Differences in burden of gastrointestinal nematode infestations in indigenous does foraging in grassland and forestland vegetation types.

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infestations remain a major challenge to the health, productivity and reproductive performance of small ruminants. A longitudinal study was conducted to assess the effect of vegetation type, season and parity on the burden of GIN in indigenous does that were foraging in grassland and forestland vegetation types. Body condition scores (BCS), packed cell volume (PCV), FAMACHA score and faecal egg counts (FEC) were determined in Xhosa lob-eared does (n = 165) during the cool-dry, hot-wet and post-rainy seasons in both vegetation types. Faecal samples were collected from the rectum and analysed using the modified McMaster technique. There was a significant association between vegetation type and season on the recorded BCS, body weight (BW), FEC, PCV and FAMACHA scores. Xhosa lob-eared does in the forestland had higher (P < 0.05) BCS as compared to those in grassland. Higher FEC (P < 0.05) were observed in Xhosa lob-eared does in the grassland vegetation compared to those in forestland. Body condition scores, FEC and FAMACHA scores were significantly higher in the hot-wet season than cool-dry and post-rainy seasons, while PCV was significantly higher during the cool-dry compared to hot-wet season in forestland. Strongyles and Strongyloides eggs were higher in does grazing in the grassland than those in the forestland during the hot-wet season. Strategies for the effective control of GIN in goats should consider that infestation levels differ with vegetation type, season and parity. Controlling of GIN in goats, therefore, requires an integrated control strategy that should consider the vegetation type that the goats are reared on.

Attitudes and practices of resource-limited farmers on the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in goats foraging in grasslands and forestlands.

Gastrointestinal nematode infestations remain one of the main constraints to goat productivity. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the perceptions of goat farmers on the infestation and control of gastrointestinal nematode infestation. A total of 282 goat farmers from two villages of Mbizana local municipality in Alfred Nzo district were interviewed. Higher prevalence of diseases, parasites and feed availability were among the major constraints to goat productivity. Gastrointestinal parasites were ranked as the major constraint by farmers in the grassland than those in the forestland. Ordinal logistic regression analyses revealed that farmers in the grassland were 3.2 times more likely to experience gastrointestinal nematode infestation than those in the forestland (P < 0.05). On both vegetation types, tethered goats were perceived to have higher (P < 0.05) GIN infestation compared with free browsing goats. Poor farmers were 3.1 times more (P < 0.05) likely to experience high GIN infestation compared with less poor farmers. Farmers in the grassland were 2.1 times more likely to control GI nematode infestation than to those in the forestland (P < 0.05). Intervention strategies to control gastrointestinal nematodes should mainly target farmers from the grassland vegetation since they experience higher infestation rates of gastrointestinal nematodes.

Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to the prevalence of sheep scab among communal sheep farmers in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

Background and Aim: Sheep scab is one of the most contagious diseases of sheep found in rural communities worldwide and is a major health and welfare concern for sheep farming. Information on the attitudes of communal farmers to sheep scab remains speculative in the Eastern Cape Province. This study aimed to investigate knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to the prevalence of sheep scab among communal sheep farmers in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Materials and Methods: From June to August 2022, a cross-sectional survey using a semi-structured questionnaire (n = 160) was conducted in two rural communities of the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality in Eastern Cape Province. Purpose sampling was used to obtain respondents' knowledge, attitudes, and management practices regarding sheep scabs. Results: Among respondents, 81% were males and 19% were females. The majority of sheep farmers (59%) in both communities were aware of sheep scabs, but the majority (64%) did not receive any farming training. The majority of sheep farmers (65%) believed that sheep scab was the most serious threat to their sheep production since it increased mortality. In the past 3 years, approximately 57% of respondents reported an increase in the prevalence of sheep scab. The majority of farmers reported wool loss as the most noticeable clinical symptom (73%). More than 80% of sheep farmers do not use acaricide on a regular basis. Sixty-one percent of farmers prefer a pour-on topical application method. The frequency of annual dipping was every fortnight (40%), during summer and winter (24%). Most farmers (66%) regularly vaccinate their sheep. Conclusion: The prevalence of sheep scab is increasing in these communities; however, a better understanding of the factors that facilitate its transmission is required to allow improved management and control of this disease. The government must involve extension officers and distribute them to disseminate information to farmers. Thus, it will be easy to translate the literature into action.

Relationships between tick counts and coat characteristics in Nguni and Bonsmara cattle reared on semiarid rangelands in South Africa.

Indigenous Nguni cattle are adapted to the semiarid rangeland and appear to be resistant to ticks; however, the mechanism for tick resistance is yet to be established. To understand tick resistance in cattle, relationships among skin thickness, hair length, coat score, and tick counts were estimated in Nguni (n=12) and Bonsmara (n=12) heifers on semiarid rangelands of South Africa. The tick species observed to infest the heifers were Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus (frequency: 76%), Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (9%), Amblyomma hebraeum (5%), Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (5%), Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi (3%), and Hyalomma marginatum (2%). Nguni heifers had lower (P<0.05) log(10) (x+1)-transformed coat scores (0.6±0.01), hair length (1.4±0.01), and tick counts (1.4±0.03) than Bonsmara heifers whose log(10) (x+1)-transformed coat score, hair length, and tick count values were 0.7±0.01, 1.5±0.01, and 1.8±0.02, respectively. The skin thickness between the two breeds were similar (P>0.05). There was a positive linear (P<0.05) relationship between log(10) (x+1) tick counts and log(10) (x+1) coat score in the Nguni (y=1.90x-0.40) and a quadratic relationship in the Bonsmara (y=-7.98x(2)+12.74x-3.12) breed. It was concluded that the smooth coats may be one of the important mechanisms of tick resistance in the indigenous Nguni breed. Determination of genetic resistance to ticks in the Nguni breed is recommended as this will give more specific indication to the mechanism of host resistance in this breed.