Abstract
Objective: The current study was conducted to explore the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites in small ruminants (sheep and goats) in relation to species, age, sex, season, and body condition in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional coprological survey was carried out at Mymensingh Sadar in Mymensingh from July 2015 to June 2016. In total, 433 fecal samples were screened for eggs/oocysts/cysts of parasite and counted by using standard qualitative and quantitative techniques. Eggs/oocysts/cysts were identified according to their characteristic features. Results: The study found 74.8% (n=324/433) prevalence of GI parasites in small ruminants. Species-wise prevalence indicated that 77.0% (n=268/348) goats and 65.9% (n=56/85) sheep harbored parasitic infection. Nine species of GI parasites were identified in the study area namely S trongyloides sp., Haemonchus sp., Oesophagostomum sp., Trichostrongylus sp., Trichuris sp. , Paraphistomum spp., Fasciola spp., Eimeria spp. and Balantidium spp. The level of egg/oocyst/cyst per gram of feces (EPG/OPG/CPG) was ranged between 100 and 1200. Young small ruminants (78.4%) showed significantly ( P =0.026) higher prevalence as compared to adult (68.8%). Between sexes, significantly ( P =0.000) higher prevalence was found in female (83.6%) than male (64.7%). Infection was significantly ( P =0.000) highest in poor body conditioned small ruminants (82.1%) as compared to moderate (72.2%) and good body conditioned (53.8%) small ruminants. In case of season, highest prevalence was found in rainy season (83.6%) followed by summer (78.6%) and winter (59.4%) with significant seasonal variations ( P =0.000). Conclusion: Finally, GI parasites are endemic among small ruminants in the study area. Knowledge on these parasites and related epidemiological parameters is important for outlining fruitful control strategies against GI parasites. http://doi.org/10.5455/javar.2017.d234
Highlights
Gastrointestinal parasites cause production losses, weight loss and mortalities in small ruminants and thereby impede their production system
This study was undertaken to examine the prevalence of GI parasites in small ruminants with related risk factors in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, which will be used as baseline study for prevention and control of GI parasitism in small ruminants sector
The current finding was in line with previous studies on overall prevalence of GI parasites in small ruminants described by Gadahi et al (2009) and Dabasa et al (2017) with the prevalence of 77.8 and 63.5% in Ethiopia and Pakistan, respectively
Summary
The current study was conducted to explore the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites in small ruminants (sheep and goats) in relation to species, age, sex, season, and body condition in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Eggs/oocysts/cysts were identified according to their characteristic features. Results: The study found 74.8% (n=324/433) prevalence of GI parasites in small ruminants. Species-wise prevalence indicated that 77.0% (n=268/348) goats and 65.9% (n=56/85) sheep harbored parasitic infection. Young small ruminants (78.4%) showed significantly (P=0.026) higher prevalence as compared to adult (68.8%). Conclusion: GI parasites are endemic among small ruminants in the study area. Knowledge on these parasites and related epidemiological parameters is important for outlining fruitful control strategies against GI parasites. Epidemiology of gastrointestinal parasites of small ruminants in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Journal of Advanced Veterinary and Animal Research. 2017; 4(4):356362
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