Gastrointestinal parasites in free grazing goats from Ayacucho, Peru:
prevalence and risk factors associated with infection in herds
Walter Palomino-Guerrera  
 
Instituto Nacional de Innovacion Agraria https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4340-1061
Michael Ramos Huaman 
Instituto Nacional de Innovacion Agraria
Vania Flores-Prado 
Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina
David Godoy Padilla 
Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina
Daniel A. Zárate-Rendón 
Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina
Research Article
Keywords: Goats, parasite burden, epg, opg, nematodes, coccidiosis
Posted Date: March 28th, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4021930/v1
License:   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.   Read Full License
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Abstract
This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors associated with gastrointestinal parasite infection in goats in Ayacucho, Peru. Fecal samples were
collected from a total of 254 goats from four districts of Ayacucho: Ocaña (84), Colca (76), Pacaicasa (64), and Luricocha (25) during the dry season;
recording the location, sex, and age of the animals. The fecal samples were analyzed using the  otation technique in salt and sugar solution, and modi ed
McMaster egg counting techniques for eggs/oocysts (epg/opg) of gastrointestinal parasites. The associations between location, sex, and age with the
prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites were analyzed using the chi-square test. Fecal samples showed an overall parasite prevalence of 87.80%. The
identi ed parasites were Eimeria spp. (86.22%), Strongyle type eggs (STE) (65.75%), Skrjabinema sp. (7.87%), Trichuris sp. (3.15%) and Moniezia spp. (3.15%).
There was no signi cant association between the location and the presence of parasites (p<0.05), however, there was a higher prevalence and parasite variety
in Luricocha. Sex and age did not have a signi cant association with parasitosis (p>0.05), except in prevalences of Trichurisspp. and Moniezia spp. (p<0.05).
The epg/opg values  revealed a higher parasite burden in goats from Colca compared to the other locations (p<0.05). There was also no statistical relationship
between fecal egg/oocyst counts and sex or age, nevertheless, there were moderate and high parasitic burdens. The high prevalence of parasites such as
nematodes and Eimeria spp. the need to implement strategic control and prevention programs in goats, where location and sex were found to be the most
relevant risk factors for parasitosis in Ayacucho, Peru.
1. Introduction
Goat farming is one of the livestock activities that contribute to the socioeconomic growth of developing regions (Tumusiime et al., 2022), ensuring food
security and offering economic income to smallholders in rural areas (Monau et al., 2020). In Peru, goat population is distributed between the mountains and
the coast, concentrating in the regions of Piura, Ayacucho, Ica, and Lima, where about 9.64% of the total population is located in Ayacucho (MINAGRI, 2021).
Goats have the great ability to adapt to nutritional and climatic changes, in addition to contributing to the e cient management of plants and soil (Chacón-
Hernández & Boschini-Figueroa, 2015). However, gastrointestinal parasite infections are one of the major problems of goat farming, being responsible for
economic losses due to mortality and decreased meat and milk production, reducing the incomes of small farmers (Emiru et al., 2013; Zaros et al., 2010;
Income et al., 2021; Weny et al., 2017; Charlier et al., 2020).
The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites and intensity of infections varies depending on the local environment (temperature, rainfall, humidity, and
vegetation), management practices, seasonal variations, as well as age, sex, and breed (Belina et al., 2017; Mpofu et al., 2022). Risk factors such as age,
seasonality, and body condition have been reported to exhibit a signi cant association with nematodes, Moniezia spp., and Eimeria spp. infections in goats
(Chartier & Paraud, 2012; Diop et al., 2015; Wuthijaree et al., 2022; Hussein et al., 2023). It has been reported that kids could be more susceptible to infection
due to their lower level of immune response (Singh et al., 2015). Thus, there is also susceptibility in adult females when experiencing physiological stress in
the reproductive and production phases (Golo et al., 2017).
Climatic factors such as temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall play an important role in parasite egg hatching, which in uences the degree of infection in
the animal (Dey et al., 2020). The main clinical signs and symptoms of parasitosis are anemia, diarrhea, emaciation, and rectal tenesmus (Wuthijaree et al.,
2022), however, there are some animals do not show any symptoms (Besier et al., 2016). Infection of Monieza spp. also depends on the presence of oribatid
mites, the intermediate host (Diop et al., 2015). Additionally, stress caused by dietary changes and inadequate management practices can lead to outbreaks of
coccidiosis, affecting gastrointestinal health in goats (Chartier & Paraud, 2012).
