Prevalence of haemoprotozoan and gastrointestinal parasites of sheep imported from Syria into Sulaymaniyah province of Iraq

Parasitic haemoprotozoan and gastrointestinal (GI) diseases are a big issue in animal husbandry and one of the most significant causes for livestock economic losses in underdeveloped countries. This study aimed to record preliminary information on the prevalence of haemoprotozoan and gastrointestinal parasites of Awassi breed of sheep imported from Syria into Sulaymaniyah province, Iraq. Faecal and blood samples were randomly collected from a total of 714 sheep of both sexes from June to September 2019. Giemsa staining technique, direct faecal smear, saturated salt flotation method, and simple sedimentation technique, were applied to diagnose the parasitic stages in the coprological and blood specimens. The overall prevalence rate was 75.63%. Single and mixed infection rates of parasites were 55.46%, and 20.16%, respectively. GI parasites and haemoprotozoan infection rates were 78.15%, and 20.16%, respectively. Of all parasites, the most prevalent was Eimeria spp. (68%), followed by Babesia spp. (20.15%), Balantidium coli (5.90%), Fasciola hepatica (2.50%), and strongyles (1.7%). The prevalence rates for GI parasites and haemoprotozoa varied considerably in regard to sex categories. It is recommended that strict quarantine procedures, adequate parasitological monitoring, and therapeutic approaches should be implemented to animals transported from bordering countries to minimize the incidence of parasite infection.