Research Note 1: Detection of helminth parasites of ruminants in hedgehog Atelerix albivetrix

Abstract

Parasitological investigation on the gastro-intestinal contents of hedgehog was conducted. Samples were scrubbed from the length of gastro-intestinal tracts of road kills and casualty hedgehogs collected from the road site(s) during the early hours of
the day and transported to the laboratory before post-mortem changes sets in. Of the ninety-nine road-kills hedgehogs collected and used for the studies, 5.26% (5) and 2.10 % ( 2) prevalence rates of infestation with Haemonchus contortus and Dicrocoelium
dendriticum that are classical ruminant helminthes were detected respectively. Thus, the findings confirmed hedgehog as a host in the epizootiology of helminth parasitosis in ruminants; further investigation is required to determine if hedgehog could act as a secondary intermediate host in the epizootiology of helminthes infection in ruminants.

Keywords: helminth parasites, hedgehog, ruminants, helminthosis.

Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 28 (2) 2007: pp. 129-130