Whole-genome sequence and annotation of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica strain QazSL-4.

Here, we present the whole-genome sequence of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica strain QazSL-4 isolated from a chicken fillet in 2018, Almaty, Kazakhstan. The genome obtained using Illumina MiSeq technology consists of 49 contigs with a total length of 4,711,816 bp with a GC content of 52.1%.

Development and Evaluation of Alternative Methods to Identify the Three Most Common Serotypes of Salmonella enterica Causing Clinical Infections in Kazakhstan.

In this study, we aimed to compare the performance of conventional PCR and real-time PCR assays as screening methods for identification of three frequent, clinically significant Salmonella serovars in Kazakhstan. We determined the diagnostic efficacy of three molecular methods for detection of S. enterica subsp. enterica and typing S. Typhimurium, S. Enteritidis, and S. Virchow. A total of 137 clinical samples and 883 food samples were obtained in Almaty in 2018-2019. All tests showed high analytical specificity for detecting S. enterica and its corresponding serovariants (100%). The sensitivity of real-time PCR for each of the tested targets was 1-10 microbial cells and in conventional PCR 10-100 microbial cells. The trials with conventional PCR and real-time PCR had a diagnostic efficacy (DE) of 100% and 99.71%, respectively. The DE of real-time PCR and conventional PCR for detecting S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium was 99.90%, while the DE of conventional PCR and real-time PCR for detecting S. Virchow was 99.31% and 99.80%, respectively. The RAPD-PCR analysis of the genomic DNA of Salmonella enterica showed the genetic kinship of S. Enteritidis isolates, and the genetic heterogeneity of S. Typhimurium and S. Virchow isolates. Thus, the developed methods can be considered as alternatives to classical serotyping using antisera.

Puberty in modernizing Kazakhstan: a comparison of rural and urban children.

BACKGROUND: Data on puberty development are available for several countries but not for Central Asia. AIM: Using data collected during the Kazakhstan Health and Nutrition Survey (KHA-ES), we evaluated the relationship between the living environment (rural vs. urban), ethnicity (Russians vs. Kazakhs) and pubertal status in children living in Kazakhstan. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Genital (G1-G5), breast (B1-B5) and pubic hair (PH1-PH5) development were evaluated in a sample of 2389 boys and 2416 girls using Tanner's criteria. Age at menarche was evaluated using the 'status quo' and 'recall' methods. RESULTS: Rural children were older than urban children at stages > or =G2 for males and > or =B2 for females, and this difference was more evident for Russian males. Differences levelled out at later stages of development in Kazakh males and in the pooled girls. The living environment was slightly but significantly associated with median age at menarche (12.89 years for urban Kazakhs to 13.43 years for rural Kazakhs). Male and female Kazakhs were older than Russians at stages 4 and 5, especially in the urban area. CONCLUSION: A relationship between pubertal status and the living environment was present in a rapidly modernizing country such as Kazakhstan.

Spirometric reference values for children and adolescents from Kazakhstan.

BACKGROUND: Spirometric parameters are influenced by several factors and many reference data are available in the literature. However, no spirometric data are available for children and adolescents from Central Asia. AIM: The study aimed to calculate spirometric reference curves on the basis of anthropometry, ethnicity (Kazakh vs. Russian) and living environment (urban vs. rural). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Spirometry (FEV1, FVC and FEF25-75%) was performed and anthropometric measurements taken for 1926 male and 1967 female Kazakh children aged 7-18 years. RESULTS: Height explained almost all the variance of forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) for both sexes, while age and inspiratory circumference contributed slightly to the prediction. Moreover, FVC and FEV1 were greater in Russians than in Kazakhs and ethnicity did enter the prediction model for these parameters. The living environment had a marginal effect on spirometry. In fact, forced expiratory flow 25-75% (FEF25-75%) was slightly higher in urban than in rural females, FVC was slightly higher in rural than in urban males, while FEV1 was not affected. Finally, among several spirometric equations available in the literature, those performing better in our children were obtained in developed countries. CONCLUSION: Anthropometry was the most important predictor of spirometry. Age and ethnicity were also predictors, while the contribution of the living environment was more limited.

Prevalence of overweight and cardiovascular risk factors in rural and urban children from Central Asia: the Kazakhstan health and nutrition examination survey.

Kazakhstan is undergoing a rapid modernization process, which carries the risk of an epidemic of obesity and cardiovascular disease. We enrolled a sample of about 50 children for every combination of gender, environment (urban vs. rural), ethnic group (Kazakh vs. Russian), and age group from 7 to 18 years, for a total of 4,808 children. Anthropometry and blood pressure were measured on all children while fasting blood cholesterol and glucose were measured only in 2,616 children aged > or =12 years. The prevalence of overweight and risk of overweight ranged from 2.8 (rural male Kazakhs) to 9.1% (urban male Russians). The prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension ranged from 8.3 (urban females) to 15.9% (rural females); that of hypercholesterolemia from 11.5 (male rural Russians) to 26.5% (female rural Kazakhs); and the overall prevalence of impaired fasting glucose was 0.1%. We conclude that overweight and cardiovascular risk factors are less prevalent in children living in Kazakhstan than in those living in Western countries. However, these figures are not negligible and suggest that preventive measures are needed to contain the epidemic of overweight and cardiovascular disease that will most likely accompany the modernization of Kazakhstan in the next years.