Reassortants of the Highly Pathogenic Influenza Virus A/H5N1 Causing Mass Swan Mortality in Kazakhstan from 2023 to 2024.

In the winter of 2023/2024, the mass death of swans was observed on Lake Karakol on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea. From 21 December 2023 to 25 January 2024, 1132 swan corpses (, ) were collected and disposed of on the coast by veterinary services and ecologists. Biological samples were collected from 18 birds for analysis at different dates of the epizootic.

Foraging of Honeybees from Different Ecological Areas Determined through Melissopalynological Analysis and DNA Metabarcoding.

The environment significantly impacts the lives of bees and their feeding. This study aimed to investigate bee foraging using melissopalynological analysis and DNA metabarcoding in intensive farming, reserved, and urbanized areas. The highest alpha diversity was observed in the reserved and intensive farming areas.

Molecular typing methods to characterize spp. from animals: A review.

Brucellosis is an infectious disease of animals that can infect humans. The disease causes significant economic losses and threatens human health. A timely and accurate disease diagnosis plays a vital role in the identification of brucellosis.

Monitoring studies of the occurrence of fire blight pathogen in Kazakhstan and identification of antagonistic microorganisms suppressing its development.

The paper presents data on phytosanitary monitoring of garden cenoses for fire blight in the Turkestan, Zhambyl, and Almaty regions of Kazakhstan. The purpose of this study is to assess the phytosanitary situation in various regions of Kazakhstan, determine the extent of fire blight spread, and isolate and identify the fire blight pathogen. During the study, methods such as hypersensitivity, pathogenicity, and fluorescent simplification-based specific hybridization polymerase chain reaction (FLASH-PCR) were used.

Comparative Analysis of the Methanogen Microbiota Associated to Pasture and Stall Housing in Kazakh Cattle.

The microbial community of cattle rumen (archaea) are the key players in methane emissions. Methane pollutes the atmosphere and leads to the loss of feed energy. The aim of this study was to comparatively investigate the cattle microbiota, with a particular focus on archaea, in relation to the type of housing: pasture versus stall.

Has avian influenza virus H9 originated from a bat source?

Influenza A viruses are important pathogens that can cause diseases with high mortality in humans, animals, and birds; and wild birds are considered the primary reservoir of all subtypes in nature. After discovering the H9 influenza A viruses in bats, questions arose about their potential to serve as an additional natural reservoir and about the priority of the viral origin: Did the virus initially circulate in bats and then transmit to birds or vice versa? Influenza A viruses of the H9 subtype are of particular interest because fatal infections of humans caused by H5, H7, and H10 influenza viruses contained RNA segments from H9 viruses. Recently, a novel subtype of influenza A virus (H19) was reported and it was closely related to the H9 bat influenza A virus by its hemagglutinin structure.

Total Content of Saponins, Phenols and Flavonoids and Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of In Vitro Culture of (Regel) Schischk Compared to Wild Plants.

is a rare Central Asian species, a super-producer of triterpene saponins with pharmacological and technical value. In this work, a comparative evaluation of the in vitro culture of adventitious roots (ARs), in vitro adventitious microshoots (ASs), natural roots and aboveground parts of wild plants from Kazakhstan to define the total saponin (TS), phenol (TP) and flavonoid (TF) content, as well as antioxidant (AOA) and antimicrobial activity, is presented for the first time. In the AR culture, growth index (GI), TS, TP and TF were evaluated on days 25, 45 and 60 of cultivation on ½ MS medium without (control) and with auxin application.

Antagonistic and protective activity of Lactobacillus plantarum strain 17 M against E. amylovora.

The subject of the study was to identify the antagonism of the Lactobacillus plantarum strain 17 M against the causative agent of fire blight, the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, and to evaluate its protective capabilities on apple blossoms against this disease. For comparison 9 strains of lactic acid bacteria from the LLP "SPC of Microbiology and Virology" collection were included in the study. Strain 17 M appeared to be superior in limiting the growth of the pathogen on all 3 liquid media tested.

Detection and Phylogenetic Characterization of a Novel Adenovirus Found in Lesser Mouse-Eared Bat () in South Kazakhstan.

Bats are an important natural reservoir of various pathogenic microorganisms, and regular monitoring is necessary to track the situation of zoonotic infections. When examining samples from bats in South Kazakhstan, nucleotide sequences of putative novel bat adenovirus (AdV) species were found. Estimates of amino acid identities of the hexon protein have shown that potentially novel Bat mastadenovirus BatAdV-KZ01 shared higher similarity with monkey Rhesus adenovirus 59 (74.

