Rumen Ciliates (Ciliophora, Trichostomatia) of Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus taurus Linnaeus, 1758) in Kyrgyzstan

The present study provides an assessment of the rumen ciliate composition in domestic cattle sampled from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Examination of rumen contents from 15 individuals revealed a total of 4 morphotypes and 20 ciliate species assigned to 10 genera and 2 families. The genus Entodinium dominated ciliate composition, detected in all hosts, with Entodinium simulans exhibiting 100% prevalence. In contrast, Entodinium bimastus, Diplodinium dentatum, and Ostracodinium trivesiculatum were each recorded in a single individual, corresponding to a prevalence of 6.7%. Species richness per host ranged from 2 to 15, with a mean of 7.1 ± 3.6. The average density of rumen ciliates was estimated at 10.8 ± 6.2 × 10⁴ cells mL⁻¹. These findings constitute the first detailed characterization of rumen ciliate composition in cattle from Kyrgyzstan.