CESTODIASIS OF COMMON CARP (CYPRINUS CARPIO) IN KARAKALPAKSTAN: EPIDEMIOLOGY, PATHOLOGICAL EFFECTS, AND PREVENTION MEASURES

Cestodiasis is an important parasitic disease affecting freshwater fish, including the common carp (Cyprinus carpio), one of the economically important cultured and wild fish species in Uzbekistan. Karakalpakstan possesses a complex network of rivers, canals, lakes, reservoirs, and fish-farming systems that provide suitable conditions for the circulation of fish parasites. Cestodes may use fish, aquatic invertebrates, and fish-eating animals as components of their life cycles, making their distribution closely associated with ecological conditions and host availability. Research conducted in Uzbekistan has demonstrated a considerable diversity of fish parasites and has confirmed the importance of crustaceans and other aquatic organisms as intermediate hosts in helminth transmission. In common carp, cestode infections can affect the digestive tract, reduce nutrient absorption, impair growth and body condition, and cause tissue damage. Important carp-associated cestodes include species of Bothriocephalus and Khawia. Experimental studies of Bothriocephalus acheilognathi have demonstrated intestinal distension, epithelial degeneration, inflammatory changes, and reduced body condition in infected carp.