Epizootiological characteristics of echinococcosis in dogs, sheep and goats and measures to combat it in Caspian Sea region of Russia

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the study of the epizootiological characteristics of echinococcosis in dogs, sheep and goats in the Caspian Sea region of Russia where Echinococcus occurrence varies from 30 to 80%, as well as the results of tests of the complex product Prazibars (at different doses) for its effectiveness against this parasitosis. The extensity of Echinococcus invasion in sheep and goats in the Caspian Depression is 38.6%; it is expansive and affects more and more areas. Some researchers report that Echinococcus granulosus occurrence in sheep in the Caspian Sea region of Russia increases by 0.2–0.3% annually and averages 32.8%. It is demonstrated that Echinococcus granulosus invasion intensity and extensity in sheep dogs in the natural altitudinal zones of the region average 3,136.7 ± 343.0 par­asites/animal and 30.1%, respectively. In the zones covered by the study, Echinococcus species are detected in adult pasture-raised sheep throughout the year, the invasion intensity and extensity average 22.3 ± 2.1 parasites/animal and 23.0%, respectively. It was found that echinococcosis was reported in adult sheep and goats in all the Caspian Sea region areas covered by the study. Complete helminthological necropsy revealed the presence of fertile larva cysts in 1 mL of echinococcal fluid in sheep and goats of all age groups, except for animals under 1 year of age; their number averaged 23.02 ± 1.28 larval cysts/animal. It is shown that echinococcosis is widely spread in carnivores and livestock across all altitudinal zones of the Caspian Sea region of Russia, including Dagestan, and this suggests the necessity of continuous epizootiological control and monitoring of the situation with respect to cestodes of the family Taeniidae, in particular Echinococcus granulosus. Since echinococcosis in dogs and other carnivores constitutes a large-scale social problem and is a helminthiasis that is dangerous for humans, seeking state-of-the-art ways and means to combat this parasitic disease of carnivores is an urgent challenge. Based on the results of the tests performed, the complex product Prazibars administered individually one time at a dose of 15.0 mg/kg of live weight in admixture with minced meat demonstrated high effectiveness against spontaneous echinococcosis in dogs and other carnivorous animals.

Keywords

• sheep
• goats
• echinococcosis
• fertile larval cysts
• echinococcus granulosus
• sheep dogs
• invasion
• intensity of invasion
• extensity of invasion
• prazibars