Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in Brahman crossbred cattle of Bangladesh

M M Rashid, M A Hoque, M A Alim¹, K S Huque² and A K F H Bhuiyan

Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
rashidjas@yahoo.com
¹ Department of Parasitology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
² Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, Savar, Dhaka 1341, Bangladesh

Abstract

A survey on gastrointestinal parasitic infections in Brahman crossbred cattle, reared at Savar Dairy Farm (on-station) and at farmers’ house (on-farm), was conducted in winter and rainy season using coproscopy to determine the effect of sex and age of animals, seasons and management system on the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infections.

 
A total of 230 fecal samples were examined and 195 (84.8%) of them were found positive for parasitic infections, and mean egg per gram of feces (EPG) was 426.2±23.8. The parasites identified on fecal examinations were Balantidium coli (59.1%), Paramphistomum spp. (18.3%), Eimeria spp. (7.83%), Strongyloids (7.39%), Haemonchus sp. (6.96%), Trichuris sp. (5.65%), Fasciola gigantica (3.91%), Capillaria sp. (2.17%) and Moniezia spp. (2.17%). Yearlings and adults were 1.23 and 1.15 times more susceptible to parasitic infection, respectively than young calves. Lower infection with B. coli and Trichuris sp. and higher infection with Paramphistomum spp. were found in adult cattle than in the yearlings and calves. Higher rate of infections was recorded in females (87.8%) than in the males (81.7%). Lower infection with Moniezia spp. (0.87%) was found in males than in females (3.48%).   No seasonal variation of overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infection was found, however, higher prevalence of the parasites was detected among the cattle reared at on-station condition than their on-farm counter parts.  Higher infection with Paramphistomum, Haemonchus sp. and Fasciola was found in rainy season than in winter. The study suggests that importance should be given to proper management, improved hygiene and regular deworming to prevent the parasitic infections in Brahman crossbred cattle of Bangladesh. 

Key words: disease, management, prevalence

Introduction

Disease problems especially related to gastrointestinal parasites represent a serious threat, which has been hindering the cattle development in Bangladesh for long time. The losses of productivity of animal in terms of mortality, reduced milk and meat, and loss of reproduction rate due to parasitism were to the extent of 50% in Bangladesh (ADB 1984). Therefore, it is necessary to know the type of parasites causing infection and losses in cattle industry for developing effective treatment, prevention and control measures.

Cattle population in Bangladesh mostly comes from low productive breeds. The cattle production system is hampered by deficiencies in feeding and breeding and the situation is further aggravated by the effects of diseases. All together, the general nutritional status of most of the cattle is in subnormal level and condition which greatly increases susceptibility to the animals to parasitic diseases (Blood et al 1990). Climatic condition of Bangladesh is highly favorable for survival, development and reproduction of different parasites. Prevalence of different parasites in native and crossbred dairy cattle has been reported from different areas of Bangladesh (Khandakar and Chanda 1998; Akter et al 2011; Alim et al 2012; Nath et al 2013). Nath et al (2013) reported that the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in Holstein Friesian cross was higher compared to that in Local and Sahiwal cross, and they hypothesized that the age and genotype of the cattle might have influence on the prevalence of the parasitic infections.

Recently beef type of cattle production has been introduced in Bangladesh through crossbreeding using Brahman sire, which would result in increased Brahman crossbred cattle in the near future. However, literature regarding prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in this beef type crossbred cattle is scanty in Bangladesh. Thus, this study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in Brahman crossbred cattle in relation to management system, sex, age and season.

Materials and methods

Study area and period

The faecal samples were collected from F₁ Brahman × Local crossbred cattle of different ages and both sexes reared at Savar Dairy Farm (on-station) 25 kilometers away from Dhaka city and at selected farmers’ houses (on-farm) of 3 upazilas of three northern districts (Charghat of Rajshahi district, Thakurgoan Sadar of Thakurgoan district and Chirirbandar of Dinajpur district). The samples were collected in winter (January to February) and monsoon (September to October) in 2013.

Selection of animals

A total of 230 cattle were selected randomly irrespective of their age and sex of which 114 were from Savar Dairy Farm and 116 were from three upazilas. The cattle were divided into 3 age groups; young calves (≤ 12 months), yearling cattle (>12 to 24 months) and adults (>24 months). During collection of samples, the age and sex of animals were recorded. The age of the randomly selected animals was determined from the birth record kept in the respective Upazila Livestock Offices and Savar Dairy Farm.

