Vet World   Vol.17   April-2024  Article - 19 

Gastrointestinal parasite infections and associated factors in fighting bulls over 7 years of monitoring in Southern Thailand

Background and Aim: Indigenous beef cattle engaged in bullfighting in Southern Thailand represent a distinctive and valuable breed. Gastrointestinal (GI) parasites, which are recognized as important pathogens, have a negative impact on the overall health and physical performance of these fighting bulls. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of GI parasitic infections and identify factors associated with these infections in a fighting bull population in Southern Thailand. 

Materials and Methods: Fecal samples (n = 4,244) from fighting bulls were submitted to the Laboratory and Diagnostic Centre of the Teaching Animal Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya. We examined the samples using simple flotation and centrifugal sedimentation methods. Individual animal profiles and demographic data were collected. 

Results: The overall prevalence of GI parasitic infections was 93.2%. Nine GI parasites were identified as Paramphistome spp. [PP]. being the most prevalent (93.2%), and the highest annual prevalence occurred in 2019 (97.9%). The infection rates of various parasite species were significantly related to the years of study, geographic area, season, and age group (p < 0.05). The prevalence of parasitic infection was higher on the west coast (98.6%) than on the east coast (98.0%). PP, Eurytrema spp., Strongyles spp., and Buxtonella spp. infections differed significantly among the seven provinces of Southern Thailand (p < 0.05). The prevalence of GI parasitic infections was higher during the rainy season (98.5%) than during the summer (97.7%). Bulls aged 7.0–7.9 years and 8.0–8.9 years had the highest parasite infection rate (99.2%) compared with those aged 8.0–8.9. 

Conclusion: GI parasitic infections continue to be a significant health concern among fighting bulls in Southern Thailand. Regular epidemiological investigations are crucial for developing effective preventive programs and control strategies and providing basic knowledge for bull farmers. Keywords: bullfighting, gastrointestinal parasites, geographical areas, prevalence, Thailand.

Keywords: bullfighting, gastrointestinal parasites, geographical areas, prevalence, Thailand.

How to cite this article: Chantip D, Chooruang N, Sakuna K, Sukmak W, and Bohman W (2024) Gastrointestinal parasite infections and associated factors in fighting bulls over 7 years of monitoring in Southern Thailand, Veterinary World, 17(4): 895-902.

Received: 2024-01-05    Accepted: 2024-04-02    Published online: 2024-04-25

Corresponding author: Wiruntita Bohman    E-mail: wiruntita.c@rmutsv.ac.th

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.895-902

Copyright: Chantip, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.