Gastrointestinal Parasite Of Small Ruminants Research Articles

Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Small Ruminant Farms in Southern Spain.

The primary population of small ruminants in Spain is concentrated in the southern region, a critical area for the country's livestock production. Indirect economic losses can occur when this livestock is affected by gastrointestinal parasites. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of these parasites in small ruminant herds (159 sheep and 39 goats) through coprological analyses and conducted a survey on farmers' management practices related to gastrointestinal parasite control. The survey results revealed some important aspects: monitoring through coprological analyses is not a common practice; veterinarians are not typically involved in deworming plans; anthelmintic treatment in adults is often applied twice a year in sheep and once a year in goats; and finally, drug rotation was higher in sheep farms. Coprological analyses showed Eimeria spp. as the most common parasitic infection, followed by Strongyles infection. Other parasites like Moniezia spp., Trichuris spp., and D. dendriticum were less important, although their prevalence was higher in sheep than goats. This constitutes the first report on the epidemiological status of gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants in southern Spain. Based on the survey findings, the introduction of certain management measures on farms could potentially mitigate parasite infections.

Ethnoveterinary study on livestock practices and the use of medicinal plants against gastrointestinal parasites of small ruminants in the BWA community in Burkina Faso

Ethnoveterinary study on livestock practices and the use of medicinal plants against gastrointestinal parasites of small ruminants in the BWA community in Burkina Faso

PREVALENCE OF GASTROINTESTINAL NEMATODES IN SMALL RUMINANTBEFORE AND AFTER WINTERING IN DAKAR AND THIES (SENEGAL)

Livestock plays an essential role in supporting mixed production systems, particularly in traction, fertilization, and adaptation to climatic problems. However, the breeding of small ruminants on pasture limited by numerous parasites. Thus, knowledge of the parasitic fauna of small ruminants is essential for a better approach to parasite control. In this sense, this study consisted in determining the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of small ruminants and to evaluate the level of infestation in strongyles of the hosts in the regions of Dakar and Thies. Sampling conducted before and after the rainy season. A total of 102 small ruminants (39 goats and 63 sheep) examined. Of these, 50 hosts (31 sheep and 19 goats) sampled and analysed during the month of June and the remaining 52 (27 sheep and 25 goats) during the month of October. Parasite prevalence was higher in October (94.24%) than in June (86%). Regardless of the period, four groups of parasites identified and nematodes were the most dominant, especially Strongyles. Strongyles were more prevalent in goats (85%) than in sheep (59.4%). No difference in Strongyles infestation also observed between the two sites and during these two periods.

Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites of Sheep and Goats in An- Lemo, Hadiya Zone Southern Ethiopia

Background: Infestation with gastrointestinal parasites in extensively managed animals is common and cause significant economic losses. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of small ruminants in the An-Lemo, Hadiya zone in Ethiopia. Methods : A cross-sectional study involving 383 animals(208 sheep and 175 goats). Standard parasitological techniques and copro-culture was used to identify parasite eggs, and determination of larvae some nematodes, respectively. Findings: The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites was 74.41%, out of this 123(70.28%) were goats and 165 (79.32%) were sheep. Dis aggregating results by sex 161(75.23%) of female animals and 124(73.37%) male animals were infected by single or mixed infection. With regards to body condition a total of 73(19.06%), 140(36.55%) and170 (44.38%) animals with good, medium, and poor body condition respectively include for examination. Out of these 28(38.35%), 110(78.57%and147 (86.47%) of animals infected with good, medium, and poor body conditions respectively and body condition of small ruminants showed a significant association with the prevalence of the gastrointestinal parasite (p<0.05). The most prevalent infection identified were strongyles with 102 animals (26.63%), and strongyloides 14(3.65%) were found the second-highest prevalent in the woreda followed by coccidian infection in 48 animals (12.01%); monieza 12(3.13%) and fasciola10 (2.61%). Double infection cocccidia with monieza 14(3.65%) was found the highest mixed infection followed by strongyle with monieza 11(2.87%) and co-infection of Trichur is with coccidian10(2.61%). Application: The result revealed that there was high infestation rate, particular attention should be given to the management of small ruminants. A general means of reducing infestation might be systematic through providing awareness of the community and regular testing and deworming of small ruminants. Keywords: Ethiopia; Extensive grazing system; Gastrointestinal parasites; Prevalence; Small ruminants

The Prevalence of Intestinal Parasite Infections in Goats from Smallholder Farms in Northern Thailand.

