Epidemiological studies on helminthoses in goats and sheep caused by Protostrongylidae leiper, 1926

Abstract

Studies on sheep, goats and terrestrial snails rom a pasture in a north-eastern Bulgarian region have been carried cut. Protostrongylids of 4 genera - Muellerius, Cystocaulus, Protostrongylus and Neostrongylus have been established. The infection extensity in goats is higher than that in sheep while the generic diversity is greater in sheep. In tracing the season dynamics in the parasitic infections of the end hosts it has been established that during the summer the infection extensity is permanently kept in its high values. In the autumn a drop in infection extensity is observed but the amount of the larvae released with faeces is augmented reaching its maximum in November-December. A relative increase in the infection extensity as well as in the larval output is observed in February and solely for the larval output such an increase is recorded in April. Season dynamics in the spread of the different protostrongylid genera in the end hosts and the influence of age and sex on larval output have been traced. The season dynamics of the extensity and intensity of the infection of the snails on the pasture has also been followed up. H. obvia is the intermediate host of greatest importance for the spread of protostrongylidoses in the region under study.

Keywords

• epidemiology
• goats
• Protostrongylidae
• sheep
• snails