A systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence, distribution and nematode species diversity in small ruminants: a Nigerian perspective.

Despite the global projections that agriculture will have to feed an additional 3 billion of the world's population in the nearest future, the global trends and negative impacts of nematodes on livestock productivity are still on the increase. Here, we reported the burden of gastrointestinal nematodes in small ruminants in Nigeria. Six thousand, five hundred and eighty one of the 13,259 small ruminants reported in 40 eligible studies across 18 Nigerian States were infected with at least one nematode species, yielding an overall pooled prevalence (PP) of 58.3% (95% CI 48.8, 67.2). Regional PP varied significantly (P < 0.001) and ranged between 19.5 (95% CI 5.8, 48.7) and 83.7% (95% CI 68.5, 92.3). Seasonal PP was higher in the dry (Prev: 56.5%, 95% CI 34.2, 76.4) than the rainy (Prev: 43.2%, 95% CI 26.7, 61.3) season. Haemonchus species were the most prevalent 21.3% while, Trichuris ovis and Strongyloides species had the widest geographic distribution. Several species of nematodes of small ruminants are highly prevalent in Nigeria. An all-inclusive approach involving public education and standardised management practices that involve adequate hygiene and sanitation, strategic and prophylactic use of anthelmintics, rotational grazing and the control of arthropod intermediate hosts will reduce the economic losses due to these parasites and curtail possible transmission to humans. © Indian Society for Parasitology 2020.