[(THE IMPACT OF MIGRATION PROCESSES ON- BIOSAFETY AND HUMAN HEALTH)].

Infectious diseases are one of the serious threats to biosafety in modern society In recent years, there have been con- siderably increased international migrations: tourism and pilgrimage; labor migration flows; migration of refugees and settlers in times of armed conflicts, household migrations because of family ties and traditions. Since the number of Rus- sian tourists and migrants from endemic countries remains high, these contingents should receive special attention in the malaria epidemiological surveillance system. The paper discusses the risks of possible consequences of population migra- tions and prevention measures.

INVESTIGATION OF VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS FOCI IN THE DARVAZ AND PENJIKENT DISTRICTS OF TAJIKISTAN: SEROEPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND SEROEPIZOOTOLOGICAL STUDIES.

A total of 1963 dwellers and 779 dogs from the Penjikent and Darvz districts of the Republic of Tajikistan were examined for antibodies to the pathogen of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), by using the rk39 rapid diagnostic test. Mainly children less than14 years and persons over 14 years of age with signs of VL were selected as an examined contingent. There were 35 and 9 persons who were found to have antibodies to the VL pathogen among the examinees in the Penjikent and Darvaz districts, respectively The examination of infants during the first years of life, whose immune system can be defenseless against leishmaniasis, yielded the largest number (more than 90%) of positive results. Among 330 examined domestic and stray dogs in the human settlements of the Penjikent district, 1 (0.3%) domestic dog and 11 (3.3%) stray dogs showed positive results. In the human settlements of the Darvaz district, the latter were also found in 38 (13.3%) of 286 examined domestic dogs and 6 (12.5%) of 48 stray ones. The detection of anti-bodies to the VL pathogen among the dogs in the human settlements of the above districts should be considered as a confirmation of the synanthropicity of VL foci.

SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL STUDIES OF MALARIA IN THE CIS COUNTRIES AND GEORGIA.

The paper presents the scientific studies of malaria pathogens and vectors, which have been specially conducted in the endemic areas of the CIS countries and Georgia for use in an epidemiological surveillance system. The main ones investigate the structure of malaria foci and the level of G-6-PD deficiency among residents, determine the malariogenic potential. of the territory and the risk of infection in the population, and specify the taxonomy, systematics, and spread of major malaria vectors in .the countries ofWHO European Region. In addition, the time and magnitude of manifestations of long-term post-incubation tertian malaria were established; th6 susceptibility of P.vivax to antimalarials and the levels of resistance and irritability of malaria vectors to insecticides were studied. The experience in using a geographic information system for the epidemiological surveillance of malaria is given.

[MOSQUITOES (DIPTERA, PSYCHODIDAE, PHLEBOTOMINAE) IN CENTRAL ASIA: SPECIES COMPOSITION AND SPREAD].

Based on the data available in the literature and the results of their investigations, the authors analyzed the spread of mosquitoes in Central Asia (Kazikhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan). It has been established that there are 27 mosquito species: P. papatasii, P. sergenti, P. caucasicus, P. mongolensis, P. andrejevi, P. alexandri, P. nuri, P. kandelakii, P. keshishiani, P. smirnovi, P. notus, P. wenioni, P. 1ongiductus, P. tuianicus, P. rupester, P. angustus, P. halepensis, P. zufagarensis, S. murgaitensis, S. dentata, S. pawlowsil, S. ciyda, S. pakistanica, S. sogdiana, S. sumbarica, S. grekovi, and G. dreyfussi turkestanica in this region. Five species of them (P. papatasii, P. sergenti, P. smirnovi, P. longiductus, and P. turanicus) are of medical importance. Maps of the spread of the species of medical importance have been compiled. Entomological observations should be made in individual areas of this region due to climate changes in the environment and to man-made interventions.

[Achievement of the elimination of tropical malaria in The Republic of Tajikistan].

To achieve the elimination of tropical malaria, Tajikistan divided its territory into districts in terms of the malariogenic potential (receptivity + vulnerability) and identified priority regions to be exposed, determined the population's fever background and the required personnel, equipment, and reagents for parasitological examinations, and compiled an inventory of malaria foci. The investigators tested a new (artesunate + sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine) treatment regimen in patients with tropical malaria and in parasite carriers and established active detection of malaria cases through homestead rounds and population examinations. The packages of antimalarial measures were improved, by annually evaluating their efficiency in accordance with the monitoring and estimation indicators.

[Spread of tropical malaria in the Republic of Tajikistan (1994-2008)].

Tropical malaria occurred in the Republic of Tajikistan in 1994 after 40-year absence and spread in 28 regions of Tajikistan and in 3 cities (Dushanbe, Kulyab, and Kurgan-Tyube), peaking in 2000 (831 cases). A total of 3585 cases of tropical malaria were notified in 602 foci during a 15-year period. Migrants imported the pathogenic agent by the route of Pakistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan during armed conflicts and in trading activities continually.The emergence of Asian Plasmodium falciparum phenotypes was accompanied by the clinical complications of the disease: the high percentage of moderate and severe forms of the disease was observed in preschool children in the absence of fatal outcomes. The rising incidence of malaria was associated with not only with the intensive import of the infection and the flight of infected malaria mosquitoes, but also with the active examination of the population during homestead rounds and with the timely laboratory diagnosis of malaria pathogens. The long-term goal antimalarial measures in the Republic of Tajikistan in 2009 resulted in the pause in the local transmission of tropical malaria, which meant its elimination in the country.

