Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/vprsr Gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants from Grenada, West Indies: A coprological survey and a review of necropsy cases Alfred Chikweto a, ⁎ , Keshaw Tiwari a , Muhammad I. Bhaiyat a , Jason Carloni a , Kayla Pashaian a , Angela Pashaian a , Claude De Allie a,b , Ravindra N. Sharma a a St. George's University, School of Veterinary Medicine, Pathobiology Department, P.O Box 7, Grenada b Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry & Fisheries, Grenada ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Gastrointestinal parasites Small ruminants Grenada ABSTRACT Gastrointestinal parasites are important in small ruminant farming because they can impact negatively on the productivity of animals. The objectives of the present study were to estimate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites and to assess mortality attributable to gastrointestinal parasite infection in sheep and goats. We col- lected fecal samples from 114 sheep and 292 goats from 34 farms for coprological examination. In addition, we evaluated necropsy records for sheep and goats that were submitted from 2002 to 2016 to the pathology di- agnostic laboratory in the School of Veterinary Medicine at St. George's University, Grenada. Out of 406 small ruminant (292 goat and 114 sheep) fecal samples examined, 385 were positive for gastrointestinal parasites, giving an overall prevalence of 95% (95% confidence interval (CI) 92% to 97%). All the 34 farms visited were found to have positive animals to at least one type of gastrointestinal parasite; 100% herd prevalence (95% CI: 88% to 100%). Among the 292 goat fecal samples examined, 285 were positive for gastrointestinal parasites (98%; 95% CI: 95% to 99%) whereas the proportion of positive fecal samples in sheep was 88% (95% CI: 80% to 93%). There was a significant difference in prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites between sheep and goats (p = .0002). The proportion of infection with coccidia in goats and sheep was 76% and 75%, respectively. For helminthes, the proportions were as follows: Moniezia spp., 14% in goats and 4% in sheep; Strongyloides spp., 36% in goats and 21% in sheep; strongyle type eggs 89% in goats and 66% in sheep. Mixed infections in both sheep and goats were more common (92%) than single ones (8%). Out of 220 necropsy records evaluated, 29% of mortality was due to Haemonchus contortus infection. Moniezia spp and Oesophagostomum spp. were also commonly found. 1. Introduction In small island countries where grazing land is limited, small ru- minants provide a better option for livestock farming than cattle. In Grenada, small ruminants are an important aspect of agriculture. According to the 2009 technical report on agriculture in Grenada, the local demand for goat and sheep meat is still not met (http:// www.grenadagov.info/egov/docs/report). Many residents in Grenada are involved in small scale sheep and goat production mainly for con- sumption in the form of meat, milk, and milk products. Occasionally, small ruminants are also used as a source of emergency income (Vokaty and Torres, 1997). Flock sizes of sheep and goats in Grenada are often small; comprising 5–20 animals; which are usually kept on free-range in an extensive system of management. Farms are usually of a mixed type, comprising both sheep and goats. Gastrointestinal parasites can have a negative impact on small ru- minant production due to both direct and indirect losses. Direct losses include, mortality, premature slaughter and condemnation of meat during inspection at the abattoir whereas indirect losses are through reduced productivity as a result of subclinical disease (Maichomo et al. 2004). Studies on gastrointestinal parasites affecting small ruminants that have been conducted worldwide reveal differences and similarities in prevalence and types of gastrointestinal parasites. Risk factors for gas- trointestinal parasites include climate, education level of farmers, age, and type of management (Kantzoura et al. 2012). One coprologic study in Trinidad, a neighboring island of Grenada revealed a prevalence of 55% in sheep and 85% in goats for gastrointestinal parasites. In this same study, Hemonchus contortus, Eimeria spp., Moniezia spp. and Strongyloides spp. were the prevalent gastrointestinal parasites https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2018.05.004 Received 26 July 2017; Received in revised form 21 May 2018; Accepted 27 May 2018 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: achikweto@sgu.edu (A. Chikweto). Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports 13 (2018) 130–134 Available online 28 May 2018 2405-9390/ © 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V. T