Gastro-intestinal parasites of cattle in the communal grazing system of Botshabelo in the Free State

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1 Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 66: ( 1999) RESEARCH COMMUNICATION Gastro-intestinal parasites of cattle in the counal grazing syste of Botshabelo in the Free State KARIN DREYER, L.J. FOURIE* and D.J. KOK Departent of Zoology and Entoology, University of the Orange Free State PO. Box 339, Bloefontein, 93 South Africa ABSTRACT DREYER, KARIN, FOURIE, L.J. & KOK, D.J Gastro-intestinal parasites of cattle in the counal grazing syste of Botshabelo in the Free State. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 66: Twelve Bonsara tracer calves (aged 6-12 onths) were used to onitor helinth infections in the counal faring syste of Botshabelo in the Free State. One calve was slaughtered each onth fro Deceber 1995 to Noveber 1996 and processed for helinth recovery. All the calves harboured wors, but the nubers were always low. The order of prevalence of the ajor parasites was Trichostrongylus axei, Haeonchus placei, Cooperia punctata and Cooperia pectinata. Keywords: Cattle, cestodes, counal grazing, gastro-intestinal parasites, neatodes INTRODUCTION Helinth infection can result in losses in productivity through a reduction of feed intake and feed conversion efficiency, loss of blood and even death (Preston & Leng 1987). The seasonal incidence of helinth infections of cattle on irrigated pastures, artificially established dryland pastures and on natural pastures in South Africa have been thoroughly investigated (Reinecke 196; Hobbs 1961; Horak 1978; Horak & Louw 1978; Malan, Reinecke & Roper 1982). However, no studies on the helinths of cattle in urban counal grazing systes have been conducted. The grassland regions of the central Free State Province, South Africa are used for grazing large herds of cattle in both coercial faring and counal grazing systes. Cattle on counal grazing play an iportant role in the culture and econoics of sall-scale farers living in villages or townships in South Africa (Dreyer 1997). These cattle are seldo, * Author to who correspondence is to be directed Accepted for publication 29 Apri/1999-Editor if ever, treated for internal parasites. Inforation on helinth infections and production losses in cattle belonging to sall-scale subsistence farers is not readily available and often only deaths and the presence of wors are recorded (W. Stohr, State Veterinarian, Agricor, personal counication 1995). Usually it is the underfed anial on overgrazed pastures or the one that does not receive the correct balance of essential nutrients that suffers the greatest losses (Hobbs 1961; Preston & Leng 1987). Carichael (1972) reported that helinthosis in cattle on counal grazing systes in Botswana can result because of a variety of factors such as overstocking, the grazing of vegetation right down to ground level, the concentration of anials in kraals and around coon watering points, and protein and phosphorous deficiencies. The epizootiology, prevalence and incidence of helinth species under such faring systes ust be ascertained before recoendations on anthelintic control can be ade. The objective of this study was to deterine the species coposition of helinths infecting the counally grazed cattle of Botshabelo and their seasonal abundance. 145

