Episototic monitoring of endoparasitoses among wild birds in the Kharkiv region

Abstract

Preservation of livestock in wild bird populations in natural conditions and conditions of anthropozoocenoses affects by their incidence of various diseases, particularly dangerous from them are infectious diseases among which zooparasitoses occupy an important place. The aim of the research was to identify the spread of the main pathogens of endoparasitic diseases among different wild bird species. Epizootic monitoring of invasive diseases among wild birds (n=38) in the suburbs of Kharkiv was conducted in June 2021 during their quarantine in a private shelter. Fecal samples were examined by standardized flotation technique. Endoparasitic diseases were detected in 29 (76.3 %) of 38 samples from 11 wild bird species. Infestation in rock pigeons, whooper swans, mallards, common bullfinch, common magpies, and rooks reached 100%. Infestation of ravens and gulls were 50 and 25 %, respectively. Instead, the birds of prey were free from zooparasites. In four rock pigeons 11 were diagnosed Eimeria monoinvasion and seven of them had mixed invasion consisting of Eimeria, ascaridia, strongylids of the alimentary canal and capillariids, their intensity of invasion (II) ranged from 5.33±0.88 to 230.55±40.55 ovoscopic elements in 1 g of litter. In whooper swans has established mixed invasion consisting of Eimeria, strongylids of the alimentary canal, and capillariids with II – 9.33±2.40, 5.00±0.58, and 4.00±1.00 ovoscopic elements in 1 g of litter, respectively. In two of five common magpies registered monoinvasion and in three – mixed invasion consisting of cestodes, strongylids, and capillariids with II of 3.67±0.88, 4.33±0.67, and 7.75±1.55 ovoscopic elements in 1 g of litter, respectively. In rooks, monoinvasion caused by pathogens of cestodes, strongylidoses, and capillariides predominated. Eimeriosis-strongylidosis mixed invasion was diagnosed in a common mallard. Eimeria and capillaria monoinvasion were diagnosed in ravens and common bullfinch, and gulls, respectively. Among the infested birds, 48.3 % were found monoinvasion caused by Eimeria, cestodes, or capillariids. Mixed invasions were recorded in 51.7 % of birds, consisting of 2-component (34.5 % of the total number of sick birds) and 3- and 4-component associations of parasites (17.2 % of the total number of sick birds). The obtained data have important theoretical and practical significance, as they expand the already existing information on the spread of endoparasitoses of wild birds in the territory of different natural and climatic regions of Ukraine.