INCIDENCE OF INTERNAL PARASITES OF DESERT GOATS IN NEW VALLEY, EGYPT

Animal Healthy Research Institute,

New-Valley Laboratory

Incidence of internal parasites of desert goats in New Valley, Egypt

(With 5 Tables and 4 Figures)

By

F.A. Osman

(Received at 18/11/2008)

معدل انتشار الطفيليات الداخلية فى الماعز الصحراوية

فى الوادى الجديد - مصر

فتحى احمد عثمان

استهدفت الدراسة حساب معدل انتشار الإصابة بالطفيليات الداخلية للماعز في الوادي الجديد وعلاقتها ببعض العوامل البيئية والبيولوجية المحيطة، حيث تم إجراء الفحص الطفيلي لعدد 515 حيوان من أعمار مختلفة وکلا الجنسين من أماکن مختلفة في الوادي الجديد (300 من الخارجة, 215 من الداخلة) خلال الفترة من مايو 2007 الى مايو 2008 وذلک بإجراء الفحص الکمي والکيفي للإصابة الطفيلية حيث شملت الدراسة عد البيض کدليل على معدل انتشار الإصابة. أوضحت النتائج أن 455 من الماعز کانت موجبة للاصابة الطفيلية (88.34%)، منهم 78.02% للکوکسيديا، 55.16 % لباقي الديدان المعوية (40.55 % في الصغار و 64.72 % للکبار) کما أشارت الدراسة ان نسبة الاصابة بالديدان الاسطوانية 35.16 % والديدان الشريطية 3.95 % والديدان المفلطحة 16.03. وبدراسة تأثير التغيرات الموسمية على نسبة الإصابة بالطفيليات المختلفة فقد سجل الشتاء اعلي نسبة اصابة بالکوکسيديا (86.7%) بينما سجل فصلى الربيع والصيف اعلى نسبة إصابة بالديدان المعوية. أوضحت الدراسة أيضا أن ديدان الهيمونکس قد سجلت 3.33% فى الماعز أقل من سنة, 14.54% في الماعز البالغة. مما سبق يتضح أهمية فحص الماعز للوقوف على نوعية ومدي إصابتها بالطفيليات بأنواعها والتي تسبب خسارة اقتصادية کبيرة ومن ثم يمکن وضع برامج للمکافحة وتقليل العدوى بعمل فحص دوري للماعز وتجريعها بصفة دورية بمضادات الديدان.

SUMMARY

The study was carried out on 515 goats from different localities in NewValley governorate with different ages and sexes during the period from May 2007 to May 2008. The study aimed to monitor parasitic infection among these goats qualitatively and quantitively. The results proved that 455 goats infected with different gastrointestinal parasites (88.34%) where Eimeria spp. was representing  an incidence of 78.02% while the total infection rate of different helminthes was 55.16% (40.55% in kids and 64.72 % in Adult). The infection rates were 35, 16% for Nematodes, 3.95% for Cestods, 16.03% for Trematods. The study declared that parasitic infection represents a major health impact on goats at New Valley with special reference to Eimeria spp. and Hemonchus contortus in both young and adults. The influence of seasonal variation proved higher coccidial infection at winter (86.7%), however higher intestinal helminths infection were found at spring and summer. It could be concluded that periodical parasitic examination of goats in NewValley should be attempted to recognize and manage parasitic infection.

Key words: Internal, parasite, goats, New Valley

Introduction

Internal parasites of goats are considered one of the biggest problems where it can cause major health issues, which have a major effect on the animal performance and causes great economic losses not due to mortality but due to production loss (Waller, 2004). The proper management of the internal parasites is extremely important to effectively reduce the herd exposure to parasites.

One of the first things that producer should realize, that goats are naturally browsers in contrast to sheep and cattle which are grazers. Additionally goats have traditionally been raised in dry-arid climate in extensive production systems and they simply have not had opportunity to adapt to the warm-moist condition of a humid climate. All of these factors in addition to the fact that many of the parasites that affect goats thrive in warm, moist condition and live close to the ground (Waller, 2004). Gastrointestinal nematode infection can be treated by anthelmintic chemotherapy; however, treatment costs and drug resistance has elevated in all major parasite species (Ross 1997, Zajac and Gipson 2000 and Veale 2002). Compared to sheep, which develop a strong natural immunity around 12 months of age, goats acquire a lower level of immunity to gastrointestinal parasites. This explain why goats having greater populations of adult parasites with high egg output. In experimental Teladorsagia (Ostertagia) circumcincta infection (Macaldowie et al. 2003) found that goats carried higher worm burden than lambs and there were significant differences in the stages of development attained by the larval challenge established in the two species. Mullerius capillaris was reported to cause Verminous bronchitis among goats causing sever losses (Bruce et al., 1986)

Materials and Methods

Animals (Table 1):

The study was carried out on 515 goats (different ages and sexes) of native breed from various regions of New-valley Governorates (300 goats from El-Kharga and 215 from El-Dakhla). In order to properly manage a herd, it is important to be able to recognize the signs of parasitism. Diagnosis is usually done by observing the clinical signs and performing a fecal egg count test.

A- Observing the clinical signs:

Diseased goats were usually isolated from the herd and do not eat normally. Daily visual inspection is usually sufficient to monitor for parasitic infection.

