Balantidium coli in pigs of distinct animal husbandry categories and different hygienic-sanitary standards in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

ABSTRACT

Background: Balantidium coli is a commensal protozoan that infects several animals, but it has pigs as its natural reservoir. In the presence of predisposing factors, B. coli can become pathogenic for swine, causing enteric lesions. Infections determined by this protozoan may be a risk to public health, due to dysentery in animal keepers and veterinarians. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of infection by B. coli in pigs of distinct husbandry categories, as well as unlike physiological state, kept in farms with different hygienic-sanitary standards, located in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul State in Brazil. Materials, Methods & Results: Stool samples were collected from 12 different farms with different hygienic-sanitary standards being four farms of finisher pigs (G1; n = 287), four farms with pregnant females (G2; n = 60) and four farms with lactation sows (G3; n = 40), and all samples were submitted to coproparasitological analyses to verify the presence of cysts or trophozoites of B. coli. The infection levels were considered mild (1-100 cyst/trophozoite), moderate (101- 300 cyst/trophozoite) and high (>300 cysts/trophozoite). In addition, information about hygienic-sanitary conditions of each farm was collected. The occurrence of B. coli infection in all swine stool samples analyzed was 60.9% (236/387); however, in G1, G2 and G3 was 54.7% (157/287), 91.7% (55/60) and 65% (26/40) respectively. There was significant difference in the occurrence of G1 (P < 0.05) except between farms B and C (67.9% and 56.6% respectively). There was also a significant difference (P < 0.05) between the occurrence of B. coli found in G2 and G3. The infection levels were considered predominantly mild in G1; and mild to moderate in G2 and G3. Discussion: In this research it was confirmed the presence of B. coli in swine farms located in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul State in Brazil. […]