A contribution towards the diagnosis of trichostrongylosis in flocks of sheep under field conditions
Stampa, S.; Linde, S.
Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 43(1): 95-99
1972
ISSN/ISBN: 1019-9128 PMID: 4680367 Document Number: 54089
To arrive at a more accurate yet simpler and more practical method of estimating worm burdens in flocks of sheep, correlations were made between faecal worm egg counts and worm counts done at P.M. examination for five genera of Trichostrongylidae on eleven flocks of five sheep each, the flocks being kept on three different types of veld. The egg count done on each flock as a whole yielded a more reliable estimate of the total worm burden of the flock than a total worm count done on a randomly selected member of that flock. In the case of infestation by Haemonchus, the egg count gave more reliable results than the worm count done on two members of the flock; in the case of Nematodirus the egg counting technique even proved superior to worm counts done on three randomly selected members of the flock.