Animals In Turkey Research Articles

A Qualitative Study: Issue(s) of Stray Animal(s) in Turkey from the Point of View of Volunteers

The aim of this study is to reveal the issue of stray animals from the volunteers’ viewpoint and determine the views and suggestions of volunteers who struggle for the rights of stray animals in Turkey. For this, a study based on qualitative research techniques was carried out with participants who voluntarily work for stray animals. Among the qualitative research patterns, case study pattern, semi-structured interview as data gathering tool, among nonprobable choice method, snowball method as data gathering tool were chosen. All the data which were acquired with semi-structured profoundly interviews were analyzed by descriptive analyzing method. This study does not reveal that fact issue of stray animals in cities of Turkey but reveals the issues of stray animals themselves and also the volunteers who have been striving for stray animals voluntarily. The issue of stray animals in Turkey is rooted mainly in local governments’ executions. It is emphasized one more time that the current executions of local governments are inadequate to be able to solve the issues of stray animals. The most important cause for this is that local governments’ not having applied the process of sterilization effectively and thus, the population of stray animals cannot be taken under control. The other significant causes are inefficiency of animal shelters run by local governments during the treatment, the unawareness of the people in the public and the nonlegal applications done by the local governments through stray animals. According to the volunteers, this issue can be handled by the state. The solution for this issue is effective sterilization and the rising awareness of the people. Eventually, it does not matter whether the solution for the issues about stray animals or the solution for issues which stray animals face, local and central governments have plenty of duties. But the main actor for this is the central government.

Molecular discrimination of G1 and G3 genotypes of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto obtained from human, cattle, and sheep using the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 marker

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a common zoonotic disease caused by the larval form of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. This study determined the genotype and haplotype differences using the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 gene in hydatid cyst samples. Human (n = 12), cattle (n = 28), and sheep (n = 31) hydatid cyst isolates were included. Seventy-one genomic DNA samples were successfully extracted, and a 759 bp mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 gene fragment was amplified by PCR. Following the sequence analysis, E. granulosus sensu stricto isolates were identified as G1 (n = 61) and G3 (n = 10). A total of 23 haplotypes were obtained from the 71 E. granulosus s.s. G1 and G3 samples. The main haplotype was Hap01 (60.56 %), which consisted of the G1 genotype. The second largest haplotype was Hap04, which consisted entirely of the G3 genotype. Hap14 acted as a bridge between the G1 and G3 genotypes. This study identifies G1 as the dominant genotype in humans and farm animals in Turkey. High haplotype and nucleotide diversity in genotypes were observed. Additionally, this is the first report on the phylogeography and gene flow models of the E. granulosus s.s. population in Turkey using the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 gene, the best marker distinguishing between G1 and G3 genotypes.

Bir mezbahada hindilerden izole edilen Campylobacter jejuni ve Campylobacter coli'nin antimikrobiyallere direnci

This study measured the percentage of thermotolerant Campylobacters (C. jejuni and C. coli) from samples obtained from a turkey slaughterhouse in Turkey and investigated their antimicrobial resistance to selected antimicrobials by disc diffusion method. Of 28 samples analyzed, 75% were positive for Campylobacter. Positivity in turkey cecum samples was 28.5% for C. coli and 71.4% for C. jejuni. Very high antimicrobial resistance rates were detected for ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid while resistance to tetracycline was 100% for C. jejuni strains. No isolates showed multidrug resistance, or resistance to gentamicin or erythromycin. These results can provide information about the status of C. coli and C. jejuni resistant to fluoroquinolones, macrolides, aminoglycosides and tetracycline isolated from food animals in Turkey.

Türkiye'deki Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato'nun genetik çeşitliliğine genel bir bakış

Echinococcus granulosus is a parasite that lives as a host in animals and humans, causes great economic damage and poses a serious threat to health. Morphological differences and intermediate host preference are used to distinguish the species of this parasite. Ten genotypes and lion strains of Echinococcus granulosus have been identified in molecular studies to date. It contributes to the fact that the effects of cystic echinococcosis detected in humans and the disease process caused by different genotypes can be handled differently. In genetic diversity analysis, species were classified as Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto, Echinococcus equinus, Echinococcus ortleppi, Echinococcus canadensis and Echinococcus felidis genotypes. Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto is the most common cause of human cystic echinococcosis worldwide and in Turkey. In this review, the distribution and epidemiology of Echinococcus granulosus genotypes detected in humans and animals in Turkey are discussed.

