Goat Flocks Research Articles

Epidemiology of Mycoplasma agalactiae and Mycoplasma mycoides cluster in flocks of northeastern Brazil

ABSTRACT: The present study aimed to investigate contagious agalactia (CA) in flocks from Pernambuco State. The study involved 225 goats and 63 ewes; 288 milk samples and 100 vaginal swabs were collected in total. The PCR assays were carried out using specific primers to Mycoplasma agalactiae and the Mycoplasma mycoides cluster. Among the goat’s milk samples,12.0% (27/225) were positive for Mycoplasma agalactiae DNA, while 5.3% (12/225) contained the Mycoplasma mycoides cluster. Of the vaginal swabs taken from goats, 15.4% (12/78) were positive for Mycoplasma agalactiae DNA and 3.8% (3/78) contained the Mycoplasma mycoides cluster. In the case of ewes, 4.3% (1/23) of the milk samples contained Mycoplasma agalactiae DNA, and 7.5% (3/40) were positive for the Mycoplasma mycoides cluster. Vaginal swabs taken from sheep´s were negative. Analysis of risk factors for mycoplasmosis, showed that goats and sheep flocks on the extensive breeding system are more likely to have mycoplasmosis than those on the intensive breeding system (odds ratio (OR) 6.2; p=0.004); meat goat and sheep flocks are more likely to have infection compared to dairy flocks (OR 4.8; p=0.011); unclean animal housing increases the chances of infection (OR 5.0; p=0.031) and not performing quarantine increases the chances of mycoplasmosis (OR 4.6; p=0.042). Based on these findings we conclude that CA syndrome in the semiarid region of Pernambuco state can be associated with Mycoplasma agalactiae and Mycoplasma mycoides cluster.

Coxiella burnetii in dairy goats with a history of reproductive disorders in Brazil

Coxiella burnetii, an intracellular bacterium, is the agent of Q fever/coxiellosis, a worldwide zoonosis. Dairy animals are the primary reservoirs of C. burnetii, and although the disease is usually asymptomatic or subclinical, abortion is a serious clinical outcome among small ruminants. This study was conducted to investigate C. burnetii seroprevalence and infection In a flock of dairy goats in Brazil. Serum samples from 312 goats collected from a dairy goat flock with a history of reproductive failure were tested by a commercial ELISA (LSIVet Ruminant Q Fever − Serum/Milk; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Lissieu, France) for anti-C. burnetii IgG antibodies. Samples of cotyledons from 23 placentas were analyzed by nested PCR for the presence of the bacterial DNA. ELISA seroreactivity was found in 55.1% (172/312; 95% CI = 49.4%–60.7%) of the serum samples analyzed. C. burnetii DNA was detected in 8.7% (2/23) of the placental samples tested, where both animals were also seropositive. This study reports the first description of C. burnetii infection in an abortion outbreak in goats in Brazil. The results point out to the importance of including this disease in animal and public health surveillance programs as well as into the list of abortive diseases in goats in Brazil.

English

A cross sectional survey was conducted to characterize production system and to identify breeding objectives of Maefur goat population in the eastern zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. A pre-tested questionnaire was used for the personal interview with purposively selected 150 households. The data collected through personal household interview were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Indices were used to provide the ranking. The mean (±SD) family size of the household was 8.5±2.1. The average (±SD) livestock holdings of the sampled household for goat, chicken, sheep, bee colony, and cattle were 31.0±11.1, 12.2±4.2, 6.8±4.5, 3.7±3.7, and 3.0±1.5, respectively. Does are mainly reared for milk, breeding, meat and for manure production with an index value of 0.25, 0.24, 0.17 and 0.14, respectively. Average composition of goat flock was 50, 22, 15, 10, and 3% for does, gimmers, bucks and wethers, respectively with an average ration of intact male to female goat was 6.3:1. Male and female goat reached for sexual maturity at the average (±SD) age of 11.1± 1.5 and 12.7±2.1 months, respectively with an average (±SD) age of 21.1±2.0 months at first kidding of the female goat. The average (±SD) kidding interval was 7.1±0.6 months. Key words: Maefur goat, breeding objectives, selection criteria, reproductive performance. &nbsp

Νεότερες απόψεις στη θεραπεία και πρόληψη του λοιμώδους εκθΰματος των μικρών μηρυκαστικών: με έμφαση του νοσολογικού προβλήματος που αντιμετωπίζει η ελληνική αιγοπροβατοτροφία εξαιτίας του.