Ayacucho is located in the mountainous region of Peru where goat farming is raised generally under free-grazing systems on cultivated or natural pastures in
the inter-Andean valleys. The grazing areas present suitable conditions for the development of gastrointestinal parasites. Hence, it is necessary to identify the
epidemiological factors that affect the presence of gastrointestinal parasites to formulate effective prevention and control measures (Income et al., 2021;
Rahman et al., 2017; Chakrabortty et al., 2023). However, the few epidemiological studies conducted on gastrointestinal parasitosis infection in goats in
Ayacucho have been very limited. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasite species and their parasitic burden in goats
raised under extensive systems in Ayacucho, Peru.
2. Materials and methods
2.1 Study area
The study was carried out in the districts of Ocaña, Colca, Pacaicasa, and Luricocha, located in the rangelands of the region of Ayacucho, Peru (Fig. 1), with a
total land area of  85 600 ha, 6 400 ha, 5 8.00 ha, and 14 000 ha, respectively. Altitudes at the districts vary between 2470 to 3500 m.a.s.l. (PCM, 2017).
According to o cial data, the districts of study present 270, 182, 164, and 136 goat farmers, respectively (MINAGRI, 2021).
Temperatures range from 0.1°C in July to 28.7°C in November, with a monthly precipitation of 5.5 mm to 154.7 mm (SENAMHI, 2018). Generally, the climate at
Ayacucho rangelands of Ayacucho is characterized by being warm, and two seasons can be distinguished: the rainy season (from December to March) and
the dry season (from May to October), April and October the transition months.
2.2 Animals and sample determination
The population of goats in the districts of Ocoña, Colca, Pacaycasa, and Luricocha is 24 821, 7 766, 15 700, and 10 876, respectively, representing 75.44% of
the total population in Ayacucho (MINAGRI, 2021). Goats are raised under a traditional grazing management, being shrubs the forage base in their diet,
without any type of supplementation.
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A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during the dry season (May to July 2023). The sample size was estimated using the formula of minimum
sampling number to determine prevalence with known populations, with an expected prevalence of 70%, a con dence level of 95%, and an absolute precision
of 6% (Thrus eld, 2005). A total of 254 goats from 33 herds were randomly sampled, of which 89 samples were collected from Ocaña; 76 from Colca; 64 from
Pacaycasa, and 25 from Luricocha, considering the limitations on distances and the number of animals in every herd of the goat farmers.
The inclusion criteria were: animals older than six months of age with no deworming in the last three months. Location, sex, and age were recorded. Age was
determined by dental chronometry as follows: Milk teeth (MT: less than 12 months), two teeth (2T: from 12 to 18 months), four teeth (4T: from 18 to 24
months), six teeth (6T: from 24 to 36 months) and full mouth (FM: from 36 to 48 months).
2.3 Sampling
A fecal sample of approximately 5 to 10 g was collected directly from the rectum, using latex gloves lubricated with mineral oil, and placed in a plastic sample
container. The sample collection from goat specimens was conducted following the Peruvian National Law No. 30407: “Animal Protection and Welfare”,
maintaining the required animal welfare conditions at all times. The feces were preserved in an isothermal box of expanded polystyrene with gel ice packs and
transported to the Laboratory of Parasitology, at the Animal Science College, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina (UNALM), where they were placed under
refrigeration (4°C) until processing.
2.4 Coprological analysis
Fecal  otation technique with saturated sodium chloride was used to identify nematode and cestode eggs, as well as Eimeria oocyst (Urquhart et al., 1996;
Navarro, 2017). Brie y, 2 g of feces were homogenized in saturated saline solution, subsequently sieved, and poured into 15 ml polypropylene Falcon® tubes,
forming a positive meniscus. A cover slip was placed and allowed to rest for 10 minutes. Then the coverslip was carefully placed on a slide and taken to the
microscope (OPTICA B-292®). Positive samples were analyzed using a modi ed McMaster protocol (Tumusiime et al., 2022), to assess the number of
eggs/oocysts per gram of feces. Intensity burdens (low, moderate, and high) were evaluated according to Taylor et al. (2007).
