FREQUENCY AND INCIDENCE OF GASTROINTESTINAL HELMINTHS IN BUFFALOES (BUBALUS BUBALIS L.) IN THE REGION OF VALE DO RIBEIRA, SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL

The work aimed to identify the parasite gastrointestinal helminths from buffaloes coming from properties located in the region of Vale do Ribeira, state of São Paulo, Brazil, through material collected from 47 animals slaughtered in abattoirs in the counties of Registro, Pariquera-Açu, Eldorado, Juquiá, Iguape and Sete Barras, from June, 1989 to December, 1992. The animals belonged to the Murrah breed, Mediterrânea, Jafarabadi and crossbred from both sexes, ages varying from 2 to 10 years-old and submitted to extensive and semiextensive management. The kinds of helminths with the respective frequencies and average worm burden were: Skjarbinagia boevi 61.70% and 346, Haemonchus contortus 6.38% and 3, Cooperia punctata 10.64% and 31, Capillaria bovis 29.79 % and 41, Paracooperia nodulosa 6.38% and 11, Bunostomum phlebotomum 6.38% and 1, Oesophagostomum radiatum 68.08% and 43, Trichuris disco/ar 2.13 % and 0.2.. From 47 examined buffaloes, 40 (85.11%) were found parasited by one or more kind of helminths. The_ most plagued kind was O. radiatum .

KEY WORDS:
Gastrointestinal helminths; frequency; average worm burden; buffaloes; Bubalus bubalis.