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

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2009

B. Berrag
Affiliation:
Départment of Parasitologie et Maladies Parasitaires, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, B.P. 6202, Rabat-Instituts, Rabat, Morocco
J. Cabaret*
Affiliation:
INRA, Station de Pathologie aviaire et de Parasitologie, Unité d'Ecologie des Parasites, 37380, Nouzilly, France
*
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Abstract

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 (8mg 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.

Information

Type
Research Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

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