The prevalence of gastro-intestinal parasites in goats in urban and peri-urban areas of Mwanza City, Tanzania

Gastrointestinal parasites are among the major causes of severe losses to livestock industry worldwide, especially in small ruminants. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in goats kept by small holders in the urban and peri-urban areas of Mwanza City in Tanzania. Randomly, 36 farmers from urban areas, with a total of 280 goats and 22 farmers from peri-urban areas with a total of 205 goats were identified for sampling. Faecal samples were collected from each goat and direct smears, floatation and sedimentation techniques were employed to identify parasite types. The prevalence of different endoparasites among urban Mwanza City goats was: Fasciola gigantica (4.2%); Strongyles (68%) and Entamoebae (3.2%). In peri-urban Mwanza City the prevalence of parasite infections was: Entamoebae (6.3%); Paramphistomum (7.3%), Strongyle eggs (47.3%) coccidia oocysts (2.4%), F. gigantica (8.2%), and Balantidium coli (4.8%). The present study showed that the prevalences of coccidia and strongyle parasites were significantly (p<0.05) higher in urban compared to peri-urban areas. However, there was no significant (p>0.05) difference in the prevalence of other parasites between two areas. The differences observed in the prevalence of aforementioned parasites are partly related to the variance in the animal management systems in the two areas, these being extensive and intensive in the peri-urban and urban areas, respectively. The challenges brought about by the prevalence of these parasites, some being zoonotic in nature validate the need to bring awareness to the farmers and the public in both areas and develop control strategies.