The Prevalence of Viral Pathogens among Bats in Kazakhstan.

Bats carry thousands of viruses from 28 different families. To determine the presence of various pathogens in bat populations in Kazakhstan, 1149 samples (393 oropharyngeal swabs, 349 brain samples, 407 guano) were collected. The samples were collected from four species of bats (Vespertilio murinus, Nyctalus noctula, Myotis blythii, Eptesicus serotinus) in nine regions. The Coronavirus RNA was found in 38 (4.75%) samples, and the rabies virus in 27 (7.74%) samples from bats. Coronaviruses and the rabies virus were found in bats in six out of nine studied areas. The RNAs of SARS-CoV-2, MERS, TBE, CCHF, WNF, influenza A viruses were not detected in the bat samples. The phylogeny of the RdRp gene of 12 samples made it possible to classify them as alphacoronaviruses and divide them into two groups. The main group (n = 11) was closely related to bat coronaviruses from Ghana, Zimbabwe and Kenya. The second group (n = 1) was closely related to viruses previously isolated in the south of Kazakhstan. The phylogeny of the N gene sequence from a bat from west Kazakhstan revealed its close relationship with isolates from the Cosmopolitan group of rabies viruses (Central Asia). These results highlight the need for a continuous monitoring of volatile populations to improve the surveillance and detection of infectious diseases.

The Prevalence of Pathogens among Ticks Collected from Livestock in Kazakhstan.

Ticks carry and transmit a wide variety of pathogens (bacteria, viruses and protozoa) that pose a threat to humans and animals worldwide. The purpose of this work was to study ticks collected in different regions of Kazakhstan for the carriage of various pathogens. The collected ticks were examined by PCR for the carriage of various pathogens. A total of 3341 tick samples parasitizing three animal species (cattle, sheep and horses) were collected at eight regions of Kazakhstan. Eight tick species were found infesting animals: Dermacentor marginatus (28.08%), Hyalomma asiaticum (21.28%), Hyalomma anatolicum (17.18%), Dermacentor reticulatus (2.01%), Ixodes ricinus (3.35%), Ixodes persulcatus (0.33%), Hyalomma scupense (12.87%) and Hyalomma marginatum (14.90%). Ticks collected from livestock animals were examined for the pathogen spectrum of transmissible infections to determine the degree of their infection. Four pathogen DNAs (lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), Coxiella burnetti, Teileria annulata, and Babesia caballi) were detected by PCR in Dermacentor marginatus, Hyalomma asiaticum, Hyalomma scupense, Hyalomma anatolicum. The infection of ticks Dermacentor marginatus and Hyalomma asiaticum collected on cattle in the West Kazakhstan region with LSDV was 14.28% and 5.71%, respectively. Coxiella burnetti was found in the ticks Dermacentor marginatus (31.91%) in the Turkestan region and Hyalomma anatolicum (52.63%) in the Zhambyl region. Theileria annulata was found in ticks Hyalomma scupense (7.32%) and Dermacentor marginatus (6.10%) from cattle in the Turkestan region. Babesia caballi was isolated only from the species Hyalomma scupense (17.14%) in the Turkestan region. There were no PCR-positive tick samples collected from sheep. RNA/DNAs of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), African swine fever virus (ASFV), Hantavirus hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), and chlamydia pathogens were not found in ticks. The new data give a better understanding of the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens and the possibility of the emergence of tick-borne animal diseases in Kazakhstan.

Evidence for flock transmission of individual subtypes and strains of avian influenza viruses: A monitoring study of wild birds in Kazakhstan.

An active surveillance study of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in wild birds was carried out in Kazakhstan in 2018-2019. In total, 866 samples were collected from wild birds and analyzed for influenza viruses using molecular and virological tests. Genome segments of Asian, European, and Australian lineages were detected in 25 (4.6%) out of 541 waterfowl samples positive for subtype H3N8, and in two (0.6%) out of 325 H3N8 positive samples from terrestrial birds. No highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (AIV) was detected. The results indicated transmission of closely related strains or identical subtypes of AIVs by a flock-unit of migratory birds or annual cyclical pattern of subtype dominance. The simultaneous circulation of genome segments of the Asian, European and Australian genetic lineages of H3N8 AIVs in wild birds in Kazakhstan indicated the important role of Central Asia as a transmission hub of AI viruses linking the East Asian migratory flyways with European flyways and vice versa.