Determination of the infection densities of mudfish Eustrongylides in Clarias gariepinus and C. anguillaris from Bida floodplain of Nigeria

The infection densities of Eustrongylides africanus larvae were analysed according to the season, sex and distribution. Its prevalence, intensity and abundance was 26.5 ± 15.4%, 2.1 ± 0.9 and 0.7 ± 0.5 worms per fish, respectively for the wet season and the dry season had 32.9 ± 5.4%, 2.5 ± 0.4 and 0.9 ± 0.2 worms per fish, respectively. These incidences increased greatly during the dry season, being higher in the females than the males for both seasons of the year. Its lifecycle is complex and indirect with fish as intermediate, reservoir (alternative) or final (definitive) hosts. However, this is the first report and record of the incidence and lifecycle of infections with larvae of Eustrongylides africanus in free catches freshwater mudfish Clarias from Bida floodplain of Nigeria. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management Vol. 8 (2) 2004: 39-4