Seasonal Variations of Gastrointestinal Helminths in the Goat of the Central Plateau of Burkina Faso

Abstract

Necropsies of 60 goats were performed over a year to identify parasites in the abdominal cavity, the liver, and the digestive tube. Overall, 10 nematodes, 4 cestodes, and 2 trematodes were identified. Cysticercus tenuicollis was found in the peritoneal cavity, Dicrocoelium hospes in the liver, and Gongylonema verrucosum and paramphistomes in the reticulumrumen- omasum. In the abomasum, Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis were present. In the small intestine were present T. colubriformis, T. vitrinus, Strongyloides papillosus, Gaigeria pachyscelis, Avitellina centripunctata, Stilesia globipunctata, and Moniezia expansa. The large intestine harbored Oesophagostomum columbianum, Skrjabinema ovis, Trichuris ovis, and Trichuris globulosa. The most prevalent parasites were T. colubriformis (98.3%), O. columbianum (88.3%), H. contortus L4s (85%) and adults (65%), T. vitrinus (41.7%), Avitellina centripunctata (30%), and Cysticercus tenuicollis (30%). The mean nematode burden was globally low with the exception of H. contortus L4s in the abomasum and T. colubriformis adults in the small intestine at the end of the rainy season, and during the dry and cold period. This period would be ideal for the second annual strategic deworming of goats in the area.