SummaryThe present study determined the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites in small ruminants kept in smallholder farms in Phitsanulok, Northern Thailand. A total of 885 goats from 31 smallholder farms were selected randomly between May 2019 to January 2020. Fecal samples were collected to estimate fecal egg counts and oocysts counts using the modified McMaster technique. Furthermore, pooled fecal samples from each of the farms were cultured in order to differentiate third-stage larvae of nematode. Examination of fecal samples revealed that 885 were positive for one or more parasites, giving an overall prevalence of 87.2 %, of which 38.6 % were infected with one and 48.6 % with multiple parasite. Strongyles and Eimeria oocysts were the most prevalent. Haemonchus contortus and Strongyloides papillosus were the predominant species based on the percentage of larvae in fecal cultures. Tapeworm eggs were encountered in 14.2 % of all samples. No significant difference in gastrointestinal parasite prevalence was associated with sex of the host. Infection was significantly (P = 0.009) highest in poor body conditioned goats (72.0 %) as compared to moderate (48.9 %) and good body conditioned (50.0 %) goats. This report on prevalence of GI parasites of small ruminants in smallholder farms in Northern Thailand reveals a high endoparasitic infections that appeared well-adapted to environmental conditions. Further studies on endoparasite control are required to establish the impact of parasitism on productive performance, including monitoring control parasite programs are needed for better health and productivity.

Eclosion inhibition of Haemonchus contortus eggs with two extracts of Caesalpinia coriaria fruits

Haemonchus contortus is a gastrointestinal parasite of small ruminants. The objective was to evaluate the effect of the acetonic and ethanolic extract of the Caesalpinia ciriaria fruits on the egg hatching inhibition (EHI) of Haemonchus contortus in small ruminants. The inhibition effect of hatching was evaluated at different concentrations of the extracts (acetonic: 20.0, 10.0, 5.0, 2.5, 1.2 and 0.6 mg / mL), (ethanolic: 6.15, 3.12, 1.56 and 0.78 mg / mL) and methanol to the 4% with distilled water as negative control and 0.5% ivermectin as positive control, were used. The ovicidal effect data were analyzed with a completely randomized design by analysis of variance using the general linear model and the tukey test (P &lt;0.05); the lethal concentrations (LC50 and LC90) were estimated by the Probit analysis of the statistical analysis systems (SAS) program. Concentration dosage depended extracts effects, were observed, where the ovicidal activity was comparatively similar to the positive control to the doses of 1.2 mg / mL for the acetonic extract (AE) and 0.78 mg / mL for the ethanolic extract (EE), respectively (P &lt;0.0001). The LC50 were AE = 0.23 mg / mL and EE = 0.014 mg / mL; LC90 AE = 1.04 mg / mL and EE = 0.14 mg / mL, for each extract, respectively. The results indicate that the EHI of the extracts elaborated with the C. coriaria fruits in acetonic and ethanolic solvent extract secondary compounds that have activity against H. contortus eggs, nevertheless, requires of greater investigations as antiparasitic for its direct animal use

Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Small Ruminants in Jarra East District, the Gambia

Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Small Ruminants in Jarra East District, the Gambia

Meta-analysis of the effects of dietary inclusion of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) forage on performance, digestibility, and rumen fermentation of small ruminants

