Valoración de Técnicas Coproparasitarias en Bovinos de las Granjas de la Universidad de Cuenca

Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of four coproparasitological techniques used for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal parasites, as well as to determine the influence of rainfall and age on parasite load. The research was conducted on 186 cattle from farms belonging to the University of Cuenca, 99 from Irquis, and 87 from Nero. Two fecal samples were collected per animal during different climatic seasons. The samples were processed in the clinical laboratory of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, applying four coproparasitological techniques to each sample (McMaster in saline solution, McMaster in sugar solution, Ritchie, and Beaver). An overall parasite prevalence of 85.5% was obtained. Five parasitic genera were identified: Eimeria, Fasciola, Paramphistomum, Trichuris, and Neoascaris; and the family Trichostrongylidae. Age and rainfall were determined to be risk factors for the presence of moderate and severe parasitic infestations. Regarding the effectiveness of coproparasitological techniques for detecting parasite load, the McMaster technique in saline solution proved superior for Eimeria, while the Beaver technique was superior for the remaining parasites. As for the performance of the techniques in identifying positive cases, the McMaster technique in saline solution again stood out for Eimeria, while the Ritchie and Beaver techniques demonstrated greater effectiveness for Fasciola, Paramphistomum, and Neoascaris. No differences between techniques were found for Trichuris and Trichostrongylidae. Therefore, the use of various coproparasitic techniques increases the effectiveness in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal parasites.