Prevalence and intensity of Nematodirus sp. and Eimeria sp. infections in the domestic goats of St. Katherine\'s Protectorate (Sinai, Egypt): relations with some ecological and biological factors

Abstract

The prevalence and intensity of intestinal parasites in the domestic goats at St. Katherine\'s protectorate and their relation to some ecological and biological factors that might possibly influence parasite load were investigated. Faecal samples from 164 goats, housed in three different sites during two seasons, (Aug-Sept 2001 and Jan-Feb 2002) were examined for egg or oocyst numbers per gram (EPG or OPG) as indices of parasite load. Nematodirus sp. (Nematoda) and Eimeria sp. (coccidian protozoa) were the dominant intestinal parasites. Only few cases showed high EPG (>200) or OPG (>500) while others showed subclinical levels of infection. Marked seasonal variations were observed, higher in Aug-Sept (dry season) than in Jan-Feb (wet season). There were significant differences among sites, perhaps caused by many factors including site topography, feeding habits, diet or health status. OPG increased dramatically in ungrazed and EPG increased in grazed goats. OPG was affected by sex, age class and female status but this was not the case for EPG. There was a significant correlation between OPG and host size. We conclude that differences in parasite loads are determined by both environmental and biological factors. KEY WORDS: goats, Nematodirus, Eimeria , season, site, food, sex, age. Egyptian Journal of Botany Vol.5 2003: 78-85