Epidemiology and Risk Factor Analysis of Gastrointestinal Parasitism in Goats in Peri-Urban Smallholder Production Systems: A Preliminary Study

Abstract Gastrointestinal parasitic infections pose a significant threat to goat health and productivity, resulting in substantial economic losses. This study evaluated the prevalence and associated risk factors of gastrointestinal parasitism in goats in and around Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, representing typical peri-urban smallholder production systems of North India.The study used a descriptive cross-sectional study design, with random sampling of goats across the semi-intensive and backyard production systems. A total of 427 fecal samples were collected and examined using the standard qualitative and quantitative parasitological techniques. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infections was recorded at 75.64% (95%CI = 71.57–79.71). Strongyles spp. (65.55%)were the most prominent gastrointestinal parasites infecting goats, followed by Eimeria spp. (33.02%), Monezia spp. (13.11%), Fasciola spp. (11.47%), Amphistome spp. (8.66%), Strongyloides spp. (7.72%), and Trichuris spp. (6.79%).The intensity of Strongylid - type egg (STE) infection varied significantly across seasons, with the highest mean egg per gram (EPG) counts observed during the monsoon (1118 ± 74.1), followed by summer (590 ± 42.0), and the lowest during winter (307 ± 35.7).Univariable logistic regression analysis identified age, sex, body condition score (BCS), and housing as significant predictors of parasitic infection in goats. However, after adjusting for other variables in the multivariable model, goats younger than one year continued to show significantly lower odds of infection (AOR = 0.42, p < 0.001).Overall, these findings highlight the importance of host physiological status along with management practices in determining gastrointestinal parasitic infection burden in goats.