Abstract
BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal tract parasites (GIT) pose a significant economic constraint and public health challenges worldwide, including in Pakistan. AIM: This study was conducted to assess the effect of the prevalence and associated risk factors on the prevalence of GIT parasites found in sheep of lower and higher altitudes in the district of Swat, Pakistan. METHODS: Fecal samples from the rectum were collected by means of gloved fingers and then placed in plastic bottles containing 70% ethanol. The collected fecal specimens were transported to the parasitology laboratory of Malakand University in the Zoology Department for investigating gastrointestinal parasites. General laboratory techniques were applied to detect parasitic infections. RESULTS: Of the 300 fecal samples, 90.4% (n = 272/300) were parasitized. The most prevalent species was Haemonchus spp 47.5% (n = 191), followed by Trichuris spp 17.4%(n = 70), Taenia spp 14.4% (n = 58), Moniezia spp 1.74% (n = 7), Fasciola spp 1.49% (n = 6), Eimeria spp 6.21% (n = 25), Dicrocoelium spp 4.22% (n = 17), Paramphistomum spp 4.67% (n = 14), Nematodirus spp 2% (n = 6), and Filicollis spp 2.67% (n = 8). Different risk factors, such as gender, age, health status, grazing behavior, drinking water sources, treatment, and nature of parasitism, were investigated. Sex-wise prevalence demonstrated that females were more parasitized than males. The association between helminth parasitic infection was noted statistically significant with mode of nutrition, body condition, age, altitudes, and status of females (p <; 0.05). However, the prevalence rate of the infection was higher in younger animals than in older ones. The animals at higher altitudes were more infected than those at lower altitudes (p >; 0.05). In winter, the sheep were found to be more infected (94.8%) than in other seasons of the year (p >; 0.05). The number of eggs per gram for Haemonchus spp was 50-1,600epg, Trichuris spp 50-300epg, Taenia spp 50-250epg, Fasciola spp 50-200epg, Moniezia spp 50-150epg, Paramphistomum spp 100-150epg, Dicrocoelium 100-150epg, Filicollis spp 50-150epg, Eimeria spp (oocysts) 50-100epg, and Nematodirus spp 50-100epg, were detected. CONCLUSION: The current study evidenced higher rates of helminth parasitic infection that can be prevented by ensuring antihelminthic treatments for the sheep population at different intervals.