Chicken Ascariasis and Heterakiasis: Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors, in Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia

INTRODUCTION: Chicken nematodes are found all over the world. Ascaris and Heterakis are among the cosmopolitan chicken nematodes. In different parts of Ethiopia, these parasites have long been thought to be the leading cause of illness and loss of productivity. However, there has been little research on their burden in Gondar city; hence, this study was carried out to establish a realistic estimate of the prevalence of Ascariasis and Heterakiasis in chickens. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was undertaken in Gondar city, North West Ethiopia, from November 2019 to May 2020 to evaluate the prevalence and different related risk factors of chicken Ascaris and Heterakis infections. A total of 384 hens were tested utilizing the faecal flotation technique, with 170 native and 214 alien varieties. During the collection of faecal samples, the breed, age, production system, and feces consistency of chickens were all taken into account. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-one (44.5%) of the total (384) investigated feces tested positive for at least one of these parasite illnesses. The parasite’s prevalence was influenced by age, breed, and the type of production technique used. A higher infection rate was observed in the younger (68.9%) indigenous (67.1%) chickens reared under the extensive production system (46.9%). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The prevalence of ascariasis and heterakiasis was nearly half percent in this study, even though the study was conducted in dry season, which is relatively unfavorable to parasites living in the environment and it specified only on the two common chicken ascaris nematodes. This study strongly suggested that Ascaris and Heterakis parasites were serious problems for chickens in Gondar city, and appropriate control strategies needed to be advised.