Abstract
This study was carried out to evaluate the relationships of cellular changes in the abomasal mucosa and parasitological parameters, by comparing resistant and susceptible young Creole goats (kids) after experimental infection with Haemonchus contortus. The kids were infected over 2 periods (challenges 1 and 2) of 7 and 6 weeks, respectively. Fecal egg count (FEC), blood eosinophilia, packed cell volume (PCV), and body weight were weekly monitored. At the end of both challenges a subgroup of kids was slaughtered for nematode burden measurements and analysis of inflammatory cell infiltration in the abomasal mucosa. The average daily gain was higher in resistant kids after both challenges. Blood eosinophilia and FEC were higher in susceptible kids after both challenges. The number of immature worms and the means of female length were lower after challenge 2 whatever the genetic status. No differences were observed in the eosinophil and mononuclear cell infiltration between challenges 1 and 2 and resistant and susceptible kids. Globule leukocyte infiltration was found higher after the challenge 1 in resistant kids. This effect of the genetic status on globule leukocytes counts but not on the other inflammatory cell highlights the need for further study on the functional activity of these cell populations.
Highlights
Haemonchus contortus is an important gastrointestinal nematode parasite that causes major losses in sheep and goat production worldwide
The packed cell volume (PCV) values significantly decreased during challenge 1 in resistant and susceptible kids until 28 d.p.i
We evaluated the effect of primary and secondary experimental infection of susceptible and resistant Creole kids with H. contortus on PCV, blood eosinophils, average daily gain (ADG), Fecal egg count (FEC), worm counts, and abomasal histopathological changes
Summary
Haemonchus contortus is an important gastrointestinal nematode parasite that causes major losses in sheep and goat production worldwide. Among alternative control strategies, immunogenetical aspects of gastrointestinal nematode infections in small ruminants appear as promising areas of research. Despite the similar consequence of gastrointestinal parasitism in goats, few studies have investigated the host response against nematode infection in this model [14]. Some aspects of the host immune response to H. contortus, Trichostrongylus vitrines, and Teladorsagia circumcincta after primary and secondary natural or experimental infection have been studied [15,16,17,18,19,20].
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