Prevalence of Swine Gastrointestinal Parasites in Nyagatare District, Rwanda

Abstract

While pig farming has been growing rapidly in Rwanda, its potential contribution to the prevalence of zoonotic infections is not well known. Pig production is usually affected by gastrointestinal parasites, some of which are zoonotic and can threaten human health. The knowledge about the status of such infections is essential for policy decisions and interventions. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of swine gastrointestinal parasites in Nyagatare district, Rwanda. A cross-sectional study involved collecting 104 faecal samples from apparently healthy pigs. The floatation technique was used to identify the parasites and frequency distribution analysis, and Pearson chi-square tests of association were conducted for this study data. Overall, the prevalence of swine gastrointestinal parasites was 84.6%, and the predominant species were Strongyle-type helminths representing 70.2%, followed by coccidia (55.8%), Strongyloides ransomi (39.4%), and Ascaris suum (10.6%). Of all parasitized pigs ( n = 88 ), 84.1% developed coinfections involving 2, 3, or 4 different parasite species. The results showed a statistically significant correlation between the location of pigs and parasitic infections and that some prevalent parasites are zoonotic. Interventions among pig farmers in Nyagatare should aim to improve awareness and to provide information on the negative impacts of swine gastrointestinal parasites on pig production and human health.

prevalence and determinants of gastrointestinal parasites of pigs in Roma, Lesotho

“…The results of the current study, which show an overall prevalence of 63% for nematodes, are in close proximity with the findings of Boes et al (2000) in China, who reported 58% of nematodes. The current results are however below 72%, which was reported by Tumusiime et al (2020) in Rwanda.…”

“…This rate of prevalence is, however, lower than the 40.7% and 47.2% reported by Roesel et al (2017) and Weng et al (2005) in Uganda and China, respectively. According to Tumusiime et al (2020), the disparities between different studies can be explained by variations in production systems. The current results provide ample evidence that nematodes represent the major health threat in the study area and this call for the attention of pig producers to revive their de-worming programs in such a way that it targets the nematodes.…”

Family-Run Pig Farms: Research and Extension Activities for Parasite Control in a Municipality in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“…Lower intestinal parasite infection rates than those in this study have been detected in pig feces from farms located in other municipalities in Brazil, such as in the semi-confined production system in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte and in Pinheral, Rio de Janeiro, in which 72.7% and 30% of positivity rates, respectively, were found, as well as at family farms in Paraíba (79.5%), Rio Grande do Sul (43.2%) and Minas Gerais (62.9%) [18][19][20][21][22]. Case records of parasite infections in pigs lower than those in this study, varying from 13.2% to 84.6%, have also been reported on family farms in other countries, including Peru, Venezuela, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and India [16,[23][24][25][26][27].…”

Prevalence and diversity of gastrointestinal parasites on pig farms in Kalasin Province, Thailand

“…The helminths in this category include Strongyle-type species ( Oesophagotomum spp., Hyostrongylus rubidus ), Strongyloides spp., Ascaris spp., Trichuris spp., and Fasciolopsis spp. [ 9 ]. GI parasistes are a significant contributor to economic losses in pig farming.…”