OPISTHORCHIASIS IN CARNIVORES IN THE WEST KAZAKHSTAN REGION

Abstract

Opisthorchiasis foci are most common among population and carnivores in river basins where there are favorable conditions for mollusks and cyprinids. For the first time the comparative analysis of domestic carnivores infected by O. felineus was carried out in the Middle Urals basin. The research purpose was to study the infection rate in domestic carnivores with opisthorchiasis to determine its invasive status in the West Kazakhstan Region. The research was conducted in 2021–2022, in the following West Kazakhstan Region riverside settlements of the Ural River: Daryinsk, Rubyozhka, Yanvartsevo, Volodarka, Trekino, etc. To determine opisthorchis infection in the carnivores, helminthological examination of feces was performed by sequential washing and flotation methods according to Scherbovich, as well as helminthological dissection of the liver per K. I. Skryabin. The epizootological status of the Middle Urals basin is unfavorable in terms of opisthorchis infection. It was found that, the average prevalence of O. felineus infection in dogs was 89.7%, and the infection intensity was 19.6±1.6 specimens/animal in the settlements of the River Ural. The average prevalence in cats was 97.9%, and the infection intensity was 34.4±2.9 specimens/animal. Epizootological status of the Middle Urals basin is unfavorable in terms of opisthorchis infection. The domestic carnivores in the settlements of the Ural River are infected with O. felineus.