Contagious ecthyma (orf) is a viral disease that affects mainly the young small ruminants, while the virus can be transmitted to other animal species, as well as humans. The disease in neonatal lambs and goat kids causes lesions around the mouth and the nostrils, while in serious cases it causes stomatitis. Mild cases are self-limited, but complications (i.e.bronchopneumonia) and high mortality can be observed in severe cases. Most studies focus on the prevention of this disease, using hygiene measures and vaccines. Immune mechanisms have also been studied for this purpose. During the last decade some trials have been conducted for the treatment of orf infections in small ruminants and humans by using anti-viral drugs. Despite the advantages of these anti-viral drugs (high efficacy, specificity and safety for the epithelia), these efforts were mostly ineffective and remained at the experimental level for the veterinary practice. The aim of the present paper is to review the use of vaccines for the prevention of orf infection in small ruminants and to report experimental therapeutic protocols that could be useful forthe treatment of the disease in future. Also, the article emphasizes upon the special problems from this disease in Greek sheep and goat flocks.

Contagious ecthyma in three flocks of goats in Jos-south LGA, Plateau State, Nigeria

Contagious ecthyma (CE) is a debilitating disease of sheep, goats and other ruminants caused by Orf virus (ORFV). Suspected outbreaks of CE were reported in three flocks of goats in Jos-South, Plateau State, Nigeria with proliferative lesions on the muzzle, oral commissures, perineal area and legs. Scab samples were collected from all the flocks and the affected animals placed on antibiotics. The samples collected were homogenized and the DNA extracted using QIAamp ® DNA Mini kit (QIAGEN, Hilden Germany). The extracted DNA was subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifying two gene fragments: A32L and B2L of the ORFV. Two flocks were West African Dwarf (WAD) breed of goats with 100% morbidity and 100% mortality recorded, while the third flock was Kano Brown breed with 6.7% morbidity and no mortality. A32L and B2L fragments of the ORFV genome was amplified by PCR from samples collected from the flocks. Contagious ecthyma was therefore confirmed based on classical clinical presentations and laboratory confirmation by PCR. Amplification of A32L and B2L gene fragments of the ORFV and 100% mortality in WAD breed of goats is the first report in Nigeria associated with CE. Further studies should be carried out to understand the role of breed, the epidemiology and economic impact of CE in Nigeria for the utilization of an appropriate control strategy. Keywords: A32L gene, B2L gene, Contagious ecthyma, Goat, Orf virus, polymerase chain reaction, Nigeria

Mycoplasma agalactiae in Dairy Goat Flocks Bred in State of Ceará in Association with Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus

