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Five Different Helminths Were Found in Golden Jackals From Southern Kazakhstan

Golden jackal standing in Kazakhstan
Research · Disease, parasites & microbiology

Five different gastrointestinal helminths were identified in golden jackals (Canis aureus) from southern Kazakhstan, according to a study published on 24 February 2026. Researchers examined 13 jackals sampled at several locations across southern Kazakhstan using necropsy, coprological examination and molecular genetic methods, and found that 46% of the animals carried at least one helminth.

Helminths are parasitic worms. Several of the groups found in jackals can circulate between wild carnivores, livestock and other animals, and some have zoonotic importance; monitoring an expanding jackal population can therefore help clarify local transmission cycles.

Map of southern Kazakhstan showing golden jackal sampling locations for the 2024–2025 helminth study
Sampling sites in southern Kazakhstan used for the golden jackal helminth study. Figure 1 from Suleimenov et al. (2026), Biology, CC BY 4.0.

The helminths identified were the nematodes Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina, the tapeworms Taenia multiceps and Taenia krabbei, and a species of Mesocestoides. Molecular analyses were used alongside morphology to confirm the parasite identifications.

Two parasite groups occurred in 23.1% of the jackals

T. leonina was found in three of the 13 jackals, giving a prevalence of 23.1%. Mesocestoides was also found in three animals, corresponding to the same prevalence. The number of worms in infected animals ranged from three to six for both parasite groups.

T. multiceps and T. krabbei were each detected in two animals, or 15.4% of the sample. T. canis was found in one jackal, corresponding to 7.7%.

Molecular data supported the identifications

The researchers sequenced mitochondrial and ribosomal markers from the recovered worms. The resulting sequences clustered with reference material for the identified nematodes and cestodes, providing molecular support for the morphological identifications.

The authors emphasise that the sample was small and came from a limited set of sampling locations in southern Kazakhstan. The prevalence estimates therefore describe the examined animals rather than a complete regional population estimate.

Several of the detected helminths can circulate between wild carnivores, livestock and other animals, and some have zoonotic importance. The molecular identifications document their presence in golden jackals from the sampled areas of southern Kazakhstan.

As the species increases in southern Kazakhstan and frequently uses landscapes close to livestock and human settlements, the authors argue that continued parasitological monitoring can help clarify the jackal’s role in local transmission cycles.

Sources and image credit

  1. Suleimenov, M., Uakhit, R., Berkinbay, O., Omarov, B., Zhanteliyeva, L., Jussupbekova, N., Baimukhanbetov, Y., Khamchukova, A., Manapov, N., Alash, A., & Kiyan, V. (2026). Epizootological survey and identification of helminth fauna in golden jackals (Canis aureus) from southern Kazakhstan. Biology, 15(5), 371. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15050371Primary peer-reviewed open-access article published 24 February 2026 under CC BY 4.0. Thirteen golden jackals sampled at several sites across southern Kazakhstan were examined using necropsy, coprology and molecular methods. Five helminth taxa were detected: Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, Taenia multiceps, Taenia krabbei and Mesocestoides sp.; 46% of the examined animals carried at least one helminth.

Image: Kudaibergen Amirekul — golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Kazakhstan, photographed 14 January 2024; representative species image, not one of the animals in the study. Source: Wikimedia Commons. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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