Epidemiological study on Gastrointestinal Helminths of horses in Arsi-Bale highlands of Oromiya Region, Ethiopia

A study to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of gastrointestinal helminths in horses was conducted from October 2009 to May 2010 in three districts of the Arsi-Bale highlands of Oromiya region. A total of 2683 fecal samples for the coproscopic examination and 80 pooled samples for recovery of parasitic larvae were collected and processed in Asela Regional Veterinary Laboratory. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths was 84.4 %, out of which, 59.1 % were mixed infections. Coprological examination revealed the existence of six species and five genera of helminths namely, Strongylus species 39.5 %, Cyathostomes 35.1 %, Trichostrongylus axei 29.0 %, Fasciola hepatica 23.1 %, Triodonthophorus species 13.9%, Parascaris equorum 11.7 %, Oxyuris equi 1.8 %, Strongyloides westeri 0.7 %, Dictyocaulus arnifieldi 0.5 %, Anoplocephala species 0.3 % and Gastrodiscus species 0.2 %. No significant variations (P>0.05) in prevalence of helminths were noticed in relation to districts, age and sex groups of horses, except in case of Parascaris equorum and Fasciola hepatica, in which prevalence was observed to significantly decrease and increase with age, respectively (P<0.05). The average egg per gram of faeces in this study was 745.2 with a range of 100 to 10,500. The coproculture study revealed that Strongylus vulgaris, Strongylus edentatus and Cyathostomes were the major helminths larvae identified in the area during the study period. Thus, the present study revealed that gastrointestinal helminths are among the major health constrains of equines in the area demanding an urgent control intervention.Keywords: Epidemiology, GI helminths, Horses, Ethiopia, Arsi-Bale, Oromyia.