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Small Ruminant Research 98 (2011) 35–38

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Small Ruminant Research

journa l homepage: www.e lsev ier .com/ locate /smal l rumres

ynamics of gastrointestinal parasitoses in goats kept in organic andonventional production systems in Brazil

.B. Silva ∗, G.M. Fagundes, A.H. Fonsecaniversidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro – UFRRJ, Br 465, Km 07, 23890-000 Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

r t i c l e i n f o

rticle history:vailable online 2 April 2011

eywords:estationelminthsactationeripartumustainable production

a b s t r a c t

The objectives of this paper were to analyze the dynamics of gastrointestinal helminthi-asis in Saanen goats maintained in organic and conventional milk production systemsduring pregnancy, parturition and lactation. In the conventional system, the animalswere kept under continuous grazing and dewormed monthly. In the organic system, noanthelminthics were used, the animals were kept under rotational grazing and separatedby age. The goats in the organic systemic had higher fecal egg counts (p < 0.05) than the goatsin the conventional system during pregnancy and parturition, with no statistical difference(p > 0.05) during lactation. The peripartum period was a risk factor for the occurrence ofclinical parasitism in animals with a greater predisposition in the herd, thereby increasing

the infestation of pastures. In the conventional system, even with monthly deworming,the animals were moderately infected, thus demonstrating the possibility that helminthresistance or high reinfection rates might develop. Although no anthelminthics were usedin the animals raised in the organic system, they showed a moderate degree of infection,thus indicating that management might be present a viable option for sustained helminth control.

. Introduction

The growth of markets increasingly interested in prod-cts with no chemicals has encouraged producers ingro-exporting countries to adopt organic production sys-ems. In Brazil, the demand for organic products has beenrowing by 10% a year, which reflects consumers’ desireo buy milk from animals raised in systems that promotenimal welfare and are sustainable and environmentallyriendly (D’Almeida, 2005). Despite great potential for

eveloping organic products of animal origin, Brazil’srganic production is still at an initial stage, not even reach-ng 0.1% of national demand (Aroeira and Fernandes, 2001).

variety of factors contribute towards this low produc-

∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +55 21 26821617.E-mail addresses: adivaldo@ufrrj.br, jenevaldo@hotmail.com

J.B. Silva).

921-4488/$ – see front matter © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.oi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2011.03.014

© 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

tion level, such as the lack of research focusing on animaldiets, breeding and healthcare, especially with regard togastrointestinal helminth infections (Nardone et al., 2004;Larsson et al., 2007).

For there to be rational and sustainable control ofgastrointestinal helminths in animals kept in organic pro-duction systems, knowledge of the risk factors associatedwith parasite epidemiology, pasture management, animalnutrition and animal breeding is required (Larsen, 2002).The fight against helminths in tropical countries has mainlybeen conducted through uncontrolled use of anthelminthiccompounds (Nansen, 1993). Although these drugs havebeen shown to have proven efficacy, the lack of protocol fortheir use in tropical regions, coupled with their disorderly

use, has led to increasing production costs. In addition, theway in which these drugs have been used has contributedtowards the emergence of resistant strains (Amarante et al.,2004) and consumers have raised concerns about residuelevels in foods of animal origin (Coop and Kyriazakis, 2001).

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36 J.B. Silva et al. / Small Rum

The effects of gastrointestinal nematodes in dairy goatsare greatest during the period preceding parturition andduring the first of lactation. It is known that duringthis period, which is known as the peripartum, the phe-nomenon of periparturient relaxation of immunity occurs.In this, the animals become more susceptible, thus makingthem vulnerable to parasites (Barger, 1993). Periparturientrelaxation of immunity to nematodes, and its consequenceson the epidemiology of parasitic infection, have beenextensively studied in sheep (Mahieu and Aumont, 2007;Beasley et al., 2010). Data on periparturient relaxation ofimmunity in dairy goats is quite scarce in tropical countries(Gibbs, 1986).

Armour (1980) found that close to parturition, there wasa decrease in host immunity, characterized by high fecalegg count (FEC) values. In the present study, the increasein FEC values during the peripartum period was attributedthe recent intake of larvae from pasture feed, togetherwith possible immunosuppression among the animals.These two factors may provide a suitable environmentfor prolificacy of adult helminths in the gastrointestinaltract of the animals and reduce their defenses againstreinfection.

Thus, this study aimed to ascertain the frequenciesof gastrointestinal helminths in Saanen goats (Caprahircus) maintained in organic and conventional milkproduction systems during pregnancy, parturition andlactation.

