A Study on Clinical Lesions of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Animals Presented to Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Abstract

This study was conducted in ElKadaro Veterinary Teaching Hospital January – May 2016. The objectives of the present study were to provide data on gastrointestinal parasites in different animals introduced to veterinary teaching hospital, to diagnose and describe the lesions to study the gross pathology; in order to determine the clinical and pathological lesions of these parasites. Data were collected from the records of the hospital and the laboratory and direct samples were collected and diagnosed. The total number of animals was 91 of different species. Goats were 60 (65.9%), cattle were 17 (18.7%), sheep were 7 (7.7%), horses and donkeys were 3 (3.3%), dogs were 2 (2.2%), gazelle was 1 (1.1%) and one pigeon (1.1%). Animals were presented to the veterinary hospital with different history and had mixed infection and the intestinal parasites were among their diagnosis. Most of the animals were emaciated and had diarrhea, off food, diagnosed pneumonia, external parasites and other symptoms and clinical signs. Some cases were examined in the veterinary hospital and were referred to parasitological laboratory for parasites examination and tests to confirm the diagnosis. The animals (9 goats - 3 cattle - 1 gazelle) have had history of parasitic infestation and the diagnosis were nematodes, coccidia, fasciola and tape worm. Pathological lesions were observed in case of T. ovis and Moniezia spp. infection. Moderate infection with T. ovis was characterized by catarrhal inflammation along with the petechial haemorrhages on the intestinal mucosa where parasites were firmly attached. The study clearly suggests that most of the diagnosed and reported parasites were associated with variable degrees of pathological lesions. Keywords: gastrointestinal, parasites, lesions,