Relationship of the prevalence of swine helminths to management practices and anthelmintic treatment in Danish sow herds

Abstract

During 1982–1984, the occurrence of helminths in 66 sow herds in Denmark was examined by means of faecal samples. The correlations between the prevalences of Ascaris suum and Oesophagostomum spp. and management practices were analysed for fatteners and sows, respectively, resulting in four multivariate models. The helminth prevalences were in general low in large herds, specific pathogen-free (SPF) herds and herds with low weaning age. The multivariate analyses showed that only the two latter correlations were significant. The helminth prevalences of the fatteners were not correlated with anthelmintic treatment. In the sow, anthelminitic treatment was significantly correlated with low prevalences of both helminths, despite samples from recently dewormed sows indicating a rather transitory effect. The prevalences of Oesophagostomum in both fatteners and sows were significantly higher on solid floors with straw bedding than on slatted floors without straw, while this was not the case for Ascaris. Tethering of sows was not significantly correlated with helminth prevalences. Daily cleaning was significantly correlated with low helminth prevalences in fatteners, but not in the sows, while disinfection of the pens was only significantly correlated with low prevalences of Oesophagostomum in fatteners. No correlations to washing of the pens were found. The epidemiology of Ascaris and Oesophagostomum is discussed, especially why the latter is the most sensitive to intensive management.