Epidemiological study of gastrointestinal parasites in sheep and goats of Hyderabad-Karnataka region, Karnataka state, India

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites in sheep and goats of the Hyderabad-Karnataka (H-K) region, Karnataka. A total of 3,621 faecal samples, comprising 1,876 from sheep and 1,745 from goats, were collected across Bidar, Kalaburgi, and Raichur districts over a one-year period (2022-23). Standard faecal flotation and sedimentation techniques revealed an overall prevalence of 65.78%, with goats (67.9%) showing significantly higher infection rates (p<0.05) than sheep (63.8%). District-wise prevalence was 68.76%, 61.8% and 62.28% in Bidar, Kalaburgi, and Raichur, respectively, without significant variation (p>0.05). Infected animals harboured either single (43.94%) or multiple (21.84%) species of parasites. Strongyles (27.64%) were the predominant species, followed by Eimeria spp. (7.91%), Strongyloides papillosus (3.87%), Trichuris ovis (2.54%), Moniezia spp. (1.02%), Amphistomes (0.8%), Buxtonella sulcata (0.11%), and Schistosoma spindale (0.06%). Coproculture confirmed Haemonchus contortus as the predominant nematode in the H-K region. Prevalence was highest in post-weaning lambs and kids (69.61%), followed by pre-weaning animals (68.60%) and adults (60.12%), with no statistical difference (p>0.05). Female animals exhibited a significantly higher prevalence (67.9%) compared to males (62.85%) (p<0.01). Seasonally, infection was highest during the rainy season (69.04%), followed by winter (65.63%) and summer (62.52%) (p<0.001). The findings highlight the high endemicity of GI parasitism in small ruminants of the H-K region, with strongyles, particularly H. contortus, being the predominant parasite, necessitating strategic control measures to minimize production losses.