Incidence of gastro-intestinal strongylosis during monsoon seasons in native goat breeds of Kerala

Abstract

Gastro-intestinal strongylosis is a major parasitic infection in caprine causing reduced performance, irreversible damage and death, which eventually leads to huge economic loss to the producers. The use of anthelmintics as a simple, effective and quick control method against the parasitism by the farmers has been rampant since decades. But its indiscriminate and undue usage invariably paved way to the development of anthelmintic resistance in parasites. It is high time that control strategies are designed so as to utilise chemotherapy appropriately at the time that coincide with heavy incidence of strongylosis. In the present study, a total of 109 goats, comprising of 58 Malabari and 51 Attappady Black goats from an organised farm were screened for the incidence for strongyle infection. The infection was found to be very high throughout the monsoon seasons in Kerala (June to October) with 94.86 ±1.47 per cent. Majority of the animals exhibited very heavy infection with faecal egg count of (FEC) >1500 during the study period. On coproculture, Haemonchus contortus was found to be the most predominant strongyle followed by Oesophagostomum spp. and Trichostrongylus spp.