Fecal surveys in pastured sheep and the occurrence of Cysticercus tenuicollis in slaughtered sheep
Hasslinger, M.A.; Weber-Werringhen, R.
Angewandte Parasitologie 29(4): 227-234
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-3162 PMID: 2977532 Document Number: 309250
Out of 4 fenced pastures, 2 stationary flocks and 3 wandering flocks with approx. 2,000 mother sheep, 962 samples of faeces were checked for the occurrence of gastro-intestinal nematodes and lungworms. Irrespective of the way the sheep are kept, an infestation incidence of 11.1 to 100% with gastro-intestinal nematodes was found. In one flock even after two treatments 66.7% were still infected; therefore, suspect methods of treatment have to be avoided and a constant change of anthelmintics is absolutely essential. Dictyocaulus filaria occurred in 6 out of 9 flocks and was easy to be treated chemotherapeutically, whereas the protostrongyles could be reduced but were not eliminated totally. - 785 out of 4,710 slaughter sheep (= 16.7%) harboured metacestodes of Taenia hydatigena in the omentum majus. In most cases one or two specimens (= 66.6 i.e. 17.6%) of Cysticercus tenuicollis could be found, once there were even 117. 1.332 cysticercus (= 78.1%) showed ready to contract and according to these and other morphological criteria, a total of 1,416 (= 83%) were regarded to be vital and able to evoke an infection. Relating to practice, the sheep dog should always be treated at the same time as deworming of the flock takes place.