Relevance of improved epidemiological knowledge to sustainable control of Haemonchus contortus in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria experiences losses in small ruminant production as a result of a high prevalence of infection with Haemonchus contortus, but there have been very few investigative studies into the epidemiology of H. contortus in Nigeria, particularly in the south and western parts of the country. For successful planning and execution of control of hemonchosis in Nigeria, there is a need for insight into the epidemiology of free-living stages under the prevailing local conditions and models for climatic and environmental factors that control the risk of hemonchosis and distribution of H. contortus. In this review, we assess previous studies on the epidemiology of H. contortus in Nigeria, evaluate the present climatic and epidemiological situation, and highlight areas that require further investigative studies. The goal is to identify factors that underpin better control strategies and holistic integrated farm-management practice. Previous studies on H. contortus provided important information for formulation of control strategies and development toward integrated parasite management. However, this review has revealed the need for holistic evaluation of the current epidemiology and prevalence of H. contortus in Nigeria, particularly in relation to climate change. Accurate information is needed to build useful predictive models of the population dynamics of all free-living stages, particularly the L3.