Prevalence of Potential Zoonotic Ectoparasites and Coprological Helminths of Pigs in Abakaliki and Izzi Lgas, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

One hundred and sixty-eight (168) pigs were examined for potential zoonotic ectoparasitic and coprological helminths in Abakaliki and Izzi LGAs of Ebonyi State. Snowball sampling technique was used to arrive at the studied farms and simple random sampling technique was employed to select the examined animals from each farm. Faecal specimen was collected according to the procedure outlined by Soulsby (1982) and Bhatia et al. (2012). Faecal processing and examination were carried out using concentration techniques, involving both centrifugal floatation and centrifugal sedimentation techniques. Collection and processing of ectoparasites followed the procedure outlined by Wall and Shearer (2001) and Bhatia et al (2012). The recovered parasites were identified using morphological characteristics and guides according to Wall and Shearer (2001) and Bhatia et al. (2012). Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi-squared. Statistical significance was set at p0.05). However, a significant association (p = 0.026) was established between sex of pigs and infection with Fasciola hepatica. Thirteen (7.74%) and 14(8.33%) of the pigs were infested and infected respectively with more than one parasite taxa. Parasitism increased with advancement in age of pigs. Parasitism was more prevalent in pigs from semi-intensive farms (45.24%) than in pure intensive farms (21.43%). Adequate utilization of veterinary services, good sanitation and proper training of farmers are recommended.