Gastrointestinal parasite infections of West African dwarf goat (Capra reversa) kids in Dschang, West Cameroon

Abstract

A study on the development of gastrointestinal parasite infections of West African Dwarf Goat kids was carried out in Foto, a suburban village of Dschang in the Highlands of West Cameroon. Thirty-two kids were monitored from 0 to 3.5 months of age during the rainy season. Fecal samples were collected every other week early in the morning. A McMaster cell was used for egg/oocyst counts. Five families of gastrointestinal parasites were identified: Eimeriidae (Eimeria sp.), Anoplocephalidae (Moniezia sp.), Strongyloidae (Strongyloides sp.), Trichostrongylidae (strongyles) and Trichuridae (Trichuris sp.). Parasites with a short prepatent period (Eimeria sp. and Strongyloides sp.) appeared first whereas those with the longest prepatent period (Moniezia sp.) appeared last. Kid infection started as early as at the end of the second week after birth. The transition from suckling to forage-feeding at the beginning of the rainy season in highly populated areas lead to parasitism and malnutrition, which affected animal production and productivity. Treatment with broad-spectrum drugs as early as 3-4 weeks of age are recommended in anticipation of the infection to ensure survival and proper development of the kids.