Bilge Karatepe

Investigation of seroprevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in horses in Nigde province, Turkey.

The prevalence of equine piroplasmosis caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in Nigde, in central Anatolia, Turkey has remained unknown. Serum samples were obtained from a total of 125 horses and were tested for antibodies to T. equi and B. caballi using the Indirect Fluorescence Antibody Test (IFAT). Twenty-three (18.4%) horses were seropositive for equine piroplasmosis. Anti-T. equi was observed in 16 horses (12.8%) while anti-B. caballi was detected in 12 horses (9.6%). In addition, 5 serum samples were positive for both parasites. The prevalence rates of antibodies to T. equi and B. caballi for female and male horses were statistically indifferent (p = 0.19 and 0.90). The difference between the seropositivity rates to T. equi among age groups was statistically insignificant (p = 0.44) while the difference to B. caballi among age groups is statistically significant (p = 0.01). Seropositivity rates ranged from 2.9% to 25.7% for T. equi and 2.9% to 14.3% for B. caballi from the selected districts in Nigde. A statistically significant difference on seropositivity rates for the study sites was observed for only T.equi (p = 0.03). This study indicates that T. equi is higher than B. caballi in Nigde.

Effects of queen ages on Varroa (Varroa destructor) infestation level in honey bee (Apis mellifera caucasica) colonies and colony performance

Abstract This study was conducted to determine the effects of queen age on varroa population levels in hives and performance of honey bee (A. mellifera caucasica) colonies. Levels of varroa infestation and performances of the colonies which had 0, 1- and 2-year-old queens were compared in mild climate conditions. Varroa numbers on adults and drone brood, number of frames covered with bees and brood areas were determined every month between 10 May and 10 October 2004. Overall average (± S.E.) % infestation levels of varroa were found to be 5.96 ± 1.42, 11.58 ± 1.46 and 15.87 ± 1.39% on adult bees and 21.55 ± 1.43, 31.96 ± 1.44 and 37.55 ± 1.45% in drone brood cells for 0, 1- and 2-year-old queen colonies, respectively. The colonies which had 0, 1- and 2-year-old queens produced 2673.58 ± 39.69, 2711.75 ± 39.68, and 1815.08 ± 39.70 cm2 overall average (± S.E.) sealed brood and 10.35 ± 0.24, 10.43 ± 0.26 and 7.51 ± 0.21 numbers of frame adult bees, respectively. Honey harvested from 0, 1- and 2-year-old queen colonies averaged 21.60 ± 5.25, 22.20 ± 6.55, and 14.70 ± 2.50 kg/colony, respectively. The colonies headed by young queens had a lower level of varroa infestation, a greater brood area, longer worker bee population and greater honey yield in comparison to colonies headed by old queens.

Hypodermosis in cattle slaughtered in Nigde province, Turkey*

This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of hypodermosis in cattle between January and June 2005 in Nigde province, which is located in the middle of Turkey. A total of 1336 cattle, which were slaughtered in Nigde, were investigated for Hypoderma larvae. The 68 out of 1336 cattle (%5.08) were found positive for Hypoderma larvae. A total of 536 Hypoderma larvae were found in the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the back of infested cattle. The 489 out of 536 larvae (%91.23) were identified as Hypoderma bovis and 47 out of 536 (%8.77) as H. lineatum. Number of Hypoderma larvae counted on single infested cattle varied between 1–45 and the mean number of Hypoderma larvae per cattle was 7.88 (536/68). Hypodermosis was recorded for the first time in cattle from Nigde.

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in domestic (Columba livia domestica) and wild (Columba livia livia) pigeons in Niğde region, Turkey.

OBJECTIVE The present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii specific antibodies in domestic (Columba livia domestica) and wild (Columba livia livia) pigeons between October 2003-June 2004. METHODS Blood samples were collected from 216 pigeons, consisting of 105 (55 female, 50 male) domestic pigeons and 111 (53 female, 58 male) wild pigeons. The sera were tested for T. gondii antibodies using the Sabin Feldman Dye Test (SFDT). RESULTS One of the 105 (0.95%) domestic pigeon and one of the 111 (0.90%) wild pigeon were found to be seropositive for T. gondii antibodies at the titer of 1:16. CONCLUSION This is the first serological study on toxoplasmosis in the domestic and wild pigeon in the Niğde region of Turkey.

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and intestinal parasites in stray cats from Nigde, Turkey

Abstract The prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii was investigated by the Sabin-Feldman Dye test (SFDT) in 72 stray cats from Nigde, Turkey. A total of 55 (76.4%) of the analysed sera had antibodies to T. gondii. The seropositivity of T. gondii was 77.1% in male and 75.7% in female cats (P>0.05). Faeces of these cats were also examined by zinc sulphate flotation method for the presence of parasite oocysts and eggs of other parasites. Two protozoan parasites were identified as Isospora spp. (12.5%) and Eimeria spp. (4.1%) in cats. Toxoplasma gondii oocysts were not found in any faecal samples analysed. Two parasitic helminth species were observed: Toxocara cati (15.2%) and Toxascaris leonina (20.8%). These common ascarids were recorded for the first time in cats from Nigde.

