Gastrintestinal parasites in sheep of a rural property of the state of Piauí

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Sheep farming is an important economic activity in Northeast Brazil, mainly in the states of Bahia, Pernambuco, Ceará and Piauí. Even with a growing demand for its products such as meat and wool, sheep production still presents limitations due to the conditions of sanitary, alimentary and reproductive management of the herd. The objective of this study was to identify gastrointestinal parasites in sheep of a rural property of Santa Cruz dos Milagres, PI, evaluated during the dry period in the region. The animals were randomly selected, among the non-wormed for more than three months, all females, aged between 06 months and 03 years, totaling 55 animals, where they were separated by category: young (≤ 12 months) and adults (≥ 12 months). The work was carried out in October, 2015. Fecal samples were collected directly from the rectal ampule of the animals, using gloves, previously identified, placed in sterile plastic bags and taken to the Laboratory of Parasitology of the Department of Parasitology and Microbiology of Federal University of Piauí, for later analysis by the McMaster technique. The Chi-square test was applied for statistical evaluation of the data. It was observed the presence of exemplary parasites of the families Strongyloididae and Trychostrongylidae, and of the species Trichuris globulosa and Moniezia expansa in all the animals, with significant difference between the animal category. These results revealed that, in the dry period, sheep were highly parasitized, and some animals had more than one associated parasitosis, with Haemonchus contortus occurring in the faeces. It is concluded that the knowledge and the early diagnosis of the parasites in sheep are fundamental to the sanitary management of the herd and control of parasitic diseases.