A coprological assessment of cryptosporidiosis and giardiosis in pigs of mafikeng villages, north west province of South Africaa

Cryptosporidium and Giardia are common causes of enteritis in humans and livestock and are contracted by the faeco-oral route with livestock main source of this contamination especially where human and livestock mingle. Mafikeng, in the Northwest province of South Africa has, as a legacy of its homeland past, villages where humans and livestock mingle in the same area. The present study investigated the presence and prevalence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in faecal samples of pigs raised in 3 different management practices of the different areas of Mafikeng. The overall prevalence of Giardia observed in the whole of Mafikeng was 87%, out of which 36.8% was reported from semi-intensive, 47.4% from intensive and 15.8% from pigs on free range management units. As for Cryptosporidium, overall prevalence was 80%; 34.7% from semi-intensive units, 47.2% from intensive units and 18.1% from free range units. The prevalence levels between different management styles were significantly different with the highest in intensive units because close proximity of animals in such units encouraged transmission. The levels of the parasites in the study site are therefore high but their role in human diseases still needs to be investigated.