Serological Screening for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus and Hepatitis E Virus in Camels in Kazakhstan
Kobey Karamendin,
Aigerim Seidalina,
Temirlan Sabyrzhan,
Sardor Nuralibekov,
Yermukhammet Kasymbekov,
Symbat Suleimenova,
Elizaveta Khan,
Oralbek Alikhanov,
Uldana Narsha,
Kalya Erkekulova,
Aidyn Kydyrmanov
Affiliations
Kobey Karamendin
Laboratory of Viral Ecology, Department of Virology, Scientific Production Center of Microbiology and Virology, 105 Bogenbay batyr Str., Almaty A25K1G0, Kazakhstan
Aigerim Seidalina
Laboratory of Viral Ecology, Department of Virology, Scientific Production Center of Microbiology and Virology, 105 Bogenbay batyr Str., Almaty A25K1G0, Kazakhstan
Temirlan Sabyrzhan
Laboratory of Viral Ecology, Department of Virology, Scientific Production Center of Microbiology and Virology, 105 Bogenbay batyr Str., Almaty A25K1G0, Kazakhstan
Sardor Nuralibekov
Laboratory of Viral Ecology, Department of Virology, Scientific Production Center of Microbiology and Virology, 105 Bogenbay batyr Str., Almaty A25K1G0, Kazakhstan
Yermukhammet Kasymbekov
Laboratory of Viral Ecology, Department of Virology, Scientific Production Center of Microbiology and Virology, 105 Bogenbay batyr Str., Almaty A25K1G0, Kazakhstan
Symbat Suleimenova
Laboratory of Viral Ecology, Department of Virology, Scientific Production Center of Microbiology and Virology, 105 Bogenbay batyr Str., Almaty A25K1G0, Kazakhstan
Elizaveta Khan
Laboratory of Viral Ecology, Department of Virology, Scientific Production Center of Microbiology and Virology, 105 Bogenbay batyr Str., Almaty A25K1G0, Kazakhstan
Oralbek Alikhanov
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Agrarian Faculty, M. Auezov South Kazakhstan State University, 9th Corpus, 198 M.Kh. Dulati Str., Shymkent 160013, Kazakhstan
Uldana Narsha
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Agrarian Faculty, M. Auezov South Kazakhstan State University, 9th Corpus, 198 M.Kh. Dulati Str., Shymkent 160013, Kazakhstan
Kalya Erkekulova
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Agrarian Faculty, M. Auezov South Kazakhstan State University, 9th Corpus, 198 M.Kh. Dulati Str., Shymkent 160013, Kazakhstan
Aidyn Kydyrmanov
Laboratory of Viral Ecology, Department of Virology, Scientific Production Center of Microbiology and Virology, 105 Bogenbay batyr Str., Almaty A25K1G0, Kazakhstan
After the recent Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS–CoV) pandemic in 2013, more attention has been paid to the camel as an important source of zoonotic viral infections. Almost simultaneously, in 2013, new genotypes 7 and 8 of the hepatitis E virus (HEV) were discovered in dromedary and Bactrian camels, respectively. HEV 7 was further shown to be associated with chronic viral hepatitis in a transplant recipient. In this study, serological screening for antibodies to MERS-CoV and hepatitis E virus was carried out on large camel farms in the south and west of Kazakhstan. 6.42% of the tested camels were found to be positive for antibodies to the hepatitis E virus, which indicates its circulation in local camel population. For the first time, antibodies to the hepatitis E virus were found in Bactrians, which have been little studied to date. Antibodies to MERS-CoV were not found in the camel sera.
