As being part of an ongoing project, assessing animal health and food
safety risks in smallholder pig value chains in Hung Yen province of
Vietnam, the presence of endoparasites was investigated in a repeated
study. Three communes, with a total of 545 smallhoder pig farms, from
three districts were selected. In each commune, ten farms were
randomly chosen. On farm data including farm management and
biosecurity measures were recorded by using a checklist and observations.
From each farm, one pooled fecal sample was collected from a
randomly chosen barn monthly and followed from June to December
2014 for seven months. Fecal samples were analyzed for intestinal
parasites by floatation and sedimentation methods. The intensity of
most commonly seen parasites was determined by the McMaster
counting technique. In 198 collected fecal samples, six types of
parasites were detected, namely Eimeria 89 (44.95%), Ascaris suum 43
(21.72%), Strongyloides sp. 41 (20.71%), Trichocephalus suis 19 (9.60%),
Fasciolopsis buski 10 (5.05%), and Fasciola 2 (1.01%). Highest intensities
were observed for Eimeria (maximum 80900 oocyst/g), followed by
Ascaris suum (2400 egg/g), Strongyloides sp. (1900 egg/g), and Trichocephalus
suis (1300 egg/g); the others were reported at much lower
intensities. Infection levels and intensities of the parasites tended to be
higher during the hot months, June to September. No significant
difference between communes was found. At least one type of parasites
was present in 137 samples (69.19%). Most of farms (96.67%) were
positive for at least one type of parasites in at least one sample. There
was a significant difference in infection level of endoparasites between
biogas and non-biogas farms. The general high parasite burden
reported in this study will be addressed in future interventions which
will include parasite control apart from other measures
