Prevalence, Intensity and Major Species of Gastrointestinal Parasites of Donkeys in Adami Tulu Jido Kombolcha District, Central Ethiopia
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Vol. 10(5), pp. 58-65, May 2018 DOI: 10.5897/JPVB2017.0292 Article Number: 40FBFE057019 Journal of Parasitology and ISSN 2141-2510 Copyright © 2018 Vector Biology Author(s) retain the copyright of this article http://www.academicjournals.org/JPVB Full Length Research Paper Prevalence, intensity and major species of gastrointestinal parasites of donkeys in Adami Tulu Jido Kombolcha District, Central Ethiopia Midekso Sankuro1, Kemal Kedir Elemo2* and Birihanu Mekibib3 1Bale Zone Pastoral Area Development Office, Bale-Robe, Ethiopia. 2College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Animal and Range Sciences Course Team, Madda Walabu University, Bale-Robe, Ethiopia. 3Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hawassa University, Ethiopia. Received 8 May, 2017; Accepted 21 July, 2017. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence, intensity and risk factors of major gastrointestinal parasites of donkeys in Adami Tulu Jido Kombolcha district, Central Ethiopia. A total of 525 faecal samples were co-prologically examined for gastrointestinal parasites infections. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) parasite infestation was high (98.67%), with females more infested than males and majority of the donkeys had massive infestation (49.59%), as compared to those with moderate (27.21%) or light infestation (23.20%). The respective helminth parasites prevalence observed was: Strongyles (98.7%), Parascaris equorum (28.8%), Dictyocaulus arnfiedi (14.3%), Triodontophorus (13.14%), Cyathostomes (9.7%), Strongloides westeri (6.3%), Gastrodiscus aegypticus (5.0%), Anoplocephala (4.6%), Oxyurisequi (3.8%), Gastrophilus species (2.85%) and Fasciola species (1.76%). Of the examined, 80% had mixed infection with two or more parasites. Upon further coproculture analysis, the predominant larvae of GIT parasites recovered were: S. vulgaris, P. equorum, S. edentatus, T. axie, S. equinus and Dictyocaulus arnfieldi. The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was higher in female donkeys than males with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between them. The results demonstrate that prevalence rate of gastrointestinal parasite infection was relatively higher in females, young and poor body conditioned donkeys than males, adult and good body condition scores. The results generated can inform the design of control strategies for helmenth infestation in donkeys. An immediate intervention seems an emphasis to awareness creation about the strategic deworming, animal welfare and management for control of helmenth infestation in donkeys. Key words: Ovo-culture, eggs per gram (EPG), faeces, intensity, gastrointestinal parasite, prevalence, Central Ethiopia. INTRODUCTION Donkey (Equus asinus) is one of the most important drought animals. They have decisive role in the *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +251934771251. Author(s) agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Sankuro et al. 59 agricultural system of many developing countries. This is gastrointestinal parasites of donkeys in Adami Tulu revealed by the widespread use of donkey in rural and JidoKombolcha district of East Shoa, Oromia Regional urban areas in Africa (Pearson et al., 1999). Donkeys are State, Central Ethiopia. The present investigation was used for packing, transportation, riding, carting, threshing, therefore, designed to establish the prevalence and major farm cultivation and milk and meat production for human GIT parasites of donkeys and to assess potential risk consumption (Fielding and Pearson, 1987). They appear factors in Adami Tulu JidoKombolcha districts of East to be affective in assisting women both in domestic Shoa, Oromia Regional State, Central Ethiopia. responsibilities and income generation activities (Marshal and Ali, 2004). Donkeys are often described as hardy and resistant MATERIALS AND METHODS animals, but they do suffer a number of health problem. The most important one are parasitic disease, especially, Description of the study area gastrointestinal parasites, harness sore, sarcoids and The study was undertaken in Adami Tulu Jidokombalcha district infectious disease such as anthrax (Alemu et al., 2004). which is part of the Rift valley that lies 130-180 km south of Addis Gastrointestinal parasites of donkeys are among the Ababa at an altitude of 500-1800 m above sea level. The area has most common factors that hamper the health and working an annual rain fall ranging from 500 - 900 mm. The rain fall is performance of donkeys in tropical and subtropical bimodal with short rainy season from March to May and long rainy environment of the world. The