B- Other diagnostic methods such as a fecal egg counts must also be routinely done since the biggest impact of internal parasites occur in the sub clinical level (not easily detected by visual observation) (Waller and Thramsborg, 2004).

Sampling:

Fecal samples were collected directly from the rectum or immediately after defecation, then kept in clean plastic sac, labeled with the required data concerning age, sex, date of collection and any apparent clinical signs, then sent to the diagnostic laboratory.

Gross examination of samples:  

Fecal samples were grossly examined for color, consistency, presence of mucous, blood, indigested feed and parasites (intact parasite, and / or larvae or gravid segments of Cestodes (Charles 1998).

Parasitological examination:

Fecal samples were examined by using floatation technique in saturated NaCl solution for detection of Nematode and Cestode eggs (Burger and stoy, 1968) and sedimentation technique for detection of Trematode eggs (Charles 1998). Egg count was done by using McMaster counting slide (Seivwright et al., 2004 and Pereckienė et al., 2007)

Fecal culture:

In order to assess species of gastrointestinal nematodes, samples of feces from individual animals were cultured for third stage larval development (Christie and Jackson, 1982). After 7 days of incubation larvae from cultures were harvested and identified to genera or species using light microscope. Baermanُ s technique was used for detection of lung worm infection. Identification of the collected eggs and larvae was done according to Dunn, (1978) and Soulsby (1982).

Results

In the present study 515 goats with variable ages, sexes and seasons were selected from different localities in New Valley Governorate during the peried of one year, Table (1).

A- Observed clinical signs:

Some of the observable clinical signs of heavy internal parasite infection are anemia, bottle-jaw and wasting away or poor weight gain, anemia results from blood sucking parasites is clearly observed in scleral and oral mucus membranes.

B- Parasitological findings (Tables 2-5 and Fig. 1-4):

As many as 88.34% of examined goats were infected with at least one genus/species of parasite. In this study Eimeria infection was the most prevalent parasitic infection (78.02%) where its rate in young  < 1 year was 75% and 80% in adults. Helminthes infection was detected in 55.6% of totally examined goats with infection rates of 40.55 and 64.72 % in young and adult respectively (Table 2).

Strongyloid like eggs were the most predominant nematodes observed in the examined fecal samples (25.93%) but in fecal culture the most predominant worms were Hemonchus spp., Chabertia spp., Trichostrongylus spp., Ostertagia spp. and Oesphogastomum spp.  Their infection rate was 10.10, 5.93, 5. 49, 4.6, 3.07% respectively (Table 5).  Fasciola eggs (Trematode) were detected only in adult goats in ratio of 12.74% and Cestodes infection were detected in 3.95% of examined goats (Table 3). Rate of infection was higher in female (94.52%) than in males (79.02%) as in Table 6.

Concerning to the seasonal variation, the incidence of Eimeria   was the most prevalent parasitic infection allover the year, where it was ranged from (86.72%) in winter to (68.96%) in spring, but Nematode increase gradually at autumn and reach to the high level of infection in winter and spring but low level of infection indicated in summer    (Table 4).

Table 1:  The goats selected for the study.

Table 2: Prevalence of parasitic infection in examined goats in New – Valley Governorate.

Table 3: Prevalence of parasitic infection with relationship of age
in examined goats.

Table 4:  Seasonal variation with different parasite in examined goats.

Table 5: Prevalence of helminthes detected by fecal culture
in examined goats.

Table 6: Prevalence of parasitic infection in relation to sex
of examined goats.

Figures

Discussion

The results of the present study supports the opinion that goats acquire a lower level of immunity to gastrointestinal parasites than other ruminant. The infection with Eimeria spp. (Coccidia) result in serious clinical signs of fluid diarrhea which may or may not contain mucus or blood, dehydration, weakness, loss of appetite and death while some goats may instead be constipated and suddenly die without diarrhea.

Coccidian parasites were detected in 90.3% at Saudi Arabia (Alyousif et al., 1992) and 94.65% of examined goats in Egypt (Otify, 1984). Eimeria oocyst are widly present in feces of both normal and diseased goats in a reported range of 38% to 100% of all goats (Smith and Sherman, 1994). One of the most prevalent infection of Trichostrongyloid nematodes was Hemonchus Contortus (blood sucking worm) and Muellerius capillaries which is associated with marked tissue damage and pronounced cellular reaction. These results agreed with Berrag et al. (1997).

Bottle-jaw in gastrointestinal parasite infection is caused by hypoalbuminemia that results from either decreased feed intake, lack of appetite and increase the demands of proteins (Ashraf and Nepote 1990 and Min et al., 2005).  The absence of Fasciola infection in young goats agree with the same result of (El–Sherif and Abo-EL- Hadid, 2005 and Mohsen and Ibrahim., 2008). Concerning the relationship between the sexes of examined goats and the infection rate, females were highly infected than males and this may be attributed to the fact that females are exposed to more stress like, pregnancy, lactation and parturition. These results agreed with those of Abd el- Wahed (1987).

Concerning the seasonal dynamics of parasitic helminthes infection, the study revealed that the incidence of nematode increase gradually at autumn and reach to the peak in winter and spring, but low level of infection observed in summer. This pattern may be attributed to the spring rise phenomena but the infective stage of most Strongyloid worm not resist the hot dry season. This phenomena mentioned  by Herd (1971) as the end of winter and beginning of spring is considered as the peak of reproduction and  maturation of their inhibited larvae takes place in spring season which known as spring rise.

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