Prevalence of Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus infection in indigenous pigs at Dien Bien province

Abstract

An epidemiological survey for Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus (M. hirudinaceus)
infection in the indigenous pigs in Dien Bien province was conducted from 2016 to 2019.
Autopsy was conducted on 1,163 pigs and 1,872 pig fecal samples were tested to identify the
M. hirudinaceus infection situation. The autopsy result showed that the infection rate of pigs
with M. hirudinaceus was 6.88%, and the average infection intensity was 1 to 12 worms/pig.
Similarly, the fecal tested result revealed that the infection rate was 6.62%. The age groups,
seasons and farming methods affected clearly to the prevalence of M. hirudinaceus in pigs
(P<0.05). The M. hirudinaceus infection rate tended increasing gradually by the pig age. The
infection rate of pigs raising by free-grazing method was higher than that of the captive raising
method; the infection rate of pigs in summer and autumn were higher than in winter and spring
seasons; and the infection rate of pigs in the high mountainous areas (9.58%) was higher than
in the flat tarrains (1.55%).