This slide presentation provides an introduction to livestock parasitology, including how to perform fecal egg counts.

1. 101 Parasitology SUSAN SCHOENIAN (Shāy-nē-ŭn)Sheep & Goat SpecialistWestern Maryland Research & Education Centersschoen@umd.edu – www.sheepandgoat.com

2. What is a parasite? A (generally undesirable) living organism that exists by stealing the resources produced/collected by another living organismSource: Wiktionary

3. Two kinds of parasites Internal (endo) – a parasite that lives inside another organism. External (ecto) – parasites that live on the blood of the host or lay eggs on their hide or in their nose.

4. External parasites Ticks Lice Mites Flies Mosquitos Symptoms: hair/wool loss, pelt damage, respiratory distress, reduced performance, deathTreatment: permethrin-based insecticides and some anthelmintics

6. Cestodes (tapeworms)

8. Giardia

9. CryptospordiumInternal parasites are mostly species-specific.

10. NematodesRoundworms Over 20,000 species Multi-cellular Long Round No segments Usually microscopic Sexual reproduction Male and female worms Internal parasites are mostly species-specific.

11. CommonRoundworm species Haemonchus contortusbarber pole worm Trichostrongylus spp. hair worm Nematodirus spp. threadneck worm spp. Oesophagostomumnodule worm Ostertagia spp. brown stomach worm Cooperiaspp. intestinal worm Strongyloidesintestinal threadworm Tricurisspp. Whipworm Lungworms Meningeal worm Internal parasites are mostly species-specific.

12. CESTODEStapeworms Over 1,000 species Multi-cellular Ribbon-like Flat Segmented Hermaphrodites Intermediate host Visible in feces Tend to be non-pathogenic, so we don’t usually need to worry about them.

13. Trematodesflukes Multi-cellular Flatted oval shape Hermaphrodites Require intermediate host Not considered to be a problem in Maryland.

14. Protozoacoccidia Single cell Spore forming Microscopic Asexual and sexual Species-specific Control with good sanitation and management and coccidiostats. Treat with Corid or sulfa drugs.

15. Sheep and goats The main roundworm affecting sheep and goats is Haemonchus contortus (barber pole worm). Deadly blood-sucking parasite that causes anemia and bottle jaw. Can use FAMACHA© system to monitor level of infection.

16. Cattle The main roundworm affecting cattle is Ostertagia (brown stomach worm) Causes diarrhea and ill thrift.

17. Llamas and alpacas Can be affected by the parasites than infect sheep, goats, as well as cattle. Meningeal worm can be a significant problem; otherwise, camelids tend to be more resistant to parasites than sheep and goats.

18. Swine AscarissuunLarge roundworm TrichurissuisWhipworm OesophagostomumNodule worm

19. Internal parasite control Good management Good sanitation Good nutrition Good genetics Pasture rest and rotation Mixed species grazing Minimum grazing heights Zero grazing Selective deworming

21. Coat condition

22. Dagginess (scours)

23. Performance

26. Modified McMasterProcedure Collect fresh fecal sample Weigh out 2 to 4 grams of feces Measure flotation solution Mix feces with flotation solution Strain fecal slurry Fill chambers of McMaster slide Allow eggs to rise to top Count eggs in both chambers Multiple by “x” to determine number of eggs per gram of feces (epg)

28. Collect from rectum

32. Fill chamber with slurry

33. Repeat for other side of chamber

35. Focus on top layer

36. Go up and down lanes of each side of the slide

37. Ignore eggs outside of the grid

38. Add number of eggs found in each chamber

40. It is “normal” for animals to have some parasites. Various studies suggest that parasites can regulate the immune system in ways that prevent it from going "wild" and attacking healthy tissue. Susan Schoeniansschoen@umd.eduwww.sheepandgoat.com Small Ruminant Program