Feeding and management

At on-station, animals were reared under controlled and intensive management. A balanced diet was provided, which included 1/3 concentrates and 2/3 roughages. The concentrate mixures included wheat bran, crushed maize, crushed khesari (Lathyrus sativus), soybean meal, gram, Di-calcium phosphate and table salt. Roughages included green grass and straw. At on-farm, animals were stall fed in farmers’ house with limited grazing. The grazing areas were house premises, wetlands and roadsides. Rice straw, cut grass, kitchen waste and commercial concentrate ingredients (wheat bran, rice polish, crushed maize, khesari bran, mustard oil cake etc. either alone or a combination of two or more ) were used as ration for the animals. The feeding and management conditions of animals in study districts were almost similar. De-worming was usually done at every 4-5 months for “on-station” and 5-6 months for “on-farm” cattle.

Fecal samples collection and preservation

The faecal samples were collected directly from the rectum of the animals or immediately after defecation. Before sample collection, the animals were restrained properly and all possible hygienic measures were taken to avoid contamination. Fresh fecal samples were also collected from the top of the freshly voided faecal mass. A total of 230 samples were collected. About 15-25 grams of feces were collected from each animal. Each sample was kept in separate polythene bag, tied carefully and numbered properly. The correctly labeled and properly numbered polythene bags containing the fecal samples with all required information were brought to the laboratory and coprological examination was performed. The quantitative estimation of helminth eggs or oocysts of Balantidium coli were done by employing ‘Modified Stoll’s Dilution Technique’ as described by Soulsby (1982) and Rahman et al (1996). The quantitative estimation was made for each sample and the total number of eggs, oocysts or ova of parasites found in the slide was multiplied by 100 to get the eggs per gram of feces (EPG).

Statistical analysis

The data generated were entered into Microsoft Excel Worksheet. Descriptive statistics were performed to calculate mean, standard error and percentage. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was done using General Linear Models Procedure with SAS software (SAS 2003) to determine treatment effects. Duncan’s multiple-range test was used to compare the treatment means (Steel and Torrie 1980).

Results and discussion

Overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites

Faecal samples examination revealed a total of 195 cattle infected with one or more species of gastrointestinal parasites indicating an overall prevalence 84.8% (Table 1). According to the report of Garrel (1975), prevalence of parasites was 83.7% in cattle of Bangladesh. Aktaruzzaman et al (2013) observed 76.9% prevalence of different parasites in cows and calves. In Local, Sahiwal cross and Holstein Friesian cross calves, the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was 46, 52 and 62%, respectively (Nath et al 2013), which was lower than our results. Bhattacharyya and Ahmed (2005) and Singh et al (2008) recorded the incidence of gastrointestinal helminths 65.2% and 80.0%, respectively in cattle of India. In Japan, Nakazawa (1986) found 79% cattle infected with gastrointestinal helminths. The variation in prevalence of parasites among different studies could be due to differences in geographic locations, climate and other environmental factors, feeding, management and genetic variation in host resistance.

Overall prevalence rate of different gastrointestinal parasites is shown by graphical presentation (Figure 1). A total of species of helminths namely- Fasciola gigantica, Paramphistomum cervi, Haemonchus sp.; Strongyloides papillosus, Trichuris sp., Dictyocaulus sp., Capillaria spp., Oesophagostomum columbianum, Moniezia spp. and 2 species of protozoa namely- Balantidium coli and Eimeria spp. were identified.

The highest prevalence of parasitic infection was by B. coli (59.1%) followed by Paramphistomum (18.3%) and Eimeria spp. (7.83%), and infection with Oesophagostomum was the lowest (0.43%). In contrast, Aktaruzzaman et al (2013) observed that the parasitic infection was led by fascioliosis in crossbred cattle. Similarly, Sardar et al (2006) reported higher prevalence of Fasciola (25%) and Paramphistomum (45.3%) and similar infection rate for Strongyloides and Trichuris in native cattle compared to the present study. Das et al (2010) reported that overall 47.7% Red Chittagong Cattle (RCC) was infected with parasites where paramphistomiasis and balantidiosis were found in 47.7% and 40% cattle, respectively. They also found 5.8% fascioliasis and 1.9% monieziasis in RCC in Bangladesh. The contrasts in findings of the present study with the RCC and other crossbred cattle might be due to the feeding and management factors as well as genetic variations of the cattle.

The maximum mean burden of parasites was detected for B. coli followed by Eimeria sp., Moniezia spp., Paramphistomum, Capillaria, Trichuris sp., Strongyloides, Fasciola, Haemonchus and Oesophagostomum columbianum (Table 2). The overall mean EPG of all infected animals was 426. In comparison to the present study, Das et al (2010) found lower burden for B. coli (268 EPG) and Paramphistomum (128 EPG) and Roy et al (2011) reported lower B. coli load (304 EPG) in buffaloes.

