The article presents the study of helminthofauna of the bears held in captivity in Blagoveshchensk, the Amur region. A total of five animals of different ages were examined. The search was carried out in autumn before hibernation and in the following spring after waking up from hibernation. The bears’ feces were examined for the presence of eggs of nematodes, cestodes, trematodes and oocysts of protozoa by a combined method. This method includes flotation using a sodium nitrite solution with a density of 1.32 and sedimentation. Eggs of the nematodes Uncinaria skrjabini and Toxascaris transfuga were found. Eggs of trematodes, cestodes and protozoan oocysts were not found. The extensiveness of invasion by uncinariae (U. skrjabini) was 100 % with the intensity of invasion from 8 to 218 eggs per 1 g of feces. The extensiveness of invasion by ascarids (T. transfuga) was rather low (40 %) with the intensity of invasion from 2 to 6 eggs. After the examination and before hibernation the bears were dewormed with the drug containing fenbendazole at a dose of 34 mg/kg of the active substance once orally. After the winter hibernation which lasted about 5 months, the following spring the authors performed the control ovoscopy of feces. Uncinariasis and ascariasis were registered in all animals. After repeated deworming with the drug containing albendazole at a dose of 15 mg/kg (once orally) it has been stated that the effectiveness of deworming was 80 % in uncinariasis and 100 % in ascariasis. It has been recommended to develop a scheme of therapeutic and diagnostic measures aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the fight against helminthiasis of the bears.

Demkina Olga V., Gruzdova Olesya V., Kornilova Alena V., Tolmachev Vladimir S.

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