Background: Contagious agalactia is an infectious disease caused by Mycoplasma agalactiae (M. agalactiae) that occurs in small ruminants leading to productive and economic losses. Due to the similarity of clinical signs presented in Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE), which is a viral disease, a differential diagnosis is important. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the presence of anti-Mycoplasma agalactiae antibodies in dairy goat flocks in Ceará State and possible correlation with CAE.Materials, Methods & Results: The research was performed in four mesoregions in Ceará State (Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza-MRF; Northeast Ceará - NeC; North Ceará - NC; Sertões in Ceará - SC), from which 16 productions located in 10 cities with the highest representativeness for goat milk production within the State or mesoregion were sampled. A total of 417 females and 69 males (486 animals) of breeds with dairy production aptitude, pure or crossbreed, maintained in semi-intensive or intensive systems, were tested. Blood serum was obtained by venipuncture of the jugular vein with vacuum pressure syringe followed by centrifugation at 1,500 g for 10min. Antibodies against the caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) were detected with micro technique of agarose gel immunodiffusion (AGID) and Western Blot (WB). The anti-Mycoplasma agalactiae antibodies were detected with commercial kit of enzymatic immunoassay (IDEXX Laboratories™). Seroprevalence of M. agalactiae in dairy goat flocks in Ceará State was 0.62% (3/486). From the total of 16 visited productions, 18.75% (3/16) had seropositive animals for M. agalactiae located in MRF, NC and SC mesoregions. CAE was diagnosed in 56.25% (9/16) of productions with AGID and in 81.25% (13/16) with WB. In addition, 5.2% (25/486) of animals were seropositive for CAE with AGID and 16.6% (80/486) with WB. Animals that reacted positive for M. agalactiae were all females of pure breed with milk production aptitude in distinct mesoregions submitted to intensive rearing system. None of these animals was positive in neither test (AGID or WB) for CAE. Therefore, no correlation of results obtained in diagnosis of M. agalactiae by ELISA and CAEV by AGID or WB (P < 0.05) was identified. However, two out of three productions that were positive for M. agalactiae presented positive results for CAEV with frequencies of 10% and 20%.Discussion: Seroprevalence of M. agalactiae in Ceará State was low in comparison with other Brazilian states and even other countries. However, the presence of the pathogen in more than one mesoregion indicates that the disease occurs in different locations within the State. Therefore, flocks in Ceará are susceptible to the infection, which may be favored by uncontrolled commerce that occurs with deficient surveillance, associated with the importation of animals to improve flock genetic quality. The presence of the pathogen in dairy goats may contribute to significant losses in the local production. On the other hand, CAE was diagnosedin nearly all productions proving the dissemination of this lentivirus infection among dairy goat flocks in Ceará State. Although an association between these diseases was not identified, the presence of a retrovirus in the organism may favor co-infection with another micro-organism, promoting the deficiency in the immune system of the host. In conclusion, M. agalactiae is present in different mesoregions of the Ceará State and control measures should be adopted in short term to prevent pathogen dissemination and, consequently reduce economic and productive losses in the local dairy goat production. No correlation was identified between the prevalence of infection by CAEV and M. agalactiae in this study.Keywords: correlation, diagnosis, caprine lentivirus, mycoplasmosis.

Contagious keratoconjuctivitis in goats due to Branhamella (Moraxella) ovis

Incidents of contagious kerato conjuctivitis in two flocks of goats in Chalkidiki Prefecture are described. The disease was only observed in young animals approximately two years of age. The early signs were excessive lacrimation, photophobia and blepharospasm, while the bright sunlight was revealed irritating for the affected eyes. Conjunctivitis and mucopurulent secretion was also observed at the late stage of the disease. Many animals with keratitis end up totally blind. The infection of the eyes was either lateral of bilateral. Branhamella ovis was isolated in almost pure culture, from lacrimal secretion in a large number of samples (32/35). The identification was based on the organism's morphology, cultural behaviour and biochemical reactions. The microbiological examination of the samples revealed only one kind of isolate. No other organisms that could cause similar clinical findings were isolated. Therefore, it was assumed that the etiological agent of the described cases was B.ovis. It is possible that certain environmental agents such as dust, flies or bright sunlight, that were present at that time of the year because of the prolonged summer, acted as predisposing factors. Although the disease exists in our country for years, it is the first time that the pathogen agent has been isolated and identified. A successful treatment was performed at the early stage of the disease by the topical application of antibiotics.

Prevalence of tick species in sheep and goat flocks in areas of southern Greece

The purpose of this study was to investigate the tick prevalence and to identify the species of ticks that parasitise the small ruminant flocks in the prefectures of Achaia (in the geographic region of Peloponnese) and Chania (in the island of Crete). Thirty flocks of goats and sheep were examined for tick parasitism during the period from December 2012 until August 2013. Sixteen of them were in Achaia and the rest 14 in Chania. In total, 84 goats and 148 sheep were examined; from them, 50 goats and 70 sheep in Achaia, and 34 goats and 78 sheep in Chania. The species Dermacentor marginatus was identified in Achaia in 15% of the animals. In Chania the species identified were Haemaphysalis punctata (13%), Hyalomma anatolicum (4.47%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (4.47%) and Ixodes ricinus (3.58%). This is the first study on tick infestation in sheep and goats in Peloponnese and Crete, two areas with large number of small ruminant population and important tradition in small ruminant farming.

