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Abstract

The efficacy of strategic anthelmintic control of liver flukes (Fasciola) and gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes on the performance of ewes and lambs on pasture was assessed on a farm in the highlands of Kenya. In May 1999, 45 Corriedale ewes, aged between 2 and 3 years, were ear-tagged, weighed and allocated randomly to three equal treatment groups based on body weight. Faecal samples taken at this time revealed low levels of strongyle-type eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) and the presence of liver fluke eggs in only a few of the animals. All the animals were then set stocked for 12 months on separate paddocks in an area endemic for both Fasciola and GI nematodes. The ewes in group 1 were given a combined anthelmintic treatment against Fasciola and GI nematodes during the periods recommended for the control of Fasciola in the area (February, June and October). The ewes in group 2 were given the combined treatments 3 weeks after the onset of both the short and long rainy seasons (November and April, respectively). Those in group 3 were given separate treatments for Fasciola (February, June and October) and nematodes (3 weeks after the onset of the rainy seasons). The anthelmintic treatment against Fasciola consisted of triclabendazole at 10 mg per kg body weight, and that against nematodes was levamisole at 10 mg per kg body weight. The nematode EPG for the ewes in group 1 were higher than in groups 2 and 3 during both rainy seasons. The nematode EPG did not differ significantly between groups 2 and 3. The prevalence of Fasciola eggs (number of ewes shedding eggs in a group) in the ewes in groups I and 3 remained very low throughout the study period compared to those in group 2. The highest birth weights and the weight gains of lambs were recorded for the group of ewes given separate anthelmintic treatments for Fasciola and nematodes (group 3). The results of this trial indicated that, in an area like Nyandarua District, where liver flukes and GI nematodes are important constraints to sheep production, the best practice is to give separate treatments for the two groups of parasites at the recommended times.

Fascioliasis: An Ongoing Zoonotic Trematode Infection

“…Other African countries reporting scattered cases of human fascioliasis include Cameroon [ 55 ], Chad [ 56 ], Senegal [ 57 ], South Africa [ 58 ], and Zimbabwe [ 59 ]. Animal fascioliasis on the other hand has been extensively reported in almost all countries in the African equatorial belt [ 19 ] and east, central, west, and southern Africa [ 4 , 49 , 50 , 60 , 61 ]. A favourable climatic and environmental picture further presents for easy human transmission ( Figure 1 ).…”

Measures against cattle’s mono- and mixtinvasions with fasciolosis and strongylatoses of the gastrointestinal tract

“…The choice, in this case, should be based not only on high effectiveness but also on the safety of drugs, which, in most cases, are quite toxic. Currently, over 2.000 anthelmintic drugs are used in world veterinary practice in different dosage forms [1,[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10].…”