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              Research
              
              
                              
                              5.  
                            
                            Influences of age on the prevalence of parasitic 
                            infections among donkeys in Erode district, 
                            Tamilnadu, India - 
                            R. Chitra, S. 
                            Rajendran, D. Prasanna, A. Kirubakaran
                            Vet World. 2011; 4(6): 258-259
               
              
              
              doi: 
              10.5455/vetworld.4.258
              
               
              
              
              
   
 
              
               
               
               
              
              
              Abstract
              
                              
                            
                            Parasitic infections are known to affect donkeys 
                            causing considerable mortality and morbidity. Fresh 
                            faecal samples were directly collected from the 
                            rectum of donkeys belonging to four age groups viz. 
                            < 0.5 years, 0.5 – 3.0 years, 3.1 – 8.0 years and > 
                            8 years. Donkeys of different age groups in the 
                            present study had slightly different helminth 
                            profiles. Young donkeys (<0.5 years) generally had a 
                            high prevalence of Strongyloides. They seemed to 
                            have less number of Strongyles and Ascarids. But the 
                            level of Strongyles and Ascarids increased when the 
                            donkeys became older, but then decreased. It may be 
                            due to the development of age immunity to Strongyles 
                            and Ascarids in adult donkeys. Strongyloides were 
                            found to less in older donkeys. 
              
                            
              Keywords: 
                            Donkey, Parasitic infection, Strongyloides, 
                            Strongyles, Ascarids, Different age groups