PREVALENCE AND SEASONAL PATTERNS OF COCCIDIAL INFECTIONS IN GOATS IN 2 ECOCLIMATIC AREAS IN MOROGORO, TANZANIA

A held study was conducted between November 1993 and December 1994 to determine monthly prevalences and oocyst outputs in tethered, stall-fe d and herded goats in tropical highland (Mgeta) and semi-arid (Mlali) areas of Morogoro, Tanzania. The prevalences in the tropical highland area were 78.2 and 76.5% in tethered indigenous and stall-fed crossbre d animals, respectively. In the semi-arid area, the prevalences were 7 6.5% in seasonally-tethered indigenous goats and 76.9% for herded indi genous animals. The prevalence (94.7%) in a herd of Toggenburg x Small East African crossbred animals in the semi-arid area was significantl y higher than those of other herds (P<0.05). Kids in the tropical high land area had a significantly higher prevalence of coccidiosis than ad ults (P<0.001), whereas in the semi-arid zone there was no age-related differences in the prevalence of infection. There was no significant seasonal variation in the prevalence of infection in animals in all th e management systems. Median oocyst counts were highest in crossbred g oats in the semi-arid area, followed by stall-fed crossbred animals in the tropical highland area compared to indigenous ones in the two are as (P<0.001). In all management systems, kids had significantly higher oocyst counts than adults (P<0.05). Higher median oocyst counts were observed during the dry short rainy seasons compared to other seasons (P<0.01). The predominant species of Eimeria were E. arloingi (91.7%), E. alijevi (80.3%), E, ninakohlyakimovae (71.4%), and E. christenseni (45.2%). Others were E. caprovina (27.6%), E. hirci (27.2%), E. palli da (8.8%), E. jolchijevi (6.9%) and E. aspheronica (5.2%). (C) 1998 El sevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.