Peculiarities of Immunological Structure Formation in Plague Carriers of the Central-Caucasian High-Mountain Natural Plague Focus

Abstract

Objective of the study is to analyze immunological structure of the mountain souslik, habitant in various zones of natural focality in the Central-Caucasian natural plague focus. Materials and methods . The data on serological investigations conducted on the mountain souslik, within the periods of 1974–1988 and 2001–2004 have been obtained from FGHI “Kabardino-Balkaria Plague Control Station” of the Rospotrebnadzor. Applying passive hemagglutination test and indirect hemagglutination test, with the help of Excel Microsoft Office 2010, evaluated have been 63147 blood survey results. Conclusions. It is established that the highest ratio of the souslik with low antibody titer in blood, which characterizes initial contact with plague infection, is observed at the peak of epizootic activity. In the mountain steppe of the eastern focal part, the apex coincides with June, in the western part, as well as in the Alpine and Subalpine zones of the eastern one – with August. Animals with high antibody titers, i.e. secondarily infected, emerge in vast numbers at the peak of mountain souslik lethality. In the mountain steppe this period falls upon June, i.e. simultaneously with the peak of epizootic activity. In the western part lethality apex is also observed in June, but maximum epizootic activity takes place in August. In Alpine and Subalpine zones of the eastern focal part, peaks of epizootic activity and lethality among the souslik populations concur and fall upon August. Isolation of plague microbe cultures alongside with positive serological tests is reasonably more often observed in the mountain steppe of the river Baksan, than in other areas of natural focality.