Occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in camels in the Tianshan Mountains pastoral area in China

Abstract

IntroductionGastrointestinal parasites are some of the most common pathogens which are seriously harmful to the camel’s health. The infection status of gastrointestinal parasites in camels (Camelus bactrianus) in the Tianshan Mountains pastoral area in China is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the species and infection intensity of gastrointestinal tract parasites in local camels.Material and MethodsA total of 362 fresh faecal samples were collected and examined for parasite eggs using the saturated saline floating and natural sedimentation method. The parasite eggs were subjected to morphological and molecular examination and identification, and the infection rate and mean intensity of the parasites were analysed.ResultsA total of 15 gastrointestinal tract parasite species’ eggs were identified, with a detection rate of 100%. Ostertagia spp. (100%) and Trichostrongylus spp. (98.1%) were dominant. Camels were often coinfected by 5–14 species. The average number of eggs per gram of faeces was higher for Ostertagia spp. (298), Haemonchus contortus (176) and Nematodirus spp. (138). The number of species of parasites infecting young camels was significantly lower than that of adult camels, but the infection intensity in young camels was significantly higher.ConclusionGastrointestinal parasites were highly prevalent in camels from the Tianshan Mountains pastoral area in China. This finding provides important epidemiological data for the prevention and control of associated infections in camels.

Epidemiological Investigation of Gastrointestinal Parasites of Dromedary Camels in Administrative Zone Three of Afar Region, Ethiopia

“…It is clear that as the age of the camels increases, the exposure to different types of parasites is more and the prevalence of parasites might be higher as well. The present result is supported by different researchers stating that age and prevalence of GIT parasites are directly related in camels [ 9 , 11 , 14 , 19 , 22 ].…”

“…It is clear that as the age of the camels increases, the exposure to different types of parasites is more and the prevalence of parasites might be higher as well. e present result is supported by different researchers stating that age and prevalence of GIT parasites are directly related in camels [9,11,14,19,22]. e prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites is higher in females (76.99%) than males (71.76%), but the difference is not statistically significant (p value >0.05).…”

“…There are also sign of dehydration, rough hair coat, and anemia [ 12 ]. In addition to nematodes and protozoan parasites, camels were affected by other parasites such as trematodes, cestodes, and blood parasites [ 11 , 13 , 14 ].…”

Intensity of Gastrointestinal Parasites and the Associated Risk Factors and Sero-Prevalence of Hemonchosis, among Camels in Egypt

“…in young camels. Similarly, Ararsa et al (2014) and Guowu et al (2020) reported that age might be a risk factor for the high prevalent gastrointestinal parasites infectivity among camels. Other reports observed no association between age of the host and the prevalence of the parasites (Parmar et al 2019;Bouragba et al 2020).…”

“…Gastrointestinal parasitic infection is one of the most common obstacles among the camel population worldwide (Guowu et al 2020;El-Seify et al 2021;Bouasla et al 2023).…”