Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasitic Infections in Black Bengal Goats (<i>Capra hircus</i> Linnaeus, 1758) of Purulia District, West Bengal

The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic infections in Black Bengal goats in the Purulia district of West Bengal. A total of 430 fecal samples were randomly collected from various blocks across the district between March 2024 and February 2025.Four distinct categories of parasites were identified: Protozoa (Eimeria christenseni), Trematodes (Fasciola hepatica, Paramphistomum cervi), Cestodes (Moniezia expansa), and Nematodes (including Strongyle type, Strongyloides papillosus, Trichuris ovis, and Toxocara vitulorum). Among the 430 faecal samples analysed from Black Bengal goats, 362 (84.18%) were identified as being infected with different gastrointestinal parasites. The Strongyle type parasite exhibited the highest prevalence at 54.58%, followed by Eimeria christenseni at 23.99%, Paramphistomum cervi at 10.19%, Trichuris ovis at 3.7%, Strongyloides papillosus at 2.12%, and Moniezia expansa at 1.93%. In this study, co-infections (8.5%) were also found in the examined faecal samples. The incidence of infection was found to be highest in the monsoon compared to winter and summer. Young goats were more susceptible to infection than adult goats. Female Black Bengal goats exhibited a higher susceptibility than the male goat The findings of the present study may be helpful for local veterinarians and stakeholders in developing effective management strategies and controlling gastrointestinal diseases in Black Bengal goats of Purulia District.