Biological properties and molecular and genetic characteristics of plague microbe strains circulating in sandy natural plague foci of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Abstract

Since 2010, an active course of epizootics with the release of the plague pathogen, isolated from hosts and vectors has been established in 8 autonomous foci of the plague from 14 autonomous foci of the Central Asian plague focus in Kazakhstan. It was necessary to take into account the parameters of variability of the main component of the parasitic system – the plague microbe in the process of certification of landscape and epizootological zoning of natural foci of plague in Kazakhstan. The aim of the work was to study the phenotypic and genetic properties of strains of the plague microbe isolated in natural sandy plague foci of Kazakhstan. Materials and methods. The work used 1196 strains of Yersinia pestis isolated over the past 10 years (2010–2019) from natural sandy plague foci, strain passports, literature sources, data on certification of plague foci in Kazakhstan. The study of the strains was carried out by bacteriological, serological and molecular genetic methods. Results. Certification and typification of the territories of sandy plague foci were carried out, taking into account the phenotypic and molecular-genetic properties of Y. pestis strains isolated from 12 autonomous foci of the Central Asian plague focus of Kazakhstan in 2010–2019. According to the results of the study, 84 atypical strains were identified. As a result of the analysis, 18 genotypes were identified among the studied strains, of which 13 (72.2%) were unique and did not repeat in the sample. The remaining 5 genotypes formed 5 clusters, combining 20 strains (60.6%) and all strains were phylogenetically assigned to representatives of the Mediaevalis biovar. Key words: plague microbe, plague foci, phenotypic features, molecular genetic features

Distribution structure of the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus Licht, 1823) in the western part of the Betpakdala desert of Kazakhstan: biotransformation of arid lands

“…It should be noted that in recent decades, there have been significant global climate changes. They affect not only the atmosphere but also the biosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere and have a noticeable impact on many aspects of human life (South Kazakhstan Region Development Program for 2016-2020. In accordance with the linear trend of air temperature anomalies (against the base period of , indicating a steady increase in air temperature in Kazakhstan from 1941 to 2015, global climate change caused changes in the biosphere of the planet as a whole (IPCC, 2015).…”

“…Betpakdala produces coal, gypsum, uranium, lead and iron ores, quartzites, salt, rock crystals, marble, etc. (Zhambyl Region Development Program for 2011-2015, Kyzylorda Region Development Program for 2011-2015, 2013, Sarkytkan and Isabekov, 2014, South Kazakhstan Region Development Program for 2016-2020.…”

“…In the eastern part of the focus are enterprises for the extraction of barite, asbestos, marble, gold, etc. All these settlements are in close proximity to colonies of great and red-tailed gerbils (Zhambyl Region Development Program for 2011-2015, Kyzylorda Region Development Program for 2011-2015, 2013, Sarkytkan and Isabekov, 2014, South Kazakhstan Region Development Program for 2016-2020.…”

“…The main negative impacts of climate change with an assessment of the probability of their manifestation according to the Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC were as follows: changes in hydrological systems affecting water resources in terms of their quantity and quality (medium confidence) are observed; many terrestrial, freshwater and marine species have changed their geographical ranges, seasonal activity, migration patterns, abundance and interaction with other species (high degree of reliability), etc. (South Kazakhstan Region Development Program for 2016-2020, IPCC, 2015. As a result, the gradual development of rodents of the northern borders, to a greater extent, by the great gerbil, continues not only in the Betpakdalinsky autonomous plague foci of Kazakhstan but also in two other border autonomous plague foci, such as Aryskum-Dariyalyktakyrsky and Balkhashsky.…”

“…As a result of a comprehensive analysis of the results obtained by specialists of our scientific center (Atshabar et al, 2021, Lowell et al, 2007, Abdrasilova et al, 2019, Abdel et al, 2020, Meka-Mechenko et al, 2022 and during their own molecular genetic studies, including genome-wide sequencing of Y. pestis strains circulating in the autonomous plague center of Betpakdal in Kazakhstan according to the phylogenetic branch of the strain Yersinia pestis, they were assigned to the Medieval 2. MED1 biovar.…”