Frequency of gastrointestinal parasites in cattle at the southern of Sonora, Mexico

Commonly gastroenteric parasites are a health problem in extensive livestock and could be a risk in the productive efficiency in cattle raised at the south of Sonora, Mexico. In order to determine the frequency of the different gastrointestinal parasitic genera in bovines of the southern region of Sonora, a study was divided in high-mountain (n=218), low-mountain (n=173), Valley1 (n=222) and Valley2 (n=50) regions. The feces were collected from adult cattle and calves (5 to 6 months of age) from January to March and December 2018; January to February 2019. The samples were analyzed by flotation and MacMaster techniques. The morphology was determined obtaining the L3 stage by coproculture. The Eimerias were identified prior to sporulation. The 83.03%, 56.0% and 17.56% were positive for gastrointestinal parasites in high-mountain, low-mountain and Valley1 respectively. Valley2 was negative for nematodes, but 43% were positive for Eimerias. The cattle in the study area showed a low 17.56% to high 83.03% frequency of gastroenteric parasites with the presence of one to eight genera of nematode and one to seven of Eimeria.