A Retrospective Evaluation of Serological Results of Cystic Echinococcosis Suspected Cases Admitted to Adıyaman Training and Research Hospital Between 2013-2020

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is prevalent, especially in animals in Turkey and stands as a significant zoonose. In this study, we aimed to retrospectively evaluate the indirect hemagglutination (IHA) tests results performed on samples of CE suspected patients in microbiology laboratory of our hospital. One thousand six hundred-seven files of patients admitted to hospital between January 2013 and December 2020 were examined for the presence of anti-E. granulosus immunoglobulin G antibodies. The patient's socio-demographic characteristics and radiological data were obtained from the hospital automatization system. A total of 1.607 file records; 644 (40.1%) males and 963 (59.9%) females, aged between 1-96 years (average 45.26±19.91) were examined. It was found that 244 (15.18%) of the patients were positive, 78 (4.86%) were determined at an intermediary value and 1.285 (79.96%) were negative. According to the IHA method a titer of 1/320 and above were evaluated as positive. Compared to anti-E. granulosus IgG antibody titers 164 radiological data; while 28.6% of 21 patients who are evaluated as negative (1/80) and 46.2% of 78 patients who were evaluated as intermediary titer (1/160) had cystic lesion in the radiological findings. Based on the data, it is suggested that while interpreting the patient's serum antibody titers, patient's clinical and radiological findings should also be taken into account. If possible, it should be used along with another serological method like ELISA to assist CE patient's diagnosis and treatment.

Tracking the diversity and Mediterranean lineage of Brucella melitensis isolates from different animal species in Turkey using MLVA-16 genotyping

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease with a high prevalence in humans and farm animals in Turkey. However, data on the genetic diversity of Brucella spp. circulating in Turkey and parts of the Mediterranean region are limited. In the present study, the genetic diversity of 50 B. melitensis isolates from seven regions of Turkey was investigated using multi-locus variable number tandem repeats analysis (MLVA-16). The profiles were compared with 163 B. melitensis isolates recovered from the Mediterranean basin. B. melitensis strains from Turkey contain 46 different genotypes and consist of two main clusters. B. melitensis isolates from Turkey were closely related to isolates from Greece and some Portuguese strains. The same genotypes isolated from different sites show the spread between sites. Therefore, uncontrolled animal movements and the trade of imported animals can be important factors for the spread of brucellosis. The endemic occurrence of B. melitensis in the Mediterranean basin is a result of socio-historical links between Mediterranean countries. Turkish strains belong to the Eastern Mediterranean line. Eradicating brucellosis in countries of the Mediterranean basin with high prevalence is a demanding need to reduce trade barriers and, more importantly, prevent human suffering

Effect of Species on Macro and Micro Mineral Composition of Some Shrub Leaves with Respect to Sheep Requirements

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of species on the macro and mineral profiles of some shrub leaves used for small ruminant animals in Turkey. Species had a significant effect on the macro and micro mineral profiles of shrub laeves. Calcium (Ca) contents of forages varied from 5.6 to 21.2 g/kg DM, with highest being for Rosa canina and lowest for Arbutus andrachne and Quercus coccifera. Phosphorus (P) contents of shrub leaves ranged from 1.1 to 2.1 g/kg DM with highest being for Arbutus unedo and Rosa canina and the lowest for Arbutus andrachne. The magnesium (mg) content of forages ranged from 1.9 to 5.5 g/DM, with the highest being for Pistacia lentiscus and the lowest for Quercus coccifera. The potassium (K) content of forages ranged from 4.1 to 10.3 g/kg DM. The K contents of Pistacia lentiscus and Arbutus unedo were significantly higher than the other shrub leaves. The iron (Fe) content of shrub leaves ranged from 105.2 to 458.5 mg/kg DM. The Fe content of Pistacia lentiscus was significantly higher than the other shrub leaves. The zinc (Zn) contents of shrub leaves ranged from 15.5 to 36.0 mg/kg DM. The Zn content of Quercus coccifera was significantly higher than the other shrubs. Copper (cu) contents of forages varied widely from 3.0 to 6.7 mg/kg DM, with the highest being for Arbutus unedo and Quercus coccifera. The manganese (Mn) content of forages varied from 10.5 to 113.0 mg/kg DM, with the highest being for Arbutus unedo and the lowest for Rosmarinus officinalis. As a conclusion, shrubs’ leaves have a significant amount of macro and micro minerals to support the growth and production of lamb and sheep, although the shrubs leaves’ studied in the current experiment are not adequate to meet the dietary Cu requirement of lamb and sheep.

