Abdullah Inci

Eimeria stiedae: Experimental infection in rabbits and the effect of treatment with toltrazuril and ivermectin

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical, haematological, biochemical, lipid peroxidation, ultrasonographic and pathologic findings in hepatic coccidiosis induced by Eimeria stiedae in rabbits, and also to compare the treatment effects of both toltrazuril and ivermectin separately and in combination. In this study, 56 rabbits were divided into eight groups. The first group was designated as healthy control group. Rabbits were infected with 40.000 sporulated oocysts of E. stiedae. Groups 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 were allocated as the infected control group, infected+toltrazuril-treated group, infected+ivermectin-treated group, infected+toltrazuril+ivermectin-treated group, non-infected+toltrazuril-treated group, non-infected+ivermectin-treated group, non-infected+toltrazuril+ivermectin-treated group, respectively. Haematocrit, Haemoglobin and MCV values as well as percentage of lymphocyte decreased in Groups 2 and 4 whereas leucocyte counts and percentage of granulocyte leucocyte increased. Serum GGT, ALT and AST activities increased but albumin value decreased. Plasma MDA concentrations increased whereas erythrocyte CAT, GSH-Px, and SOD activities decreased. Mean oocyst numbers in per gram faeces (epg values) increased in both groups during the study. Ultrasonographic examination revealed that the liver was enlarged and had hyperechogenic parenchyma. Bile ducts were dilated and hyperechogenic and the gall bladder was dilated. The livers of these animals were enlarged and typical macroscopic and microscopic findings of coccidiosis were present. Treatment with toltrazuril and toltrazuril+ivermectin combination were highly effective in reducing faecal oocyst output in infected rabbits. Haematological, biochemical and lipid peroxidation parameters and, ultrasonographic findings of the liver were close to control values for Groups 3 and 5. Necropsy of these animals showed no visible lesions related to hepatic coccidiosis although a few oocysts were detected in the bile duct epithelial cells.

Detection and molecular characterization of avian Plasmodium from mosquitoes in central Turkey

Assessing vector-parasite relationship is important in understanding the emergence of vector-borne diseases and the evolution of parasite diversity. This study investigates avian Plasmodium parasites in mosquitoes collected from Kayseri province in Central Anatolian, Turkey and determines the haemosporidian parasite lineages from these mosquito species. A total of 6153 female mosquitos from 6 species were collected from 46 sites during June-August of 2008 and 2009. Each mosquitos head-thorax and abdomen were separated, categorized with respect to species and collection area and pooled for DNA extraction. A total of 1198 genomic DNA pools (599 thorax-head, 599 abdomen) were constituted of which 128 pools (59 thorax-head, 69 abdomen) were positive for avian haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) by Nested-PCR analysis. Culex pipens, Aedes vexans, Culex theileri and Culiseta annulata were positive with minimum infection rates (MIRs) of 16.22 and 18.15, 4.72 and 5.98, 5.18 and 10.36, 10.64 and 10.64 in their thorax-head and abdomen parts, respectively. No avian haemosporidian DNA was detected from Culex hortensis and Anopheles maculipennis. Phylogenetic analyses of the partial cytb gene of avian haemosporidian mt-DNA from 13 positive pools revealed that 11 lineages in four phylogenic groups were Plasmodium and the other two were Haemoproteus. Our results suggest that Cx. pipiens could probably be the major vector of avian Plasmodium in Central Turkey. This is the first report of molecular detection and characterization of avian Plasmodium lineages from mosquitoes in Turkey.

Prevalence and molecular characterization of bovine coenurosis from Eastern Anatolian region of Turkey

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and molecular characteristics of Coenurus cerebralis, the metacestode of Taenia multiceps in cattle from Erzurum province located in eastern region of Turkey between November 2009 and April 2010. Five of 1045 brains of cattle (0.47%) were found to be infected with Coenurus cysts. The characteristics and morphology of C. cerebralis were seen in all the cysts. The cyts from three infected cattle were genetically analyzed and confirmed to be T. multiceps metacestodes by NAD1 and COX1 mitochondrial gene sequence analysis. Pairwise comparison between the NAD1 sequences of the T. multiceps isolates from Erzurum and other T. multiceps isolates available in GenBank showed differences ranging from 0.6 to 2.9%, while COX1 sequences showed differences ranging from 0.2 to 2.6%. Considering the two genes, it was seen that all of the three isolates from Erzurum province were in the same group according to phylogenetic analyses. The present findings could provide a stimulus for future studies on the systematic relationships and epidemiology of lesser-known taeniid cestodes in the region, employing mitochondrial sequence data sets.

