Iran J Parasitol: Vol. 19, No. 3, Jul-Sep, 2024, pp.325-332 Copyright © 2024 Sadeghi et al. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted, provided the original work is properly cited 325 Available at: http://ijpa.tums.ac.ir Original Article The Prevalence of Infection with Gastrointestinal Helminths in Free-Range Poultry of Zabol, Iran Faezeh Sadeghi, Narges Lotfalizadeh, Javad Khedri, *Hassan Borji Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran Received 08 Mar 2024 Accepted 19 Jul 2024 Abstract Background: As an ecological and ethical method employed for poultry farm- ing, free-range chicken keeping is growing and is important in fostering rural farmers\\\' livelihoods and community prosperity. This study aimed to deter- mine the nature and prevalence of helminth infections in native poultry in Zabol, Iran. Methods: Between 2022 and 2023, 160 chickens were acquired and slaugh- tered ethically, and then their gastrointestinal tracts were taken and formalin preserved in Zabol, Iran. The parasites were isolated from gastrointestinal mucus in the laboratory and characterized using a microscope and specific methods such as Acetocarmine staining. Results: Among 160 dissected birds, 92 (57.5%) were presented with gastro- intestinal parasites, with 64 (40%) containing cestodes, 16 (10%) containing nematodes, and 12 (7.5%) infected by both. Observations were made of seven 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 ces- tode, 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 re- gion had a high prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites. There is a strong correlation between chicken foraging behavior and exposure to contaminat- ed soil, with certain nematodes and cestodes constituting the most prevalent, negatively affecting bird growth, productivity, and health. Therefore, im- proving poultry welfare by applying parasite control measures and imple- menting appropriate management strategies is essential.

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