Medical and Geographical Assessment of the National Park Area for Tourist and Conservation Activities

Abstract

The potential risk of natural focal infections for tourists and park visitors has been analyzed and assessed based on the example of Karkaraly National Park (NP), which is located in central Kazakhstan. The medical and geographical characteristics of the area were carried out with three approaches: (1) assessment of natural preconditions for the emergence and existence of natural foci of infections, (2) mapping of the existing natural and anthropurgic foci of infections on a landscape basis, and (3) analysis of population morbidity according to medical statistics data. On the whole, the medical and geographical situation in Karkaraly NP is assessed as most favorable among other NPs in Kazakhstan: it has the lowest number of nosoforms, a small number of natural foci, and a low morbidity rate. However, a certain risk of infection does exist, since the anthrax burial site and rabies foci, as well as tularemia foci in populations of aquatic and semiaquatic rodents, partial overlap with the popular tourist routes in the park. The natural foci of infections of current interest are confined to hummocky and low-mountain, forest landscapes; however, they have both natural and anthropogenic preconditions.