Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T05:09:14.480Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Spring rise in faecal worm-egg counts of housed sheep, and its importance in nutritional experiments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

A. C. Field ,
M. R. Brambell  and
J. Allan Campbell
A. C. Field
Affiliation:
Biochemistry and Parasitology Departments, Moredun Institute, Gilmerton, Edinburgh, 9
M. R. Brambell
Affiliation:
Biochemistry and Parasitology Departments, Moredun Institute, Gilmerton, Edinburgh, 9
J. Allan Campbell
Affiliation:
Biochemistry and Parasitology Departments, Moredun Institute, Gilmerton, Edinburgh, 9
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

1. A spring-rise in faecal strongyloid egg count is described in sheep housed under conditions designed to prevent reinfestation. Large rises were observed in the majority of 3-year-old breeding ewes and primiparous ewe-hoggs, and occasional small rises occurred in nulliparous ewe-hoggs and wether-hoggs.

2. Falls were observed in the packed red-cell volumes of ewes during the period of spring-rise and a close inverse correlation was found between packed-cell volumes and transformed worm egg counts. No evidence was obtained to attribute the falls in packed-cell volume to factors other than worm burden.

3. The fall in packed-cell volume was partially alleviated by feeding of one type of perennial rye-grass, but no direct effect of feeding on the worm-egg output was found.

4. Theories of spring-rise are discussed and the conclusion reached that latent overwintering larvae must play a major part generally in the phenomenon.

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 50 , Issue 3-4 , November 1960 , pp. 387 - 399
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1960

