[Hyalomma marginatum Koch in Stavropol' region]. / K izucheniiu Hyalomma marginatum Koch v Stavropol'skom krae.

Ixodes ticks of the species Hyalomma marginatum are widely spread in the semidesert and steppe landscape zones of the Stavropol Territory. The circle of the main hosts for the larvae and nymphs of these ticks includes many species of wild and domestic birds, European brown hare, four-toed and eared hedgehogs. Rodents are of no great importance for ticks as a feeding source. Adult ticks parasitize on agricultural animals, domestic dogs and attack humans. The prospects of further studies of the way of life this tick in connection with its importance for infectious pathology are discussed.

[Epidemiological situation on tularemia in the regions of Stavropol Territory affected by flood]. / Epidemiologicheskaia situatsiia po tuliaremii v raionakh Stavropol'skogo Kraia, podvergshikhsia navodneniiu.

The data obtained in the analysis of the epidemiological situation in tularemia in the zone of inundation in the Stavropol Territory in 2002 are presented. The current systematic epidemiological surveillance, as well as the data of urgent epizootological and epidemiological survey in the zone of inundation permitted the objective prognostication of the situation in tularemia and formed the basis for the rational planning and realization of prophylactic measures.

[Role of some wild birds and mammals in the natural foci of Crimean haemorrhagic fever in Stavropol' region]. / Rol' nekotorykh dikikh ptits i mlekopitaiushchikh v prirodnoi ochagovosti krymskoi gemorragicheskoi likhoradki v Stavropol'skom krae.

The results of the study on the role of some wild mammals and birds as feeding sources of for ticks Hyalomma marginatum, the main vectors of Crimean haemorrhagic fever virus in the Stavropol Territory, in the preimago phases of their development are presented. These phases (larvae and nymphs) were found on rooks, hooded crows, partridges, European brown hares and eared hedgehogs. The examination of domestic fowl resulted in finding larvae and nymphs in small amounts on turkeys. According to the data of the epizootological survey carried out in summer and autumn of 2000 in the Stavropol Territory, rooks and, to a lesser extent, hares were found to be the main feeding sources for ticks in the preimago phases. Rodents seemed to be of minimal importance as feeding sources under the conditions of the Stavropol Territory. Of all animals, rooks must be the main object in the epizootological survey of the territory.

[Gene typing of infectious tularemia strains isolated from the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories]. / Genotipirovanie shtammov vozbutelia tuliaremii, vydelennykh na territoriiakh Stavropol'skogo i Krasnodarskogo Kraev.

The typing of F. tularensis strains by four variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) loci has been carried out. Among the strains isolated in the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories seven genotypes have been detected and their spread in different natural foci has been analyzed. The data thus obtained suggest that the VNTR analysis may become an important instrument for studying the structure of the natural foci of tularemia and evolutionary relationships between individual areas of these foci.

[Comparative characterization of Vibrio cholerae O1, isolated from surface water reservoirs in Grozny in 1995 and 2000]. / Sravnitel'naia kharakteristika shtammov Vibrio cholerae O1, vydelennykh iz poverkhnostnykh vodoemov g. Groznyi v 1995 g. i 2000 g.

The results of complete identification revealed the phenotypical similarity of V. cholerae strains isolated from surface water reservoirs im Grozny in 1995 and 2000. The strains under study proved to be atoxigenic, hemolysis-positive and phage resistant. The modified method of subculturing from peptone water 1 to peptone water 2 was more labor-consuming, but it was used in the bacteriological laboratory of the specialized antiepidemic brigade with the aim of more profound study of open reservoirs for the presence of V. cholerae with the positive result.

[Outbreak of tularemia in the Republic of Dagestan]. / Vspyshka tuliaremii v Respublike Dagestan.

In Daghestan in the focus of the flood-plain swamp type 64 persons fell ill with tularemia in 1999. During the epizootological survey 8 Francisella tularensis strains were isolated from vectors and carriers and in 7 samples taken from open water reservoirs, as well as in 1 sample obtained from Ixodes ticks, tularemia antigen was detected. Humans were infected mainly by the transmissive route, as found in 71.8% of patients. 28% of patients were infected through contacts. The disease took mainly a mild course, registered in 95.6% of patients. The disease affected those persons who had not been immunized against tularemia.

[On sanitary and epidemic situation in the Republic of Ingushetia]. / O sanitarno-épidemiologicheskoi obstanovke v Respublike Ingushetiia.

Information on the recent sanitary and epidemiological situation in the Republic of Ingushetia is presented. In some years an almost twofold growth in the number of population was registered in the republic due to the mass influx of temporarily displaced persons. Such factors as excessive population density, the absence of conditions for the observation of elementary sanitary and hygienic norms, malnutrition, complications with the supply of drinking water meeting sanitary norms contribute to the possibility of epidemic complications. The data on the state of water supply and sewage in populated localities and on the state of morbidity in infectious diseases are presented. By the year 2000 the aggravation of the epidemiological situation in viral hepatitis A and tuberculosis took place. Morbidity in acute enteric infections somewhat increased. There is the danger of the appearance of some infections from the natural foci.

[Epizootic significance of white-toothed shrews in the natural focus of steppe type tularemia in the Stavropol' region]. / Epizooticheskoe znachenie zemleroek belozubok v prirodnom ochage tuliaremii stepnogo tipa v Stavropol'skom krae.

The observations indicate that anthropogenic activities cause structural changes with time among tularemia pathogen carriers in the microfocus. The epizootic and epidemic values of animal species, such as dwarf hamsters and house mice, decrease while those of insect-eating animals, namely white-toothed shrews that refer to Group II increase, in terms of tularemia infection susceptibility. In white-toothed shrews, tularemia infection rates are 4-6-times greater than those in other small mammals that refer to Group I.