parasites inflict diverse season from June to September, followed by the dry season from October to February. The area has an average maximum and degree of injuries based on the species and quantity minimum temperature of 27.2 and 12°C, respectively and relative present, nutritional and immune status of eqiuds (Krecek humidity of 60%. Agricultural production system of the study et al., 1994). In donkeys, infection by internal parasites districts is mixed farming with crop and livestock production system are accountable for constraints such as poor body (CSA, 2012). condition, reduced power output, diarrhea, colic, emaciation, impaired growth, poor reproductive Study animals performance, short lifespan and vulnerability to other infectious diseases (Fikru et al., 2005; Yoseph et al., The study animals were donkeys found in Adami Tulu 2005; Ayele et al., 2006; Getachew et al., 2009). Jidokombalcha district of East Shoa, Oromia Regional State, Helminthes parasite of eqiuds is among the most Central Ethiopia. Donkeys in the study areas were randomly neglected areas of veterinary care in most part of the selected for sampling for gastrointestinal parasite examinations regardless of age, sex and body condition scores. All the donkeys developing world (Getachew et al., 2009). are under extensive management systems and they are left on Investigations on endoparasites in working donkeys limited grazing land that expose them to high infestation of the across several countries of the world have revealed the parasites and most of the owners do not provide them additional contribution of various species (Wells et al., feeding. Furthermore, all donkeys in the district are working for long 1998; Matthee et al., 2002; Pereira and Vianna, 2006). period of time that may suppress their immunity and expose them to These observations have showed that in developing parasitic infestation. countries where, nutrition and hygiene are generally poor, helminths are mainly common and the major setbacks to Study design donkey population. In Ethiopia, where the health care is minimal, particularly for equines, the prevalence, species A cross-sectional study design was undertaken to establish the composition and epidemiology of helminths affecting prevalence of major gastrointestinal parasites of donkeys and to donkeys have not been explored in detail (Ayele et al., assess putative risk factors associated with the infection. 2006). Analysis of the existing literatures in Ethiopia strongly Sampling technique and sample size determination support that GIT parasites of donkey is nationwide distribution and is also considered as one of the major Sampling was performed using simple random sampling method to constraints to donkey productivity resulting in huge direct select individual donkeys. The sample size required for the study and indirect losses in the country (Getachew et al., 2009; was calculated according to the formula recommended by Regassa and Yimer, 2013; Wako et al., 2016). Previous Thrusfield (2007) for simple random sampling. investigations undertaken in Ethiopia have reported that 2 the prevalence of helminths infection in donkeys ranges (1.96) Pexp (1 - Pexp) from 70 to 100% (Ayele et al., 2006; Getachew et al., n = 2 2009). d Several studies conducted so far in various parts of Ethiopia revealed that gastrointestinal helminths are the Where: n = required sample size, Pexp = expected prevalence and main reasons for early death of donkeys in the country d = desired absolute precision. Since there is no reasonable research done in this area so far, the sample size is calculated (Yoseph et al., 2001; Fikru et al., 2005; Ayele et al., using a method recommended by Thrusfield (2007), with 95% 2006). Apart from few studies in other parts of Ethiopia, confidence interval, at 5% desired absolute precision and expected there is paucity of information and no published data on prevalence of 50%. Accordingly, the total numbers of sample 60 J. Parasitol. Vector Biol. required for this study was 384 donkeys, but to increase precision dentition (Cran, 1997; Svendsen, 1997). Body condition score was of the study and representativeness of the sample, 525 donkeys subjectively estimated according to the standard given by NEWC were sampled. In Adami Tulu JidoKombolcha district, there are 43 (2005) and classified as poor, medium and good. peasant associations. Out of them, 28 were selected by considering them to be representative of the whole peasant associations. Then, the peasant associations were grouped into three depending on Data storage and analysis their vicinity to the three market places, that is, Bulbula, Adamitulu and Ziway market places. Then, the donkeys coming to market All data collected were entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet places on market days were randomly selected irrespective of