A Survey of Seasonal Gastrointestinal Parasitic Infections in Donkeys from a Semiarid Sub-Saharan Region, Sudan.

Ahmed Abdurhman Ismail,Adam Dawoud Abakar,Hisham Ismail Seri,Ahmed Elhag Bashar,Nasredin Khogali Ahmed,El Tigani Ahmed El Tigani-Asil

doi:10.1155/2016/4602751

Abstract

Out of 92 donkeys examined for gastrointestinal parasites, 90 animals were found infected by one or more gastrointestinal parasites with an overall prevalence rate of 97.78%. The distributions of the recovered parasites in the different parts of the body were as follows: stomach, 92.4%, small intestine, 19.6%, caecum, 88%, colon, 80.4%, rectum, 73.9%, and cranial mesenteric artery, 64.1%. A significant difference was found between mean parasite counts and seasons. Hot wet season had higher mean parasites count (5411.5 ± 1694.4) in comparison with hot dry (1795.9 ± 399.6) and cool dry (1719.9 ± 522.4) seasons. Although there was no significant difference between age and mean parasite count, animals more than four years old had high mean count (3361.3 ± 921.8) in comparison with 2330 ± 744.3 and 2030.2 ± 873.1 for young and adults animals, respectively. No significant positive or negative correlation was found between total parasite counts of infected animals and any of the climatic factors. The parasites identified were Habronema spp. (40.2%), Trichostrongylus axei (30.4%), Parascaris equorum (18.5%), Anoplocephala perfoliata (4.35%), Gastrodiscus aegyptiacus (8.7%), large strongyles (84%), small strongyles (72%), and Oxyuris equi (1.1%).

Highlights

The importance of donkeys in the Sudan is unequivocal
The donkey has a potential of making valuable contribution to new development strategies such as reconstruction and development programmes in many parts of Sudan especially Darfur region as they diversify source of income in the rural areas
A few years later, reports from Khartoum and Nyala provided some information on the distribution of gastrointestinal parasites and other parasitic diseases in the Sudan [4,5,6,7]

Summary

Introduction

The importance of donkeys in the Sudan is unequivocal. The animal provides support and transport at a low cost for urban and rural areas. Despite the economic importance of donkeys in the Sudan, little attention has been drawn towards their diseases in general and gastrointestinal parasites. The report of Hamid et al [3] from South Darfur has attracted the attention of scientists towards the importance of donkey parasites especially gastrointestinal parasites. A few years later, reports from Khartoum and Nyala provided some information on the distribution of gastrointestinal parasites and other parasitic diseases in the Sudan [4,5,6,7]. The current situation of parasitic disease in other states where the donkey is usually prevalent is rather obscure and deserves some more emphasis. The present study reports on the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of donkeys in Nyala, South Darfur State, and identifies the gastrointestinal parasites infesting donkeys in the study area. The study highlights risk factors associated with gastrointestinal parasitic infection

Methods

Results

Conclusion