2.5 Data analysis
The data were processed using computer program R software version 4.3.1 (RCore Team, 2023) to determine the 95% con dence interval (Hussein et al.,
2023). Descriptive statistics were used to establish gastrointestinal parasite prevalence, and the Chi-square test (X2) was used to examine the association
between prevalence and risk variables such as location, sex, and age. The arithmetic mean of the parasite burden was compared using the non-parametric
Kruskall Wallis test and the U-Mann Whitney test.
3. Results
3.1 Fauna and prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites
The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in goats from Ayacucho was 87.80%. Among the identi ed parasites, Eimeria spp. was the most common,
with a prevalence of 86.2%, followed by strongyle type eggs (STE) at 76.8%, and Moniezia spp. (3.1%) Skrjabinema spp. (7.87%), Trichuris spp. (3.15%) and
Moniezia spp. (3.15%) were also found. The parasitic fauna and prevalence by species are shown in Table 1 and Fig. 2.
Table 1
Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in goats from four
districts of Ayacucho, Peru, 2023
Parasites No. No. %
examined positive prevalence
SET 254 167 65.75
Skrjabinema spp. 254 20 7.87
Trichuris spp. 254 8 3.15
Moniezia spp. 254 8 3.15
Eimeria spp. 254 219 86.22
Table 2 shows the results of the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites for each district. The prevalence of parasites had a signi cant relationship with the
location (p < 0.05). The highest prevalence of STE was reported in the district of Colca (98.68%), followed by Luricocha (88.00%). Skrjabinema spp. was
identi ed in the districts of Luricocha (48.00%) and Pacaycasa (12.50%), and was not recorded in Ocaña and Colca. Trichuris spp. were only recorded in the
districts of Pacaycasa (9.38%) and Luricocha (8.00%) with a very low prevalence. Moniezia spp. was detected in the districts of Luricocha, Colca, and
Pacaycasa. Regarding Eimeria spp., the prevalences found were 100%, 98.44%, and 96.05% for Luricocha, Pacaycasa and Colca, respectively.
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Table 2
Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in goats from Ayacucho, Peru, in
different locations of the study.
Parasites Location % X2 p-valor
prevalence
STE Ocaña 40.45 (26/89) 71.928 < 0.001
Colca 98.68 (75/76)
Pacaycasa 53.12 (34/64)
Luricocha 88.0 (22/25)
Skrjabinema spp. Ocaña - 71.480 < 0.001
Colca -
Pacaycasa 12.5 (8/64)
Luricocha 48.0 (12/25)
Trichuris spp. Ocaña - 15.425 0.001
Colca -
Pacaycasa 9.38 (6/64)
Luricocha 8.00(8/25)
Moniezia spp. Ocaña - 9.473 0.023
Colca 3.95 (3/76)
Pacaycasa 3.12 (2/64)
Luricocha 12.0 (3/25)
Eimeria spp. Ocaña 65.17 (58/89) 51.419 < 0.001
Colca 96.05 (73/76)
Pacaycasa 98.44 (63/64)
Luricocha 100.0 (25/25)
Prevalence of parasites according to sex is shown in Table 3. No signi cant association was found between sex and the prevalence of goats from Ayacucho
(p > 0.05).
Table 3
Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites and its association with sex in
goats from Ayacucho, Peru.
Parasites Sex % X2 p-valor
prevalence
STE Female 66.34 (136/205) 0.0576 0.8103
Male 63.27 (31/49)
Skrjabinema spp. Female 7.80 (16/205) 0.0000 < 0.001
Male 8.16 (4/49)
Trichuris spp. Female 1.95 (4/205) 3.1730 0.0748
Male 8.16 (4/49)
Moniezia spp. Female 2.93(6/205) 0.0000 < 0.001
Male 4.08 (2/49)
Eimeria spp. Female 86.34 (177/205) 0.0000 < 0.001
Male 85.71 (42/49)
There was no signi cant association between the prevalence of Skrjabinema spp. and Eimeria spp. and age of goats (p > 0.05). In contrast, a signi cant
relationship (p < 0.05) was found between age and the prevalence of STE, Trichuris spp., and Moniezia spp. (Table 4). The prevalence of STE was above 50%
in all age categories. Skrjabinema spp. was the most common with a prevalence of 16.33% in goats of the 2T category. Trichuris spp. had the highest
prevalence in the MT category (8.96%), followed by 2T (2.04%) and 4T (1.97%). No presence of parasites was recorded in the 6T and FM age categories.
