The Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Protozoa Infection in Pigs in Umuahia South, Abia State Nigeria

Pig production plays a major role in boosting the economy in most regions of the world by serving as a source of income and satisfying the growing demand for livestock and livestock products. However, the challenges affecting pig production are enormous, such as gastrointestinal parasitism in the form of protozoan infection, which often is not diagnosed early until damage is done, reducing economic gains and resulting in losses. A cross-sectional study of six small-scale pig farms in Umuahia South LGA, with the objective of determining the prevalence of gastrointestinal protozoans of the pigs was undertaken. A total of 116 pigs were randomly selected comprising of 29 pigs categorized as young less than 6 months and 87 pigs as adult aged above 6 months, 50 male and 66 female, 96 pigs raised intensively and 20 pigs reared under extensive management was sampled from July to September for protozoan infection. Faecal samples were obtained from pigs of various ages, sexes, and those raised under intensive and extensive farm systems and analyzed in the laboratory using standard techniques. The results of the frequency of protozoan infection were calculated and presented as percentages. Four different types of protozoans were found to infect pigs in Umuahia South LGA of Abia State, namely: Cryptosporidium spp. (33.6%), Balantidium spp. (34.5%), Entamoeba spp. (14.7%) and Giardia spp. (42.2%). The occurrence of the various protozoan parasites was higher in females, adult and intensively reared pigs when compared with males, young and extensively reared pigs. These protozoan parasites are capable of causing considerable loss in pig production and can cause infection in humans. Therefore, farmers in the study area should be sensitized on the herd health programmes and practice good hygienic measures to reduce the incidence of gastrointestinal protozoa in pig herds.