[The specific features of the epidemiology of tertian (Plasmodium vivax) malaria in the Republic of Tajikistan].

The specific features of the functioning of parasitic systems of tertian malaria were found in the elimination period when the number of foci and patients were drastically reduced. Despite the sporadic cases of tertian malaria, in 2009-2012 each of the 9 areas of the Kurgan Tyubin zone, Khatlon Region notified 12 of the 43 active foci with single manifestations of malaria after a long incubation period in the following spring or March-April a year later. The results of these investigations should be borne in mind when planning and implementing antimalarial measures.

[Malaria mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae, Anopheles) of North Tajikistan, their ecology, and role in the transmission of malaria pathogens].

Five species of malaria mosquitoes: An. artemievi, An. claviger, An. hyrcanus, An. superpictus, and An. pulcherrimus were found in North Tajikistan in 2006 - 2007. Species affiliation was identified according to the morphological signs of their larvae and imagoes, and by using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. There was a larger number of An. hyrcanus (34%), An. artemievi (29%), and An. pulcherrimus (24%) and a smaller number of An. superpictus (11%); and An. claviger was few (2%). The hatching sites of the above species and the preferred types of their day refuges were found. The intensity of attack of different Anopheles species on humans and animals was studied. Among the North Tajikistan malaria mosquitoes, An. pulcherrimus and An. superpictus are of the greatest epidemiological importance as vehicles for transmission of malaria pathogens. An. artemievi and An. hyrcanus are minor vehicles. At present, An. claviger is of no epidemiological significance in transmitting malaria in North Tajikistan.

[The fauna of bloodsucking mosquitoes of Tadjikistan and their implication in the transmission of malaria].

At present, the fauna of bloodsucking Culicidae and Anopheles mosquitoes in Tadjikistan amounts to 27 and 9 species, respectively. The primary vectors in this country are An. superpictus and An. pulcherrimus and the secondary ones are An. claviger and An. hyrcanus. Among them, the predominant species An. superpictus and An. hyrcanus are in the country and An. artemievi and An. hyrcanus and in North Tadjikistan. The role of An. artemievi in the transmission of malaria requires further study.

[The current malaria situation in Tadjikistan].

Malaria-controlling measures and the population's chemoprevention in the intensive foci caused a drastic morbidity reduction in the republic, by showing a 1.5-fold decrease in the number of malaria cases in 2005 as compared with the previous year (2309 versus 3577). Malaria patients are notified in the republic throughout the year, but infection transmission occurs in June to October. Eleven species ofAnopheles mosquitoes have been currently known in Tadjikistan; only three of them (An. superpictus, An. pulcherrimus, and An. maculipennis) are effective vectors. Malaria mostly affects the Khatlon Region (a total of 2039 cases, including 76 cases of tropic malaria) that is a valley-desert landscape in the south of Tadjikistan. In the 2006 spring, mass preventive treatment with primaquine was performed in 10 districts of the Khatlon Region, covering 98694 persons. In August 2006, the houses were treated with the insecticides Alfacipermetrine and Triton in 34 towns and districts of the republic; 25145 permetrine-impregnated bed curtains were distributed in 7 districts to protect the population from mosquito bites. In 8 districts, topminnows (Gambusia) were let into the Anopheles mosquito-rich water reservoirs and rice-growing fields with a total area of 680 ha.

[The bloodsucking mosquitoes (Culicidae) of North Afghanistan].

Up to date, the fauna of bloodsucking mosquitoes in North Afghanistan remains to be almost unstudied so far. To the known mosquito species (Anopheles pulcherrimus, An. algeriensis, An. hyrcanus, An. claviger, An. habibi, and An. superpictus), the author added two more species Culex pipiens and Aedes caspius caught during field trials in the localities of the Kunduz Province of the Islamic republic of Afghanistan in April 2005.

[Supplement to the list of Anopheles (Diptera, Culicidae) mosquitoes of Tadjikistan and the predominant types of vectors in the current foci of malaria in the republic]. / Dopolnenie k spisku komarov roda Anopheles (Diptera, Culicidae) Tadzhikistana i dominiruiushchie vidy perenoschikov v sovremennykh ochagakh malarii v respublike.

The species composition of and the indices of predominance of Anopheles mosquitoes were determined in the current foci of malaria in the Republic of Tadjikistan. The predominant types of malaria mosquitoes were An. superpictus, An. pulcherrimus, and An. hypcanus were found to be in the Khatlon Region of Tadjikistan and in the contiguous areas of Uzbekistan. An. superpictus prevailed in the study foci of malaria and, as An. pulcherrimus, were the most dangerous vectors of malaria in the south of the republic. The main vectors of malaria were shown to be An. maculipennis sensu stricto and An. superpictus in the environs of the town of Khudjand, Sogdi Region (Tadjikistan). An. maculipennis was first recorded for Tadjikistan and should be included into the list of malaria mosquitoes of the republic. It is suggested that An. pulcherrimus plays an important role in the spread of malaria in the north of Tadjikistan.