HELMINTHS OF THE AMERICAN MINK (NEOGALE VISON SCHREBER, 1777) IN THE KIROV REGION

The American mink is an introduced species for the Kirov Region. The analysis of helminth infection of the American mink was carried out in urban conditions and natural biocenoses of the Kirov Region (floodplains of the Vyatka, Kama, Cheptsa and Moloma Rivers) in the north-east of the European part of Russia. The method of complete helminthological dissection was used to study 109 carcasses of the American mink from natural biocenoses and urbanized landscapes of the city of Kirov and other settlements of the Kirov Region (residential areas). In the studied animals, species, sex, age, weight and fatness of the animal were determined. Age was determined by the method of V. G. Klevezal. Eighteen species of parasitic worms belonging to 3 classes were identified, namely, trematodes (4 species), nematodes (13 species), and cestodes (1 species). Five new species were found for the Kirov Region including Metorchis bilis (Braun, 1890), Crenosoma taiga (Skrjabin et Petrov, 1928), and Mustelivingylus skrjabini (Romanov et Kontrimavichus, 1962). Of these, 8 species were found in urban areas. Most often, infection occurred with 4 helminth species, Aonchotheca putorii, Aonchotheca mucronata, Crenosoma taiga, and Skrjabingylus nasicola. Epizootological and epidemiological danger is posed by Trichinella nativa. In minks, the bladder (A. mucronata) and frontal sinuses (Sk. nasicola) are often affected.