Parasites of farmed marals in Kazakhstan

The farming of maral (a type of red deer- Cervus elaphus) is an expanding livestock industry in Kazakhstan. However, to date there is little knowledge of the parasitic fauna that infect farmed deer in Kazakhstan. This study investigated the gastrointestinal parasites of 508 farmed marals from the south and east of Kazakhstan between spring and autumn 2015. When fecal samples were being collected, the presence of any ectoparasites were also noted and specimens taken for identification. This study revealed 6 species of nematodes: Bunostomum phlebotomum, Capillaria bovis, Haemonchus contortus, Nematodirus spathiger, Oesophagostomum venulosum and Trichuris skrjabini. Two cestode species were identified: Mоniezia benedeni and Moniezia expansa. Three species of coccidia: Eimeria cervi, E. gallivalerioi and E. robustus were found. Ectoparasites recovered were the deer ked Lipoptena cervi, larvae of Hypoderma diana and Booponus borealis and the tick Dermacentor marginatus.