Descriptive studies on Paramphistomes of small domestic ruminants in Southern Nigeria

Abstract

Goats and sheep slaughtered in Southern Nigeria had their rumens and reticulums examined for the frequency and intensity of infections with paramphistomes. The overall frequency of infected goats and sheep was 30% and 80% respectively. The range of intensity of parasite in goats and sheep was, 2 to 500 and 2 to 700 respectively. From the morphological and histological studies of diagnostic features, which included the acetabulum, genetilium and pharynx, carried out on flattened whole mounts and median sagittal sections the following parasites were identified, Cotylophoron cotylophorum infecting 8% of the goats, Cotylophoron fuelleborni infecting 20% of the goats, Carmyerius synethes infecting 4% of the goats and 70% sheep, and Calicophoron microbothrium infecting 20% of the goats and 33%, sheep. Goats were infected with all the four species while sheep infected with only the last two species. The degree of tissue damage on both hosts was mild.