GASROINTESTINAL HELMITHIASIS OF LACTATING COWS: PREVALENCE, RISK FACTORS AND EFFECT OF ANTHELMMINTIC TREATMENT ON MILK QUANTITY ,FAT AND PROTIEN IN KUCHA DISTRICT, SOUTH ETHIOPI

Abstract

Gastrointestinal helminthiasis poses economic impacts on lactating cow by reducing milk production efficiency of cows, in terms of both quality and quantity. The main objective of this study was to conduct epidemiological investigations of gastrointestinal helminthiasis in lactating cows and to evaluate the outcomes of anthelmintic treatment on milk quantity, fat and protein contents in lactating cows. To achieve the objective indicated above, two study designs, such as cross sectional and field therapeutic trials were used. Standard parasitological techniques, including floatation and sedimentation were employed to screen infected out of examined cows‟ (n=422). McMaster and Stoll‟s egg counting methods were used to estimate helminths burden. For field therapeutic trail, 60 positive cows were randomly assigned in to two treatment groups, in such way that half of the cows were drenched with anthelmintic drug and the other half remained control group. Milk quantity was measured on day-0 and on weekly basis thereafter up to a month, whereas fat and protein contents were recorded on day-0, 15 and 30 from both groups.Out of 422 examined cows, 150 (35.5%) were infected with at least one of gastro intestinal helminth parasites with majority (68%) had mono-parasitic infection. Strongyle nematode was the predominant type accounting 29.85%, followed by Fasciola (7.82%), Paramphistomum (6.63%), Monezia (2.6%), Trichuris (1.66%) and Ascarid (1.18%). Analysis of feacal egg count (FEC) in infected cows depicts the highest (mean ± sd) record of Parampistomum egg (457.14 ± 275.45) followed by Trichuris (357.14 ± 207.02), Ascarid (320 ± 327.11), Monezia (290.91 ± 206.26), Strongyle (242.86 ± 205.01) and Fasciola (242.42 ± 169.61) Egg per gram (Epg) of faeces. All the factors except body condition had no significant association (P>0.05) with the helminthes infection in lactating cows. The prevalence of gastro intestinal helminthiasis in cows with poor body condition was over two fold higher (AOR=2.26, 95% CI=1.17-4.42, P= 0.016) as compared with good body conditioned cow. Nonetheless, prevalence rate of medium body conditioned (33.73%) and good body conditioned (28.91%) cows did not significantly vary (AOR=1.22, 95% CI=0.70-2.18, P=0.485). Average milk yield of both treated and untreated cow by the end of study showing a statistically significant gain (+0.449 L) and (+0.161 L) respectively compared to their initial values (P=0001). However, these gains in treated and untreated cohorts of cow are statistically significant (P=0.049). The respectively. The difference of initial and final values in treated group shows an increment (+0.68%) however, this gain is not significant (P=0.957).On the other hand, this difference in untreated cow reveals progressive significant (P<0001) loss (-4.32%). The initial protein value and the value at the end of study (3.33%) were statistically significant (P=0.0001) in treated animals, however, these values (2.95 Vs 3.04%) did not significantly vary in untreated cow. Therefore it is very important to set effective internal parasite control and prevention strategy to improving the milk quality and quantity in the study area. mean fat content of final day (D-30) in treated and untreated group is 5.42% and 3.08%