Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Helminth Parasites of Small Ruminants Slaughtered at HELIMEX Abattoir, Ethiopia

Abstract

A cross sectional study was conducted from October 2010/11 to April 2011/12 at Hashim Nur’s Ethiopian livestock and meat export abattoir, with the aim to determine the prevalence of Helminth Parasites based on Coprological finding and post mortem examination of the organs and carcasses. During the study a total of 768 sheep and goat (384 each) were examined. Out of 768 animals examined, 426 were positive for the parasitic infection with the overall prevalence of 55.5%. The most commonly encountered parasites were: Fasciola, St.hepatica, Hydatid cyst, C. tennuicollis, C. ovis, C. cerebralis and O. ovis. The study indicated a higher prevalence of parasites like Fasciola 22(5.73%), St.hepatica 18(4.69%), Lung worm 186(49.44%), Hydatid cyst 13(3.39%), C. Cerebralis 13(3.39%) and O. ovis 22(5.73%) in Sheep. On the other hand, the prevalence of C. tennuicillis 49(12.76%) and C. ovis 4(1.04%) was higher in goats. Beyond economic loss, higher parasitic infections of sheep and goats are responsible for zoonoses. It is therefore worth conducting strategic regular deworming, careful ante and post slaughter examination and burning or burying of condemned organs and carcass to avoid access to dogs and wild canids to break down the transmission cycle.

Keywords: Sheep, Goats, Coprological, Post Mortem, gastro intestinal, parasites