Occurrence of intestinal parasites in effluent slurries from piggeries in Enugu, Nigeria

Abstract

There is a growing concern for pig parasites as a bottleneck for low productivity and reduction in the market value of pork meat. Parasite infection is a common problem in organic pig production, which can threaten the food safety of pork products, and cause economic losses to organic farmers. Hence assessing various channels by which these diseases can be transmitted is very important. This study was carried out to ascertain the distribution of intestinal parasites in slurries from a piggery in Enugu, South East Nigeria. In this study, a total of 100 pooled samples were examined from 5 farms. These samples were analyzed using the formol ether concentration technique. Out of 100 pooled samples examined, 67% of the samples were positive for intestinal parasites. The occurrence rate of the different parasites encountered was: Ascaris suum (11.9%), Trichuris suis (10.4%), Taenia solium (7.6%), Strongyloides ransomi (3.0%), Schistosoma sp.(3.0%), Entamoeba suis (28.6%), Entamoeba polecki (1.5%) and Ancylostoma duodenale (20.9%). This study is of utmost importance as findings from this study highlight the presence of various intestinal parasites in effluent slurries. There are prospects of the spread of these slurries from piggeries into the surrounding environment (which includes residential areas, commercial areas and even farmlands). Deworming of pigs to reduce parasite load is highly advocated.