Abstract

Original long-term studies of the authors on the sheep infestation by D. filaria in conditions of pronounced vertical zonal character of climate and landscape belts (300–2000 m above sea level) have shown a presence of wide infestation among all age groups of the animals: in lambs up to 60%, in young sheep up to 57% and in adult sheep up to 45%. Dictyocaulus is also present in moufflons and bezoar goats in Armenia. The main reasons for such a wide infection are the following: • a monoxenous character of D. filaria life cycle, i.e. the parasite being a geohelminth; • its survivability in wide range of biotic conditions; • an insufficient volume of planned prophylaxis measures against dictyocaulosis. A study of seasonal and age dynamics on author's own and literature data was also performed. Dynamics of infestation of lambs with Dictyocaulus is in both lowlands and mountain zones characterized with 2 peaks: summer and autumn ones (prevalence reaching 29.0% for lowlands, 42.0% for highlands in contrast to 5.7% and 2.8% respectively in the spring) with no invasion at start of the year. For young and adult sheep, dynamics of invasion with Dictyocaulus is characterized with high prevalence in spring and autumn periods (start of the year prevalence up to 45.0%, decrease to 15–25.0% in summer, rising to 40.0% and higher in October-December).

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