Abstract:
Goats are multi-purpose animals that have been domesticated to supply milk, meat, fiber, and skin. Due to the grazing practices in most backyard farms, improper pasture management increases the probability of the goats’ exposure to endoparasitic infection, which limits the production of goats in the Philippines and can impose negative health effects on humans. Reports on the prevalence of endoparasites have been limited in the area and in the Philippines. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and diversity of endoparasites in backyard grown goats in Pangasinan. A total of 96 goats were sampled from two different towns in Pangasinan. Fecal samples were collected directly from the rectum and were processed through Formalin-Ether concentration technique and Kato-Katz technique. Intestinal helminth eggs and protozoan oocysts were microscopically examined at 1000x. The eggs per gram (EPG) was quantified. Diversity measures were determined. Results showed an endoparasite prevalence rate of 72.92%. Trichostrongylus spp. had the highest egg count with 368 EPG. Among the identified endoparasites, Eimeria spp. (48.96%), was the most prevalent followed by Entamoeba spp. (42.71%), Trichostrongylus spp. (26.04%), coccidians (18.75%), Trichuris spp. (3.13%), and Bunostomum spp. (1.04%). There was a significant difference between the prevalence rates of the two goat farms (U=354.500, p=0.000). Sex was not a significant factor (U=792.000, p=0.429) in determining the endoparasite occurrence in goats. Diversity measures show a low parasitic diversity in both farms..
