Abstract
A cross sectional study was conducted from October 2013 to April 2014 in and around Kombolcha town to estimate the prevalence of gastro intestinal tract helminthes infection and to identify the common GIT helminthes parasites of equines. Gross examination, direct fecal smear, sedimentation and floatation techniques were utilized to identify the eggs of parasites in feces. A total of 384 horses, mules and donkeys were examined for gastrointestinal parasites. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was 73.2% (281 from 384) with 57.0% (73 from 128), 82.5% (160 from 194) and 77.4% (48 from 62) in horses, donkeys and mules respectively. Prevalence of Strongyle spp, Parascaris equorum, Oxyuris equi and Anoplocephala spp was 44.5%, 3.1%, 2.3%, and 3.1% respectively in horses. Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was 63.4%, 8.6%, 2.1% and 3.1% for Strongyle spp, Parascaris equorum, Oxyuris equi and Anoplocephala spp in donkeys, respectively and the prevalence of GIT parasites was 48.4%, 12.9%, 3.2% and 6.5% for Strongyle spp, Parascaris equorum, Oxyuris equi and Anoplocephala spp in mules respectively. There was statistically significant difference between species, age, and body condition and among different management systems in prevalence of equine gastrointestinal parasites (p<0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference in prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites based on sex. In conclusion, the present study revealed higher prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in equines. Therefore, regular deworming, improvement of housing and feeding management were recommended.
Highlights
Ethiopia is a country with huge livestock population from Africa
Coprological examination of 384 equine fecal samples revealed that 281 (73.2%) of them are positive for Gastro Intestinal Tract (GIT) helminthes parasites and the prevalence in horses was 57%, in donkeys 82.5% and in mules 77.4%
The highest prevalence was recorded in donkeys followed by mules and horses (Table 1)
Summary
Ethiopia is a country with huge livestock population from Africa. The livestock population in the country is estimated to be 40.9 million head of cattle, 25.5 million head of sheep, 23.4 million head of goats, 2.7 million of horses, 5 million of donkeys, and 0.63 million mules [1]. There are an estimated 110 million equines (horses, donkeys and mules) in the developing world [2] where they provide an essential service. They are widely used as resource for traction and under saddle as a means of transport due to economic and /or topographical constraints on motorized alternatives [3]. Equines play a vital role both in economics as well as in social functions They are kept and often used for land tillage, cultivation, and threshing as well as for pack purposes, riding, providing of manure for both energy and soil fertility [5]. The contribution of equine power in the agriculture systems and the role in the production is not yet well organized and magnified [7]
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