Abstract

Background: Helminths are a major cause of livestock disease, reducing feed intake, growth rates, and productivity, and in severe cases causing mortality. In tropical regions such as Indonesia, high humidity and warm temperatures provide favorable conditions for gastrointestinal (GI) parasites to survive and complete their life cycles year-round. This study assessed the prevalence of GI parasites in ruminants using long-term surveillance data from the Parasitology Laboratory, Disease Investigation Centre (DIC), Wates, Yogyakarta, collected between 2005 and 2009.
Methods: Fecal samples from 1,304 animals consisting of 982 cattle, 96 dairy cows, 149 goats, and 77 sheep were examined using flotation and sedimentation techniques. Parasites were identified to genus level and grouped into nematodes, trematodes, and cestodes. Prevalence was calculated for each group, and statistical comparisons were made between parasite types.
Results: Nematodes were the most prevalent group across all animal types, followed by trematodes and cestodes (p < 0.001). In cattle, prevalence was 62% nematodes, 31% trematodes, and 7% cestodes, in dairy cows, 41%, 40%, and 19%, in goats, 67%, 19%, and 14%, and in sheep, 57%, 16%, and 27%. Strongylus spp. (33.1%) had the highest overall prevalence, while Haemonchus spp. (0.1%) was the least common. Infection levels were influenced by climatic conditions favorable for larval development, open grazing systems, and inconsistent anthelmintic use.
Conclusion: The predominance of nematode infections, particularly Strongylus spp., underscores the need for targeted control strategies. These findings provide essential epidemiological data to guide Indonesian government programs aimed at improving livestock health and productivity under tropical conditions.

Key words: Nematode, Trematode, Cestode