Abstract:
BACKGROUND : Parasite infections, unlike regulated animal diseases, do not often receive attention. In fact, parasites are major
sources of financial losses in pig enterprises, particularly in subsistence and small-scale pig production systems.
OBJECTIVE : To identify and quantify the prevalence of ecto- and endo-parasites among peri-urban free-roaming pigs (FRP) in Gert
Sibande District Municipality (GSDM), Mpumalanga.
METHOD : Pig owners were identified using the snowball sampling method since no sampling frame for FRP farmers exists. Stratified
sampling was used to select pigs for sampling for ecto- and endo-parasites. A form was used to record the observations. Pairwise
correlation analysis was performed using Stata 15.0. The SPSS V28.0 statistical package was used to perform the chi-square test
(X2) to assess the distribution of parasites in different age groups. The prevalence of parasites was assessed in different age groups
of pigs using multi-response crosstabs. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to estimate the marginal mean of
parasites according to municipality. Statistical significance was assessed at α ≤ 0.05.
RESULTS : Over 90% (91.2%) of the pigs examined were infested with at least one parasite, including Haematopinus suis, Sarcoptes
scabiei, Ascaris suum, Fasciola hepatica, Trichuris suis, Strongylids, Coccidia spp, Moniezia expansa, and Siphonaptera spp. The
correlation between Ascaris suum and body condition was weak but statistically significant (r = 0.24; p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION : Policy makers, animal researchers and veterinary services must focus on developing policies, risk communication
and community engagement materials, which target pig farmers in peri-urban areas such as Gert Sibande District Municipality,
Mpumalanga Province.
