Bioecological characterization of nematode distribution among livestock in the north-eastern territories of the Lesser Caucasus of Azerbaijan Republic

Helminthological studies of sheep and goats were conducted in the northeastern territories of the Lesser Caucasus of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2013-2022. The northeastern areas of the Lesser Caucasus include Ganja and Goygeli, Dashkesan, Geranboy, Naftalan, Samukh, Shamkir, Tovuz, Agstafa, Gazakh and Kadabek districts, as well as the areas around the Kura and Jeyranchel rivers, which are wintering places of livestock farms. This process plays a special role in the formation of helminth fauna of animals, as small horned livestock farms in these areas lead a nomadic and sedentary lifestyle. As a result of helminthological research 52 species of helminths, including 43 species of nematodes were identified. Of these, 7 species are indicated for the study region for the first time. All detected nematode species were registered in sheep, while only 26 species were found in goats, which are common to the sheep helminth fauna. These helminth species can be considered as permanent elements of the helminthofaunistic complex of livestock production in the studied region. It was found that young sheep and goats are relatively heavily infested with helminths. Infestation is higher in late spring - early summer and early fall. For this purpose, 957 sheep and 619 goats were examined for nematode pathogens in different landscape-ecological zones of the region by the method of complete helminthological autopsy according to K. I. Skryabin. Some species of helminths are absent in the studied animals before driving them to summer pastures but are observed in them after their return to wintering. Animals become infected by ingesting larvae or mature helminth eggs on summer pastures.