Prevalence of helminthiasis in Ankole cattle in Sanga Sub County, Kiruhura District of Western Uganda

Abstract

Ruminant helminths are found in all parts of the world, including the tropical and subtropical regions. Sanga sub county, Kiruhura district, Uganda is one of the areas prone to the activity of gastrointestinal helminths in cattle. A Cross-sectional study on the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth (GI) parasites in Ankole cattle from Sanga sub county Kiruhura district, Uganda, was carried out in June 2023. Fecal examination was done using sedimentation and modified McMaster methods in order to identify common helminths of Ankole cattle gastrointestinal tract, the percentage of the infection, the effect of age, and grazing system on the amount of infection and determine the severity of infection. In this study, two genera of gastrointestinal parasites including Strongyles and paramphistomum were identified among 120 cattle. Overall, 50% of cattle were infected with different helminths. Based on the average percentage of cattle infected with gastrointestinal parasites across different ages, calves had the highest percentage (60%) compared to the adults (40%), which has a statistically significant difference (p< 0:05).The cattle under communal grazing system had a higher prevalence (68.3%) compared to those under paddock grazing system (31.7%)with a statistically significant difference (p< 0:05). Moreover, 60% of the cattle had a low level of infection, 8.4% had moderate infection and 1,7% had a high infection. The moderate and high infection cases were all found in the communal grazing system. Despite the fact that farmers use antiparasitic drugs, helminthic infections in cattle are still high. In conclusion, the lack of proper implementation of helminthic infection control programs as well as antiparasitic drug resistance in this area can be a key element for the high prevalence of livestock helminthic infection in these areas.