Some Observations on the Epidemiology of Ostertagiasis in Calves in Britain: An Analysis of Laboratory Diagnostic and Field Data for 1974 to 1976

Abstract

SUMMARY An examination of the epidemiology of clinical ostertagiasis in calves in Britain was made using the herbage Ostertagia infection recorded in the East Midlands of England and the laboratory diagnostic data on disease incidence and serum pepsinogen levels collected by the British Veterinary Investigation Centres, between January 1974 and December 1976. In 1974 the disease incidence was average in most parts of the country with the usual seasonal distribution of type I and type II incidents. In contrast, in 1975 and 1976 very few incidents of type I disease were recorded while type II disease was very prevalent. This difference in the incidence of type I disease was largely attributable to differences in the weather conditions in the three years. However other factors such as poor nutrition were thought to have contributed to the high incidence of type II disease, especially in 1975. The seasonal incidence of high serum pepsinogen levels (