POINT PREVALENCE OF GASTROINTESTINAL HELMINTHS OF BUFFALO Rehman, TU Abstract A point prevalence study was carried out to determine the

prevalent helminth species of buffalo in month of June, 2011. A total of 40 animals were screened for the presence of helminth through floatation technique. None of buffaloes sampled from Buffalo Research Station, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, was found positive to helminth problem whereas two buffaloes sampled from Madan Pura slaughter house, Faisalabad, were found positive for Oesophagostomum. Both of the infected were adults and female. INTRODUCTION Gastrointestinal parasitism is a world-wide problem for both small- and large-scale farmers and is a great threat to livestock industry (Saddiqi et al., 2010). In parasitism, gastrointestinal (GI) helminths are recognized as a major constraint to livestock production throughout the tropics and elsewhere (Githiori et al., 2004). Economic losses are caused by gastrointestinal helminthes in a variety of ways; these cause losses through lowering fertility, weight gain and milk production, reducing work capacity, involuntary culling, a reduction in food intake, treatment costs, and mortality in heavily parasitized animals (Regassa et al., 2006). It is estimated, however, that US$ 2.5 billion is spent on pharmaceutical products by the cattle industry for control of internal parasites especially nematodes (Williams and Loyacano, 2001). Prevalence of GI helminths has been reported ranging from 0.72 to 84.1% in domestic animals from various parts of the world (Bundy et al., 1983; Fikru et al., 2006). In Pakistan, several studies have been conducted on ruminant helminthiasis of various regions reporting a prevalence range from 25.1 to 92% (Raza et al., 2007; Khan et al., 2009). Khan et al. (2010) reported the significant losses due to fascioliasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study area confined to Buffalo Research Station, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and Madan Pura slaughter house, Faisalabad. Sampling was done in month of June. A total of 40 fecal samples were collected. Twenty five samples were collected from Buffalo Research Station, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and fifteen were collected from Madan Pura slaughter house, Faisalabad. Five grams of fecal samples were collected directly from rectum or immediately after defecation and preserved in 10% formalin. Fecal samples were analyzed using

floatation technique (Zajac andConboy, 2006). Identification of helminthes ova was done with the aid of taxonomic keys (Soulsby, 2006; Zajac andConboy, 2006). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Out of forty samples, two were found positive for one helminth species i.e., Oesophagostomum. This species is already report in buffaloes by Khan et al., (2010). Among twenty five animals sampled from Buffalo Research Station, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, none was found infected with any helminth species. Infected animals were both adult and female. Lesser number of samples may be the reason for lower prevalence of helminthiasis. This effect may be increased by season. Most of helminth species are susceptible to desiccation in dried climatic conditions due to high temperature in which even eggs fail to develop into L3 (Banks et al. 1990; Tembely 1998, Waruiru et al. 1998) that may be a reason of little or no infection during the warmer months like June and July (Khan et al., 2010). Deworming practice is commonly executed at farms which may be another potential reason. LITERATURE CITED Banks DJD, Singh R, Barger IA, Pratap B, Le Jambre LF (1990) Development and survival of infected larvae of Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis on pastures in a tropical environment. Int J Parasitol 29: 41-47. Bundy DAP, PV Arambulo and CL Grey, 1983. Fascioliasis in Jamaica: epidemiologic and economic aspects of a snail-borne parasitic zoonosis. Bull Pan Am Health Org, 17: 243 258. Fikru R, S Teshale, D Reta and K Yosef, 2006. Epidemiology of gastrointestinal parasites of cattle in Western Oromia, Ethiopia. Intern J Appl Res Vet Med, 4: 57-64. Githiori JB, J Hogland, PJ Waller and RL Baker, 2004. Evaluation of anthelmintic properties of some plants used as livestock dewormers against Haemonchus contortus infection in sheep. Parasitology, 129: 245- 253. Khan MK, MS Sajid, MN Khan, Z Iqbal and MU Iqbal, 2009. Bovine fasciolosis: Prevalence, effects of treatment on productivity and cost benefit analysis in five districts of Punjab, Pakistan. Res Vet Sci, 87: 70-75. Khan MK, MS Sajid, MN Khan, Z Iqbal, M Arshad and A Hussain, 2010. Point prevalence of bovine fascioliasis and the influence of chemotherapy on the milk yield in a lactating

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