Name: Atambekova Zhyldyz
Affiliation: Kyrgyz Scientific Research Institute of Veterinary named after Arstanbek Duisheev, TogolokMoldo,Bishkek 720033, Kyrgyzstan
Position: Researcher
Term: September 2022 – February 2023
Host researcher: Prof. Naoaki Yokoyama
Circumstances of application:
I was a JICA trainee between November 2017 and April 2018 at the NRCPD. After my return, my attempts to investigate the epidemiology of vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) infecting cattle in Kyrgyzstan were limited by the lack of resources, including laboratory facilities. Therefore, I applied for the post of Foreign Visiting Researcher at the NRCPD to conduct a comprehensive epidemiological survey of VBPs infecting cattle in Kyrgyzstan.
Research activity in NRCPD:
Our epidemiological survey of VBPs revealed that cattle in Kyrgyzstan are infected with Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, B. occultans, Theileria annulata, T. orientalis, Trypanosoma theileri, and Anaplasma marginale, suggesting that cattle populations in this country are at risk for developing clinical diseases caused by these VBPs. Among the VBP diseases, bovine babesiosis and theileriosis cause huge economic losses to cattle industry. Therefore, next, we investigated the cattle with presumed clinical babesiosis and theileriosis in Kyrgyzstan. We found that clinical bovine babesiosis caused by B. bovis and B. bigemina and clinical bovine theileriosis caused by T. annulata and T. orientalis are common in Kyrgyzstan. Our findings highlight the need for introducing diagnostic, therapeutic, and control methods for bovine VBP diseases in Kyrgyzstan.
Future prospects:
I will broaden my research on bovine VBPs in Kyrgyzstan using the knowledge and skill I acquired at the NRCPD. I will continue to collabore with the OIE reference laboratory for bovine babesiosis and try to enroll in a PhD program at the NRCPD.