Prevalence of ruminants gastro-intestinal parasites in Kirkuk province, Iraq

Abstract EN

The present study was established on the slaughtered ruminants in Kirkuk central abattoir between June 1st till December, 31st 2015.

The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence of gastro-intestinal parasites (GIPs ) of slaughtered grazing ruminants in Kirkuk province.

Fresh faecal specimens (n=276) were obtained from slaughtered grazing ruminants (85 sheep, 71 goats and 120 Cattle) in Kirkuk province.

The investigational processing represented as direct and concentration methods were carried out using faecal direct smear, flotation and sedimentation protocol to investigate the fecal specimens to determine eggs/oocysts/trophozoites of the parasites.

The obtained data showed that overall prevalence of GIPs among slaughtered ruminants was 78.98%.

Six different GIPs species were recognized in the present study, namely: Haemonchus contortus, Strongyloides papillosus, Trichuris spp.

Ostertagia spp., Entodinium caudatum, and Eimeria spp.

The highest prevalence of GIPs was among goats (91.55%).

While, lowest infections was observed among cattle (69.17%).

The highest recorded results was Eimeria spp.

among adult goats (42.2%), followed by S.

papillosus (28.6%) in young sheep.

The lowest infection was 5.33% in adult cattle by Trichuris spp.

By age groups, young and adult goats showed the most prevalence of GIPs with infection ratio of 93.33% and 88.46%, respectively.

Data in the present study revealed that the GIPs prevalent rates among grazing ruminants in Kirkuk province was about 79%.

Adult goats seem to be the most infected ruminants GIPs with Eimeria spp., followed by young sheep with S.

papillosus.

This finding may be due to using unorganized traditional management systems in which huge numbers of the animals are kept together.