Helminth Fauna in Carnivoran Mammals from Uzbekistan

Abstract

Helminths, or parasitic worms, are a group of organisms that can infect various animal species, including humans. In Uzbekistan, previous studies on the helminth fauna of mammals have mainly focused on domestic animals and some wildlife species, with little attention given to carnivoran mammals. This survey aims to conduct a comprehensive study for the first time in Uzbekistan on the helminth fauna of Carnivora. In this study, helminths were collected from 1002 carnivorans (Canidae, n = 710; Mustelidae, n = 167; and Felidae, n = 125) from five locations in Uzbekistan (Northeastern, Eastern, Central, Southern and Northwestern). A total of 71 species of helminths were identified in domestic and wild carnivores by necropsy and faecal examination, of which 36, 23, 9, and 3 species belonged to the higher taxon Nematoda, Cestoda, Trematoda and Acanthocephala respectively. The highest number of helminth species was recorded in studied Canidae (51 species), followed by Felidae (40 species) and Mustelidae (35 species). The overall infection rate of carnivorans was 79.8 %. Infection intensity ranged from a single to dozens of specimens. The statistical analysis indicated that the diversity of helminth species is significant among members of Canidae, with foxes having 42 species and dogs having 41 species (P < 0.05). Our study proves that the parasitic worm species that inhabit predatory mammals in Uzbekistan are a diverse and complex group that can cause helminthiases, which may be dangerous to livestock and humans.