Abstract
Faeces from naturally infected goats were deposited on a natural grassland during the dry season in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) at different times throughout the day. The grass was either 7 or 20–30 cm tall. After a period of between several hours and 7 days, the number of viable strongyle eggs and the faecal water content were measured. Faecal temperature was recorded continuously. Faecal temperature was >40°–45°C at midday and dehydration was rapid between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Egg mortality was greater on short than on tall grass and higher in morning than in evening deposits. Minimal faecal water content during the first 36 h explained the 74%, 55% and 38% mortality rate for eggs ofOesophagostomum columbianum (OC),Haemonchus contortus (HC) andTrichostrongylus colubriformis (TC), respectively. In all, 5%–22% of the eggs of the latter species remained viable in a state of anhydrobiosis after 7 days on the ground. A delay of only 2 days between goat departure and irrigation would be sufficient to ensure that >95% ofO. columbianum andH. contortus eggs and 70% ofT. colubriformis eggs are destroyed.
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Berbigier, P., Gruner, L., Mambrini, M. et al. Faecal water content and egg survival of goat gastro-intestinal strongyles under dry tropical conditions in Guadeloupe. Parasitol Res 76, 379–385 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00933544
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00933544