The epizootiology of ovine gastrointestinal strongyles in the province of Matanzas, Cuba

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Abstract

The gastrointestinal parasitism in Cuba threatens sheep exploitation programs and their control practices rely mainly in the indiscriminate use of anthelmitics. The study was carried out for 2 years (2000–2002) in three ovine farms in Matanzas Province (Dos Mercedes, LABIOFAM and the EEPF “Indio Hatuey” farm) which are representative of sheep industry in the province. Faeces and grass were collected monthly for parasitological analysis in the three units. The ewes body condition score (BCS) were recorded each month based on a five points scale. The three herds were mainly affected by Haemonchus spp. and to a lesser extent by Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Oesophagostomum columbianum. The faecal egg count (FECs) increased during the dry season, while the L3 pasture infestation decreased in this season, reaching the highest values during the rainy season. The relationship between the animal category and the FECs depends on the management system. The ewe reproductive status was related with FEC in which lactating ewes are more susceptible to parasite infection.

Introduction

Gastrointestinal parasitism is considered one of the most important factors affecting sheep in tropical countries (Aumont, 1998). Parasitic diseases have been described as responsible for decreasing weight gain, delay of puberty, anemia, death, among others (Nahed et al., 2003, González, 2004).

In Cuba, the control of parasitic diseases is done arbitrarily without considering, in most cases its epidemiological information. This has brought about that parasitic control plans are not efficacious enough, and in most critical situations, the gastrointestinal parasites have developed resistance to the most frequently used anthelmintics (Rodríguez, 2002, Arece et al., 2004), leading to an inefficient sheep exploitation systems in most situations.

In a sheep flock there are different risk factors that should be taken into consideration when developing a strategic plan of parasitic control. The various susceptibility degrees, even in animals of the same category, have been shown world wide (Barger, 1993).

Considering all these elements and the fact that non-epidemiological study on gastrointestinal parasites were conducted, the objective of this work is to obtain the epidemiological information on the gastrointestinal strongyles affecting sheep in Matanzas in order to have a further understanding of the factors associated with parasite epizootiology and the relationship between the parasites and their host. Such information could be useful for the development of strategic treatments when sheep are reared under similar exploitation systems.

Section snippets

Experimental site and climate

This study was conducted for 2 years in three commercial sheep farms in Matanzas (Cuba) at the same time (Dos Mercedes, LAFIOFAM and EEPF “Indio Hatuey”, farms). The selection of the farms was based on micro-location, animal husbandry, representation of the exploitation system in the province, etc. The meteorological data (mean monthly temperature and rainfall) were collected from the nearest Meteorological Center to each unit.

Animals and management

In Dos Mercedes and Indio Hatuey farms Pelibuey sheep were used in

Results

The meteorological information (means temperature and rainfall) from each site appears in Fig. 1A and B, respectively. Monthly temperatures were similar in the three locations. The precipitation pattern was also similar in the three areas, showing two well defined periods: a rainy and a dry season. The former is from May to October.

The faecal egg counts of sheep from the three farms of the Matanzas province are shown in Fig. 2. The FECs were significantly affected by month (P < 0.01) and season (P

Discussion

When analyzing the dynamics of the performance of the three gastrointestinal strongyles genera found in the three units, the predominance, during the whole year, of high infestations (more that the 90% of the FECs) by Haemonchus spp. was observed, without presenting obvious seasonality. The biotic potential of this parasite justifies the percentage of the faecal egg counts (Hansen and Perry, 1994). On the contrary, in the case of Oesophagostomum columbianum and Trichostrongylus colubriformis,

Conclusions

In Matanzas province sheep herds are affected by Haemonchus spp., T. colubriformis and O. columbianum, and the haemonchosis reveals itself as the most important parasitic disease. The fluctuation of the strongyles infections through the year was associated with the season, exhibiting the highest infestation level during the dry season, independently of the management and control strategy. In the present study we found that the animal category and its reproductive status affect the faecal egg

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the persons responsible for the farms, to Lorenzo Rivero, Marisol Ramírez and Yaima Roche as well as Ramon Guirola and Felix Ramírez. We also wish to thank to B.A. Nidia Amador and Professor Nilo Delahante for revising the manuscript regarding technical issues and language usage, respectively.

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