The spread of the main parasitosis of sheep in farms of the Leningrad region

Abstract

This article presents the results of studies aimed at studying the distribution and assessing the seasonal and age dynamics of the main endoparasitoses of small cattle kept in peasant (farm) households of the Luga, Lomonosovsky and Volosovsky districts of the Leningrad region. Mixed invasions were registered in all the studied farms. The species composition of the parasites included protozoa of the genus Eimeria (E. intricata, E. parva, E. ashata with EI up to 98%); intestinal nematodes (Trichostrongylus sp., Chabertia ovina, Nematodirus sp. with EI up to 96%); cestodes (Moniezia expansa with EI up to 67%); trematodes (Fasciola hepatica with EI up to 28%); protostrongylids (Mullerius capillaris with EI up to 43%). The average EI value was 66.4%. Seasonal and age dynamics of the spread of invasive diseases on the territory of the studied farms were determined. Thus, the peak of eimeriosis and strongylosis was observed in winter, monieziasis - in spring and autumn, mulleriosis - in summer and autumn, fascioliasis - in November. Age dynamics showed that the highest number of eggs of helminths of the suborder Strongylata in a sample of fecal matter from sick animals was found in young animals of the current year of birth (up to 93 eggs / 1 g of fecal matter). At the same time, the highest number of eggs of the cestode M. expansa was noted in breeding rams aged 2 to 4 years (up to 62 eggs / 1 g of fecal matter). High invasion of the trematode F. hepatica was established in ewes aged 2 to 4 years (7 eggs / 1 sample studied). It was also recorded that the greatest release of M. capillaris larvae occurred in 7-month-old ewes. During the helminthological autopsy of sets of internal organs from dead lambs and ewes, the presence of parasitic nematodes of the genus Chabertia (Ch. ovina) was established. In the large intestines, 25-48 specimens/head were found, which amounted to 16.7% of the parasite burden.