Gastrointestinal parasitic infection is a major health problem in domestic animals. Gastrointestinal parasitism is a chief constraint for livestock production leading to heavy economic loss. They have an important impact on the profitability of dairy production systems (Beasley et al., 2010) [5] by affecting the productivity and reproductively of the animals. Gastrointestinal (GI) parasites cause remarkable universal economic losses as a result of digestive disturbance, lowered production, reduced weight gain, impaired reproductive performance, condemnation of affected organs and mortality in infected animals (Raza et al., 2007) [23].
Parasitic diseases caused by intestinal parasites constitute (generate) a major drawback to livestock production (Hosteet al., 2006) [14]. The hot and humid climatic conditions are very native for propagation and perpetuation of parasites (Enderjat, 1964) [10]. Country like India has this kind of climatic conditions throughout the year except three to four months of winter,Therefore, documentation on parasitic prevalence are very necessary to make a suitable plan for its prevention and control (Thakreet al., 2019) [32]. The present communication deals with the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites in Gir cattle and Jaffrabadi buffalo of Junagadh.
DETAILS OF THE SPECIES ENCOUNTERED
In present study total seven species of gastrointestinal parasites were recorded. Out of which two species of phylum Protozoa, two species of phylum Platyhelminthes and three species of phylum Nemathelminthesof Gastrointestinal (GI) parasites were recorded.
1. Balantidium coli (Malmsten,1857)
Balantidiasis caused by Balantidium colicould be emerged as a significant pathogen that is able to cause disease in horses (Headley et al., 2008) [12], buffaloes (Tarrar et al., 2008) [30], cattle (Randhawa et al., 2010) [22] and camels (Abubakr et al., 2000 [1]; AL-Tayib, 2014 [4]; Cox, 2005) [7].
2. Buxtonella sulcate (Jameson, 1926)
B. sulcata is a ciliate protozoan inhabiting colon which is considered as an opportunistic B. sulcata is considered as an opportunistic ciliate protozoan inhabiting colon of cattle and buffalo (Levine, 1985; [17] Bhatia, 2000) [6].
3. Toxocara vitulorum (Goeze, 1782)
T. vitulorum is one of the most common and hazardous intestinal parasite (Woodbury, 2012) [34] which cause anorexia, diarrhoea, weight loss and calf mortality (Roldan et. al., 2010) [25]. Bovine toxocariosis is among the most economically important diseases, affecting animals mainly at young age due to maternal infection, and frequently causing death (Devi et al. 2000) [9].
4. Trichostrongylus spp. (Looss, 1905)
In ruminants Trichostrongylus worms are mostly found in mixed infections with other gastrointestinal roundworms. Trichostrongylus worms damage the lining of the small intestine or the stomach of the host, which can lead to enteritis, gastritis, and sometimes anemia as well (Junquera, 2017/ parasitepedia.net) [15].
5. Strongyloids spp. (Grassi, 1879)
Strongyloides is a parasite of world-wide distribution that can remain dormant for many years in the intestine, and then cause a devastating syndrome of disseminated strongyloidiasis (Gelberg, 2017) [11].
6. Fasciola spp. (Linnaeus, 1758)
Fasciolosis is important food born and water born parasitic zoonosis caused by liver fluke of the genus Fasciola. Fascioliasis, a serious infectious parasitic disease infecting domestic ruminants and humans, tops all the zoonotic helminthes worldwide (Mas-Coma et.al., 2005) [19].
7. Paramphistomum spp. (Fischoeder, 1901)
Paramphistomum flukes are also called rumen flukes or stomach flukes (source: parasitepedia.net) [29]. Adult Paramphistomes are the main parasites in the rumen and reticulum of sheep, goats, cattle and water buffaloes (Al-Gaabary, 2009) [3].