A Preliminary Survey of Gastrointestinal Parasites of Animals in Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta Zoological Park, Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Parasitic infections including gastrointestinal helminths are major cause of wildlife health complications and death. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the newly established Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta Zoological garden to examine occurrence of gastrointestinal parasitic infection among the captive animals in the park. Faecal samples were collected weekly from cages of 18 animals between April and July, 2014. The faecal samples were processed using Sodium acetate-Acetic acid-Formalin ether concentration method and examined for intestinal parasites ova or cysts under the microscope. Types of intestinal parasites found were recorded and the weekly egg count recorded and analysed to compute intensity of infection. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse important variables. Seven species of gastrointestinal parasites that include hookworm, Trichuris spp, Ascaris spp, Enterobius spp, Trichostrongylus spp, Entamoeba spp, and Strongyloides spp were identified from microscopic examination.  Of the examined animals, 55.6% were infected with at least a parasite with hookworm the most prevalent with 22.2% of the animals infected.  The Non-human primates were the most infected among the animals surveyed in which Cercopithecus mona (Mona monkey) carried the highest infection. Routine screening and deworming of captive animals should be incorporated into animal health management practices in this zoological garden.

Keywords: zoological garden, gastrointestinal parasites, non-human primates