Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of cattle in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in cattle presented for slaughter in abattoirs and compared with that of Teaching and Research farm of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Faeces were randomly collected from 205 cattle of less and greater than one year of age. Helminthes eggs and oocysts were detected by coproscopy and faecal egg load determined using McMaster technique. Result shows that prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was 95.12%, helminthes had lower prevalence of 44.39% (91) compared to coccidial oocysts, 95.12% (195). Detected helminth eggs include Haemonchus spp, Ascaris, Trichostrongylus spp, Paramphistomum spp, Monieza spp and Fasciola spp. Furthermore, study revealed prevalence of 32.68%, 11.22% and 0.49% for nematode, trematode and cestodes, respectively. Analysis revealed significant (p<0.05) difference between the prevalence of nematodes and trematode as well as the mean faecal egg count of the cattle sampled in the abattoir and the University farm. In conclusion, gastrointestinal parasites are prevalent in cattle in the study area with Eimeria spp being most prevalent. Demonstration Fasciola spp, a zoonotic helminth, in the study area calls for serious public health concern and hence regular screening of gastrosintestinal parasites should be carried out for effective monitoring and control.

Key words: Cestodes; Eggs/Oocyst; Nematodes; Prevalence; Trematodes.