An Important Forage Source for Animals: Small Grain Pastures

An approximate 40-65% of the qualified roughage needs of farm animals in Turkey can be met according to different calculations. Natural rangelands are important sources in this regard. However, there are serious problems in the management of these areas. Particularly, untimely and heavy grazing is one of the main reasons for the deterioration of vegetative cover. Grain pastures are one of the best options for both reducing the qualified roughage deficit as well as in the solution of certain problems related to grazing in rangelands. Grass yield and quality of cool climate cereals are high, and they reach grazing maturity before natural rangelands in spring, then they can be grazed until later in fall and even could be used as winter rangeland in regions with cool winters. They can also be used for double production (grass + grain). In this respect, the importance and potential of grain pastures in the rangeland-based livestock system have been evaluated in this paper.

Prevalence, antibiotic resistance, and enterotoxin production of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from retail raw beef, sheep, and lamb meat in Turkey

The main objective of this study was to isolate and identify Staphylococcus aureus from retail raw red meat samples and evaluate their enterotoxin gene and antibiotic resistance profiles. A total of 452 retail raw meat samples, including beef (n = 200), sheep (n = 125), and lamb (n = 127) randomly purchased from various supermarkets and butchers in Ankara between July 2019 and November 2020, were tested for the prevalence of S. aureus. The S. aureus strain was identified using morphological and molecular (16S rRNA and nuc gene) methods. Moreover, nine Staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) genes were screened using polymerase chain reaction. Antibiotic resistance of S. aureus was determined using the phenotypic disc diffusion method. The overall prevalence of S. aureus among screened samples was 21.23%. Additionally, 65.62% of S. aureus strains contained SE gene regions. The predominant SEs in the S. aureus strains were sea (50.79%), followed by sed (25.39%) and seb (23.80%). However, sec, see, seg, seh, sei, and sej genes were never detected. A substantial proportion (40–100%) of the isolates were found resistant to kanamycin, telithromycin, penicillin G, streptomycin, erythromycin, cloxacillin, ampicillin, pristinamycin, nalidixic acid, azithromycin, and ciprofloxacin. Multi-drug resistance (MDR) was observed in 96.87% of the S. aureus strains. These results show a low prevalence of S. aureus in raw red meat samples in Turkey. However, a high rate of SEA raises serious health concerns. Due to the high levels of MDR observed in this study, there is a need to strictly control antibiotic use in animals in Turkey.

Evaluation of Total Roughage Production and its Sufficiency for Livestock in Turkey

In this study, total roughage production and its sufficiency for farm animals in Turkey was evaluated. Because of insufficient production, feed prices are relatively high and fluctuating in Turkey. It was estimated that, the total 40 363 210 tonnes of roughages production in Turkey was supplied by meadows and pastures (13 164 210 tonnes), shrublands (11 267 000 tonnes) and forage crops production (15 932 000 tonnes). In addition, total straw and stubble production was estimated as 31 074 800 tonnes for animal feed, indicating that half of the total roughages production in Turkey came from straw and stubble production. In Turkey, the large and small ruminant stock is composed of a total of 17 066 900 animal units and in order to meet only the maintenance requirements of these animals via roughage, 77 867 731 tons of roughage is needed in 2019. Considering the daily dry roughage requirement as 12.5 kg (approximately 2.5 percent of total 500 kg live weight), deficiency of daily feed amount was estimated as 1.032 kg per animal unit and a total of 6 429 720 tonnes in 2019 in Turkey. If shrublands, straw and stubble production is neglected or removed from the calculation, then total deficiency reaches at 48 771 521 tonnes year-1 (62.63% of the total feed requirement). For a rational animal feeding, not only the maintenance requirements of the animals but also, in addition to their maintenance requirements, at least 5-7 kg of milk production requires meeting from quality roughages. In this case, it is clear that the need for roughage will increase more. In Turkey, suffering from roughage shortage that adversely affecting production obtained from small and large ruminants, high quality forage production should be, at least, doubled by using every possible resource including natural rangelands, fallows, and cultivated lands effectively without compromising soil conservation and feed costs principles.

