Prevalence and Risk Factors of Schistosoma bovis Infection Among Goat in Aswan Province, Upper Egypt, with Special Reference to its Impact on Milk Composition

There is limited data available on schistosomiasis in goats in Aswan Province, Upper Egypt. In order to screen the prevalence and associated risk factors of schistosomiasis in goats, fecal samples were taken from 215 goats that were chosen randomly from different areas in Aswan province and investigated using the sedimentation technique between October 2023 and September 2024. The results showed the overall prevalence was 13.02% (28/215). The study found significant differences in the prevalence of Schistosoma infection among goats, adult goats having the highest infection rate 21.88% (21/96), followed by yearlings at 8.57% (6/70), and young goats at 2.04% (1/49). Female goats had a higher prevalence of 17.95% (21/117) than males. Poorly conditioned goats had the highest infection rate of 28.89% (13/45), while good conditioned goats had the lowest prevalence of 4% (4/100). However, no significant variation was observed in seasonal dynamics; it has been found that the highest prevalence was found in Autumn, while the lowest infection rate was recorded in Spring. Furthermore, the research focuses on determining the morphometric properties of the parasite's eggs in goats. The composition of milk indicates there was a discernible drop in protein content, which seemed to be related to a decrease in body mass. Further studies are required to figure out the impact of schistosomiasis on the health and productivity of goats in such area.