| dc.description.abstract | 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. | en |
