Haemonchosis in Small Ruminant and the Associated Risk Factors in and around Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

A cross sectional study was conducted in Gondar town, Amhara regional state of Ethiopia from November 2016 to May 2017 with an attempt to estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of haemonchosis in sheep and goats slaughtered at randomly selected restaurants and hotels. A total of 250 animals were examined (216 sheep and 34 goats) and the overall prevalence was 73.6%. Specific prevalence in Haemonchus contortus infection in sheep was (65.6%) and it was (8%) in goats; and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Prevalence of Haemonchosis in male and female animals was (57.6%) and (16%) respectively and the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Prevalence of the disease in medium body conditioned animals was found to be higher (46%) when compared to good body condition animals (27.6%) and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). There was also statistically significant difference in Haemonchosis prevalence between age groups in that adults of greater or equal to one year age have higher prevalence (52.8%) than young animals (20.8%). Overall, the present study revealed haemonchosis as a very important parasitic disease of small ruminants that warrant urgent control measure to tackle the disease incidence before the onset of adverse economic impacts.

Keywords: Haemonchosi, Prevalence, Risk factors, Small ruminants