Floor type affecting gastrointestinal parasite prevalence in equines: A study in Haryana

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites (GIP) in equines across Haryana. A total of 1500 fecal samples were collected from horses (967), donkeys (178), and mules (355) in randomly selected villages across three distinct agro-climatic zones: arid (500 samples), semi-arid (500 samples), and dry sub-humid (500 samples). Qualitative methods were employed to examine these samples for the presence of gastrointestinal parasites. Among horses, the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasite infection was notably higher on unpaved (kachha) floors (73.77%) compared to paved (pakka) floors (51.91%). Similarly, among donkeys, the prevalence was higher on pakka floors (58.22%) than on kachha floors (56.25%). Mules also showed a higher prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites on kachha floors (68.18%) compared to pakka floors (57.09%). These findings underscore the variability in parasite prevalence based on flooring types commonly found in equine environments across different agro-climatic zones in Haryana.