Investigation of intestinal parasites infections in free-range poultry of Anhui Province, China

To evaluate the status of intestinal parasite infections in free-range poultry of Anhui province, fecal samples from chickens, ducks, gooses and pigeons were analysed from June 2014 to October 2014. The results showed that intestinal parasite infection rate in free-range chickens, ducks, gooses and pigeons were 70.9%, 13.4%, 18.4% and 80.0%, respectively. The predominant parasites in chickens were Capillaria obsignata, Ascaridia galli and Coccidium spp. followed by Opisthorchis spp. and Capillaria caudinflata in ducks and gooses, respectively. The parasites found in pigeons were Capillaria obsignata, Heterakis and coccidia. The present survey showed that intestinal parasitic infection is widely spread in free-range poultry in central cities of Anhui province, causing a high risk factor for poultry industry.