PREVALENCE OF GASTROINTESTINAL PARASITES OF DOMESTIC PIGEONS (Columba livia domestica) IN SOUTHERN ZONE OF PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Parasitic infections are the major cause of financial losses in poultry and huge losses to the livestock industries. This research was carried out to determine the prevalence of faecal parasites and intestinal helminths of pigeons (Columbia livia domestica) in three communities in Southern Zone of Plateau State, Nigeria. The study area comprises of Garkawa in Mikang Local Government Area with Yelwa and Shendam in Shendam Local Government Area. A total of 120 (40 in each study area) domestic pigeons of different ages and sexes were purchased from the different markets in the study areas. The birds were sacrificed and intestinal contents were gotten by scrapping and simple floatation and sedimentation method of oocyst identification was used. The study showed that there was a combination off gastrointestinal helminthes and coccidia parasites in the study areas with different prevalence rates as Yelwa (21.0%). Shendam and Garkawa had 18.0 and 17.0% in that order using simple percentage. The percentage prevalence based on age distribution indicates that the adults had 33.3% compared to the young ones with 14.2%. The parasites identified showed that coccidian sp accounts for 33.3% the highest followed by Capillaria sp and Ascaris sp with 9.2% and 5.0% respectively. The study highlights that pigeons are hosts of helminthes and coccidian parasites of veterinary importance and may act as important source of infection for other avian hosts. The work carried out revealed high helminthes infections with nematodes having the highest prevalence. Therefore, it was concluded that pigeon management programs and public education should be implemented to reduce the risk of pigeon being a major transmitter of pathogenic agents and parasites to livestock in the country.