Observation of squamous cell carcinoma in a goat flock in Iran

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a tumor consisting of squamous epithelial cells. This tumor is relatively uncommon in goats. In this report, we discuss clinical, gross and histopathological features of SCC in six goats. The goats were referred to the veterinary clinic with a progressive ulcerative and hemorrhagic mass located in the perineal area. The vital signs (temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate) were normal. Biopsy specimens were taken and histopathological examinations were done. The tumor cells were large and had an abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, ovoid nuclei with a prominent nucleolus. Keratin tonofibers and keratin pearls were also seen. The mitotic figures were moderate. The mass was found to be a moderately differentiated SCC. Ulceration with infiltration of neutrophils was observed on the surface of the tumors. The SCC tumors are uncommon in goats and have multi-factorial etiology. Age, ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, lack of epidermis pigmentation, and viruses may be involved in the presence of SCC.

ISOLATION AND SEQUENCING OF MYCOPLASMA ARGININI GENOME ASSOCIATED WITH RESPIRATORY DISORDER IN SMALL RUMINANTS

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role and variety of Mycoplasma arginini (M. arginini) in respiratory manifestation in sheep and goat flocks. M. arginine, were isolated from 40 nasal swabs out of 160 nasal swabs examined which obtained from (79) sheep and (81) goat with respiratory manifestations. In sheep, the percent of isolation was (25.32%), 20 isolate out of 79 nasal swabs, while the percent of isolation in goat was (24.69%) 20 isolate out of 81 nasal swabs examined. Higher percent of isolation was found in age group (1- 2) year old sheep (50%) as 7 isolates out of 14 nasal swabs examined, while in goat the higher percent of isolation was in age group less than one year by 44% (11 isolates out of 25 nasal swabs examined. The lower isolation rates were found in adult sheep and goat (3 - 4 years old) by 15.38% in sheep and 6.45% in goat. Mycoplasma isolates was molecularly characterized by PCR and DNA sequencing as M. arginini and submitted to Gen Bank. An accession number has been assigned to each nucleotide sequence and was KP972458-KP972459.

Assessment of Sheep and Goat (Small Ruminants) Production System in Esera District, of Dawro Zone, Southern Ethiopia

This study was conducted in Esera district Dawuro zone Southern Ethiopia with the objectives of assessing small ruminant production system. For the study one hundred thirty eight (HHs) owning small ruminant were selected randomly and semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on small ruminants’ production system, management, reproductive performances and availability of feed resources .The available feed resources are (a grass species, crop aftermath and 4 legumes species are the common ones). The average family size was 5.23 ± 0.195 per HH. Crop-livestock farming was the commonly used farming system (100%) with (69.1%) extensive and (30.9%) semi-intensive production system. The mean total land holding was 3.1288 ± 0.19 ha per HH and was significant (P<0.05) varied across agro-ecologies. The average sheep and goat flock size per HH was 6.08 ± 0.183 and 5.69 ± 0.236 respectively and was significantly (p<0.05) varied across agro-ecologies. The purpose of keeping small ruminants in District was for cash income, as an insurance, meat, manure and as means of wealth accumulation with index of 0.32, 0.29, 0.16, 0.13 and 0.08 respectively. Natural mating is the most widely used in their breeding practice almost (100%) in HL (High land), ML (Mid land), and LL (Low land). Grazing and browsing on natural pasture and leguminous tree species are commonly used in their feeding system. Majority (80.7%) of HHs are keeping small ruminants in their living house. The source of water used for their animals and themselves as well is from river, tap, rain and harvested water depending on the season. Internal and external parasites are the first and second ranking diseases and parasites which affects the small ruminants in the study area. For sheep, estimated average puberty age is (6.6 ± 0.12 months for male and 7.7 ± 0.16 months for female), age for first lambing (12.7 ± 0.16 month) and lambing interval (8.4 ± 0.17 month) were significantly Higher (P<0.05) in the HL than in ML and LL. For Goats, estimated average puberty age is (7.04 ± 0.10 months for male and 7.40 ± 0.10 months for female), first Kidding age is (13.04 ± 0.16 months) and lambing interval (8.5 ± 0.12 months) were significantly Higher (P<0.05) in the HL than in ML and LL agro ecology. The major opportunity of small ruminant production is that they requires short generation interval, high market demand smaller space and capital investment with index of 0.26, 0.24 and 0.23 respectively and the major constraints of small ruminant productions were Disease and parasite, feed shortage, insufficient grazing land were the major complaints told by our respondents.

