592 To cite this paper: Ninditya VI, Ekawasti F, Prastowo J, Widiyono I, and Nurcahyo W (2024). Incidence and Risk Factors of Toxocara vitulorum Infection in Beef Cattle of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. World Vet. J., 14(4): 592-599. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.54203/scil.2024.wvj67 2024, Scienceline Publication World ’s Veterinary Journal World Vet J, 14(4): 592-599. ISSN 2322-4568 Incidence and Risk Factors of Toxocara vitulorum Infection in Beef Cattle of Yogyakarta, Indonesia Vika Ichsania Ninditya 1,3,5 , Fitrine Ekawasti 2 , Joko Prastowo 3 , Irkham Widiyono 4 , and Wisnu Nurcahyo 3* 1 Student in the Doctoral Program of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281 Indonesia. 2 Research Center for Veterinary Science, Research Organization for Health, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia 3 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281 Indonesia. 4 Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281 Indonesia. 5 Research Assistant of Research Center for Veterinary Science, Research Organization for Health, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia *Corresponding author's Email: wisnu-nc@ugm.ac.id ABSTRACT Toxocara vitulorum (T. vitulorum), an Ascarid nematode, infects the small intestine of cattle and buffalo, particularly in newborn calves. The present study aimed to identify the occurrence of T. vitulorum collected from cattle in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and to examine the surface structure of its eggs by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The present study did not observe asymptomatic clinical signs of toxocariasis, including diarrhoea and weight loss. Fecal samples were collected from 247 cattle of various breeds, consisting of 65 males and 182 females across three regions including Bantul (78 cattle), Sleman (63 cattle), and Kulon Progo (106 cattle). Qualitative and quantitative methods, including flotation and modified McMaster methods, were respectively employed to analyze nematode egg counts. SEM was utilized to characterize the surface morphology of T. vitulorum nematodes. A total of 9 cattle were found to excrete T. vitulorum eggs in their feces (3.64%). The average fecal egg count was 2.861 eggs per gram (EPG), with positive cases observed exclusively in female cattle. The risk factors influencing toxocariasis in this study were breeds and frequency of cleaning the stall. A higher odd ratio of T. vitulorum infection was found in mixed Ongole breeds than in Limousin or Simmental breeds. Moreover, cattle housed in rarely cleaned stalls showed a higher odd ratio than those in regularly cleaned ones. Factors such as age, fecal consistency, and population density factor showed no significant association with toxocariasis. The SEM analysis of T. vitulorum eggs revealed an oval shape with distinct surface ornamentations, including interlocking ridges and depressions. The cage cleanliness and cattle breed were the most common risk factors associated with infected cattle. Keywords: Ascarid, Cattle, Prevalence, Risk factor, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Toxocariasis ORIGINAL ARTICLE Received: October 12, 2024 Revised: November 17, 2024 Accepted: November 28, 2024 Published: December 30, 2024 INTRODUCTION Helminth infections in livestock cause suboptimal growth, weight loss, reduction in feed conversion rate, decreased endurance, decreased reproductive capacity, and decreased carcass quality (Hamid et al., 2023). Such substantial economic and health impacts have placed helminthiasis among the strategic diseases in Indonesia (Winarso et al., 2015). Toxocara vitulorum is a gastrointestinal helminth from the neoascaris group, and the adult stage of T. vitulorum is frequently observed in calves. It has also been found to infect buffaloes, cattle, and zebu, and is particularly prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions (Dewair and Bessat, 2020). Toxocara vitulorum causes economic losses, especially in cattle and buffaloes, due to its high mortality rate of up to 37.3%, as reported by Rast et al. (2014). Clinical manifestations include anemia, diarrhea, weight loss, anorexia, and small intestine obstruction (El Shanawany et al., 2019). Toxocara vitulorum has direct life cycles without an obligate intermediate host, but its transmission is more complex than simply ingesting infectious eggs (Bowman, 2020). While ingestion of eggs containing two-stage larvae is a common route of infection, the parasite can be transmitted through ingestion of larvae in the mother’s milk (Urhan et al., 2023). A female worm can lay up to 200,000 eggs per day, with eggs exhibiting thick walls that allow them to withstand extreme environmental conditions, such as heat and drought for a prolonged period (Roberts, 1990; Delling et al., 2020). Toxocara vitulorum worm eggs can live in the environment for up to two years (Ziegler and Macpherson, 2019). The eggs will hatch into their first, second, and third larval stages in moist and warm environments. The larvae require a developmental period of 7-12 days at a temperature of 28-29°C (Sihombing and Mulyowati, 2018; Aboamer et al., 2019). Toxocariasis is widespread across all regions of Indonesia (Purwandani et al., 2021). Nevertheless, its prevalence in the Yogyakarta region and the associated risk factors have not been reported to date. Yogyakarta is a province situated DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.54203/scil.2024.wvj67 PII: S232245682400067-14