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Prevalence of Moniezia spp. was showed in 6T (11.11%), MT (5.97%), and 2T (4.08%) age categories, not being reported in 4T and FM. The presence of
Eimeria spp. in all age categories was higher than 80%.
Table 4
Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites and its association with
age in goats from Ayacucho, Peru.
Parasite Age % X2 p-valor
prevalence
STE MT 65.67 (44/67) 3.6625 0.4536
2T 55.10 (27/49)
4T 71.43 (40/56)
6T 72.22 (13/18)
FM 67.19 (43/64)
Skrjabinema spp. MT 5.97 (4/67) 8.3272 0.0803
2T 16.33 (8/49)
4T 3.57 (2/56)
6T -
FM 0.38 (6/64)
Trichuris spp. MT 8.96 (6/67) 10.609 0.0313
2T 2.04 (1/49)
4T 1.97 (1/56)
6T -
FM -
Moniezia spp. MT 5.97 (4/67) 9.5296 0.0236
2T 4.08 (2/49)
4T -
6T 11.11 (2/18)
FM -
Eimeria spp. MT 89.55 (60/67) 2.2467 0.6905
2T 81.63 (40/49)
4T 89.29 (50/56)
6T 84.38 (15/18)
FM 89.55 (54/64)
3.2 Parasitic burden measured by Fecal egg count (FEC)
The results of fecal egg counts (FEC´s) expressed in eggs/oocysts per gram of feces (epg/opg) are shown in Table 5. The results were compared with the
classi cation established by Taylor et al. (2007), where FEC´s from 50 to 500, 500–1000, and 1000 per gram of feces are considered as light, moderate, and
heavy infections, respectively. The differences between the FEC of STE and Eimeria spp. were highly signi cant between the districts (p < 0.05). STE FEC was
the highest in Colca (3334.87 ± 3631.82), and moderate in Ocaña (743.82 ± 1523.47), with low FEC´s in Luricocha (454.00 ± 424.24) and Pacaycasa (199.22 ± 
320.40). Eimeria spp. FECwas high in Colca (2423.03 ± 6054.68), Luricocha (1490.00 ± 1313.63), and Pacaycasa (1014.53 ± 1069.60), and moderate in Ocaña
(534.27 ± 814.28).
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Table 5
Fecal egg counts (FEC´s) of eggs/oocysts per gram of feces (epg/opg) of gastrointestinal parasites in
goats according to location, sex, and age, in Ayacucho, Peru.
Parasite Variables N° EPG X2 p-value
of examined Arithmetic SD Range
mean
Location
STE Ocaña 89 743.82 1523.47 0–8300 107.9500 < 0.001
Colca 76 3334.87 3631.82 0–20250
Pacaycasa 64 199.22 320.40 0–1400
Luricocha 25 454.00 424.24 0–1500
Eimeria spp. Ocaña 89 534.27 814.28 0–4200 38.3860 < 0.001
Colca 76 2423.03 6054.68 0–44250
Pacaycasa 64 1014.53 1069.60 0–5700
Luricocha 25 1490.00 1313.63 0–5850
Sex
STE Female 205 1341.46 2584.94 0–20250 0.0051 0.9428
Male 49 1403.06 2406.47 0–11650
Eimeria spp. Female 205 1438.44 3848.05 0–44250 0.3791 0.5381
Male 49 795.92 893.49 0–3900
Age
STE MT 67 1172.39 2087.01 0–11650 9.2325 0.0555
2T 49 706.12 1542.07 0–7850
4T 56 1406.25 2049.97 0–7750
6T 18 1819.44 2415.46 0–8900
FM 64 1860.94 3707.62 0–20250
Eimeria spp. MT 67 2229.85 6373.45 0–44250 3.2634 0.5148
2T 49 792.86 1031.23 0–5850
4T 56 1180.89 1514.12 0–7400
6T 18 611.11 621.09 0–1950
  FM 64 1070.31 1422.63 0–8850    
There was no signi cant association between sex and STE and Eimeria spp. FEC´s (p > 0.05). STE FEC´s in males and females were high and for Eimeria spp.