Cross-Sectional Study of Leptospira spp. and Brucela abortus in Goat Herds from Paraná State, Brazil

Background: Leptospirosis and brucellosis are zoonosis worldwide distributed that have great economic importance, especially in goats. This study aimed to carry out a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of anti-Leptospira spp. and anti-Brucella abortus antibodies and to determine epidemiological variables associated to infection by these ethiological agents in goats.Materials, Methods &amp; Results: Serum samples were collected from 1055 goats of 95 properties distributed in 18 regional centers of Paraná State from April to August of 2010. Collected samples were submitted to microscopic agglutination test (MAT) for the detection of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies with 22 reference serovars: Australis, Bratislava, Autumnalis, Butembo, Castellonis, Bataviae, Canicola, Fortbragg, Whitcombi, Cynopteri, Grippotyphosa, Hebdomadis, Copenhageni, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Panama, Pomona, Pyrogenes, Hardjo, Wolffi, Shermani, Tarassovi and Londrina 1 (L1). The samples were also submitted to buffered acidified plate antigen test (BAPA) and 2-mercaptoethanol test (2-ME) to detect anti-Brucella abortus antibodies. The results obtained from epidemiological and serological study were analysed by Epi Info 3.5.3. We observed 9.9% (104/1055) of goats reagents in at least one serovar of Leptospira spp. and no reagent animal to Brucella abortus. The variables that were statistically significant with leptospirosis were: production type meat, sewer destination in dry sump, frequent abortion, shared use of pastures, slaughter of animals on the property, the presence of pigs and wild animals such as deer and capybaras on the property.Discussion: This was the first study about antibodies prevalence against Leptospira spp. and Brucella abortus in goat herds from Paraná State. The presence of both animal species were statiscally associated to risk of leptospirosis. It is necessary avoid the acess of these animals in herds, decreasing the dissemination of the agent. The production type meat is a form of creation in which the animals have no care of zookeepers and continuous veterinary care. The final destination of sewage was statistically associated to risk of leptospirosis in goats and this is a big problem in rural properties, requiring greater attention of authorities for proper disposal of this wastewater, reducing water and food contamination. Among the variables related to management, the herds that used rented pasture or shared pastures also were statistically associated to risk of leptospirosis in goats; with the sharing of pastures a greater flow of animals transiting in the pickets occurs, allowing not only flocks of goats, but other species also, to use the same pastures and become more exposed to certain diseases. The slaughter of pigs, sheep, cattle and goats on the property is a problem for animal and human health due to lack of sanitary inspection. Abortion is one of the main clinical signs of leptospirosis in farm animals, particularly goats. The knowledge of these results will be useful to develop control programs for the disease in Paraná State herds. The absence of circulating anti-Brucella abortus antibodies in goat herds has also been reported in other Brazilian States.

Seroprevalence and risk factors related to small ruminant lentivirus infections in Belgian sheep and goats

