High burden and multi-parasite profile of gastrointestinal infections in cattle from Limpopo District, Southern Mozambique: Epidemiology, risk factors, and One Health implications

Vet World Vol.18 December-2025 Article - 24

Research Article

Veterinary World, 18(12): 3994-4008

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.3994-4008

Edvânia Celso Manave¹

, Guido André Nchowela^2,3

, Avelino Raimundo Miguel^4,5

, Carcésia César Matuassa¹

, Aly Salimo Muadica⁶

, Benedito Machanja²

, Lúcel Fernandes¹

, Omar Manito Mavilingue¹

, Iúnice Simbine¹

, Priscília Tsamba¹

, Ilídio Filipe Manuel¹

, Izaidino Jaime Muchanga^7,8

, Taís Deta¹

, Elina Manuel Ualema¹

, Helder Cortes⁹

, and Célio Alfredo^1,10

1. Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Save University, National Road No. 1, Parcel 76, 1200 Chongoene, Gaza Province, Mozambique.

2. Faculty of Health Sciences, Zambezi University, Provincial Hospital, Josina Machel Neighborhood, Tete City, Mozambique.

3. Centro de Investigação, Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto Francisco Gentil, E. P. E. Rua Dr António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal. .

4. Department of Forestry Engineering, Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry Engineering, Zambezi University, Nacogolone Campus, National Road No. 1, 2403 Mocuba City, Zambezia Province, Mozambique.

5. Herpetology Laboratory, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul 97105-900, Brazil. .

6. Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Licungo University, Quelimane City, Mozambique.

7. Saint Thomas University of Mozambique, Praia Street, Xai-Xai City, Mozambique.

8. Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. .

9. Laboratório de Parasitologia Victor Caeiro, MED (Mediterranean Institute of Agriculture, Environment and Development), University of Évora, Évora, Portugal.

10. Laboratório de Parasitologia Victor Caeiro, MED (Mediterranean Institute of Agriculture, Environment and Development), University of Évora, Évora, Portugal. .

Background and Aim: Gastrointestinal (GI) parasites significantly affect cattle productivity and animal health, especially in tropical regions where environmental and management conditions favor parasite survival. In Mozambique, most previous studies have focused on goats or individual parasite species, leaving crucial gaps in understanding multi-parasite burdens in cattle. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, diversity, and risk factors associated with GI parasites in cattle from the Limpopo district of southern Mozambique, applying a One Health lens due to the zoonotic potential of some parasites that circulate in cattle.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to May 2025 using 200 stool samples collected directly from cattle rectums. Samples were examined using Ritchie centrifugal sedimentation for helminths and protozoa and Ziehl–Neelsen staining for Cryptosporidium spp. Epidemiological data on grazing areas, deworming practices, and animal demographics were collected to identify risk and protective factors through Fisher’s test and odds ratios (OR).

Results: Overall, 88.5% of cattle harbored at least one GI parasite. Eight parasite groups were detected: Eimeria spp. (49%), Strongyle-type eggs (46.5%), ciliates (29.5%), Paramphistomum spp. (18%), Fasciola spp. (11%), Cryptosporidium spp. (3.5%), Giardia spp. (2.5%), and Entamoeba spp. (1.5%). Grazing in non-flooded areas significantly reduced Fasciola spp. infection. (OR = 0.126) and Paramphistomum spp. (OR = 0.236), whereas deworming reduced Strongyle-type infections (OR = 0.366). Conversely, dewormed animals had higher odds of Eimeria spp. and ciliate infections, likely because ivermectin was ineffective against protozoa. Co-infections were common, particularly among adult animals.

Conclusion: This first multi-parasite epidemiological assessment in Mozambican cattle reveals a high burden of GI parasites, influenced by grazing conditions and suboptimal deworming practices. Avoiding flooded grazing areas, adopting coccidiostats, and implementing anthelmintic rotation are crucial for effective parasite control. Given the zoonotic relevance of Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Fasciola, molecular studies are urgently needed to characterize circulating species and clarify the role of cattle as reservoirs. These findings provide essential evidence to strengthen veterinary surveillance and inform One Health interventions in southern Mozambique.

Keywords: cattle, gastrointestinal parasites, Mozambique, One Health, prevalence, risk factors, tropical livestock epidemiology.

How to cite this article: Manave EC, Nchowela GA, Miguel AR, Matuassa CC, Muadica AS, Machanja B, Fernandes L, Mavilingue OM, Simbine I, Tsamba P, Manuel IF, Muchanga IJ, Deta T, Ualema EM, Cortes H, and Alfredo C (2025) High burden and multi-parasite profile of gastrointestinal infections in cattle from Limpopo District, Southern Mozambique: Epidemiology, risk factors, and One Health implications. Veterinary World, 18(11): 3994–4008.

Received: 05-08-2025 Accepted: 21-11-2025 Published online: 23-12-2025

Corresponding author: Célio Alfredo E-mail: celioalfredoluis@gmail.com

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.3994-4008

Copyright: Manave, 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.