For more than 20 years, the nutraceutical forage sericea lespedeza ‘AU-grazer’ (SL; Lespedeza cuneata) has been used as an alternative to anthelmintic drugs for controlling gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants, but with little attention to animal performance. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary inclusion of SL on performance, digestibility, and rumen fermentation of small ruminants using a meta-analytic approach. A total of 24 peer-reviewed manuscripts (sheep = 6 and goats = 18) from 2000 to 2020 met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. Raw mean differences between dietary SL and control treatments weighted by inversed variance were compared with a robust variance estimation. Diet characteristics like crude protein content, NDF content, condensed tannin (CT) content, and inclusion level of SL in the diet (0% to 100%) were used as covariates in a metaregression and subgrouping analysis. Compared to the control, dietary inclusion of SL decreased (P < 0.05) total-tract digestibility by 12% (DMD) and average daily gain (ADG) by 17.7%, but no effects were observed in dry matter intake. Likewise, dietary SL reduced (P < 0.05) molar proportion of acetate (68.88 vs 71.8%), but increased butyrate (10.3 vs 9.2%) and propionate (17.9 vs 16.8%) molar proportions in the rumen. Consequently, dietary SL reduced CH4 emissions by 38% compared to the control. Despite the high heterogeneity in the response variables (I2 > 50), no significant bias was detected (funnel test; P > 0.05). The dose-response analysis revealed that SL-based diets should not include more than 60% in the diet to prevent negative effects in DMD and ADG. Likewise, low inclusion level of SL in the diet (from 30 to 40%) linearly increased propionate concentrations in the rumen but reduced CH4 emissions. In addition to the nutraceutical benefits of this forage, SL inclusion improved rumen fermentation (increased propionate, reduced CH4) at low rates of inclusion, but reduced ADG in small ruminants at higher rates, with these effects minimized if dietary inclusion rate for SL is 60% or less. Further research is needed to determine the optimum inclusion rate to balance nutritional and pharmaceutical effects of SL in the diet of small ruminants.

Mini-FLOTAC and McMaster egg counting method for detection of gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants: a comparison study

The proper diagnosis of gastrointestinal parasites of small ruminants requires the development of multivalent techniques characterized by high sensitivity, specificity, precision, reproducibility, and the ability to quickly detect and monitor infections that pose risks to animal health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of Mini-FLOTAC technique and McMaster egg counting (gold standard) in the detection of gastrointestinal parasites of goats and sheep. A total of 789 fecal samples were analyzed (401 of sheep and 388 of goats). From those, nematode eggs were detected in 80.86% (638/789), being 72.57% (291/401) from sheep and 89.43% (347/388) from goats. The Mini-FLOTAC technique presented a better performance to detect helminth eggs in both goats (88.40%; 343/388) and sheep (71.57%; 287/401) (?2 = 10.358; p &lt; 0.0001). Kappa analysis revealed a weak concordance between techniques for goats (k = 0.342; p &lt; 0.001) and sheep (k = 0.281; p &lt; 0.001). Data herein reported suggests that the Mini-FLOTAC is a technique more sensitive than the McMaster egg counting, therefore its use might be adopted for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal infection in small ruminants.

Improved Traditional Drugs: State of knowledge for the sustainable management of gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes of small ruminants

This article aims to present the current state of the fight against gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants from Improved Traditional Drugs (DTI). A host of scientific documents were consulted by means of search engines to gather the information useful for this synthesis. The failure of conventional treatments has led to the use of new methods to treat digestive pathologies due to internal parasitism in herds of sheep and goats. These include, among others, herbal medicine, homeopathy, aromatherapy, the mixed grazing system for small and large ruminants, ... All plant parts of plants can be used in the preparation of remedies. Several scientific studies show that plants are full of chemical compounds that cause anthelmintic effects on gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants. Literature searches have revealed that studies on DTIs in the management of gastrointestinal nematodes in small ruminants are non-existent. In addition to the forms (decocted, macerated, infused, etc.) traditionally used by breeders, there are other forms that can be used to make DTIs from plant extracts. There are capsules, capsules, tablets etc. The placing on the market of DTIs requires official authorization based on the safety and reproducibility of the products. From the documents consulted, it appears that scientific research has not yet focused on the formulation of DTIs for the treatment of gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes in small ruminants. It will be useful to manufacture them to facilitate access to veterinary care and the sustainable management of animal health.&#x0D; Keywords: Improved Traditional Drugs; Gastrointestinal nematodes; Small ruminants, West Africa; Central Africa.

