An Epidemiological and Diagnostic Study of The Microfilaria Parasite in Cows in Western Regions of Iraq

Abstract

The current study was conducted to find out the prevalence of Microfilaria in cows in the western regions of Iraq, by examining 382 cows of both sexes and for ages from 1-11 years during the year 2020. The parasite was diagnosed by examining the skin scraping collected from the infected animals in the laboratory, and the results showed that the cows were infected with the microfilaria parasite by 34%, and the highest infection rate was recorded in Al-Qa'im area 51.6% and Haditha 49%. Significant differences were observed between males (21.9%) and females (44.6%). The highest incidence rate was recorded in cows aged 3-5 years, at 45.3%, with significant differences from the rest of the ages. Furthermore, the highest incidence rate was observed in Summer seasons, reaching 64.8%. The current study concludes that cattle in the western regions of Iraq are infected with the microfilaria parasite at a high rate, and this necessitates the establishment of an integrated control approach to control parasitic diseases and prevent their spread in farm animals because they cause serious disease effects and heavy economic losses.