Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of the horse in Maiduguri metropolis, Borno State

Abstract

Using the faecal flotation technique, this study assessed the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in horses within Maiduguri Metropolis. Based on owners ' consent, one hundred and fifty faecal samples were properly labelled and stored for analysis. The study revealed a 39.3% overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in equines. The results showed a predominance of male horses in the sample (115, 76.7%) compared to females (35, 23.3%). The prevalence of helminths was higher in females (100%, 35/35) than in males (20.7%, 24/115). Among the identified parasites, Strongylus was the most common (45.8%, 27/59), while Trichomonas was the least prevalent (10.2%, 6/59). Age-specific data indicated that horses aged 9-11 years had the highest prevalence of infections (75.0%, 6/8), whereas horses aged <1-2 years had the lowest prevalence (10.2%, 6/59), with no infections found in horses over 11 years old. In terms of location, samples collected within Jere had the highest prevalence of 64.8% (35/54) compared to Maiduguri with 25.0% (24/96). There was a statistically significant association (p<0.05) between age, location and helminth infection. The study identified Strongylus, Gastrodiscus, Dictyocaulus, and Trichomonas as the most common gastrointestinal parasites. Female horses and those aged 9-11 years were more susceptible to these parasites compared to males and older horses (≥11 years).