Mükremin Özkan Arslan

The prevalence of bovine hypodermosis in Kars province, Turkey.

A total of 1276 cattle from 76 farms in 8 villages were examined by palpation of the skin for evidence of hypodermosis. The effects of age, sex, breed, and colour of cattle on hypodermosis were investigated. The overall prevalence was 31.9%. The mean number of warble fly larvae on infested animals was 8.46. Hypodermosis infestations were encountered in all the villages visited. Within a herd, the intensity of infestion decreased with the age of cattle. Infestation rates of warble fly larvae were lower in native cattle, in females, and in piebald animals.

The prevalence of Cryptosporidium species in diarrhoeic lambs in Kars province and potential risk factors

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium species in diarrhoeic lambs and investigate some risk factors in Kars province (Northeastern region of Anatolia) in Turkey. Four hundred faecal samples were taken from the rectums of clinically diarrhoeic and aged to 1-month-old lambs from 34 sheep farms in 20 villages in March-April 2007 and examined by using the modified acid-fast staining technique. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium species was found as 38.8% (155/400). Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 90.0% (18/20) of villages and in 76.5% (26/34) of the sheep farms. Infection rates were detected as: 44.4% (67/151) in 1-week-old lambs, 37.5% (39/104) in 2-week-old lambs, 40.0% (38/95) in 3-week-old lambs, and 22.0% (11/50) in 4-week-old lambs. Farms classified according to their zoohygienic conditions and fine, average and bad conditioned farms were contaminated with Cryptosporidium with the percentages of 14.7%, 20.6% and 41.2%, respectively. Clinical cryptosporidiosis was determined in 35.0% of the villages (7/20) and in 29.4% of the sheep farms (10/34), Cryptosporidium oocysts were found in 81.3% of the lambs (91/112) in these farms. Cryptosporidiosis may be a major epidemiological significance in lambs in Kars province, and suggests that naturally infected lambs may be reservoirs of Cryptosporidiosis infections for calves even for humans too.

[A postoperative wound myiasis caused by Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in a woman in Kars].

Lucilia sericata is known as a facultative ectoparasite and it often causes myiasis in open wounds, mouth, nose and eyes of animals and rarely in humans. This case report concerns a 56 year old woman who had right breast cancer surgery. Approximately 10 months after surgery, swelling, pain, redness occurred in the incision site. About two weeks later the site turned into an open wound then fly larvae (97 live larvae) were found. Under t operation conditions, a large surgical wound debridement and debulking were performed on the open wound. The patient was followed for three weeks after the operation. The wound dressings were carried out daily and it shrank partially. Medical treatment was given to the patient and she was discharged. The collected larvae were identified as Lucilia sericata by microscopic examination in the parasitology lab.

Infections of Ligula intestinalis on Freshwater Fish in Kars Plateau of North-Eastern Anatolia, Turkey.

OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Ligula intestinalis and infections caused by these on freshwater fish in rivers and streams in the Kars plateau of north-eastern Anatolia, Turkey. METHODS This research was conducted between April and July 2011. Fish samples were caught via a casting net and an electro-shocker. The samples were immediately examined to determine the prevalence of L. intestinalis plerocercoids. RESULTS In this research, 310 stream fishes were studied to determine the prevalence of L. intestinalis plerocercoids. Detected fishes included 55.8% Capoeta capoeta, 24.2% Squalius cephalus, 11.0% Alburnus filippii, 5.8% Barbus plebejus lacerta, and 3.2% Alburnoides bipunctatus. L. intestinalis plerocercoids were found in 2.6% (8/310) of the examined fishes. The percentage of this parasite was found to be 38.9% (7/18) on B. plebejus lacerta and 0.6% (1/173) on C. capoeta. L. intestinalis plerocercoids were not observed on the other three fish species (S. cephalus, A. filippii, and Al. bipunctatus). CONCLUSION In this study, L. intestinalis plerocercoids were reported for the first time in the Kars stream and its distributaries on the Kars plateau in north-eastern Anatolia, Turkey.

Research on Laying Trichostrongylid Nematode Eggs in Cows in the Periparturient Period

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to comparatively determine the prevalence of trichostrongylid nematodes and egg excretions in cows that are in the periparturient period (PPP) and pregnant cows in the non-periparturient period (NPPP). METHODS Animal materials are constituted by cows in PPP and NPPP in 10 ranches in Kars and surrounding areas. Stool samples were collected from the rectum of 125 pregnant cows, which were in NPPP during November 2010 - January 2011 and from the same cows in PPP during April-May 2011. Stool samples were analyzed for the presence of nematode eggs by the flotation method. EPG was determined by the McMaster method. RESULTS Trichostrongylid nematode eggs were detected in seven of 10 dairy cattle ranches (70%). The prevalence rates of trichostrongylid nematodes were 16.8% (21/125) during NPPP and 27.2% (34/125) during PPP. Nineteen of 21 (90.5%) positive samples during NPPP were positive during PPP. Fifteen negative samples during NPPP were positive during PPP with respect to trichostrongylid nematode eggs. The egg count of trichostrongylid during PPP (total, 4350; mean, 34.8; n, 125) was greater than that during NPPP (total, 1250; mean, 10; n, 125). CONCLUSION Cows had nematode eggs during PPP and played an important role in transmission.

Determining the Prevalence of Cryptosporidium Infections with Acid Fast Staining and ELISA in Calves at the Kars Province of Turkey

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to comparatively determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infections in calves grown at dairies under farm or village conditions at the Kars Province using modified acid-fast (mAF) staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). METHODS Stool samples constituting the study material were collected between March and June 2011 from rectums of calves at 22 centers in the villages and farms of the Kars Province. Calves were divided into 2 groups: 3-90 days old (up to 3 months old) and 91-180 days old (older than 3 months). The study material comprised 313 stool samples (146 diarrheal samples and 167 healthy samples). Each of the samples was first examined using mAF staining; of these samples, 222 were examined using the C. parvum ELISA kit (Bio-X Diagnostics), whereas 91 were examined using the Cryptosporidium commercial ELISA kit (Diagnostic Automation, Inc., USA) for the presence of Cryptosporidium copro-antigens. RESULTS The incidence of the presence of Cryptosporidium among the calves was 3.8% (12/313) with mAF staining and 5.1% (16/313) with ELISA. All the samples in which the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts was determined using mAF staining were determined to be positive using ELISA. Cryptosporidium was found to be present in 5.5% (8/146) and 7.5% (11/146) of diarrheal calves, 2.4% (4/167) and 3.0% (5/167) of healthy calves, 4.0% (10/253) and 5.5% (14/253) of calves aged up to 3 months, and 3.3% (2/60) (via both tests) of calves aged 3-6 months. C. parvum was present in 5.9% (13/222) of the calves; it was found at a higher concentration in calves aged up to 3 months (6.2%; 12/194) than in those aged 3-6 months (3.6%; 1/28). Of the C. parvum-positive cases, 9 cases were found to have diarrhea, whereas 4 were observed to be healthy. C. parvum copro antigens were observed at the highest level (7.4%; 8/108) in diarrheal calves aged up to 3 months. At the species level, the rate of incidence of Cryptosporidium copro-antigens in calves examined using ELISA for determining Cryptosporidium factors was found to be 3.3% (3/91), and the same rate was found 3.4% (2/59) in calves aged up to 3 months and 3.1% (1/32) in those aged 3-6 months. CONCLUSION The prevalence of Cryptosporidium infections among the calves was observed to decrease in recent years.