Farmers' perception about parasitic otitis in Gyr breed from three states of Brazil

Abstract

Pesq. Vet. Bras. 32(9) This study aimed to know the perception of Gir cattle breeders and farm employees about parasitic otitis and practices regarding methods of treatment and control. A questionnaire was applied on speciϐic topics about the disease. The results showed that the otitis occurred in 25 (89.3%) of the 28 farms studied, where the main etiologic agents were the nematodes Rhabditis spp. The majority of the farmers regarded the disease as a serious problem, mainly in cattle older than eight years of age. About half of the respondents did not observe a correlation between season and prevalence of the otitis; however, 30.8% reported an increase of its incidence during the rainy season. In addition to various methods and products for the rhabditiosis treatment, a lack of standardized preventive or curative protocols was found, suggesting insufϐicient knowledge about control of the disease.

Infestações por Rhabditis spp

“…No Brasil, Leite et al (19) relataram que 89,3% (25/28) das fazendas criadoras de animais Gir reportavam a presença de otite parasitária causada por Rhabditis spp. e que 74,1% dos proprietários classificaram como grave o problema.…”

“…Os nematoides do gênero Rhabditis, família Rhabditidae, são responsáveis pela otite parasitária em bovinos (8). A doença foi relatada em países de clima quente e úmido, como Colômbia (20), Tanzânia (21), Quênia (22), apesar da maioria dos relatos serem do Brasil, nas regiões Norte, Nordeste, Sudeste e Centro-Oeste, com uma prevalência de 52,2 -100% (4,8,19). As espécies descritas nesse gênero incluem, Rhabditis freitasi, Rhabditis costai, Rhabditis insectivora, Rhabditis terrestres, Rhabditis blumi (1,23).…”

“…Como os resultados são controversos (19), há necessidade de mais estudos que busquem estabelecer um protocolo terapêutico adequado, principalmente levando-se em consideração a frequência de tratamentos, tratamentos individuais ou dos rebanhos, a utilização ou não de antibióticos caso haja infecção secundária e presença de secreção purulenta.…”

Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of Metarhabditis blumi (Nematoda: Rhabditida)

“…The known resistance of the zebu breeds to endoparasites and ectoparasites also occurs in Gir animals (Gasparin, 2007); however, it has been observed that the Gir cattle is highly susceptible to a parasitic disease caused by rhabditiform nematodes that develops in the auditory canal and predisposes animals to external otitis. This parasitic disease causes mild to very severe clinical symptoms, especially in adults, which have abundant ear secretion, inflammation and local pain (Leite et al, 2012).…”

“…Although parasitic otitis caused by rhabditiform nematodes in Gir cattle has been known in Brazil for more than forty years, therapeutic measures commonly performed to control it are generally ineffective (Martins Jr. et al, 1971;Leite et al, 2012). A preventive program of parasitic otitis has not been established because some important aspects of the diseases such as its epidemiology, the parasites' biological cycle and the nematodes' transmission mechanisms had not been well understood yet.…”