Asian Basic and Applied Research Journal

Gastrointestinal nematodes are a group of parasitic worms that can infect the gastrointestinal tract of various animal species, including humans. Gastrointestinal nematodes have serious consequences on the agricultural and food industries. The study was designed to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematode burden in Jalingo abattoir. Faecal samples from slaughtered cattle in the Jalingo abattoir for this study were collected systematically and at random from cattle slaughtered at the abattoir between August 2022 and September 2022. Standard parasitological methods were used to analyse the samples for the presence of gastrointestinal nematodes and quantify their numbers. The study found that among the 385 sampled cattle, gastrointestinal nematode infections accounted for 30.1%. Trichostrongylus species, Strongyloides species, and Toxocara vitulorum were the nematodes identified. Seventy-five of them were Trichostrongylus species (19.5%), 31 were Strongyloides species (8.1%) and 10 were Toxocara vitulorum (2.6%). The infection rate was higher in cows (21.6%) than in (8.6%) in bulls. There was statistically significant association between the age of the cattle and the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes, with an increased prevalence in older cattle (20%) compared to younger ones (10.0%). The infection rate did not differ significantly based on the breed of cattle, the animal's body condition score, or the sex of the slaughtered cattle. These results highlight the presence of gastrointestinal nematode burden on cattle and the need for continuous monitoring and management techniques to reduce the negative effects of gastrointestinal nematode infections on livestock populations in the research area.