HELMINTHS OF DOGS IN THE FERGANA VALLEY OF UZBEKISTAN

The research purpose was to investigate the species composition of helminths in dogs from the Fergana Valley and assess their infection rates. Helminthological material was collected from dogs throughout all seasons of 2000 to 2024 in the Fergana Valley, the Republic of Uzbekistan. A total of 135 domestic dogs were examined by complete and partial helminthological dissections. Additionally, helminthocoprological methods analyzed over 100 faecal samples that were examined using sequential washing, Fülleborn’s method, and Berman-Orlov method. The research recorded23 helminth species belonging to 21 genera, 16 families, 7 orders, and 3 classes: Trematoda, Cestoda, and Nematoda, in dogs from the Fergana Valley. The overall infection rate was 80.7%. Trematodes in dogs from the Fergana Valley were represented by 3 species belonging to 3 genera, 3 families, and 2 orders; cestodes were represented by 8 species (7 genera, 3 families, and 1 order), and nematodes, by 12 species (11 genera, 10 families, and 4 orders). The recorded helminth species are common parasites of carnivorous mammals including domestic dogs in Uzbekistan. The spread of helminth communities depends on ecological characteristics and functional features of both natural and urban areas.