The prevalence and economic importance of nematode infection in goats in Gweru District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in four areas in the communal area of Gweru District in the Midlands Province, Zimbabwe. The study was conducted at Mkoba, Mangwande, Chiwundura and Nsukamini. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of nematode infection in communal goats in Gweru District, and whether or not the prevalence was related to age, sex, breed or the season. The study was important as it would help in evaluating current strategies used in nematode control and designing low cost control strategies. One hundred and ninety-eight (198) communal goats made up of 49 males and 149 females ranging in age from one month to over twelve months were sampled. Of these, 100 were sampled during the wet season and the remaining 98 during the dry season. One hundred and fifteen (115) or 58% had significant egg counts per gram (epg) of faeces. Among the goats that had significant epg, 31 were males and 84 were females. All age groups were affected. The most common parasites encountered were Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Teladorsagia and Oesophagostomum. Haemonchus was the dominant species during the wet season. The proportion of goats that had a significant EPG during the wet season was significantly higher than during the dry season (X2=5.311; P≤0.05). There was no statistical significant difference in prevalence among the different age groups (X2=1.270; P≤0.05) and between males and females (X2=0.696; P≤0.05). Copyright