Abstract

Nematode parasite infections of sheep are a major problem throughout the world and are responsible for economic losses in a variety of ways. In the present study an attempt was made to find out the various nematode parasites and their prevalence infesting the sheep of Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir State in India. A total of 313 sheep of either sex and of different age groups belonging to different areas of Ladakh were examined for nematode parasites, out of these 136 (43.45%) were found infected. The study reveals the presence of four species of nematodes viz; Trichuris ovis, Haemonchus contortus, Dictyocaulus filaria and Chabertia ovina. It was also observed that among these T. ovis was most dominant followed by H. contortus, D.filaria and C. ovina respectively. Furthermore season, sex, age and agro-ecology show an association with prevalence.

Key words: Sheep, nematode, parasite, prevalence, Ladakh.