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Andrews, J. S. (1939). Life history of the nematode Cooperia curticei, and development of resistance in sheep. J. Agric. Res. 58, 771–85.Google Scholar
Andrews, J. S. (1942). Stomach worm (Haemonchus contortus) infection in lambs and its relation to gastric haemorrhage and general pathology. J. Agric. Res. 65, 1–18.Google Scholar
Cochran, W. G. & Cox, G. M. (1957). Experimental Designs. 2nd edition, xiv and 611 pp. New York and London.Google Scholar
Crofton, H. D. (1954). Nematode parasite populations in sheep on lowland farms. I. Worm egg counts in ewes. Parasitology, 44, 465–77.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crofton, H. D. (1958). Nematode parasite populations in sheep on lowland farms. V. Further observations on the post-parturient rise and a discussion of its significance. Parasitology, 48, 243–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cushnie, G. H. & White, E. G. (1948). Seasonal variations in faeces worm egg counts of sheep. Vet. Rec. 60, 105–7.Google ScholarPubMed
Fourie, P. J. J. (1931). The haematology and pathology of haemonchosis in sheep. Rep. Vet. Res. S. Afr. 17, 495–572.Google Scholar
Gibson, T. E. (1953). The effect of repeated anthelminthic treatment with phenothiazine on the faecal egg counts of housed horses, with some observations on the life cycle of Trichonema spp. in the horse. J. Helminth. 27, 29–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grunsell, C. S. (1955). Seasonal variation in the blood and bone marrow of Scottish hill sheep. J. comp. Path. 65, 93–107.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hawkins, P. A., Cole, C. L., Kline, E. E.Drudge, J. H. (1944). Studies of sheep parasites. I. The course of untreated nematode infections. Vet. Med. 39, 154–161.Google Scholar
Hawkins, P. A. & de Freitas, M. G. (1947). Studies of sheep parasites. VIII. Overwintering of nematode larvae. J. Parasitol. (Suppl.) 33, 22.Google Scholar
Holman, H. H. (1945). Studies on the haematology of Sheep. V. A survey of blood pictures in sheep diseases. J. Comp. Path. 55, 229–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holman, H. H. & Pattison, I. H. (1941). A study of the blood picture of lambs suffering from parasitic gastritis. Vet. Rec. 53, 491–8.Google Scholar
Jamieson, N. D. (1958). Adverse effect of nitrate metabolic products on sheep growth. Nature, Lond., 181, 1601–2.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kotlán, A. (1952). The development and pathological significance of the histrotopic (sic.) phase in parasitic nematodes. Rep. 14th Int. Vet. Congr. 2, 61–4.Google Scholar
Martin, C. J. & Ross, I. Clunies (1934). A minimal computation of the amount of blood removed daily by Haemonchus contortus. J. Helminth 12, 137–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Michel, J. F. (1952). Inhibition of development of Trichostrongylus retortaeformis. Nature, Lond., 169, 933–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mönnig, H. O. (1934). Veterinary Helminthology and Entomology, xvi + 402 pp. London.Google Scholar
Morgan, D. O., Parnell, I. W. & Rayski, C. (1950). Further observations on the seasonal variation in worm egg output in Scottish hill sheep. J. Helminth. 24, 101–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morgan, D. O., Parnell, I. W. & Rayski, C. (1951). The seasonal variations in the worm burden of Scottish hill sheep. J. Helminth. 25, 177–212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morgan, D. O. & Sloan, J. E. N. (1947). Research on helminths in hill sheep with special reference to seasonal variations in worm-egg output. Scott. Agric. 27, 28–35.Google Scholar
Naerland, G. (1952). Nutrition in relation to nematode parasitism in sheep. Rep. 14th Int. Vet. Congr. 2, 65–70.Google Scholar
Paver, H., Parnell, I. W. & Morgan, D. O. (1955). Some factors influencing the seasonal variation in worm egg counts in Scottish hill sheep. J. comp. Path. 65, 220–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sarles, M. P. (1944). Effects of experimental nodular worm (Oesophagostomum columbianum) infection in sheep. U.S. Dept. Agric. Tech. Bull. 875, 19 pp.Google Scholar
Scott, J. A. (1928). An experimental study of the development of Ancylostoma caninum in normal and abnormal hosts. Amer. J. Hyg. 8, 158–204.Google Scholar
Seghetti, L. & Marsh, H. (1945). Control of intestinal parasitism in lambs by winter treatment of ewes, as compared with the use of phenothiazine in salt in summer. Amer. J. Vet. Res. 6, 159–64.Google Scholar
Sommerville, R. I. (1954). The histotropic phase of the nematode parasite, Ostertagia circumcincta. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 5, 130–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soulsby, E. L. J. (1956). Studies on the serological response in sheep to naturally acquired gastro-intestinal nematodes. I. Preparation of antigens and evaluation of serological techniques. J. Helminth. 30, 129–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soulsby, E. L. J. (1957 a). Studies on the serological response in sheep to naturally acquired gastro-intestinal (sic) nematodes. II. Responses in a low ground flock. J. Helminth, 31, 143–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soulsby, E. L. J. (1957 b). Some immunological phenomena in parasitic infections. Vet. Rec. 69, 1129–39.Google Scholar
Spedding, C. R. W. & Brown, T. H. (1956). The ‘spring rise’ in the nematode egg-count of sheep. J. Helminth 31, 171–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stewart, D. F. (1950). Studies on resistance of sheep to infestation with Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus spp. and on the immunological reactions of sheep exposed to infestation. IV. The antibody response to natural infestation in grazing sheep and the ‘self cure’ phenomenon. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 1, 427–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stoll, N. R. (1943). The wandering of Haemonchus in the sheep host. J. Parasit. 29, 407–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, E. L. (1934). A method of estimating the number of worms present in the fourth stomach and small intestine of sheep and cattle for the definite diagnosis of parasitic gastritis. Vet. Rec. 14, 474–6.Google Scholar
Taylor, E. L. (1935). Seasonal fluctuation in the number of eggs in the faeces of ewes. J. Parasit. 21, 175–179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, E. L. & Michel, J. F. (1953). The parasitological and pathological significance of arrested development in nematodes. J. Helminth 27, 199–205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Threlkeld, W. L. (1934). The life history of Ostertagia circumcincta. Bull. Va. Agric. Exp. Sta. Tech. 52, 21 pp.Google Scholar
Veglia, F. (1924). Preliminary notes on the life-history of Oesophagostomum columbianum. 9th and 10th Rep. Dir. Vet. Educ. and Res. Dep. Agric. S. Afr., April 1923, pp. 811–823.Google Scholar
White, E. G. & Cushnie, G. H. (1952). Nutrition and gastro-intestinal helminths in sheep on hill grazing: The effect of a dietary supplement on faecal worm-egg counts, worm burden, body-weight and wool production. Brit. J. Nutr. 6, 376–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar