TY - JOUR
T1 - Pulmonary and Gastrointestinal Parasitic Infections in Small Ruminant Autochthonous Breeds from Centre Region of Portugal—A Cross Sectional Study
AU - Pereira, Maria Aires
AU - Vila-Viçosa, Maria João
AU - Coelho, Catarina
AU - Santos, Carla
AU - Esteves, Fernando
AU - Cruz, Rita
AU - Gomes, Liliana
AU - Henriques, Diogo
AU - Vala, Helena
AU - Nóbrega, Carmen
AU - Mega, Ana Cristina
AU - Melo, Carolina de
AU - Malva, Madalena
AU - Braguez, Joana
AU - Mateus, Teresa Letra
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by Funda\u00E7\u00E3o para a Ci\u00EAncia e Tecnologia via funds to GHTM-UID/04413/2020 and LA-REAL\u2014LA/P/0117/2020; CITAB UIDB/04033/2020, https://doi.org/10.54499 ; CERNAS UIDB/00681/2020; CISAS UIDB/05937/2020; UIDP/05937/2020; as well as through the Projeto de Igni\u00E7\u00E3o e Provas de Conceito INOVC+ (PIPC/003/2022_02) cofounded by Centro 2020, Portugal 2020 and EU through IPV.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 by the authors.
PY - 2024/4
Y1 - 2024/4
N2 - The production of small ruminant autochthonous breeds in the Centre region of Portugal is practiced in a semi-extensive husbandry system, exposing animals to parasitic infections. The main objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lungworm infection and identify risk factors. Fecal samples of 203 goats and 208 sheep from 30 herds were collected per rectum and subjected to the modified Baermann test. The overall prevalence of infection was 57.7%, significantly higher in goats (95.6%) than in sheep (20.7%) (p < 0.001). According to the binary logistic regression model, sheep dewormed with albendazole, mebendazole plus closantel, or ivermectin plus clorsulon presented a risk of Protostrongylidae infection 29.702, 7.426, or 8.720 times higher, respectively, than those dewormed with eprinomectin. Additionally, the presence of gastrointestinal parasites was investigated in 307 fecal samples using Mini-FLOTAC®. The overall prevalence of infection was 86.3%, also significantly higher in goats (93.2%) than in sheep (79.9%) (p < 0.001). Strongyle-type eggs were the most frequently identified, both in sheep (69.8%) and goats (87.8%), followed by Eimeria oocysts (40.3% in sheep and 68.9% in goats). Considering the high prevalence and the burden of lungworm parasitic infection, it is urgent to determine its economic impact and the repercussions in animal health in the Centre region of Portugal to establish appropriate therapeutic guidelines.
AB - The production of small ruminant autochthonous breeds in the Centre region of Portugal is practiced in a semi-extensive husbandry system, exposing animals to parasitic infections. The main objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lungworm infection and identify risk factors. Fecal samples of 203 goats and 208 sheep from 30 herds were collected per rectum and subjected to the modified Baermann test. The overall prevalence of infection was 57.7%, significantly higher in goats (95.6%) than in sheep (20.7%) (p < 0.001). According to the binary logistic regression model, sheep dewormed with albendazole, mebendazole plus closantel, or ivermectin plus clorsulon presented a risk of Protostrongylidae infection 29.702, 7.426, or 8.720 times higher, respectively, than those dewormed with eprinomectin. Additionally, the presence of gastrointestinal parasites was investigated in 307 fecal samples using Mini-FLOTAC®. The overall prevalence of infection was 86.3%, also significantly higher in goats (93.2%) than in sheep (79.9%) (p < 0.001). Strongyle-type eggs were the most frequently identified, both in sheep (69.8%) and goats (87.8%), followed by Eimeria oocysts (40.3% in sheep and 68.9% in goats). Considering the high prevalence and the burden of lungworm parasitic infection, it is urgent to determine its economic impact and the repercussions in animal health in the Centre region of Portugal to establish appropriate therapeutic guidelines.
KW - Dictyocaulus filaria
KW - goat
KW - lungworm infection
KW - Muellerius capillaris
KW - Protostrongylidae
KW - risk factors
KW - sheep
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85191325638&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ani14081241
DO - 10.3390/ani14081241
M3 - Article
C2 - 38672389
AN - SCOPUS:85191325638
SN - 2076-2615
VL - 14
JO - Animals
JF - Animals
IS - 8
M1 - 1241
ER -