Nematode Parasites Of Goats Research Articles

In vitro Efficacy of Albendazole against Strongyle eggs recovered from Trade Goats slaughtered at the Nsukka Abattoir: A Preliminary Survey of Resistance to Albendazole

The efficacy of Albendazole against trichostrongyle nematode parasites in goats presented for slaughter at the Nsukka municipal abattoir was evaluated using the In vitro Egg hatch assay (EHA) model. The abattoir was visited once every week for 4 consecutive months during which a total of 240 goats were sampled. Fecal samples were collected per rectum from a minimum of 15 goats on each day of the visit. Egg Hatch Assay was performed on strongyle eggs recovered from pooled faecal sample on each day of sampling with a 2.5% W/V Albendazole. Faecal culture was also set up from the pooled faecal sample on each sampling day to recover and identify the nematode parasites present in the goats. Among the 240 goats sampled, the prevalence of trichostrongylosis as observed by the presence of strongyle eggs was 94.6% (227/240). Faecal culture and larval identification revealed 69.8% of the strongyles as Haemonchus contortus, while 25.5 and 4.8% were Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Oesophagostomum species respectively. In the EHA, Albendazole had mean LC50 value of 0.16 µg/ml which is slightly in excess of the discriminating dose of 0.1µg/ml as prescribed by the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP) as an indication of anthelmintic resistance. There is therefore an urgent need to screen the nematode parasite population in the Nigeria for the presence Albendazole resistance genes.
 Key words: GI nematode; egg hatch assay; goat; Albendazole; Resistance; Nigeria

Abomasal nematode parasites in goats slaughtered in Mekelle town, northern Ethiopia

Infection with abomasal nematodes, especially haemonchosis, is one of the most important problems challenging small ruminant production in the tropics. This study was carried out to identify nematodes infecting the abomasa, and estimate their prevalence and count in goats slaughtered in Mekelle town, northern Ethiopia. A total of 166 abomasa of goats were examined for postmortem differential adult nematode parasites count using standard procedure. Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrogylus axei were recovered from 126 (75.9%) and 109 (65.7%) abomasa, respectively. It was noted that 152 (91.6%) goats harbored at least one of the parasites, while 83 (50%) goats were found infected with both parasites. Mean and maximum adult worm counts were 39.2 and 270 and 55.2 and 600 for Haemonchus spp. and T. axei , respectively. Months of the year had significant (p<0.05) effect on prevalence and adult worm count in both species of parasites identified. The adult worm count and prevalence were relatively high in February for Haemonchus spp . and in December for T. axei . The high prevalence of these economically important parasites in goats in the dry season may entail insidious losses they could incur in the productivity of goats in the study area. Keywords : Abomasal nematodes; Ethiopia; Goat; Haemonchus; Trichostrogylus axei

Pharmacokinetic implications of albendazole biotransformation in goats following interaction with curcuma longa

To test the hypothesis that Curcuma longa could act as hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450 inhibitor resulting in increased bioavailability of albendazole, a study was undertaken to understand the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of albendazole in goats with and without coadministration of albendazole with hydroalcoholic extract of Curcuma longa at 7.5 and 500.0 mg per kg body weight, respectively. The comparative pharmacokinetic values (Mean±S.E.) of albendazole sulphoxide in goats using albendazole and albendazole combination revealed significantly (P<0.05) reduced values of concentration maximum, area under concentration-time curve and total area under the first movement of plasma drug concentration-time curve (P<0.001) in goats receiving albendazole and Curcuma long a. Significantly lower values of under concentration-time curve in goats receiving albendazole in combination with Curcuma longa had resulted in relative bioavailability of 0.57. Estimated drug-parasite contact of albendazole sulphoxide in goats revealed significantly decreased values in goats receiving ABZ combination. Nematode parasites of goats dominated by Haemonchus contortus also exhibited resistant against benzimidazole following administration of albendazole alone and in combination with Curcuma longa. Simultaneous administration of hydroalcoholic extract of Curcuma longa, contrary to the hypothesis, resulted in reduced bioavailability of albendazole.

Anthelmintic resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes of goats in southern Mozambique

Small ruminant production is significantly constrained by gastrointestinal parasites once they cause serious production and economic losses for both small-scale and large-scale farmers in the developing world. The control of helminth parasites is most exclusively based on the use of anthelmintics for the economic production of ruminants. However, the resistance of nematodes to the commonly used groups of anthelmintics represents a threat to the production, particularly for small ruminants. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of albendazole, the most frequently used anthelmintic in Gaza and Maputo provinces in the southern region of Mozambique, in gastrointestinal nematodes of goats between November and December, 2016. Eleven goat farms in Gaza (n = 5) and Maputo (n = 6) were surveyed. The faecal egg count reduction test was used to assess the efficacy of the drug. The flocks were considered resistant when the reduction in eggs per gram of faeces was less than 95% and the lower limit of the confidence interval was less than 90%. Resistance to albendazole was detected in 60% (3/5) of the farms in Gaza province and 83.3% (5/6) of the farms in Maputo province. The percentage of faecal egg count reduction varied from 51 to 97% in Maputo and from 0 to 100% in Gaza in the farms surveyed. In pre-treatment coprocultures, Haemonchus spp., Oesophagostomum spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. were the predominant nematode species. Post-treatment larval cultures indicated that Haemonchus spp. and, to a lesser extent, Oesophagostomum spp. and Trichostrongylus spp., were resistant to albendazole. This study provided further evidence that anthelmintic resistance of gastrointestinal nematode parasites in goats is currently a problem of great significance in this region of the country and that appropriate measures must be taken to reverse the situation. Key words: Albendazole, efficacy, gastrointestinal parasites, small ruminants, Mozambique.

