PREVALENCE AND PATHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF OVINE LUNGWORM IN NILE DELTA

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2017 to March 2018, to determine the prevalence of ovine lungworm infection, and to describe the related pathological lesions in naturally infected local breed sheep. A total of 200 whole lungs were collected from fifteen slaughter houses in Nile Delta, Egypt. The overall prevalence for ovine lungworm infection was 4.5%. The prevalence rates in Ossimi, Rahmani, and Barki breeds were 5.55, 4.28, and 2.5%, respectively. The only identified species of lungworms was Dictyocaulus filaria (D. filaria) (100%). Grossly, the fundamental lesions were multiple patchy consolidated pulmonary tissues with the presence of adult parasites mixed with foamy and sometimes mucous exudate in the lumens of trachea and bronchi. Histopathologically, alveolitis, obstructive bronchiolitis, bronchiolar hyperplasia, emphysema, granulomatous pneumonia, pleural thickening, peribronchiolar lymphoid hyperplasia and trapped different developmental stages and adult parasites besides degenerated and necrotic parasites in the pulmonary tissue were the hallmarks of the histopathological features. In conclusion, ovine lungworms were prevalent in sheep at Nile Delta, Egypt, causing significant damage to the lung and produce characteristic gross and microscopic lesions.