The epidemiology of transmission of zoonoses between carnivores and humans in Kyrgyzstan

The proposed research work seeks to determine the risk factors of zoonoses and investigates the role of carnivores in the transmission of the diseases in Kyrgyzstan. Furthermore, it seeks to use this data to model spatial risk and control measures. The results of the proposed research will help understand the epidemiological situation and explore control strategies in a limited resource setting. Current hypotheses for this epidemic include the colonization of domestic by E. multilocularis (thus increasing the contact rate between the parasite and humans), or ecological changes resulting in increases in the population of wild carnivores and greater human – wildlife interaction with contamination of water and/or food supplies and greater susceptibility to infection due to concomitant disease or immune suppression. My research will help to understand which hypothesis is supported. The research will also add to an understanding of infectious disease dynamics not only specifically applied to echinococcosis, but other transmissible parasitic diseases with complex life cycles and thus be of fundamental scientific importance. It is also essential to obtain a good understanding of the mechanisms of transmission between carnivores and humans and the factors associated with infection in humans to be able to initiate effective programs (e.g. treatment of dogs, baiting of wild carnivores) to control the disease. The focal nature of the disease means that control can be targeted to those areas that appear to have the highest risk.

Keywords: zoonoses, E. multilocularis, transmission

Short Biography

My name is Kuban, originally from Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia. After I finished my degree from theKyrgyz Agrarian Academy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 2003 I started to work in Kyrgyz Research Institute of Veterinary Science in Department of Parasitology. In 2013 I finished my Master’s dissertation. I am very interesting in epidemiology and statistics questions, and is why I join to the EBPI PhD program. I would like to address in future research on possibility of using epidemiological methods to decide issues and tasks in Veterinary Public Health, with an emphasis on zoonotic parasites. I am currently under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Paul R. Torgerson.

Kubanychbek Abdykerimov
Vetsuisse Faculty, Section of Epidemiology
University of Zurich

Supervisor: Paul Torgerson