Prevalence and burden of gastrointestinal helminths in wild and domestic guineafowls (Numida meleagris) in the Southern Province of Zambia
Date
2015
Authors
Mudenda, Ntombi Basimbi
Nalubamba, King Shimumbo
Bwalya, Eugene Chisela
Munangandu, Hetron Mweemba
Munyeme, Musso
Squarre, David
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
Objective: To determine the gastrointestinal tract helminthic fauna in domestic and wild
guineafowl in Zambia.
Methods: Post-mortem and laboratory parasitological examinations for helminth identification
and enumeration were conducted on 198 guineafowls (148 domestic and 50
wild) from November 2010 to October 2011.
Results: All guineafowls were infested with one or more helminths. Eleven helminth
species, namely, Raillietina echinobothrida, Raillietina tetragona, Raillietina cesticillus,
Ascaridia galli, Allodapa suctoria, Gongylonema ingluvicola, Tetrameres spp., Heterakis
spp., Acuaria spiralis, Syngamus trachea, and Streptocara pectinifera were identified
with no trematodes recorded. Mean nematode burden between domestic and wild fowl
showed no differences having 113.7 [confidence interval (CI) 98.9–128.6] and 108 (CI
76.6–139.5) nematodes respectively. In contrast, female guineafowls had a mean of 151.9
(CI 128.4–177.8) nematodes per host which was significantly more than the males that
had a mean of 79.6 (CI 66.8–94.4). However, there were differences in helminth species
richness between domestic and wild guineafowls with domestic guineafowls having more
species present at a mean of 4.2 (CI 3.91–4.44) than the wild ones at a mean of 3.4 (CI
2.92–3.88) but there were no sex differences. Eight of the eleven helminth species cooccurred
in domestic and wild fowl and five of the helminth species had higher prevalence
in domestic guineafowls.
Conclusions: Syngamus trachea, Streptocara pectinifera and Acuaria spiralis are reported
for the first time in domestic poultry in Zambia. This study represents the first
comparative study of helminths in domestic and wild guineafowls at an interface area and
adds to the knowledge base in a discipline where a dearth currently exists.
Description
Journal article
Keywords
Gastrointestinal helminths , Numida meleagris , Guineafowl