Gastrointestinal parasitic infections in organized cattle farms of Meghalaya

Aim: To know the gastrointestinal parasitic infections in cattle of Meghalaya, India. Materials and Methods: A total of 676 faecal samples of cattle were collected for a period of two years from different organized cattle farms of Meghalaya for detection of gastrointestinal parasitic infections, using standard techniques. Results: Out of 676 faecal samples examined, 191 (28.25%) faecal samples were found positive for gastrointestinal parasitic infections. The eggs of Strongyle spp. were found predominant (65.96 %) followed by Strongyloides spp. (25.13%), Eimeria spp. (17.80%), Trichuris spp. (13.08%), Moniezia spp. (10.47%) and Nematodirus spp.(2.61%). The Nematodirrus spp. was identified as Nematodirus helvetianus, a first report of its kind from cattle of North-Eastern Region of India, particularly from the state Meghalaya. The eggs per gram of faeces in case of nematode parasites were ranged between 50 to 4000 and in case of coccidian infections the range of oocysts per gram of faeces (OPG) was between 50 to 1400. Conclusion: Cattle maintained in organized cattle farms of Meghalaya suffers from GI parasitic infections throughout the year. It is highest during rainy season followed by cool, cold and hot season.


Materials and Methods
The infection with various types of gastro-In the present study faecal samples of 676 numbers intestinal parasites in cattle is a worldwide problem [1-of cattle were collected from different organized cattle 4].Gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic infections may be farms of Meghalaya like Indo Danish Project, Upper considered as one of the major constraints in cattle Shillong; Regional Cross Bred Cattle Breeding production.The infection causes productivity losses Project, Kyrdemkulai; Cattle Farm, Rongkhon (Tura) through reduced feed intake and decreased efficiency and Cattle Farm of ICAR Research Complex for NEH in feed utilization due to subclinical or chronic Region, Umiam, Meghalaya, from the period April, infections that are responsible for economic losses [5-2009[5- to March, 2011, to know the prevalence of gastro-7].GI parasitic infections in cattle in general cause intestinal parasitic infections.Faecal samples were economic losses to the livestock owner due to collected randomly and parasitological examinations decreased milk production [8,9].The decreased milk of these faecal samples were done by direct smear, production due to the infection of parasites may be sedimentation, and flotation methods as per standard mediated by growth hormone, type I insulin-like techniques [13].Quantitative examination of these growth factor and prolactin, because a decrease of faecal samples was done to know the eggs per gram of these hormones in serum during lactation in cows with faeces (EPG) by Modified MacMaster Technique [13].positive EPG has been observed in a recent study [10].

Results
The North Eastern Hill Region is a known Monthwise prevalence of gastrointestinal endemic zone for the metazoan diseases of livestock parasitic infection in cattle of Meghalaya for the total [11].Thus, several reports of gastrointestinal parasitic period of study has been presented in season from May to early October, the cool season the size of the eggs, as eggs of Nematodirus from early October to November, the cold season from helvetianus is large and could be differentiated from December to February and the warm season or hot other Trichostrongylid species eggs by its size [14] season from March to April (www.bharatheritage.in/(Fig. 1).The faecal egg count (FEC) of nematodes was meghalaya/weather.htm).High moisture content along ranged between 50 to 4000.The range of oocysts per with temperature prevailed during rainy season favours gram of faeces (OPG) was between 50 to 1400.
the growth and development of larvae is the reason behind the highest prevalence of GI parasitic infections

Discussion
during rainy season, as also observed earlier [15].The In the present study it has been observed that pick up of higher level of infection by ingestion of cattle maintained in the organized farms of Meghalaya larvae during late rainy season continued to develop suffer from GI parasitic infections throughout the year mature worm during cool season, might be responsible and infections are common to them.If we see the for higher prevalence of infection during next cool season wise prevalence as mentioned in Table-3, then season.Devoid of optimum moisture and temperature we could observe that higher prevalence of GI parasitic for development of larvae in the pasture during cold infections has been observed in rainy season (36.82%) and hot season, could be the reason of lower and lowest followed by cool (26.16%), cold (22.42%) and hot prevalence during cold and hot seasons respectively.(18.89%) seasons.Here it could be mentioned that, There are several reports of GI parasitic infections unlike most of the states of India, where three seasons in cattle from India.A high prevalence of infection  (66.29%) has been reported from Western Vidarbha organized cattle farms of Meghalaya suffers from GI Region [15].From Jaipur, high prevalence of GI parasitic infections throughout the year.It is highest parasitic infections in cattle/buffalo (40.35% ) and low during rainy season followed by cool, cold and hot prevalence (11%) in cattle have been reported [16,17].

Table-3. Seasonwise prevalence of GI parasitic infections in cattle of Meghalaya
season.

Table -
recorded during 2009 -10 and 2010-11, respectively.helvetianus infection in cattle is being reported for the The different species of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites first time from cattle of North-Eastern Region of India, which were found after examination of faecal samples particularly from the state Meghalaya along with has been depicted in Table-2.The eggs of Strongyle prevalence of different gastrointestinal parasitic spp.were found predominant (65.96%) followed by infections in cattle of Meghalaya, as observed after a Strongyloides spp.(25.13%),Eimeria spp.(17.80%), recent study for a period of two years.Trichuris spp.(13.08%),Moniezia spp.(10.47%) and like summer, rainy and winter have been observed, the Nematodirus spp.(2.61%).The Nematodirus spp. was state Meghalaya has four distinct seasons i.e. the rainy identified as Nematodirus helvetianus, after observing

Table - 1
. Monthwise prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic infection in cattle of Meghalaya from April 2009 to March, 2011

Table - 2
. Species wise prevalence of GI parasites in cattle after examination of faecal samples There are reports of prevalence of GI parasitic exposure to gastrointestinal nematodes in dairy herds in infections in cattle from North Eastern Region of India northwestern Europe.Vet.Parasitol., 173: 247-254.