Study on Ovine Trematode Infections, Their Snails Shell Characterization and KAPs of Owners in the Central Gondar Zone, North West Ethiopia

Ovine trematode infections are among the most common parasitic diseases of sheep, causing significant health problems, production losses, and economic impacts. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2024 to February 2025 in East and West Dembia woredas of the Central Gondar Zone. The aim of this study were to determine the burden of ovine trematodes, characterize the morphology of intermediate host snail shells, and assess sheep owners’ perceptions toward trematode infections. A total of 384 fecal samples were collected directly from randomly selected sheep and examined using the sedimentation technique. Additionally, 300 snail shells were randomly collected for morphological identification, and 300 sheep owners participated in a structured questionnaire survey. Data were entered into Excel 20 and analyzed using STATA version 14. The overall prevalence of ovine trematodes was 42.7% (164/384), with fascioliasis (25%), paramphistomiasis (14.06%), and schistosomiasis (3.64%). Age (AOR = 4.09, p = 0.021), body condition (AOR = 189, p < 0.001), and grazing area (AOR = 19.86, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with infection, whereas sex and district were not. Snail shell identification revealed four genera: Lymnaea (58.7%), Bulinus (18.0%), Melanoides (15.0%), and Biomphalaria (8.3%), with Lymnaea being the most dominant. The questionnaire survey on the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) indicated that 70% of respondents were unfamiliar with ovine trematodes, highlighting a major knowledge gap. In conclusion, ovine trematodes remain an important and neglected disease in the study area. Effective control requires community education on the parasites and their intermediate hosts, promotion of regular deworming, improved diagnostic approaches, and strengthened veterinary extension services.