A one-year descriptive epidemiology of zoonotic abortifacient pathogen bacteria in farm animals in Turkey

This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of 10 suspicious pathogenic bacteria in 250 stomach contents of aborted calf, lamb, and goat foetuses in 2019. The 155 positive samples obtained from PCR consisted of 53 (58.88 %) bacteria from 90 lamb samples, 10 (43.47 %) bacteria from 23 goat samples, and 92 (67.15 %) bacteria from 137 calf samples. The five most common bacteria associated with abortions were Brucella melitensis, 52 (20.9 %); B. abortus, 13 (5.2 %); Leptospira spp., 34 (13.6 %); Campylobacter fetus, 52 (20.9 %); and Coxiella burnetii, 4 (1.6 %). The highest rate of B. melitensis (65.4 %), B. abortus (69.2 %), Leptospira spp. (67.6 %), and C. fetus (50 %) was detected in the aborted calf samples. The highest individual rate was that of C. fetus (5.2 %). The flock-herd rates of B. melitensis, B. abortus, Leptospira spp., C. fetus, and C. burnetii infections in the 29 farms studied were 34.48 %, 20.69 %, 62.06 %, 82.75 %, and 3.44 %, respectively, with a confidence level and interval of 95 %. The frequency of abortions caused by Leptospira spp. and Campylobacter fetus may be related to increasing in B. melitensis. The rates of aborted calf, lamb, and goat foetuses among the various sampling periods and regions were significantly (P < 0.01) different. In conclusion, precautions should be applied to reduce the spread of these bacterial agents in high-risk areas and to eliminate the risk of harbouring these zoonotic infections in humans. Therefore, these results must be taken into account in the development of control and protection strategies against abortions in animals.

Molecular identification and subtype distribution of Blastocystis sp. in farm and pet animals in Turkey

A total of 1340 fresh fecal samples from farm and pet animals in Central Anatolia and the Middle Black Sea Region of Turkey were investigated using a PCR assay targeting the SSU rRNA of Blastocystis sp. An overall Blastocystis sp. prevalence of 19.4% (183/940) was found in farm animals, including cattle, sheep, water buffaloes, and chickens. Fecal samples of dogs, cats, and horses were negative. The highest prevalence of Blastocystis sp. was found in sheep (38.2%) among the farm animals. The SSU rRNA sequence analysis revealed two animal-specific subtypes, including ST10 in cattle and sheep and ST14 in water buffaloes. The zoonotic subtype ST7 was identified in chickens. Our results indicated a high prevalence of animal-specific subtypes in livestock and zoonotic subtype ST7 in chickens, highlighting the potential risk of chickens for zoonotic transmission of Blastocystis in the research area. This study is the first large-scale evaluation of Blastocystis in animal hosts in Turkey, and contributes to the molecular epidemiology and genetics of Blastocystis. Our results should be considered by authorities as an indication of the zoonotic importance of Blastocystis sp. and the need for surveillance in public health intervention programs.

Primary Tick-Borne Protozoan and Rickettsial Infections of Animals in Turkey.

Parasitic diseases caused by ticks constitute a barrier on global animal production, mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. As a country with a temperate and subtropical climate, Turkey has topography, climate, and pasture resources, and these resources are suitable for animal breeding and parasite–host–vector relationships throughout the country. This geography restricts the regulations on animal movements in the southeastern and eastern Anatolia because of the close contact with the neighboring states. The livestock resources in Turkey are regulated by strong foundations. Almost 30% of the agriculture-based gross domestic product is provided by the livestock industry. Parasitic diseases arising from ticks are endemic in Turkey, and they have a significant impact on the economy and animal health, particularly for ruminants. The main and economically-important tick-borne diseases (TBDs) suffered by animals include theileriosis, babesiosis, hepatozoonosis, and cytauxzoonosis caused by protozoa, and anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis caused by rickettsiae. The most common hemoprotozoan and rickettsial agents are Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma ovis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Anaplasma platys, Babesia bigemina, Babesia caballi, Babesia ovis, Cytauxzoon felis, Ehrlichia canis, Hepatozoon canis, Theileria annulata and Theileria equi. These diseases are basically controlled through treatment and measures for tick control. Vaccination can be performed for only tropical theileriosis caused in Turkey. We reviewed the studies published in domestic and international journals to gather epidemiological data regarding the major TBDs suffered by animals in Turkey.

