ABSTRACT

This study was performed in the Van Municipality Slaughterhouse from January to December 2001. Abomasums and small intestines from a total of 104 sheep were transported to the parasitology laboratory of the Veterinary Faculty of Yüzüncü Yıl University for parasitological examination. The abomasums and small intestines of the animals were opened with appropriate technique in the laboratory, and male nematodes were collected from the contents of the abomasums and small intestines using a sampling method, and then these parasites were identified. Gastrointestinal nematodes were encountered in 87.5% out of 104 sheep. Marshallagia marshalli (85%), Teladorsagia circumcincta (75%), Nematodirus oiratianus (75%), N. spathiger (65%), Haemonchus contortus (40%), Tel. occidentalis (36%), Trichostrongylus axei (33%), N. abnormalis (19%) and T. probolurus (19%), Tel. davtiani (15%), Tel. trifurcate (10%), and Camelostrongylus mentulatus (1%) were detected. Among the parasites, the species encountered most often were Tel. circumcincta (45.23%) in abomasums and N.oiratianus (65.73%) in small intestines. The highest rate of parasites in both abomasums and small intestines occurred in August, September and October. It was found that the young animals have a parasite density higher than the adults and the females have parasite density higher than the males.

Keywords: Sheep, Trichostrongylidae spp., Van