Abstract
In this study, we examined pig feces for the presence of the eggs of Ascaris suum, Trichuris suis, and Oesophagostomum sp. Between September 2005 and March 2007, we analyzed 4,221 samples of pig feces that were collected from 150 pig farms across Japan. The sucrose floatation method was used to detect the eggs. The rate of egg detection was 2.0% for A. suum, 2.1% for T. suis, and 2.5% for Oesophagostomum sp. For A. suum,the egg detection rate was significantly higher in sows and boars than in fatteners. For T. suis, the egg detection rate was higher in fatteners and boars than in sows. In the case of Oesophagostomum sp., the rate was higher in sows than in fatteners (P ＜0.05). The eggs of more than one nematode species were detected in 39.3% of the farms, and the eggs of two or three nematode species were detected in 15.3% of the farms. These results clearly suggest that the parasites still remain on pig farms across Japan and that it is important to take suitable steps to prevent the occurrence of parasites on these farms.
