Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasitism in Pigs Across Four Districts of West Bengal, India

Pig husbandry serves as a subsidiary source of income to the economically weaker section of society and mostly reared in the rural areas of West Bengal, India.Considering the importance of Gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic infection as one of the major constrain in profitable pig production, in the present study the GI parasitism in pigs was investigated in the four districts of West Bengal.A high prevalence (61.80%) of GI parasites in pigs was recorded with four species of nematodes identified Ascaris sp., Metastrongylus sp., Strongyloides sp. and Trichuris sp.along with two species of protozoa Eimeria spp.and Balantidium coli.The Ascaris sp. was identified as the most prevalent GI parasite (22.22%) in pigs in the study.Additionally, a notable prevalence of mixed infection (37.5%) was observed.The study revealed the highest prevalence of GI parasites occurred in female pigs, grower pigs, non-descript breeds, free ranging farming system, Jhargram district and during November month.Overall, the study provided a baseline data on the GI parasitism in pigs in the four districts of West Bengal and further detailed research in other districts could help to access the overall prevalence of GI parasites in pigs throughout the state, aiding in the development of effective control strategies.