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Bulletin of the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University

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Animal and bird diseases – the food chain of the snow leopard in the highlands of the Tian Shan

K Kuban Arbaev T Tolkunbek Asykulov B Baktybek Azhybekov M Marasulbek Amirakulov N Nargiza Chodonova
Received 21.07.2025
Revised 03.11.2025
Published 12.12.2025

Abstract

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a rare and vulnerable species that is threatened with extinction and listed in the Red Book of the Kyrgyz Republic. It inhabits the inaccessible high-mountain areas of the Tian Shan, where the ecological balance directly depends on the state of the fauna that makes up its food chain. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of diseases among wild and domestic animals, which may affect the health of the snow leopard population and the stability of the ecosystem as a whole. The aim of this study was to investigate parasitic diseases in mammals that are part of the snow leopard’s food chain, determining their biological characteristics, sources of infection and impact on the epizootic situation in mountainous areas. The study used field observations, helminthological autopsies, microscopic analysis of biomaterial, comparative morphological and descriptive analysis of veterinary research data. As a result, it was established that alveococcosis and muelleriosis are the most epidemiologically significant of the identified parasitic diseases, posing a serious threat to both wild and domestic animals. The causative agent of alveococcosis is the larval stage of the tapeworm Alveococcus multilocularis, which affects the liver and causes the formation of multiple cystic parasitic nodes capable of infiltrative growth and metastasis. The final hosts of this parasite are carnivorous animals (dogs, cats, wolves, foxes, manuls, etc.), and the intermediate hosts are small wild rodents. It has also been established that the pathogen Mullerius capillaris causes lung damage in goats, sheep and wild ruminants, manifested by multiple foci of productive alveolitis and a decrease in the overall resistance of animals. A comprehensive analysis of the biological and ecological characteristics of pathogens allows for assessing their circulation in natural conditions and potential risks to humans. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using the data obtained to develop a system of preventive and diagnostic measures aimed at protecting rare predators and stabilising the epizootic well-being of the high-mountain ecosystems of Kyrgyzstan

Keywords

Siberian ibex; argali; roe deer; alveococcosis; mulleriosis; cysticercosis
Suggested citation
Arbaev, K., Asykulov, T., Azhybekov, B., Amirakulov, M., & Chodonova, N. (2025). Animal and bird diseases – the food chain of the snow leopard in the highlands of the Tian Shan. Bulletin of the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University, 23(4), 10-23. https://doi.org/10.63621/bknau./4.2025.10

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