Occurrence of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Small Ruminants in the Central Part of Myanmar.

Gastrointestinal parasite infection in small ruminants remains one of the major economic losses caused by reduced productivity. A total of 380 faecal samples were taken from 280 sheeps in Magway and Pwintbyu Townships and 100 goats in Natmauk Township, Myanmar. Faecal flotation and sedimentation methods were carried out to detect the presence of parasitic infections. Faecal egg and oocyst counts were carried out using the McMaster technique. The overall occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants was 98.4% (374/380). The occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in sheep (99.3%) was higher than that in goats (96%). The highest occurrence was found in Eimeria spp. (96%), followed by Trichostrongyle (77.1%), Trichuris spp. (35%), and Moniezia expansa (14%). The mixed infection rate was 84.8% (317/374), while a single infection was 15.2% (57/374). The mean eggs per gram (EPG) and oocysts per gram (OPG) of faeces were ranged from 50 to 600 and 50 to 29,800, respectively. Among the 4 nucleotide sequences isolated, one sequence was 94.10-94.47% similarity with Trichostrongylus colubriformis, reported from Laos, and three sequences showed 96.64-99.46% identity with Haemonchus contortus from Laos, China, India, and Mongolia. As gastrointestinal parasite infection in small ruminants was relatively high in the study area, the development of appropriate treatment and control measures should be provided to reduce production losses.

Anthelmintic Activity of Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) and Mallow (Malva sylvestris L.) against Haemonchus contortus in Sheep.

Simple SummaryThe gastrointestinal parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus of small ruminants is an important target for chemoprophylaxis. Repeated use of anthelmintics in the form of synthetic drugs increases the risk of residues in food products and the development of anthelmintic resistance. However, the use of combinations of dry traditional medicinal plants as nutraceuticals is an alternative to chemotherapeutics for controlling haemonchosis in ruminants. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the effect of dietary supplementation with wormwood, mallow and their mix on parasitological status and inflammatory response in lambs experimentally infected with H. contortus. Simultaneously, the present study evaluated by the egg hatch test the in vitro anthelminthic effects of different concentrations (50–1.563 mg/mL) of the aqueous extracts of these plants. Our results revealed that the strong anthelmintic effect of both medicinal plants observed in vitro was not fully confirmed in vivo. This knowledge builds on our previously published findings and highlights that the effect of dry medicinal plants depends on the variety and synergy of plant polyphenols and the combination of bioactive compounds that together have an effect and contribute to a certain pharmacological efficacy.The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of dry wormwood and mallow on the gastrointestinal parasite of small ruminants Haemonchus contortus. Twenty-four experimentally infected lambs were randomly divided into four groups of six animals each: unsupplemented lambs, lambs supplemented with wormwood, lambs supplemented with mallow and animals supplemented with a mix of both plants. Faecal samples from the lambs were collected on day 23, 29, 36, 43, 50, 57, 64 and 75 post-infection for quantification of the number of eggs per gram (EPG). The mix of both plants contained phenolic acids (10.7 g/kg DM) and flavonoids (5.51 g/kg DM). The nematode eggs were collected and in vitro egg hatch test was performed. The aqueous extracts of both plants exhibited strong ovicidal effect on H. contortus, with ED50 and ED99 values of 1.40 and 3.76 mg/mL and 2.17 and 5.89 mg/mL, respectively, in the in vitro tests. Despite the great individual differences between the treated lambs in eggs reduction, the mean EPG of the untreated and treated groups did not differ (p > 0.05). Our results indicate that using wormwood and mallow as dietary supplements do not have a sufficient effect on lambs infected with H. contortus.

