Abstract

ARECE, J et al. Epizootiology of gastrointestinal trichostrongylosis in sheep subject to selective antiparasitic treatments in Cuba. Pastos y Forrajes [online]. 2014, vol.37, n.4, pp. 442-448. ISSN 0864-0394.

The epizootiology of gastrointestinal trichostrongylosis was evaluated for two years in a flock of 72 Pelibuey ewes, with average age of four years, subject to a selective treatment scheme based on a previous epizootiological study and the use of the FAMACHA^© chart. The ewes were dewormed at three moments: at lambing, amid the dry season and at weaning; during the rest of the year the strategy of selective treatments through the color of the ocular mucosa was applied. The fecal egg count (FEC), color of the ocular mucosa, hematocrit and body condition were determined through sampling; as well as the effect of season and reproductive status on the parasite rate, by means of a variance analysis. There was predominance of Haemonchus spp., with seasonal trend in the FEC, which was higher during the dry season. From the animals, 59,1 % showed low infestation (less than 300 epg) and only 6,6 % showed high infestation (more than 4 000 epg), which propitiated a rate of 3,55 treatments per ewe per year. The average hematocrit values were over 25 % in both seasons. Additionally, 98,8 % of the animals showed color of the ocular mucosa between A and C of the FAMACHA^© color chart, and the empty ewes were the ones with the highest parasite rate. With the proposed strategy it was achieved that the lambs and the lambed ewes were less infested; however, the non-pregnant ewes showed the highest parasite rates

Keywords : Ewe; Haemonchus; parasite.

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