Survey of Gastrointestinal Parasites of Farmed Pigs in Ghana

Pig farming is an important source of income in Ghana, but gastrointestinal parasitism remains a constraint to productivity. Information on parasite occurrence in pig production systems is limited.

The objective of this study is to determine prevalence and infection intensity of gastrointestinal parasites in pigs in Kpone Katamanso Municipality, Ghana, using complementary coproscopic methods, with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) used to supplement Cryptosporidium detection.

A cross-sectional study examined faecal samples from 142 pigs in Kpone Katamanso. Gastrointestinal parasite eggs, larvae, and oocysts were detected using the formol-ether concentration, modified McMaster, and modified Ziehl-Neelsen (MZN) techniques. A subset of 92 samples, selected independently of their MZN results, was analysed for Cryptosporidium spp. by nested PCR targeting the 18S rRNA gene.

Overall gastrointestinal parasite prevalence by coproscopy was 67.6% [96/142]. Five parasites were identified: Eimeria spp. (34.5%), strongyles (27.5%), Cryptosporidium spp. (21.8%), Balantioides spp. (20.4%), and Trichuris spp. (10.6%). All farms had at least one positive pig, with farm-level prevalence ranging from 28.6% to 100%. Combining coproscopic techniques improved parasite detection. Among the 92 samples analysed by PCR, Cryptosporidium prevalence was 29.3% (27/92) and 45.7% (42/92) when PCR and MZN results were combined. Infection intensity was generally moderate to heavy.

Gastrointestinal parasites were highly prevalent in pigs sampled in Kpone Katamanso. Complementary coproscopic techniques improved parasite detection, while PCR complemented detection of Cryptosporidium. These findings provide baseline data for parasite surveillance and diagnostic method selection. Species-level identification is needed to determine the zoonotic significance.