Ecological, epizootic, sanitary and hygienic problems of echinococcosis in domestic goats and dogs in the North Caucasus

Echinococcal invasion, included by the World Health Organization in the list of especially socially dangerous parasitic zoonoses, is an unresolved epidemic, epizootic and sanitary-­hygienic problem for the population and animals in more than 250 countries of the world. The purpose of the research was to study the epizootic and sanitary-­hygienic problems of echinococcosis of domestic goats in the North Caucasus region. In 2019–2022, the research was carried out in 3 climatic zones of Kabardino-­Balkaria. The objects were liver and lungs of 120 slaughter goats. The intestines were dissected from 15 dog corpses slaughtered in accordance with the International Rules for the Humane Treatment of Animals (2012). Monitoring of echinococcosis in dogs and goats was performed by the method of autopsy of organs and tissues according to K.I. Scriabin (1928). The number of eggs of taeniid type in faeces of dogs and in 520 samples of water from natural reservoirs of the Terek river basin was determined according to the guidelines of Russian Research Institute of Parasitology (1986). In plain climatic zone, index of occurrence of cystic Echinococcus granulosus invasion in liver and lungs of goats was 18 %, in foothill zone — 24 %, in mountain zone — 28 % (on average, 25 %). Extracted from liver and lungs of sheep, transparent cysts of echinococcus contained protoscolexes in 100 % of the samples, which indicates the likelihood of foci involving dogs and wild predators in the region. Natural reservoirs of Kabardino-­Balkaria are also large biotopes of teniosis. Contamination of river water samples with taeniid eggs is 11.0…37.0 %. The region belongs to the group of subjects with high rates of zoonosis in animals due to violation of the terms of deworming for priotary dogs, lack of sanitary and preventive work with the population. According to the epizootic situation for animal echinococcosis, the Kabardino-­Balkarian Republic can be attributed to disadvantaged regions of the Russian Federation, as there is an increase in the number of dogs with echinococcosis and goats infected with fertile cysts. Sanitary and hygienic pollution of the Terek river and its tributaries, Malka, Baksan, Cherek and Chegem, with eggs of cestodes is a threat to the spread of echinococcosis among animals and humans.