Population genomic and evolutionary modelling analyses reveal a single major QTL for ivermectin drug resistance in the pathogenic nematode, Haemonchus contortus

BackgroundInfections with helminths cause an enormous disease burden in billions of animals and plants worldwide. Large scale use of anthelmintics has driven the evolution of resistance in a number of species that infect livestock and companion animals, and there are growing concerns regarding the reduced efficacy in some human-infective helminths. Understanding the mechanisms by which resistance evolves is the focus of increasing interest; robust genetic analysis of helminths is challenging, and although many candidate genes have been proposed, the genetic basis of resistance remains poorly resolved.ResultsHere, we present a genome-wide analysis of two genetic crosses between ivermectin resistant and sensitive isolates of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus, an economically important gastrointestinal parasite of small ruminants and a model for anthelmintic research. Whole genome sequencing of parental populations, and key stages throughout the crosses, identified extensive genomic diversity that differentiates populations, but after backcrossing and selection, a single genomic quantitative trait locus (QTL) localised on chromosome V was revealed to be associated with ivermectin resistance. This QTL was common between the two geographically and genetically divergent resistant populations and did not include any leading candidate genes, suggestive of a previously uncharacterised mechanism and/or driver of resistance. Despite limited resolution due to low recombination in this region, population genetic analyses and novel evolutionary models supported strong selection at this QTL, driven by at least partial dominance of the resistant allele, and that large resistance-associated haplotype blocks were enriched in response to selection.ConclusionsWe have described the genetic architecture and mode of ivermectin selection, revealing a major genomic locus associated with ivermectin resistance, the most conclusive evidence to date in any parasitic nematode. This study highlights a novel genome-wide approach to the analysis of a genetic cross in non-model organisms with extreme genetic diversity, and the importance of a high-quality reference genome in interpreting the signals of selection so identified.

In vitro anthelmintic effects of Bridelia ferruginea, Combretum glutinosum, and Mitragyna inermis leaf extracts on Haemonchus contortus, an abomasal nematode of small ruminants.

Gastrointestinal nematodes remain a major constraint on the health, welfare, and production of small ruminants. This study was conducted to evaluate three plant extracts (from Bridelia ferruginea, Combretum glutinosum, and Mitragyna inermis) as effective remedies against gastrointestinal parasites of small ruminants. Phytochemical screening was conducted on the plant leaves, and the potential anthelmintic properties of these plants were tested in vitro on Haemonchus contortus using the egg hatch, larval migration, and adult worm motility assays. The phytochemical screening of the leaves revealed the presence of several bioactive components in all the plants. The number of eggs that hatched was reduced in a concentration-dependent manner (p < 0.01) upon treatment with the methanol extract of B. ferruginea and the acetone extracts of C. glutinosum and M. inermis. The inhibitory effect of the acetone extract of B. ferruginea and the methanol extracts of C. glutinosum and M. inermis was not concentration-dependent (p > 0.05). There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the reduction in larval migration between the lowest concentrations (75 to 150μg/mL) and the highest concentrations (300 to 1200μg/mL) of plant extracts. The ability of plant extracts to affect the mobility of the adult worms was not concentration-dependent (p > 0.05); however, it was dependent on the time of incubation (p < 0.01). At the highest concentration (2400μg/mL), all adult worms were motionless after 24h of exposure, while at the lowest concentration (< 150μg/mL), this occurred after 48h of exposure. M. inermis and C. glutinosum extracts were more effective than B. ferruginea extracts (p < 0.05). Overall, these results suggest that these plants used by small-scale farmers possess antiparasitic properties useful for helminthiasis control. However, the effects of the plants remain to be confirmed via in vivo assays and toxicity tests in further studies.