Balantidium coli are water borne protozoa (Soulsby 1982) and fundamentally affect the colon and causes clinical manifestation from asymptomatic to serious dysenteric forms (Lazar et al 2004). It is assumed that supply of contaminated water, grasses and other raw feed materials without paying careful attention might be the causes of higher B. coli burden in the cattle of this study.    

Sex related prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of cattle

Table 1 shows that overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in female cattle was slightly higher than in male. The calculated odds ratio indicates that the female cattle were 1.07 times more susceptible than the males. The prevalence of B. coli, Paramphistomum and F. gigantica was almost similar between male and female animals (Table 3). But prevalence of Trichuris sp., Haemonchus sp. and Strongyloides was relatively higher in males than those in females. However, reverse result was found in infection with Moniezia spp. Opposing our results, Das et al (2010) reported higher infection of Paramphistomum  and lower infection of F. gigantica and Moniezia spp. in female RCC than in male RCC whereas B. coli infection was not affected by sex. In favor of our results, Ibrahim (2004) recorded no significant difference in F. gigantica infection rate between male (6.66%) and female (7.14%) cattle. In another study at Comilla district, Saifuzzaman (1996) reported higher prevalence of fascioliasis in females than in the male cattle.

The prevalence of B. coli and Eimeria spp. was recorded 64.4% and 9.6%, respectively in females, while in males the infection rates were 62.6% and 6.1%, respectively (Table 3). Dictyocaulus sp. and Oesophagostomum columbianum were found in only male cattle. Higher rate of parasite infection in female animals than in male was reported (Das et al 2010; Islam and Taimur 2008; Raza et al 2007). Their results were moderately consistent with present findings. Ibrahim et al (2008) in Pakistan and Hailu Degefu et al (2011) in Ethiopia reported higher prevalence of parasitic infections in males than in female hosts. However, Siddiki et al (2010) observed that both male and female RCC and crossbred animals were equally susceptible to parasitic infections. The higher percentage of infection in the females cannot be explained exactly but it can be assumed that hormonal influence as well as stress leading to immune-suppression may be associated with this phenomenon. Higher levels of prolactin and progesterone hormones make the female individual more susceptible to any infection (Lloyd 1983). Brahman crossbred male is used for beef production and there is usually less feed supplement in female compared to male and this may also lead to lowering of the body resistance in female. Additionally, sample size, selection of samples and breed of cattle may also be associated with this phenomenon.

The results indicated that EPG of different parasites was not influenced significantly by sex of animals except for Moniezia spp., although higher parasitic load was found for B. coli, Paramphistomum and  Eimeria in females compared to those in males (Table 3). The overall mean EPG in female animals (458) was slightly higher than that in males (392), which is supported by Hailu Degefu et al (2011) who found significantly higher EPG in females than in male cattle. These findings are in conformity with Das et al (2010) who found higher EPG for Balantidium coli (301) and Paramphistomum (141) in females compared to those (116 and 50, respectively) in males. Similarly, Roy et al (2011) found significantly higher B. coli load (319 EPG) in female than that (EPG 253) in male buffaloes.

Age related prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites

Age of the host had an effect on the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths of cattle (Table 1). The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in cattle was the highest in yearling cattle (90.8%) followed by adults (84.9%) and young calves (74.0%). The results also show that yearlings and adults were 1.23 and 1.15 times more susceptible, respectively than the calves. Young calves were infected by 4 species of gastrointestinal helminths and 2 species of protozoa, yearlings were infected by 9 species of helminths and 2 species of protozoa and the adults were infected by 7 species of helminths and 2 species of protozoa (Table 4). The infection rates of Paramphistomum and F. gigantica in adults were highest in the age group of >24 months and the younger animals were found to be less infected with these trematodes.

The increase in prevalence of these parasites with the age has been reported by Alim et al (2012), Sardar et al (2006) and Rahman and Mondal (1983). Findings of Fritsche et al (1993) also supported the results of the present study. The prevalence of Trichuris sp. (10%) and Strongyloides (10%) in young calves and Moniezia spp. (4.6%) in yearlings was found to a greater extent. In comparison to this study, Aktaruzzaman et al (2013) reported that the proportions of fascioliasis, paramphistomiasis, balantidiasis and haemonchosis were higher in the cattle of more than two years compared to up to 1 year and >1 to 2 years of age. They also found that the proportions of monieziasis, trichuriasis and strongyloidosis were relatively higher in younger cattle (up to 1 year) than those in older age groups (>1 year to 2 years and > 2 years). In the present study, the highest prevalence of F. gigantica was recorded in the adult cattle (6.45%), which corresponds well to the findings of Affroze et al (2013) who reported the highest prevalence of F. gigantica in cattle at the age above 4 years. However, Rahman and Mondal (1983) found heavy infection in cattle of 2-3 years of age than in the young cattle.