2. Materials and methods

The experimental activities were conducted in November 2007 toAugust 2008, in the goat sector of the Technical College, Federal RuralUniversity of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ) and in the goat sector of the Zootech-nics Institute, UFRRJ, both located in the municipality of Seropédica, stateof Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. According to the Köppen climate classification

Nov Dec Jan Feb M

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400

800

1200

1600 Organic Conventiona

Pregnancy

Eg

gs

per

gra

m o

f fe

ces

(EP

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Fig. 1. Average and standard error of the fecal egg count (FEC) values among Saanduring the five months of pregnancy, parturition (sixth month) and four months o2007 to August 2008.

esearch 98 (2011) 35–38

(Köppen and Geiger, 1928), the climate of the region belongs to the Awclass, characterized by dry and rather pronounced winters, warm andrainy summers, annual rainfall of 1300 mm, average annual temperatureof 24 ◦C and relative humidity of 70%.

The study design was completely randomized. The first treatment con-sisted of 26 pregnant goats kept in an organic production system. Thesecond treatment consisted of 30 pregnant goats kept in a conventionalproduction system. All animals were of the Saanen breed, aged between2 and 4 years and suffering from natural infection.

The parasite control performed on the animals kept in the organicproduction system was mainly based on rotational grazing, separation ofanimals by class and according to age, adequate nutrition and supply ofhay and silage. The animals were divided into three groups according toage. The first group consisted for animals of 0–6 months, the second foranimals of 7–12 months and the third for animals older than one year.All animals kept in this system were supplemented during the dry seasonof the year (April–September) with corn silage (Zea mays) and Tifton hay(Cynodon dactylon) supplied daily ad libitum.

In the conventional system, anthelminthic prophylaxis was admin-istered once a month. The active ingredients used were moxidectin(0.2 mg/kg, Cydectin® , Fort Dodge, Brazil), levamisole phosphate(10 mg/kg, Ripercol® L 150 F, Fort Dodge, Brazil) and albendazole(10 mg/kg, Valbazen® 10 Cobalto, Pfizer, Brazil). Monthly anthelminthicrotation was used, with a different active principle employed in eachmonth.

In the organic system, the animals were kept in six paddocks, eachwith an area of 1.5 ha. The grazing method used was rotational, with fivedays of grazing, 30 days of rest and a stocking rate of 20 AU/ha. The pasturewas composed of Brachiaria humidicola. In the conventional productionsystem, the animals were kept under continuous grazing and the area usedwas 2 ha, with a stocking rate of 10 AU/ha. The pasture was composed ofB. humidicola. In both systems, the animals were fed during the dry seasonof the year with elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Cameroon) andsugar cane (Saccharum spp.), which were chopped and placed in troughs,and mineral salt ad libitum.

Fecal samples were collected fortnightly from all goats during thefive months of pregnancy, one month of parturition and four months

of lactation, except during the nine weeks postpartum when sampleswere collected at seven-day intervals. The numbers of gastrointestinalnematode eggs per gram of feces (EPG), from nematodes of the Tri-chostrongyloidea and Strongyloidea superfamilies, were counted usingthe McMaster technique, as described by Gordon and Whitlock (1939).

ar Apr May Jun Jul Aug

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Parturition Lactation

en goats maintained in the organic and conventional production systemsf lactation, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), November

J.B. Silva et al. / Small Ruminant R

Table 1Average values and standard deviations of egg per gram (EPG) countsamong Saanen goats maintained in the organic and conventional produc-tion systems during the pregnancy, parturition and postpartum phases,Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), 2007–2008.

Systems Prepartum Parturition Post partum

Organic 740 ± 113Aa 1300 ± 256Ab 837 ± 148Aa

Conventional 520 ± 214Ba 1050 ± 364Bb 912 ± 85Ac

Average 614 ± 206 1175 ± 298 875 ± 134

Averages followed by different uppercase letters in the columns and low-enl

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rcase letters in the rows were statistically different according to theonparametric Kruskal–Wallis and Wilcoxon tests at the 5% probability

evel, respectively.

o recover and identify infective larvae from the feces, the coprocultureechnique as modified and described by Ueno and Goncalves (1998) wassed.

For quantitative analysis of the different parameters studied, analysisf variance (ANOVA), linear regression and Student’s t test were used, athe 5% probability level. For comparison of average FEC values betweenhe two groups, the nonparametric Kruskal–Wallis and Wilcoxon testsere used, at the significance level of 5%. The data obtained were com-uted and stored in a data base set up using the Epi Info® , version 3.5tatistical software (Centers for disease control and prevention, Brazil,008).

. Results

The monthly average fecal egg count values from theoats kept in the organic and conventional productionystems during the pregnancy, parturition and lactationeriods are shown in Fig. 1.

