Helminths of domestic and wild artiodactyls (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) in Uzbekistan

The article discusses some features of the helminthofauna of domestic and wild artiodactyls in Uzbekistan, represented by the families Suidae, Cervidae , and Bovidae. The total of 14 species turned out to be hosts to helminths. The prevalence ranged 75.5 % to 100 .0 %. Our research team identified 103 helminth species , belonging to the classes Cestoda (13 species), Trematoda (10), Acanthocephala (1) , and Nematoda (79). The highest parasite species diversity was recorded in the domestic animals: 48 species in sheep, 34 in goats, and 40 in cattle. The number of helminth species in wild artiodactyls varied from 13 to 28. Most of the recorded helminths parasitise d different parts of the artiodactyls' bodies, causing serious diseases. They we re found in almost all organs. The most widespread helminths in the animals studied include d the representatives of the class Cestoda – Moniezia expansa , M. benedeni , Avitellina centripunctata , and Echinococcus granulosus . From the class Trematoda, these include d Fasciola hepatica , F. gigantica , Gastrothylax crumenifer , Calicophoron erschowi , Dicrocoelium dendriticum , and Schistosoma turke s tanicum . The class Nematoda in this regard wa s represented by Trichocephalus ovis , Chabertia ovina , Dictyocaulus filaria , Metastrongylus elongatus , Ostertagia occidentalis , Marshallagia marshalli , Nematodirus helvetianus , Tel a dorsagia circumcincta , Gongylonema pulchrum , Parabronema skrjabini , and Setaria labiatopapillosa . Of the total number of helminths species of artiodactyls , a number of species are of interest from the point of view of medical parasitology. According to their life cycle, the helminths can be divided into two groups: homoxenous and heteroxe n ous. The first one , homoxenous , consists of parasites that do not change hosts throughout their life. According to our materials, this group included nematodes from the genera Trichocephalus , Strongyloides , Bunostomum , Chabertia , Oesophagostomum , Trichostrongylus , Haemonchus , Marshallagia , Nematodirus , Ostertagia , Dictyocaulus , Skrjab i nema , Ascaris, and Neoascaris . The second, he heteroxenous, group was formed by all representatives of the classes Cestoda, Trematoda, and Acanthocephala, and also some Nematoda species. We identified oligochaetes, molluscs, and insects as intermediate hosts. The artiodactyls of Uzbekistan were also determined as intermediate hosts to par a sites from the family Taeniidae, class Cestoda. The hosts and their parasites exerted close topical (in relation to biosy s tems) and trophic relationships, which ensures contacts with components of the parasitic system and contributes to the formation of the helminthofauna and the circulation of parasites in the wild of Uzbekistan.