Maedi-Visna virus (MVV) and caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) are two prototype members of the group of small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs). Both result in progressive and persistent infections of sheep and goats that impact animal health and cause economic losses. In Belgium, the sheep and goat sector is small and consists mostly of hobbyist farmers keeping few animals. A voluntary control program however exists, but less than 2% of the farmers participate to the program. The current lack of SRLV seroprevalence data and knowledge on risk factors related to SRLV seropositivity in this hobbyist sector makes it difficult to evaluate the risk of SRLV transmission from non-certified to SRLV free certified farms.We performed a nationwide SRLV seroprevalence study based on a stratified sampling proportional to the number of sheep and goat holders per province. Randomly selected sheep and goat owners were invited to participate and subject to a short questionnaire to collect information about flock size, animal health condition, age, flock constitution and housing conditions. Samples were collected from maximum 7 animals per farm and tested in a commercial ELISA.In total, we received samples from 87 sheep and 76 goat farms. Sheep flocks showed an overall seroprevalence of 9% (CI 95%: 5–15) and a between-herd seroprevalence of 17% (CI 95%:11–27). Seroprevalence at animal level in goat flocks was 6% (CI 95%: 3–12) and the between-herd seroprevalence was 13% (CI 95%: 7–23). Multiple sheep and goat breeds were found SRLV seropositive. Answers provided during the questionnaire confirmed the mostly hobbyist nature of the sector and showed that more than 65% of sheep and goat farmers had never heard of the disease. The only risk factor found to be related to SRLV seroprevalence was flock size. Herds of more than 10 goats had significantly higher chance to harbor seropositive animals (OR: 4.36; CI: 1.07; 17.73).In conclusion, it was shown that participants to the SRLV free certification program are at risk for reintroduction of the disease in their herds since SRLVs are present on about 15%–20% of non-certified farms. Except from flock size, no clear risk factors were found that are helpfull to identify flocks at risk. Greater effort should be made to inform sheep and goat farmers about the existence and consequences of this disease in order to promote the voluntary control program and further reduce the disease prevalence.

Woody plant encroachment following grazing abandonment in the subalpine belt: a case study in northern Spain

The montane and subalpine belts in European mountains were affected by intense land use/land cover changes during the twentieth century. In the case of the subalpine belt, most European mountains were affected by complex deforestation processes from Neolithic times, leading to the expansion of summer grasslands to support grazing by transhumant sheep and goats flocks. This resulted in an altitudinal reduction of the tree line and the occurrence of severe soil erosion and shallow landsliding. The intense livestock pressure over centuries explains why the landscape remained without major change until the middle of the twentieth century. Since then, depopulation, land abandonment, and the disappearance of the transhumant system have resulted in a marked decline in livestock numbers and subsequent encroachment of shrubs and trees in the subalpine belt. The Urbion Mountains (Iberian Range, northern Spain) provides one of the clearest examples in the Iberian Peninsula, where there was intense deforestation since the Neolithic period to enlarge the area of subalpine summer grasslands. The recent reversal of this situation in the last decades led to (i) a marked trend to dense forest, which resulted in an average 200 m altitudinal advance, and (ii) the spatial contraction of shrublands, which have been replaced by dense forest in the highest areas. Changes will continue in the future, possibly enhanced by global warming.

First report of multiple anthelmintic resistance in goat farm in Cuba

Summary This study determined the efficacies of four classes of anthelmintics (AH) in a goat flock where anthelmintic resistance (AR) to ivermectin was suspected. We selected and randomly distributed 105 animals with &gt;500 eggs per gram of feces into seven groups of 15 animals: an untreated control group and groups treated with ivermectin, eprinomectin, albendazole sulfoxide, albendazole, levamisole, and closantel. The goats were individually weighed and treated with the recommended dose. Fecal samples were collected 14 days post-treatment to determine the fecal egg counts and for a fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). Coprocultures were also performed for identifying any resistant genera. A molecular assay (polymerase chain reaction, PCR) was used to confirm benzimidazole resistance. The FECRTs for the ivermectin, eprinomectin, albendazole sulfoxide, and albendazole treatments were &lt;90 %, indicating multiple anthelmintic resistance, all in Haemonchus spp. Levamisole had a FECRT confidence interval &lt;90 %, indicating a moderate level of AR. The PCR detected the ß-tubulin alleles responsible for benzimidazole resistance, confirming AR. This study is the first monospecific report of AR in goats in Cuba, with a total failure of macrocyclic lactones anthelmintic class.

