Abstract
The present study aims to evaluate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in sheep of Biskra region according to age classes and to detect eventual zoonotic parasites. It included 372 sheep, females and males. 248 fecal sheep samples were coprologically examined and coprocultured, 119 being from adult sheep (≥ 12 months) and 129 from lambs (< 12 months). Also, 124 adult sheep were necropsied after the slaughter, focusing on the livers, lungs and intestines. The qualitative flotation technique was used by employing the McMaster microscope slides. All the statistics was done by using the SPSS 20. Prevalences were calculated according to age classes and parasites genera. Kendall test (p < 0.05) was applied to detect any correlation between total prevalence and parasite genera prevalences in adults versus lambs. The results showed that medium prevalence for five years in adults (63.02 %) was higher than in lambs (57.36 %). Coproscopy showed: coccidia, gastrointestinal strongyles, Nematodirus spp, Moniezia spp and Marshallagia spp. Coproculture showed Protostrongylus spp. and Dictyocaulus spp. Necropsy revealed Fasciola hepatica, Echinococcus polymorphus, Thysaniezia ovilla, Moniezia expansa, Cysticercus tenuicolis, Cysticercus ovis and Paramphistomum daubenyi. The diversity and simultaneousness of gastrointestinal parasites could have a negative impact on production parameters in infected sheep. The risks of contracting echinococcosis as a major zoonosis requires more respect of deworming programs in dogs and sheep and better vigilance in slaughterhouses.
Highlights
Several studies show that nematode infection causes significant changes of haematological, biochemical and clinical parameters and reproductive performances in ruminants (Rouatbi et al, 2016)
Comparable results were reported by Pinilla Léon et al (2019), where the global prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites (GIP) in Colombian sheep was 56.3% and by Pedreira et al (2006) in Galicia (NW Spain), where the prevalence of GIP was Comparable to necropsy results, in a study conducted by Hazzaz Bin Kabir et al (2010) at different abattoirs of Bangladesh, it was revealed that the parasitic infections due to one or more causal agents were found in (41.08 %) of 460 sheep
The present study showed higher coccidia prevalence among other GIP
Summary
Several studies show that nematode infection causes significant changes of haematological, biochemical and clinical parameters and reproductive performances in ruminants (Rouatbi et al, 2016). It was reported that fasciolosis remained common in Algeria in ruminants, in the north and causes direct losses due to the high rate of condemnation of infected livers (Ouchene-Khelifi et al, 2018). It is known that animal species influences, in general, the rate and the type of parasitic infection. The epidemiology of infections with gastrointestinal parasites (GIP) in livestock varies depending on the prevailing weather conditions and management practices (Moussouni et al 2018). Some GIP species infect young animals, while others infect adults (Meradi, 2012)
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