Genome Sequence of the Attenuated Equid Alphaherpesvirus 1 Strain AK-2011, Isolated in Kazakhstan.

In 2011, there was an outbreak of a disease with mass abortions among horses in southeastern Kazakhstan. The AK-2011 strain was isolated from an aborted fetus and subsequently identified as equid alphaherpesvirus 1. Here, we describe the nearly complete genome sequence of the AK-2011 strain, attenuated for vaccine development.

Prokaryotic Diversity of Ruminal Content and Its Relationship with Methane Emissions in Cattle from Kazakhstan.

In this study, we analyzed the microbial composition of the rumen contents of cattle from Kazakhstan. Specifically, samples of the liquid and solid fractions of the rumen were collected to determine the quantitative and qualitative composition of methanogenic archaea. Cattle were six steers receiving hay-concentrate feeding.

Serological Screening for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus and Hepatitis E Virus in Camels in Kazakhstan.

After the recent Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) pandemic in 2013, more attention has been paid to the camel as an important source of zoonotic viral infections. Almost simultaneously, in 2013, new genotypes 7 and 8 of the hepatitis E virus (HEV) were discovered in dromedary and Bactrian camels, respectively. HEV 7 was further shown to be associated with chronic viral hepatitis in a transplant recipient.

Validation of suitable reference genes for quantitative expression analysis by qPCR in bovine terminal ileum and ileocecal valve.

The use of reference genes is commonly accepted as the most reliable approach to normalize qRT-PCR and to reduce possible errors in the quantification of gene expression. The aim of this study was to identify a set of reference genes suitable for gene expression analysis in the distal portion of small intestine and ileocecal valve in cattle. These sites of intestine are of interest in veterinary science as they are the main sites of inflammation caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp.

Cormorants as a Potentially Important Reservoir and Carrier of Newcastle Disease Virus on the Asian Continent.

Despite numerous disease prevention measures and control programs, Newcastle disease (ND) remains one of the most significant infections in poultry worldwide, especially in developing countries. It is known that wild birds, mainly of the order, are the main carrier of lentogenic (non-pathogenic) variants of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in nature. But the question of the reservoir of velogenic (highly pathogenic) NDV in nature still remains open.

High Mortality in Terns and Gulls Associated with Infection with the Novel Gull Adenovirus.

High mortality in Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) and Great Black-headed Gulls (Larus ichthyaetus), was recorded on the northeastern shores of the Caspian Sea in June 2013. Retrospective high throughput sequencing of archived tissue samples conducted in 2018 revealed the presence of the recently identified novel gull adenovirus similar to that associated with mortality in gulls in the Netherlands in 2001. We suggest that that this gull adenovirus specifically can be considered as an emerging threat to the health and conservation of gulls and terns.

A Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Influenza A Virus Isolated from a Flamingo on the Caspian Sea Shore.

In 2015, in the Kazakh part of the northern Caspian Sea region, during the monitoring of wild birds for avian influenza viruses, a highly pathogenic A/flamingo/Mangistau/6570/2015(H5N1) influenza virus was isolated from a dead flamingo. This study aimed to obtain the complete genome sequence of the isolate.

Polymorphisms associated to bovine paratuberculosis: investigation of their role in DNA-protein interactions and transcriptional regulation.

Previous studies led to identify SNPs in putative regulatory regions of the SLC11A1 and CARD15 genes with association to paratuberculosis in cattle. Aim of this study was to investigate the role of these mutations at the regulatory level by DNA-protein interaction analyses and transcriptome comparison between wild-type and mutated animals. Gene regions carrying the SNPs of interest were analysed by bioinformatic tools to predict allele-dependent binding sites for transcription factors (TFBS).

Carboranyl oligonucleotides: 4. synthesis and physicochemical studies of oligonucleotides containing 2'-O-(o-carboran-1-yl)methyl group.

Boronated oligonucleotides are potential candidates for antisense oligonucleotide technology (AOT), boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), and as tools in molecular biology. A method was developed for the solid phase synthesis of oligonucleotides containing 2'-O-(o-carboran-1-yl-methyl) (2'-CBM) group. Synthesis was performed using a standard beta-cyanoethyl cycle and automated DNA synthesizer.

Structures of the O-antigens of Proteus bacilli belonging to OX group (serogroups O1-O3) used in Weil-Felix test.

