinae from Türkiye were submitted to GenBank for the first time. Given the importance of identifying genetic diversity within and between species across different geographical regions, the obtained data may contribute substantially to the genetic knowledge of the PRMs

Plant Essential Oils Used Against Some Bee Diseases

The most common honey bee diseases are American foulbrood (AFB) caused by the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae, Chalkbrood caused by fungus Ascosphaera apis and diseases caused by parasitic mites such as Acarapis woodi, Varroa destructor. These diseases and pests not only cause economic loss but also cause ecological problems related to the role of honey bees, as the most important pollinators on Earth. Synthetic acaricides and antibiotics are used to keep the diseases and mites in control. Use of the drugs lead to the development of drug-resistant organisms, detrimental effect on non-target organisms and the residue problem in bee products. For this reasons, the need for alternative control methods has become compulsory in recent years. It has been known that some plant oils used widely in perfumery and food industry for flavor and smell have been used as repellent to certain insects, bactericide and fungicide. Therefore, intensive studies have been carried out on plants with anti-mites, antibacterial and antifungal potentials and these studies are still going on. Recently, studies in this area have shown that essential oils of plants such as thyme, cloves, mint, lemon grass, cinnamon, grapefruit, rosemary, marigold, are lethal to some mites, bacteria and fungi. In addition, it has been reported that some components, isolated from these plants such as sanguinarine, thymoquinone, capsaicin, carvacrol, citral, eugenol, thymol, show these effects on the organisms. As a result, in countries rich in biodiversity due to endemic plant species, the essential oils used in control of these diseases should be favored instead of or in combination with conventional drugs in integrated the disease management programs because of the lack of harmful effects of essential oils on non-target organisms and environment

Investigation of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in Cats Using Sabin- Feldman Dye Test in Ankara in 2016

Amaç: Toksoplasmozis, zorunlu hücre içi protozoon olan Toxoplasma gondii’nin (T.gondii) etken olduğu, tüm dünyada yaygın görülebilen ve tüm vertebralıları tutabilen multisistemik bir hastalıktır. T. gondii için bilinen tek kesin konak Felidae ailesinin üyeleridir. Çalışmamızda Ankara’da kedilerde Sabin-Feldman Dye Testi (SFDT) ile anti-Toxoplasma gondii antikorlarının tespiti amaçlanmıştır. Aynı bölgede daha önceden yapılan çalışmalar ile karşılaştırmalar yapılarak Toxoplasmozun yayılımı açısından günümüzdeki durumun değerlendirilmesi hedeflenmiştir. Yöntemler: Çalışmamızda kullanılan Toxoplasma Rh suşunun idamesi laboratuvarımızda sağlanmaktadır. T.gondii tanımlanmasında kullanılan SFDT serolojik bir testtir ve altın standart olarak kabul edilmektedir. Çalışmanın materyali Mart 2016 - Ekim 2016 tarihleri arasında Ankara’da kliniklere müracaat eden kedilerden kan örnekleri alınarak sağlanmıştır. Kedilerden alınan kan örnekleri inaktive edilerek SFDT 1/4, 1/16, 1/64, 1/256, 1/1024 titrelerde çalışılmıştır. Bulgular: Toxoplasma gondii araştırması yapılan kedilerin 56’sında (%43,4) SFDT 1/16 titrede, 7’sinde (%5,4) 1/64 titrede, 23’ünde (%17,8) 1/256 titrede pozitif saptanırken, 43’ünde (%33,3) negatif çıkmıştır. Demografik bilgiler ile SFDT sonuçlarının karşılaştırılmasında; pozitif test sonuçlarının cinsiyet ve yaş ile ilişki göstermediği bulunmuştur (Sırasıyla P=0,803 ve P=0,991). Sokak kedilerinde ev kedilerine göre seropozitiflik fazladır (P<0,001). Sadece ticari kuru mama ile beslenen kedilerde test sonuçları negatiftir (P<0,001). Avlanan kedilerde pozitiflik avlanmayanlara göre fazladır (P<0,001). Sonuç: Bu çalışma ile kedilerin %66,6’sında seropozitiflik tespit edilmiştir ki halen oldukça yüksek bir orandır. Sonuçta, avlanan ve doğal beslenen sokak kedilerinde Toxoplasma açısından önlemlerin alınması halk sağlığı için bir zorunluluktur.Objective: Toxoplasmosis, in which obligate intracellular protozoa Toxoplasma gondii (T.gondii) is the causative organism, is a multisystemic disease that can be seen all over the world and can impair all vertebrates. the only hosts known for T.gondii are members of Felidae family. Our study aimed to determine anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies with Sabin-Feldman Dye Test (SFDT) in cats in Ankara. It’s aimed to evaluate the current situation in terms of Toxoplasmosis spread by comparing our findings with previous studies in the same region. Methods: Rh strain of Toxoplasma used in our study is maintained in our laboratory. SFDT is still accepted as the gold standard. Material of the study was obtained by taking blood samples from cats who were admitted to the clinics between March 2016 and October 2016 in Ankara. Blood samples were inactivated and measurements were done with SFDT 1/4, 1/16, 1/64, 1/256, 1/1024 titers. Results: SFDT resulted positive in 56 (43.4%) cats at a dilution of 1/16, in 7 (5.4%) cats at a dilution of 1/64, in 23 (17.8%) cats at a dilution of 1/256 and negative in 43 (33.3%) cats. Comparison of demographic data with SFDT results showed that positive test results did not differ according to gender and age (P=0.803 and P=0.991, respectively). Seropositivity was higher in stray cats than house cats (P<0.001). Test results were negative in the cats that fed only by commercial dry food (P<0.001). Positivity in hunter cats was more than in non-hunters (P<0.001). Conclusion: Seropositivity was detected in 66.6% of the cats, which was quite a high rate. As a result, taking precautions in terms of Toxoplasma for stray cats that are hunting and feeding naturally is a necessity for public health