GASTROINTESTINAL PARASITISM AND USEFULNESS OF FAMACHA© IN GOATS FROM LOJA PROVINCE, SOUTHERN ECUADOR

The infection with gastrointestinal (GI) parasites represents one of the main constraints for small ruminant production, health and welfare. Based on official information about mortality of goats related to a two-year drought, the aim of the present investigation was to evaluate GI parasitism, packet cell volume (PCV) values and compared them with FAMACHA© score system in Garza Real locality at Loja Province, Southern Ecuador. A total of 77 individual faecal samples from seven goat farms were analyzed by quantitative and qualitative parasitological methods; for differential larval count, coproculture were carried out with a poolof faeces from each one of the seven farms. From the total of samples, 91% were found to be infected with GI parasites. A mixed infection with two to four types of GI parasites was found in 87.82% of the animals. Based on morphology, eggs from order Strongylida, genera Strongyloides, Trichuris and Moniezia andoocysts of genus Eimeria were identified by flotation technique.Level of infection was high in four of the farms. In cultures, six genera of larvae were identified: Haemonchus contortus,Trichostrongylus spp., Oesophagostomun spp., Teladorsagia spp., Cooperia spp. and Strongyloides spp., Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus spp. were the predominant species in six of the farms. A strong and negative correlation (-0.9418; P< 0.001) was established between PCV values and score assignment and a strong and positive correlation between fecal egg counts and FAMACHA© scores (0.9763; P< 0.005). The results suggest that a combination of effective treatments, supplementary food and application of FAMACHA© system should be applied in the locality of study and furthermore, in the goat farms of the entire municipality.