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* Corresponding author: Altaf Ahmad ReshiDepartment of Zoology, University of Kashmir, Hazartbal, Srinagar 1900 06, J and K, India

ISSN: 0976-3031

RESEARCH ARTICLEPREVALENCE OF COCCIDIOSIS IN CAPRINES AND OVINES IN North KASHMIR

A COMPARATIVE ACCOUNT

Altaf Ahmad Reshi and Hidayatullah Tak

Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir, Hazartbal, Srinagar 1900 06, J and K, India

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Coccidiosis is most important disease of small ruminants that cause morbidity and mortality in

both sheep and goats worldwide. The present study was carried out from October 2011 to

September 2012 in northern part (Baramulla, Kupwara, & Banndipora) of Kashmir valley. Atotal of 394 faecal samples (202 goats and 192 sheep) of various age groups were examined.During the study, it was observed that a total of 44.25% samples were infected in case of sheepwhile the percent prevalence in case of caprines was 54.76%. Summer recorded maximum

prevalence in both the type of species with 73.2% in caprines and 56.1% in ovines followed byautumn with 62.16% in caprine and 48% in ovine; winter recorded 46.86% in caprine and 37.5%in ovine and spring recorded least in both with 37.27% in caprine and 35.5% in ovine.

INTRODUCTION

Coccidiosis is worldwide distributed disease and one of the mosteconomically important infections threatening the sheep and goatindustry. Coccidia are small microspic, spore forming, obligateand intracellular parasites. These species cause pathological

damage and mortality in poultry, cattle, sheep, goats, pig, rabbitand other animals. Because of this reason, coccidia have attracted

the attention of many workers. A number of workers have studiedthe prevalence ofEimeria species in sheep and goats viz., Lotze,J.C. (1953), Jha, D. (1966), Bhatia, B.B and.Pande, B.P (1970),

Bali,H.S. (1972), Dhakshayni, C.N. and Alwar, V.S. (1981),Vergese, T. and Yayabu R. (1985), Jalila et. al. (1998), Arslan etal (1999), Abdurrahman G. (2007), Yakhchali, M. and Zarei, M.

R. (2008). The present study was aimed to record the prevalenceof coccidiosis in sheep and goat with respect to season, age, sex,and breed

MATERIAL AND METHODOLOGY

A total of 394 Fresh faecal samples (202 goats and 192 sheep)

were collected from local farmers rearing sheep in different partsof North Kashmir throughout one year. The samples werecollected in plastic containers containing 4% formalin and brought

to parasitological lab. Both sedimentation method (Charles andJosphine, 1970) and floating technique (Charles and Josphine,1970; Soulsby, 1982) were used to detect the presence of Oocysts.

Suspension of each faecal sample was strained through muslincloth and examined under light microscope.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In the present study a total of 202 faecal samples of goat and 192

faecal samples of sheep (total = 394) were examined for a periodone year from October 2011 to September 2012. The studyperiod was divided into four seasons- spring, summer, autumn,and winter and the age was divided into three groups, < 1 year, 1-

2 years and > 2 years. Of the observed 202 samples of goat 93were found to be infected with a percent prevalence of 46.03%

and among the 192 observed samples of sheep 105 were found tobe infected with a percent prevalence of 54.68%. 54 faecalsamples of goat and 42 of sheep were observed during spring

season, out of which 22 and 20 were found to be infected with apercent prevalence of 40.7% and 47.6% respectively. 52 and 51samples of goat and sheep were observed in summer out of which31and 32 were infected with a percent prevalence of 59.6% and

62.7% respectively, 51 samples of goat and 55 of sheep wereobserved in autumn among which 23 and 34 were infected with apercentage prevalence of 45% and 61.8% respectively. 45 and 44samples were observed in winter out of which 17 and 19 werefound to be infected with a percent prevalence of 37.7% and

43.18% respective.

Table 1 Comparative prevalence of coccidiosisin goat and sheep

Examined Infected Prevalence

Goat 202 93 46.03%Sheep 192 105 54.68%

Out of total 202 faecal samples of goat 91 were taken from malesand 111 from females among which 31and 62 were found to bepositive for the infection with a percentage prevalence of 34% and

55.8% respectively and in sheep out of 85 observed male samples36 were infected and out of 107 observed female samples 69 werefound to be infected with a percentage prevalence of 42.3% and

64.4% respectively. A total of 70 faecal samples of goats and 72sheep of age < 1 year were observed of which 45 and 54 werefound to be positive with a prevalence of 64.2% and 75%

respectively, of the 69 and 62 observed samples of goat and sheep

of age group 1-2 years respectively 29 and 31 were infected with aprevalence of 42% and 50%. 63 samples of goat and 58 of sheep

of age > 2 years were examined of which 19 and 20 were found

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International Journal

of Recent Scientific

ResearchInternational Journal of Recent Scientific ResearchVol. 4, Issue, 6, pp.1041 1043, July, 2013

Article History:

Received 16th, June, 2013

Received in revised form 28th, June, 2013

Accepted 17th, July, 2013

Published online 30th July, 2013

Key words:Coccidiosis; Ovines; Caprines; Prevalence and

Central Kashmir.

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positive for the infection with a prevalence of 30.1% and 34.4%respectively.

