# Prevalence and Associated Factors of Parafilaria bovicola Infection in Cattle in Ebinat District, Northwest Ethiopia

## TL;DR

This study found a 22% infection rate of Parafilaria bovicola in cattle in Ebinat District, Ethiopia, with higher rates in lowland areas, females, and during rainy seasons.

## Contribution

The study provides new prevalence data and identifies specific risk factors for Parafilaria bovicola in a previously understudied region.

## Key findings

- P. bovicola infection prevalence was 22.04% in 422 cattle in Ebinat District.
- Infection rates were higher in lowland agro-ecological zones (56.15%) compared to midlands (6.85%).
- Female cattle had a 2.57-fold higher risk of infection than males.

## Abstract

Parafilaria bovicola infection poses a significant health threat to cattle and leads to considerable economic losses due to the condemnation or downgrading of hides. Despite its impact, there is limited information on the prevalence, and associated risk factors regarding the disease in the current study area. A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to December 2024 in Ebinat District, Northwest Ethiopia. The objectives were to estimate the prevalence of P. bovicola infection and identify its associated risk factors. A total of 422 cattle were selected using a simple random lottery method. Following clinical examination, exudate samples from the actively bleeding subcutaneous nodules were collected during the early hours of the day. Sedimentation parasitological method, Chi-square(X2) and univariable logistic regression statistic were used. Overall prevalence of P. bovicola infection was found to be 22.04% (93/422; 95% CI: 18.2–26.3). An association between agro-ecology, sex, season, and body condition score and the prevalence of P. bovicola infection was shown to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). Increased prevalence of the infection with P. bovicola was more prevalent in the lowland agro-ecological zone (56.15%) than in the district's midland (6.85%). Infection with P. bovicola was significantly more prevalent at the end of the rainy season (31.49%) compared to the dry season (14.94%) (χ2 = 16.487; p < 0.001). Compared to male cattle (14.2%), female cattle had a 2.57-fold increased chance of contracting P. bovicola infection (29.9%) (COR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.58–4.18). In addition, cattle with a poor body condition had a significantly higher prevalence of P. bovicola infection (26.8%) compared to those with medium (18.4%) and good (13.8%) body condition (p < 0.05). In conclusion, P. bovicola infection is prevalent in the study area, particularly in lowland regions. Therefore, location-specific control methods that consider local ecology and seasonal changes should be used.