article · Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology
A survey of gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants across Maiduguri, Nigeria, examined 250 faecal samples from sheep and goats collected between July and August 2023. Using simple floatation techniques, researchers found an overall parasite prevalence of 80.0 percent. The most frequently identified parasites were Strongyles at 73.5 percent, followed by Eimeria at 41.5 percent, Strongyloides at 26 percent, and Moniezia at 1.5 percent. Infection rates were slightly higher in goats at 81.9 percent than in sheep at 78.1 percent, higher in males at 84.2 percent than in females at 76.2 percent, and higher in adults at 81.4 percent compared to younger animals at 77.7 percent. However, differences associated with age, sex, breed, and body condition score were not statistically significant. Geographical location was the only variable showing a statistically significant link to parasite occurrence, highlighting the need for routine deworming programmes.
Gastrointestinal parasites pose a widespread threat to small ruminant health and agricultural productivity in the region. Confirming high infection rates and identifying the dominant parasite varieties provides vital local data for livestock keepers and veterinary authorities, supporting targeted disease management and regular deworming strategies to improve animal welfare and protect rural livelihoods dependent on sheep and goat farming.
The findings provide early-stage epidemiological baseline data that veterinary pharmaceutical suppliers, local agricultural extension services, and animal health programmes can use to direct deworming treatments. The research is observational rather than a developed product, meaning real-world application depends on existing veterinary distributors and policymakers implementing regular parasite screening and targeted antiparasitic medication schedules in local livestock populations.
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Gastrointestinal parasites (GIP) are a serious threat to small ruminants’ production with significant socio-economic impact. The current study was undertaken to determine the diversity, prevalence and risk factors of GIP of sheep and goats in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Adopting convenient sampling technique, we collected exactly 250 faecal samples from sheep and goats across several study locations within Maiduguri during the months of July to August 2023. Additionally, individual animal data were recorded including host type, sex, species, breed, age and body condition score. All the collected samples were subjected to simple floatation techniques to ascertain the presence of gastrointestinal parasite eggs or ova. Data obtained were subjected to chi-square and multiple regression analysis using GraphPad Prism Version 5. Results shows that exactly 200 samples out of 250 were positive with an overall prevalence of 80.0%. Nematode ova and Eimeria oocyst identified were those of Strongyles (73.5%; 147/200), followed by Eimeria (41.5%; 83/200), Strongyloides (26%; 52/200) and Moniezia (1.5%; 3/200). The occurrence of gastrointestinal helminths was higher in the goats (81.9%) compared to the sheep (78.1%). Furthermore, the occurrence was higher in adults (81.4%) compared to young ones (77.7%) and in males (84.2%) than females (76.2%). No statistically significant difference (p>0.05) was observed in the prevalence between age, sex, breed and body condition score. Only location was documented to have a statistically significant association(p<0.05). In conclusion, this study has documented the occurrence of four species of GIP in sheep and goat. We therefore advocated the need for routine deworming of these small ruminant stocks to enhance their productivity.
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DOI: 10.24925/turjaf.v14i8.2321-2327.8755
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