Gastrointestinal parasitic infection is highly prevalent in the North Eastern States (NEH) of India and accounted for significant economic losses across various livestock species. Productivity of cattle in terms of milk yield was estimated to be considerably higher (3,715, 3,590, and 3,154 L) due to strategic anthelmintic treatment as compare to control group (2,928 L). Based on the probability of occurrence of parasitic infection as well as increase in value of milk production, the possible economic gain at state level has been estimated to be Rs. 46 million, Rs. 35 million, and Rs. 14 million, depending upon the different strategic treatment. The government may take up the program to educate the cattle farmers on strategic management against parasitic infection and simultaneously making available various anthelmintic medicines. This public responsibility of the government to minimize the risk and economic loss due to gastrointestinal parasite infection may reduce the private cost and thereby would increase the social benefits in North Eastern states of India.

Wild isolates of the egg-parasitic fungi Paecilomyces lilacinus and Verticillium chlamydosporium, obtained from the organic environment of Durg, Chhattisgarh, India, were subjected to screening for in vitro growth using different media types, range of incubation temperature and pH, and their predatory activity to the eggs of Fasciola gigantica and Gigantocotyle explanatum. Maximum growth of P. lilacinus was obtained in corn-meal agar compared to any other media types. The preferred medium for growth of V. chlamydosporium was corn-meal agar, followed by potato-dextrose agar. After initial growth for 16 h of incubation, no growth was observed in water agar for both the fungi. Six different temperatures--4 degrees C, 10 degrees C, 18 degrees C, 26 degrees C, 34 degrees C and 40 degrees C--were used to observe growth profiles of the fungi in corn-meal agar medium. While no and very little growth of P. lilacinus and V. chlamydosporium was observed at 4 degrees C and 10 degrees C, respectively, growth profiles of both the fungi were optimal at 26-40 degrees C. A range of pH (pH 4-8) supported growth of both P. lilacinus and V. chlamydosporium. Full-grown plates of the fungi baited with viable eggs of F. gigantica and G. explanatum revealed that V. chlamydosporium was more vigorous in its egg-parasitic ability compared to P. lilacinus. Distortion of the eggs started on day 2-3 of egg baiting in culture plates of V. chlamydosporium, with complete distortion by day 7. On the contrary, P. lilacinus exhibited very limited egg-parasitic ability and some of the baited eggs even showed development of miracidia.