FEATURES OF NATURAL FOCAL DISEASES TRANSMITTED BY IXODES TICKS IN PRIMORSKII R EGION (RUSSKY ISLAND )
An epidemiological study of Russky Island (Primorskii region) from May 2011 through 2012 was pe rformed. 1097 of Ixodes ticks of five species (Ixodes persulcatus, Ixodes pavlovskyi, Haemaphysalis concinna, Haemaphysalis japonica douglasi, Dermacentor silvarum) were collected from the vegetation. Tick - borne encephalitis virus antigen was found only in Ixodes persulcatus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. This species was predominant among others. The polymerase chain reaction revealed that 20.4% of Ixodes persulcatus and 2.5% of Haemaphysalis concinna had RNA of tick - borne encephalitis. Furthermore the natural foci of Lyme disease, rickettsioses and human monocytic ehrlichiosis were revealed on Russky Island.