Parasitic bronchitis in goats and the possible use of Dictyocaulus filaria vaccine for its control

Abstract

Parasitic bronchitis is widely prevalent in migratory flocks of small ruminants in the northwest Himalayan regions of India. The prevalence data collected from 5554 goats, maintained in 31 villages in different agroclimatic regions of the Himalayas, showed that the prevalence of the disease in goats varied from 18.7 to 47.6% with an overall prevalence of 21.8%. Interestingly, 27.6% of goats maintained at an altitude of 2700–3900 m above mean sea level in Kargil (Jammu and Kashmir), where the climate is cold and dry for the major part of the year, were positive for the lungworm infections. The common lungworms observed were Dictyocaulus filaria, Protostrongylus rufescens, Varestrongylus pneumonicus and occasionally Muellerius spp. The kids were more susceptible to lungworm infections than adult goats. In experimental studies, it was seen that goats were more susceptible to Dictyocaulus filaria infection than sheep and two vaccine doses comprising 1000 and 2000 gamma-attenuated D. filaria (ovine strain) infective larvae conferred 97% protection in male Beetal kids against a homologous challenge dose of 4200 normal D. filaria larvae. The importance of simultaneous control of the disease in goats and sheep is discussed.