title: Prevalence and risk factors for gastrointestinal parasites in small-scale pig enterprises in Central and Eastern Uganda.
abstract: In Eastern Africa, small-scale pig keeping has emerged as a popular activity to generate additional household income. Infections of pigs with gastrointestinal helminths can limit production output, increase production costs, and pose zoonotic risks. A cross-sectional, community-based study in three districts in Eastern and Central Uganda examined the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminthes and associated risk factors in 932 randomly sampled pigs. Using the combined sedimentation-flotation method, 61.4 % (58.2-64.5 %, 95 % confidence interval [CI]) tested positive for one or more gastrointestinal helminths, namely, strongyles (57.1 %, 95 % CI), Metastrongylus spp. (7.6 %, 95 % CI), Ascaris suum (5.9 %, 95 % CI), Strongyloides ransomi (4.2 %, 95 % CI), and Trichuris suis (3.4 %, 95 % CI). Coccidia oocysts were found in 40.7 % of all pigs sampled (37.5-44.0 %, 95 % CI). Significant differences across the three districts were observed for the presence of A. suum (p < 0.001), Metastrongylus spp. (p = 0.001), S. ransomi (p = 0.002), and coccidia oocysts (p = 0.05). All animals tested negative for Fasciola spp. and Balantidium coli. Thirty-five variables were included in univariable analyses with helminth infection as the outcome of interest. A causal model was generated to identify relationships among the potential predictors, and consequently, seven variables with p ≤ 0.15 were included in a multivariable analysis for helminth infection. The final regression models showed that routine management factors had a greater impact on the prevalence of infection than regular, preventive medical treatment or the level of confinement. Factors that negatively correlated with gastrointestinal infection were the routine removal of manure and litter from pig pens (p ≤ 0.05, odds ratio [OR] = 0.667) and the routine use of disinfectants (p ≤ 0.05, OR = 0.548).
authors: Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany. k.roesel@cgiar.org.|International Livestock Research Institute, P.O. Box 30907, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya. k.roesel@cgiar.org.
authors: Kristina
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2553-1129
authors: K
authors: Roesel
authors: University of Prince Edward Islands, Charlottetown, PEI C1A 4P3, Canada.
authors: Ian
authors: I
authors: Dohoo
authors: Freie Universität Berlin, FAO Reference Centre for Veterinary Public Health, Koenigsweg 67, 14163, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Maximilian
authors: M
authors: Baumann
authors: International Livestock Research Institute, P.O. Box 24384, Kampala, Uganda.
authors: Michel
authors: M
authors: Dione
authors: International Livestock Research Institute, P.O. Box 30907, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya.
authors: Delia
authors: D
authors: Grace
authors: Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Peter-Henning
authors: PH
authors: Clausen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013321:Strongyloides / Q000145:classification; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D014257:Trichuriasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014258:Trichuris / Q000145:classification; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Coccidia; Gastrointestinal helminths; Husbandry practices; Pigs; Risk factors; Uganda