Field evaluation and confirmation of acute peste des petits ruminant outbreak in a flock of West African dwarf goats in Ibadan, Nigeria

This study utilised epidemiological, haematological, pathological findings and serological detection of specific antibodies to evaluate and confirm a peste des petit ruminants (PPR) outbreak in a herd of West African dwarf (WAD) goats in Ibadan, Nigeria. The morbidity and mortality rates post exposure (PE) were 96% and 60% respectively. Laboratory analyses revealed significant differences (P<0.05) in mean values of the haematological and serum biochemical indices between the PE and control groups. The PE group experienced a significant (P<0.05) increase in white blood cell (WBC), lymphocyte and monocytes after 10days PE; the drop in glucose and high levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and aspartate amino transferase (AST) indicated liver damage, while increased serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and uric acid arose from kidney impairment. The electrolyte imbalance (potassium, sodium and chloride ions) resulting from the symptomatic diarrhea affected the functionality of the Na+–K+ pump mechanisms, hence pathologic damage to the liver, kidneys, skin, gastrointestinal, respiratory and cardiovascular systems. The competitive enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay (c-ELISA) detected varying antibody levels in the PPR infected WAD goats; the percent inhibition was highest (P<0.001) in survivors (70.00±1.73), then in contact group (60.00±2.00), and least in infected (23.33±1.53), which were sero-negative. This study confirmed a PPR outbreak in a WAD goat flock in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Trampling routes modified size distribution of Sarcopoterium spinosum in semiarid rangelands

The presence of livestock creates a “three-phase-mosaic” pattern of dominant surface patches: shrubs, trampling routes, and intershrub areas. These patches differ in soil properties, runoff generation, and sediment production; runoff yield is highest in the routes. In light of knowledge that the productivity of arid and semiarid ecosystems is controlled primarily by water dynamics, the spatial correlation between flock trampling routes and the size of the Sarcopoterium spinosum shrubs was studied on north- and south-facing hillslopes in the northern Negev of Israel. The shrubs were divided into two categories, according to their location relative to the trampling route above them: close to the route (CR), i.e., within 50cm, and far from the route (FR), i.e., further than 50cm. More shrubs per unit of area (FR and CR together) were located on the north-facing hillslopes, and they had lower height and canopy area than those on the south-facing ones. Sarcopoterium spinosum shrubs adapt to the mesoclimatic conditions, which are determined by the aspect: on the wet north aspect they grow in much greater numbers but are smaller than those on the dryer south. On the former aspect, the soil water content is high, which accounts for the large number of shrubs; however, their small size possibly results from competition for soil nutrients. On the latter aspect, the more arid conditions promote the activity of water-enriching mechanisms which accounts for their small number and large size. On both south- and north-facing hillslopes most of the shrubs were located close to and downslope from a trampling route, and were bigger than more distant ones. Flocks of sheep and goats engineer water conditions that favor enhancing the growth of shrubs close to and downslope from the route; and this is manifested in a strip-like shrub pattern along the routes with predominantly horizontally oriented lines of bigger shrubs.

English

The present study was conducted with the objective to characterize the husbandry practices and phenotypic characteristics of mature Bati, Borana and Short-eared Somali goats kept under traditional management systems so that the information generated can be used in designing breeding programs. The study was covered five districts in four administrative zones of Ethiopia representing Bati (in Oromia Zone) and Kalu (in South Wollo Zone) for Bati goats; Yabello (in Borana Zone) for Borana goats and Shinille and Erer (in Siti Zone) for Short-Eared Somali goats. A total of 345 households interview was made and phenotypic measurements were taken on 601(468 females and 133 males) heads of adult goats with 4 pair of permanent incisors (PPI). However, because of difficulty of finding adequate number of 4PPI sample males, measurements were taken from 2PPI and above males. In this study, in number, goats accounted for 72.01, 50.93 and 47.38% of other livestock species in Siti, around Bati and Borana, respectively. The least square mean (&plusmn;SE) of goat flock size (44.02&plusmn;3.33) per household in Siti was significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher than those observed in Borana (23.08&plusmn;1.94) and Bati area (8.99&plusmn;0.59). The major challenges of goat rearing in the studied areas include feed and water shortage, disease incidence and recurrent drought with different order of prioritization. Plain brown (deep and light) (51.85%) coat color was the predominant coat color observed on Bati goats of both sexes. Meanwhile, plain white coat color was most frequently observed on Borana goats (71.54%) and only 36.27% in Short-eared Somali goats. Though most quantitative traits showed slightly higher average values in the Bati goats, differences with Borana goats were not significant (p&gt;0.05),whereas Short-eared Somali goats remained significantly (p&lt;0.05) lower for most of the body measurement characteristics. The canonical analysis done on phenotypic measurements also put Bati and Borana goats closer by discriminating Short-eared Somali goat populations. The similarities between Bati and Borena goats and significance divergence of Short-eared Somali goats in phenotypic measurements suggested that the need of further molecular characterization study to validate information from phenotypic characterization. Correlation coefficient was consistently highest between live weight and chest girth in both sexes across the goat populations. Hence, linear measurements could be valuable to estimate live body weight for those farm communities where sensitive weighing scales are not readily available. &nbsp; Key words: Ethiopia, husbandry practices, phenotypic characteristics, indigenous goats.

