Epidemiological observations on helminth infections of calves in southern Ghana

Abstract

This paper describes helminth infections in three groups of calves of different ages grazing naturally infested pastures from March 1987 to May 1988. Calves in which the faecal egg output was followed from birth showed Toxocara vitulorum eggs as early as two days after birth and maximum patency occurred after two months. The fall in Toxocara egg output coincided with a rise in that of the strongylates; Haemonchus spp., Trichostrongylus spp. and Oesophagostumum spp. The influence of rainfall in dictating strongylate nematode infection was clear with high egg output during high rainfall and low egg counts when the rainfall was lower. There was an indication that calves carry the infection from the end of the minor rainy season in November to the beginning of the next rains in March and then contribute to pasture contamination. However, calves born in December may remain uninfected until the onset of the rains.