1Department of Animal Biotechnology
2Department of Veterinary Parasitology
Department of Wildlife Science, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai -607 007, India
* Part of M.V.Sc., thesis submitted by the first author to Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai - 600 051.
Examination of drug samples of free-ranging Indian elephants from Sathyamangalam-Erode forest division of Tamil Nadu state revealed the presence of elephant schistosome Bivitellobilharzia nairi characterized by spindle shaped egg with a terminal spine. During the period from February to June, 2010, a total of fifty dung samples were screened for endoparasites, of which Strongyloides sp. eggs were predominantly detected in 29 samples, strongyles were detected in 12 samples, Bivitellobilharzia sp. in 2 samples and mixed infection of strongyles with Strongyloides sp. were detected in 7 samples.
Elephas maximus, Schistosomes, Bivitellobilharzia sp, Strongyloides sp