A Study of Scavenging Poultry Gastrointestinal and Ecto-parasites in Rural Areas of Matebeleland Province, Zimbabwe
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Date
2010
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Asian Network for Scientific Information
Abstract
A study was carried out to determine endo and ecto-parasites in Matebeleland North and South
from free range chickens (Gallus domesticus). Only adult chickens were selected for determination of
parasite. For intestinal parasites microscopic studies of eggs and faecal egg counts were done using the
salt floatation technique. The endo parasites encountered in the study were Tetrameres americana, Acuaria
hamulosa, Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum, H. dispar, Allodapa suctoria, Capillaria annulate, Raillietina
echinobothrida and R. tetragona. A commercially prepared insecticide constituted as follows (0.02%
Tetamethrin, 0.03% pramethrin and 0.034% Imiprothrin) was applied for 2 seconds and feathers were then
gentle unruffled so that ectoparasites could be counted and identified. Ecto parasites recorded in this study
were Menopon gallinae, Menacanthus stramineus, Dermanyssus gallinae, Argas persicus, Ornithonyssus
bursa, Cnemidocoptes mutans, Echidnophaga gallinacean, Gonocoites gallinae and Gonocoites hologester.
The birds under study showed slow growth, poor egg hatching. Parasites should have contributed
substantially to this poor growth although not single handedly.
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Keywords
Endo and ecto-parasites, rural poultry, slow growth