in females were high and moderate in males. Likewise, no signi cant differences were found between STE and Eimeria spp. FEC´s with the age of the animals.
STE FEC´s values revealed a moderate intensity in 2T goats (706.12 ± 1542.07) compared to MT (1172.39 ± 2087.01), 4T (1406.25 ± 2049.97), 6T (1819.44 ± 
2415.46) and FM (1860.94 ± 3707.62) goats, who showed high FEC´s. On the other hand, Eimeria spp. FEC was high in goats from MT (2229.85 ± 6373.45),
4T (1180.89 ± 1514.12), and FM (1070.31 ± 1422.63), compared to goats from 2T (792.86 ± 1031.23) and 6T (611.11 ± 621.09), who had a moderate intensity.
4. Discussion
In the present study, infection with gastrointestinal nematodes, cestodes, and protozoa was determined in goats from four districts of Ayacucho, Peru. A
general prevalence of 87.80% for gastrointestinal parasites was obtained. This result was higher than those previously reported in other regions of Peru such
as Ica, where an overall prevalence of 67.6% was reported (Cáceres et al., 2021) or 37.5% reported for northern Peru (Chinga, 2022). Likewise, the prevalence
reported here is higher than those found in other regions of the globe, such as Bangladesh, with 62.1% for gastrointestinal nematodes (Dey et al., 2020).
Thailand with 87.2% (Wuthijaree et al., 2022), and Ethiopia with 54.17%. (Hussein et al., 2023); on the other hand, our results are somehow lower than those
reported in Brazil with a global prevalence of 94.57% (Cardoso et al., 2012), and in Rwanda with a prevalence of 100% (Tumusiime et al., 2022). Regarding
previous studies carried out in the area of Ayacucho, Mendoza (2023) found a prevalence of 100% in creole goats from the district of Pacaycasa, Ayacucho,
during the rainy season. Several environmental variables and differences in the breeding system constitute important variables that could explain the
differences in the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in goats in free grazing systems (Bogale et al., 2014).
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STE, Skrjabinema spp, Trichuris spp, Moniezia spp., and Eimeria spp. were the parasites found in our study. Eimeria spp. had a higher prevalence with 86.22%,
followed by STE with 65.75%. Similar results have been reported in Piura, (Northern Peru), with prevalences of 15.48% and 5.36%, for STE and Eimeria spp.,
respectively (Chinga, 2022), which are low when compared with the present study. Cáceres et al. (2021) reported also a lower prevalence (63.7%) for STE, but a
higher prevalence for Skrjabinema spp. (12.9%) and Trichuris spp (4.1%). In other countries such as Thailand, it is reported a prevalence of 76.8% for STE,
48.8% for Eimeria spp., and 14.2% for Moniezia spp. (14.2%) (Wuthijaree et al., 2022); while, in South Africa, prevalences were determined for STE (59.6%),
Eimeria spp. (30.8%), Moniezia spp. (36.6%), and Trichuris spp. (26.4%). According to all these works, there is a high prevalence of STE in goat herds
worldwide, which can be explained due to the high biotic potential of nematodes represented by this egg type, and their short generation interval, which allow
them to proliferate and contaminate the pastures (Mpofu et al., 2022; Bowman, 2014).
Parasite infection in goats is in uenced by several environmental variables such as temperature, precipitation, and other ecological conditions that promote
the development and transmission of infective stages; the host species, by their a nity; and the type of diagnostic test used for the detection of parasitic
forms in feces (Hussein, et al., 2023; Nisa et al., 2021; Zanzani et al., 2014). Low parasite burden, the amount of feces collected, and the physiological
condition of the animal can also in uence the result of  nding gastrointestinal parasite eggs in the collected samples (Storey, 2015; Dey et al., 2020). It is
worth mentioning that a negative coprological result does not necessarily indicate that the animal tested is free of parasites, since fecal examinations cannot
determine immature stages of the parasite. Thus, the results of coprological tests have a margin of error that points out the possibility of variations in positive
cases that have not been identi ed.
