Prevalence of Eimeria spp. and gastrointestinal nematodes versus weight gains in treated goats raised in the dry areas of Sri Lanka

The effect of Eimeria Spp. and gastrointestinal nematode infections on the live weight gain of cross bred goats managed extensively in the dry zone of Sri Lanka was studied during a rainy season (November 1997 to April 1998). Goats were divided into four groups (15 per group). Group 1 was the untrea ted control; Group 2 treated for Eimeria Spp. with toltrazuril; Group 3 tre ated to control both Eimeria and gastrointestinal nematodes and Group 4 tre ated to control gastrointestinal nematodes with albendazole. Eimeria ninako hlyakimovae (26%), Eimeria alijevi (21%), Eimeria arloingi (19%), Eimeria c hristenseni (13%), Eimeria jolchijevi (11%), Eimeria hirchi (7%) and Eimeri a aspheronica (3%) were identified from faecal samples collected from untre ated control animals. Speciation of gastrointestinal nematodes revealed tha t Haemonchus contortus (75%) were dominant followed by Oesophogostomum colu mbianum (11%) and Trichostrongylus species (14%). With relation to all thre e treatment groups, the untreated control group harboured a substantial lev el of Eimeria (p < 0.05) and gastrointestinal nematodes (p < 0.01), particu larly during the first half of the rainy season resulting in significantly lower live weights (p < 0.01) during the study period in control animals. T he results indicate that control of single or combined infections of Eimeri a Spp. and gastrointestinal nematodes during the rainy season is beneficial under the dry zone goat management system. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.