Cost Optimization of Homemade Diet for Dogs

Nowadays, people raising pet animals in Turkey is increasing daily. The feeding of dogs, which are members of the houses as valuable assets, is at least as necessary as family members. Calculation of dogs' daily nutrient requirements, maintenance, growth, pregnancy, lactating, working, etc. are very variable and require an intense estimate. Feeding pet dogs only with industrially prepared foods can affect the economy of the family and the health of dogs negatively. Mainly, it is continuously questioned by the animal owners whether foods and additives that may harm health are used in industrially prepared foods. Desktop, web, and mobile-based software are used in the animal feeding area. Nevertheless, according to the researches, there is no web-based software that is used for dog diet preparation that can be used by dog owners who can calculate precisely the daily nutrient requirements of dogs and meet these requirements with available ingredients so far. The data used in this study were taken from Selcuk University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Science and Animal Nutrition Department. In this study, a linear programming model is proposed to calculate dog diets that both can meet the nutrient requirements of dogs and can engage cost optimization. User-friendly web-based dog diet preparation software is performed.

Identification of tick-borne pathogens in ticks collected from wild animals in Turkey.

Many enzootic life cycles involving wild animals and non-nidicolous ixodids are still unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to report the identified tick species collected from seven different animal species (red deer, brown bear, gray wolf, Eurasian lynx, red fox, European hare, and Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise) living in the wild in Turkey and to investigate the presence of a wide range of tick-borne microorganisms in the tick samples obtained from these animals. The collected ticks (n = 98) were identified as Dermacentor reticulatus, Haemaphysalis parva, Hyalomma aegyptium, Hyalomma excavatum, Hyalomma marginatum, Ixodes ricinus, and Rhipicephalus turanicus. All engorged ticks collected from the wild animals and unfed larvae (n = 30) obtained from a single Rh. turanicus female were also analyzed individually for tick-borne bacterial and protozoan agents via PCR-sequencing. The molecular analyses revealed the presence of Babesia sp. tavsan2, Theileria capreoli, four Hepatozoon spp. (Hep. ursi, Hep. canis, Hep. felis, and Hepatozoon sp.), Hemolivia mauritanica, and three SFG rickettsiae (Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae, Ca. R. goldwasserii, and Rickettsia hoogstraalii) in the collected ticks. This represents the first report of Th. capreoli, Hep. ursi, and Ca. R. barbariae in ticks from Turkey. The evolutionary relationships of microbes in the different host and tick species are also discussed. Multiple novel tick-host associations in the tick life cycle were also revealed.

Molecular detection of genotypes and subtypes of Cryptosporidium infection in diarrheic calves, lambs, and goat kids from Turkey.

The studies on Cryptosporidium infections of animals in Turkey mostly rely on microscopic observation. Few data are available regarding the prevalence of Cryptosporidium genotypes and subtypes infection. The aim of this study is to analyse the detection of Cryptosporidium genotypes and subtypes from young ruminants. A total of 415 diarrheic fecal specimens from young ruminants were examined for the Cryptosporidium detection by use of nested PCR of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene and the highly polymorphic 60kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene followed by sequence analyses. The results of this study revealed that 25.6% (106 of 415) of the specimens were positive for Cryptosporidium spp. infection. We identified 27.4% (91/333), 19.4% (13/67), and 13.4% (2/15) of positivity in calves, lambs and goat kids, respectively. Genotyping of the SSU rRNA indicated that almost all positive specimens were of C. parvum, except for one calf which was of C. bovis. Sequence analysis of the gp60 gene revealed the most common zoonotic subtypes (IIa and IId) of C. parvum. We detected 11 subtypes (IIaA11G2R1, IIaA11G3R1, IIaA12G3R1, IIaA13G2R1, IIaA13G4R1, IIaA14G1R1, IIaA14G3R1, IIaA15G2R1, IIdA16G1, IIdA18G1, IIdA22G1); three of them (IIaA12G3R1, IIaA11G3R1 and IIaA13G4R1) was novel subtypes found in calves and lambs. Additionally, three subtypes (IIaA11G2R1, IIaA14G3R1, and IIdA16G1) were detected in young ruminants for the first time in Turkey. These results indicate the high infection of Cryptosporidium in Turkey and propose that young ruminants are likely a major reservoir of C. parvum and a potential source of zoonotic transmission.

