Prevalence and Intensity of Gastrointestinal Parasites and Related Risk Factors in Goats Kept by Smallholder Farmers in Juja Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Gastrointestinal parasites (GIP) negatively impact the health and productivity of goats. Regular screening of the animals for these parasites is crucial for implementing effective control strategies. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of GIP and its risk-related factors in goats owned by smallholder farmers in Juja Subcounty, Kiambu County, Kenya. A total of 210 goats consisting of both males and females, of different breeds including Boer, Toggenburg, Alpine, and Small East African were randomly sampled from 80 farms. Fresh fecal samples were collected and analyzed for parasites using McMaster techniques for egg/oocyst examination. A structured questionnaire was administered to assess the risk factors such as age, sex, breed, origin of the goats, production system, and purpose and frequency of cleaning goat houses in relation to the prevalence of the parasites. The overall prevalence of the GIP was 88.6%, with nematodes and coccidia detected in 64.3% and 74.3% of the goats, respectively. The mean eggs per gram was 67.72, while the mean oocysts per gram was 243. Goat fecal samples positive for gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) eggs were cultured and identified after recovery of third-stage larvae (L3) using the Baermann technique, whereas the coccidian oocysts were sporulated in 2.5% potassium dichromate solution, followed by microscopic examination based on morphological features of the parasites. The identified GIN nematodes included Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus spp., Strongyloides papillosus, Ostertagia spp., and Nematodirus spathiger, while the coccidians were Eimeria caprina, Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae, and Eimeria hirci. The prevalence of GIN was significantly associated with age (higher in adults), production systems (higher in intensive systems), and body condition score (higher in animals with poor body condition). For coccidia, the prevalence was associated with the animal origin (higher in goats from Murera Ward), breed (higher in small East African goats), age (higher in younger goats), body condition score (higher in goats with poor condition), and cleaning frequency (higher in goats kept in irregularly cleaned pens). In conclusion, the overall prevalence and burden of GIP reported in the study were high, with the pathogenic gastrointestinal nematodes and Eimeria spp. being the most prevalent parasites.