The EPG was not affected significantly by the age of animals and the EPG for Trichuris sp. was found to decrease with the increase of age. Supporting our results, Hailu Degefu et al (2011) did not find significant difference in EPG between calves (≤12 months) and adults (>12 months), although numerically higher value for EPG was found in calves. The findings of the present investigation showed disagreement with Raza et al (2007) and Regassa et al (2006) who recorded significantly higher worm burden in younger animals than in the adults. The parasitic load was increased for B. coli and Paramphistomum with the increase of age of cattle. Similar results were reported by Roy et al (2011) who found higher B. coli load in young buffaloes than in the calves. Das et al (2010) found higher EPG for Paramphistomum, B. coli and F. gigantica in cattle at the age of >4 years than cattle at the age of <4 years. The causes of this variation in the prevalence of infection in different age groups are difficult to explain, but it might be due to an immunological phenomenon, difference in the grazing area and management variation of cattle.

Seasons related prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of cattle

The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was similar in winter and rainy season (Table 1). When B. coli prevalence was excluded from the observed data, helminth parasitic infection became higher in rainy season (54.6%) compared to winter season (32.3%). In rainy season, the prevalence of most of the parasites namely Haemonchus sp., Paramphistomum, F. gigantica, Moniezia spp. and  Eimeria sp. were greater than those in winter season (Table 5). B. coli infection was slightly higher in rainy season than in winter.

Roy et al (2011) found significantly (p<0.05) higher prevalence of B. coli infection in rainy season (60%) than winter season (32.8%) in buffaloes. The infection rate of Trichuris sp., Capillaria and Stongyloides was higher in winter. The proportions of most of the gastrointestinal parasitism were higher in rainy season, which was in close agreement with earlier reports (Aktaruzzaman et al 2013; Alim et al 2012; Sardar et al 2006) whereas Akanda et al (2014) observed higher F. gigantica and Paramphistomum infections only in rainy season than other seasons.

As shown in Table 5, the overall mean EPG was greater in rainy season compared to winter season, although not statistically significant (p>0.05). Similarly, the EPG was non-significantly higher for B. coli in rainy season than in winter. Similar EPG for B. coli was observed by Roy et al (2011) between winter and rainy season in buffaloes. The high prevalence of parasites in rainy season is fairly reasonable. Because during this time the rainfall is abundant and there is plenty of intermediate hosts for Fasciola and Paramphistomum. The temperature and humidity become most favorable for larval development of parasites in this season. However, the highest prevalence of B. coli in rainy season may be due to high humidity, heavy rain fall and higher chance of contamination of feed stuffs with B. coli cysts.

Management system related prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites

The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was higher at on-station than at on-farm (Table 1). When B. coli prevalence was excluded from the obtained data, parasitic infestation became higher at on-farm (45.7%) than at on-station (37.7%).  Table 6 shows that prevalence of B. coli, Trichuris sp., F. gigantica, Moniezia spp. was higher at on-station management than those in cattle at on-farm management condition. On the other hand, prevalence of Paramphistomum and Capillaria was found to be higher at on-farm condition. Overall mean EPG was not affected by the management system, but EPG for B. coli was non-significantly (p>0.05) greater at on-farm condition compared to that at on-station condition.

In accordance with present study, Afazuddin (1985) recorded 7.11% fascioliasis in cattle reared under intensive management system in the Savar Military Dairy Farm, Dhaka. The higher prevalence for B. coli at on-station could be due to keeping of animals in a group of 5 to 6 animals in one compartment. If one animal of this group is affected by B. coli, there would be a good chance for other animals to be infected by B. coli due to contamination of water and other feed stuffs. This reason may be supported by the high incidence of enteritis (78%) in calves recorded at on-station (not presented). Balantidium coli produce hyaluronidase (Temples and Lipenko 1957), which potentially enhance its ability to invade the intestinal mucosa, causing enteritis, persistent foetid diarrhea and dysentery.

Conclusion

• The study suggests that there is alarmingly high prevalence of parasitic infections in Brahman × Local crossbred cattle in Bangladesh.

  
  

• Age and sex of cattle and seasons were found to have some influence on the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infection. A high level of parasitism in cattle at on-station even after regular treatment indicates either inadequate dozing or ineffectiveness of drugs against the parasites. Development of anthelmintic resistance may also be responsible for such condition.

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the award of a PhD grant of the National Agricultural Technology Project of the Department of Livestock Services financed by the World Bank to the first author, and the help and the cooperation of the authority of the Savar Dairy Farm, Savar, Dhaka and the farmers participated in the study.

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Received 29 May 2015; Accepted 11 June 2015; Published 2 July 2015

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