Gastrointestinal helminth infections of dairy goats in Slovakia

Summary The aim of this study was to identify the most common gastrointestinal (GI) parasites in flocks of dairy goats on 30 farms in Slovakia. A total of 944 adult goats were examined during the pasturing seasons for 2014 – 2016. Eggs from one or more species of gastrointestinal parasites were identified in 906 of the samples (95.90 %). Strongyle eggs were present in most of the samples (92.00 %), followed by Strongyloides papillosus (14.05 %), Trichuris spp. (7.84 %), Nematodirus spp. (3.98 %), and Moniezia spp. (2.65 %). The counts of strongyle eggs per gram of faeces ranged from 0 to 11 000. Subsamples from each farm were used to prepare faecal coprocultures to identify the genera of the nematodes. Third-stage larvae of Trichostrongylus spp. (100 %) and Teladorsagia/Ostertagia spp. (96.60 %) were present on most of the farms, followed by Oesophagostomum spp./Chabertia ovina (86.60 %) and Haemonchus contortus (76.60 %). Teladorsagia/Ostertagia spp. were the dominant genera on 60 % of the farms.

Livestock mortality and offtake in sheep and goat flocks of livestock owners making use of services offered by paravets in West Afghanistan

In the present study, we quantified the effect of livestock services provided through paravets (intermediate-level training in veterinary medicine) on mortality and offtake of small ruminants in Western Afghanistan for the years 2010, 2011 and 2013. We compared mortality in adult and in young stock, and offtake of young stock of 120 livestock owners that made use of the paravet services (Users) with 120 livestock owners who did not make use of these services (Non-users). Security issues in the districts under study influenced the choice of villages. Within villages, livestock owners were purposively selected based on their known use of the services, including the provision of biologicals such as anthelmintics and vaccines. In addition, we subdivided both categories into ‘partial’ and ‘full’ based on the intensity of use of biologicals. Paravets were not only trained on preventive and curative veterinary medicine, they were also trained in extension and trained on adhering to a cold-chain and applying quality biologicals. For Non-users there was the possibility to buy biologicals through a local market or bazaar. In Afghanistan, local markets have an extensive supply of vaccines, anthelmintics, and medicines from a variety of sources, often not handled appropriately and therefore of varying quality.The results indicated that livestock owners making partial or full use of the paravet services had statistically significant better animal health and production results. The mortalities in adult stock, expressed as Incidence Rate Ratios (IRRs), for the partial-Users and full-Users categories were estimated to be respectively 0.80 and 0.73 times the mortality observed in the partial Non-users’, the reference category. A similar result was observed for young stock mortality with estimated IRRs of 0.81 and 0.77 for partial and full-Users category respectively. The offtake for partial- and full-Users category livestock owners were 1.24 and 1.21 times higher compared with the reference category.In conclusion, we demonstrated significant improvement of health and production parameters in small ruminants’ flocks of owners making use of the services of the DCA-trained paravets, emphasizing the importance of this sustainable and effective system of private veterinary service delivery in Afghanistan.