Gastrointestinal and pulmonary nematode infections decrease goat productivity in Moroccan semi-arid conditions

A herd of goats naturally infected with lungworm and gastrointestinal nematodes was divided into three groups and treated with either morantel tartrate or fenbendazole at strategic periods, i.e. in June (at pre-mating), in November (at pre-kidding) and in January (at early lactation) or left untreat...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of helminthology Vol. 72; no. 1; p. 15
Main Authors Berrag, B, Cabaret, J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 01.03.1998
Subjects
Animals
Antinematodal Agents - therapeutic use
Breeding
Feces - parasitology
Female
Fenbendazole - therapeutic use
Gastrointestinal Diseases - drug therapy
Gastrointestinal Diseases - veterinary
Goat Diseases - drug therapy
Goats
Lung Diseases, Parasitic - drug therapy
Lung Diseases, Parasitic - veterinary
Morantel - therapeutic use
Morocco
Nematode Infections - drug therapy
Nematode Infections - veterinary
Parasite Egg Count
Morocco
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:A herd of goats naturally infected with lungworm and gastrointestinal nematodes was divided into three groups and treated with either morantel tartrate or fenbendazole at strategic periods, i.e. in June (at pre-mating), in November (at pre-kidding) and in January (at early lactation) or left untreated. Morantel tartrate treatment (8 mg kg-1) was efficient in reducing the gastrointestinal nematode egg output and fenbendazole treatment (15 mg kg-1) was efficient in reducing the gastrointestinal nematode egg and small lungworm larvae faecal output. Reductions in mortality of adult goats and their progeny and improvement of rearing percentages were recorded in both treated groups, with fenbendazole showing a greater response than morantel tartrate. A relative risk analysis showed that mortality in goats and kids was significantly reduced in treated kids and goats. Reduction of 6.6% in kidding rates, 0.21 in prolificacy, and an increase of 1.3 in abortion rates, 8.3% in kid and 2.2% in goat mortalities, could be attributable to the small lungworm infection. Small lungworm infections seem therefore to be one of the main causes of indirect kid mortality and inadequate breeding performance of goats in the semi-arid Middle Atlas region of Morocco.
ISSN:0022-149X
DOI:10.1017/S0022149X00000912