Investigations into nematode parasites of goats in pastoral and crop livestock systems of Ethiopia.

We generated epidemiological information on the prevalence of nematode parasites and possible resistance/resilience of goats in three areas, Bati, Shinille, and Borana, of Ethiopia. A total of 350 breeding does were randomly selected and monitored for one year. Fecal egg counts (FEC), packed cell volume (PCV), body weight (BW), body condition score (BC), and fecal larvae identification were done. In Borana, the long rainy season had higher FEC, lower PCV, lower BC, and smaller BW compared to dry and short rainy seasons (p < 0.01). For Bati and Shinille, the differences between the seasons were significant (p < 0.01) but not clear-cut. Breed differences were also evident (p < 0.01) on FEC, PCV, and BW. The mean FEC for Borana goat was 158.5 ± 1.12, whereas for Bati it was 38.9 ± 1.12. Age differences did not have effect on FECs, PCV, and BC. No differences in parasite load, as reflected by FEC, was verified between male and female goats. In the wet season, large numbers of larvae were recovered from the study sites except for Bati. In the three sites, Haemonchus contortus followed by Trichostrongylus colubriformis were the dominant species. In the dry season, however, very little number of larvae was recovered, only of H. contortus in Bati and of H. contortus and T. colubriformis in Borana. Generally, the level of nematode infection was low. Therefore, nematode parasites are not a major problem and strategic control program using broad spectrum anthelmintic is not advisable. Rather, monitoring parasite load and selective de-worming should be sufficient to reduce productivity loses and pasture contamination.

Lectin, hemolysin and protease inhibitors in seed fractions with ovicidal activity against Haemonchus contortus.

Bioactive molecules of plant species are promising alternatives for the chemical control of gastrointestinal nematodes in ruminants. Extracts of native and exotic seed species from Brazil's semi-arid region were tested in vitro in an egg hatch assay and the bioactivity of their proteins was investigated. Each seed species was subjected to three extractions with three types of solvents. All the seeds showed ovicidal activity, which varied according to the solvents. Higher ovicidal activity was found in the molecule fractions of low molecular weight (<12 kDa) for Albizia lebbeck, Ipomoea asarifolia, Jatropha curcas, Libidibia ferrea, Moringa oleifera and Ricinus communis (P<0.05, Bonferroni test). The two fractions of Crotalaria spectabilis showed the same ovicidal activity (P>0.05, Bonferroni test). Hemagglutinating activity was detected in the fractions of C. spectabilis and M. oleifera fractions, hemolysin activity in the A. lebbeck and M. oleifera fractions, serine protease inhibitory activity in the A. lebbeck, I. asarifolia, J. curcas, M. oleifera and R. communis fractions, cysteine protease inhibitor activity in the M. oleifera fraction, and no protein activity in the L. ferrea fraction. The results of this work reveal new plant species with a potential for use in controlling nematode parasites in goats, thus opening a new field of research involving plant protein molecules with ovicidal properties.

The effects of feeding sainfoin hay in sheep parasitised with Trichostrongylus colubriformis

Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) is a Mediterranean forage rich in tannins, which has been shown to reduce the faecal excretion of nematode parasites in goats, when offered as hay supplement (Paolini et al, 2003). The use of conserved forages for parasite control may be preferred when either the climatic or agronomic conditions are not appropriate for the grazing of such forages. The aim of this experiment was to investigate whether the consumption of sainfoin hay could reduce the viability and fecundity of adult gastrointestinal parasites, when offered to parasitised sheep at different time points during the course of a parasitic challenge.

A survey of anthelmintic resistance in nematode parasites of goats in Denmark

The occurrence of anthelmintic resistance in 15 goat herds in Denmark was investigated using the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), egg hatch assay (EHA) for thiabendazole (TBZ) and a microlarval development assay (LDA) for TBZ, levamisole (LEV) and ivermectin (IVM). Resistance to both benzimidazole (BZ) and levamisole (LEV) anthelmintics was detected on six farms, and to both BZs and IVM on one farm. Resistance to BZs was also detected on two farms and to LEV on two farms. Ivermectin resistance was present on one farm. Trichostrongylus and Ostertagia spp. were the predominant nematode species in both pre-treatment and post-treatment faecal cultures. In all nine instances where BZ resistance was detected in the FECRT, the LD50 values for TBZ in the EHA were higher than 0.5 μM TBZ (0.1 μg TBZ/ml), indicating resistance. LD50 values for TBZ in the LDA were also higher than 0.5 μM where resistance to BZs was detected in the FECRT, except two farms where LD50 values of 0.21 and 0.29 μM TBZ were recorded. LD50 values in the LDA for isolates declared resistant to LEV ranged from 0.78 to 5.62 μM LEV. For IVM, the two resistant isolates had LD50 values of 25 and 68 nM IVM. There were disagreements in the declaration of resistance between methods of calculating faecal egg count reduction percentage (FECR%) based on the arithmetic mean and those where geometric mean EPG is used. Similarly, inclusion of pre-treatment EPG or control group EPG in the calculation of FECR% influenced declaration of resistance.