Prevalence and Pathology of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Free Range Pigs

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) parasitism in pigs is often associated with subclinical infections leading to poor weight gain and reduced market value. One of the most significant risks is pigs being the host for many zoonotic parasites and thereby threatening human health. Despite the epidemiological data being available from different states of the country, records from Andhra Pradesh are scanty. Hence, a study was conducted to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in free range pigs of Proddatur municipality Andhra Pradesh, India. Methods: About 142 fecal samples were collected from free range pigs slaughtered in four localities of Proddatur municipality over a period of six months. The fecal samples were later subjected for parasitological examination and the tissue pieces of intestines collected from the slaughtered animals with the embedded parasites and those with pathological changes were subjected to histological staining procedure for identification. Result: Fecal examination revealed 80.98% (115/142) positivity for parasitic ova or occysts. About eleven species of parasites were identified; of them nine were helminths (83.8%) and two were protozoan (10.5%) parasites. Infection with Ascarops spp. (28.2%) and Fasciolopsis buski (17.6%) was found to be significantly (P<0.05) higher. The tissue sections of the intestines with pathological lesions revealed embedded parasites in intestinal mucosa infiltrated with eosinophils and mononuclear cells. The higher prevalence of GI parasites in slaughtered pigs in Proddatur region rises concern towards the impact on the health of pigs and as well as pork consumers suggesting a strategic control for GI parasites in pig farming.