Bovine hypodermosis is highly prevalent in Kazakhstan: Results of a first serological study

Background and Aim: Recent information on the occurrence of bovine hypodermosis in Kazakhstan is limited to the results of a few clinical studies in the northern and eastern regions. A first serological study aimed to obtain more data on its geographical distribution and to estimate the prevalence in this country. Materials and Methods: Serum samples collected from 891 dairy cows on 30 dairy farms in eight Kazakh provinces during the winter season 2015/2016 were examined for antibodies to Hypoderma spp. first-stage larval antigen using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IDEXX Bovine Hypodermosis Serum Antibody Test). Results: Overall, 73.6% (95% confidence interval: 70.6%–76.5%) of the cows sampled were seropositive for Hypoderma, and antibody-positive cows were found in 28 of 30 farms and in seven of eight provinces. Conclusion: The results suggest a high prevalence of bovine hypodermosis in Kazakhstan, for which the socioeconomic changes in agriculture and village life following the country’s independence are considered to be responsible

Trichinellosis dissemination among wild carnivores in the Republic of Kazakhstan: A 10-year study

Background and Aim: Trichinellosis is caused by a species of roundworm called Trichinella and is an invasive disease causing severe medical, veterinary, and socioeconomic problems worldwide. More than 100 mammalian species are Trichinella hosts. Among domestic animals, pigs and dogs are prone to trichinellosis. An essential aspect of controlling the spread of infection is to identify the number and level of infections in wild carnivores in the country. However, the number, habitats, and movements of wild animal Trichinella hosts in Kazakhstan have not been reported yet. This study aimed to monitor the wild animal habitat nearby the settlements for tracking the trichinellosis speading among carnivores. Materials and Methods: Wild carnivorous animals were captured in seven regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The carcasses of corsacs, wolves, foxes, wild boars, and badgers were studied. Muscle tissue samples from spontaneously infected wild animals were collected. The digestion method in “GASTROS-2M” was used to isolate Trichinella spp. from animal muscles. The species of the parasite was determined by a polymerase chain reaction for 5S spacer of Trichinella ribosomal DNA with subsequent sequencing by Senger. Statistical analysis methods were performed for average value in Microsoft Excel 2010. Results: The results of the research showed that among 155 animals wolves (20.4%) and foxes (26.7%) were the most infected with invasive Trichinella larvae. The invasion intensity was 503.6% in foxes and 289.7% in wolves. However, badgers (164%), wild boars (0%), and corsacs (0%) presented lower invasion levels. Using specific primers, larvae samples were identified as Trichinella nativa. Conclusion: The results of monitoring revealed the spread of trichinosis among wild animals: wolves, foxes, badgers. The Karaganda, Kostanay, Western Kazakhstan, and Akmola regions had the largest distribution of wild animals infected with trichinellosis. In total, 20% of the 155 studied animals were infected. The greatest invasion intensity was typical for wolves, foxes and badgers. It is necessary to monitor the spread of trichinellosis among wild carnivores to control the epidemiological situation and reduce the level of spontaneous infection among animals. Regular monitoring of habitats and carnivores must be conducted within the country and in the border areas

Low Genetic Diversity in Wide-Spread Eurasian Liver Fluke <i>Opisthorchis felineus</i> Suggests Special Demographic History of This Trematode Species

<div><p></p><p><i>Opisthorchis felineus</i> or Siberian liver fluke is a trematode parasite (Opisthorchiidae) that infects the hepato-biliary system of humans and other mammals. Despite its public health significance, this wide-spread Eurasian species is one of the most poorly studied human liver flukes and nothing is known about its population genetic structure and demographic history. In this paper, we attempt to fill this gap for the first time and to explore the genetic diversity in <i>O. felineus</i> populations from Eastern Europe (Ukraine, European part of Russia), Northern Asia (Siberia) and Central Asia (Northern Kazakhstan). Analysis of marker DNA fragments from <i>O. felineus</i> mitochondrial <i>cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1</i> and <i>3</i> (<i>cox1, cox3</i>) and nuclear rDNA <i>internal transcribed spacer 1</i> (<i>ITS1</i>) sequences revealed that genetic diversity is very low across the large geographic range of this species. Microevolutionary processes in populations of trematodes may well be influenced by their peculiar biology. Nevertheless, we suggest that lack of population genetics structure observed in <i>O. felineus</i> can be primarily explained by the Pleistocene glacial events and subsequent sudden population growth from a very limited group of founders. Rapid range expansion of <i>O. felineus</i> through Asian and European territories after severe bottleneck points to a high dispersal potential of this trematode species.</p></div

Geographical localities where the specimens were collected.

<p>Lettered names of collection sites correspond to those in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0062453#pone-0062453-t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>.</p

Pairwise fixation indices (Fst values) between <i>O. felineus</i> populations calculated from the nucleotide datasets for c<i>ox1</i>/<i>cox3</i>/<i>ITS1</i>.

*<p>- p<0.05,</p>**<p>- 0.1>p>0.05.</p

The statistical parsimony networks of <i>cox1, ITS1</i> and <i>cox3</i> haplotypes.

<p>The sizes of haplotypes are proportional to the number of samples. Small black circles indicate un-sampled or extinct haplotypes.</p

Mismatch distribution curve for <i>O. felineus</i> haplotypes.

<p>Expected values under expanding population model and observed values are shown as solid green and dashed red lines, respectively (r – ruggedness index).</p

Diversity indices calculated from the nucleotide data sets for <i>cox1</i>, <i>cox3</i> and <i>ITS1</i>.

<p>Abbreviations are number of isolates examined (N), segregating sites (S), number of haplotypes (H), haplotype diversity (Hd) and nucleotide diversity (π).</p>*<p>- p<0.05.</p

Neutrality indices calculated from the nucleotide datasets for <i>cox1</i>, <i>cox3</i> and <i>ITS1</i>.

*<p>- p<0.05.</p