A Study to determine the prevalence of helminths parasites in mules from Nepalgunj of district Banke

Abstract

Internal and external parasitic diseases are common health problem in both domestic and wild animals. Parasitic infection decreases the performances; production and productivity in animals mainly in the reduction of body weight or even increases the mortality in acute cases. The current study was carried out in order to observe the seasonal prevalence of intestinal helmiths parasite in mules. The two different technique used during the detection of helmiths parasites were sedimentation and floatation technique. The samples were collected December\ January, May\ June, and August\September. The total number of samples had collected and examine for the study were 100,100 and 50 respectively for these study period. The overall prevalence of helminths parasites during December\Janurary were (53%), May\June (81%) and August\September (78%). A huge difference in the prevalence of helminth parasites in winter and summer, rainy season, but a very few difference between summer and rainy season were observed.During December\January (16.18%) of infections were caused by Cestodes, (50.86%) by terematodes and (69.81%) by nematodes. Like wise (19.73%), (56.79%) and (83.95%) of infection were caused by Cestodes, Trematodes and Nematodes respectively during May\June. Similarly in rainy season (28.51%), (53.84%) and (79.48%) cestodes, trematodes and nematodes infection in August\ September.Taenia, Moniezia and Dipylidium of Cestodes and Schistosoma and Dicrocoelium of trematodes genera were reported for the first time in mules from Nepal. Similarly, nematodes genera Ancylostoma,Capillaria,Cooperia,Chabertia, Strongyloides, Trichuris and Toxocara also reported for the first time in mules from Nepal.The prevalence percentage of identified geneara of cestodes were Anoplocephala (3.46%), Dipylidium (2.31%), Moniezia (2.31%) and Taenia (8.67%). Among trematodes, the genera identified with their prevalence percentage were found to be Dicrocoelium (9.24%), Fasciola (9.82%), Gastrodiscus (2.89%) and Schistosoma (32.36%). Similarly, the genera included in nematodes are Ancylostoma (1.15%), Capillaria (9.82%), Chabertia (4.04%), Cooperia (4.62%), Dictyocaulus (11.56%), Oxyuris (13.87%), Parascaris (10.40%), Strongylus (15.02%), Strongyloides (8.67%), Trichostrongylus (13.29%), Trichuris (9.24%), Triodontophorus (1.15%), Toxocara(5.78%).During winter, summer and rainy season 47.16%, 83.95% and 69.23% samples were found multiple infections respectively. The difference in the prevalance of helminths parasites during winter, summer and rainy season were found statistically significant ( =46.43, p<0.05, d.f. = 1).

Key word: Helminth, Trematodes, Cestodes, Nematodes, Parasite, prevalence, sedimentation, Floatation.