Chicken gastrointestinalhelminths parasites: Coprological prevalence, spatial distribution, and morph-anatomical species identification in South Gondar zone, north West Ethiopia.

Gastrointestinal helminths, including cestodes and nematodes, represent significant health and economic challenges to the poultry industry due to their pathogenic impact on chickens. Despite the substantial risks they pose, limited research has focused on these parasitic infections. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2023 to June 2024 in the South Gondar zone to determine the prevalence, distribution, and identify the parasitic gastrointestinal helminthes in chickens. A total of 418 chickens were randomly selected from study districts and subjected to faecal examinations (faecal flotation technique), while 21 chickens from positive cases were selected for post-mortem examination. Both egg morphology and adult parasite identification were employed to identify gastrointestinal helminth species. This study revealed that 289 (69.1 %) of chickens were infected by gastrointestinal helminth parasites. Of these, 141 (33.7 %) were cestodes, 110 (26.3 %) nematodes, and 38 (9 %) mixed infections respectively. The primary cestode species identified were Raillietina tetragona (15.7 %) and Davainea proglottina (10.5 %), and for nematodes, the predominant species were Ascaridia galli (20.8 %), Heterakis gallinarum (12.4 %), and Capillaria annulata (0.4 %). The significant associations were observed concerning age, breed, agroecology, district, and management practices (P < 0.05). However, no significant associations were found between parasite prevalence and the chickens' sex (P > 0.05). These findings highlight the high prevalence of helminth infections as a major challenge for chickens raised in extensive farming systems within the South Gondar zone, underscoring the imperative need for effective control strategies recommended.