Structures of the O-specific polysaccharide chains of lipopolysaccharides from Proteus group OX strains (serogroups O1-O3) used as antigens in Weil-Felix test for diagnosis of rickettsiosis, were established. From them, the acid-labile polysaccharide of Proteus vulgaris OX19 (O1) is built up of the following branched pentasaccharide repeating units connected via a phosphate group: [structure in text] where QuiNAc stands for 2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxyglucose (N-acetylquinovosamine). The basis of serospecificity of the Proteus group OX antigens and their cross-reactivity with human anti-rickettsial antibodies is discussed.

Structural and serological studies of the O-antigen of the bacterium Proteus mirabilis OXK (serogroup O3) used in the Weil-Felix test.

Sugar analysis and 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopic studies showed that various strains of Proteus mirabilis OXK used as antigens in the Weil-Felix test for serodiagnosis of rickettsiosis (scrub typhus) produce lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) with the same O-specific polysaccharide chain having the following structure: [formula: see text] where GlcA and GalA are glucuronic and galacturonic acids, respectively. This polysaccharide which defines the O3 specificity of Proteus and has been found earlier in an unclassified P. mirabilis strain S1959, contains an amide of D-galacturonic acid with L-lysine which plays an important role in manifesting the immunospecificity.

Structural and serological studies of the O-antigen of the bacterium Proteus vulgaris OX2 (serogroup O2) used in the Weil-Felix test.

Based on monosaccharide analysis and 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, the following structure of the O-specific polysaccharide chain of Proteus vulgaris OX2 lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which defines the O2 specificity of Proteus, was established: [formula: see text] where L-QuiNAc is N-acetyl-L-quinovosamine (2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-L-glucose). Various strains of P. vulgaris OX2 used in the Weil-Felix test for serodiagnosis of rickettsiosis (spotted fevers, except for Rocky Mountain spotted fever) were shown to produce LPS with the same O-specific polysaccharide, which differs structurally and serologically from LPS of P.

Structural and serological studies of the O-specific polysaccharide of the bacterium Proteus mirabilis O10 containing L-altruronic acid, a new component of O-antigens.

An acidic O-specific polysaccharide from the lipopolysaccharide of Proteus mirabilis O10 contains 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose, D-galacturonic acid, and L-altruronic acid, the last-named sugar having not been found hitherto in O-antigens. Structure of a branched tetrasaccharide repeating unit of the polysaccharide was established by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional COSY and rotating-frame NOE spectroscopy. The lateral L-altruronic acid residue plays the immunodominant role in manifestation of the O10 specificity of Proteus, whereas a disaccharide fragment of the main chain in common with the O-specific polysaccharide of P.

[Structure of O-specific polysaccharide from Proteus mirabilis O10, containing a new component of O-antigens--L-altruronic acid].

An acidic O-specific polysaccharide was obtained by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Proteus mirabilis O10 and studied after full acid hydrolysis and carboxyl reduction by 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (COSY), H-detected heteronuclear 1H,13C multi-quantum coherence (HMQC), and rotating-frame nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (ROESY). It was found that the polysaccharide contains 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose, D-galacturonic acid, and L-altruronic acid, and the following structure of the branched tetrasaccharide repeating unit of the polysaccharide was established: [sequence: see text]

[Structure of the O-specific polysaccharide from Proteus mirabilis O30].

Based on acid hydrolysis, methylation, and one- and two-dimensional 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, including homonuclear and 1H, 13C heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy (COSY) and rotating-frame nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (ROESY); it was found that the O-specific polysaccharide chain of the lipopolysaccharide of the bacterium Proteus mirabilis O30 is a hexosamino-glucuronan built up of tetrasaccharide repeating units having the following structure: [formula: see text] The degree of O-acetylation of 2-acetamido-2-deoxyglucose is about 70%.

The structure and serological specificity of Proteus mirabilis O43 O antigen.

On the basis of sugar analysis and NMR spectroscopy, including selective spin-decoupling, one-dimensional NOE, two-dimensional homonuclear and 13C,1H-heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy, the following structure of the acidic O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus mirabilis O43 was established: -->4)-alpha-D-GalpA-(1-->3)-alpha-D-GalpA-(1-->3)-alpha-D-Gl cpNAc-(1-->4)-alpha - D-Glcp-(1-->, where GalA is galacturonic acid and Galp is galactopyranose. No serological cross-reactivity was observed between lipopolysaccharides of P. mirabilis O43 and other studied Proteus strains, except for P.