Aedes vexans and Culex pipiens as the potential vectors of Dirofilaria immitis in Central Turkey.

This study was carried out to investigate the potential vectors and relative mosquito infection rates of Dirofilaria immitis throughout two mosquito seasons (2008-2009) in Kayseri province where is located in Central Anatolian part of Turkey. For this aim, totally 1198 genomic DNA pools, extracted and grouped according to the species and collection site (1-17 specimens/pool) from 6153 mosquito specimens, were examined by PCR using species-specific primers for D. immitis. The captured mosquitoes from 46 focuses were survived under in vitro conditions for 7 days to allow the development of larval stages of D. immitis. DNA extraction was performed individually to both thorax-head and abdomens in order to determine infective and infected mosquito specimens, respectively. The most abundant mosquito species in the study area was determined as Ae. vexans (51.7%) and this was followed by Cx. pipiens (42.1%), Cx. theileri (3.1%), Cs. annulata (1.5%), An. maculipennis (1.0%) and Cx. hortensis (0.6%). The PCR results indicated that 9/312 and 12/312 pools from Ae. vexans abdomens and thorax-heads were positive for filarial DNAs, respectively where as 3/241 pools of each abdomens and thorax-heads from Cx. pipiens were positive for D. immitis DNAs. The minimum infection rates (MIRs) for Ae. vexans and Cx. pipiens were calculated as 0.41 and 0.12, respectively. Although D. immitis DNAs were found in both pools from Ae. vexans and Cx. pipiens, the calculated MIRs provide evidence that Ae. vexans could be the main potential vector of D. immitis in Kayseri.

A comparison of susceptibilities to infection of four species of Hyalomma ticks with Theileria annulata.

In this comparative study unfed nymphs of four Hyalomma tick species (Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum, Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum, Hyalomma detritum and Hyalomma marginatum marginatum) were allowed to engorge on calves experimentally infected with Theileria annulata. The infection prevalence in the salivary glands of the adult female and male ticks of each Hyalomma species used in the study were assessed. The infection prevalence with T. annulata was high and did not vary markedly in the four Hyalomma tick species. The mean number of infected acini per tick in female and male ticks was different with female ticks having higher numbers of infected acini than the male ticks. The sex difference was more significant between H.a. anatolicum and H.a. excavatum than between H. detritum and H.m. marginatum. This study clarifies the roles of four Hyalomma tick species, and their sex, in the development of T. annulata.

Status of tick infestation of cattle in the Kayseri region of Turkey

This study was carried out to determine the status of tick infestation of cattle in the Kayseri region in Turkey. Eight hundred and sixty-six cattle and their barns in 12 localities were examined during the period of June 2000–November 2001, where 188 (21.7%) of which were infested by ticks. A total of 1,585 ticks consisting of Rhipicephalus turanicus (2.27%), R. bursa (2.14%), R. sanguineus (0.94%), Hyalomma marginatum (17.16%), H. anatolicum excavatum (24.73%), H. a. anatolicum (19.62%), Dermacentor niveus (1%), Boophilus annulatus (16.71%), Ornithodorus lahorensis (0.25%), Hyalomma sp. nymphs (7.31%), and Boophilus annulatus nymphs (7.82%) were collected. Seasonal fluctuation of ticks was also determined in this region. Rhipicephalus species were generally found in spring, others like Hyalomma in late spring, summer, and early autumn, B. annulatus in September, October, and December, D. niveus in December, January, and February, and O. lahorensis in December. Immature forms (nymphs) of Hyalomma species were found in summer and autumn, while B. annulatus nymphs were observed in October, November, and December.

Current knowledge of Turkey's louse fauna.

