Survey of gastrointestinal parasitic infections of beef cattle in regions under Mediterranean weather in Greece

Gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic infections of beef cattle were investigated in 15 farms from 3 different regions of Greece, characterized by temperate Mediterranean climate, during two years. A total of 262 faecal samples were collected. Helminth eggs were detected in 42 (16%) samples. Strongyle-type eggs were found in 28 (10.7%) samples, Strongyloides spp. and Toxocara spp. eggs in 8 (3.1%) samples each, and Capillaria spp. and Moniezia spp. eggs in 1 (0.4%) sample each. Coccidian oocysts were found in 123 (46.9%) samples. A logistic regression model showed that the age of animals, the number of employees, and the region of animals were associated with coccidian infections. There was almost a four-fold increase in the risk of coccidian infections in calves less than 12 months old compared with animals that were more than 36 months old (p < 0.05). The risk of coccidian infections was 0.07, 0.18 and 0.27-fold lower for farms with 1, 2 and 3 employees respectively compared to farms with 4 employees; farms with less than 4 employees had a protective effect (p < 0.05 in all cases). Almost a four-fold increased risk of coccidian infections was shown for animals from Epirus compared with those from Thessaly (p < 0.05). These findings are useful to formulate appropriate control strategies for coccidian parasites of beef cattle in Greece and other areas with similar climatic conditions.

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