Çocuklarda Sosyal Duyarlılığın Geliştirilmesi: ‘Sokak Hayvanlarının Yardımcıları’ Projesi

Maltreatment towards animals is one of the major problems that often arise. Although it is important to enact prohibitive and preventive measures on this issue, education from the early years is one of the main measures to increase social sensitivity. The fact that children encounter with stray animals in Turkey can be used as an opportunity for education about animals, which is integral to environmental education. In this sense, inquiring about stray animals with children can increase their social sensitivity and awareness because this topic provides children with concrete experiences and it is closely related to their daily life. In this study, a project on stray animals was described conducted with preschool children using the project approach. The study took place in a kindergarten classroom of an elementary school for 11 weeks, once a week. Participants of the study included 14 preschool children and two teacher candidates under the guidance of an academic advisor. The classroom teacher also supported teacher candidates during the project work and the candidates observed and documented the learning process using photos, notes, and children’s representational artifacts. Based on the observations during the learning process and the documentation, it has been concluded that preschool children’s social sensitivity and awareness towards stray animals were developed and their development was supported in multiple ways with the project work.

A review of toxoplasmosis in humans and animals in Turkey.

Infections by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii are widely prevalent in humans and animals in Turkey but little is known of the burden of their clinical toxoplasmosis. Many early papers on toxoplasmosis in Turkey were published in Turkish and often not available widely. Here, we review prevalence, clinical spectrum, epidemiology and diagnosis of T. gondii in humans and animals in Turkey. This knowledge should be useful to biologists, public health workers, veterinarians and physicians. Although one-third of the human population in Turkey is seropositive, the rate of congenital toxoplasmosis is unknown and no information is available in children 12 years old or younger. One large outbreak of acute toxoplasmosis has been reported in 14-18-year old school children in Turkey. An alarming rate (36%) of T. gondii tissue cysts were reported in tissues of sheep and water buffalo meats destined for human consumption; these reports require verification. Genetically, T. gondii strains from domestic cats and wild birds in Turkey were generally classical type II and III, like those prevalent in Europe. A separate genotype, Type 1 Africa, was isolated from two congenitally infected children and a domestic cat in Turkey.

Molecular investigation of the natural transovarial transmission of tick-borne pathogens in Turkey

This study aimed to investigate the presence of the natural transovarial transmission of tick-borne pathogens in unfed larvae obtained from engorged female ticks from domestic animals in Turkey. Larvae (n = 4530, 151 pools) obtained from 75 engorged female ticks and female carcasses were screened for the presence of certain tick-borne pathogens by PCR. The presence of transovarial transmission of Babesia occultans was detected in Hyalomma marginatum and Hy. excavatum, while Ba. ovis in Rhipicephalus bursa. Theileria annulata was detected only in Hy. excavatum and Rh. turanicus female carcasses, but not in their examined progenies. Additionally, Rickettsia aeschlimannii and Rickettsia raoultii were detected in Hy. marginatum and Dermacentor marginatus females, respectively, and all their examined larvae. Besides, Ri. slovaca was detected in a De. marginatus female carcass and its one of two examined larvae pools. The presence of mixed Ba. occultans and Ri. aeschlimannii infection was also determined in an Hy. marginatum female and its larvae. This is the first demonstration of transovarial transmission of Ba. occultans in naturally infected Hy. excavatum. These data suggested that Hy. excavatum may act as vector in the natural cycle of Ba. occultans.

Overview of Zoonotic Diseases in Turkey: The One Health Concept and Future Threats.

Zoonotic infections are globally important diseases and lead to huge economic losses in both low- and middle-income and high-income countries. Global warming, environmental and ecological changes, illegal movement of animals and humans, regional civil wars, and poverty are predisposing factors for the emergence of zoonotic infections and their distribution worldwide; they are also a big threat for the future. In addition, environmental pollution and antimicrobial resistance are immense serious threats and dangers to prevent and control zoonotic infections. The natural location of Turkey allows many emerged or re-emerged infections with zoonotic characteristics by animal movements, such as bird immigrations, and by human movements due to civil wars as seen with regional refugees. Numerous zoonotic diseases, including 37 bacterial, 13 fungal, 29 viral, 28 parasitic (3 trematodes, 7 cestodes, 10 nematodes, and 8 protozoan), and totally 107 infections, have been reported from Turkey to date. Additionally, many ectoparasitic zoonoses within 15 different arthropod groups and one leech infestation have been reported from Turkey to date. The "One Health" initiative is particularly relevant for developing strategies to combat zoonotic diseases. In this article, we review the occurrence of zoonotic diseases in man and animals in Turkey in the light of the "One Health" perspective.