Plague (Yersinia pestis) - is a sharp natural focal transmissible infection transmitted through flea bites. Natural foci of plague in Kazakhstan occupy about 39% of the total territory and are among the most active in the world. The proposed project is aimed at the search for alternative, environmentally friendly methods of control of the plague vectors. The aim of the pilot studies is to search for and investigate the natural parasites of fleas (Siphonaptera) of great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus), which can be used to control plague, as a factor restraining the number of its major vectors at a low level. One of such parasites are entomopathogenic nematodes, widely used throughout the world as a biological agents against pests. The advantages of using entomopathogenic nematodes are their ecological safety, nematodes do affect only on a target species of insects, do not poison the soil and are harmless to other species of animals and human.
In the course of the project, it is planned to isolate entomopathogenic nematodes from the fleas of the great gerbil, their cultivation in in vivo conditions, and further testing on fleas of various species in the laboratory of zoology and parasitology of the KSCQZD. After the planned culture will be grown in vivo, the authors plan to conduct a series of experiments on the infestation of fleas in so-called "flea factories". To determine the range of the efficacy of the entomopathogenic nematodes, a various conditions of humidity, temperature, types of soils etc. will be selected during the experiments.
After the completion of laboratory studies, it is planned to conduct the experiment in the field. For this, experimental plots 200 x 200 meters each will be selected, which will include colonies of the great gerbil. The plots will be laid on sites with different types of soil and landscape, while the control areas will not differ from the experimental ones in their conditions. During the experiment, the colonies will be treated with water solution containing larvae of entomopathogenic nematodes. The number of fleas in the colonies will be taken into account before and after treatment for all plots in order to assess the effectiveness of nematode exposure to the number of fleas
