Pathogenic effects associated with natural Gastrointestinal helminth infections in pigs in Kenya

Abstract

Pathogenc effects associated with gastrointestinal helminths infections in pigs were analyzed in 78 infected and 37 non-infected pigs in Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbilogy, University of Nairobi. Gross and microscopic lesions encountered were scored subjectively and the results compared using Man - Whitney rank sum test. Of the infected, 37 (47.4 %) had mild lesions in gastrointestinal tract while the remaining 41 (52.6%) and all non-infected pigs had no lesions. Catarrhal gastritis was observed in ascarops strongylina (2), while i mixed physocephalus. Sexulatus and Hyostrongylus rubidus, focal mucosal necrosis was an additional lesion. Partial intestial obstruction (2), muc-purulent enteritis (3), villous atrophy (2) and entrapped larval cysts (1) were encountered in small intestines of pigs infected bu ascaris suum, Trichostrongylus columbriformis, mixed A. suum, T.