Gastrointestinal Parasites in Pigs in Southern Mozambique: Prevalence, Diversity and Their Importance in Public and Animal Health.

Background

Pigs serve as reservoir hosts for various gastrointestinal parasites, posing significant implications for livestock productivity and public health. Data on gastrointestinal parasites in pigs in Mozambique are scarce, while previous studies have focused mainly on porcine cysticercosis. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and diversity of gastrointestinal parasites in pigs of southern Mozambique.

Methods

A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted with 339 fecal samples, corresponding to the same number of pigs, one sample per animal. Ritchie concentration and Ziehl-Neelsen staining methods were used to detect parasites.

Results

An overall prevalence of 88.5% (300/339; 95% CI: 85.1-91.9) was obtained. Eight distinct parasites were identified, with Coccidia exhibiting the highest prevalence at 64.3% (218/339), Strongyle-type eggs at 32.5% (109/339), Cryptosporidium spp. at 26.6% (90/339), Entamoeba spp. at 25.1% (85/339), Balantioides coli at 22.7% (77/339), Ascaris suum at 17.4% (59/339), Giardia spp. at 14.2% (48/339), and Trichuris spp. at 5.6% (19/339). None of the variables analyzed showed a significant association with the infection of pigs (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

This is the first large-scale, multi-parasitic epidemiological investigation of gastrointestinal parasites in pigs across southern Mozambique. The detection of Giardia spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Balantioides coli, and Entamoeba spp. underscores the need for molecular methods to clarify the zoonotic potential of these parasites in the region.