The animals kept in the organic production system hadigher FEC values (p < 0.05) than the animals in the con-entional system during the five months of pregnancy andn the month of birth (month of parturition). Although thenimals kept in the conventional system has shown higherEC values than the animals kept in the organic system dur-ng the lactation period, there was no significant differencep > 0.05).

The mean values and standard deviations relating tohe FEC values of animals kept in the organic and con-entional systems during the prepartum, parturition andostpartum periods are shown in Table 1. Analysis ofhe results within groups showed that the mean FEC val-es at parturition was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than

n the prepartum and postpartum periods. On the otherand, comparison of FEC values between the prepartumnd postpartum periods showed that they were sig-ificantly lower during the prepartum period (p < 0.05)nly among animals raised using the conventional sys-em.

The results from coprological cultures demonstratedhat Haemonchus was predominant (70%), followed byrichostrongylus (28%) and Oesophagostomum (2%). Thereas no significant difference (p < 0.05) between theelminth populations in the two groups.

Although the aim of this study was not evaluate produc-ive and reproductive parameters, some observations areorth mentioning. In the conventional system there wasmiscarriage rate of 6.5% (2/30) whereas in organic sys-

em no abortion was diagnosed (0/28). The mortality rate

esearch 98 (2011) 35–38 37

at weaning in the conventional system was 10% (3/30) andin the organic system was 3.6% (1/28). The number of twinpregnancies, birth weight and weaning did not differ sig-nificantly (p < 0.05) between the two production systems.These results demonstrate that the organic system besidesbeing environmentally friendly is also economicallyviable.

4. Discussion

In the conventional system, the animals showed degreesof infection ranging from mild to moderate, according tothe pathogenicity scale described by Ueno and Goncalves(1998). This was probably due to the prophylactic useof anthelminthics. However, the values were higher thanexpected, thus suggesting the possibility of applicationerror (such as underdosing), high reinfection rates or devel-opment of resistance to the anthelminthic active ingredient(Sczesny-Moraes et al., 2010).

Although the animals kept in the organic system hadhigher FEC values than the animals kept in the conven-tional system, over the entire study period, the results weresatisfactory. Since the organic system was self-sustaining,environmentally correct and animal welfare-promoting,the parasite load was considered tolerable and compati-ble with the production model. The high fecal egg countswere expected, since in tropical and subtropical areas, thedegree of gastrointestinal parasitism is very high, especiallyin genetically improved animals used for milk production,like the Saanen (Amarante et al., 2004).

The FEC values of the animals in the organic produc-tion system remained low, probably because of the goodmanagements practices used. The results from this studycorroborate the findings of Höglund et al. (2001) andLarsson et al. (2007), who observed in their studies thatsupplementation of pasture feed and separation by age ledto a significant reduction in fecal egg counts, even withoutthe use of anthelminthics.

The current results corroborate earlier studies (Chartieret al., 2000; Mello and Coutinho, 2004) in which signifi-cant increases (p < 0.05) in fecal egg count occurred duringthe peripartum period. Kahn (2003) proposed that thisincrease in peripartum average FEC values was inducedby variation in the immune response to parasites, duringlate pregnancy and early lactation. In the present studythe increase in FEC values was probably due to a higherfecundity of the established adult populations (Flemming,1997), an increased establishment of ingested larvae ora resumption of development by inhibited larvae (Gibbs,1986).

The predominance of Haemonchus is worrisome giventhat this infection can cause severe anemia and hypopro-teinemia, according to Faria et al. (2002), and depression,loss of body condition, reduced productivity and possiblydeath (Kaplan et al., 2004). Perry et al. (2002) concludedthat Haemonchus contortus was singly the most important

of all the gastrointestinal nematodes that constrain the sur-vival and productivity of goats owned by the rural poorin the developing world. This haematophagous parasite isinfamous throughout the humid tropics/subtropics, beingresponsible for acute disease outbreaks with high level

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38 J.B. Silva et al. / Small Rum

of mortalities, particularly in young animals (Krecek andWaller, 2006).

5. Conclusion

The management practices adopted in the organic pro-duction system were efficient for controlling helminths.In contrast, monthly applications of anthelminthicswere not efficient in combating helminths. Furtherstudies are needed to investigate the possibility thatnematode resistance might have occurred with drugsused.

The peripartum period was a risk factor for occurrenceof clinical parasitism in the animals, thereby increasing theinfestation of pastures.

Conflict of interest

None of the authors (J.B. Silva, G.M. Fagundes andA.H. Fonseca) has a financial or personal relation-ship with other people or organisations that couldinappropriately influence or bias the paper entitled“Dynamics of Gastrointestinal Parasitoses in Goats Keptin Organic and Conventional Production Systems inBrazil”.

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