According to the location, Ocaña district showed a reduced parasitic fauna (only STE and Eimeria spp.) with a low prevalence (< 65.17%) when compared to
the other three districts (Colca, Luricocha and Pacaycasa), where more than three types of parasites (STE, Skrjabinema spp., Trichuris spp., Moniezia spp. and
Eimeria spp.) were identi ed, showing high percentages of infection (53.12% − 100%). These dissimilarities would be probably related to differences in health
management among the goat herds. For instance, goat farmers in Ocaña district use a health plan calendar in which they consider deworming their animals
one to two times a year. In contrast, farmers in the districts of Colca, Pacaycasa, and Luricocha do not adopt any type of sanitary management, there is
overcrowding of animals with reduced resting areas, no sanitary measures are applied and they were not aware of any proper deworming calendars
(Chakrabortty et al., 2023). Moreover, these districts have mostly mixed herds (along with sheep) which creates conditions for greater exposure (Chartier &
Paraud, 2012).
There was no signi cant correlation between the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites and sex (p > 0.05), which would suggest that sex does not constitute
a risk factor for parasitosis. Our  ndings would be related to the fact that both females and males were under the same type of management during their
breeding, therefore, with the same probability of infection (Mahlehla, 2017; Mpofu et al., 2020; Dabasa et al., 2017). However, it is noteworthy the fact that the
ratio of males and females sampled was 1:4. In contrast to our results, there were signi cant differences in the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites
between males and females in a study performed in Ica, central Peru (Cáceres et al., 2021) and northern Peru (Chinga, 2022), as well as in other countries such
as Bangladesh (Chakrabortty et al., 2023), South Africa (Mpofu et al., 2020) and Thailand (Wuthijaree et al., 2022); where females showed to be more
susceptible to parasitosis This was attributed to the physiological status of females during pregnancy, parturition and lactation, where the level of stress is
higher so that the animal's immunity declines, increasing the probability of infection (Golo et al., 2017; Owusu et al., 2016).
There was a signi cantly greater infection with Trichuris spp. (8.96%) in young animals (MT), and a higher susceptibility to Moniezia spp. (11.11%) in adult
animals (6T). The prevalence of Trichuris spp. in kids could be attributed to a nutritional de cit resulting from poor grazing practices (Hoste et al., 2008), an
ine cient immune response (Cáceres et al., 2021; Hossain et al., 2021) and/or the post-weaning stress (Verma et al., 2018), together with weather conditions
that bene t the survival of parasites (Ratanapob et al., 2012). However, the relative prevalence of Moniezia spp. observed in category 6T, could be also related
to the reduced number of animals sampled in that category, regardless of the in uence of other factors (Rabbi et al., 2013). There were no signi cant
differences between the prevalence of STE, Skrjabinema spp., and Eimeria spp. regarding age (p > 0.05). This could also be explained because all animals,
regardless of age, are raised under the same husbandry practices and graze in the same pastures, therefore, having the same probability of infection with
gastrointestinal parasites. However, other authors have reported signi cant differences related to age (Cáceres et al., 2021; Dey et al., 2020; Hossain et al.,
2021; Mpofu et al., 2020), stating that adults would have greater acquired immunity, through continuous previous infections, which in turn increases the
probability of eliminating parasites during an infection (Mpofu et al., 2020; Sorobete et al., 2018).