A comparative study of the prevalence of coccidiosis in sheep andgoats in this area showed that the prevalence is higher in sheep

than in goats, being 54.68% in sheep and 46.03% in goats. Asimilar pattern of prevalence was reported by Waruru et al.(2005), More et al (2011), Dinka Ayana et al (2009).

This disparity could emanate from the differences in the natural

immunity of the hosts and from the feeding habits of theseanimals. Goats are usually browsers in nature and they tend tograze in very rare cases where they do not find shrubs and bushes;thereby reducing the risk of being infected with sporulatedOocysts of coccidia species and other internal parasites. Theabove results showed that summer recorded a maximum

prevalence of coccidiosis being 62.7% in sheep and 59.6% ingoats reaching a peak prevalence (75% in sheep and 66.66% ingoats ) in the month of august. Post summer in both sheep and

goat prevalence rate begin to decrease recorded as 61.8% and

45% in sheep and goat respectively in autumn, 43.18% and 37.6%in sheep and goat respectively in winter reaching a minimum

(35.5% in both the cases) in the month of January and by springthey begin to show an increasing trend 47.6% in sheep and 40.7%in goats. Same type of results were recorded by Khan et al (

2010) who recorded a maximum prevalence of coccidia in postrainy season reaching maximum in the month of august andSeptember.

A similar observation was recorded by Taylor, Coop (2007 ),Yakhchali and Golami (2008 ). In goats the results are in

commensuration of Tiwari et al. ( 2003 ) who recorded higestincidence during monsoon season ( June- September) in Durgdistrict of chattisgarh and Varsha et al (2010) also found higest

coccidial infection in goats during monsoon season in indiaindicating the seasonal influence on the prevalence of coccidiosis.Radfar et al (2011) reported that season is an important factor

influencing risk of coccidiosis in goats in Iran. The highprevalence in summer season could be attributed to increase intemperature with subsequent high humidity which are conducive

for sporulation of oocysts for easy dispersion and transmission. Inwinter the temperature decreases subsequently, sheep and goat are

confined to houses in small flocks and feeding habit changes todrier grass and trough feeding thereby reducing chances of

sporulation and transmis. In the present study the female sex ofboth the species (sheep & goat) was recorded to have higherprevalence than their male counter parts. The result is supported

by yakhchali and Golami (2008), Khan et al (2010) andYakhchali and Zarei (2008) who reported that gender significantly

influences the prevalence of coccidia in sheep. In goats Similarfindings were reported by Senthilvel et al. (2004), Kumar et al.

(2005), Sharma et al. (2009) and Varsha et al. (2010) in India andTauseef et al. (2011) in Pakistan. The higher infection rate infemales could be attributed due to greater variation in theirphysiological status viz., pregnancy and lactation, lowering theimmune status of the females and them vulnerable for infection.

This suggests that both males and females have equalopportunities to acquire the coccidian infection in similarcircumstances but physiological change and associated stress infemales may result in more infection in female ( Ahmed et al,

1992., Rajkhowa and Hazarika,2001). The present study revealedthat the prevalence of infection is more in the younger groups thanthe older ones which is in accordance with the studies done by

Yakhchali, and Razeai (2010) who studied the prevalence andintensity ofEimeria spp. infection in sheep of Malayer suburb,Iran . They found the presence of oocysts in the feces of differentage groups of sheep which indicates that this parasite can infectsheep in every age group.

The oocyst intensity was much higher in the young sheep than

other two age groups (P< 0.05) which was in accordance with thefindings reported elsewhere (O'Callaghan et al 1987, Maingi andMunyua 1994, Arslan et al 1999, Craig et al 2007). In goats, same

pattern of infection was found in kids than the adults and issupported by Tiwari et al.,(2003)., Senthilyel et al., ( 2004 ).,Kumar et al.,(2005)., Pandit.,( 2006)., Varsha et al., 2010.

Sharma et al., ( 2009) recorded 92.31 and 40.86 percent ofinfection in kids and adult goats respectively in Mathura. Higheroccurance in kids might be due to low level of resistance existing

in young animals (Kanyari,1988), while in adults the lowerprevalence could be attributed to the development of resistance toreinfection, which is characteristic feature of intestinal coccidia (

Richardson and Kendall,1963). Acquired immunity has been

Table 2 Showing percentage prevalence of coccidiosis in different seasons

SeasonGoat Sheep

Observed Infected Prevalence Observed Infected Prevalence

AUTUMN 51 23 45% 55 34 61.8%

WINTER 45 17 37.7% 44 19 43.18%

SPRING 54 22 40.7% 42 20 47.6%SUMMER 52 31 59.6% 51 32 62.7%

TOTAL 202 93 46.03% 192 105 54.68%

Table 3 Gender wise prevalence in sheep and goat

SexGoat Sheep

Observed Infected Prevalence Observed Infected Prevalence

Male 91 31 34% 85 36 42.3%

Female 111 62 55.8% 107 69 64.4%

Table 4 Age wise prevalence in Sheep and goat

Age wise prevalence in Goat Age wise prevalence in Sheep

Age Observed Infected Prevalence Observed Infected Prevalence

2 years 63 19 30.1% 58 20 34.4%

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shown to be a factor related to lower infection with variousEimeria species in older sheep (Gregory & Catchpole 1989, Yun

et al 2000, Gauly et al 2004)

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