Diversity and prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in farmed pigs in Southeast Gabon, Central Africa

Abstract

Background and aim: Gastrointestinal infestations caused by intestinal parasites are the most important diseases and the most common in pigs in the tropics. These parasites are often associated with a huge economic loss. This study aimed to assess the diversity and prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in farmed pigs from Haut-Ogooue Province, in South East Gabon.

Materials and methods: From March 2018 to July 2018, 156 samples of pig feces collected from nine different farms were analyzed under light microscopy. The identification of eggs, cysts, and oocysts in fecal samples was done using two qualitative techniques: Flotation and sedimentation.

Results: After examination, the results obtained revealed an overall infestation level of 98.7% (154/156). We found ten parasite types with infestation levels that varied from species: Balantidium coli (120/156), Oesophagostomum spp. (100/156), Isospora suis (102/156), Ancylostoma spp. (17/156), Trichostrongylus spp. (28/156), Hyostrongylus spp. (13/156), Strongyloides spp. (7/156), Ascaris suum (8/156), Globocephalus spp. (1/156), and spirurida (1/156). The study of risk factors revealed that factors such as sex, age, and physiological condition may influence the diversity and level of infestation of animals by gastrointestinal parasites.

Conclusion: For better prevention of parasitism in these farms, it would be interesting to implement health monitoring and to ensure good hygiene. Finally, further studies would be needed to better evaluate the distribution of these parasites in Gabon and the involvement of these animals in the transmission cycle of parasitic zoonoses.

Keywords: Gabon; diversity; gastrointestinal parasites; pigs; prevalence.

Figure-1

Location of sampling sites for pig feces. This figure shows the province in which the study took place and the cities where animal feces were collected. [Source: The authors made the figure with the help of Illustrator CS6 software].

Figure-2

The eggs of the gastrointestinal parasites identified. This image realized with the software illustrator CS6 shows the different parasites observed in our study. (A) Ancylostoma spp., (B) Spirurida, (C) Isospora suis, (D) Ascaris suum, (E) Globocephalus spp., (F) Balantidium coli, (G) Trichostrongylus spp., (H) Oesophagostomum spp., (I) host species.