Prevalence of Helminth Parasites in Indigenous Fowls of Zoba Anseba of Eritrea , North-East Africa

The prevalence of helminth parasites in indigenous fowls was investigated in Zoba Anseba, Eritrea. The rate of infection was as high as 52.43% in rectal swab examination and 63.00% in the slaughtered fowls. The helminth parasites recorded were: Ascaridia galli (70.58%), Subulura sp. (5.88%), Heterakis sp. (52.94%), Tetrameres sp. (11.76%), Cheilospirura sp. (5.88%), Raillietina sp. (82.35%) and Amoebotaenia sp. (11.76%). The infection rate between nematodes and cestodes was 92.59% and 59.25%, respectively. Mixed infection with two to three species was common. Cloacal swabs of 82 fowls collected were found positive with different types of ova. Out of which 22 were positive for Ascaridia (51.16%), 14 for Heterakis sp. (32.55%), 6 for Tetrameres sp. (13.95%) and 30 were positive for Raillietina sp. (69.76%).


Introduction
study was undertaken to identify the helminth parasites in indigenous birds at Zoba Anseba so that treatment Poultry diseases whether they are infectious, strategy can be made accordingly.noninfectious or parasitic, cause tremendous economic loss to the poultry industry.The damage is caused Materials and Methods through high mortality, drop in egg production, poor Postmortem Examination: Twenty seven indigenous performance, and medication cost.
fowls of both sex and different age groups, reared Parasitic diseases caused by helminth, arthropods under the free ranging system at Zoba Anseba were and protozoa are reported in all most all species of procured and examined for presence of parasites domestic fowls.The incidence of parasitic infection in during 2009 and 2010.The birds were slaughtered and birds reared under indoor systems is very less because the digestive system was taken out and kept in of the proper management.However, parasitic load of lukewarm water in separate beakers organ-wise.All nematodes can go very high if managemental aspects the organs were incised and contents mixed are not well taken .Likewise, in free range system of thoroughly with water.The parasites visible with poultry rearing, the importance of these parasites can naked eye were isolated and washed properly several not be ruled out.Majority of avian parasites are times with normal saline.The thin and delicate directly related with husbandry practices and need parasites as well as cestode heads were separated utmost attention.
under dissection microscope and washed properly.In Eritrea at present only local breed is reared The parasites isolated were counted, grouped into under free range system.Therefore, currently, poultry different categories, and fixed in 5-10% hot formalin meat and eggs are produced from the traditional freefor whole mount.Further, they were put individually in clear lactophenol for identification.The confir-range system.The traditional poultry production system has a great importance as prime supplier of eggs and mation of morphological features of helminthes collected during postmortem examination was done meat, and as source of income, especially, to the rural according to Yamaguti(1959) and Soulsby(1982).women (Asefaw, 2000).
Cloacal swab Examination: A total of 82 cloacal Therefore, the country depended on backyard swabs were collected from indigenous fowls brought traditional poultry production for meat and eggs .This for sale in different markets of Keren city of Zoba In cloacal swab examination, based on Anseba.The swabs were put individually in small morphological characters of ova's, 22 were identified glass tubes labeled with identification marks and date as Ascaridia (51.16%), 14 for Heterakis (32.55%), 6 of collection.All the swabs were examined by different for Tetrameres (13.95%) and 30 for Raillietina (69.76%).routine parasitological tests and identification as per were positive for various types of helminth parasites Raillietina 30 (69.76 %) (Table-1 and Fig. I).On the basis of morphological characteristics of parasites, the various types of Infection with two or more helminth parasites helminths viz.nematodes and cestodes were identified was seen in majority of the cases.Bali and Katra and infection was 92.59 and 59.25 percent, (1975), Basharat et al (1991) and Deb.P et al (1986) respectively.The rate of infection with Raillietina sp.recorded 28, 74 and 26.78 % of helminth infection was highest 14 (82.35%)followed by Ascaridia galli from the fowls reared in backyard system in Kashmir, 12 (70.58%).The infection with Subulura sp. and Punjab and West Bengal, respectively.However, in the present study the rate of infection recorded was 63%in Cheilosperura sp. were found 1 (5.88 %) and that of postmortem cases and 52.43% in rectal swab Tetrameres sp. as well as Amoebotaenia sp. 2 examination.The study in the country has been done (11.76%) and Heterakis infection was recorded in 9 for the first time, so results obtained can not be matched cases (52.94%).
with any previous record.However, it is important to

of Anseba Zoba Results and Discussion No. of samples No. of samples Parasitic Ova identified examined Positive Number (Percentage) Postmortem
Findings: Out of 27 indigenous fowls

Table - 1. Location wise prevalence of helminths record
that in the study area there is availability of

in indigenous fowls of Zoba Anseba intermediate hosts and free range reared birds remain Name of Parasite Number infected Location vulnerable
for infection with helminthes.No trematode infection was recorded in the