Background and Aim: The study of Echinococcus infection among farm animals in Kazakhstan was carried out to monitor the invasion among livestock and map the data obtained. Unfortunately, there are only partial data on the study of echinococcosis among wild carnivores in Kazakhstan, which makes it difficult to conduct a comparative analysis of the epidemiological situation among wild animals. The present study aimed to estimate the genetic diversity of Echinococcus spp. (Leuckart, 1863) in Kazakhstan based on sequence analysis of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) of worms isolated from wild carnivorous animals wolf (Canis lupus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and corsac (Vulpes corsac). Materials and Methods: DNA from parasite tissue was used as a template for the amplification of the two mitochondrial genes cox1 and nad1. Sequencing was performed according to the manual for the Seq Studio Genetic Analyzer. The multiple alignments of obtained sequences were performed using the ClustalW algorithm in Mega (v.11) software. Alignments were exported as a Nexus extension and used as input for TCS v1.21 for the identification of haplotypes. The phylogenetic analysis was constructed according to the neighbor-joining method using Mega (v.11) software. Results: Analysis of the extensiveness of echinococcosis invasion showed that 6.3% were wolves, 18.2% were corsacs, and 85% were foxes. In total, 159 adults of Echinococcus spp. from the three species of animals in different parts of Kazakhstan were analyzed, and 17 individual biological samples were successfully sequenced. Sequence analysis of cox1 and nad1 genes revealed two types of echinococcosis – Echinococcus granulosus in red foxes and wolves, and Echinococcus multilocularis in corsacs. Sequencing of a portion of the mitochondrial genome made it possible to determine seven haplotypes of the pathogen in the studied samples of E. granulosus. Molecular analysis of cox1 and nad1 genes of E. multilocularis revealed three new haplotypes, which have significant variability compared with other studied Asian haplotypes. Conclusion: This study made it possible to fill the gaps in understanding the localization of the foci of the spread of the echinococcosis pathogen among the main wild carnivores and to determine the species reservoir of the pathogen in the greater territory of Kazakhstan.

We report a rare case of non-dermatophytic onychomycosis of the toenail caused by Phoma macrostoma. Was studied the biological properties of the strain isolated in Kazakhstan. P. macrostoma forms pink colonies, the reverzum is pink-orange. The mycelium is colorless, septate. The appearance of growth tubes from pycnidospores occurs within 12 hours, mycelial growth and branching after 18 hours, the appearance of pycnids is 48 hours. The saccharolytic and urease activity of the strain is low.

Dermatophytosis, also known as Tinea infection, remains a significant interdisciplinary concern worldwide. This dermatophyte infection may be more serious in individuals with underlying somatic diseases, immunodeficiencies, endocrine disorders, or chronic illnesses. This study analyzed 313 patients with suspected dermatophytosis. Data were gathered through questionnaires and medical records were reviewed. Biological samples were cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar, and PCR was employed to assess the genetic diversity of strains. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26. The overall prevalence of dermatophytosis in the cohort was 30.4%. Among the cultured isolates, 73.7% were identified as Microsporum canis, while 26.3% were identified as Trichophyton species, including T. mentagrophytes, T. tonsurans, and T. verrucosum. Several factors were significantly associated with an increased risk of dermatophytosis, including the following: male gender (AOR = 1.97), age 1–10 years (AOR = 3.80), living in rural areas (AOR = 2.30), visiting public bathhouses (AOR = 2.32), visiting massage parlors (AOR = 1.39), contact with cats (AOR = 2.32), family history of dermatophytosis (AOR = 3.04), and sexual contact with an infected or unknown partner (AOR = 3.08). Dermatophytosis was identified in approximately one third of the patients by culture (30.4%), with the risk heightened in individuals under 10 years old (43.6%), those living in rural areas (33.3%), and those with a family history of dermatophytosis (35.7%) or close contact with cats (39.4%). The findings underscore the need for strengthened preventive measures and targeted diagnostics, particularly among high-risk groups.