Investigation of Wolbachia spp . and Spiroplasma spp. in Phlebotomus species by molecular methods

The aim of this study was to determine the presence of Wolbachia spp. and Spiroplasma spp. in natural populations of sand flies in Turkey by molecular methods. A total of 40 Phlebotomus specimens (19 female and 21 male) were used in this study. Genomic DNA from whole sand flies was isolated and Wolbachia spp. infection prevalence was investigated by using Wolbachia gene specific primer sets (wsp and GroEL). In addition, the DNA were analyzed for the presence of Spiroplasma infections utilizing bacterium specific 16 S rDNA PCR-amplification primers. Results of this analysis showed a Wolbachia infection prevalence of 70% (28/40). There was no sex-bias in infection prevalence, being 76% (16/21) and 63% (12/19) in males and females, respectively. Analysis of Spiroplasma infections indicated that 26% (5/19) of female sand flies were positive for infection, while none of the screened males (0/21) were positive. Of the 40 sand fly samples, only 2 were found to be positive for both Wolbachia spp. and Spiroplasma spp. The present study demonstrates the presence of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma infections in the natural sand fly populations in Turkey. This is the first report on Spiroplasma infection in the sand flies from Turkey.

Chewing lice species (Phthiraptera) found on a European Shag(Phalacrocorax aristotelis) in Turkey: new records of a genus and twospecies for the Turkish fauna of Phthiraptera

* Correspondence: bkaratepe@ohu.edu.tr Lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) are wingless, obligatory ectoparasites of birds and mammals. The species of the suborders Amblycera, Ischnocera, and Rhynchophthirina are known as chewing lice, while the species of the suborder Anoplura are known as blood-sucking lice. Of the approximately 5000 species described to date, approximately 4000 species are parasitic to birds and 800 species parasitize mammals. Although some have cosmopolitan features, most are host-specific. Lice can be found on every continent and on almost all bird and mammal species (Price et al., 2003; Taylor et al., 2007). Although there has been a steady increase in the number of studies carried out on the lice of the wild birds of Turkey recently, the lice of cormorants have not been researched. In these studies, more than 200 bird species have been investigated and more than 150 species of chewing lice have been reported (İnci et al., 2010a, 2010b; Açıcı et al., 2011; Aksin and Oncel, 2011; Dik et al., 2011, 2013, 2015). In addition, some louse species from the genera Pectinopygus and Piagetiella parasitizing the cormorant species have been observed on the Great White Pelican and Dalmatian Pelican in Turkey; P. titan from the genus Piagetiella and P. forficulatus from the genus Pectinopygus have been described (Dik, 2006; Dik and Uslu, 2006, 2008; Dik et al., 2013; Girişgin et al., 2013). To date, two louse species have been described on the European Shag: Eidmanniella pellucida (Rudow, 1869) and Pectinopygus brevicornis (Denny, 1842). Various studies have been conducted in different countries on the louse species seen on cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae). In a study carried out by Ryan and Price (1969) on the genus Eidmanniella, the presence of the species Eidmanniella pellucida, E. eurygaster (Nitzsch [in Giebel], 1866), and E. nancyae (Ryan and Price, 1969) was described in cormorants. Ryan and Price also gave detailed information about their morphology, preparing identification keys for the species of the genus Eidmanniella. In a study conducted in Alaska on the species Phalacrocorax pelagicus of the cormorant family, the species Pectinopygus insularis (Clay, 1973) and E. pellucida were found (Choe and Kim, 1987). In a study carried out in Spain, the species Pectinopygus brevicornis was detected in P. aristotelis (Martin Mateo, 1992). In a study done in Chile on the cormorant species Phalacrocorax bougainvillii, the species E. pellucida, Piagetiella transitans (Ewing, 1930), and P. caputincisum (Eichler, 1950) were observed; it was also stated that the specific host of P. caputincisum is Phalacrocorax gaimardi and that the infection could probably have taken place from this type of cormorant (Sepulveda et al., 1997). In the Phalacrocorax auritus species of cormorant in Canada, Abstract: This study was carried out on a young European Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) caught in the sea in Akçay, Balıkesir, in August 2015. The lice collected from the European Shag were put into 70% alcohol solution and were mounted to slides with Canada balsam after being made transparent in 10% potassium hydroxide. The lice Eidmanniella pellucida and Pectinopygus brevicornis were determined as a result of the microscopic examination of the 54 louse specimens. This study is the first for the louse species related to the European Shag in Turkey. Additionally, the genus Eidmanniella and the species Eidmanniella pellucida and Pectinopygus brevicornis are reported for the first time from Turkey.