Comparative Helminthology in Domesticated and Farmed Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) of Peshawar, Pakistan.

Abstract

Buffaloes, a vital livestock species in Pakistan, are seriously threatened by helminth infections in terms of both health and productivity. With this study, the frequency of helminth parasites in domesticated and farmed buffaloes in Peshawar, Pakistan, was contrasted. Using the methods of differential floatation, sedimentation, and direct smear, 200 fecal samples 100 from domesticated and 100 from farmed buffaloes were collected and analyzed. Using their morphological features, helminth eggs and larvae were identified. Compared to farmed buffaloes (2%), domesticated buffaloes had a considerably higher overall frequency of helminth infections (22%). The Trematodes Fasciola hepatica, Fischoederius cobboldi, Gastrothylax crumenifer, Fasciola gigantica, and Carmyerius spatiosus, as well as the Nematodes Mecistocirrus digitatus and Oesophagostomum radiatum, were found to be seven species of helminth parasites. Mecistocirrus digitatus (3%), Oesophagostomum radiatum (1%), Fasciola gigantica (1%), Fasciola hepatica (5%), Gastrothylax crumenifer (4%), and Fischoederius cobboldi (7%), the most common among farmed buffaloes. Fasciola hepatica (1%) and Gastrothylax crumenifer (1%) were the only pathogens found in farmed buffaloes. Analysis: The increased frequency of helminth infections in domesticated buffaloes emphasizes the need for better deworming procedures, management strategies, and public awareness initiatives to reduce their financial effects on livestock productivity.