Haemonchosis in the dromedary

Abstract

Over the last thirty years, several surveys referring to the gastrointestinal parasites in the dromedary have shown high infestation rates by Haemonchus longistipes. Certain other studies have pointed out the economic and clinical importance of the camel haemonchosis. The author presents an overview of established knowledge on this major disease for the dromedary, which bas hitherto been underestimated, the known features belonging either to this species or inferred from sheep haemonchosis, as a much better studied illness, are then presented. They refer to the parasite and to its cycle, to epidemiology, pathogeny, symptoms, lesions, diagnosis and treatment not forgetting feasible prophylactic measures as a conclusion. The author insists upon the season characteristic of the disease, the factors favouring infestations, and the more or less severe anaemia/cachexy syndrome, according to the observed forms of the affection. Differential diagnosis is often difficult to ascertain and several effective drugs available for treatment are reviewed. Finally, the control of this illness needs to take into account the specific features of the dromedary rearing together with a necessary involvement of the camel owners.