Incidence and Severity of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Small Ruminants at Hisar, Haryana

The present study was conducted to detect the incidence and severity of parasitic infection in small ruminant at Goat and Sheep Breeding Farms of Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS), Haryana. For this, faecal samples of 202 animals (100 sheep and 102 goats) were screened for qualitative (floatation and sedimentation), quantitative (McMaster) and coproculture examination. Faecal sample examination revealed significantly higher (p<0.01) infection in sheep (100%) as compared to goats (96%). The eggs of strongyle, Strongyloides, Trichuris, amphistome, Moniezia and coccidian oocyst were observed as 100%, 13%, 46%, 29%, 15% and 90% in sheep, respectively and 96.1%, 15.7%, 7.8%, 17.6% and 87.2% in goats, respectively. Majority of animals had the infection of strongyles with EPG more than 1200 and were also harbouring light infection of coccidia. The coproculture revealed the predominance of Haemonchus contortus along with other nematodes.

UDP-glycosyltransferase family in Haemonchus contortus: Phylogenetic analysis, constitutive expression, sex-differences and resistance-related differences

UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGT), catalysing conjugation of UDP-activated sugar donors to small lipophilic chemicals, are widespread in living organisms from bacteria to fungi, plant, or animals. The progress of genome sequencing has enabled an assessment of the UGT multigene family in Haemonchus contortus (family Trichostrongylidae, Nematoda), a hematophagous gastrointestinal parasite of small ruminants. Here we report 32 putative UGT genes divided into 15 UGT families. Phylogenetic analysis in comparison with UGTs from Caenorhabditis elegans, a free-living model nematode, revealed several single member homologues, a lack of the dramatic gene expansion seen in C. elegans, but also several families (UGT365, UGT366, UGT368) expanded in H. contortus only. The assessment of constitutive UGT mRNA expression in H. contortus adults identified significant differences between females and males. In addition, we compared the expression of selected UGTs in the drug-sensitive ISE strain to two benzimidazole-resistant strains, IRE and WR, with different genetic backgrounds. Constitutive expression of UGT368B2 was significantly higher in both resistant strains than in the sensitive strain. As resistant strains were able to deactivate benzimidazole anthelmintics via glycosylation more effectively then the sensitive strain, UGT368B2 enhanced constitutive expression might contribute to drug resistance in H. contortus.

Gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants from Grenada, West Indies: A coprological survey and a review of necropsy cases.

Gastrointestinal parasites are important in small ruminant farming because they can impact negatively on the productivity of animals. The objectives of the present study were to estimate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites and to assess mortality attributable to gastrointestinal parasite infection in sheep and goats. We collected fecal samples from 114 sheep and 292 goats from 34 farms for coprological examination. In addition, we evaluated necropsy records for sheep and goats that were submitted from 2002 to 2016 to the pathology diagnostic laboratory in the School of Veterinary Medicine at St. George's University, Grenada. Out of 406 small ruminant (292 goat and 114 sheep) fecal samples examined, 385 were positive for gastrointestinal parasites, giving an overall prevalence of 95% (95% confidence interval (CI) 92% to 97%). All the 34 farms visited were found to have positive animals to at least one type of gastrointestinal parasite; 100% herd prevalence (95% CI: 88% to 100%). Among the 292 goat fecal samples examined, 285 were positive for gastrointestinal parasites (98%; 95% CI: 95% to 99%) whereas the proportion of positive fecal samples in sheep was 88% (95% CI: 80% to 93%). There was a significant difference in prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites between sheep and goats (p = .0002). The proportion of infection with coccidia in goats and sheep was 76% and 75%, respectively. For helminthes, the proportions were as follows: Moniezia spp., 14% in goats and 4% in sheep; Strongyloides spp., 36% in goats and 21% in sheep; strongyle type eggs 89% in goats and 66% in sheep. Mixed infections in both sheep and goats were more common (92%) than single ones (8%). Out of 220 necropsy records evaluated, 29% of mortality was due to Haemonchus contortus infection. Moniezia spp and Oesophagostomum spp. were also commonly found.

