the prevalence of infection with gastrointestinal helminths in free-range poultry of zabol, iran

Background: as an ecological and ethical method employed for poultry farming,free-range chicken keeping is growing and is important in fostering ruralfarmers' livelihoods and community prosperity. this study aimed to determinethe nature and prevalence of helminth infections in native poultry inzabol, iran.methods: between 2022 and 2023, 160 chickens were acquired and slaughteredethically, and then their gastrointestinal tracts were taken and formalinpreserved in zabol, iran. the parasites were isolated from gastrointestinalmucus in the laboratory and characterized using a microscope and specificmethods such as acetocarmine staining.results: among 160 dissected birds, 92 (57.5%) were presented with gastrointestinalparasites, with 64 (40%) containing cestodes, 16 (10%) containingnematodes, and 12 (7.5%) infected by both. observations were made ofseven different species. ascaridia galli (a. galli) (10%), subulura brumpti (7.5%),and heterakis gallinarum (3.12%) represent the three main nematode species.while raillietina tetragona (r. tetragona) (33.12%) was the most prevalent cestode,r. echinobothrida (6.25%), r. magninumida (5%), and cotugnia digonopora(3.12%) were less common.conclusion: the study revealed that free-range chickens in the arid zabol regionhad a high prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites. there is a strongcorrelation between chicken foraging behavior and exposure to contaminatedsoil, with certain nematodes and cestodes constituting the most prevalent,negatively affecting bird growth, productivity, and health. therefore, improvingpoultry welfare by applying parasite control measures and implementingappropriate management strategies is essential.