Background and Aim: Wolves (Canis lupus) play a role in nature, including the regulation of the number of ungulates and the use of dead animals. In addition, wolves are a natural link and carrier for the spread of many parasitic invasions. Hence, the main task in preventing the spread of parasitic invasions is to regulate the wolf population. This study aimed to monitor the endoparasitological fauna of wild wolves inhabiting Northern and Central Kazakhstan. Materials and Methods: Overall, 81 wolves were investigated for parasitic worms using the K. I. Scriabin method. Wolf intestinal materials were collected from the following six regions: North Kazakhstan, Pavlodar, Kostanay, Akmola, Ulytau, and Karaganda. The genetic diversity of the parasites was identified using a polymerase chain reaction with specific primers. After data collection, a comprehensive statistical analysis was performed. Results: Several helminth types were identified in wolves, including Echinococcus granulosus, Taenia hydatigena, Mesocestoides spp., Toxascaris leonina, Trichinella nativa, Alaria alata, and Dirofilaria repens. Based on the results of this study, young male wolves aged 1–4 years were the most vulnerable to helminthiasis. Wolves living in steppe and semi-desert regions are often exposed to helminth infections. The prevalence of T. nativa in the wolves was 20.4%. This study also revealed the presence of echinococcosis among wolf populations in Karaganda and Kostanay, with prevalence rates of 4.1% and 4.7%, respectively. The overall prevalence of tapeworms in wolves was 54.3%. Conclusion: This study highlights the significance of understanding the potential risks associated with helminth infections in wild carnivores because helminths can act as disease reservoirs and pose a threat to humans, livestock, and other wild carnivores. These results can contribute to the development of effective control and management strategies for helminth infections in wolves, which can infect humans and livestock. Keywords: Echinococcus, epidemiology, helminth prevalence, Kazakhstan.

Dermatophytoses are diseases of skin and its accessory structures that are widely spread worldwide. They are most commonly caused by fungi of the genera Micro sporum and Trichophyton. The identification of the agent’s species has a great epidemiological significance and is essential for effective therapy. The aim of the study is the identification and phylogenetic analysis of dermatophytes isolated from dogs and cats in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation by means of molecular techniques. The fungal isolate species were confirmed by sequencing using two rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) primer pairs, and this allowed for their deposition to the GenBank database. Based on the sequencing results, Microsporum canis (12 strains) and Trichophyton benhamiae (2 strains) were identified. The nucleotide sequences were analysed, and phylogenetic trees were constructed, taking into account the results of the dermatophyte identification using two primer pairs. The constructed phylogenetic trees reflecting the relationships of dermatophytes showed that, irrespective of the primer pairs used, the Microsporum and Trichophyton pathogens are in all cases reliably assigned to different clades. The analysis of ITS4F/ITS5R sequence fragment structures enabled the establish- ment of genetic relatedness between the Trichophyton benhamiae strains first isolated from cats in Russia and the Russian strain recovered from a guinea pig. The comparative analysis of the genomes of the Microsporum and Trichophyton fungi and reference strains revealed a relatively low level of intraspecies polymor- phism and point mutations of the sequences. The data analysis demonstrated a high percentage of nucleotide sequence homology, and this allows using the primers for PCR tests intended for dermatophytosis diagnosis in cats and dogs.

Apples are widely consumed by people all over the world due to their taste and nutritional value. However, apple trees are prone to various environmental stresses, including fungal diseases. Among them, Cytospora canker (or Valsa canker) can cause dieback of branches and twigs. Although Kazakhstan is well known as an origin of apples, very little is known about canker diseases that spread across all commercial orchards. Therefore, an accurate identification of the causal agents of those diseases is needed for further application of informed disease management strategies. In this study, eleven isolates belonging to four Cytospora species were isolated from multiple cultivars, grown in six different orchards within the Almaty region, Kazakhstan. As a result of a multilocus phylogenetic analysis using ITS, LSU and tef1-α marker genes and morphological characterization, these isolates were described as Cytospora parasitica, Cytospora sorbina, Cytospora pruinopsis and Cytospora chrysosperma. Moreover, a pathogenicity test was conducted on detached twigs, and it demonstrated that two of these fungi were highly virulent. Overall, this paper is a first report of the causal agents of apple canker disease in Kazakhstan and could be a trigger for conducting future studies to better understand the disease epidemiology, as well as build management strategies.