The parasite burden, expressed in FEC, constitutes an indicator of the intensity of infection and the level of contamination in grasslands (Cabaret et al., 1998;
Egbe-Nwiyi et al., 2019). The FEC in Colca district turned out to be higher (3334.87 ± 3631.82) than those recorded in the districts of Ocaña, Luricocha, and
Pacaycasa. This high value observed in Colca could be a consequence of the level of susceptibility of the herds (Cabaret et al., 1998), speci c environmental
and/or geographical conditions (Rabbi et al., 2013; Ratanapob et al., 2012), and the lack of anthelmintic usage (Chakrabortty et al., 2023). The FEC for Eimeria
spp. in all four districts showed to be moderate to high. These values could be related to seasonality (dry season) (Figueroa et al., 2018; Mpofu et al., 2020), or
the lack of control programs for Eimeria spp. infection (Windsor et al., 2018), such as the use of anticoccidial drugs (Diao et al., 2022). However, it is
noteworthy to mention that goats infected in most of the herds sampled do not present any clinical signs related to coccidiosis (Chartier & Paraud, 2012). This
 nding could be explained by the absence of other risk factors related to clinical disease.
Most of the goat herds showed high parasite burdens, except in the groups 2T and 6T, where the FEC´s were moderate (p > 0.05). According to sex, the FEC
was high in both females and males, with no signi cant differences (p > 0.05). These high levels of infection could potentially lead to anemia, malnutrition,
and gastroenteritis which in turn could increase mortality (Wuthijaree et al., 2022). On the other hand, there are reports where females showed higher FEC´s of
STE on Strongyles, but low values for Eimeria spp. (Wuthijaree et al., 2022). Other studies did not  nd signi cant differences between females and males, as
well (Chakrabortty et al., 2023).
Page 7/12
Finally, our results showing moderate to high prevalence of parasitosis and variable levels of parasitic burden in goat herds should lead to tailor-made
deworming programs, with optimized strategies, taking into account the risk factors for disease (Salgado & Santos, 2016; Wuthijaree et al., 2022). It is
important to highlight that these results were obtained during the dry season, when climate conditions are not suitable for the development of infective stages
in the grasslands, nevertheless, the results of prevalence and parasitic burden could prove the great capacity of adaptation exhibited by gastrointestinal
parasites which allow them to continue its life cycle even under harsh conditions.
5. Conclusion
A high overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites (87.80%), including nematodes, cestodes, and Eimeria spp. is reported in goat herds from Ayacucho.
The present study also shows that location and sex constituted risk factors for gastrointestinal parasite infection. This work is one of the  rst of its kind
carried out in Ayacucho, Peru and it may contribute to the development of suitable deworming programs against gastrointestinal parasites in goats.
Declarations
The authors declare that they have no relevant  nancial or non- nancial interests to disclose.
The authors declare that they have no competing interests to declare for the content of this article.
All authors certify that they have no a liations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any  nancial or non nancial interest in the subject
matter discussed in this manuscript.
Data Availability
The data sets generated and/or analyzed during the present study are not publicly available due to the con dentiality maintained by the research institution
which has funded the study, but can be obtained from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to goat farmers from Colca, Ocaña, Luricocha and Pacaicasa, Ayacucho, for their willingness and assistance during  eld sample
collection. Also, technical assistance from the Estación Experimental Agraria (EEA) Canaán, INIA is greatly appreciated.
 Ethical statement
Verbal consent was obtained from animal owners for the collection of feces from the rectum of their goats. The authors declare that the research work was
carried out following the Code of Ethics for experiments with animals, as re ected in the regulations:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/lab_animals/legi sl ation_en.htm.
Financial support
This study was  nancially supported by the Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA), through the research project (CUI N°2506684).
Author Contributions
W.P.G., D.G.P. and V.F.P.: Conceptualization; W.P-G., M.R.H. and V.F.P.: Methodology; W.P.G., M.R.H. and V.F.P.: Investigation; W.P.G.: Statistical analysis; W.P.G.:
Data analysis and interpretation; W.P.G.: Manuscript writing; D.G.P. and D.Z.R.: Manuscript review and edition. All authors have read and accepted the latest
version for the submission of the manuscript.
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Figures
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Figure 1
Map of Ayacucho, Peru, showing the position of the districts of Ocaña, Colca, Pacaycasa, and Luricocha
Page 11/12
Figure 2
Gastrointestinal parasite eggs/oocysts found in goats from districts of Ayacucho, Peru. (a) Strongyle type eggs (STE), (b) Skrjabinema spp., (c) Trichuris spp.,
(d) Moniezia spp. and (e) Eimeria spp.
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