Equity Journal of Science and Technology, 2019 6(1): 22-28 ISSN; 2354 – 1814 EQUIJOST An Official Publication of Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, Nigeria Assessment of Small Ruminant Haemonchosis in Zuru Emirate council, Kebbi State, Northern Nigeria Attah, D. Daniel and Galamaji, M. M. Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, Nigeria Corresponding Author’s email address: [email protected] Abstract The present study was carried out to assess the small ruminant Haemonchosis in randomly selected abattoirs in Zuru Emirate, Kebbi State, Nigeria from May to September 2017. A total of 1, 536 small ruminants (goat and sheep) were examined using standard methods to determine the status of Haemonchosis in the study area. Overall prevalence of Haemonchus contortus in the study area was 54.88% with 58.44% and 750.84% prevalence in sheep and goat respectively. Female animals were found to harbor more worms (66.67%) than males (45.38%). Similarly, young animals recorded higher prevalence (74.71%) than adult animals (44.19%). Prevalence of the parasite showed that Sakaba had the highest (64.71%) in sheep and (57.95%) in goats, followed by Danko/wasagu with 61.46% in sheep and 58.24% in goats, Zuru with 53.88% in sheep and 49.46% in goats while Fakai recorded the least prevalence of 53.69% in sheep and 44.83% in goats. It can be concluded that H. contortus parasite was prevalent in Zuru Emirate Council of Kebbi State Nigeria. Therefore, the use of anthelmintics by smallholder farmers periodically is recommended as a prophylactic measure. Keywords: Age, Goats, Haemonchus contortus, Prevalence, Sex, Sheep, 1.0 Introduction species, Cooperia species, Bunostomum and Sheep and goats are among the major Oesophagostomum species [4, 5]. economically important livestock in Northern Haemonchus contortus is a blood sucking Nigeria, which is playing an important role in nematode parasite that inhibits the the lives of subsistent farmers and providing abomasums of small ruminants, especially products and services such as meat, milk, sheep and goats. It has been ranked the most skin, manure and religious rituals [1]. In this important parasite of small ruminants in all part of the country, livestock production regions across the tropics and sub-tropics and systems are characterized as low input, mixed causes an insidious drain on production, crop-livestock, agro-pastoral and pastoral mortality and morbidity in young animals [5, system [1, 2] In Zuru Emirate, these livestock 6]. Haemonchosis is prevalent in sheep and are almost entirely managed by the poor goats and exerts the greatest economic loss in small-holder farmers and pastoralists. temperate and tropical regions [7]. Intestinal parasitism is a major constrains to Consequently, most developing countries small ruminant production in rural and semi- have benefited little from small ruminant urban communities [3]. In the tropics, the production owing to multiple of problems, nematode species that affects small ruminant parasitic diseases being the most important animals are Haemonchus contortus, [8]. The disease has also found in the colder Trichostrongylus species, Nematodirua climates occasionally in the Arctic Circle [9]. Attah, D. D.: Assessment of Small Ruminant Haemonchosis in Zuru Emirate council, Kebbi State, Northern Nigeria Presently, studies on the status of nematodes using random sampling strategy as sample in Zuru Emirate Council, Kebbi State, collection centers. Selection of sheep and Nigeria is scanty, and to the best of our goats slaughtered in each selected abattoir of knowledge, no study has been intensively each Area was done using systematic random taken to determine the burden of sampling throughout the collection period. Haemonchus species and its implication on The sample size of this research was ascertain small ruminant production in the study area. on the basis of 50% expected prevalence of Therefore, the objectives of the current Haemonchosis in each Area, since no study research were to determine the prevalence of on the subject matter was carried on in the small ruminant Haemonchosis, assess the study area. The expected sample size for the influence of age and sex and rates of infection study was calculated using a described of the disease based on postmortem formula [13, 14]: examination in the four Local Government Areas of Zuru Emirate Council, Kebbi State, n = z2 (p) (1-p) Nigeria d2 Where: 2.0 Material and Methods n = sample size, 2.1 Study Area z = standard normal distribution at 95% The research was conducted in Zuru emirate confidence interval= = 1.96, council of Kebbi State North-western p = prevalence rate, which is taken as 50% = Nigeria. The Emirate comprises of four Local 0.50, Government Areas namely; Danko/Wasagu, d = desired absolute precision (5%). Fakai, Sakaba and Zuru. Danko/wasagu covers an area of 4,016 km2, with a Accordingly, n was 384 and was multiplied population of about 265,203. Fakai has an by 4 (1,536) representing the four Local approximate area of 2,247 km2 and a Government Areas to increase accuracy and population of 121,212. Sakaba covers an area reliability as described by some authors [14, of about 1,260 km2, with a population of 15] with modifications. 