Seasonal Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites of Small Ruminants in YSR Kadapa District of Andhra Pradesh, Indiash, India

Seasonal Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites of Small Ruminants in YSR Kadapa District of Andhra Pradesh, Indiash, India

An epidemiological investigation of gastrointestinal parasites of small ruminants in Tangail, Bangladesh

Gastrointestinal (GI) parasitism is anegregious problem in small ruminant production system due to is impact on growth and associated cost of control measures. An epidemiological study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of small ruminants from different areas of Madhupur, Tangail. The stool samples were collected from a total of 426 goats and sheep from study areas. Specimens were subjected to Stoll’s ova counting technique and the overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infection was found 63.4%. Overall prevalence of nematodes, cestodes, trematodes and protozoa was 52.11%, 2.11%, 36.62% and 10.33%, respectively. The prevalence of parasites were variable with Fasciola spp. (8.45%), Paramphistomum spp. (28.17%), Monieziaspp. (2.11%), Haemonchus spp. (31.22%), Trichurisspp. (1.17%), Oesophagostomum spp. (10.80%), Strongyloides spp. (4.93%), Trichostrongylus spp. (2.35%), Bunostomum spp. (1.64%), Eimeria spp. (24%) and Balantidium spp. (6.34%). Parasitic ova counts in male and female exhibited no significant variations (p&gt;0.05) between them. The infection was significantly higher (65.11%) in adult than in young (58.09%). No significant (p&gt;0.05) variation was observed in infection rates between goats (64.09%) and sheep (60.67%). Seasonal variation was found significant between rainy (72.44%), winter (56.72%) and summer (61.82%) seasons. Animals with poor body conditions (74.67%) were mostly affected compared to those with moderate (62.38%) and good (39.00%) body conditions. Further attempt is necessary for a structured surveillance and monitoring of GI parasites to formulate effective control measures.J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 15(2): 255-259, December 2017

Epidemiology of gastrointestinal parasites of small ruminants in Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Objective: The current study was conducted to explore the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites in small ruminants (sheep and goats) in relation to species, age, sex, season, and body condition in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional coprological survey was carried out at Mymensingh Sadar in Mymensingh from July 2015 to June 2016. In total, 433 fecal samples were screened for eggs/oocysts/cysts of parasite and counted by using standard qualitative and quantitative techniques. Eggs/oocysts/cysts were identified according to their characteristic features. Results: The study found 74.8% (n=324/433) prevalence of GI parasites in small ruminants. Species-wise prevalence indicated that 77.0% (n=268/348) goats and 65.9% (n=56/85) sheep harbored parasitic infection. Nine species of GI parasites were identified in the study area namely S trongyloides sp., Haemonchus sp., Oesophagostomum sp., Trichostrongylus sp., Trichuris sp. , Paraphistomum spp., Fasciola spp., Eimeria spp. and Balantidium spp. The level of egg/oocyst/cyst per gram of feces (EPG/OPG/CPG) was ranged between 100 and 1200. Young small ruminants (78.4%) showed significantly ( P =0.026) higher prevalence as compared to adult (68.8%). Between sexes, significantly ( P =0.000) higher prevalence was found in female (83.6%) than male (64.7%). Infection was significantly ( P =0.000) highest in poor body conditioned small ruminants (82.1%) as compared to moderate (72.2%) and good body conditioned (53.8%) small ruminants. In case of season, highest prevalence was found in rainy season (83.6%) followed by summer (78.6%) and winter (59.4%) with significant seasonal variations ( P =0.000). Conclusion: Finally, GI parasites are endemic among small ruminants in the study area. Knowledge on these parasites and related epidemiological parameters is important for outlining fruitful control strategies against GI parasites. http://doi.org/10.5455/javar.2017.d234