| Popis: |
Parasitic diseases cause significant economic losses in swine, including free-range swine farms, the number of which in Romania has increased in the last decades. The current study aimed to identify the parasitic profile of swine raised on two free-range (low-input) farms from Transylvania. Nine hundred sixty samples collected from weaners, fatteners, and sows were investigated by flotation, centrifugal sedimentation, modified Ziehl-Neelsen stained fecal smear, modified Blagg technique, and oocyst/egg cultures. The number of oocysts (OPG), cysts (CPG), and eggs (EPG) were counted per gram of fecal matter. The examination revealed parasitic infections withBalantidium coli,Eimeriaspp.,Ascaris suum,Trichuris suis,Oesophagostomumspp.,Strongyloides ransomiandCryptosporidiumspp. Prevalence (P) and the mean intensity (MI) of the infections varied according to age, swine category, farm, and season. The overall prevalence in both free-range farms according to the age category was 63.2%—Eimeriaspp., 70.31%—B. coli, 9.38%—Oesophagostomumspp., 3.75%S. ransomi, and 18.12%Cryptosporidiumspp. in weaners. In fattenersEimeriaspp. revealed a prevalence of 50.93%,B. coli—72.5 %,A. suum—63.13%,T. suis—39.06%, and in sowsEimeriaspp.—39.06%,B. coli—62.19%,A. suum—34.06%,Oesophagostomumspp.—27.19%,S. ransomi—1.56% andCryptosporidiumspp.—9.38%. The study revealed statistically significant (p< 0.05) differences between age groups, seasons, and farms for all diagnosed parasites. Further research is required to better understand the epidemiology of these infections in swine from Transylvania. |