The current knowledge on the louse fauna of birds and mammals in Turkey has not yet been completed. Up to the present, a total of 109 species belonging to 50 genera of lice have been recorded from animals and humans, according to the morphological identification. Among the avian lice, a total of 43 species belonging to 22 genera were identified in Ischnocera (Philopteridae). 35 species belonging to 14 genera in Menoponidae were detected and only 1 species was found in Laemobothriidae in Amblycera. Among the mammalian lice, a total of 20 species belonging to 8 genera were identified in Anoplura. 8 species belonging to 3 genera in Ischnocera were determined and 2 species belonging to 2 genera were detected in Amblycera in the mammalian lice.

Tick-Borne Diseases in Turkey: A Review Based on One Health Perspective.

The importance of tick-borne diseases is increasing all over the world, including Turkey. Global warming, environmental and ecological changes and the existence of suitable habitats increase the impact of ticks and result in frequent emergence or re-emergence of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) with zoonotic characteristics. In Turkey, almost 19 TBDs have been reported in animals and men, involving four protozoa (babesiosis, theileriosis, cytauxzoonosis, hepatozoonosis), one filarial nematode (acanthocheilonemasis), ten bacterial agents (anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, aegyptianellosis, tick-borne typhus, Candidatus Rickettsia vini, Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne relapsing fever [TBRF], tularaemia, bartonellosis, and hemoplasmosis), and four viral infections (tick-borne encephalitis [TBE], Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever [CCHF], louping-ill [LI], and lumpy skin disease [LSD]). The growing number of TBD cases, in particular the fatal viral epidemics in humans, have led to increased public awareness and concern against TBDs in recent years. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a new political concept, called the “One Health” initiative, which is especially relevant for developing strategies against tick infestations and TBD control in humans and animals. It would be beneficial for Turkey to adopt this new strategy and establish specific research and control programs in coordination with international organizations like WHO, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to combat TBDs based on the “One Health Initiative” concept. In this article, we review the occurrence of primary TBDs in man and animals in Turkey in light of the “One Health” perspective.

Molecular Investigation of Francisella-Like Endosymbiont in Ticks and Francisella tularensis in Ixodid Ticks and Mosquitoes in Turkey

This study was carried out to investigate the molecular prevalence of Francisella-like endosymbionts (FLEs) and Francisella tularensis in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and mosquitoes in Turkey. Genomic DNA pools were constructed from a total of 1477 adult hard ticks of Rhipicephalus (Rh.) annulatus, Rh. turanicus, Rh. sanguineus, Rh. bursa, Haemaphysalis (Hae.) parva, Hae. sulcata, Hyalomma marginatum marginatum, H. anatolicum anatolicum, H. anatolicum excavatum, H. detritum detritum, H. dromedarii, Dermacentor marginatus, and Ixodes ricinus species, which were collected from several barns, cattle, and people. Genomic DNA was also extracted from pools consisting of 6203 adult female mosquito species belonging to Aedes vexans, Culex (Cx.) pipiens, Cx. hortensis, Cx. theileri, Culiseta annulata, and Anopheles maculipennis species. Conventional PCR and TaqMan probe-based real- time PCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene for FLEs and the lpnA gene for F. tularensis, respectively, were performed on the DNA isolates obtained. FLEs and F. tularensis were not found in any genomic DNA pools constructed from ixodid ticks and mosquitos. This study represents the first investigation of F. tularensis and FLEs in potential vector ticks and mosquitoes by molecular methods in Turkey. The present study provides useful insights into the molecular epidemiology of F. tularensis and FLEs. One of the major conclusions of the study is that tularemia outbreaks may be essentially due to direct transmission from the environment (especially from water) in Turkey and not to vector-borne transmission.

[Economic losses during an outbreak of Simulium (Wilhelmia) species (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the Cappadocia region of Turkey].

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to calculate the economic losses during an outbreak of Simulium (Wilhelmia) spp. in the Cappadocia Region of Turkey. METHODS The economic costs associated with a 2006-2007 outbreak of Simulium (Wilhelmia) spp. in the Cappadocia region of Turkey were calculated by summing losses to the livestock (dairy) industry and tourism (hotels), plus ongoing control expenditures. RESULTS More than 2.000.000 domestic and foreign tourists, 60.000 animals, and the local population were disturbed by the flies. Tourism was the most affected sector from the Simulium outbreak. CONCLUSION The calculated cost of the outbreak according to 2013 prices was 10.626.966 TL (US