89,937, while Zuru covers an area of 653km2 with a population of about 165,547 (10). The 2.3 Study Animal Emirate is located in the extreme south- The study animals were 1,536 (384 from each eastern part of the State, situated within LGA) young and adult indigenous small latitudes 11º and 12º North and longitude 4º ruminant breeds kept under traditional and 5º East of the equator [10]. Occupation management system with different sex and of the people in the four Local Government age. Of this number, 828 are sheep (331 areas are agriculture, animal rearing and females and 497 males) and 708 are goats trading, in which pastoralists and small- (256 females and 452 males) slaughtered in holder farming sector plays an important role some selected abattoirs in Zuru Emirate in food production. Pastoralist communities council from May to November 2017. The practice transhumant or nomadic livestock species, age and sex of the animals examined husbandry and can have large herds of animal was recorded and kept. The ages of the of which provide a means of livelihood and experimental animal species were estimated household assets [11, 12]. accordingly [16, 17]. 2.2 Study Design and sample size 2.4 Sample Collection and worm recovery The study was conducted from May to Abomasa of the small ruminants were September 2017 in different abattoirs of the collected from selected abattoirs and four Local Government Areas. Out of the processed for the presence of Haemonchus many abattoirs in each Local Government contortus adult worms in the study area. The Area, 4 abattoirs were conveniently selected abomasa were collected as soon as the 23 Attah, D. D.: Assessment of Small Ruminant Haemonchosis in Zuru Emirate council, Kebbi State, Northern Nigeria animals were eviscerated and conveyed to the 22]. These entire predicaments exposes laboratory for processing . The abomasa were livestock to infective larvae from pastures, tied at both ends to avoid leakage, separated consequently the establishment of infections from omasums and duodenum and taken to in animals and this may possibly be the Zoology Laboratory, Kebbi State responsible for the high prevalence rate of the University of Science and technology, Aliero, infection in this area. Nigeria in clean plastic bags for examination. Table 3.1 depicts the prevalence of the Each abomasum was examined for adult H. infection in relation to species of animal contortus separately within four hours of screened in the study area. Prevalence of the collection using the methods described by infection was high in sheep (58.44%) than in [18]. The discovered worms were recorded goats (50.84%). This result shows that there for each animal species, age and sex and is an intimate association between species of poured into Petri dishes and examined under animal and the prevalence of Haemonchus a stereomicroscope for identification using infection. This finding is consistent with keys provided by [18]. earlier studies conducted in Rwanda and Bangladesh [19, 21] that reported 83.40% in 2.5 Data Management and Analysis sheep and 71.80% in goats. The higher worm The data were collected (age, sex and species burden recorded in sheep arises from the fact of animal) and entered to MS excel sheet and that sheep grazes closer to the ground where analyzed using SPSS 20.0. Descriptive the infective nematode larvae abounds, while statistics was employed to determine the goats are browsers and feed on shrubs above prevalence of haemonchosis and Chi-square the ground where infective larvae are fewer test (χ2) - test was used to determine the or absent [19]. However, in another studies a significance between age, sex and species higher H. contortus infection in goats with haemonchosis. In all these analysis, (71.3%) than sheep (67.57%) was confidence level was 95% and P<0.05 were documented [23]. Variations in parasitic set for significance. infection in relation to animals species observed in this study may be due to high 3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION stocking density which promotes pasture Out of the total 1, 536 small ruminants contamination with infective larvae thereby screened in this study, 843 (54.88%) were aiding within-flock transmission of nematode found positive with H. contortus (Table 3.1). infections [22]. It may also be due to the Results of this study was low compared to the nutritional status of the experimental animals. result reported in Rwanda [19] that It has been reported [24, 25] that animals fed documented 75.7% overall prevalence of H.