Excretion of Eimeria spp. oocysts in young lambs following iron supplementation

Abstract

BackgroundIron is an essential nutrient, and iron supplementation has been shown to reduce the incidence of abomasal bloat in lambs. Additionally, iron deficiency is linked to pica, which may increase uptake of Eimeria oocysts. Coccidiosis in sheep, caused by Eimeria spp., is an important infection, leading to reduced welfare and economic losses. The aims of our study were to investigate: (1) the use of iron supplementation in Norwegian sheep flocks using a questionnaire survey, and (2) whether iron supplementation reduced excretion of Eimeria oocysts and increased the growth rates of young lambs.ResultsA questionnaire regarding the use of iron supplementation, sent to all members of the Norwegian Sheep Recording System (n = 4993), showed that 152/1823 farmers iron-supplemented lambs, either orally (56.7%) or by injection (43.3%). The main purpose of supplementation was to prevent abomasal bloat (38.4%), coccidiosis (9.3%), or both (27.8%). In the field study, 102 twin lambs from five flocks were included: one twin (treated) received 600 mg of gleptoferron subcutaneously within 3 days of birth, whereas the control was given saline. McMaster analysis of individual faecal samples obtained at weekly intervals (n = 4 per lamb, starting at turnout) showed no significant difference in oocyst excretion between treatment groups at any sampling, except for one flock 14 days after turnout. Mean growth rates, measured at iron injection, 21 days after turnout, and in the autumn, differed significantly between treated and untreated lambs from iron injection to 21 days after turnout, however, no difference in growth rates was observed in the overall period from iron injection to autumn. Blood analysis suggested that the controls were at risk of developing iron deficiency anaemia during the housed period, but signs of anaemia were not observed.ConclusionIron supplementation of lambs was used by 8.3% of the farmers responding to the questionnaire, mainly with the intention to prevent abomasal bloat, coccidiosis, or both. The field trial results indicate that iron supplementation of young lambs do not reduce oocyst excretion and only induced a transitory increase in weight gain. However further studies, including more flocks and possibly repeated iron injections, would provide more definitive information.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13028-018-0404-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Milk Supplemented with Organic Iron Improves Performance, Blood Hematology, Iron Metabolism Parameters, Biochemical and Immunological Parameters in Suckling Dalagh Lambs

“…In addition, injection of dextran iron into newborn calves did not cause significant changes in serum iron concentration among experimental groups. This may be due to the interval of 12 to 13 days between iron injection and the first measurement of serum concentration [ 19 ].…”

“…Despite a lamb’s survival, the associated intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) would cause increased sensitivity to disorders in the nerve, respiration, intestine, and circulation [ 18 ]. On the other hand, iron deficiency in the milk, because the access to soil as the main source of dietary iron for farm animals is limited [ 19 ], may result in the development of anemia in suckling lambs.…”

Essential oil of Rosmarinus officinalis induces in vitro anthelmintic and anticoccidial effects against Haemonchus contortus and Eimeria spp. in small ruminants

“…The main problem arises from the presence of the residue of this drug in the products of poultry (Kennedy et al 1998;McEvoy 2002). The second problem was the high resistance of the parasite to the used drugs (Stephan et al 1997), which was also recently shown regarding the treatment of ovine coccidiosis with toltrazuril (Odden et al 2018), apart from the widespread resistance issues in the poultry industry. In consequence, and according to the above-mentioned problems, it appears that it is essential to undertake a future search for bioactive compounds extracted from material having a strong coccidiocidal potential without any eventual residue that could be dangerous both for the consumer and for the animal.…”

“…In addition, toltrazuril resistance was recently demonstrated against ovine Eimeria spp. for the first time (Odden et al 2018). Thus, new non-toxic alternatives, with a proven antiparasitic activity, are necessary.…”

Anaemia in Lambs and Kids Reared Indoors on Maternal Milk and the Impact of Iron Supplementation on Haemoglobin Levels and Growth Rates

“…As a mechanism the authors suspected that iron deficient lambs develop an abnormal appetite which leads to higher intake of potentially causative bacteria from the soil or bedding. According to Odden et al [ 19 ], 8.3% of sheep farmers in Norway are supplementing iron to newborn lambs with the intention to prevent abomasal bloat, coccidiosis, or both. In an intervention study, the same authors found no difference in the excretion of Eimeria spp.…”