title: Survey of gastrointestinal parasitic infections of beef cattle in regions under Mediterranean weather in Greece.
abstract: Gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic infections of beef cattle were investigated in 15 farms from 3 different regions of Greece, characterized by temperate Mediterranean climate, during two years. A total of 262 faecal samples were collected. Helminth eggs were detected in 42 (16%) samples. Strongyle-type eggs were found in 28 (10.7%) samples, Strongyloides spp. and Toxocara spp. eggs in 8 (3.1%) samples each, and Capillaria spp. and Moniezia spp. eggs in 1 (0.4%) sample each. Coccidian oocysts were found in 123 (46.9%) samples. A logistic regression model showed that the age of animals, the number of employees, and the region of animals were associated with coccidian infections. There was almost a four-fold increase in the risk of coccidian infections in calves less than 12 months old compared with animals that were more than 36 months old (p<0.05). The risk of coccidian infections was 0.07, 0.18 and 0.27-fold lower for farms with 1, 2 and 3 employees respectively compared to farms with 4 employees; farms with less than 4 employees had a protective effect (p<0.05 in all cases). Almost a four-fold increased risk of coccidian infections was shown for animals from Epirus compared with those from Thessaly (p<0.05). These findings are useful to formulate appropriate control strategies for coccidian parasites of beef cattle in Greece and other areas with similar climatic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, Faculty of Animal Science and Hydrobiology, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, Votanikos, Athens 11855, Greece. gtheo@aua.gr
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Theodoropoulos
authors.forename: Panayiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peristeropoulou
authors.forename: Marc K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kouam
authors.forename: Vaia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kantzoura
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Theodoropoulou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002195:Capillaria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D002980:Climate; D003044:Coccidia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D012621:Seasons; D013321:Strongyloides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014119:Toxocara / Q000302:isolation & purification