Occurrence of endoparasites in heifers imported to Poland from the Netherlands (Short Communication)

Abstract. Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was studied in 106 heifers imported to Poland from the Netherlands. Prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes and Eimeria protozoans was determined from coproscopic examinations using Willis-Schlaf flotation. The species composition of coccidia was determined from morphological characters and the time of oocyst sporulation. Fluke liver eggs were detected by decantation. The study showed the mean prevalence of Eimeria protozoans in the heifers imported from the Netherlands to Poland to be 17.92 %; the mean prevalences of Cryptosporidium sp. (11.32 %), gastrointestinal nematodes (55.66 %) and Fasciola hepatica (32.08 %), respectively. The following 6 coccidia species were isolated from faecal samples: E. bovis, E. aubernensis, E. ellipsoidalis, E. subspherica, E. zürni, and E. brasiliensis. The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in the cattle imported from the Netherlands to Poland was very high, therefore it is purposeful to mandatorily examine the imported cattle for the presence of those parasites.