Abstract
Aim:The study was conducted to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites in cattle and sheep from three municipalities in the Colombian Northeastern Mountain.Materials and Methods:Overall, 200 fecal samples were collected directly from the rectum in cattle and sheep. The presence of helminths eggs and coccidial oocysts in fecal samples was detected using McMaster and Dennis techniques. Identification of eggs or oocysts was done on the basis of morphology and size of the eggs or oocysts.Results:The global prevalence of GI parasites was 56.3%. Regarding the prevalence by municipalities, there was no statistical association (p>0.05), indicating that the prevalence was similar in the three municipalities. The prevalence of parasitic infection was higher in sheep (63%) as compared to that of cattle (50.5%), but the difference was nonsignificant (p>0.05). The most prevalent parasites were Eimeria spp., Fasciola hepatica, and Strongylida order. Regarding the results for Eimeria spp., different degrees of positivity were observed, but there was no statistical association (p>0.05) with respect to the age group. Likewise, there was no statistical association (p>0.05) between the prevalence for Strongylida order and F. hepatica with respect to the age group.Conclusion:Cattle and sheep in Colombian Northeastern Mountain were infected with helminths and coccidia. The prevalence values of GI parasites were moderate in both species warranting treatment. The presence of F. hepatica represents a risk factor to health public. Future studies are required to evaluate the parasitic dynamics throughout the year and the impact on animal production.
Highlights
Gastrointestinal (GI) parasitism is a disease caused by different genera of parasites that inhabit the digestive tract of cattle and sheep, causing inappetence, anemia, diarrhea, poor growth, and economic losses in the herds
The prevalence of parasitic infection was higher in sheep (63%) as compared to that of cattle (50.5%), but the difference was nonsignificant (p>0.05)
Cattle and sheep in Colombian Northeastern Mountain were infected with helminths and coccidia
Summary
Gastrointestinal (GI) parasitism is a disease caused by different genera of parasites that inhabit the digestive tract of cattle and sheep, causing inappetence, anemia, diarrhea, poor growth, and economic losses in the herds. GI parasitism in cattle and sheep is caused by helminths and protozoa [1]. Eimeria spp. is a protozoa belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa, family Eimeriidae that parasitize poultry, ruminants, equines, and rabbits, which causes bovine and ovine coccidiosis [1]. Helminthes are parasites that cause parasitic gastroenteritis in cattle and sheep. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated
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