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

Abstract

The small-scale pig keeping in Lesotho has emerged as one of the common ways of subsistence for the vast majority of Basotho. Infection by gastrointestinal parasites is a common and persistent health threat that limits the extent to which the pig industry can potentially perform. Knowledge about the risk factors influencing parasitic infection is essential in order to make relevant interventions aimed at mitigating the occurrence and spread of parasites. A cross-sectional study was undertaken on 90 healthy pigs to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites. The floatation technique was utilized for laboratory analysis, and parasite eggs were identified based on the morphology. SPSS version 20.00 was used for analysis, from which Binary logistic regression was utilized. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was 69%, the predominant specie was nematodes with 63% and the least was recorded for coccidian with 28%. Sows (79.6%, 32.7%) were more highly parasitized than boars (43.9%, 22.0%) in terms of nematodes and coccidian, respectively. Higher parasitic prevalence was recorded in young (76.5%, 35.3%) pigs than in older (46.2%, 17.9%) pigs both for nematodes and coccidian, respectively. It is therefore concluded that sex and age are the major determinants of parasitic infection in pigs.