A B S T R A C T
Background: Gastrointestinal nematode infections (GIN) are one of the major parasitic diseases that can reduce cattle productivity. Environmental conditions, such as topography, temperature, humidity, soil characteristics, and rainfall patterns, play a significant role in the development, survival, and transmission of infective larvae. However, information on how environmental factors influence the prevalence of GIN in cattle across different agroecological regions of Aceh Province, indonesia remains limited.
Objective: This study aims to identify environmental factors associated with the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes in cattle raised in lowland and highland areas of Aceh Province.
Methods: This study used field and laboratory data. Field research included measurements of physical environmental conditions, namely topography, temperature, relative humidity, soil pH, annual rainfall, and the number of rainy days. Cattle fecal samples were collected and examined using centrifugation to identify gastrointestinal nematode infections. The data obtained were analyzed using multiple linear regression to determine the environmental factors associated with GIN prevalence.
Results: The study indicates that environmental factors significantly affect the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in cattle, with the overall model explaining 91.8% of the variation in prevalence (R² = 0.918; P = 0.011). In lowland areas, the number of rainy days was significantly associated with GIN prevalence (P = 0.042; R² = 0.903), particularly in cattle older than 12 months (P = 0.008; R² = 0.965). In highland areas, annual rainfall was significantly associated with GIN prevalence in cattle aged 0–6 months (P = 0.022; R² = 0.942), while soil pH was significantly associated with GIN prevalence in female cattle (P = 0.047; R² = 0.897). Other environmental factors did not consistently show significant associations in the analyzed models.
Conclusions: Physical environmental factors, particularly the number of rainy days, annual rainfall, and soil pH, significantly influence the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes in cattle in lowland and highland areas of Aceh Province. These findings highlight the importance of considering local environmental conditions when developing effective and sustainable strategies for controlling gastrointestinal nematode infections on cattle farms.