Results of Epizootiological Monitoring of Small Mammals Habitant in Crimea Over the Period of 2015–2017

Objective of this work is to analyze the spatial distribution of various species of small mammals, caught between 2015 and 2017, and to identify the dominant species in different landscape areas, as well as their role in functioning of natural foci of zoonotic infections (tularemia, leptospirosis, tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme disease, Crimean hemorrhagic fever, hantavirus infection) in the territory of Crimea. Materials and methods. Small mammals were caught during the period of 2015–2017 and investigated using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) and direct hemagglutination reaction. Results and conclusions. The dominant species of small mammals, containing the causative agents of some or other natural-focal infection are ubiquitous species, i.e. disseminated across the territory of the whole peninsula. In the presence of concomitant favorable conditions, they may contribute to the expansion of the natural foci of these infections. Positive tests for Lyme disease detected not only in small mammals caught in mountain-forest areas, but in steppe zone too may testify to the fact that the border of the natural focus of this infection is expanded. To clarify the boundaries of the natural foci of infections circulating in the territory of Crimea, it is necessary to conduct comprehensive analysis of distribution of small mammals, blood-sucking ectoparasites, and also epidemic manifestations in different natural areas of Crimea.

1. Gorovenko M.V., Karimov I.Z. [Relevant transmissible natural-focal infections of Crimes]. Infektsiya i Immunitet. 2016; 6:(1):25–32. DOI: 10.15789/2220-7619-2016-1-25-32.

2. [State Report on the State of Sanitary-Epidemiological Welfare of the Population in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol in 2015]. [Internet]. (Cited 15 Dec 2017). Available from: http://www.82.rospotrebnadzor.ru.

3. Evstaf’ev I.L. [Results of 2 decade-long studies of tick-borne encephalitis in Crimea]. [Internet]. (Cited 20 Dec 2017). Available from: http://www.zooeco.com/nauc.

4. Zinich L.S., Shvarsalon N.K., Kovalenko I.S., Yakunin S.N., Pidchenko N.N., Barinova O.Yu., Shaposhnikova L.I., Kotenev E.S., Maletskaya O.V., Kulichenko A.N., Tikhonov S.N. [Experience in and results of survey of Crimean hemorrhagic fever foci in the ter- ritory of Crimea]. Zdorov’e Naseleniya i Sreda Obitaniya. 2016: 2:24–8.

5. Markeshin S.Ya., Alekseev A.F., Tkachenko E.A., Chirniy V.I., Zakharova T.F., Ryl’tseva E.V. [Peculiarities of natural focality of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in different landscapes of Crimea]. Voprosy Virusologii. 1989; 4:485–87.

6. Markeshin S.Ya., Smirnova S.E., Evstaf’ev I.L. [Assessment of the state of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever foci in Crimea]. Zhurnal Mikrobiologii, Epidemiologii i Immunobiologii. 1991; 9:47–50.

7. Popova A.Yu., Ezhlova E.B., Demina Yu.V., Shaposhnikova L.I., Evstaf’ev I.L., Tovpinets N.N., Kotenev E.S., Volynkina A.S., Lisitskaya Ya.V., Samarina I.V., Belova O.A., Tsapko N.V., Ashibokov U.M., Agapitov D.S., Samoded T.N., Kulichenko A.N. [Epizootic situation in the Crimean Federal District as follows from epidemiological survey results, 2014]. Problemy Osobo Opasnykh Infektsii [Problems of Particularly Dangerous Infections]. 2015; 2:33–36. DOI:10.21055/0370-1069-2015-2-33-36.