title: Meta-analysis of the effects of endoparasites on pig performance.
abstract: A meta-analysis was carried out in order to study the effects of endoparasites on the performance of growing pigs. Criteria that should be considered for the publication selection were: (1) the health challenge caused by parasites; (2) pig in growing phase; (3) presentation of the nutritional composition of the diets and (4) animal performance. Meta-analysis followed three sequential analysis: graphical, correlation and variance-covariance. The group that were infected with parasites had an average daily feed intake 5% lower than that the control group (2044 vs. 2147 g d(-1); P<0.001), their average daily weight gain was also 31% lower (665 vs. 987 g d(-1); P<0.001) and their feed conversion ratio was 17% superior than that of the control group (3.07 vs. 2.62; P<0.001). The variance decomposition demonstrated that 59% of the reduction in weight gain was explained by the reduction in their feed intake, as well as a 6% reduction being due to parasites.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil. mar.kipper@gmail.com
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kipper
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Andretta
authors.forename: Silvia Gonzalez
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Paulo Alberto
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lovatto
authors.forename: Cheila Roberta
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Lehnen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004435:Eating; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000473:pathology*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D015430:Weight Gain