2 Gastro-intestinal parasites of cattle in Botshabelo MATERIAL AND METHODS This study was conducted fro Deceber 1995 to Noveber 1996 at Botshabelo, an urban area situated on the central highveld of the Free State. Fencing is non-existent in the counal grazing areas in and around the city. Forty six percent of cattle belonging to farers (n = 1 ) that participated in a questionnaire study, drank water at the "Klein Modder" River, and 45% at nearby gravel das (Dreyer 1997). Cattle graze the counal fields during the day and are kept in kraals in the backyards of their owners at night. Except for calves fro 2 weeks to 6 onths of age, which are tethered separately the cattle of each owner are kraaled together at night. The backyard and the kraal floors are covered with anure. Fresh dung fro these kraals is collected regularly, dried and used as fuel. Twelve Bonsara tracer calves (aged 6-12 onths) were used to onitor infection in the study area over a 1-year period. Prior to release, each anial was treated with a broad-spectru anthelintic containing levaisole and oxyclozanide (Traizan, Hoechst Ag-Vet, Johannesburg, South Africa). This treatent took place 5-6 weeks before slaughter. The consecutive tracer anials were kept under the sae anageent syste as the local cattle, and one anial was slaughtered onthly. The techniques used for necropsy, helinth recovery and couting were adapted versions of those described by Reinecke (1967, 1983) and Van Wyk, Schroder, Van Schalkwyk & Horak (1987). Helinth identification was carried out as described by Levine (198), Soulsby (1982) and Reinecke (1983). Logarithic transforations of the wor burdens were done in order to achieve norality and equality of variances (Mattioli, Cassaa & Kora 1992). Rainfall was recorded by the Botshabelo Municipality at the City Council buildings in the centre of Botshabelo. RESULTS All the tracer calves harboured soe wors, but the nubers recovered were low. The total wor burdens are suarized in Tables 1 and 2. The order of prevalence of the ajor parasites was Trichostrongylus axei, Haeonchus placei, Cooperia punctata and Cooperia pectinata. No wors were encountered in the eyes, lungs and livers of any of the anials. A total rainfall of 653 was recorded during the 12-onth study period and the total onthly rainfall exceeded 5 during Deceber 1995, January, February, April and Noveber 1996, respectively (Fig. 1 ). Total onthly wor burdens followed the pattern of the onthly rainfall and in general, the highest wor burdens were found during periods of higher rainfall (Fig. 1 ). DISCUSSION When cattle graze on natural pasture cliate plays an iportant role in the transission of wors (Reinecke 1983; Gatongi, Gathua & Munyua 1987). In the present study the suer rains and harsh winter teperatures were the ost iportant factors causing seasonal fluctuation in infestations. Decreased wor burdens during the winter were probably due to the low rainfall and the very low ean iniu atospheric teperatures ranging fro- 3,1 octo -2,4 oc during June to August Soaking, steady rains of at least 5 are necessary for ass igration of infective larvae to take place fro dung pads (Reinecke 1983), and such rains did not fall in the study area during May to October. The low nubers or absence of especially H. placei, Trichostrongylus axei and Cooperia spp. fro August to October were possibly as a result of the relatively lower onthly rainfall during these 3 onths and an exposed icro-environent because of the short vegetation on the coonage after the harsh winter onths. According to Preston & Leng (1987) one would expect to find high wor burdens in cattle on overgrazed, counal pastures, causing severe disease and deaths. Results fro the present study indicate that this is not necessarily the case. Possible reasons for the low endoparasite burdens of cattle in the current study are the anageent syste of counal pastures and the regular reoval of faeces fro the kraals and backyards. Pasture containation does not occur regularly in one area over a period of tie, and any infective larvae are not ingested. The fresh anure fro the kraals and backyards is collected regularly, dried and used or sold as fuel (Dreyer 1997), and as a result excess accuulation of faeces on the kraal floor is prevented. An integrated wor control plan including pasture spelling, rotational grazing or the alternation of pasture and cash crops would not be feasible in a counal grazing syste such as the one in existence in Botshabelo. Treatent with anthelintics would see to be ore practicable as a control ethod. Strategic drenching prograes used for the control of internal parasites in cattle are generally based upon epideiological studies (Cornwell & Jones 1971 ). When helinth infections are very low, such as during this study, they would probably not have any deleterious effects on the hosts. The routine treatent of anials ay therefore prove to be unjustifiable and costly and in addition treated anials will iediately becoe reinfected on the coonage (Mares 1984). Since gastro-intestinal wor burdens were apparently correlated with rainfall in this study, a tactical approach would appear to be ore sensible than a strategic one (Pegra, Hargreaves & Berkvens 146

3 ., -...j """ TABLE 1 The total neatode burdens of tracer cattle slaughtered over a 12-onth period at Botshabelo Nuber of neatodes recovered Month Haeonchus placei Trichostongylus axei Ostertagia ostertagi Cooperia spp. 4th Adult 4th Adult 4th Adult C.pec- C. punctinata tat a 1995 Deceber 1996 January February March April May June July August 5 Septeber 3 October 14 Noveber th = 4th stage larvae Bunostou Oesophagostou phlebotou radiatu Adult 4th Adult Trichuris globulosa 4th Adult ?' : -< : r i:_, c : po i:_ ;:>\ ;:>\

4 Gastro-intestinal parasites of cattle in Botshabelo TABLE 2 The total cestode and treatode burdens of tracer calves slaughtered over a 12-onth period at Botshabelo Month slaughtered Moniezia sp. Avitellina sp. Calicophoron icrobothriu Scolices Iature Adult 1995 Deceber January 1 1 February 2 1 March April May June 1 1 July 3 August 1 1 Septeber October Noveber 1 2 3,5 'E.s 15 (/) 2,5 c Q) "E ~ c 2, ::::J. -~ 1 E >, 1,5 E s: c en ::2: 5 1, _J N D J F M A M J J A s N Tie of year ( ) 3,,5 Total wor burdens (Y2) D Rainfall (Y1) FIG. 1 Monthly rainfall () and total onthly wor burdens of tracer cattle slaughtered over a period of 12 onths at Botshabelo 1995). Bryan (1976) stated that there was no significant difference between ass gains of cattle treated only after saturating rainfall and those treated on a onthly basis. Both groups, however, gained significantly ore ass than the untreated cattle. Consequently, when the counal anageent syste in Botshabelo and the low wor burdens contained in the study are considered, a broad-spectru anthelintic, dosed 14 d after 4 of rain falling during a 2 to 3-day period (Bryan 1976; Schroder 1979), would ost likely suffice. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was funded by the Foundation for Research Developent and the University of the Or- ange Free State. The technical assistance of Mr Eddie Willias and the assistance of Dr J.M. van Zyl with the statistical analyses of the data is greatly appreciated. REFERENCES BRYAN, R.P Anthelintic treatent of young beef cattle in the Wallu Region of South-Eastern Queensland. Australian Veterinary Journal, 52: CARMICHAEL, I.H Helinthiasis in doestic and wild ruinants in Botswana-preliinary investigations. Tropical Aniial Health and Production, 4: CORNWELL, R.L. & JONES, R.M Bovine parasitic gastroenteritis: growth responses following routine anthelintic treatent of subclinical infections in grazing anials. Veterinary Record, 89:

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