Kuznetsov D.N. 2024. Gastrointestinal nematodes of common fallow deer (Dama dama) in game farms in European Russia // Russian J. Theriol. Vol.23. No.2. P.178–186 [in English].
Dmitry N. Kuznetsov [dkuznetsov@mail.ru], Center of Parasitology of A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS, Mytnaya str., 28/1, Moscow 119049, Russia.
doi: 10.15298/rusjtheriol.23.2.07
ABSTRACT. The species composition of gastrointestinal nematodes found in common fallow deer (Dama dama) from game farms in the territory of European Russia (Tver’ and Smolensk regions) was determined. The nematodes were collected in the period from 2016 to 2022, during necropsies of 30 common fallow deer. Gastrointestinal nematodes were found in 21 of the 30 fallow deer studied, thus, the prevalence was 70.0%. The intensity of infection ranged from 20 to 98 specimens of nematodes. Six species of gastrointestinal nematodes were found: Ashworthius sidemi, Cooperia pectinata, Mazamastrongylus dagestanica, Ostertagia leptospicularis, Spiculopteragia asymmetrica and Trichostrongylus capricola. In addition, “Spiculopteragia quadrispiculata”, a minor morph of S. asymmetrica was also found. Among the six nematode species detected, S. asymmetrica dominated in both intensity of infection and the prevalence. Ostertagia leptospicularis was in the second place in terms of the prevalence, but the intensity of infection with O. leptospicularis was significantly lower compared to S. asymmetrica. Nematodes of four other species were found in single specimens, in 6.7–10.0% of the fallow deer studied, and only in Smolensk region. At the same time, the species M. dagestanica was found in common fallow deer for the first time. The detection of Asian nematode A. sidemi confirms the further spread of this potentially dangerous parasite among ruminants of Europe. The detection of O. leptospicularis also deserves special attention, since this nematode is capable of infecting not only wild ruminants of various species, but also livestock.
KEY WORDS: wild ruminants, Dama dama, digestive tract, parasitic nematodes, European Russia, game farms.