Epidemiological study of gastrointestinal helminths of equines in Damot-Gale district, Wolaita zone, Ethiopia.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research delved into the prevalence of internal helminth parasites among equines (horses, donkeys, etc.) in Damot-Gale district, Southern Ethiopia. The study, operated from November 2011 to May 2012, sought to evaluate how widespread these parasites are within the equine population and how the parasites are distributed.
Study Methodology
- The research was carried out in two different agroecological zones within the Damot-Gale district, Wolaita zone of Southern Ethiopia.
- The investigation required coprological examinations of 500 collected faecal samples from various equines for the presence of gastrointestinal helminth ova, and 200 positive samples were cultured.
- The larvae within these samples were then recovered and identified by means of coproculture.
Findings of the Research
The coprological examination brought to light the presence of diverse helminth species in both donkeys and horses:
- In donkeys, 100% had Strongyle parasites, 16.6% harboured Fasciola species, 10.2% had Parascaris equorum, 2.1% hosted Oxyuris equi, 1.1% carried Strongyloides westeri, and 0.7% had Gastrodiscus species.
- Horses showed a prevalence of 100% Strongyle, 17.5% Fasciola species, 5.5% Parascaris equorum, 1.4% Oxyuris equi, and 0.5% Strongyloides westeri.
Assessment of Risk Factors
- The researchers did not observe significant variations in the prevalence of equine helminthes among various considered risk factors, with a P value greater than 0.05.
- Exceptions were found in the case of Parascaris equorum and Fasciola species where significant statistical variations were linked to age and the purpose of the animal respectively, with a P value less than 0.05.
Examining Egg Count
- An average of 689.8 eggs was found for every gram of faeces, with a range of 100 to 1,600 eggs per gram.
- Significant statistical differences were observed in the mean eggs per gram of faeces in all the considered putative risk factors (P < 0.05), except for the case of sexes.
Major Helminth Parasites Identified
Coproculture performed on the pooled faecal samples revealed various major helminth parasites of equines in the Damot-Gale district, Wolaita. These included Cyathostome species, Strongyius vulgaris, Trichostrongylus axei, Triodontophorus species, Strongylus equinus, Strongylus edentatus and Oesophagodontus robustus.
Cite This Article
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 05, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 05, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
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Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Mesafint E, Dejene H, Maru M, Tarekegn ZS. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of parasitic infections in equids in Ethiopia.. J Parasit Dis 2023 Sep;47(3):451-464.
- Mathewos M, Girma D, Fesseha H, Yirgalem M, Eshetu E. Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Helminthiasis in Horses and Donkeys of Hawassa District, Southern Ethiopia.. Vet Med Int 2021;2021:6686688.
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